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Beverage Increases


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So I’ve been wondering- on my upcoming cruise, my fare includes the classics beverage package booked under the old pricing scheme.  I could have upgraded to the premium package for less than $20 per day before the price increase. If I upgrade now, will it cost me $40 per day?   Hmmm

Of course I could call the Captains Club number to inquire but it’s more fun to ask strangers on the internet! 

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@FJB I think booking your beverage packages now, before the prices go up is such a smart plan of action. I actually didn't add a drink package for my upcoming August 2022 cruise, and you have just instilled that idea in my mind. I think I will take a look today and see if I can add a package now before prices increase. MSC Cruises hasn't seemed to change its beverage prices as of late. 

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  • 1 month later...

Just got off the phone with Celebrity.  I was able to upgrade the beverage package for my upcoming cruise from classic to premium.  With my Captains Club discount, the total cost with gratuities was an additional $16.50 per day.  I only upgraded my package, not my wife's.  I did this mainly because I prefer the better wines at dinner.  And I like Makers Mark before dinner.  My wife doesn't drink much - she is my driver.  

Hell it's only money and it's vacation time - no need to be a tight a$$ and leave it to my kid when I pass - spend it all now is my motto!  I worked for it - let my kid work for it as well.  

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@FJB That's great you were able to upgraded to the Celebrity Cruises' classic drink package to the premium offering. I honestly don't think $16.50 per day is that bad because you will get such a better selection to choose from. I'm also impressed that allowed you to upgrade one person in the cabin and didn't have to upgrade the other. From my cruising experience, the cruise lines usually have you upgrade both. What is a Captain's Club discount? Were you a captain before on one of Celebrity Cruises' ships in the past?

Wine is also my drink of choice. With the premium beverage package, are you able to select from anything on the menu or is there a price per glass cutoff? I'm pretty certain that Makers Mark is not included in the classic package. By the time you purchase one of those, you have almost met the additional per day cost! If you have the opportunity to splurge on your vacation, go for it! It's your time to relax and enjoy. 

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When you think the cruise prices are high enough, they increase liquor prices too. I can't see myself how they charge the prices they do. Local breweries in pubs etc, charge the licencees ridiculous amount of money per firkin if you're tied to the brewery, but if you're a freehold, the cost of that firkin has now dropped at least 70%. So the brewery are actually making a profit from a drop down mark up, so shows you the profit margin they are making when it comes to charging pubs and restaurants that are leaseholds.

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9 hours ago, 3Sisters said:

@FJB That's great you were able to upgraded to the Celebrity Cruises' classic drink package to the premium offering. I honestly don't think $16.50 per day is that bad because you will get such a better selection to choose from. I'm also impressed that allowed you to upgrade one person in the cabin and didn't have to upgrade the other. From my cruising experience, the cruise lines usually have you upgrade both. What is a Captain's Club discount? Were you a captain before on one of Celebrity Cruises' ships in the past?

Wine is also my drink of choice. With the premium beverage package, are you able to select from anything on the menu or is there a price per glass cutoff? I'm pretty certain that Makers Mark is not included in the classic package. By the time you purchase one of those, you have almost met the additional per day cost! If you have the opportunity to splurge on your vacation, go for it! It's your time to relax and enjoy. 

Captains Club is celebrity’s loyalty program.  I got a 15% discount on the beverage package upgrade because of my status level in the loyalty program. 
 

I think the classic package has a $10 limit on alcoholic beverages and a $17 limit for the premium package. 

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@FJB Thanks for clarifying the Captain's Club. I haven't cruised with the line before. I did some online searching and found more information on Celebrity Cruises' webpage. I love the variety of tier levels the cruise line has. https://www.celebritycruises.com/captains-club

That's a great discount! It's also so nice that you don't have to worry about gratuities with the beverage packages. You can always tip extra at the end but it's not necessary to have cash on your at all times. The difference between the premium and the classic packages seems significant. I'm glad you will be able to enjoy your premium beverage package to the fullest! It also seems the whiskey selection is much better in the premium package too! https://www.celebritycruises.com/things-to-do-onboard/onboard-packages/beverage-packages

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@PaulB yes I do tend to agree with what you're saying. My family have all worked around the hospitality trade and the breweries do hold landlords to ransom really. My uncle worked hard and long hours and made a success of his place but he still struggled to actually make a decent living for himself after he paid everything out so in the end, ill health stopped him from continuing in the trade. But the way the world is, it really is hard to make a good living once the breweries take what they believe they owe.

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@LukeJ Operating a brewery is a strenuous and tedious profession! What a shame your uncle struggled so much to make ends meet. Speaking of the liquor prices, the gratuities for alcohol purchases can be quite hefty too! At least many cruise lines try to keep alcohol selections refreshed, occasionally offering new and exciting varietals. 

Celebrity Cruises recently hiked up its beverage package prices, following Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises. Hopefully the price increases also give a greater tip percentage to the bar staff. That would only be fair! 

I love when cruise lines allow for you to bring one bottle of wine per person onboard. Although, not all cruise lines allow it. I also enjoy the ability to pre-purchase liquor bottles to my stateroom. Once again, not all cruise lines allow this luxury. In fact, Carnival Cruise Line tried to take away this perk in 2022 and it backfired. Carnival Cruise Line ended up reversing the decision to take away pre-cruise liquor purchases, and currently allows guests to pre-purchase one liquor bottle per stateroom, not per guest. 

https://www.cruisehive.com/carnival-cruise-line-reverses-unpopular-pre-cruise-decision/89219

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@LukeJThe long hours of the customer service/hospitality industry is a big burden. It's can also be very physically demanding. I think that those that work in this industry get burned out pretty quickly because of the demands. It's just so wild to me that just last year the cruise industry was having trouble getting ships properly staffed and now there are budget cuts and staff cuts left and right.

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@LukeJ The cruise crew work really hard! That's a really good thought. I didn't think of it like that. Pre-pandemic there weren't really any staffing issues, but now the industry has been struggling to recover; it still is in some ways. I wonder if cruise lines were willing to spend more on staffing the ship initially, and now that the ships are properly staffed, they are over extending themselves. Now the cruise lines are cutting back to cut costs. That is a really smart analysis you had! I just hope that the crew isn't having to work even harder due to the cutbacks. That wouldn't be fair to the cruise crew!

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@LukeJ That's very true, and some places are struggling more than others. It can sometimes be so frustrating when cruise guests feel so entitled and lack appreciation for the cruise crew. Some of the staff has to work more hours and/or labor to make up for the loss. Don't forget to show grace to your cruise crew! They deserve to be treated with kindness.

It's risky business working on a cruise ship. Actually, an MSC Cruises' crew member ended up having to be rescued after going overboard last year! 

https://www.cruisehive.com/msc-cruises-crew-member-rescued-after-going-overboard/81689

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