Drew_Callahan
Moderator
Celebrity's Tiered Upgrade System Explained
If you've been browsing Celebrity Cruises itineraries lately, you've probably spotted their "Go Big, Go Better, Go Best" promotional packages splashed across the website. I've sailed Celebrity 14 times since 2018, and I'll be honest: these packages can be genuinely smart buys—but only if you understand what you're actually paying for.
Let me break down what each tier actually includes, because the marketing materials gloss over some critical details that'll affect your wallet.
Go Big: The Entry-Level Play (Surprisingly Solid)
The "Go Big" package is typically the baseline upgrade from a standard cabin booking. Here's what you're actually getting:
- Cabin upgrade (usually 1-2 category bumps—so an interior might jump to oceanview)
- Beverage package (the Classic package, which covers non-alcoholic drinks, coffee, and basic alcoholic beverages)
- Free gratuities (auto-added at about $15-16 per person per day)
- Celebrity Plus perks (specialty dining discount, beverage credit)
Here's my honest take: the cabin upgrade alone is worth evaluating. On a 7-day Caribbean cruise from Miami in April 2026, you're looking at around $400-600 per person for the Go Big package added to your base fare. If you were going to book an oceanview cabin anyway, this often actually saves you money compared to booking it outright, because you're bundling in the beverage package and gratuities.
The catch? The "upgrade" might not be dramatic. I was once "upgraded" from cabin 2104 (mid-ship interior on Deck 2) to cabin 5238 (a slightly larger oceanview still in the middle of the ship). Better? Sure. Life-changing? No.
Go Better: Where the Real Value Appears
This is where I start seeing genuine value—and where I've personally booked twice.
"Go Better" typically includes everything from Go Big, plus:
- Larger cabin upgrade (usually 2-3 categories—interior to balcony, or balcony to junior suite)
- Premium beverage package (the Classic Plus, which adds premium spirits, wine, and some specialty coffees)
- Onboard credit (usually $200-400 per cabin, depending on sailing length)
- Priority dining reservations (you can book specialty restaurants first)
- Free laundry service (not included in base fares)
Last summer, I sailed on the Celebrity Edge from Barcelona, and I booked Go Better for a 12-day Mediterranean sailing. Here's the actual math:
Base cabin (inside): $1,200 per person
Go Better package: $1,100 per person (total: $2,300)
Versus booking outright:
Veranda cabin: $2,400 per person
Beverage package separately: $600
Gratuities: $250
Onboard credit: $0
Total separately: $3,250
Total with Go Better: $2,300
That's a $950 savings per person. The onboard credit alone covered my lunch at the Blu restaurant (which runs $65-75 per person), and the beverage package meant I wasn't nickel-and-diming myself with $18 cocktails.
Go Best: The Premium Splurge (Do the Math First)
Go Best is the all-inclusive-adjacent option, and this is where you need to be really careful.
You're getting:
- Largest cabin upgrade (typically junior suite or better)
- Premier beverage package (all alcohol, premium spirits, specialty drinks)
- Larger onboard credit ($500-800 typically)
- Specialty dining credits (covers most specialty restaurants)
- Priority everything (dining, tendering, excursion bookings)
- Complimentary laundry
- Drinks at Sunset Bar and specialty lounges
Here's where Go Best gets expensive: the premium beverage package on its own costs $600-750 per person for a 7-day cruise in 2026. The specialty dining packages run another $400-600 per person depending on how many restaurants you want to visit. If you want a junior suite (which can run $3,000-5,000+ on a premium sailing), plus all these add-ons, you're looking at package pricing of $1,500-2,500 per person.
Is it worth it? Only if you're planning to:
- Dine in specialty restaurants 4+ nights
- Drink cocktails daily (seriously—the math only works if you're having 2+ drinks per day)
- Want a larger, quieter cabin away from high-traffic areas
- Value priority access and shorter lines
I sailed Go Best once on the Celebrity Millennium (a Millennium-class ship, not a newer Edge) from Fort Lauderdale, and honestly? The beverage package felt excessive for my drinking habits. I averaged 1-2 drinks per day, so I could've saved money with Classic Plus. The specialty dining, though—that was worth it. The Murano and Qsine restaurants on Celebrity ships are genuinely exceptional.
The Hidden Math Nobody Discusses
Here's what the marketing department doesn't highlight:
Gratuities are included in all three tiers, but at standard rates ($15-16/day). If you're sailing during peak season or on a premium ship, you might want to tip more—and that's not included.
Onboard credit expires. It's use-it-or-lose-it. If you get $300 in credit but only spend $150 at the spa and gift shop, that extra $150 vanishes. On my Edge sailing, I planned which restaurants and purchases would hit my credit before disembarkation.
Specialty dining credits may not cover everything. Go Better and Go Best include discounts or credits toward specialty restaurants, but some premium experiences (like the Chef's Table at Qsine) might not be included or might require additional payment.
The "upgrade" is often assigned, not guaranteed. Celebrity will bump you from your booked category, but they choose the specific cabin. I've gotten Deck 5 (noisy, near elevators) and Deck 11 (quiet, forward). Same category, vastly different experiences.
Real-World Scenarios: Where Each Package Makes Sense
Book Go Big if:
- You'd normally drink soft drinks, coffee, and water anyway
- You're price-sensitive and okay with an interior or basic oceanview
- You want to dabble with specialty dining once or twice (the discount helps)
- You're sailing 5 days or less (the value-to-cost ratio drops on shorter sailings)
Book Go Better if:
- You want a veranda cabin but were going to pay separately anyway (this almost always saves money)
- You drink 1-2 cocktails per day
- You plan to dine in 1-2 specialty restaurants
- You want a modest cabin bump without maxing out your budget
Book Go Best if:
- You want a junior suite or larger and don't want to pay luxury pricing
- You plan to dine in multiple specialty restaurants (3+ nights)
- You're a daily cocktail drinker or wine enthusiast
- You want maximum convenience and priority access (this has real value on large ships like the Celebrity Apex)
- You're celebrating something special and want to splurge intentionally
Pro Tips Nobody Mentions
Call before booking. Celebrity's phone agents sometimes offer slight adjustments or additional onboard credit if you negotiate. I once got an extra $100 OBC just by calling and mentioning I was comparing Celebrity to Royal Caribbean.
Check the actual dates. Go Big/Better/Best pricing varies wildly. Peak season (summer, holidays, spring break in 2026) charges premium rates; shoulder season (January, September) often has lower package prices. A Go Better package in September might be cheaper than Go Big in July.
Don't forget the cabin size difference. A go Big upgrade to oceanview is often just slightly larger than the base interior. Go Better's jump to a veranda or balcony is noticeably roomier—this matters on longer sailings (10+ days).
Verify what "specialty dining" includes. Different sailings have different specialty restaurants. On the Edge-class ships, you get Murano, Qsine, and Palo. On older Millennium-class ships, Palo might be the only premium option. Ask what's available on your specific sailing.
Ask about bottled water. Tap water on Celebrity is fine, but some people want bottled. It's often not explicitly stated whether packages include bottled water—most do, but confirm.
The Bottom Line
After 14 Celebrity sailings, here's my honest verdict: Go Big and Go Better are often smart buys. Go Best usually isn't.
The cabin upgrades and bundled gratuities in Go Big and Go Better provide genuine value compared to booking everything separately. But Go Best often costs so much that you'd need to be dining in specialty restaurants frequently and drinking premium cocktails daily for the math to actually work. If that's you—great, book it and enjoy. But most casual cruisers will find Go Better hits the sweet spot.
The real move? Use our Celebrity Cruises forums to research what previous cruisers paid for similar sailings. Check actual onboard spending patterns in trip reports. Then talk to our AI concierge at CruiseVoices.com—they can run the exact pricing for your dates and help you compare Go Big vs. Go Better vs. booking everything separately. That's how you'll know if you're actually saving money or just paying more for a prettier package.
Share your Go Big/Better/Best experiences in our Celebrity Cruises community—the real intel from cruisers who've booked these packages is invaluable.