Open Bar/Unlimited Beverages

[pbenjamin]

The catch is it will cost you a couple hundred dollars per person in "service charges". Check your itemized total, look for something like "PROMO SVC CHG".

 

$125 per person for a 7 day cruise. Comes out to $17.85 a day. Figure out how much you would spend a day on drinks, wine, beer and sodas to see if it worth your while.

[don't-use-real-name]

Only inconvenience is having to swipe your key card for every drink (exceptions ***) -

But it beats having a tramp stamp on your body or Mardi Gras beads/leis given in exchange.

NCL has not quite got around to micro chipping its booze hounds.

But wait there is more - go to the Medical Center and the IV feeds can keep you continually in Bliss and

that ship has not even sailed yet !

It is getting close to Ground Hog day better check for my shadow !

Whether I see my shadow or not it will be 6 more weeks of unlimited libation - its the cure for landlubbers !

[drcarp4]

If you happen to get a drink over the $15.00 limit, they just charge you the difference. Example: Expresso Martini (Good Stuff!)

[LADENNIS65]

If you happen to get a drink over the $15.00 limit, they just charge you the difference. Example: Expresso Martini (Good Stuff!)

 

 

 

So, if my husband gets us a couple of drinks and the totall is under 15.00 we pay nothing but tip..

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[rjm11]

no you don't pay tip. The Tip is added at the time you book the cruise. You already paid that if you selected UBP as your perk. You pay nothing for any drink under $15. As many of those as you want. If you HAPPEN to want a single drink that is, say $17 (some higher end premium brands or something), then you are charged $2.

[ggTexasGal]

So, if my husband gets us a couple of drinks and the totall is under 15.00 we pay nothing but tip..

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Yes, BUT, you will not be expected to add tips (or leave cash)!

Most mixed drinks start around $8.95 each and go up from there, yet there are some less expensive, especially "morning drinks" during certain hours). So if your chosen drink is the Drink of the Day @ $8.95, you pay nothing (unless in certain ports' taxing areas). If you select a martini that is $17.95, you will sign for the $2.95, but nothing more (unless above TAX is needed).

You will already be covered by the Promo "Bev Serv Chg" that should already be on your Reservation Confirmation!!!

[grandmarnnurse]

Booking from the US. I was mainly wanting to hear if anyone's first hand experience with it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

I’ve had it twice. Paid gratuities on it when I booked and chose this perk. We loved it! It covers all alcoholic drinks up to the cost of $15. It also covers fountain soda. But that’s it. It does not cover bottled water or specialty coffees as some beverage packages do on other cruise lines. As I said, we loved it, but if we had to pay for the package, we would never buy it, as we do not drink enough to warrant the high cost.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[grandmarnnurse]

We had this perk for the first time on our last cruise and thought it was definitely worth it! We arent huge drinkers but you can try all those fun drinks and if you dont like it, get another kind. We enjoyed champagne, wine with dinner, shots of goldschlager poolside during their German party, etc. a couple times my hubby got beers and asked them not to open them (grolsch) and he brought them back to the room to enjoy there. They always allowed us to order 2 drinks at a time so only one of us had to go to the bar. Only thing we felt, there weren’t enough pushy bar servers on pool days. We actually had to go to the bar rather than them trying to sell/push the drinky drinkys lol

 

 

 

I noticed that with most people on the ship having this perk, there were far fewer roaming bar servers. You had to wait in a line at the bar. And the lines were so much worse on my January 7 cruise, than a year ago. They actually had it roped off to que up to bar in a line!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[CA1968]

There was a bottle of “Louis” at the whiskey bar on the Getaway that was $250 for a shot.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote

 

They have a whiskey bar?

[Pens fan]

The one surprise I had with the UBP was how eager the waiters were at bringing us drinks - especially in the dining rooms. The majority of the time, they would ask us if we wanted a second drink long before the first one was even gone. Sometimes they just brought a second one without asking. That surprised me, as I really expected just the opposite. Now, for sure, we rewarded those waiters for their service at the end of the meal, but they didn't know we were going to do that when they were bringing us drink after drink.

[fshagan]

The one surprise I had with the UBP was how eager the waiters were at bringing us drinks - especially in the dining rooms. The majority of the time, they would ask us if we wanted a second drink long before the first one was even gone. Sometimes they just brought a second one without asking. That surprised me, as I really expected just the opposite. Now, for sure, we rewarded those waiters for their service at the end of the meal, but they didn't know we were going to do that when they were bringing us drink after drink.

 

That makes me wonder if they are tracked on how much they serve and rewarded out of the UBP tip pool for each drink they serve. That would be a smart way for NCL to do it.

 

We rarely drink on board but will sometimes order a drink or two on some days. We haven't seen any degradation in service levels for those sitting in lounges or theaters (where we are likely to order from a waiter), but I assumed my sample size was small since we don't drink much. I was pleased though, as the UBP being given for "free" on most of our recent cruises hasn't seemed to produce any more drunks or vomit by the elevators than before.

[cefm]

There was a bottle of “Louis” at the whiskey bar on the Getaway that was $250 for a shot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote

 

 

 

They have a whiskey bar?

 

 

 

Yes it is the “Sunset Bar” on Deck 8. It specializes on Whiskey’s. Each bar on the ship seems to have different selections.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[erdoran]

Do you know if tax is charged in NOLA before sailing? I figure we'll start as soon as we board, and enjoy sailaway with a couple of drinks on our balcony!

 

Also a dumb question - if we want to host cabin crawl and ask for a pitcher or two of iced tea or something non-alcoholic in our suite (Haven suite) does that cost or is that covered as part of the in-room service we're entitled to as suite guests? I know UBP is for individual drinks....

[bbixler18]

The catch is it will cost you a couple hundred dollars per person in "service charges". Check your itemized total, look for something like "PROMO SVC CHG".

 

A couple hundred dollars per person? I must've missed where she mentioned she was taking more than an 11 day cruise? It's less than $125 per person per day on a 7 day cruise. Hell of a bargain if you have more than 2 or 3 drinks a day. If you don't, no biggie....you aren't forced to accept their offer.

[erdoran]

I guess initially I was a bit shocked to learn that "free" really wasn't free (no flames, I read the other thread) but when I thought about it before realizing that they pre-loaded the tips, I wondered how I would tip for the "free" drinks I ordered. I guess it makes sense that you pay the tips, but it's really a marketing/pricing decision - to make the deal such that it is truly free, in that gratuities are prepaid as well and included, or to charge them. In a way I do think this is a bit deceptive because it is advertised as FREE and it isn't, but it's on the same level as FREE EXCURSIONS - $50/stateroom is by no means FREE EXCURSIONS, it is really a $50 CREDIT towards your choice of excursions/port. It's all in the fine print.

 

DH and I briefly debated whether or not it was worth it to us - we've never had a bar bill over $100 - but he decided that he'd enjoy being able to drink without worrying about the cost, and yes, we would each have more than 2 drinks/day if they were "free" so we're in. I'm still not convinced it's worth it to us because I don't care about booze much, although I will enjoy trying all the different drinks --but it's even more weight on my rear end when I get off the boat!

[Sauer-kraut]

Do you know if tax is charged in NOLA before sailing? I figure we'll start as soon as we board, and enjoy sailaway with a couple of drinks on our balcony!

 

Also a dumb question - if we want to host cabin crawl and ask for a pitcher or two of iced tea or something non-alcoholic in our suite (Haven suite) does that cost or is that covered as part of the in-room service we're entitled to as suite guests? I know UBP is for individual drinks....

You can ask your Butler to have those on hand as well as bowls of chips or snacks for the participants. No charge at all, but since they are doing extra for you a tip would not be out of place. Also let them know ahead of time so they won't be rushing, perhaps on the first day so they have a heads up.

[jdvmd]

Think it is a great deal and fun to try different drinks that you would not normally order.

[erdoran]

You can ask your Butler to have those on hand as well as bowls of chips or snacks for the participants. No charge at all, but since they are doing extra for you a tip would not be out of place. Also let them know ahead of time so they won't be rushing, perhaps on the first day so they have a heads up.

Thanks. Yep, we are planning on tipping the butler, concierge etc well at the end of the cruise assuming we get decent service (and I’m not unreasonable). Hosting a crawl certainly adds to the base.

 

And thanks for ahead of time suggestion great idea and will do. I’ll ask cc folks to rsvp so I can guess how many to prepare for.

[smplybcause]

Do you know if tax is charged in NOLA before sailing? I figure we'll start as soon as we board, and enjoy sailaway with a couple of drinks on our balcony!

 

Also a dumb question - if we want to host cabin crawl and ask for a pitcher or two of iced tea or something non-alcoholic in our suite (Haven suite) does that cost or is that covered as part of the in-room service we're entitled to as suite guests? I know UBP is for individual drinks....

I finished a cc room crawl in an aft haven. Their butler had tea, water, chips, fruit, and cookies there with plates and napkins. It was a nice end because by then we had all finished our drinks that we started the crawl with!

 

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[rigs32]

You will pay NOLA taxes until you are out of the channel, about 6 hours after you set sail.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[CA1968]

Are you able to use the UAB at all bars and restaurants?

[patsnation18]

I have this "perk" on my upcoming Escape cruise as well. Does this include soda as well, or only alcoholic beverages?

[don't-use-real-name]

I have this "perk" on my upcoming Escape cruise as well. Does this include soda as well, or only alcoholic beverages?

 

YES !

Covers the Soda as well !

[don't-use-real-name]

are you able to use the uab at all bars and restaurants?

 

yes !

[Diamond lover]

Can anyone tell me what wines by the glass are available in the dining rooms? Chianti? Riesling? Malbec? Pinot Grigio?

 

Thanks in advance.