Celebrity Cruises received 18 awards at the 2024 Wine Spectator Awards, increasing the cruise line's total to 136 over the last 12 years.
“We are continually innovating and expanding our beverage offerings to remain at the forefront of trends and meet the preferences of Celebrity guests,” said Laura Hodges Bethge, president of Celebrity Cruises.
“We are honored to receive continued recognition for our elevated wine program from the experts at Wine Spectator," the world’s leading authority on wine anchored by Wine Spectator magazine, a print publication reaching about 3 million readers worldwide.
Celebrity Cruises won nine 2024 Awards of Excellence for the 12th year in a row:
- Opus on Celebrity Reflection
- Grand Cuvée on Celebrity Silhouette
- Grand Epernay on Celebrity Solstice
- Moonlight Sonata on Celebrity Eclipse
- Silhouette on Celebrity Equinox
- Cosmopolitan on Celebrity Summit
- Metropolitan on Celebrity Millennium
- San Marco on Celebrity Constellation
- Trellis on Celebrity Infinity
They also received the 2024 Best of Award of Excellence for Le Voyage on Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Beyond; the 2024 Best of Award of Excellence for Tuscan on Celebrity Ascent and Celebrity Beyond; the 2024 Best of Award of Excellence for Cyprus on Celebrity Apex; the 2024 Award of Excellence for Normandie on Celebrity Edge; and the 2024 Award of Excellence for Fine Cut on Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Apex.
Guests sailing onboard one of Celebrity's ships have a selection of over 500 wines to choose from
Whether you're a wine connoisseur or a novice, Celebrity's trained sommeliers, who are available in every restaurant, are eager to assist, guiding passengers through the extensive list of onboard wines, including Celebrity's private labels.
Guests may also choose from various wine-focused programs, such as World Wine Tours, Food & Wine Pairing Workshops, and Destination Wine Tours in ports around the globe.
The World Wine Tour allows you to sample wines from around the world and learn about regional and varietal technicalities, all from the comfort of your ship. Food & Wine Pairing Workshops educate participants on the fundamentals of food and wine chemistry, including how the two interact.
Destination Wine Tours are for those who want to immerse themselves in wine-producing areas worldwide. Sampling an Italian wine on the ship differs from the experience of visiting a local winery first-hand!
Pricing varies; however, on my upcoming Celebrity Ascent cruise, the World Wine Tour and Food & Wine Pairing Workshop start at $55 per guest. The Premium Wine Tasting is more expensive, costing $199 per attendee.
Seven ships have the acclaimed Cellar Masters onboard
On Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Infinity, Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Reflection, Celebrity Solstice, and Celebrity Summit, wine aficionados should explore Cellar Masters, which has a large selection of international wines, all hand-picked by Celebrity sommeliers.
Cellar Masters was replaced by the Craft Social Bar on Celebrity Equinox. While wines are still available, it's more of a sports bar than a wine bar.
Both the Classic and Premium Drink Package include wine, but the latter has a more extensive list of wine options
Celebrity's Classic Package is their basic option which includes select beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks, and wines by the glass up to $10 per serving. Though a few wines are available, your selection will be far more limited than if you purchase the Premium Package.
The Classic Package costs $84.99-$89 per person, per day. Since the Premium Package includes a wider array of beverages, it is more expensive, costing as much as $109 per person, per day.
However, you can save on your Celebrity drink package by purchasing it in advance through the online Cruise Planner. At the time of writing, for example, the Classic Package was advertised for $67.99 per day on my upcoming Celebrity Ascent cruise. The Premium Package was listed as $79.99 per person, per day.
If you book a package and later discover the price has dropped due to a pre-cruise sale, you can cancel and rebook for no penalty. You will be refunded the full amount of the original booking.
Guests who booked Celebrity's All Included fare will receive a Classic Package, as well as Basic Wi-Fi. Both can be upgraded to premium packages through the Cruise Planner or once onboard. You will get a better rate by purchasing the upgrade online, though.
Your drink package doesn't dictate your ability to participate in one of the onboard wine experiences. They are available to all guests willing to pay extra. Even if you have a package for your cruise, you will have to pay for the wine-focused programs.
Like with the packages, it's best to reserve your spot for the experiences beforehand, as they tend to sell out as the departure date approaches. If you want until you're onboard, the program you were looking forward to may be sold out.
