liquor disappeared from food and beverages orders for upcoming cruise

[Island Dog]

17 minutes ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

I guess I don't quite follow your point?  Both NCL and Carnival (and Royal) all charge a gratuity when purchasing a drink package or in NCL's case it being provided.  Not really sure how their charge is any different than the gratuity that Carnival adds when you buy the drink package?  

 

In the end you just have to price everything and see which line offers the more bank for your buck.

 

I have to say though I also don't recall seeing liquor as something that could be purchased on Royal, MSC, NCL, Disney, etc only ever saw this on Carnival.  The other all seemed to offer beer, wine, champagne.  

It is $9.90 liquor gratuity per day p.p. for our next cruise on NCL in March.

[JustAPilot]

The major lines now include the drink package as part of your fare. Nobody is running to their cabin these days to fill their cup with liquor. I’m on vacation, part of that is if I want a drink, I walk up to the many bars on the ship and order one as part of my included drink package.

[bucfan2]

4 minutes ago, Island Dog said:

It is $9.90 liquor gratuity per day p.p. for our next cruise on NCL in March.

Can't be...poster above insists it's $20 and they're never wrong 🤣

[mom2tcdx2]

10 minutes ago, Island Dog said:

It is $9.90 liquor gratuity per day p.p. for our next cruise on NCL in March.

Interesting as NCL doesn't mention anything like that on their website.  They notate that if you buy the drink package (Or have it as an included item) you pay the 20% gratuity on the cost of the package.  Which would be a bit higher than the cost you mention per day.  So honestly not really sure what this charge is supposed to be for?

 

Edited October 27, 2022 by mom2tcdx2

[Island Dog]

3 minutes ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

Interesting as NCL doesn't mention anything like that on their website.  They notate that if you buy the drink package you pay the 20% gratuity on the cost of the package.  Which would be a bit higher than the cost you mention per day.  So honestly not really sure what this charge is supposed to be for?

 

My drink package was included in my fare. Maybe that makes a difference. Idk. I just know that the gratuity prices out to $9.90 per day. I also paid a small gratuity of $17.80 on the 2 specialty dining dinners that were included in my fare. 

[mom2tcdx2]

4 minutes ago, Island Dog said:

My drink package was included in my fare. Maybe that makes a difference. Idk. I just know that the gratuity prices out to $9.90 per day. I also paid a small gratuity of $17.80 on the 2 specialty dining dinners that were included in my fare. 

Then you actually seem to have gotten a good deal on the drink package price then, as they add a 20% gratuity (Carnival adds 18%).  So while it is added to your fare the gratuity paid is cheaper than the daily rate Carnival charges.  Carnival has you pay the gratuity for however many days the package is for, so really not any different with NCL.  

[avenger71]

On 10/25/2022 at 11:32 PM, Luckysll said:

Posted on John Heald’s FB page:

 

My apologies. You will have seen that we no longer have full bottle liquor sales available on pre order. Hard liquor is no longer available for pre-order on our Fun Shops. All existing sales will be honored and guests can still pre-order up to two bottles of wine for onboard delivery and consumption.

You can still of course purchase from the shops on board and ashore and these of course are not for use on board. I know this maybe frustrating for a few of you but I am sure everyone will understand why we need to do this. Cheers

When did he post that?  I can't find it on his page.

[Elaine5715]

3 minutes ago, avenger71 said:

When did he post that?  I can't find it on his page.

Look for Community Posts

[thunderingherd11]

On 10/25/2022 at 10:47 PM, icft said:

More cutbacks, err... sorry about that, CHANGES. (I  have been guaranteed by "experts" that all these disappearing things are just changes.)

 

They make more from on board by-the-drink purchases than on bottle sales. Same reason they take your bottle purchases from port calls and deliver them to you the last night.

I mean some things can be a cutback.  But this was already a premium option which cost way too much.  I almost did a bottle of Southern Comfort a few weeks ago.  it would have cost me $87.  This isn't a cutback.  I decide ten drinks is just as good.

[pc_load_letter]

2 hours ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

Interesting as NCL doesn't mention anything like that on their website.  They notate that if you buy the drink package (Or have it as an included item) you pay the 20% gratuity on the cost of the package.  Which would be a bit higher than the cost you mention per day.  So honestly not really sure what this charge is supposed to be for?

 

 

Interesting. The other day I was reading reviews of the NCL Bliss and a person was critical of a fee that was on their bill that they did not expect. Reviewer called it a "Free at sea fee". My wife said it was probably gratuities. We did the math and it was pretty close to being the 20% per day for the drink package had we purchased it outright.

[BlerkOne]

3 hours ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

I guess I don't quite follow your point?  Both NCL and Carnival (and Royal) all charge a gratuity when purchasing a drink package or in NCL's case it being provided.  Not really sure how their charge is any different than the gratuity that Carnival adds when you buy the drink package?  

 

3 hours ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

• Free Unlimited Open Bar

  Save up to $1,400 on all the spirits and cocktails, wines, draft beer, juice and soda for all guests 21 years or older.

• Free Specialty Dining

  Save up to $180 on meals at our Specialty Dining venues for Guests 1 & 2.

• Free Excursions

  Save $50 per tour with Shore Excursion Credits.

• Free Wifi

  Save up to $200 on internet you can use throughout the ship.

 

NCL is not as transparent as they could be.

 

Free at Sea

• Open Bar

  Selected
• Specialty Dining

  Selected
• Shore Excursions

  Included
• WiFi

  Included

   

  When you look at the price breakdown

   

  Open Bar Gratuities

  $305.20

   

  for 2 people is $21.80 pp per day

   

  Do a mock booking on any NCL cruise.

[JustAPilot]

This has been discussed to death on the NCL forum, $21.80 per day is essentially 2 drinks a day and that doesn’t include some silly 15 drink limit like Cheers. 

[bucfan2]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

Both port and sea days, and NCL will cut you off for being stupid just like other lines.

 

Free obviously doesn't mean free on NCL. Talk about false advertising.

Push em back, push em back, way back.

[Joebucks]

17 hours ago, JustAPilot said:

The major lines now include the drink package as part of your fare. Nobody is running to their cabin these days to fill their cup with liquor. I’m on vacation, part of that is if I want a drink, I walk up to the many bars on the ship and order one as part of my included drink package.

 

Personally, I find it to be a pain to keep having to get up to get a piddly pour of alcohol. My drink of choice is a bourbon neat/on the rocks. The ones they pour are barely worth going to the bar. I can pour myself a nice drink the few times I am already in my cabin per day, that will last a while. Then when I really want, I can grab a cocktail or so at the bar.

 

I also find it amazing how much people are drawn to NCL's "free at sea" offer when that fare is often double that of a similar Carnival cruise. 

[czechcruzr]

i have ordered a bottle of jack daniels for the cabin on my last 5 cruises and have yet to be in a fight.  disappointed in this decision.

[ATL_Miami_Cruiser]

On 10/27/2022 at 10:54 AM, Elaine5715 said:

They have run out of fresh mint onboard even before COVID.  As I look at my 6 pages of mojitos tip, I don't know why...😆

Very true. The mint is mostly unavailable during embarkation day and only rarely do I find a bar with it, this has always been the case. The funny thing is on our Horizon cruise last week I asked the bartender at the Red Frog bar if he had any mint and he said I can tell you've been cruising for a while 😆. Surprisingly he did have mint.

[BlerkOne]

3 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

I also find it amazing how much people are drawn to NCL's "free at sea" offer when that fare is often double that of a similar Carnival cruise. 

Just more of the Free At Sea fraud - the price of the "freebies" and more are already built into the fare. and further insult when they tack on 20% gratuity.

[pc_load_letter]

4 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

Personally, I find it to be a pain to keep having to get up to get a piddly pour of alcohol. My drink of choice is a bourbon neat/on the rocks. The ones they pour are barely worth going to the bar. I can pour myself a nice drink the few times I am already in my cabin per day, that will last a while. Then when I really want, I can grab a cocktail or so at the bar.

 

I also find it amazing how much people are drawn to NCL's "free at sea" offer when that fare is often double that of a similar Carnival cruise. 

 

Going to disagree with you there.

 

I recently booked a 5 day NCL cruise (unlimited drink package included) CHEAPER than what I could have booked a four day CCL cruise with Cheers.

 

 

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, czechcruzr said:

i have ordered a bottle of jack daniels for the cabin on my last 5 cruises and have yet to be in a fight.  disappointed in this decision.

It is probably the hard seltzer people throwing down, anyways..🤣

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

Going to disagree with you there.

 

I recently booked a 5 day NCL cruise (unlimited drink package included) CHEAPER than what I could have booked a four day CCL cruise with Cheers.

 

 

There will always be cherry pickers.

[d12j28]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

It is probably the hard seltzer people throwing down, anyways..🤣

Better watch out for that White Claw! I'm not kidding! 😂

[Joebucks]

2 hours ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

Going to disagree with you there.

 

I recently booked a 5 day NCL cruise (unlimited drink package included) CHEAPER than what I could have booked a four day CCL cruise with Cheers.

 

 

 

I was referring more to NCL + Free at Sea and the misconception that it's "free". Included offers can definitely save you some money vs a la carte, but they certainly are not free. Carnival also has included drink offers that are generally cheaper than fare + Cheers (and NCL's offer).

[pc_load_letter]

8 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

 

I was referring more to NCL + Free at Sea and the misconception that it's "free". Included offers can definitely save you some money vs a la carte, but they certainly are not free. Carnival also has included drink offers that are generally cheaper than fare + Cheers (and NCL's offer).

 

Agreed, nothing is free. 

 

But I in my years of cruising, I have never seen Cheers discounted with the exception of the small discount for purchasing it early.

[Joebucks]

11 minutes ago, pc_load_letter said:

 

Agreed, nothing is free. 

 

But I in my years of cruising, I have never seen Cheers discounted with the exception of the small discount for purchasing it early.

 

I have also never seen Cheers discounted on its own. In the past year or so (maybe more, I don't know) Carnival has finally introduced bundled fares that include Cheers. I don't know if they are as freely available to the public as NCL's offer, but I and others have certainly got them. The times I have looked at them, I recalled it being about 40-50% cheaper to do that than to buy it the traditional way. 

[Colorado Cruzer]

On 10/26/2022 at 6:47 AM, tmarquez said:

 

 

Sadly we will smuggle now and Carnival will lose more money.  We cruise to chill on our balcony and watch the ocean and for the ports.  I won't buy Cheers to lose money on it and I am on vacation and won't be leaving my balcony to go to a bar to get a drink. 

 

  

How do you smuggle booze on? I use rum runners all the time for other types of trips via plane where I don't want to spend time or extra cash buying booze at the destination but never brought any on a cruise ship.