Beverage package: Buy on board or in advance?

[SoCruisey]

Last Celebrity cruise, we bought our bev pkg from one of the many bartenders and servers selling them on board. I don't remember the exact cost, but it seemed to be about the same as buying in advance. (No, we don't have it included in our fare or Go Big, Better or Best promo).

 

Besides the obvious downside of buying drinks when you first get on and THEN buying a bev pkg, does anyone know of any reason to buy in advance vs. buying on board? Is there a cost benefit for either option?

 

I see that now you can buy a SINGLE bev pkg in advance instead of buying for both people in the cabin; which is good for us as I drink and my wife doesn't.

[A Sixth?]

You can buy it onboard with your first drink request and all is covered.

[cruisin lady ca]

On occasion, celebrity has run 72 hour sales on beverage package, select excursions and specialty dining packages. Check your cruise planner and look for an email from Celebrity. I have seen the "sale" banner in my cruise planner but not gotten an email so don't rely on getting an email. The sales have offered up to 20% off on excursions and 20% off on the classic beverage package.

[SoCruisey]

Thank you very much for this info. I'll keep an eye out! I am leaning towards premium pkg but if I can get 20% off classic I would consider it

 

thanks again

[jelayne]

Thank you very much for this info. I'll keep an eye out! I am leaning towards premium pkg but if I can get 20% off classic I would consider it

 

thanks again

If they have a sale the discount would apply to both the Classic & Premium packages. They just had a sale in December. That offer didn’t apply to all sailing or all excursions.

[cruisin lady ca]

You likely know that the rules changed last spring re: charges for beverages above classic package limits. You pay only the difference between package limit and cost of the drink, plus the 18% gratuity, and not the entire cost of the drink. So, the value of the upgrade to premium package depends on what you like to drink. Can always upgrade on board, if you prefer, and the bartender who does the upgrade apparently gets the extra gratuity. Nice way to make a friend at your favorite bar!

[SoCruisey]

Ah.. that is good to know. I prefer the better stuff, but buying and upgrading might be the way to go :) However, I'm also about easy. I'd rather just do it and have it done. I tend to generously tip a bartender or two when I first board in cash to make a new friend :)

[monctonguy]

Wasn't aware you could buy the drink package for just one in the room? I know you could with Royal but they just changed it and now you cant...might want to double check that.

 

I was lucky enough to get the sale in December for the drink packages...it was BOGO50...so worked out to 25% off each....was nice...reminded me of the prices when they first started offering these drink packages a few years ago. Much more reasonable!

[Silkroad]

On occasion' date=' celebrity has run 72 hour sales on beverage package, select excursions and specialty dining packages. Check your cruise planner and look for an email from Celebrity. I have seen the "sale" banner in my cruise planner but not gotten an email so don't rely on getting an email. The sales have offered up to 20% off on excursions and 20% off on the classic beverage package.[/quote']

 

Agree. Don’t rely on receiving an email. I recommend keeping an eye on your roll call too. Others on your roll call may notice a sale and kindly share the information:) Cheers!

Edited January 9, 2018 by Silkroad
Correction

[heatherbuttermore]

I'm curious - I have the classic beverage package- my advisor told me that if I ordered a drink over $9.00 I would pay full price...not just the difference in price. Does anyone know if that's correct?

[bonedoc7]

That was the case on our last cruise, assuming it remains the same now. We always upgrade our packages, I prefer to pay in advance and not risk having a large bar bill at the end of our cruise, especially when paying for 6 people. This way, I can just have whatever I feel like. Drinks that are priced above the premium drink packages max are just charged the difference and not the full price. Hope this helps.

 

 

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[m8zenblue]

Just got of the Reflection recently.

We had the Classic package and we were approached to upgrade to the Premium package by a bartender upon embarkation.

The advantage was that we would be charged 8 days for the price of 10 we were sailing for the upgrade which came to $80.

I thought it was very advantageous since there were alcohol brands that I could not get with Classic package, for example, top shelf beverages like Bombay Sapphire Gin, Jack Daniels Whisky Glenfiddich Scotch, and so on.

[Ozzmund]

Our next cruise on Celebrity will be a mediterranean cruise leaving from Barcelona. We already have the Classic package, if we upgrade onboard will we be charged the Spanish VAT?

[Silkroad]

I'm curious - I have the classic beverage package- my advisor told me that if I ordered a drink over $9.00 I would pay full price...not just the difference in price. Does anyone know if that's correct?

 

No. This was the case until early last year, but thankfully is no longer true. Now you just pay the difference.

[goldenshore]

I'm curious - I have the classic beverage package- my advisor told me that if I ordered a drink over $9.00 I would pay full price...not just the difference in price. Does anyone know if that's correct?

 

I called Celebrity today and that's what they told me, if you have the Classic package and you order above $9 you pay for the entire drink. If you have the Premium package you only pay for the difference.

[heatherbuttermore]

You've got to be kidding?! I called Saturday and they told me that I would only pay the difference over $9.00. Wow. Would really like to know what to believe!:confused:

[GerScot]

You've got to be kidding?! I called Saturday and they told me that I would only pay the difference over $9.00. Wow. Would really like to know what to believe!:confused:

 

Be assured you only pay the difference!

[champagne123]

On our recent cruise on the Equinox, we only paid the difference (between 2 and 3 dollars).

[goldenshore]

I'm curious - I have the classic beverage package- my advisor told me that if I ordered a drink over $9.00 I would pay full price...not just the difference in price. Does anyone know if that's correct?

As of yesterday that is what Celebrity told me too. Maybe it depends on who you talk to? Some of them didn't get the memo?

[Ronaldo807]

Just got of the Reflection recently.

We had the Classic package and we were approached to upgrade to the Premium package by a bartender upon embarkation.

The advantage was that we would be charged 8 days for the price of 10 we were sailing for the upgrade which came to $80.

I thought it was very advantageous since there were alcohol brands that I could not get with Classic package, for example, top shelf beverages like Bombay Sapphire Gin, Jack Daniels Whisky Glenfiddich Scotch, and so on.

 

Is an offer like this more the norm or an exception to the rule? We are new to Celebrity and haven't previously had a drink package to upgrade like we do now.