Our Quick Analysis Of The Celebrity Cruises Beverage Packages
Regardless of how much we consume, we do like having a beverage package for the added convenience. Further, you never have to worry about the bar tab at the end of the cruise! Of course, a beverage package is an added perk when its free.
If we look at our breakdown from a recent cruise, the answer for us is yes. We tracked all beverages consumed, per day, per drink category, to determine the value of getting the drink package.
On a 7-night Celebrity cruise, we consumed a total of 141 drinks for a bar tab of $1,101. This number includes an average of around 5 alcoholic drinks per person, per day, as well as specialty coffee and bottled water. To purchase the Premium package for two adults would have cost us $966. So, we saved $135, or roughly 12%.
However, if we had only paid a $12 per day upgrade fee , we would have recognized more value as we tend to drink cocktails that are priced over the $9 Classic beverage package allotment. Your choice to upgrade should be based on your drink preferences.
What Drinks Are Free On Celebrity Cruises
If you dont choose a drinks package for your Celebrity cruise, then you can still enjoy tea, coffee, lemonade, juice, fruit punch and still water in the buffet restaurant, 24 hours a day. Youll also get free water provided on your table during dinner.
All other drinks have a charge unless you choose one of the drinks packages.
Other Nonalcoholic Drinks Available Onboard Celebrity Cruises
There are plenty of other nonalcoholic drinks available for you to enjoy on your Celebrity cruise. Some, like juice and coffee from the buffet, are free to everyone.
Others, like specialty coffees from Café al Bacio, are included in the Classic drinks package .
The third tier of nonalcoholic beverages includes specialty waters and smoothies from the Spa Café. These beverage choices are included in the Premium package, or are available with a la carte pricing.
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Similarities Between Classic Vs Premium Beverage Packages
On Celebrity, both Classic and Premium beverage packages include the following: unlimited sodas, fresh squeezed and bottled juices, bottled water, tea, beer, wine, spirits, cocktails and frozen drinks. The packages also include a discount on a bottle of wine.
Celebrity Cruises offers a discount for cruisers who pre-purchase a drinks package ahead of their sailing, rather than onboard. You can also buy a package a few days into your cruise, and the price will be calculated according to the number of days left on the itinerary.
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All packages add a 20 percent gratuity and taxes on top of the cost of the package. Pre-ordered packages can be modified or canceled up to four days prior to the sailing date.
Wines By The Bottle Packages
We created the Taste of the Vineyard program for wine aficionados and beginners alike to discover a new favorite wine during their sailing. Youll quickly gain a new appreciation for wines from all over the world.
With both Wines by the Bottle packages, sommeliers will deliver your bottle to any venue on board, including your stateroom. Sip in style from a glittering Riedel glass.
Premium Wines By the Bottle Package
Youll have three, five, or seven bottle selections in this package, which starts from $169. Our onboard sommeliers will introduce you to new flavor profiles from the worlds most celebrated wine regions.
Classic Wines By the Bottle Package
Youll have your pick of three, five, or seven bottle selections in the Classic Package, starting at $109. Choose from an array of wines ranging from a medium-bodied Australian Chardonnay to a rich, full Cabernet Sauvignon from California, and many more.
*All Included Pricing Package must be chosen and provides Classic Beverage Package, Basic Internet Package and Tips Included, and applies to inside through AquaClass® staterooms, excluding Galapagos. All guests in a stateroom must choose the same pricing package.
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Celebrity Cruises Drinks Menus
These bar menus from the Celebrity Edge offer great examples of what is available in each drinks package in terms of price point.
Celebrity Edge Eden Cocktail Menus
And here is a selection of cocktails available in the Eden Bar onboard Celebrity Edge.
Celebrity Silhouette Drinks Menus
These is the menu from the martini bar onboard Celebrity Silhouette. As you can see the prices are outside of the classic drinks package. On occasion I ordered a martini and charged the extra over $9.
You can also order wines, beers and spirits from the martini bar.
Celebrity Cruise Drink Packages
As with many cruise lines lately, there are levels of upgrades for service. And the Celebrity Cruises beverage packages are no different. There are two options for your package. The Always Included guest offer includes the classic beverage package.
Celebrity CruisesClassic Beverage Package includes all carbonated drinks , non-premium bottled water, juices , premium specialty coffees and teas as well as basic beers, spirits, cocktails, and wines by the glass . Bottles of wine are not included, but you will get a 15% discount.
The Premium drink package with Celebrity includes all of the above but offers higher-end liquors, more premium beers, and more wines by the glass, like champagne, priced up to $15 per serving. And if you want to order a bottle of wine, youll get a 20% discount versus the 15% in the classic package. The premium package also includes premium waters like Evian and San Pellegrino sparkling water and it includes Red Bull, too.
If you compare the Celebrity Cruises classic drink package versus the premium drink package youll mainly see the differences in more offerings, but whether it matters to you is the question. You can see a full comparison chart on this page from Celebrity. Some examples of the drink package differences:
Overall, I loved knowing that I could order whatever I wanted while on board. And we loved being able to grab the aluminum bottles of water or San Pelligrino sparkling waters while walking around the ship.
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Premium Water And Vitamin Water
Premium water offerings, such as Evian and San Pellegrino, arent part of the Classic package, but are included if you upgrade to Celebritys Premium beverage package.
Likewise, Celebrity Cruises carries many varieties of Vitamin Water, but these are also only included in the Premium package.
What Do Most Drinks Cost
One very important consideration is how much each drink costs. Thats the only way to determine if you can easily stay under the price point.
Its fairly easy to distinguish between the non-alcohol packages because it really just depends on the quality and selection of non-alcoholic drinks youre looking for theres no additional cost involved, so moving forward, Ill only be discussing the alcoholic beverage packages on Celebrity.
Here is a cost break-down of most drinks you can purchase on board. These costs come from the Celebrity Silhouette 2017 sailing. .
Premium Water : $5.50
Premium Tea from Tea Forte : $5.50
Frozen Drinks & Smoothies: $4.50-8.50
Most martinis were $12
Molecular cocktails: $13
Coffee: Standard espresso coffee drinks are $4 plus $2 for an extra shot of espresso if desired. This includes plain espresso, cappuccino, latte, and americano.
Beers: There was a fair selection of beer on the ship, but you couldnt get every beer in every venue. If you have the classic package, you might have to frequent one specific venue to get the one or two beers that are covered by the package.
Cellar Masters had a pretty comprehensive list of beers, but the only ones covered at $6 or less were Bud Light and Estrella Lager. When you stretch the budget to $13, there are only two beers on the menu that arent covered Nestbeer Hatachino Wood Aged IPA for $26.50 in a 720 ml size and Fullers Vintage Ale 2011 in a 500 ml size for $16.50.
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Can You Break Even
Before you decide if you should purchase one of Celebritys beverage packages, or upgrade from the Classic Beverage Package, youll want to decide how much you drink each day.
More specifically, for the Premium Beverage Package, you will want to research if you prefer any premium liquors that would make the additional cost worthwhile. Youll have to spend more than $12 extra each day on drinks to make the cost of upgrading worthwhile.
For other beverage packages, make sure you will be able to get your money’s worth each day. WIth alcoholic drinks ranging from $9 to $15 and coffees costing anywhere from $5 to $8, it isn’t difficult to see how quickly drinking can add up on a Celebrity Cruise.
What Does The Classic Beverage Package Include
The Classic package includes all alcoholic drinks up to 6$ for beer and 9$ for a glass of wine, cocktail, or frozen drink. Celebrity does have a Premium Beverage Package and you can upgrade for a reasonable charge if you like either before your cruise or once on board.
We found that there was a lot available in that price range, so the Classic Beverage Package was really good for us. Being honest, I am not a wine snob and always found a wine I liked. Our sommelier was so helpful and always had some suggestions of wines within our package. When it came to beer, my husband was happy as he likes Heineken and Amstel and they were both in the Classic Beverage Package. Cocktails made with Smirnoff, Bacardi and Malibu Coconut Rum were all included, so I was able to get many drinks I really like, including the Malibu Bay Breeze my fave!
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This Post Has 3 Comments
They all look fantastic, but especially the mint lemonade. It looks and sounds so refreshing. I admit, that I like a cocktail or two but these are a great alternative, especially when cruising with kids or non-drinkers.
Mocktails dont get enough love! I wish people appreciated them more!Im a huge mocktail drinker, but there are so many bars that look shocked when I asked for something with no alcohol and dont know what to make
I love that people are embracing non-alcoholic drinks! There are so many options that dont involve alcohol. I often cant tell the virgin version of a daquiri/magarita if its made well! Just keep me refreshed on a cruise and Ill be happy!
Are Celebrity Cruise Drinks Packages Worth The Money
I hope that helps, in my opinion the drinks packages are great value and not just for the alcohol but also to keep you hydrated throughout your cruise. They are not for everyone, but for us, and for the boys they work out great value and also easy.
Read more about CRUISING WITH CELEBRITY, and want to know a little more about choosing the best cruises for families? SEE OUR GUIDE HERE. Also check out the Celebrity Ships By Age And Size.
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Celebrity Cruises Elevate Package
The Elevate Package includes the upgrade to the premium beverage package as well as a shore excursion credit. The onboard credit amount is based on how long your cruise is. Youll receive $100 per person for 1-5 night sailings, $150 per person for 6-9 night sailings, and $200 per person for 10 night or longer sailings. AquaClass guests receive a spa credit instead of a shore excursion credit.
The cost for the Elevate package is $30 per person per day. For a couple cruising for 7 days, theyd pay $420 for the Elevate package which would include a $300 shore excursion credit . If you only wanted to upgrade to the premium beverage package, that would be an extra charge of $168 for 2 people, making the Elevate package a deal if you use the shore excursion credit.
Note that its not clear if 3rd and 4th guests in a stateroom must upgrade. So, if youre traveling with kids youll want to see if youre required to upgrade everyone in the cabin or just the 1st and 2nd passengers. 🙂 Even though Celebrity is often thought of as being primarily for adults, my daughters have loved cruising with Celebrity. Kids especially love the soda packages and mocktails!
Read my other posts: 5 Best Things to Do on Celebrity Edge Cruise Ship and Ultimate Guide for Happy Tweens and Teens on a Caribbean Cruise
Are Celebrity Cruises Beverage Packages Worth It
This brings us back to the original question. Are Celebrity Cruises beverage packages worth it? That is a question that only you can answer based on your own drinking habits.
Essentially, the question is whether an individual will consume enough beverages to make the purchase worth it. Below are the costs of the different beverages within each category. Using this chart, you can do the quick math to see if you would routinely hit the daily drink costs of the above packages.
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So How To Choose The Right Vacation For You
Picking the right vacation is a decision with many variables: which hotel, cruise line or tour company is right for you, which destinations interest you, what are the demographics of fellow travelers, what are the service standards, what activities are available, and most importantly exactly what do you desire from the experience. We want you to make an informed, intelligent buying decision where you get the best value for your money! We work with our clients to ensure the vacation or cruise they choose is right for them and those traveling with them.
The world awaits you and we look forward to assisting you in choosing the exact right adventure on the waters or land for you and your companions!
Premium Bottled Water Package
Unlimited bottles of your favorite water are available starting at $16 per day. Weve got you covered with options like Evian, Acqua Panna, San Pellegrino, and Perrier. Whether in a bar, lounge, or any restaurant, simply present your SeaPass® Card to order sparkling, still, or both.
An additional 20% service charge is added to soda, wine, water, classic, and premium packages.
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Is The Beverage Package Worth It On A Cruise
In case you didnt know it already, we really like beer and wine, and we really like eating great meals while drinking beer and wine. So when we were preparing for our Celebrity cruise, we knew we would need to purchase a beverage package to make sure we didnt have to nickle and dime ourselves to death every time we wanted a glass of wine.
But our biggest question is the beverage package worth it and possibly even upgrading to the premium package Would it be worth the money? You may be wondering that too. Its one of the trickiest decisions to make because wading through the details of the packages can be daunting. And lets be real here its expensive, especially when youve already shelled out the money for the cruise itself.
If youre a regular cruiser, maybe youve already figured this out, but for us newbies, deciding what to spend your money on while on board is a bit of a mystery. If youre not careful, youll end up paying more than you bargained for when the bill comes at the end of the cruise.
See what we learned from booking our first cruise. But how do you decide when you dont know what everything costs or how much youll actually be drinking on board? Thats why we decided to keep track of all our beverage purchases on board to see how they added up.
This should give you some perspective on whether the beverage package is worth it. Read on to find out what we learned. Also see our recommendations on specialty dining onboard.
Celebrity Cruise Upgrading From Classic To Premium Drink Pac
Would appreciate knowing what the current cost is to upgrade from Celebrity cruise’s Classic beverage package to their Premium beverage package.
Thanks for your response!
Cost is difference in price plus gratuity for duration of sailing. Currently works out to about $11.80 per day.
I’m not sure about the price but we did upgrade on a Med Cruise and found it to be great. You could order pretty much anything and it was covered. You didn’t need to worry about it. Plus the wines in the Premium package are great by the glass. We never ordered a bottle and tried lots of interesting and delicious wines. All covered in our package. All the Martinis at the ice bar are covered too. It’s worth the upgrade in my opinion. Enjoy.
That’s useful info.$24 a day for the 2 of us one of who is a moderate drinker ,the other who is occasional might just be worth it as the Classic package is included in the cost of our cruise.What I did notice on previous Celebrity cruises was what a bargain Kendall Jackson wines were.These are US wines not widely available in UK and it is a bonus to have them on a cruise ship and not overpriced.
Wirral: you can call and do it in advance – and pay at that time, or once onboard, go to any bar or to guest services and pay the difference – they will affix a sticker to your card denoting the new package’s symbol. No problem. You can upgrade at any point up until last 2 nights of sailing.
Thanks Princess.Those choices will be just fine.
Cruises
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