Cruise only rate

[Cruisingrampy]

We dont really care about wifi, os it much cheaper to get the cruise only and add the drink package after 

[NutsAboutGolf]

It could be, have to compare the numbers of each individual sailing

[jelayne]

The beverage package cost is  $69 pp per day plus 20% gratuity.  Also the All Included rates includes the daily gratuity which varies by cabin category but for deciding which is best use $15 pp per day for these.  That amount can  be added to your fare when you book or charged to your on board account if not paid in advance.  
Every time I have done the numbers it was less expensive to book the All Included rate. 

[cruisestitch]

33 minutes ago, Cruisingrampy said:

We dont really care about wifi, os it much cheaper to get the cruise only and add the drink package after 

The all inclusive has three components. If you price them individually, Wi-Fi, classic drink package and gratuities then compare the total to the all inclusive generally the all inclusive bundle is cheaper.  The wildcard in all of that is the Wi-Fi. If you really don’t need it or would never use it, then the simply sail rate might be the better deal for you, with adding the drinks and gratuities a la carte.

 

It will be different for every cruiser so the advice to do the math is spot on.

[LB_NJ]

Not sure if the drinks package varies by sailing or day of the week😄 like it does on Royal.

 

If it does then you may not know the drink package rate until AFTER you book so it may be hard to do the math.

[the penguins]

3 hours ago, jelayne said:

The beverage package cost is  $69 pp per day plus 20% gratuity.  Also the All Included rates includes the daily gratuity which varies by cabin category but for deciding which is best use $15 pp per day for these.  That amount can  be added to your fare when you book or charged to your on board account if not paid in advance.  
Every time I have done the numbers it was less expensive to book the All Included rate. 

Your Captains Club status will also affect the maths (sorry math). If you are Elite+ speciality teas, coffees etc are free, plus 2 hours free drinks every day and free water during those 2 hours. Cruise only has saved us  around £740 (💲900) on a 14 night TA in 2023 on  Reflection. 

[sanger727]

I've never seen a rate that makes sense to add on the beverage package. The beverage package is really the seller for the "all included" rates. I think of the wifi as a freebie on top. 

[jelayne]

8 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

Not sure if the drinks package varies by sailing or day of the week😄 like it does on Royal.

 

If it does then you may not know the drink package rate until AFTER you book so it may be hard to do the math.

No Royals pricing is crazy.  Celebrity may have a occasional sale of 5 or 10% off but not the sailing by sailing and frequent prices going up and down.

[MarkWiltonM]

We just booked a 2024 cruise with the Cruise Only fare. I'm glad to see these back as a regular option because we don't drink alcohol. We drink specialty coffees but not enough to warrant paying the All Included rate. And we're fine buying the basic internet package. We try not to use our phones much on cruises except to communicate with each other via What's App and for possible emergencies back home.

[LB_NJ]

2 hours ago, MarkWiltonM said:

We just booked a 2024 cruise with the Cruise Only fare. I'm glad to see these back as a regular option because we don't drink alcohol. We drink specialty coffees but not enough to warrant paying the All Included rate. And we're fine buying the basic internet package. We try not to use our phones much on cruises except to communicate with each other via What's App and for possible emergencies back home.

We recently booked a Cruise Only fare and bought the basic non-alcohol drink package.  We never drink enough alcohol that a package makes sense.

 

Also, last time we had the basic internet package on Summit it was less then useless.

[kearney]

I did a mock booking for a Dec 10 day sailing... used gross classic package price for my upcoming 10 day sailing in Aug:

1A cabin

                          cruise only/pp                            AI (gratuities, classic beverage, basic wifi)/pp

price/person       $1345.00                                   $1849.00

Port tax                    167.36                                       167.36

Gratuities                 155.00                                          incl

Classic pkg.             690.00 *                                         incl

 

Total                      $2202.36                                 $2016.36 and includes wifi

 

* I think you may be charged an additional 20% to this fee. So for this particular sailing and cabin type... AI is a better deal. 

May differ on other sailings..but here is an example

 

If you go with the classic non alcohol package is about $18/day (before any prebooking discount and I believe before 20% gratuity) this reduces the total to $1692.. so will save several hundred dollars.. for an occasional bottle of wine or cocktail..outside the cc cocktail hour if you are Elite. 

Edited August 2, 2022 by kearney

[LB_NJ]

2 hours ago, kearney said:

I did a mock booking for a Dec 10 day sailing... used gross classic package price for my upcoming 10 day sailing in Aug:

1A cabin

                          cruise only/pp                            AI (gratuities, classic beverage, basic wifi)/pp

price/person       $1345.00                                   $1849.00

Port tax                    167.36                                       167.36

Gratuities                 155.00                                          incl

Classic pkg.             690.00 *                                         incl

 

Total                      $2202.36                                 $2016.36 and includes wifi

 

* I think you may be charged an additional 20% to this fee. So for this particular sailing and cabin type... AI is a better deal. 

May differ on other sailings..but here is an example

 

If you go with the classic non alcohol package is about $18/day (before any prebooking discount and I believe before 20% gratuity) this reduces the total to $1692.. so will save several hundred dollars.. for an occasional bottle of wine or cocktail..outside the cc cocktail hour if you are Elite. 

 

Just bought the classic non-alcohol package for $16.78 pp/pd which includes the gratuity.

[kearney]

3 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

 

Just bought the classic non-alcohol package for $16.78 pp/pd which includes the gratuity.

I was using the list price vs discounted.... I assume the price you paid was the pre sailing discounted price... I didn't use that because it can vary...but if you do go with that it does save you...assuming you aren't much of an alcohol drinker. We never used to get a beverage package..but our last few cruises have included it...Frankly it is probably a breakeven for us... I end up having many more coffees and fluffy drinks than I did before

[Cruisingrampy]

22 hours ago, jelayne said:

The beverage package cost is  $69 pp per day plus 20% gratuity.  Also the All Included rates includes the daily gratuity which varies by cabin category but for deciding which is best use $15 pp per day for these.  That amount can  be added to your fare when you book or charged to your on board account if not paid in advance.  
Every time I have done the numbers it was less expensive to book the All Included rate. 

Where does the $15 a day come from how come that is the formula

Edited August 3, 2022 by Cruisingrampy

[wrk2cruise]

$15 pp/pd is the base gratuity rate charged to your seapass account when booking cruise only rate.  Gratuity is included in the AI rate.   Gratuities are higher for CC category.

 

This amount needs to be considered when calculating the difference between AI and cruise only rates.

[jelayne]

AI also includes basic internet which if purchased pre cruise is about $17 er day for 1 device.

[marvelous35]

We booked a cruise only fare.  I don't drink alcohol and I am happy with 1 soda a day.  My wife is a very modest drinker and will probably be happy with the happy hour drinks.

[Luv2Crus40]

We just booked with the cruise only rate.  We decided to do that because we don't use internet and we will have about $1000 onboard credit.  With the free Elite drinks cocktail hour we think we'll be ahead.  

I read somewhere that there's a special drink memo for the Elite cocktail hour.  I saw it mentioned above it includes free water.  Does it also include a can of soda water/seltzer? 

Does anyone have a shot of the drink menu or can give me an idea of what types of drinks they serve?  Thanks.

[rj59]

You can bring two bottles of wine aboard, and get free drinks at captain's circle and other events, and of course in ports. The same goes for soda--I usually get a 2L of Coke Zero at my first port. Visiting coffee shops in ports also is also nice, and the coffee available all over on the ship is Lavazza, so fine for me.  My other way to get away from water blandness is to bring a little container of flavor enhancer, which is tastier to me than any cocktail or soda, and has zero calories, so I can use my calories where it gives me the most pleasure. I also got Covid on my last cruise, so I'm trying avoid crowded indoor venues like bars or Cafe Bacio when I leave on Solstice tomorrow, along with the irritation of waiting for orders when most of the ship gets unlimited drinks and will want to take advantage of it. I also remember what a depressing, dead wasteland most of the Alaskan ports were last September, so I'd like to save my alcohol/soda/coffee spending for ports. I commend Celebrity, though, for adopting a 'cruise-only' fare (and the current 100% solo supplement), since up until now I simply haven't been able to afford it as a solo passenger, but I already have 3 Solstice cruises booked through October (I added another today after seeing a $215 solo inside military fares from October to mid-November). 

[the penguins]

On 8/3/2022 at 3:33 AM, jelayne said:

AI also includes basic internet which if purchased pre cruise is about $17 er day for 1 device.

True, but depending on your CC status may not be necessary. Elite get 90 mins each free and Elite+ 240 minutes. Both are at the higher speed. You can use one lot of the free then decide if you want to use the second lot as free or as a discount on a package. We have never used our first 240.

[LB_NJ]

On 8/2/2022 at 10:33 PM, jelayne said:

AI also includes basic internet which if purchased pre cruise is about $17 er day for 1 device.

Had basic internet on Celebrity Summit.  Less then useless.  Even just reading email worked only half the time.

[poffles]

As others have stated, it will depend on the sailing as it is not a perfect math because Celebrity would do their own math to decide how enticing to make the cruise only rate to perhaps fill a ship.

 

For Cruise Only the Gratuities (AKA service charges) will be automatic charges on your onboard account each day and vary by type of stateroom (shown below from Celebrity site) but everything else is a choice; what drink package you ultimately want to add makes a difference, considering like for like Classic Package ($69 per day + required 20% gratuity) is $82.80 per day.

 

Celebrity automatically adds gratuities to guests’ onboard SeaPass® account, except for guests in Excluded Bookings*, as defined below, in the following amounts:

• $15.50USD per person, per day for Inside, Ocean View, and Veranda staterooms
• $16.00USD per person, per day for Concierge Class and AquaClass staterooms
• $19.00USD per person, per day for guests of The Retreat.

 

So if a Veranda or below, for simple calculation and my math is right, if the cruise only rate (taxes in) works out to be less than $98.30 ($15.50 + $82.80) per day than the AI then you would be ahead if WiFi is immaterial. 

 

You might discover (as I have) that one isn't always ahead if planning to get the drink package anyway and that Cruise Only total cost might only be enticing for people that really don't want the drink package or only want a lower cost package.  Non alcohol drinkers (unlike me LOL) might save.

 

🍻🍹

Edited August 5, 2022 by poffles

[cruisestitch]

12 hours ago, Luv2Crus40 said:

We just booked with the cruise only rate.  We decided to do that because we don't use internet and we will have about $1000 onboard credit.  With the free Elite drinks cocktail hour we think we'll be ahead.  

I read somewhere that there's a special drink memo for the Elite cocktail hour.  I saw it mentioned above it includes free water.  Does it also include a can of soda water/seltzer? 

Does anyone have a shot of the drink menu or can give me an idea of what types of drinks they serve?  Thanks.

Look at the right side of page 2 here

 

https://secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/a9b099b8#/a9b099b8/1

[Luv2Crus40]

Thanks for all the replies and helpful information.   Bon Voyage everyone!!

[Cruise Junky]

1 hour ago, cruisestitch said:

Look at the right side of page 2 here

 

https://secure.viewer.zmags.com/publication/a9b099b8#/a9b099b8/1

Select get a 10% discount on drink packages? I did not know that.