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Problems with the Unlimited Open Bar?

Rou-Dyliq

By Rou-Dyliq,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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Linda the Book Lover

Linda the Book Lover

Posted
Posted

Remember - Make sure they bring you a fountain soda and not a can/bottle.

Norwegian's Ultimate Beverage Package includes a variety of spirits, cocktails, wines by the glass and bottled or draft beer up to and including $15 USD and unlimited fountain soda and juices at all bars, lounges, restaurants and the Great Stirrup Cay. A 20% discount will be applied to all bottles of wine purchased on board.

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Sand and Seas

Sand and Seas

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Remember - Make sure they bring you a fountain soda and not a can/bottle.

 

Good point! We always place our Boarding Cards that show UBP on the dining table so our servers can see we get the fountain drinks or other covered beverages. Have never had a problem with the bill this way.

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happy traveler69

happy traveler69

Posted
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Ok... so I'm a bit confused. Please forgive me. I'm a first timer on NCL and a first time drink package user. We are leaving on the Breakaway in December.

***regarding the taxes being paid- we pay NY state tax for the first day out of NY, right? Is that only until we hit international waters? For the typical drink, what's that about- $2 a drink?

***I drink mainly frozen drinks (all frozen, really)! Are these covered under the drink package, or do they typically cost more and I'd have to pay the difference?

 

 

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Sand and Seas

Sand and Seas

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Ok... so I'm a bit confused. Please forgive me. I'm a first timer on NCL and a first time drink package user. We are leaving on the Breakaway in December.

***regarding the taxes being paid- we pay NY state tax for the first day out of NY, right? Is that only until we hit international waters? For the typical drink, what's that about- $2 a drink?

***I drink mainly frozen drinks (all frozen, really)! Are these covered under the drink package, or do they typically cost more and I'd have to pay the difference?

 

 

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If taxes are similar to Miami or New Orleans, I believe it was about $1.60 in taxes for two frozen drinks. I haven't found any frozen drink that isn't covered by the UBP, but I guess there could be. We usually get Mango Meltdowns, BBCs, Margaritas and Mudslides and all are covered. (If you order something with a top-shelf label, it might go above the $15....just pay difference.)

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LrgPizza

LrgPizza

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Can I please ask a question about the Unlimited Open Bar? We originally chose the $50 toward shore excursions but are thinking twice about it since we are only going on 2 NCL planned trips. Our travel agent says we can switch to UOB or the Specialty Dining. Am I doing the math right?

 

If the UOB package requires you to pay gratuities of $97 pp that's $194. If both of us wanted 2 glasses of wine each of the 7 nights that would be $194/7/4 = $6.92 per glass. What does the average glass of wine cost? It's got to be more that $6.92.

Just FYI, it's called Ultimate Beverage Package or UBP.

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Rou-Dyliq

Rou-Dyliq

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I have a hard time believing this. If I saw a wine on the menu that said $12 and they would not serve it, I would just call for the supervisor.

 

The only way I can see this as being an issue is that some bars on the ship may not stock every wine.

 

Was your friend able to "pay" for said wines? I only ask as there is more to the story.

 

He said the waiter told him that he would have to pay the full cost of the glass of wine, not the difference. Which then led me to question which package he had, but he was in the haven and they had the UPB included in their perks.

 

I've never had any issue with the UPB, but this is a close trusted friend so I thought I'd see if anyone else had that issue, was it restricted to maybe that ship as we all know sometimes the various ships interpret rules differently, or if it is some kind of new problem that I need to take into account when booking.

 

He is a loyal NCL customer too, who is not the kind of person to make things up to complain about.

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sanger727

sanger727

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He said the waiter told him that he would have to pay the full cost of the glass of wine, not the difference. Which then led me to question which package he had, but he was in the haven and they had the UPB included in their perks.

 

 

 

I've never had any issue with the UPB, but this is a close trusted friend so I thought I'd see if anyone else had that issue, was it restricted to maybe that ship as we all know sometimes the various ships interpret rules differently, or if it is some kind of new problem that I need to take into account when booking.

 

 

 

He is a loyal NCL customer too, who is not the kind of person to make things up to complain about.

 

 

 

I didn't encounter that on my cruise in Jan. I think I recall seeing a couple things (maybe a champagne) that were completely excluded from the bev package. But I had wine that was listed as being served by the glass every night and was never told no. So maybe they just picked from the one or two items that were completely excluded? They certainly should have had plenty of included options to pick from though.

 

 

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js

js

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It certainly sounds to me like a situation such as the champagne in Le Bistro, which is specifically excluded from the UBP.

 

This is news to me and is it for all ships? We were on the Getaway in February and my mom only drinks champagne and she drank at LeBistro one evening. We all had drinks every night at dinner and we were not charged for the champagne? Not sure if she just said champagne or if she looked on menu. Thanks!

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KeithJenner "Live from...." Rare

KeithJenner

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This is news to me and is it for all ships? We were on the Getaway in February and my mom only drinks champagne and she drank at LeBistro one evening. We all had drinks every night at dinner and we were not charged for the champagne? Not sure if she just said champagne or if she looked on menu. Thanks!

 

 

 

I've never ordered it, but it's been reported quite a few times on these boards, including earlier on this thread.

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ollienbertsmum Great Review Rare

ollienbertsmum

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You should have said that wouldn't be a problem as you'll be having 6 glasses.

:loudcry::loudcry::loudcry:

 

Can you do that???

 

I have to say when we were last on the Epic my husband must have had a spirit that cost more than the limit of the drink package. We were not informed. Whilst it was actually loose change in terms of what we had to pay, I was annoyed. I am still going back to the Epic in November, I was not *that* annoyed.

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js

js

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I've never ordered it, but it's been reported quite a few times on these boards, including earlier on this thread.

 

Thanks. I know she wasn't charged since we commented on that she had a zero balance at the end of the cruise, a first for my mom LOL

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Sand and Seas

Sand and Seas

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I noticed on posted menus recommend or speciality drinks from some of the extra cost restaurants. Are those the excluded drinks? How do you know if it's excluded? I don't want any surprises but would definitely like to try some of the recommended drinks on menus...

I've never had a problem using the UBP when ordering a specialty drink at the specialty restaurants as long as it was showing a price of $15 or under. We cruise several times a year and I love to try the different cocktails that are available.

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Sand and Seas

Sand and Seas

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I loved the Emperor's Nectar in Le Bistro and the Revolutionary Cure in Food Republic. The Peach Bellini in La Cucina was nice too. These were all covered by the UBP on the Escape and the Dawn during our cruises in the last 4 months. (Just returned from Escape.)

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KeithJenner "Live from...." Rare

KeithJenner

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Lol! That's why I upgraded us to Mini when priced went down. Privacy curtain. [emoji2]

 

 

 

That curtain is also in the balcony rooms on the Epic.

 

The curtain that is just in the mini suites on older ships is between the bed and the sofa, but that isn't on the new ships (Epic and newer).

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ShelleyQT

ShelleyQT

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How rude of him to do that to you. I would have told him to go make me another one please. That said, I was under the impression that with the UBP you can order whatever your want but you have to pay the extra charge if it goes over $12 or $15...not sure which. So in your case, wouldn't it have just been a small extra charge rather than paying for the entire drink?

 

Yes, I believe it should have been an extra charge of just a few dollars. I don't really know how much he charged me. I just asked why there was a charge and then he took the glass from me.

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