NCL doing away with the beverage packages?

[moonieelf]

Apparently, they're testing on the Sky rolling the UBP into the cost of the cruise in general. I'm not sure how I fee about this.

[triptolemus]

I'm not sure how you feel about it either.

[redfantum]

I suppose that it is fine if the UBP would have been your choice anyway. What it does do is remove the Freestyle Choice option from the Sky completely. I'm assuming it also removes the extra choices for suite passengers as well. (I would double check on ncl.com, but everytime I access the site I get a phone call.)

[Demonyte]

This is old news, thread from April here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2199922

[valleyvillage]

I'm not sure how you feel about it either.

 

Thank you for this!

[4774Papa]

I don't care if they abolish the beverage packages, but not to roll them into bottom line prices (raising prices).

 

Some people may want to drink like a fish while cruising, but not us. We sure don't want to pay for it in bottom line prices.

[casofilia]

I like NCL but if they up the price by $50 per day per person so that booze is included in the original cost then I will consider boycotting NCL. :mad: :mad: :mad:

 

OR

 

I will make sure I have a number of empty bottles and "drink like a fish" till the bottles are full. ;) :eek: :eek:

 

Mike

Pom by Birth; Coin Collecting Retired Kiwi by Choice

[FranknBeans]

We too are not for this. We work in the service industry and partner is a bartender who does not drink so why would we want to cruise and pay for others to drink. This will definitely be a deal breaker for us.

 

It is the main reason why we have never done all inclusive land vacations.

Edited September 16, 2015 by FranknBeans

[NLH Arizona]

I don't care if they abolish the beverage packages, but not to roll them into bottom line prices (raising prices).

 

Some people may want to drink like a fish while cruising, but not us. We sure don't want to pay for it in bottom line prices.

I'm right there with you.

 

I highly doubt that NCL will roll the alcohol drinks into the fare on the whole line, because that would not be very cost effective for them.

[Moby0215]

They are just making it all inclusive. The same rationale could be made with food and all the other amenities that are already included that you may or may not use.

 

 

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[hawkeyetlse]

No need for panic. This will never go fleetwide. The Sky does two round trips to the Bahamas every week, so I would imagine that this ship has a pretty specific demographic (let's just say people tend to have different priorities on 3-day/4-day cruises, and NCL recognizes that).

[kayjaypea42]

Anyone else feel like NCL's damned if they do damned if they don't? People whine about specialty restaurant prices, about ala carte pricing, about the company nickel and diming, and now about all-inclusive pricing. What do you want?? Nothing's going to make all the people happy all the time. But all inclusive I think comes pretty close. After all, if you're not a drinker then maybe you enjoy a fine meal whereas the "fish" may be satisfied with the buffet and MDRs. Or maybe it's nice not to have to think about pricing when you enjoy a craft beer with your Cagneys steak.... I wouldn't mind an all inclusive experience, and if I don't want that I can always choose one of the other cruise lines...

[FranknBeans]

Anyone else feel like NCL's damned if they do damned if they don't? People whine about specialty restaurant prices, about ala carte pricing, about the company nickel and diming, and now about all-inclusive pricing. What do you want?? Nothing's going to make all the people happy all the time. But all inclusive I think comes pretty close. After all, if you're not a drinker then maybe you enjoy a fine meal whereas the "fish" may be satisfied with the buffet and MDRs. Or maybe it's nice not to have to think about pricing when you enjoy a craft beer with your Cagneys steak.... I wouldn't mind an all inclusive experience, and if I don't want that I can always choose one of the other cruise lines...

 

 

I'm not whining and as far as it goes for NCL whatever floats there boat is fine as long as there profitable for there shareholders, I get that.

With any major change people will come and go. NCL will lose us and no doubt find a replacement.

[worktocruise610]

Anyone else feel like NCL's damned if they do damned if they don't? People whine about specialty restaurant prices, about ala carte pricing, about the company nickel and diming, and now about all-inclusive pricing. What do you want?? Nothing's going to make all the people happy all the time. But all inclusive I think comes pretty close. After all, if you're not a drinker then maybe you enjoy a fine meal whereas the "fish" may be satisfied with the buffet and MDRs. Or maybe it's nice not to have to think about pricing when you enjoy a craft beer with your Cagneys steak.... I wouldn't mind an all inclusive experience, and if I don't want that I can always choose one of the other cruise lines...

Well said. I agree

[Moby0215]

I'm not whining and as far as it goes for NCL whatever floats there boat is fine as long as there profitable for there shareholders, I get that.

With any major change people will come and go. NCL will lose us and no doubt find a replacement.

 

 

As with any cruise or any vacation for that matter just look at the price and if it is acceptable then book it and if not then look somewhere else. It's as simple as that. Having drinks included if one does not care to drink should not be a factor in making this decision.

 

 

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[welove2cruise2014]

If it bothers you, then don't cruise on the Sky?? Seems pretty simple to me.

[jimmcg29]

The other way to look at this is currently those that drink are subsidizing those that don't. If they stopped serving booze everyone's price will go up. If everyone is that concerned about fairness the price of the cruise should go up and the price of the booze should go down.

[hawkeyetlse]

The other way to look at this is currently those that drink are subsidizing those that don't. If they stopped serving booze everyone's price will go up. If everyone is that concerned about fairness the price of the cruise should go up and the price of the booze should go down.

:D Actually, at the moment the drinkers all have free UBP so it's the gamblers who are subsidizing everyone (as they always have, God bless them).

[detroitlions]

People are complaining about this with no examples on how this affected the price of the cruise. I do not like 3 or 4 day cruises. So I would not go on this ship for various reason. But I do notice that a lot of folks here like to put a bulls eye on booze and smoke. Claiming from the highest hill top how there choices are being taken away. Too much. You would have to buy your own boat to go on a no booze no smoke cruise. I wouldn't go on that boring trip for free.

[ray98]

They are just making it all inclusive. The same rationale could be made with food and all the other amenities that are already included that you may or may not use.

 

 

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Yup. I would love to have a more all inclusive cruise option similar to land based resorts. There are countless things I see people do on a cruise ship I have no interest in that I am 'subsidizing'.

[MoyCoy]

I think they should do a tier add on option like Celebrities Go Big, Better, Best.

[4774Papa]

I think they should do a tier add on option like Celebrities Go Big, Better, Best.

We cruise on Celebrity a lot and the new Go Big program jacks up base prices, the pushes you into an add on. Please don't do this on NCL.

[newmexicoNita]

I don't care if they abolish the beverage packages, but not to roll them into bottom line prices (raising prices).

 

Some people may want to drink like a fish while cruising, but not us. We sure don't want to pay for it in bottom line prices.

 

I am sure many of us feel the way you do, but think of how many things are included that we are paying for one way or the other: entertainment and children care are 2 that come to mind. A lot of people do not frequent the shows but are still paying for the entertainers. Most people do not have kids but we are paying for the kids center and the councilors.

[DMH15]

No need for panic. This will never go fleetwide. The Sky does two round trips to the Bahamas every week, so I would imagine that this ship has a pretty specific demographic (let's just say people tend to have different priorities on 3-day/4-day cruises, and NCL recognizes that).

Don't count on it. I was told by a very reliable source that that is the direction the cruise line is going.

[fshagan]

I am sure many of us feel the way you do, but think of how many things are included that we are paying for one way or the other: entertainment and children care are 2 that come to mind. A lot of people do not frequent the shows but are still paying for the entertainers. Most people do not have kids but we are paying for the kids center and the councilors.

 

I think people make a mistake when they say they are "paying" for something that is included if they don't use it. They are thinking that the cruise fare is calculated by the average cost of all the goodies plus a profit percentage. But pricing is a lot more complicated than that. If the cruise line adds something that costs them $10 but raises occupancy they don't necessarily add that $10 to every fare. Instead, they add the $10 in cost but get greater utilization of the ship with more fares booked, and they increase their profit. Their costs as a percentage of income actually go down by giving away more.