Unlike its parent brand, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises sells two drink packages for passengers who want unlimited adult beverages.
For passengers looking to save some money, it offers the Classic Drink Package:
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"Enjoy the drinks you want, when you want them, morning, noon, and night from bottled water, premium coffees, and teas, plus an incredible array of beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks, and wines by the glass for up to $10 per serving. Wines by the bottle are discounted by 15%," according to Celebrity's website.
That package's biggest drawback is that the $10 price point greatly limits what's included. But if you want well cocktails and a limited selection of beer and wine, it's about $20 cheaper per day on most sailings.
Celebrity passengers who want more choices opt for the cruise line's Premium Drink package:
"This elevated drink package lets you start your morning with a premium coffee, enjoy a frozen cocktail by the pool, and then a glass of wine with dinner. Enjoy all the beverages listed in our Classic Package, plus drinks up to $17. Wines by the bottle are discounted by 20%," it posted.
Celebrity passengers, however, have complaints about both its drink packages.
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Celebrity passengers share drink-package complaint
Celebrity passengers have generally had one main complaint with the cruise line's drink packages: Many brands have been moved from the Classic package to the Premium package or to the list above that, which costs extra.
"In November a number of wines that long time Celebrity cruisers enjoyed were moved from the Premium Drink Package to an "Enhanced" list and are now priced above the price covered by the Premium Drink Package," wrote DaKahuna as part of a Cruise Critic Ask Me Anything with Celebrity President Laura Hodges Bethge. "I know that the Decoy was moved back in price and is covered now but others were not."
After sharing what many passengers consider a problem, the poster than asked a very direct question:
"What is Celebrity doing to bring quality wines into alignment within the drink packages?"
Hodges Bethge was equally direct in her answer.
"To bring quality wines into alignment with our current drink packages, we’ve recently created an internal wine division (a first for Celebrity!) to specifically focus on our overall wine selection with an emphasis on bringing value back to the packages and you, our guests," she wrote.
Celebrity's president made clear that more selection was coming.
"Our new wine division team is constantly traveling to new destinations to discover and include more quality wines, keeping our guest 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 need to book and join us to try them. I look forward to hearing what you think."
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Celebrity's beverage issues go beyond wine
While wine has been a specific bone of contention for Celebrity passengers, many who buy the Premium Beverage Package have been surprised by how many drinks are not included.
One question came from D1000, who was surprised by how many drinks on Celebrity's menu were an upcharge from its top-tier package.
"If you want to purchase most of the speciality cocktails at Eden or World Class bar there is yet another charge," they wrote. "If you want to get a nicer glass of wine or spirit, you guessed it an additional charge. Drink prices on Celebrity are already amongst the highest and yet the inclusions continue to be eliminated. Why not have a truly great premium drink package that actually includes your premium offerings rather than even more up charges once onboard?"
Most drinks on the Eden menu require a surcharge for people who buy the Premium Beverage Package. Only a few drinks on the World Class Bar menu come with an added charge.
Hodges Bethge answer was a little less satisfying here.
"Our Classic Beverage Package covers all alcoholic drinks up to $10, and includes a selection of non-alcoholic, non-premium beverages such as club soda," she said. "Our Premium Beverage Package covers all alcoholic drinks up to $17, and includes a selection of non-alcoholic, premium beverages such as San Pellegrino and fresh squeezed juices."
Anything over the limit in each package requires 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 there are some guests whose preferences fall outside of these two categories," the executive said. "We are constantly evaluating our beverage offerings to make sure they are in lockstep with what our guests want on a sailing. We will definitely take your feedback on the complexity of the packages back to the team."
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