First world "problem" but here is the Elite drinks question....

[the penguins]

18 hours ago, basenji56 said:

I agree that Celebrity's Elite perk rules are absurd.  You need to walk back and forth to the nearest bar while you are eating dinner.  Royal's Diamond drinks system makes so much more sense--four drinks a day.  All day long.  Anywhere including the MDR and specialty restaurants.

 

Which is better depends mainly on your Status and your drinking habits 

We are Elite Plus and don't drink alcohol so the Celebrity offering is far superior.

We get unlimited free speciality coffees, teas and chocolate all day every day including boarding and disembarkation days. During the 5 to 7 slot we get several bottles/cans of water to last the next 24 hours and a couple of fruit juices to take to the MDR for dinner.

The free internet based on minutes (240 each) to use as and when we want is also much more useful to us than Royal's set 24 hours free system.

 

 

[basenji56]

41 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Which is better depends mainly on your Status and your drinking habits 

We are Elite Plus and don't drink alcohol so the Celebrity offering is far superior.

We get unlimited free speciality coffees, teas and chocolate all day every day including boarding and disembarkation days. During the 5 to 7 slot we get several bottles/cans of water to last the next 24 hours and a couple of fruit juices to take to the MDR for dinner.

Y

41 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Yes, I am close to Elite Plus and very much looking forward to that perk.  

 

 

[smtcan]

32 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Which is better depends mainly on your Status and your drinking habits 

We are Elite Plus and don't drink alcohol so the Celebrity offering is far superior.

We get unlimited free speciality coffees, teas and chocolate all day every day including boarding and disembarkation days. During the 5 to 7 slot we get several bottles/cans of water to last the next 24 hours and a couple of fruit juices to take to the MDR for dinner.

The free internet based on minutes (240 each) to use as and when we want is also much more useful to us than Royal's set 24 hours free system.

 

 

I agree. We drink some alcohol but not enough to warrant a beverage package. The free coffees suit us well and the internet minutes are adequate for our needs. The two free bags of laundry each are more than we ever use, even on a 14 day cruise. 
For us the Elite+ benefits represent real value more so than the diamond benefits on Royal Caribbean, which we have occasionally used. 

[cruisegirlppp]

1 hour ago, smtcan said:

I agree. We drink some alcohol but not enough to warrant a beverage package. The free coffees suit us well and the internet minutes are adequate for our needs. The two free bags of laundry each are more than we ever use, even on a 14 day cruise. 
For us the Elite+ benefits represent real value more so than the diamond benefits on Royal Caribbean, which we have occasionally used. 

I recently told my husband that we only need 2 more cruises to the Al Bacio level- he doesn't drink alcohol but loves his specialty coffees.

[shipshape sam]

22 hours ago, basenji56 said:

I agree that Celebrity's Elite perk rules are absurd.  You need to walk back and forth to the nearest bar while you are eating dinner.  Royal's Diamond drinks system makes so much more sense--four drinks a day.  All day long.  Anywhere including the MDR and specialty restaurants.

 

Yeah we noticed that recently when we booked Mariner.  

[DaKahuna]

On 5/14/2023 at 10:00 AM, Georgia_Peaches said:

 We are going to test the Elite breakfast and 5-7 cocktail hour (oh and the casino) to see how much that really offsets our dreaded bill at the end.

Good luck with that plan, especially the casino part.  I spent time in the casino on my last cruise and did not get offered a drink at any time.  There may have been a waiter / waitress circulating in the casino but if there was I never encountered her/him. 

 

[cruisestitch]

 If you want a drink while you are in the casino, it’s pretty easy to get one. You can go to the casino bar and ask them to find a waiter for you, you can ask any casino employee to do the same.

[DaKahuna]

1 minute ago, cruisestitch said:

 If you want a drink while you are in the casino, it’s pretty easy to get one. You can go to the casino bar and ask them to find a waiter for you, you can ask any casino employee to do the same.

 

True but that would mean getting up and walking away from your favorite slot machine.  I can see that working for table games easily enough. 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

25 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Good luck with that plan, especially the casino part.  I spent time in the casino on my last cruise and did not get offered a drink at any time.  There may have been a waiter / waitress circulating in the casino but if there was I never encountered her/him. 

I will make it clear that I am actively playing and that I would like drink service...tipping should help.  My experience has been that once they know you're likely going to tip, the servers somehow seem to find me...which I greatly appreciate.

[cruisestitch]

I agree. Start with contacting the waiter and then go to your slot machine. They will find you from then on.

[Aldeya]

48 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

I agree. Start with contacting the waiter and then go to your slot machine. They will find you from then on.

Speaking of free drinks in casino... What kind of drinks are considered "house brands" which as I understand are covered under the "free drinks in the casino while playing"? What non-alcoholic drinks can I order? And yes, we always tip per drink :)