What is the cost of the Classic Beverage Package Perk?

[PaperSniper4]

It's one of the perks I am considering for the current pricing. However, if I have to pay a gratuity with each drink that could be expensive.

 

So, does the perk of the CBP include gratuities, anyone with experience know?

 

Thanks!

 

 Doug

[Pennstatedj]

yes, gratuity is included. I do give additional a couple times a cruise if you frequent the same bars. 

 

[PaperSniper4]

1 minute ago, Pennstatedj said:

yes, gratuity is included. I do give additional a couple times a cruise if you frequent the same bars. 

 

Yep, that's the plan if I find someone who can make a martini I like! <g>

[stevea36]

Historically, the way people pick the perks they want (based on dollar value) have been:

 

1- Beverage Package (it's worth about $66 per day including gratuities)

2- OBC ($150 pp) 

3- Gratuities ($14.50 pp per day)...  note, for longer cruises this may swap places with the OBC

4- internet

 

Steve

 

[mfs2k]

If you drink more than an average of 1 drink a day, the beverage perk is worth more than the Gratuities.  If you drink about 2 "classic" drinks a day, you'll spend about $150 per person for a 7 night cruise, so it's a trade off with OBC.  If you average 3 or more drinks a day, then def choose the beverage perk. That's my opinion. 

[PaperSniper4]

15 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

If you drink more than an average of 1 drink a day, the beverage perk is worth more than the Gratuities.  If you drink about 2 "classic" drinks a day, you'll spend about $150 per person for a 7 night cruise, so it's a trade off with OBC.  If you average 3 or more drinks a day, then def choose the beverage perk. That's my opinion. 

We are not big drinkers. At home we usually have a glass of wine for my wife and a martini or scotch for me, but only 4-5 times a week. We do bring two bottles of wine with us for cabin consumption. We rarely visit the bars on the ships or elsewhere. On most cruises I order a bottle (usually scotch) delivered to our stateroom with varying success. On some lines the bottle is bigger than I need, as in 1 litre for a 7 day cruise (Carnival), or smaller, as .375 litre on a 10 days cruise (RCI). Go figure. <g>

In our case, looking at an 11 day cruise and the "perks" available, I'll go for the gratuities ($319 for 11 days), then the extra OBC ($300), and last the beverage package. The beverage perk makes financial sense, as otherwise I'd purchase a bottle for our cabin. However, it's a hassle to get our drinks at the bar....we prefer them on our balcony, so I have to get the drinks and carry them to our cabin. So the beverage package is a bit of a pain, but cheaper. <g>

[mfs2k]

8 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

We are not big drinkers. At home we usually have a glass of wine for my wife and a martini or scotch for me, but only 4-5 times a week. We do bring two bottles of wine with us for cabin consumption. We rarely visit the bars on the ships or elsewhere. On most cruises I order a bottle (usually scotch) delivered to our stateroom with varying success. On some lines the bottle is bigger than I need, as in 1 litre for a 7 day cruise (Carnival), or smaller, as .375 litre on a 10 days cruise (RCI). Go figure. <g>

In our case, looking at an 11 day cruise and the "perks" available, I'll go for the gratuities ($319 for 11 days), then the extra OBC ($300), and last the beverage package. The beverage perk makes financial sense, as otherwise I'd purchase a bottle for our cabin. However, it's a hassle to get our drinks at the bar....we prefer them on our balcony, so I have to get the drinks and carry them to our cabin. So the beverage package is a bit of a pain, but cheaper. <g>

 

I think the situation varies with each guest.  One of the things my wife and I didn't like about cruising, was having to buy each drink and consciously adding up the drink costs when we're on vacation, then getting a big bill at the end of the trip.  We switched for several years to All-inclusives in the Caribbean, and it was nice not to think about the cost per drink. 

Now that we are going on a Celebrity cruise, we're jumping on the Beverage package because it gives us peace of mind. 

 

We plan to upgrade to the premium package for $11.80 a day, so we have even less to think about... 

 

Bring on my glass of Woodford Reserve bourbon. Make it a double. 

Edited February 19, 2019 by mfs2k

[NantahalaCruiser]

4 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

We are not big drinkers. At home we usually have a glass of wine for my wife and a martini or scotch for me, but only 4-5 times a week. We do bring two bottles of wine with us for cabin consumption. We rarely visit the bars on the ships or elsewhere. On most cruises I order a bottle (usually scotch) delivered to our stateroom with varying success. On some lines the bottle is bigger than I need, as in 1 litre for a 7 day cruise (Carnival), or smaller, as .375 litre on a 10 days cruise (RCI). Go figure. <g>

In our case, looking at an 11 day cruise and the "perks" available, I'll go for the gratuities ($319 for 11 days), then the extra OBC ($300), and last the beverage package. The beverage perk makes financial sense, as otherwise I'd purchase a bottle for our cabin. However, it's a hassle to get our drinks at the bar....we prefer them on our balcony, so I have to get the drinks and carry them to our cabin. So the beverage package is a bit of a pain, but cheaper. <g>

Just a few thoughts

 

My drinking at home is similar to yours; but when on vacation I will drink somewhat more - especially in any of the restaurants - kind of like having a couple of drinks when out in a nice restaurant; except I'm out in a nice restaurant every night on a cruise!

 

Drinks are not cheap on Celebrity, one glass of an inexpensive wine is $9 x 1.18 = $10.62 and a latte at Cafe al Bacio or an after-dinner cappuccino in the MDR is $5 x 1.18 = $5.90. So just one glass of wine and one specialty espresso or tea drink per day on an 11-night cruise equals $181.72 pp or $363.44 per cabin - greater than gratuities or OBC.

 

There are also a couple of intangibles with the package: wine steward topping off your wine glass without asking for your card and no need to sign a drink check - just makes things a little smoother on your vacation. And bottled (perhaps it is now in paper containers) water is also included - nice to pick a couple up for use in your cabin or as you are heading out to a port.

 

But I also understand your desire for a nice glass of scotch on the balcony without having to bring it back from a distant bar. On sea days, I often bring drinks back to the cabin and it is somewhat of a hassle. So whatever you choose have an enjoyable cruise.

Edited February 19, 2019 by NantahalaCruiser

[Cruisegoer]

I believe the cost of the Classic beverage package with no discounts, including gratuity amounted to approximately $487 per person on 7 night cruise.

[NantahalaCruiser]

6 minutes ago, Cruisegoer said:

I believe the cost of the Classic beverage package with no discounts, including gratuity amounted to approximately $487 per person on 7 night cruise.

However, the value to someone receiving the Classic as a perk is often less than the price to purchase it. My personal value is around $40 to $45 pp per day based on what it would cost without the package to purchase what I would normally drink.

 

If your cruise of interest has prices both with and without perks, then you can evaluate the differential cost of the beverage perk (which is usually less than the $59 x 1.18) and compare it with your personal valuation to see whether or not the perk is worth it to you. Unfortunately, many cruises do not show prices with and without perks, even when you try to look for a senior fare (although some have indicated that their TAs can often find the prices without perks.)

[PaperSniper4]

1 hour ago, Cruisegoer said:

I believe the cost of the Classic beverage package with no discounts, including gratuity amounted to approximately $487 per person on 7 night cruise.

Heh heh, the value to me is closer to average $30 a day for the two of us! That's about $330 for the two of us on this planned 11 day cruise. We just don't drink much, even on vacation. One reason we are both always on a diet! <g>

[PaperSniper4]

2 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

...........

There are also a couple of intangibles with the package: wine steward topping off your wine glass without asking for your card and no need to sign a drink check - just makes things a little smoother on your vacation. And bottled (perhaps it is now in paper containers) water is also included - nice to pick a couple up for use in your cabin or as you are heading out to a port.

 

But I also understand your desire for a nice glass of scotch on the balcony without having to bring it back from a distant bar. On sea days, I often bring drinks back to the cabin and it is somewhat of a hassle. So whatever you choose have an enjoyable cruise. 

Good thought on the intangibles....and I'd forgotten an after-dinner specialty coffee would be nice.

 

For our in the cabin drinks, I will probably take a covered coffee cup to the bar during the day and have them put a drink of two in that for later. Hopefully I'd not spill any on the way to the cabin, but the covered cup will help me there!

[Cruisegoer]

4 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

However, the value to someone receiving the Classic as a perk is often less than the price to purchase it. My personal value is around $40 to $45 pp per day based on what it would cost without the package to purchase what I would normally drink.

 

If your cruise of interest has prices both with and without perks, then you can evaluate the differential cost of the beverage perk (which is usually less than the $59 x 1.18) and compare it with your personal valuation to see whether or not the perk is worth it to you. Unfortunately, many cruises do not show prices with and without perks, even when you try to look for a senior fare (although some have indicated that their TAs can often find the prices without perks.)

I’m sorry I didn’t interpret the OP’s question in regards to Value as that is pretty subjective, I thought it read “What is the COST of the Classic Beverage Package Perk?” 

[mfs2k]

5 minutes ago, Cruisegoer said:

I’m sorry I didn’t interpret the OP’s question in regards to Value as that is pretty subjective, I thought it read “What is the COST of the Classic Beverage Package Perk?” 

 

The “cost” is the up charge for one or more perks.

The value is individualized and needs to be compared to your value of the other perks you can choose from. 

 

The. Beverage perk is the one perk which has a different value to everyone yet has a fixed cost. 

[Cruisegoer]

7 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

 

The “cost” is the up charge for one or more perks.

The value is individualized and needs to be compared to your value of the other perks you can choose from. 

 

The. Beverage perk is the one perk which has a different value to everyone yet has a fixed cost. 

Ummm, sure

[mfs2k]

6 minutes ago, Cruisegoer said:

Ummm, sure

 

I was drinking so it makes sense to me. Lol. And obvs the beverage perk is valuable to me. Hehe

[NantahalaCruiser]

5 hours ago, Cruisegoer said:

I’m sorry I didn’t interpret the OP’s question in regards to Value as that is pretty subjective, I thought it read “What is the COST of the Classic Beverage Package Perk?” 

Actually, neither of us made a direct answer to the OP's COST question. If you read the original posting you will see that the COST the OP was asking about was the possible additional COST of gratuities on each individual drink - which in fact is a zero COST since they do not exist.

[diamondintn]

wait.., WHAT? Now I'm really confused. 

 

[PaperSniper4]

4 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Actually, neither of us made a direct answer to the OP's COST question. If you read the original posting you will see that the COST the OP was asking about was the possible additional COST of gratuities on each individual drink - which in fact is a zero COST since they do not exist.

I probably stated my original post poorly: you are correct that what I wanted to know is what additional cost I'd have if I were to select the CBP perk - IOW, would I additionally be required to pay a gratuity?  On RCI once I received the perk of a "free drink" package for my wife and I, but we were required to pay $50 for those gratuities. No problem with RCI doing that, since it was stated up front, but I was just curious about Celeb's procedure since they are also an RCCL company. I thought they might have the same thing.

 

But, although I have started a minor tempest by my posts above <g>, my questions have been answered and I thank all who replied. Yes, it's important to figure out the personal value of each perk that's offered. Some are easier, like the $150 pp OBC and "gratuities pre-paid"...but even that $150 pp might be variable if one never spent a dime while on the cruise and that OBC was not refundable, like many are not. Thanks to my wife (and me), we rarely have to worry about getting our non-refundable OBCs....they are gone after a few days! <G>

 

One thing that complicates my comparisons this time is my TA offers two perk packages: one with a non-refundable deposit, one with a refundable deposit. If I take the non-refundable I'd get an additional perk. In my case, the deposit would be $900 payable about a year in advance, so I was attempting to assess the value to the two deposit schemes by including the CBP as my third perk.  That gets even more complicated than trying to figure out if I'm liable for tips with the CBP perk! HA! So I took the easy way out and decided to not book anything right now!

[Cruisegoer]

2 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

I probably stated my original post poorly: you are correct that what I wanted to know is what additional cost I'd have if I were to select the CBP perk - IOW, would I additionally be required to pay a gratuity?  On RCI once I received the perk of a "free drink" package for my wife and I, but we were required to pay $50 for those gratuities. No problem with RCI doing that, since it was stated up front, but I was just curious about Celeb's procedure since they are also an RCCL company. I thought they might have the same thing.

 

But, although I have started a minor tempest by my posts above <g>, my questions have been answered and I thank all who replied. Yes, it's important to figure out the personal value of each perk that's offered. Some are easier, like the $150 pp OBC and "gratuities pre-paid"...but even that $150 pp might be variable if one never spent a dime while on the cruise and that OBC was not refundable, like many are not. Thanks to my wife (and me), we rarely have to worry about getting our non-refundable OBCs....they are gone after a few days! <G>

 

One thing that complicates my comparisons this time is my TA offers two perk packages: one with a non-refundable deposit, one with a refundable deposit. If I take the non-refundable I'd get an additional perk. In my case, the deposit would be $900 payable about a year in advance, so I was attempting to assess the value to the two deposit schemes by including the CBP as my third perk.  That gets even more complicated than trying to figure out if I'm liable for tips with the CBP perk! HA! So I took the easy way out and decided to not book anything right now!

Try to gauge stateroom availability in the category you desire and if it's possible wait for a better promotion.  The Sail Beyond event is still going on per their website and so is the Twenty Twenty sale. I booked an OV cabin on a 7 night cruise over MLK Jr Holiday and received 3 perks ($150pp OBC, Classic Beverage & Wifi) with a non-refundable deposit plus an extra $100 in OBC per cabin and the cost of my cruise was $100 less pp than it is now.  Pricing can be very cyclical so if there's a lot of availability perhaps its best to wait to book.

[PaperSniper4]

4 hours ago, Cruisegoer said:

..... Pricing can be very cyclical so if there's a lot of availability perhaps its best to wait to book. 

Yes indeed. We typically book early to get a cabin we really like. Sometimes I've spend a month or more doing research on the ship, itinerary and cabin, so once I know what I want, I act. However, usually I do that about 14 month out; and the cruise I am considering now is nearly 22 months out! My TA tells me it is not very booked now, so I will wait unless he assures me I can get the better rate if Celeb lowers it. Right now I have a very good OBC from my TA, and the Celeb perks are nice also.....but like all of us, I want the best deal I can get! <g>

[h20skibum]

Decisions, decisions. That’s why we book during the go best promotions when all perks are included.

Just checked pricing during the Sail beyond and the $20 deposit sale with fewer perks, and there was no difference in price.




Past Reviews post 184