No more "Free Beverage Package" for us

[Coastalbreezes]

Maybe I missed it as I scrolled through this thread, but does anyone have a photo of the current list of wines by the glass?

 

Thanks,

Tracy

[beerman2]

It's called the corporate world that we live in today! Most corps are having workers do more with less employees .

 

It's all about the bottom line! Cutting corners makes it more profitable!

And as consumers we do suffer!

 

Are the cruiseline changes making people shop more, probably !

 

A few years back AI's were more expensive than cruising, now they are more comparable in price.

[Demonyte]

Maybe I missed it as I scrolled through this thread, but does anyone have a photo of the current list of wines by the glass?

 

There is a comparison of old wine list (still available from ncl.com) and a link to pics of new menu (here on CC) on post #64:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=49635954&postcount=64

[renata102]

Wine by the glass and beer selection UBP

Edited April 10, 2016 by renata102

[renata102]

Beer UBD

[MrMan]

I think it's ridiculous that US passengers are charged the gratuity on a 'freebie'- in the UK we pay more for our cruises typically but at least the free beverage package is actually free- honest and transparent prices mean more to me than a false price. NCL should really act with more class- it's not a budget airline at the end of the day.

 

 

It's a different culture than you are used to. In UK one does not typically tip in bars,in US that's how the bartender makes his living. In the US if the house comped a dinner, one would/should tip the waiter based on value of that dinner even those the dinner was free. Not a class issue, a different culture thing

[NLH Arizona]

I think it's ridiculous that US passengers are charged the gratuity on a 'freebie'- in the UK we pay more for our cruises typically but at least the free beverage package is actually free- honest and transparent prices mean more to me than a false price. NCL should really act with more class- it's not a budget airline at the end of the day.

Well, actually you are paying for the gratuity, that is one of the reasons that your cruises cost more.

 

I think they do it the way they do it in the UK is because you are not accustom to paying gratuities, so they incorporate it into your cruise fare, but for us in the United States, most have no issues paying for gratuities (speaking in general, not specifically about the beverage package). If you read a lot of the reviews, many have no issue paying the 18% for the free beverage package, because they still come out ahead depending on how many drinks they order versus not having a package at all.

[HokiePoq]

I don't think this is a fair criticism for what it's worth. There are a lot of alcohol choices.

 

It's funny to me b/c this post is similar to someone complaining there was no Diet Coke or a local microbrew on board. They can't be all things to all people, but they cater to most.

 

I don't complain about the Diet Coke, but those of us who are addicts find Diet Pepsi not the same to say the least. Lines are either Coke Product or Pepsi product lines. Unfortunately (for me), NCL is Pepsi and Diet Cokes are a lot of what I get on X with the beverage package along with water.

Our latest NCL booking came with the "free" beverage package but I think I agree with OP that it may not always be the best option.

[Coastalbreezes]

There is a comparison of old wine list (still available from ncl.com) and a link to pics of new menu (here on CC) on post #64:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=49635954&postcount=64

 

 

Thanks for the link. I am a fan of both the North/South and Oberon sauvignons and glad to see they are both still on the menu.

 

Tracy

[cacj]

If one enjoys a wine that complements their meal, the UBP choices are barely drinkable. If one doesn't care about the taste or quality, just wants to get drunk, I guess it works as good as anything.

 

The mixed drinks are also pretty downgraded. We were on Jewel in Jan. There are cartons of "mixers" added to most mixed drinks. The mixers are cheap, sugary and just plain awful. The strategy is to fill the glass with as much ice as possible, pour in the swill mixer and top off with the shot which gives the person a false sense that the beverage has some alcohol in it. The shot is not visibly measured, it is just a pour out of a bottle. We doubt the shot is "standard sized."

 

As for the experience of enjoying a cruise, having a decent beverage is not too much to ask. But the UBP is not the way to get it, unless of course you prefer drinking shots...which is not our preference.

 

We don't think the UBP is worth the cost of gratuities.

 

NCL has become less enjoyable as they continue to try to "upgrade" the cruise experience.

[Kaitlyn2]

If one enjoys a wine that complements their meal, the UBP choices are barely drinkable. If one doesn't care about the taste or quality, just wants to get drunk, I guess it works as good as anything.

 

The mixed drinks are also pretty downgraded. We were on Jewel in Jan. There are cartons of "mixers" added to most mixed drinks. The mixers are cheap, sugary and just plain awful. The strategy is to fill the glass with as much ice as possible, pour in the swill mixer and top off with the shot which gives the person a false sense that the beverage has some alcohol in it. The shot is not visibly measured, it is just a pour out of a bottle. We doubt the shot is "standard sized."

 

As for the experience of enjoying a cruise, having a decent beverage is not too much to ask. But the UBP is not the way to get it, unless of course you prefer drinking shots...which is not our preference.

 

We don't think the UBP is worth the cost of gratuities.

 

NCL has become less enjoyable as they continue to try to "upgrade" the cruise experience.

We were on the Jewel in Feb. for the Canal cruise and virtually every drink was great on the UDP. We'd order our drinks with top shelf liquor versus well and still come in under $15. Same with adding a 2nd shot if we wanted it with well liquor - the bartender at the Mojito Bar always measured, was very generous and a delight. Same with the Martini bar. We never had the NCL house wines pushed on us and found a wonderful red on the dining room menu to drink with dinner. We are not wine snobs but being Oregonians we certainly know some great wines! UDP can be enjoyable if you want it to be. Not perfect, but still great.

[aenglish1609]

If one enjoys a wine that complements their meal, the UBP choices are barely drinkable. If one doesn't care about the taste or quality, just wants to get drunk, I guess it works as good as anything.

 

The mixed drinks are also pretty downgraded. We were on Jewel in Jan. There are cartons of "mixers" added to most mixed drinks. The mixers are cheap, sugary and just plain awful. The strategy is to fill the glass with as much ice as possible, pour in the swill mixer and top off with the shot which gives the person a false sense that the beverage has some alcohol in it. The shot is not visibly measured, it is just a pour out of a bottle. We doubt the shot is "standard sized."

 

As for the experience of enjoying a cruise, having a decent beverage is not too much to ask. But the UBP is not the way to get it, unless of course you prefer drinking shots...which is not our preference.

 

We don't think the UBP is worth the cost of gratuities.

 

NCL has become less enjoyable as they continue to try to "upgrade" the cruise experience.

 

 

We didn't find this to be true at all on our recent Star cruise. We were able to ask for whatever liquor we wanted, and there were times where the drinks were actually TOO strong. They didn't measure, but any bartender worth his salt doesn measure.

 

I think the UBP is well worth the gratuities, but if you don't, then choose something else. We totally enjoyed our cruise and though it was very enjoyable, but to each his own.

[Computer Nerd]

A few years back AI's were more expensive than cruising, now they are more comparable in price.

 

only if you drink. :(

[Biz64]

Is Blue moon still avail as a beer choice

 

It was on the Escape when we sailed in February. Actually we thought the drink selection was excellent for the UBP, including lots of different beers ( a lot of microbrews) and top shelf liquor. The only thing I had to pay extra for was when I was having any single malt scotch. I will say however that I didn't try any wine, so not sure about that. There were lots of stuff I didn't really like about the cruise, but honestly, the drinks were one of the positives.

[beerman2]

only if you drink. :(

 

Isn't the tone about drinking? Therein lies the comparison!

[Computer Nerd]

Isn't the tone about drinking? Therein lies the comparison!

 

by my statement i meant that an ai is more comparable to ncl with the ubp. if one doesn't drink then almost all ai's are a waste of money and still more expensive than ncl since on ncl you can choose not to drink and save money. almost all ai's charge you for the alcohol whether you drink or not. so to a non-drinker, an ai is still much more expensive and no comparable.

 

and actually, the tone of the thread is no more free beverage package for us....;)

Edited April 11, 2016 by Computer Nerd

[Mrs. Nic]

What a ship! Food was great, entertainment was pretty good too. Life in the Haven is living the dream. BUT having said that the wine by the glass selection was as abysmal as I heard it would be. With or without a UDP, there was one and only one, by-the-glass of each variety. And for me, they were pretty much undrinkable. We visited the Cellar and they had one more brand of chardonnay that was offered for $17.50 a glass, or a three dollar upcharge on the UDP. That wasn't great either!

 

We purchased a few bottles that were tagged and available with dinners, but we were still left with thinking of what else to drink when exploring the ship at other times. One assistant sommelier who brought us one of the bottles, listened to our concern and said that there will be another change in the wine list starting on July 1st. Said I wasn't the first to complain.

 

I decided to blame the three pounds I gained on the Margaritas, pina coladas and Bailey's on the rocks I substituted!

[CP3o]

Interesting, maybe other changes in drinks offered will occur 7/1 as well.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[NCteacherlovescruising]

We chose this as our free offer when booking our cruise so I won't complain. This will be our first NCL cruise, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. As someone that only drinks Diet Coke and water for refreshment, I am disappointed to find neither are included. I will bring my own Diet Coke with me, as I don't like the taste of Pepsi products, and probably my Yeti to keep full of water. I understand they can't be everything to everyone. Where I am a little annoyed is that they don't offer any descent wines by the glass so I have to bring our own wine aboard too. Had I known this in advance, I wouldn't have chosen this package. The only time we have purchased a beverage package was with Royal Caribbean and they offered some very nice wines by the glass and we were able to just pay the difference, which we didn't mind at all, but now I know for future NCL bookings. I don't think we should have to pay the corkage fee when we have the beverage package, but I understand we do. I wish I could have allowed our 19 year old to take advantage of this instead of me, as he would be perfectly content with cheap wine or beer and would get more out of this package than I will. My husband will be fine with beer as well, and will drink Pepsi products, although he prefers Diet Coke. I will drink a few frozen drinks (Miami Vice, Margarita, etc.), but they have so many calories I hate to drink too many of them. I just hope I drink enough to cover the added gratuities.

[NCteacherlovescruising]

We were on the Jewel in Feb. for the Canal cruise and virtually every drink was great on the UDP. We'd order our drinks with top shelf liquor versus well and still come in under $15. Same with adding a 2nd shot if we wanted it with well liquor - the bartender at the Mojito Bar always measured, was very generous and a delight. Same with the Martini bar. We never had the NCL house wines pushed on us and found a wonderful red on the dining room menu to drink with dinner. We are not wine snobs but being Oregonians we certainly know some great wines! UDP can be enjoyable if you want it to be. Not perfect, but still great.

 

Which red wine did you like? I'm asking because none of them look appealing and we enjoy a nice bold red with dinner. I didn't realize you could order top shelf liquor or ask for a second shot. Is this true on the

Getaway?

[NCteacherlovescruising]

What a ship! Food was great, entertainment was pretty good too. Life in the Haven is living the dream. BUT having said that the wine by the glass selection was as abysmal as I heard it would be. With or without a UDP, there was one and only one, by-the-glass of each variety. And for me, they were pretty much undrinkable. We visited the Cellar and they had one more brand of chardonnay that was offered for $17.50 a glass, or a three dollar upcharge on the UDP. That wasn't great either!

 

We purchased a few bottles that were tagged and available with dinners, but we were still left with thinking of what else to drink when exploring the ship at other times. One assistant sommelier who brought us one of the bottles, listened to our concern and said that there will be another change in the wine list starting on July 1st. Said I wasn't the first to complain.

 

I decided to blame the three pounds I gained on the Margaritas, pina coladas and Bailey's on the rocks I substituted!

 

We will be on the Getaway July 3. Did the sommelier say if it was just that ship or all of them? It would be great if they added some good wines to the list, even if we had to pay an upcharge.

[derek005]

Wine is all about how it taste to you. A cheap wine is just as good as a expensive wine. Most of us wouldn't know the difference if you lined up different glasses. Just my opinion since I have taken a few courses and seen how people who thought that they knew wines reacted after their tastings.

[Computer Nerd]

We chose this as our free offer when booking our cruise so I won't complain. This will be our first NCL cruise, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. As someone that only drinks Diet Coke and water for refreshment, I am disappointed to find neither are included. I will bring my own Diet Coke with me, as I don't like the taste of Pepsi products, and probably my Yeti to keep full of water. I understand they can't be everything to everyone. Where I am a little annoyed is that they don't offer any descent wines by the glass so I have to bring our own wine aboard too. Had I known this in advance, I wouldn't have chosen this package. The only time we have purchased a beverage package was with Royal Caribbean and they offered some very nice wines by the glass and we were able to just pay the difference, which we didn't mind at all, but now I know for future NCL bookings. I don't think we should have to pay the corkage fee when we have the beverage package, but I understand we do. I wish I could have allowed our 19 year old to take advantage of this instead of me, as he would be perfectly content with cheap wine or beer and would get more out of this package than I will. My husband will be fine with beer as well, and will drink Pepsi products, although he prefers Diet Coke. I will drink a few frozen drinks (Miami Vice, Margarita, etc.), but they have so many calories I hate to drink too many of them. I just hope I drink enough to cover the added gratuities.

 

you're from nc and you don't like pepsi :confused: you do know new bern is the home of pepsi. ;) also, water is free on board......bottled water has a charge. i do believe you are also allowed to change your promotional gift but you need to call in to do so. also your 19 year old son can drink beer and wine on board if you sign a waiver.

Edited April 17, 2016 by Computer Nerd

[jaja]

We will be on the Getaway July 3. Did the sommelier say if it was just that ship or all of them? It would be great if they added some good wines to the list, even if we had to pay an upcharge.

 

Hope it goes well for you....Unfortunately..we are sailing end of May..and I am so disappointed I will be so limited in wine by the glass selection..:(

We booked last year...and the UBP was SO different (ie better) then..:rolleyes:

[NCteacherlovescruising]

you're from nc and you don't like pepsi :confused: you do know new bern is the home of pepsi. ;) also, water is free on board......bottled water has a charge. i do believe you are also allowed to change your promotional gift but you need to call in to do so. also your 19 year old son can drink beer and wine on board if you sign a waiver.

 

 

No, I've never liked Pepsi. Lol

 

I know water is free, I just prefer bottled water. My past experience is ship water tends to make me swell so I end up drinking both. I'm sure we will bring some water. Ugh! We have to bring our own water, Diet Coke and wine with the UBP...doesn't seem so "ultimate" to me. [emoji52]

 

We are aware our son can buy beer or wine if we sign a waiver, which we plan to do. I just wish he was allowed to have the free UBP as he would get more use out of it than I will. [emoji485][emoji482] I mean, he's 19 and can legally buy beer and wine on a ship. He's going to enjoy that! Especially the [emoji481]!