Minors and Non-Alcoholic Drinks

[JandC_Cruising]

We are cruising next summer and have four minors travelling within a group of 12.  

Is there ANY drink package that the teens can get that will cover Mock-tails?  Or are we stuck with the them paying drink-by-drink?

As best as I can tell, these are not covered in the Soda Package.

Have I missed something?

 

Thanks!

Jon

 

[smplybcause]

Not on NCL. 

[NCLGirl2013]

17 minutes ago, JandC_Cruising said:

We are cruising next summer and have four minors travelling within a group of 12.  

Is there ANY drink package that the teens can get that will cover Mock-tails?  Or are we stuck with the them paying drink-by-drink?

As best as I can tell, these are not covered in the Soda Package.

Have I missed something?

 

Thanks!

Jon

 

Do the adults have the alcohol package? If so, since you can order 2 drinks at a time per card- order your adult drink and a mocktail at the same time. I really don't think any of the bartenders will care, especially since it is just mixers which cost basically next to nothing for NCL. 

[JandC_Cruising]

13 minutes ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Do the adults have the alcohol package? If so, since you can order 2 drinks at a time per card- order your adult drink and a mocktail at the same time. I really don't think any of the bartenders will care, especially since it is just mixers which cost basically next to nothing for NCL. 

Complicated mingling of the cabins to ensure each one has a passenger over 21.

Two of the teens are with their grandparents (1 per cabin).  We were only going to get the drink package for those two cabins if Mock-tails were covered by the soda packages the teens would default to.

The grandparents don't drink much any longer.

I agree most bartenders will not care --- particularly if you are honest with them and slip them an extra $1 or two. However, the teens will likely spend most of their days apart from the various parents so will end up ordering their own drinks on most days.

Thanks!

J

 

[NCLGirl2013]

1 minute ago, JandC_Cruising said:

Complicated mingling of the cabins to ensure each one has a passenger over 21.

Two of the teens are with their grandparents (1 per cabin).  We were only going to get the drink package for those two cabins if Mock-tails were covered by the soda packages the teens would default to.

The grandparents don't drink much any longer.

I agree most bartenders will not care --- particularly if you are honest with them and slip them an extra $1 or two. However, the teens will likely spend most of their days apart from the various parents so will end up ordering their own drinks on most days.

Thanks!

J

 

Ahhh okay, that makes sense. It's weird I think that the soda package doesn't include mocktails

[Two Wheels Only]

36 minutes ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Do the adults have the alcohol package? If so, since you can order 2 drinks at a time per card- order your adult drink and a mocktail at the same time. I really don't think any of the bartenders will care, especially since it is just mixers which cost basically next to nothing for NCL. 

 

Anyone can "ask" but the sharing of a beverage package isn't allowed and can lead to the package being voided without refund. In extreme cases, the guest with the voided package will be financially responsible for all previous drink purchases even if those weren't shared.

[NCLGirl2013]

7 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Anyone can "ask" but the sharing of a beverage package isn't allowed and can lead to the package being voided without refund. In extreme cases, the guest with the voided package will be financially responsible for all previous drink purchases even if those weren't shared.

Yeah yeah we all know, but in the case of all you are trying to do is get a mocktail for a kid, 99.999% of the bartenders wouldn't bat an eye. I would say that only time they really care is when two adults are trying to share one alcohol package and both get alcoholic drinks while paying for one package, or if someone was giving liquor drinks to a minor. This is the case of mocktails which cost NCL probably $0.50 or less per drink since they buy those mixer in mass bulk. 

[smplybcause]

3 minutes ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Yeah yeah we all know, but in the case of all you are trying to do is get a mocktail for a kid, 99.999% of the bartenders wouldn't bat an eye. I would say that only time they really care is when two adults are trying to share one alcohol package and both get alcoholic drinks while paying for one package, or if someone was giving liquor drinks to a minor. This is the case of mocktails which cost NCL probably $0.50 or less per drink since they buy those mixer in mass bulk. 

 

And if that's the case then the alcoholic drink probably costs NCL $0.60 or less per drink - so why did you determine it is ok to share one but not the other? 

[NCLGirl2013]

Just now, smplybcause said:

 

And if that's the case then the alcoholic drink probably costs NCL $0.60 or less per drink - so why did you determine it is ok to share one but not the other? 

Well one- giving alcohol to a minor is illegal

Two- alcohol is going to be a heck of a lot more expensive than mixer, not a $0.10 difference

[smplybcause]

1 minute ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Well one- giving alcohol to a minor is illegal

Two- alcohol is going to be a heck of a lot more expensive than mixer, not a $0.10 difference

 

1 - I wasn't talking about the OP, but in your example you said it was not ok for two adults to share one package but it was ok for an adult to share it with a minor

 

2 - you obviously haven't worked in bars. A liter of alcohol is about 30 standard pours. If I go into a store and buy a liter of liquor I'm probably spending $25 on that, but that's retail. Wholesale is probably closer to $15 and NCL undoubtedly gets bulk pricing, lets say it drops it down to $10. So that's $0.33 a drink. Ok, a little more than what I originally said was $0.10, but frankly my numbers could be off in my example -- meaning NCL is paying less than $10 for that bottle of liquor. Also, mixer usually makes up a large proportion of the drink too so they use more of that. 

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Do the adults have the alcohol package? If so, since you can order 2 drinks at a time per card- order your adult drink and a mocktail at the same time. I really don't think any of the bartenders will care, especially since it is just mixers which cost basically next to nothing for NCL. 

That is theft. If caught, all beverage packages will be cancelled with no compensation 

[KeithJenner]

Regarding getting these drinks for kids when the adults have the beverage package.

 

Our son likes a a non alcoholic mudslide (basically a milkshake). He usually has 3 or 4 in a 7 night cruise. We have paid for it once.

 

That isn't because we sneak around trying to get him one. We order the drinks and present all three cards. We have pointed out that he has no package. Only once have the bar staff charged up.

 

Once, for example, my wife and I were at a bar having already got our drinks, and our son arrived. I went to the bar and ordered his drink and handed over his card. The server looked at the card and asked why I had given him that one. I explained it was because it was for our son, so needed paying for. His reply was "but you have the beverage package, give me your card".

 

I have no objection to paying for the drink, and certainly don't sneak around to avoid paying, but if they don't want to charge me then so be it.

 

Similarly, it is a long time since we have paid for a coke for him, even when we order three drinks together and hand over all three cards.

[NCLGirl2013]

1 minute ago, KeithJenner said:

Regarding getting these drinks for kids when the adults have the beverage package.

 

Our son likes a a non alcoholic mudslide (basically a milkshake). He usually has 3 or 4 in a 7 night cruise. We have paid for it once.

 

That isn't because we sneak around trying to get him one. We order the drinks and present all three cards. We have pointed out that he has no package. Only once have the bar staff charged up.

 

Once, for example, my wife and I were at a bar having already got our drinks, and our son arrived. I went to the bar and ordered his drink and handed over his card. The server looked at the card and asked why I had given him that one. I explained it was because it was for our son, so needed paying for. His reply was "but you have the beverage package, give me your card".

 

I have no objection to paying for the drink, and certainly don't sneak around to avoid paying, but if they don't want to charge me then so be it.

 

Similarly, it is a long time since we have paid for a coke for him, even when we order three drinks together and hand over all three cards.

Exactly! ^^^^^^ This. They really don't care. 

[smplybcause]

There's a bit of a difference between ordering a drink know you're going to have to pay for it and being happy when the bartenders say otherwise, and purposefully going up there acting as if the drink is for you and then giving it to someone else. The result may be the same but the way you get there are vastly different. 

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

This is the case of mocktails which cost NCL probably $0.50 or less per drink since they buy those mixer in mass bulk. 

 

A soda from the gun cost NCL even less but they still sell a soda package. 

 

When using the PBP...

If a bartender gives you a non-alcoholic drink and doesn't charge, you have done nothing wrong.

If a bar tender knows that the non-alcoholic drink is for your child and puts it on the PBP (Keith's example), Keith has done nothing wrong.

If a bartender gives you a non-alcoholic drink and you give it to someone else, you have violated the terms and conditions of the package. 

[luckyinpa]

1 hour ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Ahhh okay, that makes sense. It's weird I think that the soda package doesn't include mocktails

 

gotta go on princess. its a steal over there price wise for the package

[KeithJenner]

14 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

A soda from the gun cost NCL even less but they still sell a soda package. 

 

When using the PBP...

If a bartender gives you a non-alcoholic drink and doesn't charge, you have done nothing wrong.

If a bar tender knows that the non-alcoholic drink is for your child and puts it on the PBP (Keith's example), Keith has done nothing wrong.

If a bartender gives you a non-alcoholic drink and you give it to someone else, you have violated the terms and conditions of the package. 

Yes.

 

The point of my post was to say that I don't think that there is any need for people to do it sneakily. Just be open about who you are buying for and you will probably get the same result.

 

I personally don't agree with trying to get drinks for others.

 

The point about them selling the soda package is relevant though. Our son doesn't drink enough soft drinks to make the soda package worth it if we were charged per drink. If he drank more (and we still didn't buy him the soda package) then it could be argued that them not charging us has cost them the value of that package.

[NCLGirl2013]

30 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

A soda from the gun cost NCL even less but they still sell a soda package. 

 

When using the PBP...

If a bartender gives you a non-alcoholic drink and doesn't charge, you have done nothing wrong.

If a bar tender knows that the non-alcoholic drink is for your child and puts it on the PBP (Keith's example), Keith has done nothing wrong.

If a bartender gives you a non-alcoholic drink and you give it to someone else, you have violated the terms and conditions of the package. 

That is what I am saying though- If you are in the same room as a child that does not have any package, but you as the adult have the alcohol package- have you ever had a bartender ask for two cards? As I said in my original post, you would just hand over one card like normal. Go ahead and hand over both but as Keith's post bring out- they don't care and are going to charge the adult card 99% of the time.  That is what I'm trying to say. If an adult has a beverage package and is with a kid the chances are extremely high that the bartender will only swipe the adult card. I'm not saying giving them to someone else in a different cabin or anything like that. And hey, go ahead and tell them that the kid doesn't have a package and it is for him- but as said before and proved by Keith's post- chances are they don't care and will swipe the adult card for both. 

[MrsKC08]

It's really shocking and kind of a shame that there is not an equivalent to RCCL's Refreshment package that offers specialty coffee and mocktails and milkshakes. 

To be quite honest, hubby and I were shocked to find out the drink package is $99 per person per day, especially when it's offered as a "perk" if you wanted it. Not sure how they can truly justify a cost like that when most others lines are almost half that and/or offer a pre-cruise discount if purchased prior to sailing.

[hammermw]

Just off of the Breakaway. Ordered Mocktails for my kids all week and I can't think of once that we were even asked for a card. Certainly never paid for one. I just figured they were complimentary. Reading some of these replies, I'm hoping the bartenders didn't get in trouble.

[Two Wheels Only]

58 minutes ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

That is what I am saying though- If you are in the same room as a child that does not have any package, but you as the adult have the alcohol package- have you ever had a bartender ask for two cards? As I said in my original post, you would just hand over one card like normal. Go ahead and hand over both but as Keith's post bring out- they don't care and are going to charge the adult card 99% of the time.  That is what I'm trying to say. If an adult has a beverage package and is with a kid the chances are extremely high that the bartender will only swipe the adult card. I'm not saying giving them to someone else in a different cabin or anything like that. And hey, go ahead and tell them that the kid doesn't have a package and it is for him- but as said before and proved by Keith's post- chances are they don't care and will swipe the adult card for both. 

 

There is a difference between being appreciative of a bartender giving a drink vs. the "expectation" of getting drinks for kids when the adult has a package. When someone reads "...just use one card for both people...", someone reading the forum will think that getting drinks for someone who doesn't have a package is the expectation. From that, someone else will extrapolate that 4 adults in a stateroom only need 2 packages for all 4 to drink. That's why forum posts should give the correct info even if it is common for people to go against the rules without any issues.

For example, if someone asks about a speed limit on an Interstate, it's better to tell them the posted speed limit even though the vast majority drive above the limit (right past a trooper on the shoulder) without getting a ticket. 

 

8 minutes ago, hammermw said:

Ordered Mocktails for my kids all week and I can't think of once that we were even asked for a card. Certainly never paid for one. I just figured they were complimentary. Reading some of these replies, I'm hoping the bartenders didn't get in trouble.

 

They probably didn't get into any kind of trouble. The point is that in NO WAY did you do anything wrong. It is their call to give drinks to your kids or to anyone else. 

Edited December 5, 2019 by Two Wheels Only

[Greek Boss]

6 hours ago, NCLGirl2013 said:

Do the adults have the alcohol package? If so, since you can order 2 drinks at a time per card- order your adult drink and a mocktail at the same time. I really don't think any of the bartenders will care, especially since it is just mixers which cost basically next to nothing for NCL. 

Oh man, I made this mistake the other week on here making this comment. I should've warned you earlier that you would be bringing out all the drink critics.

 

Lol jokes aside, as others have said, if it is the bartenders call and they let you give drinks to your kids or anyone else then you have technically not done anything wrong. As evident by this post, it is actually a more common practice then most people think. As long as you are not abusing it and the bartender is aware of it (and still gives you the drinks at no charge), then you are alright.