Ilana Schattauer – Emma Cruises

Last summer I was lucky enough to sail on the Celebrity Summit from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to Newport, Boston and Bermuda. It was an incredible trip and one of our very best cruise experiences. There was a lot to LOVE about Celebrity Cruises, and a big part was definitely the Classic Beverage Package perk. There are so many things that Celebrity does really well, that just make a cruise a little more special. Not the least of which is the Go Big, Go Better, and Go Best perks promotion, which has been available for the last couple of years. I will let you know, in detail, what is included in the Classic Beverage Package, and what is not. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99NTjBaSTZg Celebrity Perks Promotion - Go Big, Go Better, Go Best I LOVE the Go Big, Go Better, Go Best Perks promotion! This promotion varies from time to time. Sometimes you can choose one perk, sometimes two, but essentially you are still choosing from the same 4 perks. The 4 perk choices are: Classic Beverage Package (read below for what is included) Free wi-fi (incredible!) Free gratuities for the first and second passenger $150 USD per person on-board credit, which is a value than free gratuities for a 7 day cruise. Do calculate this one. The perks are very generous, so my advice is that if you are comparing a Celebrity Cruise to another cruise line, do take a few minutes to jot down the value of the perks for you. Something to keep in mind is that contrary to some other cruise lines, there is no extra charge or service fee for any of the perks, including the Classic Beverage Package! What is included in the Classic Beverage Package? SO MUCH – this is why I love it so. It includes not only alcoholic drinks and sodas, but also premium specialty coffee and water bottles. This is also much more inclusive that other cruise lines that offer a similar promotion, which once again really adds value. Here is the run down. The Classic Beverage Package What does the Classic Beverage Package include? The Classic package includes all alcoholic drinks up to 6$ 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 (among others) 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! What is not included in the Classic Beverage Package? Although many drinks were available in the 9$ and less range, there were times when drinks were above that. This was especially apparent in the fabulous Martini Bar, where martinis were about $11-$12 on average. If having a premium scotch, craft beer or a more expensive wine will add to your enjoyment, the upgrade is totally worth it! Just a little FYI, you may also pay the difference if you order a higher priced drink once in a while. We did this occasionally, mostly at the Martini Bar. This only added up to about 20$ total at the end of my cruise, so I am glad I didn't pay to upgrade my package. Premium Coffee and Tea For me, the coffee was almost as good a perk as the alcoholic drinks! Café Al Bacio, Celebrity's gorgeous European inspired café, doesn’t serve just your average cruise ship cappuccino or latte. The menu includes decadent selections; like the White Chocolate Mocha Espresso topped with steamed milk and whipped cream; the IGLU, the best frozen coffee you’ll ever have; and my personal favourite, the Affigato, which is espresso coffee served over a small scoop of gelato and served in a martini glass - so fancy! I didn’t even mention the gourmet teas and tisanes that are also included in the package, but they are! You could enjoy all of this either in the beautiful café seating area or you could takeaway. This was super handy for my morning coffee, which I brought up to the buffet or pool area daily. Water Bottles and Soda Of course, soda was included, but a really nice perk was that water bottles were included too! It was really practical and saved me from hauling a case of water on board, which I do on most cruises. The mornings that we were in port, the waiters at the buffet had ice cold water bottles that they brought to the tables, so that you could take ashore. They thought of what I needed before I did – and I love that! If you are considering a Celebrity Cruise, please make sure that you get the Perks promo! I noticed that the price is often a bit higher than some other cruise lines in its class, however, when you consider the value of what you are getting, it may actually be more economical to sail Celebrity. I hope you try it and enjoy! If you would like to read about my personal experience onboard the Celebrity Summit, you can read my cruise review here. Emma says: Thanks so much for this one Ilana! I love a good drinks package, especially when it's included as part of a perk. I'm happy to hear that they include bottled water in the package, this is often missed out on lots of other cruise lines. I've never cruised with Celebrity but I definitely would like too. I visited the Celebrity Eclipse a while ago and had an amazing day running around. You can find out more about that here: Celebrity Eclipse. If you're not all Celebrity-ed out why not check out the Celebrity section of our site? Celebrity Cruises. About Ilana Ilana took her first cruise back in 2004 and she's been hooked ever since! So much so that she's been a part-time cruise consultant for the last 10 years. She motto is 'living life one cruise at a time' which I think we can all relate too! Happy Cruising! Ilana @LifeWellCruised xoxo - - -