Beverage Package Value

[QuiGonJohn]

I could easily hit 10 beers in a day, my wife however, no way. So in reality, I'd have to be up around 14-15 drinks a day. I'd have to be pretty much wasted every day, don't mind doing that once in a while, but 7 days of drunkeness? Not for me

I've mentioned this many times in other threads. But I am basically in the same situation/frame of mind as you. I don't drink beer, but I could probably drink enough mixed drinks each day to make it worth my while monetarily. But my wife, no way. I think the very most she would have in a day would be 5, and not every day for certain. So the requirement for us both to buy it puts it way out of our price range. And truth be told, I'll be just as happy drinking a lot less by paying per drink, than I would be drinking a lot more to make the UBP worthwhile. And it's better for my diet as well. I know it's a cruise, but I want to maintain my weight at least somewhat.

 

The UBP would cost us 788.90 for our 7 day cruise. I can buy a heck of a lot of drinks individually and spend way under that and still be happy.

[samiams2]

I think y'all are too concerned with "breaking even". For me...budgeting ahead of time, not thinking of it while there, getting 90% of what I want will be great and be more than worth it. Beer, wine, simple cocktails(mimosa, bloodymary, margarita) mixed drinks(cap'n G&T etc) will be more than enough. I will drink a martini or two but doesn't make it or break it for me. And besides even if I fall a little short, I would pay $100 just to get my wife not to worry about $ for that week. So I get the UBP, and all I have to worry about is "does this bartender say it is in the pkg or not". End of story.

 

We are not getting off the ship so i think it will be well worth it. But I will find out.

 

As far as "being wasted the whole time".....please. Bloodymary at breakfast, 2 beer at lunch, 2 drink of day at pool mid day, cap'n coke before dinner, 2 glasses of wine at dinner, a cocktail after dinner at show.....well worth it and I won't feel a buzz all day. Plus late night pizza/wings/bangers & mash....2 more beers. Maybe I'm a heavyweight (6'3" 235) but my wife will do similar (more wine less beer so even more worth it).

 

Jmho

 

Sam

[Out to sea!]

I think y'all are too concerned with "breaking even". For me...budgeting ahead of time, not thinking of it while there, getting 90% of what I want will be great and be more than worth it. Beer, wine, simple cocktails(mimosa, bloodymary, margarita) mixed drinks(cap'n G&T etc) will be more than enough. I will drink a martini or two but doesn't make it or break it for me. And besides even if I fall a little short, I would pay $100 just to get my wife not to worry about $ for that week. So I get the UBP, and all I have to worry about is "does this bartender say it is in the pkg or not". End of story.

 

We are not getting off the ship so i think it will be well worth it. But I will find out.

 

As far as "being wasted the whole time".....please. Bloodymary at breakfast, 2 beer at lunch, 2 drink of day at pool mid day, cap'n coke before dinner, 2 glasses of wine at dinner, a cocktail after dinner at show.....well worth it and I won't feel a buzz all day. Plus late night pizza/wings/bangers & mash....2 more beers. Maybe I'm a heavyweight (6'3" 235) but my wife will do similar (more wine less beer so even more worth it).

 

Jmho

 

Sam

 

Actually, you could just drink less and not worry about budgeting for alcohol. While you may be able to knock down 8 or 10 drinks a day without any effects (that you know of......have you asked others around you if they thought you were intoxicated?), I nor most passengers certainly cannot. Personally, I'd like to actually remember my cruise!

Edited December 19, 2013 by Out to sea!

[samiams2]

Actually, you could just drink less and not worry about budgeting for alcohol. While you may be able to knock down 8 or 10 drinks a day without any effects (that you know of......have you asked others around you if they thought you were intoxicated?), I nor most passengers certainly cannot. Personally, I'd like to actually remember my cruise!

 

Whatever. To each there own. It's not about he drinking. IMHO and in comparison with who I travel with I drink moderately. Not like a frat boy and not like a teetotler....we are all trying to get as much as possible from our vacation. It's about enjoying the vacation to the fullest degree while maintaining a level reasonableness. Reasonableness in $$$ and reasonableness in the amt someone drinks. If $$$ didnt manner we wouldn't be here discussing the difference of +/-$100. Now reasonableness to me is different than to outtosea. And diff for the next guy. I was just trying to share another view pt. And when I get back I Will try post a review...unless I "can't remember" anything.

[SteveH2508]

NCL is counting on the fuzzy math to make money:). So what is a more realistic analysis based on your experience?

 

You can bet your bottom dollar/firstborn etc. that NCL have run the numbers based on a huge amount of data and the bean counters have worked out that NCL comes out in front overall.

 

We, (read DW), like the top shelf Martinis (not included); we like a decent brandy after dinner occasionally (not included); I have couple of beer buckets (not included); we have a non-house bottle of wine with dinner (not included). Spot the pattern here?

 

Our bar bill is BIG - but - it is spent on many things not included in the UBP. By passing on the UBP we feel no pressure to 'drink our share' to cover it.

 

Unlikely, but we could have an AFD (alcohol free day) without any financial guilt feeling.

 

I guess each group need to run the numbers themselves and decide on their priorities as to whether the UBP is worth it. We have - it is not.

[mrs.cool]

I'm with Sam. It's worth it to us to not have to worry about that bill slid under the door on the last day. HATE THAT! :mad: And it's always been around a grand for us on a 7 day cruise, so $686. plus tax or whatever is certainly worth it. Like I said earlier, 5 drinks over the course of a day is nothing. We feel like now we can try some of those "Island Specials" they are always hawking around the pool!

And, Out to Sea, I think your words to sam are a little harsh. A man of his size can certainly handle the number of drinks he lists here. Of course, I'm from Wisconsin, land of professional drinkers. ;)

[time2cruise1]

I'm with Sam. It's worth it to us to not have to worry about that bill slid under the door on the last day. HATE THAT! :mad: And it's always been around a grand for us on a 7 day cruise, so $686. plus tax or whatever is certainly worth it. Like I said earlier, 5 drinks over the course of a day is nothing. We feel like now we can try some of those "Island Specials" they are always hawking around the pool!

 

And, Out to Sea, I think your words to sam are a little harsh. A man of his size can certainly handle the number of drinks he lists here. Of course, I'm from Wisconsin, land of professional drinkers. ;)

 

 

I would have a hard time justifying the package on a port intensive cruise. On the Breakaway transatlantic it was a bargain. I drink mainly wine. A couple grasses of Pinot Nior at lunch and 3 around dinner time and it covers the cost. Each $9.75 glass with tip comes to $11.21. 5 glasses covers the cost anything else is just a bonus.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone - Jim

[Out to sea!]

Whatever. To each there own. It's not about he drinking. IMHO and in comparison with who I travel with I drink moderately. Not like a frat boy and not like a teetotler....we are all trying to get as much as possible from our vacation. It's about enjoying the vacation to the fullest degree while maintaining a level reasonableness. Reasonableness in $$$ and reasonableness in the amt someone drinks. If $$$ didnt manner we wouldn't be here discussing the difference of +/-$100. Now reasonableness to me is different than to outtosea. And diff for the next guy. I was just trying to share another view pt. And when I get back I Will try post a review...unless I "can't remember" anything.

 

:eek::D

[mrs.cool]

Boy, if they want me to buy this package, they shouldn't make it so hard for me to do so!! I've been all over the website, and I can't for the life of me find anything about the Beverage Package! :mad: Do I have to wait 'til I board? Is that the deal? :confused: I did find, and pay for, my tips ahead of time, and while it's easy to find how to buy dinners in the specialty restaurants, I sure can't find anything about the bev package! :mad:

[Demonyte]

Boy, if they want me to buy this package, they shouldn't make it so hard for me to do so!! I've been all over the website, and I can't for the life of me find anything about the Beverage Package! :mad: Do I have to wait 'til I board? Is that the deal? :confused: I did find, and pay for, my tips ahead of time, and while it's easy to find how to buy dinners in the specialty restaurants, I sure can't find anything about the bev package! :mad:

 

You need to call them to pre-purchase.

 

More info: http://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/gifts-and-more#ultimate

[sparks1093]

Boy, if they want me to buy this package, they shouldn't make it so hard for me to do so!! I've been all over the website, and I can't for the life of me find anything about the Beverage Package! :mad: Do I have to wait 'til I board? Is that the deal? :confused: I did find, and pay for, my tips ahead of time, and while it's easy to find how to buy dinners in the specialty restaurants, I sure can't find anything about the bev package! :mad:

 

Go to the "Get Ready For Your Cruise" tab and then select "Gifts and More". You may fill out and fax the order form or call them. I do not believe ythat this can be done through "MyNCL".

[hawkeyetlse]

It is too bad disembarkation day isn't included. A little hair of the dog that morning would be welcome. Sadly, the bars are closed for everyone that morning - UBP or not.

I was actually able to get one last bloody mary on disembarkation day on the Jade, from the bar in the buffet. This is a ship with lots of back-to-back passengers, so maybe that makes a difference. I haven't seen my final credit card charge, so I'm not absolutely sure that this drink was still covered by the UBP.

 

In the end for us the UBP was like buying stuff at Costco/Sam's Club. You pay less per ounce of product, but you wind up with a whole lot more product than you really need! We saved maybe 20% on our drinks, but I'm sure we drank more than twice as much as we normally would have :D

 

It definitely made the cruise more enjoyable for us, and more profitable for NCL. Win-win!

Edited December 29, 2013 by hawkeyetlse

[Schluetz]

Greetings to all and Happy Sailing to you!

 

I just have to weigh in. I don't know why. Resistance is futile, I guess.

 

Read the thread. All of it. I have concluded…. you are all correct. :) So, relax, make a good choice for you and enjoy your cruise! Ahhhh......:cool:

 

Here is my perspective. I have cruised NCL twice. I recently considered booking Norwegian and ended up on "Brand X" in January for various reasons. Looking at this thread is like looking at the threads about all other cruise lines’ Bev Packages. There are math questions and there are intangibles. Math is easy to value, intangibles are not.

 

Regarding the math… Drinks x Cost = Value or not!!

If one hardly drinks alcohol, Bev packages are not worth it. That is really easy to see. So, if, like Out To Sea, “after 2-3 beers, I would even remember to go to dinner or the show! ” it’s an easy equation. No deal. Good choice.

If one drinks only beer, it may or may not be worth it. Do the math.

If one’s spouse does not consume a similar amount, the math gets even sketchier like Danh78 said.

If one consumes a moderate amount of various kinds of alcohol throughout the day, the math could very well work out just fine as Sam and Mrs. Cool state. Sam’s consumption listed 9 beverages and, with some wine and mixed drinks, the math works out to about $59-$63. A $10-$14 savings/day. Good choice.

Also in the equation are sodas! They count!

If you drink off the charts expensive then the math doesn’t work either as states SteveH2508. Good Choice!

 

The intangibles are more difficult to measure but they are basically1) an all-inclusive feel. 2) try more options 3) no “bill dread”. These things tend to add to the pleasure of one’s vacation. So, if the intangibles have a “value”, then it doesn’t matter if the math is perfect. Ah… Good choice!

 

These intangible benefits are ruined by “trying to get your money’s worth” like sparks1093 said or “checking to make sure you break even” like sbrocket52 said or “counting the number of beers I drink” like Out To Sea. So these three are correct in PAYG. Good choice.

 

Now, if one got sick on the cruise that would just plain stink! And you might lose an excursion too because you cannot cancel these the day of! Let’s all just go wash our hands and hope that upon no one.

 

Regarding alcohol consumption and “remembering the cruise” and “being wasted the whole time” and “making yourself sick every night” and so on, I think personal experiences has to be factored in here.

 

Out To Sea’s perspective comes from “after 2-3 beers, I would even remember to go to dinner or the show! ” and he cannot fathom 10 drinks per day. So as Mrs. Cool says, Out To Sea harshly assumes one would not be able to remember his cruise and would be so stumbling drunk that he would be oblivious to his condition and would need to ask others if he was intoxicated and then throw in an “EEK” face because the thought is frightening to him. His experience is to be accepted. As is Mrs. Cools experience of having seen a human consume beverages moderately over time and give no signs of being intoxicated.

 

Out To Sea, one must factor in time (Sam said he is one who enjoys staying on the ship, not going to port) and not just the number of drinks one consumes. If one starts with a Bloody Mary at 10:00 AM, enjoys drinks throughout the day and finishes with a rum/coke at 1:30 AM he has consumed less than the one who has “2-3 beers” in an hour while he forgets to go to dinner. :eek:

 

My guess is you can look for Samiams2 and his wife and Mrs. Cool and her husband. They won’t be the raging drunks starting a fight with a deck chair. They won’t be the ones with a spread sheet checking to make sure they get their money’s worth. They will be the ones blithely enjoying their cruise with their beverage of choice in their hand. All day. Good choice!;)

 

 

Happy sailing,

Schluetz

 

PS

As I stated, I am taking a Brand X cruise in January. I am purchasing a Premium Beverage Package for myself and a Premium Non-Alcohol Package for my wife. I’m not going to try and start a NCL vs Brand X debate but there are interesting differences in the Bev Packages.

X is $5/day more for the Premium.

X includes all beer, drinks and wine up to $12 (includes most offerings on the ship including at the Martini Bar.)

X does not require all in the cabin to purchase unless it’s in a promotion, in which case they are giving it away.

X includes fresh squeezed juice, energy drinks, premium coffee, coffee drinks, AND…

X includes premium bottled water including letting you take it to shore!

 

The last two are what sent me over the top!

Get the get the frappe latte mochachina double chocolate espresso deluxe grande froo froo coffee drink! Heck Throw in a shot of Bailys! ;)AND “Waiter? Could you please bring me a Pellegrino to drink with my scotch? I like to mix in a water!”

[mrs.cool]

Great post!!!!!!!!!! :D

[BlueJai]

Well Done Schluetz, Well Done! Makes perfect sense and in the end it is always a personal decision for each to make!

Bluejai

[samiams2]

Greetings to all and Happy Sailing to you!

 

I just have to weigh in. I don't know why. Resistance is futile, I guess.

 

Read the thread. All of it. I have concluded…. you are all correct. :) So, relax, make a good choice for you and enjoy your cruise! Ahhhh......:cool:

 

Here is my perspective. I have cruised NCL twice. I recently considered booking Norwegian and ended up on "Brand X" in January for various reasons. Looking at this thread is like looking at the threads about all other cruise lines’ Bev Packages. There are math questions and there are intangibles. Math is easy to value, intangibles are not.

 

Regarding the math… Drinks x Cost = Value or not!!

If one hardly drinks alcohol, Bev packages are not worth it. That is really easy to see. So, if, like Out To Sea, “after 2-3 beers, I would even remember to go to dinner or the show! ” it’s an easy equation. No deal. Good choice.

If one drinks only beer, it may or may not be worth it. Do the math.

If one’s spouse does not consume a similar amount, the math gets even sketchier like Danh78 said.

If one consumes a moderate amount of various kinds of alcohol throughout the day, the math could very well work out just fine as Sam and Mrs. Cool state. Sam’s consumption listed 9 beverages and, with some wine and mixed drinks, the math works out to about $59-$63. A $10-$14 savings/day. Good choice.

Also in the equation are sodas! They count!

If you drink off the charts expensive then the math doesn’t work either as states SteveH2508. Good Choice!

 

The intangibles are more difficult to measure but they are basically1) an all-inclusive feel. 2) try more options 3) no “bill dread”. These things tend to add to the pleasure of one’s vacation. So, if the intangibles have a “value”, then it doesn’t matter if the math is perfect. Ah… Good choice!

 

These intangible benefits are ruined by “trying to get your money’s worth” like sparks1093 said or “checking to make sure you break even” like sbrocket52 said or “counting the number of beers I drink” like Out To Sea. So these three are correct in PAYG. Good choice.

 

Now, if one got sick on the cruise that would just plain stink! And you might lose an excursion too because you cannot cancel these the day of! Let’s all just go wash our hands and hope that upon no one.

 

Regarding alcohol consumption and “remembering the cruise” and “being wasted the whole time” and “making yourself sick every night” and so on, I think personal experiences has to be factored in here.

 

Out To Sea’s perspective comes from “after 2-3 beers, I would even remember to go to dinner or the show! ” and he cannot fathom 10 drinks per day. So as Mrs. Cool says, Out To Sea harshly assumes one would not be able to remember his cruise and would be so stumbling drunk that he would be oblivious to his condition and would need to ask others if he was intoxicated and then throw in an “EEK” face because the thought is frightening to him. His experience is to be accepted. As is Mrs. Cools experience of having seen a human consume beverages moderately over time and give no signs of being intoxicated.

 

Out To Sea, one must factor in time (Sam said he is one who enjoys staying on the ship, not going to port) and not just the number of drinks one consumes. If one starts with a Bloody Mary at 10:00 AM, enjoys drinks throughout the day and finishes with a rum/coke at 1:30 AM he has consumed less than the one who has “2-3 beers” in an hour while he forgets to go to dinner. :eek:

 

My guess is you can look for Samiams2 and his wife and Mrs. Cool and her husband. They won’t be the raging drunks starting a fight with a deck chair. They won’t be the ones with a spread sheet checking to make sure they get their money’s worth. They will be the ones blithely enjoying their cruise with their beverage of choice in their hand. All day. Good choice!;)

 

 

Happy sailing,

Schluetz

 

PS

As I stated, I am taking a Brand X cruise in January. I am purchasing a Premium Beverage Package for myself and a Premium Non-Alcohol Package for my wife. I’m not going to try and start a NCL vs Brand X debate but there are interesting differences in the Bev Packages.

X is $5/day more for the Premium.

X includes all beer, drinks and wine up to $12 (includes most offerings on the ship including at the Martini Bar.)

X does not require all in the cabin to purchase unless it’s in a promotion, in which case they are giving it away.

X includes fresh squeezed juice, energy drinks, premium coffee, coffee drinks, AND…

X includes premium bottled water including letting you take it to shore!

 

The last two are what sent me over the top!

Get the get the frappe latte mochachina double chocolate espresso deluxe grande froo froo coffee drink! Heck Throw in a shot of Bailys! ;)AND “Waiter? Could you please bring me a Pellegrino to drink with my scotch? I like to mix in a water!”

 

 

Judging by the length of that reply.....I bet you have a government job.

[Schluetz]

Judging by the length of that reply.....I bet you have a government job.

 

I'm here to serve!

[SteveH2508]

I'm here to serve!

 

Looking at your comprehensive analysis - great job!

 

We just got off the Spirit - I shall do an analysis of our spreadsheet but I think I know already what the answer will be - and we did not go short of booze!:D

[Will Sail For Food]

.........

 

That was like your 6th post, and it was the most coherent, helpful, and logical thing I've ever read on the NCL forum. Well done. I'll drink to that, package or no package.

[Marylandhorselover]

I understand that all people in the cabin has to get one drink package if a person purchases it. My question would be, can I get the UBP and my husband get the Cap and Cork? or does it have to be the exact same one? I drink specialty like diaquari etc but my husband doesnt drink anything other than beer.

[Tiggertastic]

we just got off the Sun and the rule was that we both had to have the same drinks package unless one person did not drink at all and they had to get the soda one - but were warned that if any alcohol drink was purchased by the person who said they did not drink, it would be automatically change to the UBP and charged for it

 

We debated long and hard as my husband would drink it but I was unsure I would - we did it in the end at a charge of $1200 for the 10 nights - ouch

 

I definitely felt I was ordering drinks just because I wanted to get my moneys worth - not a great move. We did keep the receipts and was shocked to find we had gone past the value of it with 3 days to go. Hence the diet!

 

I prefer the celebrity one as only 1 has to get it and therefore it is more cost effective for us

 

A few positives - if the drink you wanted was above $8.50 they would make you a version with cheaper spirits within the package and if you had a couple of 3 glasses of wine during dinner, you flew through the days charge

[hawkeyetlse]

we just got off the Sun and the rule was that we both had to have the same drinks package unless one person did not drink at all and they had to get the soda one - but were warned that if any alcohol drink was purchased by the person who said they did not drink, it would be automatically change to the UBP and charged for it

:eek: This is a major plot twist!!! NCL really takes "Freestyle" seriously, eh? Their terms and conditions are just whatever the hell they want them to be that day!

 

It's a little hard to complain when they make surprise changes in the customer's favor like this, but I'm sure we will now hear from non-drinkers who were forced to buy the UBP and heavy drinkers who were deprived of it because of their alco-discordant travel companions and because of NCL's published policies. Boo! :mad:

Edited January 8, 2014 by hawkeyetlse

[Tiggertastic]

:eek: This is a major plot twist!!! NCL really takes "Freestyle" seriously, eh? Their terms and conditions are just whatever the hell they want them to be that day!

 

It's a little hard to complain when they make surprise changes in the customer's favor like this, but I'm sure we will now hear from non-drinkers who were forced to buy the UBP and heavy drinkers who were deprived of it because of their alco-discordant travel companions and because of NCL's published policies. Boo! :mad:

 

 

we tried at the desk where you buy them and even with the concierge to see if there was a way to just get one and me buy as I go and the F&B but it was a no - all in the cabin have to have one

[KeithJenner]

I agree that this is something where everyones individual situation means that whether it is worth it depends on the their circumstances.

 

I have been on three NCL ships since the UBP was introduced and have never used it. There are a number of reasons for that:

 

I drink mainly beer and wine, the savings are likely to be less.

 

On two of those cruises I was travelling with my son, who doesn't drink soda, so having to pay for that package takes the price too high.

 

Also, having our son with us means that we are more likely to be in our cabin reasonably early so being able to have a bucket of beer or a bottle of wine is handier than needing to keep going to bars for a refill or to stash drinks away during the day.

 

I'm not bothered about trying lots of new drinks. A beer or wine isn't going to be undrinkable so I am happy to try those with my own money.

 

If beer was unlimited and paid for then I think I would end up drinking more, but it wouldn't enhance my holiday. If anything the chances of going over the top would potentially have an adverse effect.

 

 

Having said that, I have had some interest in the UBP, and have followed threads like this, and discussed it with people on the ships. On the Breakaway Transatlantic, I was one of the few in the group I spent time with not to take out the package. Interestingly, all those who did take the package reported saving money with it, whilst my bill was less that the UBP would have cost.

 

This isn't because I didn't drink much (remember it was 7 sea days, and I spent a lot of time in the bars). The reason was that I bought a wine package, brought on some wine myself and bought buckets of beer. This fitted in well with how I spent the week. My point is that those who had the UBP were just taking the amount from their account. If they hadn't taken the UBP their spend would have been unlikely to be as much as they may have drunk less or used packages.

 

On the Epic in the Summer, we barely left the ship (we'd done the itinerary before and were just there for the ship). I once again bought a couple of bottles onboard and we bought a wine package and lots of buckets of beer.

 

After the cruise, in an attempt to see whether the package would have been worth it, I went through my receipts, but didn't do anything with the results. I've just found the spreadsheet and apparently this is what we had:

 

9 x Bass Draft Beer

72 x Beer/Cider bottles

1 x Glass of wine

1 x Black Label Scotch

2 x Bottles of wine bought on

6 x Bottles of wine in a package

 

It's difficult to tell exactly what this would have cost if we had bought the wine by the glass, but the cost price of the bottles was about $35 so if I assume we'd bought the bottles of wine as we needed them then it comes to about $730. Obviously if we'd been getting the wine by the glass it would have been quite a bit more. Looking at this, it would seem that the $686 for the UBP (and especially the $616 for the beer and wine package) would have been worth it.

 

However, we got about $35 off for buying buckets of beer and the wine and saved over $100 on the wine. Our actual bar bill for the week was $590.

 

So, we saved about $30 over what the beer and wine package would have cost. Remember though that this was a cruise where we barely left the ship and drank over a bottle of wine and about 12 beers a day between us. Perhaps if I did another Transatlantic then I'd consider it, but otherwise it just isn't worth it for the savings and having bottles and buckets works best for us.

 

I suppose the conclusion is that, unless you are a very heavy drinker, the decision of whether to go with the UBP is probably better driven by other considerations than purely whether it is cost effective. Is it an issue to have to go to the bar every time you want a drink? Do you like to drink in your room? Can you be bothered to carry a bottle or bucket with you? Do you get any freebies (Platinum perks etc)? Do you want to try lots of drinks?

 

There is certainly a bit more to it than looking at the amount on your account before they wipe it clean on the last day.

[lizwil10]

Great thread!!! I've read all the pros and cons, but still am undecided. MY PVP just told me that I had to wait until I was onboard to book it. My husband drinks Jack Daniels, I will drink Absolut with a few fru-fru drinks here and there.