Elite 5-7 pm complementary drinks

[Last Lion]

For the Elite and higher loyalty levels, drinks are free from 5-7 pm in “almost all bars and lounges” on the ship. If you were dining in the MDR at 6 pm, would a couple of glasses of wine with dinner be free as part of this benefit?

 

 

[Royalqueen]

Unfortunately, no. It does not include any restaurants, which is a let down because we are usually getting ready for dinner at 5, and then dining around 6pm, so it negates almost all free drinks for us. They really need to move to Royal's concept of 4 free drinks per day. I have utilized that and it is much easier. I found that was the only downside to Celebrity's 'perks'. Free drinks while playing in the casino though which I've tried to heavily utilize. 

[cruisellama]

On 9/17/2023 at 11:17 PM, Last Lion said:

For the Elite and higher loyalty levels, drinks are free from 5-7 pm in “almost all bars and lounges” on the ship. If you were dining in the MDR at 6 pm, would a couple of glasses of wine with dinner be free as part of this benefit?

 

 

Simply stop by one of the bars prior to going to dinner and pick up a glass of wine.  No issue bringing it from the bar.

 

[JeffB]

I've done a lot of cruising since 2001 when we sailed our first cruise, a 10n Western Caribbean itinerary, aboard Celebrity Mercury. I have six cruises booked through 2023, 2024 and have 75 cruises under my belt already - most of them with Celebrity (and I'm still not close to Zenith). Just recently, I asked my TA to check the pricing on a January 2024 Sky Suite booking. I thought if I cancelled and booked an Infinite Veranda, I might save some money. Several Cabin classes below Celebrity's high priced Retreat cabins that would seem to be a realistic goal.

Boy, was I shocked. I booked Beyond's Sky suite using the onboard booking agents a good 18 months earlier than the sailing date - probably within 2-3 months of the first itinerary listings for 2024. Generally, following that approach will get you the lowest cabin fares and deals. I sure proved that with the Beyond booking. First, the 10n Sky Suite with everything included cost about $3700 per person, all inclusive for a total of $7400 and change (checks math .... about $370/d pp). A new booking of an Infinite Veranda with everything included was now $3950 pp. Astonishingly, the asking price for a comparable available suite was $9500 pp ...... that's right! $19000 for both of us!!! 

In lurking and reading recent posts on this blog, I've seen multiple posts about rising prices. Certainly, there is unprecedented demand for cruising and plenty of folks are willing to pay for the exclusivity of suite offerings across the industry. But this? Both myself and my TA were flabbergasted. A quick search of comparable Princess and Royal itineraries and cabins demonstrated similar price increases well above what we are accustomed to paying. If we continue to cruise after we've sailed on our 6 booked cruises, I'll be looking for no frills cabins and amenities. As much as I have enjoyed the exclusivity of suite life and accompanying amenities on Princess, Royal and Celebrity, we're getting priced out of booking these kinds of lux getaways.  These days, even OV and Veranda cabins are often 2-3X more than what we're used to shelling out. Sad, really.