If Elite or higher would you book cruise only?

[Mark_K]

10 hours ago, TeaBag said:

We usually sail AQ class and I have not seen it offered as cruise only.  Maybe someone knows how to access this?

Cruise-Only Rates

• Lowest available fare
• Accommodation, dining, entertainment and many more amenities included
• Drinks, Wi-Fi and Tips not included
• Available on all stateroom categories excluding The Retreat & AquaClass

[TeeRick]

15 hours ago, Alakegirl said:

Do you want waters during the day? Beers by the pool? A bloody Mary with breakfast? An after dinner drink? Will the 5 to 7 PM drinks be sufficient for you? That’s the question to ask yourself

This is really the best answer from @Alakegirl.    It is a personal decision based on how much one drinks and how much one uses the WiFi on board.  And if one is cruising worry-free or if every penny counts to you when cruising.  Everybody is different.  We tend to sail in suites so not a factor for us.

[SHIP TRAVELER]

We sailed on the Solstice to Alaska in August on a lift and shifted veranda cabin with no perks.

We were Elite at that time.  We expected to buy several bottles of classic wine with the Elite bottle discount in the MDR and a few beers to supplement the 5-7 Happy Hour.  We got our Cappuccino at the Tuscan Coffee house.

We ended up buying two beers and 1 bottle of wine all on the first day when there was no Elite Happy Hour.  We did bring two bottles of wine on board but we do that even with the package for the convenience of a drink on the balcony. 

 

One unexpected opportunity was the free drinks for players in the casino.  We play some each day after the show and with a tip the waiter will spot you on a nightly basis.  This was our night cap outside of 5-7 drinks.  We also attended all of the Captains club events where drinks were provided but we usually attend these events any way for the social aspect.

The truth was we did not need the package and we felt never deprived.  Right now we have four other cruises booked with X but all were with on line TA group deals and all have the Classic package.  We made Elite + on our last cruise so we now have Cafe El Bacio to add to the mix. 

 

We have not tried our D+ yet under the new RCL program but we have two RCL cruises next year so we will see how that goes.  The WiFi does not matter to us.  We unplug while traveling and seldom use the base free minutes.

We would definitely book "cruise only" if it saved us any money.  Usually the paid tips make a difference in our price calculation of $$ to $$.

[smtcan]

We are Elite+ and were not happy when Celebrity went all inclusive, because we were paying for things we didn’t need.  We are moderate drinkers so the happy hour drinks are adequate.  We can take a glass of wine into dinner at 7pm, which is our preferred time to eat and we can get lattes any time. The included wifi is enough to send a few emails to keep in touch with family.  We always factor in gratuities when costing out a cruise.

Now that we can book cruise only we are happy.

Sheila

[gordylad]

Loving all the replies.......

[RichYak]

17 hours ago, gordylad said:

but as Elite wondering is it worth it knowing we can get unlimited drinks I believe between 5-7?

If by being Elite, those were the only 2 hours that I couldn't get free drinks, I STILL might need a beverage package to fill that gap. 🤭

[Silkroad]

We’ve considered booking cruise only, but we’ve not done so since our earliest cruises. We’ve calculated that we barely break even on the Premium package. Sans espresso and water, we’d lose money on either package. My DH would probably do fine with Manhattans during the Elite happy hour. He’d simply pay for his coffees and beers during the day. My favorite cocktails and wines are not offered during the Elite happy hour, but I could acquire some waters there. We do enjoy trying cocktails that are new to us, and we’d certainly feel less adventurous without a package. We’ve encountered F&B supply chain issues on our last two cruises, so we’ll do another cost/benefit analysis during our upcoming b2b. 

We would pay gratuities regardless. At minimum, we need an internet package for one of us, while the other uses Elite minutes. Once we reach Elite+ we may find those minutes adequate.

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by Silkroad

[Smmessineo]

5 hours ago, RichYak said:

If by being Elite, those were the only 2 hours that I couldn't get free drinks, I STILL might need a beverage package to fill that gap. 🤭

I'm with ya on that!  That would be like 10% of the day that I wouldn't be able to drink😋. Scary thought!

Edited November 23, 2022 by Smmessineo

[PTC DAWG]

No, I don’t want to be limited that much on choices. 

[Ipeeinthepools]

23 hours ago, Alakegirl said:

Do you want ... Beers by the pool? ... That’s the question to ask yourself

 

Absolutely!!!  How can you enjoy a cruise without beer at the pool?

[drakes2]

23 hours ago, gordylad said:

Just checking some pricing and when you add the "all inclusive" it really hikes the price. Now having said that we have always gone all inclusive but as Elite wondering is it worth it knowing we can get unlimited drinks I believe between 5-7?

 

cheers

It all depends on the cost of the cruise only price. Also if itinerary is very port intensive I tend not to take the AI package if I know I will be off the ship a good part of the day. Being Elite status I find the HH drinks are sufficient for me also I can bring onboard 2 bottles of wine which I take to dinner. The 90 minutes of wifi I have I seems to work for the most part. If I find I need more I'll use it in the ports of call.  On my last cruise I upgraded to Concierge class and honestly with all the events I was invited to that served free alcohol was more than enough. 

[drakes2]

23 hours ago, Alakegirl said:

A bloody Mary with breakfast?

If you are Elite or higher you get bloody marys free between 8 and 10 am.

[drakes2]

23 hours ago, dreamer321 said:

I wish I could find one of these mythical travel agents that give you All Included group rate for the price of Cruise Only

Yeah me too.  I spend a lot of time researching various TAs and most often find their rates are the same as Celebrity's.  I'm in Canada so if booked with one of these agents price would be in USD. And with the current FX rate at the moment does not make sense.  The exception was my May Hawaii cruise Celebrity could not come close to their price so I ended up booking with a US TA and also the AI package which I upgraded to premium. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

Yeah me too.  I spend a lot of time researching various TAs and most often find their rates are the same as Celebrity's.  I'm in Canada so if booked with one of these agents price would be in USD. And with the current FX rate at the moment does not make sense.  The exception was my May Hawaii cruise Celebrity could not come close to their price so I ended up booking with a US TA and also the AI package which I upgraded to premium. 

Send me an email I can pass you her e mail😁

[hawkesbaynz]

As a non-drinker I would be happy with cruise only rate. However DW enjoys the healthy smoothies at the Aqua Cafe for breakfast, a constant supply of sparkling water, a diet red bull a day, and enjoys a premium gin or two pre-dinner, wine at dinner and a nightcap. Fortunately not a coffee drinker. We eat late and are often in the gym 5-6. Perhaps I can get away with a water package, the bottles of wine to carryon, and the tail end of happy hour. Can buy some drinks too. The RCL scheme would probably be perfect but…

 

 

 

[Ipeeinthepools]

The sad thing is that Celebrity has hooked me with the included beverage package.  I don't know that I would cruise without a beverage package.  I guess that was their plan.

[drakes2]

9 hours ago, TeeRick said:

This is really the best answer from @Alakegirl.    It is a personal decision based on how much one drinks and how much one uses the WiFi on board.  And if one is cruising worry-free or if every penny counts to you when cruising.  Everybody is different.  We tend to sail in suites so not a factor for us.

Sometimes the cruise only fare is so cheap doesn't make sense to go AI.  I can save enough to pay for another cruise. 

[drakes2]

2 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

The sad thing is that Celebrity has hooked me with the included beverage package.  I don't know that I would cruise without a beverage package.  I guess that was their plan.

You gotta be a numbers person. Depending on how much you drink time spent onboard etc  etc. I also was taking advantage of the free cans of water I'd pick up at HH but then got carried away and found by the second last night I had 8 cans left but managed to drink them.  

[DaKahuna]

On 11/23/2022 at 3:13 AM, barneyboy said:

No we wouldn’t book cruise only as we never use the Elite drinks. They’re far too early for us to have a pre dinner drink. I can’t understand why they don’t have them later for those who prefer to eat later. I can’t imagine having pre dinner drinks from 5pm!

 

 I agree about the Elite Happy hour being convenient to the early dining guest. 

 

 However, my pre-dinner drinks start about an hour or two after lunch.   It's never too early for a pre-dinner drink. 

 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

1 hour ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 I agree about the Elite Happy hour being convenient to the early dining guest. 

 

 However, my pre-dinner drinks start about an hour or two after lunch.   It's never too early for a pre-dinner drink. 

 

Pre-dinner drinks start with pre-lunch drinks.

 

Even though we sail in suites I would not book without the all inclusive if it was not included in suites.

[Ipeeinthepools]

12 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

Pre-dinner drinks start with pre-lunch drinks.

 

You can't drink all day unless you start in the morning.

[Redtravel]

Cruise only if it makes sense. On my most recent X cruise, we were told that difference between cruise only and all in was about $80  on a 10 night cruise.  For such a small difference, we opted for All in.  We hardly drink.  We figured the tips alone was worth the $80.  However, if the difference were substantial, I would book cruise only.  

[drakes2]

55 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

Cruise only if it makes sense. On my most recent X cruise, we were told that difference between cruise only and all in was about $80  on a 10 night cruise.  For such a small difference, we opted for All in.  We hardly drink.  We figured the tips alone was worth the $80.  However, if the difference were substantial, I would book cruise only.  

That's $8 a night. What a bargain. 

[goofysmom99]

I'm sure glad I receive wifi and bev package from X now because the difference between cruise only and AI for a solo for my next TA is whopping $1834; gratuities are only $288 of that.  No way slow internet and classic bev are worth $1546.  I don't think it's worth it for two people with CC happy hour and free fast minutes either.  Will no longer even consider suites due to bathtubs and the double charge for AI that I already receive.  (Luminae and Retreat are very nice but not worth ~$7K.)

[drakes2]

25 minutes ago, goofysmom99 said:

I'm sure glad I receive wifi and bev package from X now because the difference between cruise only and AI for a solo for my next TA is whopping $1834; gratuities are only $288 of that.  No way slow internet and classic bev are worth $1546.  I don't think it's worth it for two people with CC happy hour and free fast minutes either.  Will no longer even consider suites due to bathtubs and the double charge for AI that I already receive.  (Luminae and Retreat are very nice but not worth ~$7K.)

I only book when there's a solo supplement no way would I pay for 2 AI packages