Bourbon and whiskey lovers, take note: There's now a cruise just for you
Fans of craft bourbon and whiskey now have a cruise to call their own.
The first-ever Craft Whiskey Expo at Sea, as it's being called, will take place next spring on Celebrity Cruises' 2,218-passenger Celebrity Millennium as it sails out of Fort Lauderdale. It will feature representatives from up to 20 whiskey brands.
The brands will offer onboard tastings, and there will be seminars on all things whiskey. There'll also be an optional onboard Whiskey School for extra learning, a lunch with whiskey pairings, and opening- and closing-night cocktail parties hosted by the brands (with brand drinks served).
Scheduled to take place between March 31 and April 4, the four-night voyage is scheduled to call at Key West, Florida, where there's talk of a bar crawl that also will include a visit to a local distillery and optional visit to a cigar factory, capped off with a group tasting of the locally famous Kermit's Key Lime Pie on a Stick.
For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter
A second stop, in Nassau in the Bahamas, will offer those interested a chance to visit a cigar shop and a lounge visit with the Expo's "cigar ambassador."
Organized by Whiskey Expo at Sea, the event is what's known as a partial charter of a ship. That is, the entire ship will not be turned over to the Expo.
To take part in the whiskey-related activities, passengers must book the sailing through Online Vacation Center, an online travel seller, and ask for the Whiskey Expo.
The cost to participate in expo events is $75 per participant on top of the cost of a cabin, plus extra charges for optional expo events. Fares for balcony cabins start at $539 per person, based on double occupancy.
Extra-charge events include hosted "Dinner with the Brand" meals with the whiskey company representatives in Celebrity Millennium's Tuscan Grill.
Related: The ultimate guide to Celebrity Cruises
Whiskey brands that already are taking part in the Expo include Old Elk, Nulu, FEW and Whiskey 291. More will be announced in the coming months.
"This is something I've wanted to do for awhile, but during the pandemic, the relationship between craft brands and consumers changed, becoming much more personal through the using of virtual tastings," Whiskey Expo at Sea event director Amber Blecker, the creator of the program, told The Points Guy. "Consumers have become more involved and connected."
Blecker added that she "wanted to create a longer form event [rather] than a simple festival so that brands and consumers could have an extended conversation and educational opportunity, with lots of fun... and of course whiskey!"
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your first cruise
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro Offer
For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account openingEarn 80,000 ThankYou® points60,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$95Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent, Good
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases