Drink pkg not a good deal!!

[Rouge]

We were under the impression that the "Ultimate Drink Package" would cost $565.50 including all gratuities and taxes when we spoke with the NCL representative on the phone. However when we got on board "The Norwegian Sun" on Feb. 3rd in Miami, we were charged $602 for our packages. We were told we had to buy on the first day of sailing. The package would not be available after the first day of sailing. They added on Miami taxes which brought the price up to over $600!! Won't do that again...never even spent $400 and that was pushing it! I guess if you can drink over 10 drinks a day it might be alright but pretty hard to do when you go to port on some of your days. Everyone in your state room must purchase the package if one person does.

[newmexicoNita]

We were under the impression that the "Ultimate Drink Package" would cost $565.50 including all gratuities and taxes when we spoke with the NCL representative on the phone. However when we got on board "The Norwegian Sun" on Feb. 3rd in Miami, we were charged $602 for our packages. We were told we had to buy on the first day of sailing. The package would not be available after the first day of sailing. They added on Miami taxes which brought the price up to over $600!! Won't do that again...never even spent $400 and that was pushing it! I guess if you can drink over 10 drinks a day it might be alright but pretty hard to do when you go to port on some of your days. Everyone in your state room must purchase the package if one person does.

 

IT Wasn't a good deal for you and it certainly wouldn't be for us either, but for many it is a very good deal. Yes, we all know everyone in the stateroom has to purchase. There is a good reason for that.

[SissasMomE]

We were under the impression that the "Ultimate Drink Package" would cost $565.50 including all gratuities and taxes when we spoke with the NCL representative on the phone. However when we got on board "The Norwegian Sun" on Feb. 3rd in Miami, we were charged $602 for our packages. We were told we had to buy on the first day of sailing. The package would not be available after the first day of sailing. They added on Miami taxes which brought the price up to over $600!! Won't do that again...never even spent $400 and that was pushing it! I guess if you can drink over 10 drinks a day it might be alright but pretty hard to do when you go to port on some of your days. Everyone in your state room must purchase the package if one person does.

 

If you had just waited until you were out in international waters, you wouldn't have had to pay the tax!

[KeithJenner]

Interesting about the tax though.

[vols_159]

If you had just waited until you were out in international waters, you wouldn't have had to pay the tax!

 

 

Agreed ... Wait till you are out of US waters no tax then..

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[js]

It worked for us and plan on doing it again in August. I even got to try some drinks I never would even think to order such as a dirty banana. Yummmyyy

[deladypilot]

I could not do it either. Could never drink that much. But it sure was fun laughing at the man on the last cruise who was taking full advantage of the package. I think by noon he was lit every day. Each day he would run into us somewhere on the ship and ask if we had purchased the UBP and what a great deal it was. He was drunk enough that he could not remember he had already asked us about 10 times.

 

So...to each his own, that is what it is there for

[kcwingwalker]

We were under the impression that the "Ultimate Drink Package" would cost $565.50 including all gratuities and taxes when we spoke with the NCL representative on the phone. However when we got on board "The Norwegian Sun" on Feb. 3rd in Miami, we were charged $602 for our packages. We were told we had to buy on the first day of sailing. The package would not be available after the first day of sailing. They added on Miami taxes which brought the price up to over $600!! Won't do that again...never even spent $400 and that was pushing it! I guess if you can drink over 10 drinks a day it might be alright but pretty hard to do when you go to port on some of your days. Everyone in your state room must purchase the package if one person does.

 

Sorry that you did not know about the tax.

 

The Ultimate Beverage Package has been discussed almost endlessly on this board and I'll admit I've learned a great deal about it. If you check the NCL board now and then, you'll soon find you learn something new almost every day.

 

Hope you had a great cruise!

Edited February 16, 2014 by kcwingwalker

[sdmike]

If I had to drink enough to make the UBP worthwhile I probably wouldn't remember much of my cruise

[rigs32]

Do they add the taxes if you pre-pay before boarding?

[KeithJenner]

Do they add the taxes if you pre-pay before boarding?

 

 

No, that's the main benefit of prepaying, especially on cruises where tax is charged throughout.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[KeithJenner]

If I had to drink enough to make the UBP worthwhile I probably wouldn't remember much of my cruise

 

 

It really depends on what you drink, and how much time you spend onboard. Drinking a days worth of UBP value over 12 hours is very easy, especially if you don't want to get involved with wine packages etc.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[david_sobe]

I can drink a lot. But I could never drink $600 of alcohol during one week. If you average $7 per drink, you would have to drink 12 drinks every day just to break even on a 7 night cruise. Even if the deal is $600 for a couple, that is just over 6 drinks every day for each just to break even.

THAT is LOTS of drinking :)

Edited February 17, 2014 by david_sobe

[KeithJenner]

I can drink a lot. But I could never drink $600 of alcohol during one week. If you average $7 per drink, you would have to drink 12 drinks every day just to break even on a 7 night cruise. Even if the deal is $600 for a couple, that is just over 6 drinks every day for each just to break even.

 

THAT is LOTS of drinking :)

 

 

It isn't for a week, that would cost $395. I suspect it was a 10 night cruise

 

Remember, that price includes gratuities, so it would only be 7 drinks at $7.

 

As I said earlier, it depends what you are doing. 7 drinks is less than one an hour if you are drinking through the afternoon. It's very easy to do without getting at all drunk.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[RikkuCat]

We could totally break even - if the UBP covered everything. For us, the issue is that the package doesn't cover a lot of our preferred drinks. As our bar tab usually ends up being about the same as the cost of the package, we decided not to get it this time. We would rather order whatever we want for about the same price, rather than being restricted by what the package covers. Could we find a bartender willing to give us any drink/beer/wine for the package price? Perhaps. Could we have a great cruise drinking what was covered by the package? Sure! But since we're going to break even at best, why not pay by the drink and order whatever we want?

[DeBlonde1]

Agreed ... Wait till you are out of US waters no tax then..

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Interesting. I asked the NCL rep on the phone if they charged tax if you buy UBP once you gt on the ship and she said, it will be the same price no matter when I buy it...and there are no taxes charged.

 

 

Do you know if you wait and buy it after sail away (international waters), will it be retroactive to include the drinks you had before you left port?

Edited February 17, 2014 by DeBlonde1

[vols_159]

Interesting. I asked the NCL rep on the phone if they charged tax if you buy UBP once you gt on the ship and she said, it will be the same price no matter when I buy it...and there are no taxes charged.

 

 

Do you know if you wait and buy it after sail away (international waters), will it be retroactive to include the drinks you had before you left port?

 

 

Anything you order while on port has the state or federal tax on it. That's why the casino is closed and normally the gift shops what I was told is if your sign up for the Pepsi package before in international waters you get charged the tax Wait till you are out of port tax free..

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Love my butler]

Interesting. I asked the NCL rep on the phone if they charged tax if you buy UBP once you get on the ship and she said, it will be the same price no matter when I buy it...and there are no taxes charged.

 

I think that is the main reason the OP is unhappy. More misinformation from an NCL rep. You should be able to rely on the answer you get from NCL when asking a specific question. If the rep does not know, then say you don't know. Don't just guess.

[Raindrops27]

How much would it be for 7 nights for 2 people? I love beer, and frozen drinks what frozen drinks and beer are included?

[Godiva830]

How much would it be for 7 nights for 2 people? I love beer, and frozen drinks what frozen drinks and beer are included?

 

 

$49pp per day times 2 for 7 days $686

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[kato92]

$49pp per day times 2 for 7 days $686

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Plus 15% gratuity

[Godiva830]

Plus 15% gratuity

 

 

Oh yes! $102.90 extra. $788.90. Plus tax if you buy it while still in port! Yikes!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Medtech2]

Interesting about the tax though.

You'd think Guest Services would tell people to come back later then...

[cherry30]

They did not charge me the tax when I boarded in Miami. I signed a paper receipt and I assume they punched it in while in international waters.

 

I was also only slightly drunk once (and sobered up quickly) and broke even. I was a bit under the first week as I was a bit ill but made up for it the second week. I may or may not order again as I really missed my martinis. But we spoke to the bar manager one night and he hinted that changes to the program may be coming when I said I would pay more for martini story be included.

[thephillykid]

First, we don't have the option of buying the drink package on our upcoming cruise, as ncl has a black out period for us spring breakers...my wife and I just turned 50 this year....lol.

We will be in port 3 days, so really we have only 4 days on board. We had a unlimited drink package on our last celebrity cruise and the 6 of us really enjoyed getting adult beverages and not having to worry about the bills. That being said, I believe I will have a bill of a few hundred dollars for beer etc while on board. You have to be resolved that you will be billed at the end of the cruise and ready for the bill. Remember my saying ...."were on vacation".