Any free drinks for elites

[CaroleV]

My husband is not a big drinker and I don't drink at all.  Other than the Captain Club party are free drinks available to elites around the ship like Royal?  We are leaving on 11/07 and can't it out. The drink package is not worth it for us when we only 

get 3 drinks a day.

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, CaroleV said:

My husband is not a big drinker and I don't drink at all.  Other than the Captain Club party are free drinks available to elites around the ship like Royal?  We are leaving on 11/07 and can't it out. The drink package is not worth it for us when we only 

get 3 drinks a day.

Unlimited drinks from a select drink menu at most bars from 5-7pm only not including embarkation day. 

[Ken the cruiser]

We are both Elite and my DW drinks mostly bottled water and I will have a glass or 2 of wine before dinner. So during Happy Hour between 5-7 pm (except for embarkation day) we go to the nearest bar and my DW gets a bottle or two of water to take back to the cabin and I get my glass or 2 of wine.

[hrhdhd]

When I don't have the drink package, I'll get one drink during happy hour and ask for two Diet Cokes to bring to the room to drink the next day. (Yes, I'm cheap.)

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, CaroleV said:

My husband is not a big drinker and I don't drink at all.  Other than the Captain Club party are free drinks available to elites around the ship like Royal?  We are leaving on 11/07 and can't it out. The drink package is not worth it for us when we only 

get 3 drinks a day.

 

1 hour ago, kwokpot said:

Unlimited drinks from a select drink menu at most bars from 5-7pm only not including embarkation day. 

Correct but only if you have managed to book without AI pricing otherwise you are paying for drinks wether you like it or not.

[marieps]

20 minutes ago, the penguins said:

 

Correct but only if you have managed to book without AI pricing otherwise you are paying for drinks wether you like it or not.

Geoff makes a good point.  Did you get a cruise only fare as to not subsidize the heavier drinkers?

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, marieps said:

Geoff makes a good point.  Did you get a cruise only fare as to not subsidize the heavier drinkers?

Subsidize LOL

[marieps]

Hmmm

Edited October 31, 2021 by marieps

[CaroleV]

Booked almost a year and a half ago when they had cruise only.  It's about 800.00 more to add on the package.  Not worth it for 3 drinks a day.

[marieps]

4 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

Subsidize LOL

Well it's not a misspelling...so not sure the humor.  That's exactly the AI model.  Enlighten me LGW59.

BTW, you'll love Oceania.

[marieps]

1 minute ago, CaroleV said:

Booked almost a year and a half ago when they had cruise only.  It's about 800.00 more to add on the package.  Not worth it for 3 drinks a day.

Nicely played.

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, CaroleV said:

Booked almost a year and a half ago when they had cruise only.  It's about 800.00 more to add on the package.  Not worth it for 3 drinks a day.

Congratulations. Hopefully you will or have told X your views on AI pricing.

[C-Dragons]

2 hours ago, marieps said:

Geoff makes a good point.  Did you get a cruise only fare as to not subsidize the heavier drinkers?

Hmmm.

What percentage of the “heavy drinkers” do you think Geoff, and others, actually subsidize?

I would venture a guess that most of the passengers who book Suites with AI packages are probably paying for far more drinks than than they actually consume. I know that we do. So who's really subsidizing whom?

And I'm out.

Edited October 31, 2021 by C-Dragons

[2theship]

5 hours ago, kwokpot said:

Unlimited drinks from a select drink menu at most bars from 5-7pm only not including embarkation day. 

 

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

 

Correct but only if you have managed to book without AI pricing otherwise you are paying for drinks wether you like it or not.

I believe kwokpot is referring to the drink benefit that Elite members receive every day from 5-7pm, not anything related to a purchased package. The OP mentioned that they were Elite.

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, 2theship said:

 

I believe kwokpot is referring to the drink benefit that Elite members receive every day from 5-7pm, not anything related to a purchased package. The OP mentioned that they were Elite.

If they had AI pricing there is in effect no "free" drinks as they have paid for all drinks. As they booked without AI their normal Elite benefits apply, drinks from 5 to 7 but only from the Elite menu and 90 minutes each internet.

[davekathy]

7 hours ago, CaroleV said:

My husband is not a big drinker and I don't drink at all.  Other than the Captain Club party are free drinks available to elites around the ship like Royal?  We are leaving on 11/07 and can't it out. The drink package is not worth it for us when we only 

get 3 drinks a day.

Currently the CC isn't doing the CC HH in the evening in the Sky Lounge. Like in the past you'll still have unlimited drinks loaded on your Seapass card each evening to enjoy in most bars between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM. 

[sanger727]

5 hours ago, marieps said:

Geoff makes a good point.  Did you get a cruise only fare as to not subsidize the heavier drinkers?

everyone on a ship pays for things they don’t use. If you only want to pay for the things you use you are better off booking a a hotel room and paying as you go. As a non-elite cruiser, my fares are helping to pay for all those ‘elite’ benefits that I don’t get. As a childless adult, my fares are helping to pay for the kids club and services I don’t use. As a light eater, my fares are helping to pay for the people ordering multiple appetizers, entrees, and desserts, etc. The more inclusions a vacation includes, the more you end up ‘subsidizing’ services you may not use. 
 

i find it highly ironic the number of elite cruisers who don’t want to pay AI because they don’t want to subsidize other peoples drinks. But were happy all the years leading up to AI getting their ‘free drinks’ and ‘free internet’ without considering other cruisers were helping to subsidize that.

Edited October 31, 2021 by sanger727

[the penguins]

7 hours ago, sanger727 said:

everyone on a ship pays for things they don’t use. If you only want to pay for the things you use you are better off booking a a hotel room and paying as you go. As a non-elite cruiser, my fares are helping to pay for all those ‘elite’ benefits that I don’t get. As a childless adult, my fares are helping to pay for the kids club and services I don’t use. As a light eater, my fares are helping to pay for the people ordering multiple appetizers, entrees, and desserts, etc. The more inclusions a vacation includes, the more you end up ‘subsidizing’ services you may not use. 
 

i find it highly ironic the number of elite cruisers who don’t want to pay AI because they don’t want to subsidize other peoples drinks. But were happy all the years leading up to AI getting their ‘free drinks’ and ‘free internet’ without considering other cruisers were helping to subsidize that.

For us the question of AI is nothing to do with subsidising. Many businesses reward loyal customers with various discounts for example "buy 10 coffees and your 11th is free". Anyone who  has reached Elite status and above has chosen to cruise with X and in recognition of this X has rewarded them. These benefits have been arbitrarily removed and replaced with the much more expensive AI pricing. X has acknowoedged this and stated that "we recognise that not everyone wants or needs a beverage package nor unlimited wifi and we are working to correct this"

[poffles]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

.......

 X has acknowoedged this and stated that "we recognise that not everyone wants or needs a beverage package nor unlimited wifi and we are working to correct this"

 

Where has this been said, is this on their site somewhere?   I am one that loves to have the drink package, I've have had it one way or another on all of my Celebrity sailings, but I've never wanted, WiFi which in my opinion is the throw in to appear you are getting more.  I'll use the WiFi of course but I don't like it being presented as if a deal when nothing is for nothing in this 'deal'.

 

All that said, I still like to control the pieces so I would welcome, on some level, a return to the pre AI model, even if it was the tiered level of included.  Simply Sail; Sip & Sail; All In Sail.

Edited November 1, 2021 by poffles

[retired dude]

we booked the "connie" over a year ago and are elite but not snobs... We were fortunate that the prices just kept on dropping and using the lift/switch we ended up with a nice balcony midship cabin for the 10 day cruise and the cost was $1500 for the two of us. Then came the infamous AI debacle from celebrity and we toasted our good fortune  at having booked before that. The two hour elite HH will serve us well as we only have a few drinks in the evening any way. If we want more, we can buy more. We dont use wi-fi .... We could care less what others want to pay for the cruises and after this cruise we will go back to rccl (diamond) and continue sailing with them at great rates for nice balcony cabins and not have someone dictate what they want to give us using their profitable AI plans. Life is simple and good, we like keeping it that way, good sailing to everyone.

[Tierun]

I just got pricing for my in-laws on Summit for cruise only rates since my mil doesn’t drink. It saved about $500 on the AI rate for the weekend getaway. 

[marieps]

16 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

Hmmm.

What percentage of the “heavy drinkers” do you think Geoff, and others, actually subsidize?

I would venture a guess that most of the passengers who book Suites with AI packages are probably paying for far more drinks than than they actually consume. I know that we do. So who's really subsidizing whom?

And I'm out.

There is certainly a difference between a "heavy" drinker and one who drinks "heavier" then 3 per day, which is what I said.   Heavier is a comparison.  Heavy is a description.  I didn't go there.   Anyone who buys AI and does not use the drink portion or the internet is paying more, , or  while those who take fuller advantage of the inclusions are not.  There's really no controversy.  

[chemmo]

It is always the bottom line that counts…

 

We usually book RS and are E+ so not only do the drinks perks mean nothing neither do the internet or laundry. I guess we could say we are paying for our evening drinks x 3…

 

We haven’t quit Celebrity because we continue to enjoy the product and are yet to see something to temp us away. We still love the big ship but with the ‘club’ areas…

 

We don’t feel cheated. Loyalty points, perks….Sometimes when booking ships/flights/hotels they work in your favour sometimes they don’t.
 

For example, we stopped seeing one hotel brand as a ‘preferred’ when they started allowing lots of none concierge guests (at a price) into the concierge lounge . This significantly reduced the lounge experience. No argument with the chain, they have simply gone in a direction that doesn’t suit us. 

 

End of the day you do the homework to get the product you want at a price you are comfortable with. 
 

[C-Dragons]

12 minutes ago, chemmo said:

It is always the bottom line that counts…

 

We usually book RS and are E+ so not only do the drinks perks mean nothing neither do the internet or laundry. I guess we could say we are paying for our evening drinks x 3…

 

We haven’t quit Celebrity because we continue to enjoy the product and are yet to see something to temp us away. We still love the big ship but with the ‘club’ areas…

 

End of the day you do the homework to get the product you want at a price you are comfortable with. 
 

Yes, we totally agree.

[jagoffee]

1 hour ago, Tierun said:

I just got pricing for my in-laws on Summit for cruise only rates since my mil doesn’t drink. It saved about $500 on the AI rate for the weekend getaway. 

3 day cruise?  

12 minutes ago, chemmo said:

It is always the bottom line that counts…

 

We usually book RS and are E+ so not only do the drinks perks mean nothing neither do the internet or laundry. I guess we could say we are paying for our evening drinks x 3…

 

We haven’t quit Celebrity because we continue to enjoy the product and are yet to see something to temp us away. We still love the big ship but with the ‘club’ areas…

 

We don’t feel cheated. Loyalty points, perks….Sometimes when booking ships/flights/hotels they work in your favour sometimes they don’t.
 

For example, we stopped seeing one hotel brand as a ‘preferred’ when they started allowing lots of none concierge guests (at a price) into the concierge lounge . This significantly reduced the lounge experience. No argument with the chain, they have simply gone in a direction that doesn’t suit us. 

 

End of the day you do the homework to get the product you want at a price you are comfortable with. 
 

As we all know the 123, BBB type programs have been around for many years.  I suspect that the Free Elite HH cocktails have been meaningless to a majority of the Elite and higher category of passengers for many years.  I would not be surprised if the number is closer to 75%.  There is no way that Celebrity could have been able to continue with the Elite drink program due to the high number of people who have achieved that level without the switch.  

The irony is that only a minority of Elite or above passengers are actually affected by this.  (I realize that it is a vocal minority and it is not zero). The rest of us are actually subsidizing the minority, since most of us already have some type of drink package or included drinks.