Buying Drink Package with Elite Happy Hour?

[Sunset329]

We finally reached Elite and are scheduling future cruises. We have always purchased the drink packages. With the Elite Happy Hour, do we still need to purchase the drink package? We always have a couple (2 to 4 between us) pre-dinner drinks and a drink during dinner. We also have morning coffees. We usually have a "big" night at Sail Away and occasional drinks by the pool or in the casino. We hate seeing a large amount owing at the end of our cruise and are concerned we will limit our "cruise experience" by limiting our drink orders and avoiding the large bill at the end of the cruise. The Celebrity drink packages have become so expensive, and we now wonder if it would be best to pay as we go.  

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Only you can decide 

you can get cappuccino at Elite breakfast,  you pick soda and water to take back to your room during HH 

will you happy with buying drinks when you want ?
 

[At Sea At Peace]

There has been some discussion of this in another thread (the thread was about drink packages).  We've commented that we're going without a drink package on upcoming Ascent cruise as the Elite options take care of my needs and wife doesn't drink.  Will be bringing 2 Pinot Noir bottles (paying the corkage), FIJI water, getting Bloody Mary or Mimosa at Elite and carrying into Blu, getting wine pre-dinner and carrying one into Blu later.  Cash for the odd unplanned drinks.  A no-brainer for us in our situation.  The required double package purchase is not a favorite.

 

 

[Tierun]

Get the zero proof package then you only pay for the alcoholic drinks outside of the HH

[Ex-Airbalancer]

6 minutes ago, Tierun said:

Get the zero proof package then you only pay for the alcoholic drinks outside of the HH

I think Celebrity makes a lot of money off of alcoholic drinks , 

They offer alcoholic drink packages at 50% off but non alcoholic packages only at 10% off 🤬

[Tierun]

1 minute ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

I think Celebrity makes a lot of money off of alcoholic drinks , 

They offer alcoholic drink packages at 50% off but non alcoholic packages only at 10% off 🤬

That’s how the bar industry works. However, paying $30 - $50 per day for liquor is a significant savings. Especially when one person isn’t a drinker yet paying for the package.

[SHIP TRAVELER]

If you go without a package, sometimes you can get free drinks in the Casino while gambling.  This is good regardless of your casino Blue Chip level or your captains club level and it is avaiable later in the evening.  We used this perk on our last cruise without a package and it worked well.  If you tip the waiter will keep an eye out for your the next evening.

[miched]

There is no HH on embarkation day or the days that have the Captains Reception,  or Captain's Club party.   So that could be 3 days of your cruise without the HH.   They do serve the same HH drinks at those parties that last about 1 hour 

 

$100/day is a lot of drinking and if you have a lot of port days you may be drinking at those ports instead.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

Edited January 10 by miched

[Oxo]

MPO! If you are not a drinker $85PPPD is too much. Celebrity had a package last year that included tips, Classic, & Wi-Fi for that price or less. Celebrity is high on their drinks compare to the other lines. 

Princess has 2 packages that include much more for $60 or $80!

I cite that just as example as we cruise both lines and do compare. Others may not be aware of the differences. 

It's your choice and you do have a choice. 

[Sunset329]

3 minutes ago, Oxo said:

MPO! If you are not a drinker $85PPPD is too much. Celebrity had a package last year that included tips, Classic, & Wi-Fi for that price or less. Celebrity is high on their drinks compare to the other lines. 

Princess has 2 packages that include much more for $60 or $80!

I cite that just as example as we cruise both lines and do compare. Others may not be aware of the differences. 

It's your choice and you do have a choice. 

We agree. You get much more from the Princess Plus package and we always cruise with the Plus package at $60 per person per day, which includes drinks, gratuities and wi-fi.

[39august]

I.ve seen a couple of comments about planning to carry out drinks from Elite Breakfast, but I am pretty sure that you are not allowed to do this. Last time I asked the answer was "No". 

[jelayne]

21 minutes ago, 39august said:

I.ve seen a couple of comments about planning to carry out drinks from Elite Breakfast, but I am pretty sure that you are not allowed to do this. Last time I asked the answer was "No". 

DH tried to take a partial glass of OJ out and was told No.

 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Take a purse with you at HH and fill it up , and you can be happy for the next 22 hours 🤣🍷

[Oxo]

3 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Take a purse with you at HH and fill it up , and you can be happy for the next 22 hours 🤣🍷

Can you take it out of HH Lounge? 😆 LOL

[Torfamm]

46 minutes ago, 39august said:

I.ve seen a couple of comments about planning to carry out drinks from Elite Breakfast, but I am pretty sure that you are not allowed to do this. Last time I asked the answer was "No". 

That is also my experience on recent cruises. There was one cruise on the Apex where I could get a latte and take it with me but otherwise, no.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 minute ago, Oxo said:

Can you take it out of HH Lounge? 😆 LOL

Just fill it up as you pass each bar 

Really never like the HH events , rather sit outside at the sunset bar 

[81Zoomie]

We took a short cruise over Christmas and used the Happy Hour (available at most of the bars) for the first time.  You can easily collect water and soda for the next day in one run from back to front or top to bottom of the ship’s bars.  The drinks at HH were generally fine.  The wine, however, is very low end.  We brought wine onboard to cover the first night with no HH.  We did see servers walking through the casino, so that strategy will work for a random drink.  The Elite coffee/breakfast is a great option for a quiet breakfast including cappuccino, mimosas, and bloody Mary’s. It all worked fine for a short cruise with the exception of the wine.  However, given that the package wines have all been “promoted” to appear premium or above, finding a drinkable wine can be a challenge even with a package now.  First world problem… I know.

Edited January 10 by 81Zoomie

[frteach]

We are struggling with this situation for our upcoming Caribbean cruise. We are Elite and are wondering about a package, which would be the Classic for us. Even that is expensive. Last year on an RC cruise we liked having our Elite drinks, 4 each, available any time or place we wanted to use them. That was plenty for us, and they weren't even used every day. Our habits and medications have evolved to the point where I don't think a pkg is cost effective for us. I do enjoy a latte or cappuccino every morning and late afternoon at the cafe. The fancy waters and a few sodas would also be used. Does anyone know if the non-alcohol pkg includes virgin cocktails, as if does on RC?

[jayoldschool]

I didn't on my recent cruise. Never missed the package. Between Elite breakfast, and cocktail hour, I was happy. Bought an occasional afternoon drink, a bottle of wine at dinner. Also brought on two bottles, and had one in my cabin when I arrived.

[Purplsmurf]

I am struggling as well. Sailing with my daughter in April. I am elite, but she isn’t. Premium package was on sale for $55 ish/day. She drinks martinis $17/ea and champagne $17/ea. That really adds up and would be a no brainer to get the drink package. Unfortunately we both have to buy it. I did purchase it when it was on sale, but trying to decide whether or not to keep or cancel it. So much for a free cruise from the casino 😂

[Galaxy2004]

For upcoming (Feb 24) Ascent sailing, we called and changed me to non-alcoholic package and DH kept premium alcohol. Both passengers don't have to purchase the same package, but it does require a call to adjust. We're both Elite and thought about sticking with the HH but I'm all about Al Bacio and Red Bull and we both like the convenience of getting something when we want it. Of course, we agree that there is a price at which the convenience math doesn't work. 

[dogsdogs]

2 hours ago, miched said:

There is no HH on embarkation day or the days that have the Captains Reception,  or Captain's Club party.   So that could be 3 days of your cruise without the HH.   They do serve the same HH drinks at those parties that last about 1 hour 

 

$100/day is a lot of drinking and if you have a lot of port days you may be drinking at those ports instead.  
 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

 

 

We just got off a B2B on the Reflection over Christmas and NYE.  We didn't attend any of these events, but there was a happy hour every night but the first on each cruise.

[shavdog]

We always book the inclusive cruise....tips, wifi and the basic drink package....now I'm starting to wonder about this...for me, I have two beers a day...during happy hour...thats it...does this mean I am paying $42 for a budlight?....if we price the cruise out separately without the alcohol can you just deduct $85/person a day or does it go on  different pricing schedule....we still like the wifi and tips and i would most likely keep my spouse on the  liquor...

[cruisegal40]

We will be going on Beyond. First cruise with Celebrity. I think we are spoiled because we are diamond on RCCL.  We get the 4 free drinks each. Hubs no longer imbibes. So I use them up first. (never usually all).  So going over to Elite has thrown this plan off.  I wish Celebrity would honor those. However, I understand they are in the biz of making money. 

 

We sail NCL quite a bit and drink packages are usually included.  I feel these cruise lines are money grabbing at a large amount. I will pay by the glass of wine.

[Rustyman]

We’ve always had the Premium package but booked an “extra holiday in August last year on the Silhouette, are Elite and soon to be Elite + so decided to try the free drinks with no package.

On day one we had booked Murano so bought a bottle of wine with dinner, $40 after Elite discount. Every other night we hit the bars from 5-7 and drank beers, G and T’s and cocktails, me Manhattans and my wife Cosmopolitans. Just before 7 ordered glasses of Merlot for dinner, they were palatable. By the way we also took 2 bottles of wine each on board at embarkation in our carry on luggage with no problem, these were available as extra drinks when we fancied.

we left the ship after a 13 night cruise with a $40 bill. Now that sounds as if we were skimping but we really didn’t, what the front loading does though is send you to bed earlier than May be the case. A wee tip for anyone taking full advantage of the Elite drinks is to remember you can order drinks in the 2 hour window and take them to your room for later consumption.

We have upcoming cruises booked and have Premium Packages booked for them as of course there are no time restrictions but if you don’t want to splash the cash then Elite drinking is perfectly doable and to be honest was quite good fun.