Why NCL Premium PLUS Adult Drink Package?

[ggTexasGal]

12 minutes ago, Hutcha said:

I think it should be included. The terms state "Every beverage served by the glass"

I agree!

However, "Includes all beverages by the glass. Beverage selection is subject to change onboard." might be the NCL catch-phrase.

 

adding... Supply-chain issues might be driving some of the "selection"!

Edited March 19, 2022 by ggTexasGal
added

[Hutcha]

5 minutes ago, ggTexasGal said:

I agree!

However, "Includes all beverages by the glass. Beverage selection is subject to change onboard." might be the NCL catch-phrase.

 

adding... Supply-chain issues might be driving some of the "selection"!

Agreed. If it's there, it should be included though

[JustSomeLady]

You are very unlikely to find a sparkling rose on the ship. There were none available on Joy this week, but a very nice bartender did make a lovely pink cocktail for me with Veuve yellow label. 

[PharGirl79]

Hi. I think I posted this in the wrong board earlier, so I will post it here since it seems more appropriate...

 

I hope I'm posing this in the correct place, but I have a question about PPDP for anyone who has used it it. I saw a drink menu for cellars online that had stars next to wines that you could get by the bottle with PPDP. I was under the impression that you could only get bottles while you were eating, but The Cellar doesn't serve dinner. Can you still get the "starred" bottles, even if you aren't eating? Maybe have a glass midday and take the rest back to your room to finish later? Can you get a bottle of champagne, take the rest to your room and come back and get a bottle of wine? Just curious how that works. Would love to have a glass on my balcony at night to unwind and maybe order some juice in the morning for a mimosa (will bring wine and champagne stoppers, of course)

 

TIA!

[Sthrngary]

3 hours ago, PharGirl79 said:

Hi. I think I posted this in the wrong board earlier, so I will post it here since it seems more appropriate...

 

I hope I'm posing this in the correct place, but I have a question about PPDP for anyone who has used it it. I saw a drink menu for cellars online that had stars next to wines that you could get by the bottle with PPDP. I was under the impression that you could only get bottles while you were eating, but The Cellar doesn't serve dinner. Can you still get the "starred" bottles, even if you aren't eating? Maybe have a glass midday and take the rest back to your room to finish later? Can you get a bottle of champagne, take the rest to your room and come back and get a bottle of wine? Just curious how that works. Would love to have a glass on my balcony at night to unwind and maybe order some juice in the morning for a mimosa (will bring wine and champagne stoppers, of course)

 

TIA!

If the bottle is on the premium plus beverage package, yes you can. You can also get bottles of water from bars that have them. Again if it’s a bottle it has to be on the selected bottle list that either says the premium plus package or an*and on the bottom of the page it says the premium plus package. Enjoy your cruiseAgain if it’s a bottle it has to be on the selected bottle list that either says the premium plus package or an*and on the bottom of the page it says the premium plus package. Enjoy your cruise

[PharGirl79]

Perfect! Thank you for the answer. That seals the deal on me upgrading!!

[Ryesguy]

On 3/12/2022 at 8:48 AM, Sthrngary said:

@RyesguyAs you know, I did the same thing prior to my cruise on the NCL Joy in November 2021.  Something I want you to watchout for.  When you get your Suite Cards, make sure your grown children have the correct drink package on them.  For what ever reason, my wife and I had the Premium Plus and my kids had nothing.  Might have been a odd issue but I would check upon check in.  They fixed it the moment I mentioned it, so no issue.  

 

Cruise well.

I just got off the Getaway and had the same issue as Gary: after upgrading my wife and I pre-cruise to the premium plus package using our FCC, when we got on the cruise, my wife and I had the premium plus and my three grown children had nothing. Because Gary had raised this as a potential issue,  I had my receipt showing that we had paid gratuities on the premium package for the three children and they fixed it right away.

[Sthrngary]

6 minutes ago, Ryesguy said:

I just got off the Getaway and had the same issue as Gary: after upgrading my wife and I pre-cruise to the premium plus package using our FCC, when we got on the cruise, my wife and I had the premium plus and my three grown children had nothing. Because Gary had raised this as a potential issue,  I had my receipt showing that we had paid gratuities on the premium package for the three children and they fixed it right away.

Thank you so much for responding. I thought what happened to me was unique. However now we all know it’s gonna happen to everybody who do the same thing we did. By the way I was on the getaway in 2019 and I love the ship. I hope you had a great cruise.Thank you so much for responding. I thought what happened to me was unique. However now we all know it’s gonna happen to everybody who do the same thing we did. By the way I was on the getaway in 2019 and I love the ship. I hope you had a great cruise

[sprez33]

Hello! Thanks for all of the great advice in this thread.  I'm also trying to determine if there's value for me in upgrading to the Premium Plus package.  And had a couple of newbie questions.

 

My situation.  I'm a total newbie on my first cruise, in May to Alaska.  Cruising with my under-21 son, so just me for the PP package.  Cruising on the Encore in the Haven.  I don't much drink distilled spirits (beyond the occasional Mojito, though that doesn't sound as appetizing in Alaska as the Caribbean) but like really good craft beer and really good wine. Also, not much of a Starbucks guy, more of a third wave coffee guy.  I have a few questions.  I swear I read the entire 18 pages of this thread before asking, lol!

 

 - The craft beer menu seems generally below $15/glass with the exception of 750 ml bottles of Chimay, which I really love.  Are the $28 bottles of Chimay included in the Premium Plus package?  And could one take an opened bottle back to the stateroom?  I've seen seen similar questions about wine but not the bombers of beer.

 - Along the beer lines, the Haven bar menu looks pretty weak on craft beers.  Would it be possible to have them stock a couple of my favorites from the brewhouse?  Would I approach the bartender or butler?  Not adverse to a nice tip to make this happen.

 - How are the wines by the glass on the ship generally?  I've been burned many times with wine by the glass that's been sitting in the opened bottle, stored poorly.  Is the turnover good enough for the wines by the glass?  Do they toss bottles that have been sitting partially full after a day or so?

 - Along those lines, would it be within the Premium Plus plan to have a wine by the glass followed by a bottle?  For a nice meal, I usually start with a glass of white or champagne followed by a couple (or three or four) glasses of a nice red.  

 - I saw reference to BYOB and a corkage fee in this thread but nothing on the NCL website.  Would love to bring a couple special bottles from my cellar.  What are the rules?

 - Finally, coffee.  I saw some vague (to me) references to French Press coffee on this thread.  Is it possible to get French Press coffee on the ship?  Sorry if I misread something.  

 

Sorry for all the questions.  Like I said, total newbie here.  Appreciate any help!

[Hutcha]

19 hours ago, sprez33 said:

 - The craft beer menu seems generally below $15/glass with the exception of 750 ml bottles of Chimay, which I really love.  Are the $28 bottles of Chimay included in the Premium Plus package?  And could one take an opened bottle back to the stateroom?  I've seen seen similar questions about wine but not the bombers of beer.

Chimay is included, and you can take it with you.

19 hours ago, sprez33 said:

- Along the beer lines, the Haven bar menu looks pretty weak on craft beers.  Would it be possible to have them stock a couple of my favorites from the brewhouse?  Would I approach the bartender or butler?  Not adverse to a nice tip to make this happen.

It would be the bartender, but I'm not sure they can do it. If it's within their power, they will. Depending on the crowd, you probably won't be spending a lot of time in the haven bar.

 

19 hours ago, sprez33 said:

 - How are the wines by the glass on the ship generally?  I've been burned many times with wine by the glass that's been sitting in the opened bottle, stored poorly.  Is the turnover good enough for the wines by the glass?  Do they toss bottles that have been sitting partially full after a day or so?

The wines turn over pretty well. I had one in the Haven that tasted stale. I don't know if they toss them. I would suspect not. 

 

19 hours ago, sprez33 said:

 - Along those lines, would it be within the Premium Plus plan to have a wine by the glass followed by a bottle?  For a nice meal, I usually start with a glass of white or champagne followed by a couple (or three or four) glasses of a nice red.  

Totally. Start with champagne, get a nice glass of red, then order a bottle and have the butler pick up the unfinished portion (or take with).

 

19 hours ago, sprez33 said:

I saw reference to BYOB and a corkage fee in this thread but nothing on the NCL website.  Would love to bring a couple special bottles from my cellar.  What are the rules?

 I believe it's $15 a bottle and you can bring two with you. You can take it to the restaurant with you, and they will serve it for you.

 

19 hours ago, sprez33 said:

- Finally, coffee.  I saw some vague (to me) references to French Press coffee on this thread.  Is it possible to get French Press coffee on the ship?  Sorry if I misread something.

French press is available in the haven. You don't need a package for it. The butler can bring it with your breakfast also.

 

 

[KeithJenner]

21 minutes ago, Hutcha said:

I believe it's $15 a bottle and you can bring two with you. You can take it to the restaurant with you, and they will serve it for you.

 

It is $15 a bottle, but you can bring as much as you can carry with you.

[ColeThornton]

19 hours ago, sprez33 said:

 - I saw reference to BYOB and a corkage fee in this thread but nothing on the NCL website.  Would love to bring a couple special bottles from my cellar.  What are the rules?

 

Look under "Liquor and Beverage policy" in the NCL.com FAQ section. 

[Janieee]

Question. Is there a place to get full bottles of wine without dinner on the Pearl if you have the plus package? 

[sprez33]

Thanks Hutcha, Keith and Cole for your responses.  Very helpful.

[Named-Tawny]

11 hours ago, Hutcha said:

 I believe it's $15 a bottle and you can bring two with you. You can take it to the restaurant with you, and they will serve it for you.

 

Even better, you can drop it off at a restaurant on the first day, and they'll store it for you (at an ideal serving temperature) and give you a tag.

You can then just bring the tag to any restaurant/bar on the ship, and they'll fetch the wine for you. 

[sprez33]

1 hour ago, Named-Tawny said:

Even better, you can drop it off at a restaurant on the first day, and they'll store it for you (at an ideal serving temperature) and give you a tag.

You can then just bring the tag to any restaurant/bar on the ship, and they'll fetch the wine for you. 

Thanks for the tip!!😀

[Lionkingrichard]

On 3/26/2022 at 1:54 AM, PharGirl79 said:

Hi. I think I posted this in the wrong board earlier, so I will post it here since it seems more appropriate...

 

I hope I'm posing this in the correct place, but I have a question about PPDP for anyone who has used it it. I saw a drink menu for cellars online that had stars next to wines that you could get by the bottle with PPDP. I was under the impression that you could only get bottles while you were eating, but The Cellar doesn't serve dinner. Can you still get the "starred" bottles, even if you aren't eating? Maybe have a glass midday and take the rest back to your room to finish later? Can you get a bottle of champagne, take the rest to your room and come back and get a bottle of wine? Just curious how that works. Would love to have a glass on my balcony at night to unwind and maybe order some juice in the morning for a mimosa (will bring wine and champagne stoppers, of course)

 

TIA!

Cellars would not give us a bottle of Moet or even open one. So we had to suffer with a glass of Veuve.

[charlie murphy]

2 hours ago, Lionkingrichard said:

Cellars would not give us a bottle of Moet or even open one. So we had to suffer with a glass of Veuve.

after glass , after glass , after glass until we finshed the bottle. would have been easier on the bartender to just pop the cork and leave the bottle. now the bartender has elbow pain --- right ! 

[pamps2801]

Just got off Princess where a Hendricks Martini is $10. Now going on Norwegian where the same Martini is $20..... WOW !

[Hutcha]

2 hours ago, pamps2801 said:

Just got off Princess where a Hendricks Martini is $10. Now going on Norwegian where the same Martini is $20..... WOW !

Just one way NCL sticks it to you. I see people always compare the free at sea drink package to  other lines that don't provide it. Boasting it as such a benefit. Then they quietly ignore how the squeeze that extra out of you:

• Drinks are overpriced. Your $20 martini, $16 for a crown and coke, etc.
• No bottled water or premium coffee 
• "Valued" at $99/day so they can get the gratuity out of you.
• Even their NCL branded wine is an up charge

[pamps2801]

22 minutes ago, Hutcha said:

Just one way NCL sticks it to you. I see people always compare the free at sea drink package to  other lines that don't provide it. Boasting it as such a benefit. Then they quietly ignore how the squeeze that extra out of you:

• Drinks are overpriced. Your $20 martini, $16 for a crown and coke, etc.
• No bottled water or premium coffee 
• "Valued" at $99/day so they can get the gratuity out of you.
• Even their NCL branded wine is an up charge

Totally agree. NCL should compare their packages to other cruise lines who are way ahead of them with theirs. Example being Princess, who at $40p/p per day, you get the beverage package( including specialty coffees and bottled water) unlimited wi/fi, and all gratuities. One heck of a deal this is. Holland America has a similar deal, I believe it’s $45p/p. per day. Also, most other cruise lines allow you to bring 2 bottles of wine free of charge, as long as you drink it in your room. NCL charges $15 for every bottle of wine you bring on board, regardless if you drink your wine in your room. This cruise coming up, will be my last with NCL, unless they change their policies and packages.

Edited March 29, 2022 by pamps2801

[Hutcha]

4 minutes ago, pamps2801 said:

Totally agree. NCL should compare their packages to other cruise lines who are way ahead of them with theirs. Example being Princess who at $40p/p per day, you get the beverage package( including specialty coffees and bottled water) unlimited wi/fi, and all gratuities. One heck of a deal this is. Holland America has a similar deal, I believe it’s $45p/p. per day. 

Booked on Celebrity next year. Their package is truly free. To upgrade to the premium is $12/day (including grat).

[pamps2801]

7 minutes ago, Hutcha said:

Booked on Celebrity next year. Their package is truly free. To upgrade to the premium is $12/day (including grat).

Lol. We also booked our next 3 cruises with Celebrity. 

[Sthrngary]

Ok, this tread is about the Premium Plus Beverage Package. It only relates to if you are cruising on NCL. 
 

The reason why I created this thread was to explain the benefits of the plus package if you choose to buy it.

 

I have been on almost every main stream cruise brand. They all remind me of the difference between Ford and Chevrolet. If you get the same Apple to Apple, somehow these brands cost almost exactly the same.

 

If you choose to go on NCL, just know how the drinks work then make your own decision. That decision is made for NCL alone. If you go on Celebrity or let’s say Oceana, make sure you know how those drink packages work as well and make your decision accordingly.

 

Cruise well everyone and whatever cruise brand you choose or drink package you choose Just have the best possible time.

[mtrancher]

Apologies if answered previously, I read through but did not see this question.

If you are on the Premium Plus Package, is there a limit to how many bottles can be ordered at a meal? From reading it sounds like one bottle per sitting...