Some questions from someone who has not cruised in two years

[How much longer?]

Hi all,

 

A few questions for those who have cruised on NCL recently. I asked them on my specific cruise thread, but I think the audience will be wider here to get them all answered. We are cruising the Panama Canal on the Jewel next Feb:

 

We chose the dining package as our freebie, as it seemed like a better deal than the drink package. I estimated if we were to purchase the 6 meals it would cost us appx $440 based on average a la carte menu prices I found on line for the Escape. Paying the 18% service fee of appx $35 for the two of us, even if we have an extra app such as a soup or salad, we save close to $375. If we had gone with the drink promotion, which would cost us appx $350 in service fees, and we drank wine with dinner every night and one or two drinks a day, which is typical for us, we would save only $70. Has anyone else done the math? Am I missing something?

 

Do they still offer the multi bottle wine discount? I think we had a couple of levels of wine to choose from, based on the offer. We typically went with the mid level choice of wines and got 4 or 5 bottles for a one week cruise. For this two day cruise do they offer larger plans?

 

Do they have coffee cards? I can't remember which cruise line does this.

 

Do they have a spa pass to use the whirlpools and sauna and such? Is the spa area the same as on the Dawn or Pearl?

 

The last NCL cruise we were on was a couple of years ago to the Baltics, and that was before the ultimate packages were offered.

 

Thanks in advance for any answers!

[2hearted]

Do you realize you can purchase the UDP for 6 nights for $134 p/p which includes the 18% gratuity without having to order a la carte? the UBP will cost $652ea for 7 days. Seems to me if you drink at all, it makes more sense to get the free UBP and pay for the UDP. However, if you don't drink enough to cover the gratuity change, then I guess it doesn't make sense. I just hope you are aware about purchasing the UDP by the day.

[How much longer?]

Thanks, once I took that into consideration the options seem to be equal for us. I think I may switch to allow myself an additional froo froo drink or two :)

[17cruisesnsl]

 

Do they still offer the multi bottle wine discount? I think we had a couple of levels of wine to choose from, based on the offer. We typically went with the mid level choice of wines and got 4 or 5 bottles for a one week cruise. For this two day cruise do they offer larger plans?

 

Do they have coffee cards? I can't remember which cruise line does this.

 

We were on the Escape in February and purchased the multi wine discount. The options were 4, 6 or 8 bottles. Being a light drinker, I purchased the 4 bottles and there were three price groups to choose from, the lowest being $88 to the highest at $110 plus 18%. I had no problem switching a white wine choice for red mid-week, as I ended up eating more red meat than anticipated. I thought it was a great option.

 

I didn't see coffee cards. I know they have them on Princess; I didn't see them on NCL.

[How much longer?]

Thanks. I am still debating between the meal or drink plan. The bottled wine option is a good choice if I stay with the meal plan.

[hawkeyetlse]

I would recommend switching to the UBP and purchasing SDPs.

 

The Viva Vino wine program does offer a package of 8 bottles, for $200-$250, depending on the category you select. But if you also like other drinks besides wine, I think you will appreciate the flexibility of the UBP. On a long cruise it's a real luxury, because I think very few people would ever actually buy the UBP at full price for 14 days. So being able to enjoy it at such a discount is a treat, in my opinion.

 

When you purchase the SDP, you can choose the number of meals you want, it doesn't necessarily have to be 6 meals. The more meals you buy, the less the package costs per meal; you can see the full details here. So in this case you get more flexibility by not choosing their perk.

[KeithJenner]

When you purchase the SDP, you can choose the number of meals you want, it doesn't necessarily have to be 6 meals. The more meals you buy, the less the package costs per meal; you can see the full details here. So in this case you get more flexibility by not choosing their perk.

 

This is an important point.

 

The OP's calculations seem to be based on the how much the six meals would cost if purchased. However, is that what they actually want.

 

It may be the case, but perhaps just 3 or 4 meals will do the job. In that case, getting the beverage package and buying the 3 or 4 meal SDP is probably the better option.

[How much longer?]

Thanks, I think I will call my TA and switch. I like wine with dinner, DH likes beer. We both like specialty drinks on deck or at shows, so not having to think about them would be good.