Heidi BucoloCelebrity Cruises has a new approach to cruise pricing called “Always Included”. This new pricing structure puts the cruise line among luxury brands with a more all-inclusive feel. With inclusions like free beverages and gratuities, we explain everything you need to know about the new Celebrity Cruises “Always Included” package.
Guide to Celebrity Cruises Always Included Package (2021)
Celebrity Cruises Always Included Package Basics
As of November 17, 2020, all sailings with Celebrity Cruises include additional amenities as part of the cruise fare. These inclusions are a classic beverage package, basic Surf WiFi, and gratuities. “Always Included” applies to all stateroom categories and all itineraries except Galapagos.
The Celebrity Cruises Always Included pricing will be the standard base fare for all Celebrity sailings going forward, while still offering the same modern luxury. This includes all new and future deployments, like Celebrity Beyond.
Of note, Refundable and Non-Refundable deposit pricing is still available with Always Included.
For select sailings within 90 days of departure, Celebrity Cruises will offer a Simply Sail cruise-only fare. This means you can score a “cruise deal” but will not receive these added perks.
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Celebrity Cruises Always Included Package Inclusions
Classic Beverage Package
The Always Included cruise fare now includes unlimited classic cocktails, beer, and wine. Additional non-alcoholic drink inclusions are soda, specialty coffee and tea, juices, and bottled water. These are the typical Classic beverage package options which are up to $9 in price (including drink gratuities).
Guests can upgrade from this complimentary Classic Beverage Package to the Premium Beverage Package. This upgrade charge is $12 per person, per day which includes the beverage gratuity. Guests may only purchase this beverage upgrade after final payment. This can be done online via the Cruise Planner or once onboard the ship.
The Premium Beverage Package includes all beers, wines, cocktails, and specialty top shelf liquor priced at $15 or less. At most bars onboard, you will be hard-pressed to find a drink that is not covered in this package (with a few exceptions like Eden on Edge-Class ships where many drinks are over the allotment).
Related Post: Guide to Celebrity Cruises Drink Packages
Surf WiFi
The second included perk is basic WiFi. This Surf internet plan is capable of surfing, email, and social media. This perk is for all guests in the same stateroom and is unlimited for the duration of the cruise.
However, this now complimentary WiFi does not include streaming or use of technologies such as FaceTime.
Much like the drink package, guests can upgrade the internet package from Surf WiFi to Stream WiFi. This package allows for messaging and video chat. You can also post on social media, go live, and stream your favorite videos, movies, and music.
If you wish to upgrade, you can do so via the Cruise Planner once your booking is within final payment or once onboard the ship. The upgrade charge is $20 per person, per day.
Daily Gratuities
Finally, the last Always Included pricing perk is free daily gratuities. This means the cruise line will no longer add a daily service charge to your onboard account.
These cruise gratuities are services charges that are usually not included in a standard cruise fare on most contemporary cruise lines, similar to a hotel resort fee. These additional fees are a per person, per day dollar amount that are charged to all guests, usually automatically, across all stateroom categories. These fees go towards the hardworking crew, from waitstaff to stateroom attendants.
Previously, Celebrity Cruises charged a service fee of $15.50 per person, per day for all guests staying in standard accommodations. Likewise, a fee of $16-$19 was charged to those in Concierge Class, Aqua Class staterooms, and Suites.
Of course, if you would still like to tip any crew members for exceptional service, you can certainly do so.
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Further Upgrades to Celebrity Cruises Always Included Pricing
There are two upgrade options available to the new Always Included base price. Celebrity Cruises now offers guests the Elevate and Indulge upgrade options.
The new Elevate package upgrades classic drinks to premium drinks (priced up to $15) and adds up to $200 per person for shore excursions. This shore excursion credit is based on the length of the sailing. The value includes: $100 1-5nights; $150 6-9 nights; $200 10 nights or more.
To upgrade to the Elevate package, guests can pay an additional $30 per person, per day.
The Indulge package includes all the offerings of the Elevate option in addition to unlimited streaming WiFi and up to $400 of onboard credit per person. The OBC value with the Indulge package is also based on length of sailing. The value includes: $200 1-5nights; $300 6-9 nights; $400 10 nights or more.
This package is available for an additional $60 per person, per day.
All guests in the stateroom must upgrade and choose the same package.
Of note, single guests will need to pay double the per day amount for either the Elevate or Indulge upgraded packages. Single guests will receive double the amount of corresponding onboard credit; however, the beverage and Wi-Fi packages will not be doubled as these amenities are per person.
Further, if guests choose to upgrade to Elevate or Indulge after their initial booking, their reservation will be converted to prevailing Always Included pricing on the day the package is added.
Guests staying in the “ship within a ship” Retreat will receive the Indulge package at no additional cost. This is in addition to a private restaurant, lounge, and sundeck, as well as a dedicated team of butlers.
Is It Worth It to Upgrade Celebrity Cruises Always Included Package?
The decision on whether you should upgrade your Celebrity Cruises Always Included package to either the Elevate or Indulge packages depends on your cruising preferences.
For us, we always purchase the Premium Beverage Package with Celebrity Cruises as we enjoy all the martinis and specialty cocktails around the ships. This means we could either pay $12 per day for just the drink package upgrade, vs. $30 per day for the upgraded drink package and $150 of credit, vs. $60 per day for the upgraded drink package, WiFi, and $300 credit.
If you run the numbers, paying for just the drink package upgrade is $84 per person for a 7-day cruise. The Elevate upgrade is $210, making it an added cost of $126 to receive the $150 shore excursion credit.
Likewise, paying for the drink package and WiFi upgrades separately is $32 per day or $224 per person for a 7-day cruise. The Indulge upgrade is $420, making it an added cost of $196 to receive the $300 onboard credit.
Thus, it really comes down to what upgrades you need and whether you will use all the credit provided.
Personally, we chose to upgrade our beverage package and WiFi package individually for our recent cruise on Celebrity Edge.
Comments
What do you think of the new Celebrity Cruises Always Included pricing structure? Is the more inclusive nature appealing to you? Would you be willing to pay a little more upfront for your cruise vacation to avoid all the extra costs of add-ons?
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10 comments
BETTY KEATS
My husband and I have done numerous cruises, most of them in Europe with Celebrity. We’ve introduced many of our friends to the Celebrity cruise-line. Now that you have implemented this new “Always Included” pricing, we won’t be cruising with Celebrity again. The reason: Neither of us drinks. My husband will allow himself one soda per day; I prefer milk or water. We also prefer to holiday without our cell phone/I-pad constantly in our possession. We have no problems with the tips being charged; we usually tip more anyway, to our room stewards and our dining staff. But to pay all this extra money for drinks and internet is something we just won’t do . Just for curiosity, I just looked at booking a Celebrity cruise through a travel company; to give us the “Always Included” package they were charging almost $1200 extra. So, at least with them, we would have the option of saving that money. No where on Celebrity’s website can I find an opt-out option for people who don’t drink and don’t want to have a wi-fi plan. So, if this “Always Included” pricing is the way of the future for Celebrity Cruise line, we will be spending our money elsewhere.
Keith Veale
Got to agree with your comment , have looked at Celebrity prices and yes we are Elite members in the UK which is exspensive for us to cruise here anyway, we also had the evening special treat before our dinner of free drinks in the allocated room which was a nice touch for being loyal, and the free Wi-Fi which was adequate, but we don’t drink during the day, and when we have been on other cruises and saw people ordering drinks with there breakfast because they want there monies worth , well not for us, so Celebrity, bring back pricing for your loyal guests that do not drink in excess amounts , we like to give tips no problem with that, you have already created a tier system like many other lines separating the more wealthy , then do so in your cabin pricing, for ordinary folk.
DEREK
I do not like the Celebrity “Always Included” policy. My wife and I like a glass of wine or a beer or two in the evening, but are not bothered about alcoholic drinks during the day, so have never purchased a “drinks package”. Our wifi use consists of checking email and the local news, and researching upcoming ports. Over the last few years, we have focused on cruising with Celebrity and have acquired “Elite Plus” on the Captain’s Club Loyalty benefits.
These benefits include complimentary drinks for 2 hours in the evening and 150 minutes each of internet access and complimentary specialty coffee. There are other benefits also but these are the three we value most.
Under the new Celebrity “Always Included” policy, these benefits will disappear. So, when I purchase a Celebrity cruise, I am paying for drinks and Internet that previously came complimentary.
Also, I have found that nothing in life is “free”, and as I check the price of Celebrity cruises with this new “Always Included” pricing, I find the rates are considerably higher than under the previous program and comparing similar itineraries to other cruise lines, are more expensive.
I have been loyal to Celebrity in order to acquire my Captain’s Club status and feel that this loyalty has been disregarded as they remove the benefits that benefit me most.
I wonder if this policy is being instituted because there are a large number of “Elite” status Captain’s Club members and this is their way of avoiding providing the benefits to those loyal members.
I also feel that cruisers who do not drink alcoholic beverages are subsidizing those who do drink.
James Gilligan
I like the Always Included policy and we just booked a cruise for a year away at this new pricing. The fare we booked was not a price increase. We had cruise credits from a Covid cancelled cruise on Celebrity. I booked a very similar itinerary to the one that was cancelled, so price comparison is valid. On the cancelled cruise I had purchased a perk package that included Classic Beverage and tips. The Always Included price was actually a bit less than the previous pricing structure total bill. So I feel like I paid a bit less for drinks & tips and am getting free Wi-Fi with the Always Included. And in this particular case, we had extra dollars available because of the 125% credit for leaving our money with Celebrity, instead of taking a refund. We upgraded to Concierge Class without giving Celebrity any more money our of our pocket.
I like the idea of all inclusive pricing, instead of a big charge for tips and pop and drinks the day you get off the ship.
Hal
I think we need to look at the net price of this. I usually bought the streaming wifi and Premium drink package–the streaming wifi was, if on sale, 350 or so for 2 on a 16 day cruise. And the classic came with my old deals so I upgraded to premium for 400 or so for 16 days.
Now it will cost 1960 for streaming wifi over the base, plus the premium drinks, less 800 for on board credit, where I usually received 300 or so for OBC , or more. and often times it was refundable.
So what I am concerned about is they will also raise prices for the base all inclusive and then have a higher cost for streaming wifi and premium. So it becomes a double hit.
So whats my net net per day for a say 2022 cruise vs the 2019 cruise, adjusted for inflation.
Personally I like the all inclusive for ease when on vacation, and not getting a multi page report for all the add ons. But there is a limit to what I can spend and what I what to spend.
If I do not drink (I do) I probably will not like subsidizing others issue. If it gets too far out of line on built in costs for drinks etc, people will avoid Celebrity . I do not mind the gratuity at all, but some people really are looking for rock bottom price, and do not want the excursions or drinks even soft drinks,
I guess we will see. But we all probably think that regardless of what level of service and accommodations you have on a ship, cruising has been thought of as a cost effective way to travel. If the bottom line is still good, then I am good with it.
Hal
by the way, the costs on the 16 day cruises was last year 2019-
I have had 2 separate 14 day cruises cancelled this year-that’s when Celebrity had perk packages 1 3, or 4. that changed from week to week. on both the base cruise and perks and often the net prices came out to within a few dollars, sometimes 1,000 more. Thats why the net net price per day is a good metric for measuring cost, (as long as you consider number of ports etc or anything else that’s different.
Also, if the OBC is use it or lose it, you are now paying for it, so that raises the cost of cruising . eg, ships excursion vs you prebook an independent.
si that all has to be figured in and everybody is different.
David
I think it probably will be a good idea but they will have to be very careful on the pricing of the rooms or I think it will frighten people off specifically the way it is at the moment
Brenda Hall
have to be careful not to upgrade prices more than at the moment otherwise it would price us very regular cruisers out of this market.
Brenda Hall
Also for our 3 forthcoming cruises will these be included . Already have some perks built in but not all!
R. Cutolo
What if you already paid for these upgrades? Will Celebrity rebook your cruise and give the new rate? I guess you have to check the price change and amenities.