Drink pkg not a good deal!!

[ldlewis45]

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 :)

 

And LOTS of calories, too. I know everyone kind of says, "Eat and drink what you want, you're on vacation!", but I have a uniform I have to fit into at the end of a cruise! If I drank 6 drinks a day, at 400 calories per drink (I like the sweet, froofy drinks), I'd be a blimp by the end of the cruise after adding in all the calories from the food.

[newmexicoNita]

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.

 

I agree with you but unfortunately reps for most companies do not have all the answers and often do not want to sound ignorant so they give wrong advise. I used to be a supervisor for a large hotel call center, I good brand I will add: I was horrified at some of the answers our reps would give, and yes, they were well trained. The same was true after I went into the travel business.

[jkgourmet]

I agree with you but unfortunately reps for most companies do not have all the answers and often do not want to sound ignorant so they give wrong advise. I used to be a supervisor for a large hotel call center, I good brand I will add: I was horrified at some of the answers our reps would give, and yes, they were well trained. The same was true after I went into the travel business.

 

Another perfect example of why I never call customer service at NCL or anywhere else if the answer to my question involves money. Get it in writing. Easy to do via email.

 

Also note that not every cruise line requires all passengers in the same cabin to purchase the alcohol package. We've enjoyed the package on celebrity, and would have been allowed to get it just for one of us. On itineraries that are not port intensive, the packages work very well for us.

 

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[sixesandeights]

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.

 

The break even is WELL under 10 drinks a day per person. The package is a great deal unless you do not drink much at all (which sounds like you). If is VERY VERY easy to get your moneys worth. A mimosa in the morning, 3 drinks poolside during the day, 2 drinks at dinner, 1 drink during a show. At this point you are ahead. Those are very low numbers of drinks for a vacation.

 

6&8

[KeithJenner]

The break even is WELL under 10 drinks a day per person. The package is a great deal unless you do not drink much at all (which sounds like you). If is VERY VERY easy to get your moneys worth. A mimosa in the morning, 3 drinks poolside during the day, 2 drinks at dinner, 1 drink during a show. At this point you are ahead. Those are very low numbers of drinks for a vacation.

 

 

 

6&8

 

 

Actually there is a lot more to whether it is a good deal than just how much you drink.

 

For example, do you want to have drinks in your room, do you have others who don't drink much with you (or kids who don't drink soda), would you make use of other deals otherwise?

 

We buy wine packages, buckets of beer and carry our own onboard. Our break even is some way over 10 drinks a day.

[yucky007]

Bad information from a rep is no good - but while, YES there is gratuity added to the package, 15% gratuity is also added to all the drinks you buy individually. You have to either add that figure to both sides of the equation, or neither.

 

I usually find it's easy to break even. But ALSO the UBP means my DF and I can try weird and different drinks! If we don't like it, we leave it or toss it. No harm done. We don't feel compelled to finish a bad drink. I found some great new cocktails that way - and a few that had to be tossed in the sink.

[DeBlonde1]

Interesting.

 

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?

 

Quoting myself to see if anyone can answer this...... What if you buy the package after you have already had a couple drinks?

 

I prefer to buy the UBP on board so my OBC doesn't go to waste.

 

I have no problem waiting until we sail away to buy the UBP and avoid the tax, but I don't want to wait that long for a cocktail!! :D

[QuiGonJohn]

I have been in bars and restaurants and had someone in my party, usually my wife or daughter, tell the waitress they would like to try a certain drink being offered, and upon getting it and not liking it, and informing the waitress, they bring a different drink the person asks for and take the original, not like drink, off the bill.

 

I don't know if they would do this on a cruise ship or not. Has anyone ever had a similar experience on cruise?

[Winston Wolf]

I'm on the fence about buying it. Based on what I think my wife and I will drink, it's about a wash. Let me ask this...is it easier to have it than to not? ie... if you have a wristband or UBP pass or whatever signifies that you have the UBP, do you not have to sign a slip with cabin number, etc?

[weltek]

I remember seeing some conflicting info about the taxes on the UBP. Can anyone confirm they haven't been charged tax if they waited until international waters?

[weltek]

I'm on the fence about buying it. Based on what I think my wife and I will drink, it's about a wash. Let me ask this...is it easier to have it than to not? ie... if you have a wristband or UBP pass or whatever signifies that you have the UBP, do you not have to sign a slip with cabin number, etc?

 

 

When our friend's had it last year, they had to sign a slip each time. But that was around the time the package was launched, so it might have changed.

 

It would be about a wash for us, too. I'm inclined to just mentally adjust our drink budget. Because for us, the benefit is more about the feeling of freedom to order what we want, when we want it, rather than being concerned about how it's adding up. But I've seen some frustrations with it, so rather than invite stress about what I can/can't get, maybe I should just not worry about what we are spending on drinks and drink whenever I want!

[LrgPizza]

When our friend's had it last year, they had to sign a slip each time. But that was around the time the package was launched, so it might have changed.

 

It would be about a wash for us, too. I'm inclined to just mentally adjust our drink budget. Because for us, the benefit is more about the feeling of freedom to order what we want, when we want it, rather than being concerned about how it's adding up. But I've seen some frustrations with it, so rather than invite stress about what I can/can't get, maybe I should just not worry about what we are spending on drinks and drink whenever I want!

It will be about a wash for us as well, and we are definitely buying it. We simply want the freedom of not having to think about what we are spending on drinks, because it's already spent. We will also drink more wine and experiment more with different drinks than we otherwise would. If in the end we didn't save money, we are prepared for that and don't care.

[kcwingwalker]

It will be about a wash for us as well, and we are definitely buying it. We simply want the freedom of not having to think about what we are spending on drinks, because it's already spent. We will also drink more wine and experiment more with different drinks than we otherwise would. If in the end we didn't save money, we are prepared for that and don't care.

 

We wanted to buy it for the same reasons. Not worried about if we would break even, but liked the idea of not thinking about how much we were spending. Had been looking forward to trying things that usually we would pass up. But we are "blacked out" because of spring break.

 

Still I like the idea of experimenting and think we might splurge a little:) Hey we will be on vacation!

[captain tedebear]

i found out about the black out after i booked ...not happy

[dongordon]

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

 

 

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I guess that includes wine as well as spirits.

If so, does anyone know what Pignot Grigio is offered.

With wine (and drinking 2-3 glasses at dinner, it might not be a bad deal, especially if your cruise has a lot of sea days (thinking about a 9 or 12 day out of NYC or even a Transatlantic) :).

 

It might be worth it!

Don

[KeithJenner]

There are a couple of Pino Grigio available. One is Ruffinio.

 

Wine is included in the package. If you are just drinking wine then the Corks and Caps option is slightly cheaper, and you can also get deals on buying bottles, which can be cheaper unless you drink more than a couple of bottles a day.

[stormynow]

Local taxes are not added to the package when purchased in port. But the drinks u get on the package, u will be charged just the tax on that drink. Pennies, don't worry about it. Just enjoy the drink pkg.

[stormynow]

Should have stated the tax while in port or local water's.

[KeithJenner]

Local taxes are not added to the package when purchased in port. But the drinks u get on the package, u will be charged just the tax on that drink. Pennies, don't worry about it. Just enjoy the drink pkg.

 

 

That is the first time I've heard that. Are you talking from experience?

 

People have reported being charged the tax in the UBP though.

[LrgPizza]

Local taxes are not added to the package when purchased in port. But the drinks u get on the package, u will be charged just the tax on that drink. Pennies, don't worry about it. Just enjoy the drink pkg.

 

 

That contradicts what others posted having experienced.

 

 

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[hawkeyetlse]

Local taxes are not added to the package when purchased in port. But the drinks u get on the package, u will be charged just the tax on that drink. Pennies, don't worry about it.

I wouldn't worry, except that it seems slightly, um, … illegal? I know that they ring up the drinks as if you're buying them each time, but you're not actually buying them each time, so there's no taxable sale taking place.

[stormynow]

Have purchased the UBP 3 times. The cost plus 15 per cent gratuity. No taxes. When getting a drink in the POM or coastal waters a local tax is charged on the drink if u have the pkg or not. Now this may not be true in every state. Have heard Texas is different.

[stormynow]

I wouldn't worry, except that it seems slightly, um, … illegal? I know that they ring up the drinks as if you're buying them each time, but you're not actually buying them each time, so there's no taxable sale taking place.

To be honest, your probably right. Don't remember paying tax on drinks at the port with drink pkg. The point want to make is some peeps are saying u have to pay a tax on the UBP if purchased b/4 sailing and that is BS in the FL ports.

[LrgPizza]

To be honest, your probably right. Don't remember paying tax on drinks at the port with drink pkg. The point want to make is some peeps are saying u have to pay a tax on the UBP if purchased b/4 sailing and that is BS in the FL ports.

 

 

Actually some are saying they DID pay tax on the UBP at POM.

 

Regardless, we are calling and buying ahead of time anyway.

 

 

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[wichitastatecruiser]

To be honest, your probably right. Don't remember paying tax on drinks at the port with drink pkg. The point want to make is some peeps are saying u have to pay a tax on the UBP if purchased b/4 sailing and that is BS in the FL ports.

 

I think it depends on the cruise line. March 2013 I sailed Carnival Freedom out of FLL. They didn't allow pre-purchase of their Cheers program. If you bought the package in US waters they charged FL sales tax. If you had the package and ordered a drink from the bar in FL waters you were charged a FL sales tax on the purchase price of the drink. October 2013 I sailed RCCL Oasis out of FLL. I bought the drink package online, I think I was charged sales tax on the online purchase, when I got on the ship I wasn't charged any tax on the drinks I purchased, even in FL waters, then again on RCCL I wasn't required to sign a slip on any drinks nor did it seem that they tracked how many drinks I had, where I was on Carnival. October 2014 will be my first NCL sailing on Getaway and I'm planning on getting the UBP and will purchase it on-line prior to my sailing.