Upgrading the included Classic Bevy to Premium worth it?

[indy406]

The  classic package is fine unless you're a bourbon drinker of if you like good wine. I am a bourbon drinker, which creates somewhat of a problem. I've managed to muddle through with a Jim Beam before dinner but it's tough to watch the Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve bottles sit quietly on the shelf. A little secret: last year on a certain Celebrity cruise on a certain ship the sommelier was kind enough to bring me a double Maker's Mark the moment we sat down for dinner every night in Blu. So that was nice. Very nice. IMO, the vodka, gin and Scotch selections are fine on the classic package. The bourbon list is exceptionally lame.

[Mark_T]

11 minutes ago, indy406 said:

...but it's tough to watch the Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve bottles sit quietly on the shelf.

Did you check the up-charge to just order it anyway? ... I suspect it would take a few to cover the upgrade price these days...

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, indy406 said:

The  classic package is fine unless you're a bourbon drinker of if you like good wine. I am a bourbon drinker, which creates somewhat of a problem. I've managed to muddle through with a Jim Beam before dinner but it's tough to watch the Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve bottles sit quietly on the shelf. A little secret: last year on a certain Celebrity cruise on a certain ship the sommelier was kind enough to bring me a double Maker's Mark the moment we sat down for dinner every night in Blu. So that was nice. Very nice. IMO, the vodka, gin and Scotch selections are fine on the classic package. The bourbon list is exceptionally lame.

I’m a bourbon guy who also likes Hendricks Gin..I have no chance in the classic. Don’t even bring up Grey Goose. 🙂

[bikerunner]

I tend to upgrade, for wines, and yes the wine list looks horrible but very easy to ask the head sommelier what is available that is not listed.  I do this every cruise and hav found many wines not listed that they will pour by the glass.  I also drink 3-4 sparkling waters a day and figuring that is a 5 plus dollar cost er easily covers the extra amount.   I tend to prebook for the CC discount that I can get.  It really depends if and what you drink.   I tend to relax at the ships with World Class bars especially the first few nights when so many people come up and ask for a gin and tonic etc and they are told to go to another bar.  Enjoy watching the people storm off and pout.  Just my fun cruise thing I guess

[2Long2NxtCrz]

Hubby and I took a Blue Chip Club "free" veranda this past April. We decided to cost out not getting the bev package at all. (I figured out it would have cost us over $1300 for our 7-day cruise! With three ports!)

 

Because we paid so little for the cruise (taxes and port fees) and I wanted to do the exercise to know if the drink package makes any sense, we didn't buy it. Hubby drank as he saw fit. But he likes straight bourbon or Scotch and the Classic fails him. I love good wine with dinner and all the double macchiatos and sparkling water I can handle. I didn't avail myself as I normally do and we came in a few hundred dollars under the drink package cost. That let me know that if I want to indulge in my favorites (which are not always alcoholic) the drink package works. And upgrading is worth it when upgrading from AI and applying the Captain's Club discount.

 

My ;tldr is you will be fine with the classic package, but not if you like higher end wines and bourbon.

 

 

[CTCruiser76]

2 hours ago, indy406 said:

The  classic package is fine unless you're a bourbon drinker of if you like good wine. I am a bourbon drinker, which creates somewhat of a problem. I've managed to muddle through with a Jim Beam before dinner but it's tough to watch the Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve bottles sit quietly on the shelf. A little secret: last year on a certain Celebrity cruise on a certain ship the sommelier was kind enough to bring me a double Maker's Mark the moment we sat down for dinner every night in Blu. So that was nice. Very nice. IMO, the vodka, gin and Scotch selections are fine on the classic package. The bourbon list is exceptionally lame.

Thanks for this. Bourbon drinker here and San Pelligrino water as well, so upgrade probably makes sense. 

[terrydtx]

We have been booking Sky Suites so we have the premium drinks package included, but from my experience the standard drinks package has a very poor selection of very cheap by the bottle wines. We enjoy good wines and for everyday drinking at home most of our selections are over $15- $20 a bottle. The Premium wines by the glass are much better in quality and worth having the PDP. They do have some wines by the glass over the $17 limit and they are worth the extra cost.

[terrydtx]

1 minute ago, CTCruiser76 said:

Thanks for this. Bourbon drinker here and San Pelligrino water as well, so upgrade probably makes sense. 

On the Equinox earlier this month, I was able to get 12-year-old Mccallan and Buffalo Trace Bourbon in the PDP, that alone is worth having the PDP. BTW in most land bars in Texas 12 year old Mccallan goes for over $18 a shot.

[ShawninFL]

I rarely drink in my day to day life, but when I'm on a cruise, I enjoy ordering what I want when I want it and not having to worry if it's over my covered limit.  There are so many options at all the different bars and I like to try things I wouldn't normally try.  I also made the decision a number of years ago, that since I drink so seldom that when I do, I'm only drinking the good stuff.  So for me, the Premium Package is the way to go.

[RichYak]

2 hours ago, CTCruiser76 said:

Thanks for this. Bourbon drinker here and San Pelligrino water as well, so upgrade probably makes sense. 

That combination makes the premium package a no-brainer. 

[Mark_T]

5 hours ago, RichYak said:

That combination makes the premium package a no-brainer. 

It is one of the oddities of the packages that frequent sparking water consumption is almost enough to make the upgrade worthwhile on its own...

 

Without that though I'd still suggest doing the math if it is spirits not wine that is driving the upgrade...

[Crazy planning mom]

Dumb question- Does the Martini Bar serves soda?  Would it be acceptable to order an included wine under the classic package and a coke if my husband and i want to hang there?

[snichols23]

Just my strategy. I book upgrade by calling and get discount due to Elite status. If it goes cheaper, I simply rebook. Call Capt. Club to get discount applied.

[drakes2]

On 6/19/2023 at 6:55 PM, 1Virgo said:

A tip. If you are in OceanView Cafe and  have a Premium package, suggest you get your own beverage, not the waiter.  On Equinox and Summit recently, asked for a white wine Villa Maria (had Premium pkg).   It sure as h**l wasnt Villa Maria. Whatever cheapie, it was undrinkable

I think that is just awful.  I was introduced to the Villa Maria SV a  couple years ago while on Celebrity and now purchase it at home on a regular basis so I'd know the difference if served another white.  

[drakes2]

1 hour ago, Crazy planning mom said:

Dumb question- Does the Martini Bar serves soda?  Would it be acceptable to order an included wine under the classic package and a coke if my husband and i want to hang there?

Most definitely. 

[Arubamoose]

We were on the Edge back in February and had upgraded to the Premium Package.

 

As far as the wines were concerned, we found that a lot of the premium wines that were supposedly on the menu were not available unless we were dining in the specialty restaurant and that was sporadic at best.  That annoyed me to no end because that was the main reason we upgraded.

 

It would have been more economical if we had just upcharged when needed.

 

We have the classic on our next two cruises and we will not upgrade.  We have a boat load of OBC to use.  If I want a bigger martini - so be it!

[drakes2]

56 minutes ago, Arubamoose said:

We were on the Edge back in February and had upgraded to the Premium Package.

 

As far as the wines were concerned, we found that a lot of the premium wines that were supposedly on the menu were not available unless we were dining in the specialty restaurant and that was sporadic at best.  That annoyed me to no end because that was the main reason we upgraded.

 

It would have been more economical if we had just upcharged when needed.

 

We have the classic on our next two cruises and we will not upgrade.  We have a boat load of OBC to use.  If I want a bigger martini - so be it!

That's why I haven't bothered with any drink package since May 2022 on the Eclipse.  We were lucky enough to get Decoy and the Elegance by Celebrity which was very good. I also drink 2 large bottles of San Pellegrino daily so just that alone paid for the upgrade.  

[patty1955]

Our last cruise (May of this year) we got covid and couldn't really take advantage of our premium package. 

[shipknotshore]

We upgrade depending on our itinerary mostly.   If we are in port and planning to be off the ship for the good part of the day it doesn't make sense for us to pay the daily upgrade cost.   We are mostly red wine drinkers, and are surrounded by excellent wineries at home, so even the upgraded premium wines are really not so much to our liking, but will drink Decoy.    We always bring our two bottles on board with us and then tend to drink other selections....I do like a good extra dirty martini....or a margarita.   I rarely ever mix...if I start off with a vodka based drink I won't drink wine, even at dinner.   Headache is never worth it.  

[KristyMisty14]

On 6/19/2023 at 3:17 PM, jelayne said:

It depends on what you drink.  If you drink primarily cocktails, beer, soda, lattes, expresso then the Classic package should be fine.  
On the other if you are primarily a wine drinker then you may want to check the wines lists on the app to see the price of the wines you would prefer are on the Classic or Premium package and at what price.

The Classic has a $10 limit.  If you see wines you would like in the $11-13 range do the math and determine if the cost to upgrade is less than just paying the difference + 20% gratuity.

Oh I didn't realize that you could just pay the difference on a drink to drink basis. That's fantastic.  

[KristyMisty14]

On 6/22/2023 at 2:05 PM, Arubamoose said:

We were on the Edge back in February and had upgraded to the Premium Package.

 

As far as the wines were concerned, we found that a lot of the premium wines that were supposedly on the menu were not available unless we were dining in the specialty restaurant and that was sporadic at best.  That annoyed me to no end because that was the main reason we upgraded.

 

It would have been more economical if we had just upcharged when needed.

 

We have the classic on our next two cruises and we will not upgrade.  We have a boat load of OBC to use.  If I want a bigger martini - so be it!

This is great info!  So no problems to pay the difference between the drinks, and the staff know that's okay?

 

[KristyMisty14]

On 6/20/2023 at 12:04 AM, Mark_T said:

Even with the wines, you need to be careful in the MDR as with the packages at $10 for Classic and $17 for Premium you'd think you wouldn't have to drink much to make it worthwhile, but the 'Premium' wines served in the MDR are mostly between $11-14, so the up-charge is relatively low.

 

Same goes for moving between classic gins and premium gins, typically around a $2 up-charge...

 

Unless you routinely paid an up-charge to go over the Premium limit with your choices, or you drink a lot at the Martini bar it is going to take some effort to make the current upgrade cost worthwhile...

Yes that makes sense, and I didn't know you could just pay the difference between the included and the up charges .  ....I think it's about $425 CAD / $300 USD for the 2 of us to upgrade to Premium right now

[m8zenblue]

The bottom line is it's just a personal preference.

Personally, we enjoy top shelf liquor and premium wines.

And...in the MDR you have a "bottomless" glass !

[Mark_K]

On 6/19/2023 at 7:43 PM, roxette said:

According to the current bar menus in the app, Champagne is only offered at speciality restaurants. Some months ago it was in a lot of bars and the mdr.

If you mean actual Champagne that could be, but many places have sparkling white wines, Prosecco, etc.

[2flacruisers]

On 6/19/2023 at 7:00 PM, Carried_Away said:

I upgrade because I like premium water, martinis at the Martini Bar, and top-shelf liquor. I'm not sure whether I drink enough that the premium beverage package saves me money, but I also like the convenience of ordering whatever I want to drink, whenever I want to drink it, and not worrying about it.

That is exactly why we always upgrade...and we are not big drinkers; we just like the convenience of not having a bill due at the end of the cruise .  In addition, my DH is a coffee snob and won't drink the dining room coffee in the morning...so to the Cafe we go for Americano...

Edited June 30, 2023 by 2flacruisers
wanted to add....