What drinks can you get FREE with meals if you don't have a drink package?

[Hui C Stanek]

First, apologies, I know the question about drink packages comes up often, but I've asked Celebrity Cruises on the phone and looked through the posts here ad infinitum... My question isn't about the packages it's about what comes free to drink with meals if you have no package at all? Celebrity Cruises told me to look at the menu when we board which wasn't helpful at all. We don't drink alcohol, and can't see how we'd get out money back on the $30 coffee/tea/water/soda plan as with tax and tip its $36 per person per day.

 

I have the same question for Norwegian Cruises Lines as we've book a cruise on each. We're first timers obviously but couldn't pass on the recent sales. With NCL, the Unlimited Package will costs us $690 in tips to keep so we plan to drop it even though it's "free". We don't drink and NCL doesn't include water, coffee or tea in the Unlimited Package--we'd have to upgrade to plus which would cost us another $950.

Thank you so much for the help!

[Alakegirl]

Coffee, tea, milk, hot chocolate packets, juice blends (from dispenser) lemonade, iced tea,

 

no bottled water, soft drinks, sparkling water, cappuccino, caffee latte, etc.

[Hui C Stanek]

Wow, all these are FREE at meal time????? That's amazing. Thank you! That'll save us a bundle, we don't drink and that $690 just in tips seems a crazy amount for something we wouldn't use, and they already said something about $600 in tips at the end of the cruise. 

4 minutes ago, Alakegirl said:

Coffee, tea, milk, hot chocolate packets, juice blends (from dispenser) lemonade, iced tea,

 

no bottled water, soft drinks, sparkling water, cappuccino, caffee latte, etc.

 

Edited March 25, 2023 by Hui C Stanek

[oddly excitered]

I mostly drink Iced tea on a cruise, have my mug filled all the time.

We are going on our first celebrity cruise this summer in Alaska, Is their tea good and strong? we have only been on Royal and the tea is good, how does X compare?

[retird]

1 hour ago, oddly excitered said:

I mostly drink Iced tea on a cruise, have my mug filled all the time.

We are going on our first celebrity cruise this summer in Alaska, Is their tea good and strong? we have only been on Royal and the tea is good, how does X compare?

I enjoy their English Breakfast tea.  Of course strength depends on how long you let it steep

[MarKay525]

4 hours ago, Alakegirl said:

Coffee, tea, milk, hot chocolate packets, juice blends (from dispenser) lemonade, iced tea,

no bottled water, soft drinks, sparkling water, cappuccino, cafe latte, etc.

 

4 hours ago, Hui C Stanek said:

Wow, all these are FREE at meal time????? That's amazing. Thank you! That'll save us a bundle, <snip>

 

Hi and welcome to cruising with Celebrity.

 

Not to dampen your enthusiasm, but just to make sure you understand.

 

Only Coffee, tea, milk, hot chocolate packets, juice blends (from dispenser), water (from dispenser), lemonade, and iced tea are free at meals. Most are available whenever the Ocean View Cafe (buffet) is open as well.

 

Bottled water, soft drinks, sparkling water, cappuccino, cafe latte, specialty coffee drinks and teas available at Cafe Al Bacio, special drinks from the Spa Cafe and non-alcoholic wine/cocktails/beer are not free.

 

A 20% gratuity is added to all beverage purchases.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruises.

Edited March 26, 2023 by MarKay525

[wallyj]

Hi @Hui C Stanek, many first timers are surprised or did not do their research to understand most cruiselines, except for some very high end luxury lines, add a daily ‘service charge’ to your account either daily or at the end of the sailing. NCL currently has a minimum $20 per day per person, meaning for a party of 2 adults, that is $40/day billed to your stateroom, so yes, I can see depending on the number in your party and the length of the cruise, $600 in ‘service charges/tips’, is normal/expected. 
 

I think the minimum service charge on Celebrity is $17.50 a day per person, depending on cabin type booked,  so be sure to budget or plan on this ‘cruising’ expense.

[BirdTravels]

4 hours ago, Hui C Stanek said:

Wow, all these are FREE at meal time????? That's amazing. Thank you! That'll save us a bundle, we don't drink and that $690 just in tips seems a crazy amount for something we wouldn't use, and they already said something about $600 in tips at the end of the cruise. 

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

If you don't drink alcohol [much], you can have complimentary coffees, teas, milk in the restaurants; and flavored waters in the buffet. 

 

If you drink sodas, you can buy a soda package which includes sodas only. 

 

If you are a Starbucks person, you can order a Starbucks package for specialty coffees (regular brewed coffee is available in all restaurants). 

 

[Alakegirl]

The soda package has been discontinued

 

there is no Starbucks on Celebrity.

 

I think you’re confusing Celebrity with some other line

[kwokpot]

Juice blends aren't available at dinnertime in the MDR. Last month on the Solstice the Iced Tea at the buffet was sweet tea and it was disgusting. I don't know when Celebrity changed to sweet tea or if it's fleetwide but it was never sweet tea before this year. 

[emmas gran]

Other than breakfast in the Oceanview Cafe your drinks will be limited to water, tea or coffee. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by emmas gran

[cruisestitch]

46 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

Other than breakfast in the Oceanview Cafe your drinks will be limited to water, tea or coffee. 

That is not correct. There will be lemonade, there will be iced tea. There will be hot chocolate packets. And there will be milk.

these are tonight’s dispensers in Eclipse.  The orange juice is unusual but the other drinks are as expected.

 

 

 

[Fly and Sail]

Just in case, don't forget that Aqua Class has some premium beverages during BLU breakfast as well as bottled (still) water in the cabin. Bottled water should also be available at the gym last time I checked.

 

Elite and above can also attend the elite breakfast, where premium non-alc beverages are served free of charge.

[Alakegirl]

As well as mimosas and bloody Mary’s (Elite breakfast menu items)

[cruizingOmi]

18 hours ago, Hui C Stanek said:

Wow, all these are FREE at meal time????? That's amazing. Thank you! That'll save us a bundle, we don't drink and that $690 just in tips seems a crazy amount for something we wouldn't use, and they already said something about $600 in tips at the end of the cruise. 

 

you can get water in any dining room or at the pool just not bottled

 

[capsplace]

21 hours ago, Hui C Stanek said:

Wow, all these are FREE at meal time????? That's amazing. Thank you! That'll save us a bundle, we don't drink and that $690 just in tips seems a crazy amount for something we wouldn't use, and they already said something about $600 in tips at the end of the cruise. 

 

Are you confusing the $690 for overall gratuities, which would not be just for drinks?  Gratuities cover all sorts of services, not just a waiter bringing you an alcoholic beverage.  Or maybe I am confusing your remark with the purchase of a drink package.

If you don't have any form of a package, like All Included, you will be charged a daily rate, per person, for gratuities.  The rate is based upon your cabin class or category.

Edited March 26, 2023 by capsplace

[terrydtx]

4 hours ago, cruizingOmi said:

you can get water in any dining room or at the pool just not bottled

 

Yes

[mikembs]

21 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

If you don't drink alcohol [much], you can have complimentary coffees, teas, milk in the restaurants; and flavored waters in the buffet. 

 

If you drink sodas, you can buy a soda package which includes sodas only. 

 

If you are a Starbucks person, you can order a Starbucks package for specialty coffees (regular brewed coffee is available in all restaurants). 

 

Skip the drink plans. Unless you drink 11-15. Drinks a day. That will be the break even point, vs. buying drinks individually, without any drink package. The packages are not a good deal. 

[wallyj]

8 hours ago, capsplace said:

Are you confusing the $690 for overall gratuities, which would not be just for drinks?  Gratuities cover all sorts of services, not just a waiter bringing you an alcoholic beverage.  Or maybe I am confusing your remark with the purchase of a drink package.

If you don't have any form of a package, like All Included, you will be charged a daily rate, per person, for gratuities.  The rate is based upon your cabin class or category.

The OP was quoting add on charges to your booking for the NCL ‘free at sea’ drink pkg. On NCL if you select the free drink pkg in your available bundle, you are still charged a daily gratuity, I believe it is now over $20/day per person, so I know many who will forgo this ‘free’ pkg, because they would not spent $20 a day on any types of drinks that were not included in base cruise fare. Also as NCL has increased the daily service charge to a minimum of $20/day per person, is where he is coming up with $600 in service charges.

[Z'Loth]

Looks like a water bottle, some flavored drink packs, and a little bit of cola will be coming with me on board when I take my cruise in January. Does Celebrity have some Keurig coffee makers on board? 

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, Z&#x27;Loth said:

Does Celebrity have some Keurig coffee makers on board? 

Absolutely not. 

[sanger727]

Ok, to clear a handful of things up.

 

1. All cruise lines charge a daily service charge to cover your state attendants and waiters/waitresses. Norwegian also charges an extra gratuity on the "free" beverage package which is what the OP quoted at $690 for the week. Celebrity does not charge anything else for the "free" beverage package- but you can expect to pay a higher fare rate than with no add ons

2. for free you get

ice water (tap) anywhere on the ship at any time

lemonade, ice tea and a variety of self serve flavored drinks in the buffet at any time

Milk and fruit juice in the buffet at breakfast

The rest of the drinks listed (ice tea, lemonade, coffee, etc) at all meals 

 

The real reason to bother with the drink package is - soda, specialty coffee (cappucino, etc), bottled water, and alcohol.

[Hui C Stanek]

Thanks everyone! Very helpful!

[PTC DAWG]

On 3/26/2023 at 12:16 AM, kwokpot said:

Juice blends aren't available at dinnertime in the MDR. Last month on the Solstice the Iced Tea at the buffet was sweet tea and it was disgusting. I don't know when Celebrity changed to sweet tea or if it's fleetwide but it was never sweet tea before this year. 

Is there another way to serve tea that I’m not aware of? 🙂

[PTC DAWG]

15 hours ago, mikembs said:

Skip the drink plans. Unless you drink 11-15. Drinks a day. That will be the break even point, vs. buying drinks individually, without any drink package. The packages are not a good deal. 

I am not following this math…when I back out the room grats and WiFi from the AI upgrade, I am usually right around $50 a day or so pp for the classic drink package.  That is no where 11-15 drinks..what am I missing in your comment?