Ultimate Beverage Package - limits?

[HBCcruiser]

Yes, and not just until you leave port. Tax is charged until you reach international waters. Given that you have to head down the river and under the bridge, I guess that will take a few hours. I'm sure someone who has done it recently will be able to confirm about when they shop charging the tax, but it's usually the same time that the casino etc opens.

 

 

 

Yes. You are charged NY taxes until in international waters. By dinner all was good!

 

 

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[Upper Deck Dad]

Yes. You are charged NY taxes until in international waters. By dinner all was good!

 

 

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Does this apply to all cities port cities, Miami, Boston, Seattle, LA, San Juan, Tampa, etc.?

Does it also apply when the UBP is a free perk?

[triptolemus]

Does this apply to all cities port cities, Miami, Boston, Seattle, LA, San Juan, Tampa, etc.?

Does it also apply when the UBP is a free perk?

 

It definitely applies to the perk UBP, yes.

 

 

Edit: I went back and looked at a folio from 2015 -- we embarked in Seattle and had promo UBP. It looks like there are a couple of charges like, 1.54, 0.86, etc... where DW or I ordered drinks for each of us on UBP with one card (not uncommon). That's all those charges could be. There's a handful of them, probably totaling $6 or so -- on a $4,200 cruise. Sleep lost = 0.

Edited July 8, 2017 by triptolemus

[HBCcruiser]

Does this apply to all cities port cities, Miami, Boston, Seattle, LA, San Juan, Tampa, etc.?

 

Does it also apply when the UBP is a free perk?

 

 

 

In LA yes, and yes, even with UBP, which we had. We typically pre-purchase champagne and drink that on sail away. We will buy our first specialty drink when we board (pay taxes) then have our champagne during sail away. LA just raised taxes to 10%. I can't answer for the other states/ports.

 

 

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[Upper Deck Dad]

It definitely applies to the perk UBP, yes.

 

 

Edit: I went back and looked at a folio from 2015 -- we embarked in Seattle and had promo UBP. It looks like there are a couple of charges like, 1.54, 0.86, etc... where DW or I ordered drinks for each of us on UBP with one card (not uncommon). That's all those charges could be. There's a handful of them, probably totaling $6 or so -- on a $4,200 cruise. Sleep lost = 0.

 

 

That's no big deal, so I guess the same would apply when your docked in Bermuda for 2-1/2 days with a lot more charges adding up

[triptolemus]

That's no big deal, so I guess the same would apply when your docked in Bermuda for 2-1/2 days with a lot more charges adding up

 

Can't speak for Bermuda, never been. I kind of doubt it would apply there though. This is the kind of thing that the US and EU dream up.

[Upper Deck Dad]

In LA yes, and yes, even with UBP, which we had. We typically pre-purchase champagne and drink that on sail away. We will buy our first specialty drink when we board (pay taxes) then have our champagne during sail away. LA just raised taxes to 10%. I can't answer for the other states/ports.

 

 

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Pre-purchasing the champagne is a good idea. I assume the tax also applies to drinks ordered with lunch in the MDR prior to sail away?

[Upper Deck Dad]

Can't speak for Bermuda, never been. I kind of doubt it would apply there though. This is the kind of thing that the US and EU dream up.

 

 

Sure sounds like it.

[jjikids]

That's no big deal, so I guess the same would apply when your docked in Bermuda for 2-1/2 days with a lot more charges adding up

There was no extra charges while docked in Bermuda.

[jjikids]

Pre-purchasing the champagne is a good idea. I assume the tax also applies to drinks ordered with lunch in the MDR prior to sail away?

Tax since you aren't in international waters yet. We had dinner at 6 PM and was charged over $1 for taxes. We were told it was before international waters.

[SNJCruisers]

If cruising on the Escape, go to Food Republic and get a Toro Toro. It's a spicy drink made with Patron tequila that is covered under the UBP.

 

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[quickrate]

If cruising on the Escape, go to Food Republic and get a Toro Toro. It's a spicy drink made with Patron tequila that is covered under the UBP.

 

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Is this drink only available on the Escape? Sounds yummy!!

Pat

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

What about the Sanderson reserve port on specialty dinning menus? Is that included? Lemonello? If they are included is specialty only place to get on Epic?

[Happy1!!]

Are the coffee/espresso drinks included in the UDP?

[KeithJenner]

Are the coffee/espresso drinks included in the UDP?

 

 

 

The UDP (actually SDP these days) is the dining package. No drinks are included in that.

 

I suspect you meant the UBP, which is the beverage package. No coffee drinks are included in that package (except for an Irish Coffee which is included on the cocktail lists).

 

You can get free coffee regardless of whether you have the UBP, but espressos and other speciality coffees are chargeable and not included in any package (other than all inclusive packages booked in Europe and even then only with meals).

[Shidah]

Most of the time they let you get 2. Sometimes you will have a bartender that requires 2 cards to get 2 drinks. My husband and I usually just use 1 card when we head to a bar to buy 2 drinks - one for each of us.

 

 

This is true. They can tell from the card how many people in the cabin have the drink package (or dining for that matter). We had three in our cabin, all with the drink package, 2 as perks one purchased, and at any venue we could get three drinks with just one card. We would try to hand all three but were told over and over they only needed one if we were staying together.

[hawkeyetlse]

What about the Sanderson reserve port on specialty dinning menus? Is that included? Lemonello? If they are included is specialty only place to get on Epic?

Everything on the specialty menus is included up to $15 (not coffee or bottled water, of course). The only exception I know of is the Veuve Clicquot champagne by the glass at Le Bistro; it costs less than $15 but is totally excluded.

 

The last time I was on board (Nov 2016), the Sandeman's Founder's Reserve was listed at $10.95 a glass at Le Bistro and $9.50 a glass at Cagney's, so that would be fully included. There are some brands/ingredients/cocktails that you can only get at the bar that serves that particular specialty restaurant, but I would think that port (maybe not this specific brand) and limoncello are pretty readily available elsewhere around the ship. Have fun verifying this! :cool:

Edited July 9, 2017 by hawkeyetlse

[SNJCruisers]

Is this drink only available on the Escape? Sounds yummy!!

Pat

Yes, the Toro Toro is only available at Food Republic on the Escape. Even if they had the ingredients at other bars on the ship, Patron is above the 15.00 limit, but it's still covered for whatever reason at Food Republic. My favorite drink on board, followed by a few different varieties of mojitos at the Sugarcane Mojito bar.

 

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[Named-Tawny]

Everything on the specialty menus is included up to $15 (not coffee or bottled water, of course). The only exception I know of is the Veuve Clicquot champagne by the glass at Le Bistro; it costs less than $15 but is totally excluded.

 

That's really disappointing! We were excited about that when we saw it on the menu!

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

Everything on the specialty menus is included up to $15 (not coffee or bottled water, of course). The only exception I know of is the Veuve Clicquot champagne by the glass at Le Bistro; it costs less than $15 but is totally excluded.

 

The last time I was on board (Nov 2016), the Sandeman's Founder's Reserve was listed at $10.95 a glass at Le Bistro and $9.50 a glass at Cagney's, so that would be fully included. There are some brands/ingredients/cocktails that you can only get at the bar that serves that particular specialty restaurant, but I would think that port (maybe not this specific brand) and limoncello are pretty readily available elsewhere around the ship. Have fun verifying this! :cool:

 

Thanks! I will track it down... somehow.. :)

[Pigbelk007]

There is no hard limit, but they can and may refuse to serve you if they feel you are excessively inebriated, regardless of number of drinks purchased.

 

I suspect if the system shows 30-35 drinks per person per day (for example) they may also take a closer look...

 

 

 

[emoji23]yea you think? They might be saving someone's liver too! [emoji23][emoji106][emoji568]✌️

 

 

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[jsmith114]

I just noticed that my drinking package is listed as "adult beverage package promo" is that the same as the UBP?

 

 

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[Moby0215]

I just noticed that my drinking package is listed as "adult beverage package promo" is that the same as the UBP?

 

 

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Yes

 

 

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[jsmith114]

Thanks

 

 

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[billslowsky]

I had the UPB "free upgrade" last fall on the Gem for an 8 day cruise. We paid tax on drinks ordered in NYC, none after that.

 

As far as time between drinks, most times the bartender just looked at the UBP logo on our keycards and that was it. No scan, no signature. But one drink per card. I could bring both our cards and get two.

 

We didn't tip extra other than a couple bucks over the cruise where my spouse thought the bartender was particularly friendly. Never any delay in service. Always treated well. Longest waits were at the pool deck bars but there are things to stare at while waiting.