Free dinning and beverage package ?

[smj]

Does the free beverage package include bottled water and good coffee?

How many meals does the dinning package include and can you take them all at le bistro?

Are they really free or is there some catch?

Thanks

[perditax]

No bottled water or speciality coffee.

 

Both promos require a service charge, ranging up to $100+ pp on the drinks package.

 

Not sure how many meals the dining package is good for.

 

You can eat at LB each time.

 

 

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[BirdTravels]

Does the free beverage package include bottled water and good coffee?

No bottled water. No specialty coffee. The package covers the first $15 of bar drinks (and it is hard to go over $15).

How many meals does the dinning package include and can you take them all at le bistro?

 

3 meals on 4-10 night cruises. 4 Meals on 10+ night cruises.

Are they really free or is there some catch?

You have to pay the gratuities on the package.

3- Meals = $13.80 gratuity added to your cruise cost

7 night beverage package = $124.60 gratuities

Both are a super bargain.

 

Thanks

The promotions are really good deals.

[san diego spartan]

I'm disappointed to see that there is an additional "charge" for the UBP perk that we got with our cruise. Seems like Celebrity does not do that. Why does NCL? Anyway, we will see how it goes. I did see the fine print, so knew about it, but just still don't like it.

[fshagan]

I'm disappointed to see that there is an additional "charge" for the UBP perk that we got with our cruise. Seems like Celebrity does not do that. Why does NCL? Anyway, we will see how it goes. I did see the fine print, so knew about it, but just still don't like it.

 

Celebrity raises the price on the cruise if you go to "Go Best" to get the premium beverage package that is comparable (at least in the covered price of alcohol). The standard plan they give away covers drinks up to $8 I think. Good luck with that.

 

For drinkers either upgrade is a good deal, and X has some cruises with prepaid tips, $150 per person OBC, and the premium drink plan for "starting from" $315 each (this is the "Go Best" plan).

 

Let's compare: Gratuities are worth $203 total on the cruise I looked at, OBC is worth $300 total, and the Internet plan is worth ... I dunno. But the premium drink plan and the Internet are costing you about $127 more than the regular sail-away rate. ($630 extra on the reservation minus $203 for gratuities, minus $300 for OBC = $127 for both of you to get those two perks).

 

So it's cheaper than NCL by about 50%. NCL is charging you about $249 on a 7 day cruise for the gratuities on the $89 per day beverage plan if I have the prices right in my head.

 

But both are charging for the perks. Celebrity isn't lying about it and saying they are Free* and clearly show the pricing when you choose the upgrade.

 

[Ronin23]

Took the beverage package and the dining package for an upcoming Bliss cruise. As we booked through NCL Australia.....no gratuities for either were payable. So both perks really were completely free. :D

[newmexicoNita]

Does the free beverage package include bottled water and good coffee?

How many meals does the dinning package include and can you take them all at le bistro?

Are they really free or is there some catch?

Thanks

water and coffee: no

how many meals, depends on the plan, usually it is 2 or 3; some longer cruisers it may be 4

At Le Bistro: yes, it is your choice

really free? Yes except for gratuities or service charge, whatever you want to call it.

 

Also just read the comment someone made about Celebrity not charging the gratuities on their plans; true, but remember their prices are higher which probably makes it a wash.

[BirdTravels]

I'm disappointed to see that there is an additional "charge" for the UBP perk that we got with our cruise. Seems like Celebrity does not do that. Why does NCL? Anyway, we will see how it goes. I did see the fine print, so knew about it, but just still don't like it.

So, the answer is simple. If you can save money on celebrity, then cancel and rebook with them. Do you remember what Celebrity does with all of the money the charge. It was documented in the following 6 minute news documentary.

[perditax]

NCL bumped up their base fares to cover the "free" perks too. That's why some TAs can offer "no frills" pricing, and why there are cheaper "sail-away" rates that don't include the "free" perks.

 

So yes, it's a marketing shell game.

[sanger727]

I'm disappointed to see that there is an additional "charge" for the UBP perk that we got with our cruise. Seems like Celebrity does not do that. Why does NCL? Anyway, we will see how it goes. I did see the fine print, so knew about it, but just still don't like it.

 

 

 

I don’t see NCL vs celebrity’s drink promos as all that different. NCL’s program covers drinks up to $15, which includes most drinks and all wines by the glass I saw. But you have to pay the service charge to get it. Celebrity’s drink package only includes drinks up to $8 ish, so many complain that the martinis and good wines are over. To get the comparable package, you need to pay to upgrade to the premium package.

 

While it would be nice if bottled water and specialty coffee was included; I think the main difference between the two lines programs is that NCL has created a drink package they know that no one will buy. The price is outrageous, especially with so many exclusions. I really think they create the price so they can get a service fee that helps the promo remain profitable. Celebrity wants people to purchase the package on sailings where it isn’t offered or when people get a discounted sail rate. So they price it and have inclusions to make it reasonable.

 

 

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Edited February 1, 2018 by sanger727

[Moby0215]

NCL bumped up their base fares to cover the "free" perks too. That's why some TAs can offer "no frills" pricing, and why there are cheaper "sail-away" rates that don't include the "free" perks.

 

So yes, it's a marketing shell game.

 

 

 

But can you get a “sail-away” rate and still pick your cabin?

 

 

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[smj]

Thanks. Is the gratuity on the drink package per drink or per package? We are not big drinkers.

[ColeThornton]

Thanks. Is the gratuity on the drink package per drink or per package? We are not big drinkers.

 

 

You pay by the package. Just for future reference when you are booking and getting promos, click on the promo and on the next page scroll all the way down and read the Terms and Conditions link. It has all the information you will need to know about gratuities, what's included, not included, etc.

[PTC DAWG]

Thanks. Is the gratuity on the drink package per drink or per package? We are not big drinkers.

 

If you think you'll drink $18 bucks a day each in drinks, it's a deal. To me, it's a screaming deal. And no worries when you get off the ship about your Visa going up in flames.

[Indykitten]

I think the main difference between the two lines programs is that NCL has created a drink package they know that no one will buy. The price is outrageous, especially with so many exclusions. I really think they create the price so they can get a service fee that helps the promo remain profitable. Celebrity wants people to purchase the package on sailings where it isn’t offered or when people get a discounted sail rate. So they price it and have inclusions to make it reasonable.

This right here. This is also why I don't see NCL's UBP going away as a promo. They would have to completely redesign drink prices as well as the package prices.

 

I'm not terribly familiar with Celebrity's drink packages or prices. If the base package includes drinks $8 or under, I'm assuming that at least (most of? some of?) their non-premium drinks fall below that price. That's significantly lower than the inflated $12 average cocktail on NCL.

[newmexicoNita]

NCL bumped up their base fares to cover the "free" perks too. That's why some TAs can offer "no frills" pricing, and why there are cheaper "sail-away" rates that don't include the "free" perks.

 

So yes, it's a marketing shell game.

just like all lines, they bumped the price. Have you priced Celebrity recently? We have!!!:confused:

[tunaman2011]

Greetings

 

We sailed on both Celebrity Equinox and NCL Escape in December. Both lines offer beverage packages as perks. If you get the "free" NCL package it now costs about $18/day. The free Classic Celebrity package is free. You can upgrade the package to the premium package for about $12/day. The premium Celebrity package covers bottled waters (Evian, Perrier, Vitamin Water), sodas, specialty coffees, Gatoraid, plus almost all alcoholic drinks on the ship.

 

Which ends up a better deal for the cruiser boils down to cabin prices since the cost of the "perk" is built into the pricing.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[rtkenmore]

Took the beverage package and the dining package for an upcoming Bliss cruise. As we booked through NCL Australia.....no gratuities for either were payable. So both perks really were completely free. :D

 

How much was your total cruise fare? And which sailing did you choose?

[NMLady]

But can you get a “sail-away” rate and still pick your cabin?

 

 

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No. Sail away rates are "guarantee" cabins.

[PTC DAWG]

Greetings

 

We sailed on both Celebrity Equinox and NCL Escape in December. Both lines offer beverage packages as perks. If you get the "free" NCL package it now costs about $18/day. The free Classic Celebrity package is free. You can upgrade the package to the premium package for about $12/day. The premium Celebrity package covers bottled waters (Evian, Perrier, Vitamin Water), sodas, specialty coffees, Gatoraid, plus almost all alcoholic drinks on the ship.

 

Which ends up a better deal for the cruiser boils down to cabin prices since the cost of the "perk" is built into the pricing.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

 

There is a Celebrity Board if we want info on Celebrity pricing...my neighbor is a big fan of theirs, but even he says the NCL drink package can't be beat if you like to drink.

[tunaman2011]

There is a Celebrity Board if we want info on Celebrity pricing...my neighbor is a big fan of theirs, but even he says the NCL drink package can't be beat if you like to drink.

 

Greetings

 

Sorry but some of the above discussions were about comparison of the two packages. Maybe the others who were discussing such topics appreciated the information. I'm sorry if you were offended.

 

Good Sailing

Tom

[L1211]

For perspective... we are huge fans of NCL and have sailed Getaway and Escape in the last year. We are sailing our first RCI cruise for the Senior's spring break in March. We thought the large Harmony might be more geared toward teens. We paid about the same for an interior "virtual balcony" that we paid for the real thing on NCL AND paid for the drink package AND paid the 18% grats on it AND we bought a speciality dining package AND we also paid the grats on that. Our next cruise will be back on NCL!!

 

 

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[Moby0215]

No. Sail away rates are "guarantee" cabins.

 

 

 

 

Yes, I know this but the question was posed to Perditax because they made it seam like the only reason the sail away rates are cheaper is because of the perks. The point being that most people want to choose their own cabin and the only way to do that is to pick a non-sail away rate. Hence the perks are free.

 

 

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