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Posted

@LukeJ It's so true! Yes, when you encounter someone working so hard you can see sweat beads on their face in the AC, I would say that's overworking. The housekeeping crew works so rigorously, and I also think they get treated the poorest out of all of the cruise crew. I have seen cruise guests so upset that a bathroom is closed for cleaning. The funny part about this is that no one wants the bathroom to be dirty, but they are appalled at the fact that they have to walk up a flight of stairs to use another bathroom. It doesn't make sense to me. 

I love this article, "How to Help Put Your Stateroom Steward." Every cruise guest should consider being helpful to your stateroom attendant.

  • 10 months later...
Posted

On my upcoming cruise on Celebrity in February, I am not purchasing any beverage package, mainly because Celebrity changed their policy to now requiring everybody in the same cabin to purchase the same package.  My wife doesn’t drink much so I don’t think it is worth me spending more than $1700 for drink packages for both of us.  I will see how this works for us - we will drink what we want when we want and see what the final tally is at the end of the cruise.

  This is probably our first cruise in about 10 years that at least one of us didn’t have included drinks.  

Posted

@FJB Most cruise lines requires all same-cabin guests to have the same beverage package. I find it a bit unfair, especially if one person drinks alcohol and the other one does not. The cost of the drink packages ends up coming close to the price of the per person cruise fare, and that often deters me from pulling the trigger on it. You just have to budget your drinks accordingly to make sure you are ready for the end of cruise statement. Drinking on a cruise ship adds up in general, but if you drink off-ship it helps balances out the cost a bit. I'm like a 2 glasses of wine an evening, 2 bottles of water per day, and a cappuccino in the morning type of gal. I just wouldn't meet the per day price threshold. I would be wasting money to buy the drink package for myself. My husband usually has very ambitious goals of getting his money's worth out of the drink package but by day three he typically slows down. The pay as you go strategy is a great option. It can be a money saver too. The key is factoring in those added gratuities. The gratuities are usually added when you purchase the drink package.

  • Like 1
Posted

@Cruising Caribbean that made me chuckle, yeah the mentality of people these days. Complain when something is dirty, happy to try and destroy and spit venom because something isn't clean, and then complain when someone is cleaning because they have to actually move. Honestly, it baffles me.

Posted

@LukeJ It's true though! I'm thankful for those public clean restrooms. They are typically spotless onboard, much cleaner than the ones at my home. People are gross and the job of a housekeeper is rough work, especially when cleaning up after filthy animals! I think women are worse than men. Maybe the men's restroom always appears cleaner because the men typically don't sit on the toilet. I'm not quite sure, but woman can be so careless! They are messier than you think. 

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

I've come across this myself, people in front of me having a rant because they couldn't use the restroom. I explained there is a sign stating that they are cleaning the area, and they turned to say well they should do it another time. Yes, I see the company is at fault because they didn't consult with that passenger about the best time to clean their restrooms. 

  • Like 1
Posted

Leave these people be, they aren't worth wasting your energy. People like this believe they have the divine right to everything. If we all require to queue, then that is what we do. Why some people believe they are above everyone else baffles me. Sometimes we can't do right for doing wrong. So the easiest conclusion for me is just to walk away from them.

  • Thanks 1
Posted

Very true. Rather than draining your energy, simply walk away from them and let them deal with their negativity on their own. Surround yourself with positive and fun people and you will find life is a lot easier for yourselves.

  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted
On 1/24/2024 at 6:03 PM, FJB said:

On my upcoming cruise on Celebrity in February, I am not purchasing any beverage package, mainly because Celebrity changed their policy to now requiring everybody in the same cabin to purchase the same package.  My wife doesn’t drink much so I don’t think it is worth me spending more than $1700 for drink packages for both of us.  I will see how this works for us - we will drink what we want when we want and see what the final tally is at the end of the cruise.

  This is probably our first cruise in about 10 years that at least one of us didn’t have included drinks.  

Got off of our 12nite Celebrity cruise last week and only spent about $700 total between wife & I for all alcohol, sodas, and water.  My wife drinks very little - mostly Diet Coke.  I drink every day on the other hand.  Always 2 - 4 drinks by the pool in the afternoon, a drink or 2 before the show, another drink between the show and dinner (we prefer late dinner seating) and at least 2 glasses of wine at dinner, and sometimes another drink after dinner.  I no longer drink coffee, so I don’t need any of those fancy coffee drinks from the coffee bar in the morning.  
 

I must add that we are elite members on celebrity so we do get free drinks between 5 and 7 each evening.  We would usually get a bottle or 2 of water during this time, also free, to take back to our room and put in the fridge for later.  Not that we drink much water - I’m ok with tap water.  I also get a 20% discount on bottles of wine so I would order bottles at dinner to drink - cheaper than buying by the glass.  If I don’t drink the bottle in one nite, they just save it for the next nite.  
 

So overall I figure I saved about $1000 by not purchasing the beverage package - almost enough for another cruise, which was booked while we were on this cruise!  

Posted

@FJB That's not a bad alcohol bill at all! From what I remember you stating, you ended up getting the better beverage package this time around for yourself only, is that correct? I love that Celebrity Cruises offers this happy hour free drink timeframe for its elite guests. It sounds like you and your wife really know how to get the most out of your elite benefits! Sharing a bottle of wine at dinner is a great idea, especially when you can get it at a discount. My husband and I typically drink about 2 glasses of wine each at dinner so that would be a smart idea for us. I didn't know cruises lines offered the option to save the bottle of time for the following night! That's really excellent. When you book a future cruise onboard a Celebrity Cruises sailing are you able to receive better rates or incentives for booking while at sea? 

Posted
8 hours ago, 3Sisters said:

@FJB That's not a bad alcohol bill at all! From what I remember you stating, you ended up getting the better beverage package this time around for yourself only, is that correct? I love that Celebrity Cruises offers this happy hour free drink timeframe for its elite guests. It sounds like you and your wife really know how to get the most out of your elite benefits! Sharing a bottle of wine at dinner is a great idea, especially when you can get it at a discount. My husband and I typically drink about 2 glasses of wine each at dinner so that would be a smart idea for us. I didn't know cruises lines offered the option to save the bottle of time for the following night! That's really excellent. When you book a future cruise onboard a Celebrity Cruises sailing are you able to receive better rates or incentives for booking while at sea? 

I normally upgrade to the premium package but on this last cruise, Celebrity changed its policy to require all adults in the same cabin to purchase the alcohol package. Since my wife drinks very little, it wasn’t worth $1700 for unlimited drinks for both of us, hence me saving $1000 since we only spent about $700 on alacarte drinks.  
 

Celebrity has always saved unfinished for the next nite. Not sure how other cruiselines handle half full bottles. 
 

Yes there are incentives for booking your next cruise while on the current cruise.  The biggest perk is the $100 per person deposit.  

  • Thanks 1
Posted

@FJB Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks for utilizing your loyalty perks to your advantage! I can't imagine paying $1,700 for two beverage packages. It really is the price of an entire cruise! It's hard for me to imagine I would be able to consume that much alcohol at this stage in my life now. My husband probably would be able to get his money's worth, but there is no way I would. I will have to look into the bottle saving with MSC Cruises. I do believe that it's an option with this cruise line and most others if you purchase the bottle of wine. I also think you could have the option to take it back to your stateroom. That's a very low deposit. Do they have free cancellation within a certain timeframe as well? In fact, the deposit price is almost unheard of! 

Posted
11 hours ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

@FJB Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks for utilizing your loyalty perks to your advantage! I can't imagine paying $1,700 for two beverage packages. It really is the price of an entire cruise! It's hard for me to imagine I would be able to consume that much alcohol at this stage in my life now. My husband probably would be able to get his money's worth, but there is no way I would. I will have to look into the bottle saving with MSC Cruises. I do believe that it's an option with this cruise line and most others if you purchase the bottle of wine. I also think you could have the option to take it back to your stateroom. That's a very low deposit. Do they have free cancellation within a certain timeframe as well? In fact, the deposit price is almost unheard of! 

These are non refundable fares and deposits.  I believe you can change to a different cruise date without penalty.  

Posted

I don't even think about the beverage package, we certainly don't drink enough to warrant the package. After a couple of drinks my wife is done, and I'm not far behind her.

  • Thanks 1
Posted

@LukeJ It's such a simpler world when guests don't feel the need to overindulge in alcohol. The constant push to purchase the beverage packages makes guests feel more obligated to consume alcohol in larger quantities to get their money's worth. I prefer the pay as you drink method. It makes you more mindful and intentional about what you are consuming! Not to mention, it will certainly save you money this way if you aren't consuming 10 drinks a day. What are your typical drinks of choice while on vacation? 

Posted

@3Sisters my wife prefers wine, or a gin if we are having a fee drinks and relaxing, and possibly half a lager with food. It varies, and I'd be happily to have a few largers and be done with. I don't think we would have 10 drinks between us for two days, so the drink package would be a total waste of money on our part.

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Most people enjoy drinking to relax or socialize on vacation. Especially if you don't drink often at home, the idea of drinking on vacation is a nice way to unwind outside of the usual. I prefer wine like your wife @LukeJ, and I typically only drink in the evening. I like how conservative you and your wife drink. When on vacation I try to be adventurous and drink new things, but they always end up giving me a headache, leaving me no choice but to go back to my basics. Trying to keep up with the drink package is a headache on it's own! Like you said, I wouldn't be able to consume enough on my own.

Posted

To get drunk on vacation doesn't appeal to me. I understand when at home, sometimes the day of life gets to you, you have a few too many in an area you know well and comfortable, and if you feel ill the following day, the worst thing you could do is spend a day in bed and miss the mundane aspect of work. But in vacation, there is so much to see and do in such a short time, I don't see why anyone would want to get into a state that was stop that.

Posted

@LukeJ I'm right there with you. I wouldn't have always agreed with that statement, but I do now. After many hangovers ruining my day, the cost to benefit ratio doesn't equate. I can enjoy a couple of drinks casually and enjoy my evening without getting drunk or a hangover. A hangover ruins my entire day, the whole next day is just horrid for me. A few hours of fun in the evening equates to a major headache, horrid sleep, an upset stomach, and feeling awful a whole 24 hours. I will happily skip the "few hours of fun." I can have more fun without alcohol or by drinking moderately! I want to enjoy every ounce of my vacation, just like you, not get myself to a point where I don't feel well! 

Posted

@Cruising Caribbean the issue I have, and I'm sure many also is that it's not just the 24 hours after, it tends to be a 48 hour hangover sometimes. It's a weird feeling, not feeling right or 100% for, as you say a few hours of fun. And because of those feelings, I wouldn't want to waste a couple of days on vacation.

  • Thanks 1
Posted

@FJB Tell me your ways. How do you avoid a hangover? I can't handle my liquor. That's a guarantee. If I have more than three drinks in one evening, I should be under strict observation. I know my limit and I'm fine with it. It sounds like your tolerance is much better than mine! I also don't like to stay up too late, so I'm like a grandma in my 30s. 

Posted
6 hours ago, 3Sisters said:

@FJB Tell me your ways. How do you avoid a hangover? I can't handle my liquor. That's a guarantee. If I have more than three drinks in one evening, I should be under strict observation. I know my limit and I'm fine with it. It sounds like your tolerance is much better than mine! I also don't like to stay up too late, so I'm like a grandma in my 30s. 

Drink plenty of water

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