Celebrity Cruises is making a bold move to upgrade its beverage packages

Unlike its parent brand, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises sells two beverage packages for passengers who want unlimited adult beverages.

For passengers looking to save some money, the Classic Drink Package offers:

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“Enjoy the drinks you want, when you want, morning, lunch and night from bottled water, premium coffee and teas, plus an incredible range of beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks and wines by the glass for up to 10 $ per serving Wines by the bottle are 15% off,” according to the Celebrity website.

The biggest downside to the bundle is that the $10 price tag severely limits what’s included. But if you want good cocktails and a limited selection of beer and wine, it’s about $20 cheaper per day on most rides.

Celebrity passengers who want more options opt for the cruise line’s Premium Drink Package:

“This elevated beverage package allows you to start your morning with a premium coffee, enjoy a frozen cocktail by the pool and then a glass of wine with dinner. Enjoy all drinks listed in our Classic Package, plus drinks up to $17. Bottled wines are reduced by 20%”, he posted.

Celebrity passengers, however, have complaints about both beverage packages.

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Drinks at Celebrity’s Martini Bar are part of the premium drinks package.

Image source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet

Celebrity passengers share beverage package complaint

Celebrity passengers generally had one main complaint about the cruise line’s beverage packages: Many brands were moved from the Classic package to the Premium package or the list above, which costs extra.

“In November, a number of wines long enjoyed by celebrity cruisers were moved from the Premium Drink Package to an ‘Enhanced’ list and are now priced above the price covered by the Premium Drink Package,” DaKahuna wrote as part of a Critic Ask. I anything with celebrity president Laura Hodges Bethge. “I know the Lure has been moved back into the price and is covered now, but others have not been.”

After sharing what many passengers consider a problem, the poster asked a very direct question:

“What is Celebrity doing to align quality wines in beverage packages?”

Hodges Bethge was equally forthright in her response.

“To align quality wines with our current beverage packages, we recently created an in-house wine division (a first for Celebrity!) to focus specifically on our overall wine selection, with a focus on bringing value to packages and you, our guests,” she wrote.

The Celebrity chairman has made it clear that more selection is to come.

“Our new wine division team is constantly traveling to new destinations to discover and include more quality wines, keeping our guests’ preferences at the forefront,” she added.

“As we introduce more of these options to the fleet, we can’t wait for you all to take your first sip! In fact, we have added so many new wines to the packages that you must book and join us to try them. . I look forward to hearing what you think.”

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Celebrity drinking problems go beyond wine

While wine has been a particular point of contention for celebrity passengers, many who purchase the Premium Beverage Package have been surprised by how many drinks are not included.

One question came from D1000, who was surprised at how many drinks on the Celebrity menu were an extra charge on his top package.

“If you wish to purchase most specialty cocktails from the Eden or World Class bar, there is still a charge,” they wrote. “If you want to get a nicer glass of wine or spirits, you guessed it there’s an extra charge. Drink prices on Celebrity are already among the highest, and yet the inclusions continue to be removed. Why not have a really great premium drinks package that actually includes your premium offerings rather than higher fees once on board?”

Most drinks on the Eden menu require an additional charge for people purchasing the Premium Beverage Package. Only a few drinks from the World Class Bar menu have an additional cost.

Hodges Bethge’s answer was a little less satisfactory here.

“Our Classic Drinks Package covers all alcoholic beverages under $10 and includes a selection of non-premium non-alcoholic beverages such as club soda,” she said. “Our Premium Beverage Package covers all alcoholic beverages up to $17 and includes a selection of premium non-alcoholic beverages such as San Pellegrino and fresh squeezed juices.”

Anything over the limit in each package incurs a surcharge and the passenger pays the difference.

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“While we try to make as many people as possible happy, we recognize that there are some guests whose preferences do not fall into these two categories,” the executive said. “We are constantly evaluating our beverage offerings to ensure they are in step with what our guests want on a cruise. We will certainly take your feedback on the complexity of the packages back to the team.”

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