Unlimited drinks free!

[BaWBarmy]

OK...my bad.... I get it now...NCL drink package is 750.00 for 7 days...where Carnival is $418.00 all in...:confused: carnival is 15% ...NCL is 20%...:confused: wonder who gets my vote...:'):'):')

 

Well book your bloody cruise on Carnival then. Stop wittering on about the NCL drink package, which happens to be given as a free perk to almost anybody not called Susan, You could have added this to any number of threads about the cost of the drinks package and gratuities and the rest of us could have spent our time more usefully discussing the merits of NCL MDR's versus the MDR on RCCL ships or even Buckingham Palace (the service was awful, none of the waiters smiled or talked, I didn't tip any of them)

 

Thank you and goodnight.

[susan1957]

Celebrity offers a "free drink package"...on a regular basis????

[Georgie562]

]NCL has such a high price on heir drink package[/b] not because it costs them more' date=' but because by inflating the price of the beverage package it also raises the amount of $$$ they get from the “service charge” on the so called free perk they offer.

 

20% on $723 equals a much higher $$$ amount than 20% on $400. And since NCL pockets the majority of that amount then they use it as a form of revenue. Only a small percentage actually goes as gratuities to the workers and even then its classified as “performance incentives”.[/quote']

 

It is the highest costing drink package at sea right now. Such an expensive package ($89p/p/p/d) with a lot of no's : No bottled waters, No specialty coffees, No vitamin waters, No canned sodas, No specialty teas, No energy drinks, No powerades / gatorades, No milkshakes, No specialty juices :o(n)

[RD29P5]

NCL has such a high price on heir drink package not because it costs them more, but because by inflating the price of the beverage package it also raises the amount of $$$ they get from the “service charge” on the so called free perk they offer.

 

20% on $723 equals a much higher $$$ amount than 20% on $400. And since NCL pockets the majority of that amount then they use it as a form of revenue. Only a small percentage actually goes as gratuities to the workers and even then its classified as “performance incentives”.

 

Is that something you know as a fact from working in their accounting department, or is it just speculation?

[NLH Arizona]

And since NCL pockets the majority of that amount then they use it as a form of revenue. Only a small percentage actually goes as gratuities to the workers and even then its classified as “performance incentives”.

Could you please post your proof, so that we can put this issue to rest.

[KarlChilders]

OK...my bad.... I get it now...NCL drink package is 750.00 for 7 days...where Carnival is $418.00 all in...:confused: carnival is 15% ...NCL is 20%...:confused: wonder who gets my vote...:'):'):')

still not sure you get it. Just did two trial bookings, NCL Getaway vs Carnival Glory Oct sailing from Miami to western carib. Carnival with Cheers $2478. NCL Getaway (10 years newer) with drink package and $200 excursion credit $2629. Math is your friend.

[my3sonsnj]

Unlimited "FREE' drinks ...PERK....over $250.00 SERVICE CHARGE....are you SERIOUS...how does free fit in here.....What a JOKE....I understand they have to charge the taxes but what is this....like 60% of the actual cost of the drink card? WOW

 

The Free at Sea beverage package choice actually costs about $125/pp (service charge, i.e. bartender tips). I don't know what other cruiselines are charging now for adult beverage packages. However, I did cruise on Princess a few years back and a similar package was about $600/pp.

 

The beverage package is a deal considering the fact that the fares, on every cabin category, are cheaper than practically every other cruiseline except Carnival. I keep looking at Carnival but it never works out to be less expensive once I factor in a drinks package so as to compare apples to apples.

[Dederee]

1. Don't take the UBP promo so you don't have to pay the 20% service charge.
   
2. Order your drinks a la carte and you will pay a 20% service charge per drink.
   
3. See if you end up paying more than $17.80 per day for drinks.
   

If your total is more than $17.80 per person per day, you should have taken the promo. If your total is less than $17.80 per person per day, you made the right choice.

 

Two Wheels said it best. Nothing else to say, unless you are just looking to complain.

[MyTMo777]

If you're an experienced cruiser, you understand the pricing policy on NCL's "free" drinks package. But if you're relatively new to cruising, or you've never bought a drink package before, it is a shock to see those service charges added to your booking. I wish NCL's website and advertising would clearly state: "Free drink package (20% service charge on value of package is payable)." Like the airline ads (at least in Canada) that the were regulated a few years ago that the large print advertised price either needs to include all taxes and fees, or the cost of those taxes and fees must be clearly spelled out directly below the advertised price, not in the fine print at the bottom of the ad.

[Moby0215]

I was addressing your statement in regards to the rates, not the experience. In many cases (a majority) NCL is more expensive then MSC and Celebrity with drinks included.

 

 

 

Those that keep saying "oh but it's only 20% for free drinks" are the ones that have very little comprehension of pricing strategies and overall cost. You don't just pay 20% for your drink package, you have to pay a much higher base fare (can't select a sail away rate) which is usually $150-250 higher per person...so add on that cost to that 20% you pay as well.

 

 

 

While you are right that sailaways do not include any promos, you cannot directly just add the $150-250 per person and directly correlate that to the beverage package. A sail away is a GTY, meaning that you do not get to choose your cabin. Those types of cabins have always been cheaper and I for one would never book a cabin in which I did not pick my cabin.

 

 

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[PTC DAWG]

While you are right that sailaways do not include any promos, you cannot directly just add the $150-250 per person and directly correlate that to the beverage package. A sail away is a GTY, meaning that you do not get to choose your cabin. Those types of cabins have always been cheaper and I for one would never book a cabin in which I did not pick my cabin.

 

 

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Exactly, most cruise lines will give you a cheaper rate if you don't care where your cabin is.

[emcelh]

Celebrity offers a "free drink package"...on a regular basis????

 

They've been doing it for some time now. You have a choice between a drink package (which includes more than the one NCL offers), or a couple of other options. I don't know if it applies to any cabin category. I was only looking at balcony cabins.

 

You have to do the math. You know how much you're likely to spend on drinks. You decided whether or not choosing it as a booking perk or buying it is worth it to you. When I'm cruise shopping I look at the bottom line. It doesn't matter if the service charge is 15% or 20% or if the drink package is on one line is more expensive than another. I know how much I'll pay before I board the ship and I have a pretty good idea what I'll owe when I get off. It's the bottom line that matters.

[tonit964]

I LOVE the drink package on NCL!

I booked my upcoming Bliss cruise about 16 months ago when the service charge was a little cheaper than it is currently, so for my 7 day cruise, I get all my drinks for $97.93!:D

I couldn't ask for more!

Edited June 26, 2018 by tonit964
corrected spelling

[DaCruiseBug]

While you are right that sailaways do not include any promos, you cannot directly just add the $150-250 per person and directly correlate that to the beverage package. A sail away is a GTY, meaning that you do not get to choose your cabin. Those types of cabins have always been cheaper and I for one would never book a cabin in which I did not pick my cabin.

 

 

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Sailaway rate means you don’t get any perks, period. You get a room in a specified category and that’s it.

 

There are several other categories that do offer the perks but that are also GTY cabins. That’s not the reason for the price difference...the perks is the reason.

 

Look up category BF, BE, BD etc on NCL. They’re all guarantee cabins with perks.

[KeithJenner]

Sailaway rate means you don’t get any perks, period. You get a room in a specified category and that’s it.

 

 

 

There are several other categories that do offer the perks but that are also GTY cabins. That’s not the reason for the price difference...the perks is the reason.

 

 

 

Look up category BF, BE, BD etc on NCL. They’re all guarantee cabins with perks.

 

 

This is missing the point.

 

People often say, as you did earlier, that the cost of the perks is not just the gratuity but also the difference in fare between the sailaway rates and those that include the promos.

 

That is absolutely true if you are happy to book a guarantee rate. But for those of us who would always pay extra to pick our own cabins over a guarantee rate, then some (if not all) of that difference is justified by not booking a guarantee.

 

The fact that some guarantee cabins may also include the promos is completely irrelevant to our decision.

 

Basically, different people have different preferences. You can’t apply one line of thinking to everyone’s decision.

 

Edit: Here is an example. We are booked on a 15 day trip on the Spirit next year. The sailaway rate for a balcony is about £1,000 less than the balcony category we have booked for the three of us. There is a specific balcony room that we know on that ship which is a lot bigger than most other rooms. It is, as far as I am aware, the only non suite on the ship that is anything like that size and the cheapest suite is £4,500 more than the sailaway rate. For us, that extra £1,000 is absolutely worth paying just for the room.

 

There are other rooms that we book for specific reasons (aft balconies, minis with large balconies). Basically, if we were to start booking sailaway rates then we would not get to stay in the rooms that we want. Sailaway rates are a complete irrelevance for us on most cruises.

 

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Edited June 26, 2018 by KeithJenner

[All-ready2cruise]

I guess my question is... if you do the math... understanding that some may need some assistance to get it right... and the overall fee for the cruise is not beneficial to the customer/pax... why book the cruise with the cruise line which seems to cost more?

 

I don't get it... book the cruise you want with the cruise line you prefer; where's the problem here? Lordy... I book my cruises based on what I want/need and the price I want to pay! Done!

[zqvol]

Unlimited "FREE' drinks ...PERK....over $250.00 SERVICE CHARGE....are you SERIOUS...how does free fit in here.....What a JOKE....I understand they have to charge the taxes but what is this....like 60% of the actual cost of the drink card? WOW

 

The charge is the required 20% service charge on the retail vaue of the package. Any taxes will be in addition to that and charged as you go.

 

 

No one makes you take that perk. Do the math. If you are going to drink less than you will pay out of pocket it is a bad deal. If you are going to drink more it is a good deal. It's not rocket science though some people can't seem to figure that out. It works out to about 2 drinks per day r three glasses of wine, or three beers.

[zqvol]

Celebrity offers it for free on a regular basis

 

MSC is also offering a free drink package

 

 

The other cruise lines that don't have a free cruise package offer it for about 1/2 what it costs on NCL. Many times it's cheaper to buy a drink package on another cruise line than going on NCL with the free package.

 

Find one that offers what NCL offers. MSC, is very limited in the number of drinks for the entire cruise. On Celebrity you pay a much higher cruise fare. Carnival's package is expensive and limits the number of drinks per day.

 

 

Who comes close to what NCL offers (other than an AI line)?

[dd likes to cruise]

. Many times it's cheaper to buy a drink package on another cruise line than going on NCL with the free package.

 

Please show us an example of a cruise where the drink package is less than 20.00 bucks a day.

[zqvol]

OK...my bad.... I get it now...NCL drink package is 750.00 for 7 days...where Carnival is $418.00 all in...:confused: carnival is 15% ...NCL is 20%...:confused: wonder who gets my vote...:'):'):')

 

You don't get it. The NCL price is all in including the 20% and does not limit the number of beverages. What you need to really remember that almost no one on NCL pays for a drink package, they pay a total of about $120 for unlimited drinks on NCL, vs. $418 on CCL.

[tallnthensome]

Find one that offers what NCL offers. MSC, is very limited in the number of drinks for the entire cruise. On Celebrity you pay a much higher cruise fare. Carnival's package is expensive and limits the number of drinks per day.

 

 

Who comes close to what NCL offers (other than an AI line)?

Not all the time ..... For 2020, My booked 12 day Southern (7 ports) for four on Celebrity and a balcony with two drink packages promo is $6100. 7 day Caribbean the same day on NCL Encore, 4 people, balcony, only 3 ports, UBP $5400. Only $700 more for four people to sail Celebrity for 5 full days longer. Way way better deal on Celebrity. We sailed the Seaside in April, with the great deals they have on pricing you can upgrade their "drinks on us" package to Deluxe for only like $20 more pp per day. With the amazing cruise fare you will still be ahead of NCL. We had the Deluxe DP on MSC and it was the best we have ever had of any line at sea. Even the mini fridge in your cabin is included .... waters, beers, shots, juices, whisky, vodka..... in your cabin. NCL drink promo is a way better deal than CCL Cheers and Royal's which are both stupid expensive.

[wdsted]

It is the highest costing drink package at sea right now. Such an expensive package ($89p/p/p/d) with a lot of no's : No bottled waters, No specialty coffees, No vitamin waters, No canned sodas, No specialty teas, No energy drinks, No powerades / gatorades, No milkshakes, No specialty juices :o(n)

 

And nobody buys it. They jacked up the price in order to calculate a 20% service fee which they charge to folks who opt in to the beverage package as a perk. It's a simple choice for us to take the perk every cruise: It costs us like $15/day to drink as much booze as we want instead of paying 3 times that without it.

[tallnthensome]

Nobody actually ever buys the NCL drink package. It was a major factor in choosing the 15 Day Bliss Panama Canal versus a 14 day Carnival . The drink package for 15 days was $426 days on NCL and Cheers was a whopping $1800 plus for 14 days on Carnival. That's almost $1400 difference! How can anyone ever complain about that. I can buy plenty of bottled water and coffees with that amount of savings. I hate to say alcohol was the deciding factor between the two lines but when $1400 is on the line, its a big deal. Go ask Carnival or Royal for a "free" drink package and see what they say! LOL!

[Shidah]

Not true, I bought the package twice for my daughter’s boyfriends (two seperate cruises) since they were the third person in the cabin. Even at full price, it was worth it. Hey it’s vacation and pretty easy for someone to drink $89 worth of drinks a day. What I don’t understand if you don’t like it, don’t take the perk or sail another line. I don’t see that any of these posts are changing anyone’s minds. Like most of the people here I absolutely love the perk and will continue to sail NCL as long as they offer it.

[yummysbakery]

Carnival also limits you to 15 drinks per day. Ncl is unlimited.

OK...my bad.... I get it now...NCL drink package is 750.00 for 7 days...where Carnival is $418.00 all in...:confused: carnival is 15% ...NCL is 20%...:confused: wonder who gets my vote...:'):'):')

 

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