Question about new CC drink policy

[Oneluckywoman]

I am elite on celebrity and taking a friend on a 3 night cruise on the Equinox.  Since they have now imposed a 3 drink limit during the CC event, will my friend (who is not elite but traveling in my cabin with me) also get 3 drinks on her card? The old policy would have allowed her unlimited drinks with me during the cocktail hours. 

[gg88]

No, your friend will not be entitled to any free drinks anymore.

 

When I was on the Millennium a few months ago, and the new procedures were implemented, they explained that many people were taking advantage of the Elite benefits (for example, if two couples were travelling, one couple being Elite and the other not, then the couples would pretend to be married to each other and gain access to the lounge, or would actually book the other spouse in the room so that al four would gain access). Unfortunately it seems as though people abused this loophole to Celebrity's generosity (which, after all, is nice of them to begin with because after all, people sailing with you who aren't Elite really shouldn't be entitled to these drinks... they haven't "earned" them).

 

That's why there's the 3 drinks: people who want to have drinks with non-Elite friends can still so that at any lounge of their choice (you get free drinks, but they still have to pay); but if you still want to be in the Elite lounge and have the canapés, then you can still do that too.

 

I think other factors obviously went into these decisions, such as trying to free up more of the Sky Lounge for other guests, the fact that Edge doesn't have a large lounge for the Elite lounge and they want to standardize the procedures across all ships, etc.

 

Although this may not pertain to you, but Celebrity is still very generous in their status matching: if your spouse does not have the same CC level as you, they will match it so that your spouse is linked to you and they will receive ALL benefits. For example, I was on dozens of cruises before meeting my spouse, and then once we met, I got them hooked on cruising as well. They're only at, say, a Select level, but I'm Elite Plus. Celebrity has us linked and we're now both Elite Plus. (When my spouse logs onto Celebrity, it shows Elite Plus, it shows Elite Plus on their card, etc.  Essentially, they are actually an Elite Plus member now). So that can be an option for those who don't know about it.  (But, for those looking to cheat this system, the address must match for both people).