NCL Ultimate Beverage Package

[ERLEC]

Does anyone have the latest up-to-date Ultimate Beverage package drink & wine list?

 

I'd like to see what's included. All drinks under 11$ should give a lot of possibilities. The package looks way better than what we had with Celebrity.

This is very nice, and we got this all free with the booking. Great!

[fshagan]

I haven't seen a list like that. From reviews and my own experience, it is rare that you see a mixed drink above the $11 threshold. Unlike on some lines, if the drink is more .... say $12 ... you pay the difference between $11 and the price. So its a good deal no matter what you are drinking.

[clcjdn]

It also really depends on how you treat the bartender/server.....on my last cruise, without me asking, I had a bartender make everything a double. He just rang it through as 2 separate drinks each time....granted I tipped at least a dollar with each drink I received. :)

[chars]

It also really depends on how you treat the bartender/server.....on my last cruise, without me asking, I had a bartender make everything a double. He just rang it through as 2 separate drinks each time....granted I tipped at least a dollar with each drink I received. :)

 

Wow, so he basically got a 36% tip on one drink, not to mention your cash tip.

[3XX1XY]

We just cruised last month. It was amazing. Didn't pay for a single drink other than one or two that were over $11 and then we just paid the difference. The way it gets rung up is confusing and inconsistent though. Sometimes the check would zero out. Other times it showed a charge. But when we checked our tab, nothing other than the balance over $11 on any drinks. They didn't even make us show both cards, they were fine with one.

[clcjdn]

Wow, so he basically got a 36% tip on one drink, not to mention your cash tip.

 

I don't really put much "value" in the 18% applied to UBP drinks. They all get zeroed out at the end of the day, so 18% of $0 is $0. I think they will get a portion of the new service charge added when you buy UBP, but in the past, I don't think there was any money to be had......as in I doubt NCL was covering the 18% that was not included when I bought the package and then zeroed out on the invoice. I stick to tipping cash because the math didn't make sense......and for the record, I don't see a ton of people tipping cash at the bars, so maybe even if he did make more "tip" on me, it was probably leveled out with the others that don't tip at all.

[LrgPizza]

Wow, so he basically got a 36% tip on one drink, not to mention your cash tip.

Um, no. It would still be 18%.

 

18% of a higher dollar amount is still 18%. For example, if you buy 3 drinks, you are still paying 18% of the price of the 3 drinks, not 54%.

Edited July 8, 2015 by LrgPizza

[Rigby the Dog]

I'm with you on the $1 tip per drink; we always do the same. We get stronger drinks, never have a problem waiting for drinks and we can signal the bartender even before getting to the bar. In the Casino the servers are always checking to see if I need anything. They appreciate it and it's so little out of our pockets.

 

Our next sail is on the Breakaway in August - we have the free UBP and we had to pay the gratuity upfront. But we'll still tip the $1 per drink.

 

While it's said the cash is king, I asked a bartender on the Gem who told me that the server gets the additional gratuity on the check - that additional tip is not pooled.

[chars]

Um, no. It would still be 18%.

 

18% of a higher dollar amount is still 18%. For example, if you buy 3 drinks, you are still paying 18% of the price of the 3 drinks, not 54%.

 

Yes, but if you read the post, he made 1 drink and charged it as 2 separate drinks. Each drink would get 18% gratuity. So an $8 drink would get an 18% tip of $1.44. When he charged it as 2 drinks he made $1.44 twice. Which is $2.88 tip. Which is a 36% tip for the one drink.

I think with the UBP with tips included it is a win-win for all. My husband and I always give cash tips of $1 a drink. When you read the receipt it does list the 18% gratuity for the bartender. Which did confuse us because we wondered if the server really was getting that tip, since we didn't pay that when we received the free drink package.

[4774Papa]

I thought the 18% grats was assessed on the drinks package as a whole (or value of it), not the individual drinks.

 

 

Also, has the widespread drink package use resulted in slower bar service?

[clcjdn]

Also, has the widespread drink package use resulted in slower bar service?

 

I did not encounter this on the Epic in March nor on the Breakaway in June.

[tweeterbug]

I don't have experience with NCL yet as our first cruise with them is in December, yay!!! We've sailed with Celebrity and purchased their drink package and we would always tip our bartenders at the martini bar an extra 5-10 at the end of the evening.

[pisenor]

Does anyone have the latest up-to-date Ultimate Beverage package drink & wine list?

 

I'd like to see what's included. All drinks under 11$ should give a lot of possibilities. The package looks way better than what we had with Celebrity.

This is very nice, and we got this all free with the booking. Great!

 

Here is a list that was shared when posted in May of this year. Not sure how up to date it is but at leat it might be a place to start...

 

 

NCL Drink List

 

COCKTAILS/TROPICAL DRINKS

Manhattan

Mai Tai

Rebellious Fish

Pain killer

Bahama Mama

Long Island Ice Tea

Bloody Mary

Dark and Stormy

Yellow Bird

Amaretto Stone Sour

Dirty Banana

Raspberry Mojito

Cherry Collins

Tropical Passion

Ultimate Margarita

Cherry Rum and Pepsi

MARTINIS

Espresso Martini

Ketel One Martini

Watermelon Martini

Lemon Drop Martini

Stormy Nights Martini

Grey Goose Electric Lemonade

SHOTS

Woo Woo

Kamikaze

Jolly Rancher

Fireball

Stolichnaya vodka Lemon Drop Shot

FROZEN

Miami Vice

Toasted Almond

BBC

Twilight Zone

Mudslide

Mango Meltdown

Pina Colada

[4774Papa]

I did not encounter this on the Epic in March nor on the Breakaway in June.

We recently booked a cruise for Jan 2016 and the gratuities were charged against the value of the beverage package. It is on my invoice.

 

This subject has been beat to death on other cc threads.

[davesgirl51]

Don't have the answer. All I can say is that when I ordered CHOB and was assessed 125.00 in gratuities for the 2 of us when David doesn't drink for a 7 day cruise, I was glad I had on my Depends !:eek: J/K. #ijustswitchedtowifilol

[gauchotex]

I just got off the NCL Star last week, and I can tell you the UBP was the best investment I may have made in the sense that I didn't need to worry about how much my bill would come out to or if I should have another drink during a show.

 

While the list shared was good, it ignores a fact I discovered that some of the bars had different liquor bottles around, some of them being VERY good rums and scotches that were all still less than $11 for a shot. I met a guy there who would just stand by the Bier Garten bar and get several refills of 23 year old Zacapa Rum... his new favorite.

 

I would also enjoy ending up my evenings with a few rounds of Macallan 12 (I think one of the bars had the 18 year old, but I didn't feel the need to seek it out that late at night).

 

Overall, great program on NCL (I have done it on Carnival, and their 15 drink limit makes it not as good as this one).

[clcjdn]

We recently booked a cruise for Jan 2016 and the gratuities were charged against the value of the beverage package. It is on my invoice.

 

This subject has been beat to death on other cc threads.

 

I was quoting the question related to slow service with this response, and I agree that it has been beat to death.

[4774Papa]

I was quoting the question related to slow service with this response, and I agree that it has been beat to death.

Thanks you so much for the response. I hope service is still good on our cruise.

[davesgirl51]

Thanks you so much for the response. I hope service is still good on our cruise.

 

Papa - I am sure it will be :)

[ERLEC]

Thanks everyone! Can't wait for my cruise on the Getaway in October!

[cfitch]

They rang it as 2 drinks because it was 2. A drink and a shot. The tip is still 18% of the total cost of 2 drinks. Except NCL charges the tip [in this case of UPB] based on the price of the package.

Edited July 14, 2015 by cfitch