UBP raised to $79 per day

[ilovetotravel1977]

The person beside me replied: "So what? Practically everyone has a drink package...who CARES what the drinks cost??"

 

Needless to say, those few without a drink package will care. I'm just wondering how long it will take NCL to get to the point where they identify the price point for the UBP where 18% will be more than enough to cover their costs for "giving it away free"?

 

We don't have it. I booked so long ago at a much cheaper price.

 

So when our cabin price kept increasing and the exchange rate kept getting crappier, plus they weren't offering that promo back in June for insides, our only choices were the soda package and shore excursion credits.

 

We are bringing 8 bottles of wine on board instead. *sigh*

[Demonyte]

Don't forget the other difference in NCL and Carnival's drink packages. Carnival has a limit of 15 drinks for a 24 hour period. Ncl 's drink package is unlimited.

 

 

For vast majority of people 15 alcoholic (so I've been told) drinks a day is plenty enough.

 

For the difference in package price one wanting to drink more can pay for 3-4 extra drinks and since most probably wouldn't be doing that everyday, still come out ahead. Not to mention getting bottled waters and speciality coffees that add up quickly on NCL.

[welove2cruise2014]

I guess I did forget about the 15 drink limit on Carnival, my bad. I've had UBP three times (twice purchased, once as a perk) and maybe only once or twice came close to hitting 15 drinks apiece. And we enjoyed drinks throughout the day and evening for sure!

 

Not to go too off topic, but I get the feeling that many tend to see the 15 drinks per day as more of a goal or target, than an actual 'limit'.

[Valen9]

Sounds like "cruise preppers".

 

Could you imagine coming back to a ship at 1PM on a port day and wanting lunch and a drink but being told food & beverage services don't reopen until 5PM sailaway? Nobody at any Director, VP, or C Suite level could possibly be stupid enough to try that out.

 

OMG, you can't have anyone be HUNGRY on a CRUISE!!! That's not allowed!

[hawkeyetlse]

Not to go too off topic, but I get the feeling that many tend to see the 15 drinks per day as more of a goal or target, than an actual 'limit'.

I think the 15 drink limit on Carnival is an anti-sharing measure.

[backsbanny]

I just learned from a ta that most probably they are going to be increases on specialty restaurants as well AGAIN!!!!

[insidecabin]

getting crazy, with the new increase there even more cruises that are cheaper than the cover price of the beverage package. including taxes a service

 

NCL buy the beverage package get a free cruise.

 

UK prices inc tax and perks are really free so no extras except the regular service.

 

definately worth pricing your cruises in the UK/EU

[Karysa]

I think the 15 drink limit on Carnival is an anti-sharing measure.

 

Do you honestly think that there are not couples out there where 15 drinks per day to share (answering the poster here) would be more than enough? Perhaps the 15 drinks per day limit came from Carnivals Lawyers, Insurance or Medical advisors instead of to prevent sharing. Don't they make everyone in the cabin purchase the UBP on Carnival anyway? Haven't cruise d them for a while so that's why I'm asking.

[sparks1093]

Do you honestly think that there are not couples out there where 15 drinks per day to share (answering the poster here) would be more than enough? Perhaps the 15 drinks per day limit came from Carnivals Lawyers, Insurance or Medical advisors instead of to prevent sharing. Don't they make everyone in the cabin purchase the UBP on Carnival anyway? Haven't cruise d them for a while so that's why I'm asking.

 

It's probably a combination of all of the above, including anti-sharing. I have read of numerous people that book one adult in one cabin and one in another to get around buying the package for everyone. The 15 day a drink limit would certainly cut down on sharing in certain circumstances and I can easily see why it was put in place.

[Karysa]

It's probably a combination of all of the above, including anti-sharing. I have read of numerous people that book one adult in one cabin and one in another to get around buying the package for everyone. The 15 day a drink limit would certainly cut down on sharing in certain circumstances and I can easily see why it was put in place.

 

Can children be booked in their own cabin on Carnival? I know NCL made us book an adult in each cabin when our girls were teens.

[HowardK]

getting crazy, with the new increase there even more cruises that are cheaper than the cover price of the beverage package. including taxes a service

 

NCL buy the beverage package get a free cruise.

 

UK prices inc tax and perks are really free so no extras except the regular service.

 

definately worth pricing your cruises in the UK/EU

 

It is starting to seem that the cruise fare is to some extent becoming a cover charge just to get in. With so many cruises having UBP as a promo it is as if they are raising the price to get the bigger 18% and they figure from the remaining passengers they only need a small % to pay the $79 a day and a few others to buy drinks.

[hawkeyetlse]

Do you honestly think that there are not couples out there where 15 drinks per day to share (answering the poster here) would be more than enough?

That's not what I said. Some amount of sharing is always going to pass under the radar, but if you put a limit on the number of drinks, sharers can only go so far with one package. That encourages drinkers not to share and to just buy a package for each person, and for those who decide to share anyway, it limits the amount of damage they can do.

[sparks1093]

Can children be booked in their own cabin on Carnival? I know NCL made us book an adult in each cabin when our girls were teens.

 

It is my understanding that under certain conditions it is allowable. Point is there are a lot of people that try to game the system and the 15 drink limit is one of the ways CCL minimizes that.

[insidecabin]

That's not what I said. Some amount of sharing is always going to pass under the radar, but if you put a limit on the number of drinks, sharers can only go so far with one package. That encourages drinkers not to share and to just buy a package for each person, and for those who decide to share anyway, it limits the amount of damage they can do.

 

On the lines that allow only one to have a package like Celebrity after a few days it often gets hard to pay for the other drink.

 

Bar staff and the inventory control on any ship can spot the sharers quite quickly, I suspect the policies are to only go after the serious abusers.

 

What NCL need to so is fix the anomalies like, in EU if you have 2 adults in the cabin one under 21 if you want to buy the UBP you have to buy a Corks and caps for under 21, if you get it as a perk they only get a Soda package.

[HowardK]

My $80.63 promo charge equates to what would be gratuities on 50 $8.95 drinks. I am glad its there. I ordered only 2 drinks total on my previous 4 NCL cruises combined.

 

7-8 drinks would cost me the $80.

I figure on perhaps 3 or 4 per day which will make each drink $3-$4 total.

 

I'll benefit as much from my SDP package with the $13 for 4 meals.

[Fido Chuckwagon]

at the time i booked haven, the drink pack would have a 'list price' of about 1100 bucks. i do wish i could reduce the price of the spa room by 1100 and pay cash for all drinks but that option was nowhere to be found :)

 

when was this program started. id love to see historical haven prices without the free drinks

 

I really do wish they'd eliminate the included UBP and lower prices. I really don't think there are enough alcoholics increasing their bookings to offset the cost to the rest of us who would rather book at the lower rate without UBP because there's no way we'd ever drink even close to enough to equal the cost of the UBP.

[triptolemus]

I really do wish they'd eliminate the included UBP and lower prices. I really don't think there are enough alcoholics increasing their bookings to offset the cost to the rest of us who would rather book at the lower rate without UBP because there's no way we'd ever drink even close to enough to equal the cost of the UBP.

 

Nice generalization. Those who enjoy the UBP are alcoholics. Well done.

 

:rolleyes:

 

I'll tell you what... if the UBP promo was not resulting in positive revenue, you can bet that NCL would dump it in a heartbeat. Maybe that "rest of us" group you describe isn't as big as you believe it is. In other words, perhaps you're in the minority.

Edited February 29, 2016 by triptolemus

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Nice generalization. Those who enjoy the UBP are alcoholics. Well done.

 

:rolleyes:

 

No, those who "enjoy" the bundled UBP just aren't experiencing the true cost of it. I'm talking about the very small subset of people who actually can drink $600 worth of alcohol over the course of one cruise. I doubt most people who are "enjoying" the UBP are actually drinking that much.

[Suze10860]

I really do wish they'd eliminate the included UBP and lower prices. I really don't think there are enough alcoholics increasing their bookings to offset the cost to the rest of us who would rather book at the lower rate without UBP because there's no way we'd ever drink even close to enough to equal the cost of the UBP.

 

I totally understand why some people don't like the drink packages. That's fine. But why do so many people feel the need to immediately "go there" and imply that people who get a package are alcoholics? I'm sorry, but I'm sure there are people who get the drink package, break even with it, drink a lot on the cruise, behave themselves the entire time, and are NOT alcoholics!! Sorry, but I think that it's rude to insinuate otherwise.

 

Just say you don't like it; you'd never drink enough to make it worth your while; you wish it didn't exist. No need to disparage others who do like and/or want it.

 

Just my opinion of course, and probably not a popular one from most of the posts I've read. And just in case anyone cares, I personally wouldn't be able to break even with the the drink package at full price. But guess what? I'm not the only person in the world so I don't think I should judge others by my personal behavior!!

[triptolemus]

No, those who "enjoy" the bundled UBP just aren't experiencing the true cost of it. I'm talking about the very small subset of people who actually can drink $600 worth of alcohol over the course of one cruise. I doubt most people who are "enjoying" the UBP are actually drinking that much.

 

How nice.

 

I've purchased the UBP at cost twice, and had it promo'd twice.

 

I enjoyed it equally in both circumstances.

[hawkeyetlse]

I really do wish they'd eliminate the included UBP and lower prices. I really don't think there are enough alcoholics increasing their bookings to offset the cost to the rest of us who would rather book at the lower rate without UBP because there's no way we'd ever drink even close to enough to equal the cost of the UBP.

If they had to choose between alcoholics and tight-fisted cheapskates, they would go for the alcoholics every time. If only the world were so simple.

[Suze10860]

How nice.

 

I've purchased the UBP at cost twice, and had it promo'd twice.

 

I enjoyed it equally in both circumstances.

 

Well, according to some standards around here, you must obviously be an alcoholic. If you read my post above, you'll see that I DEFINITELY don't agree with that sentiment! I'm quite sure that there are actually plenty of people who pay for and enjoy the package. And it makes them neither alcoholics nor obnoxious drunks. I think it makes them people enjoying their vacations the way they want. To each his own.

[SeaShark]

I totally understand why some people don't like the drink packages. That's fine. But why do so many people feel the need to immediately "go there" and imply that people who get a package are alcoholics? I'm sorry, but I'm sure there are people who get the drink package, break even with it, drink a lot on the cruise, behave themselves the entire time, and are NOT alcoholics!! Sorry, but I think that it's rude to insinuate otherwise.

 

Just say you don't like it; you'd never drink enough to make it worth your while; you wish it didn't exist. No need to disparage others who do like and/or want it.

 

Just my opinion of course, and probably not a popular one from most of the posts I've read. And just in case anyone cares, I personally wouldn't be able to break even with the the drink package at full price. But guess what? I'm not the only person in the world so I don't think I should judge others by my personal behavior!!

While I understand your point about not judging others, isn't calling people "rude" judging them?

[triptolemus]

While I understand your point about not judging others, isn't calling people "rude" judging them?

 

Since you're going for an unprecedented level of pedantic, that poster said she thinks it's rude to insinuate otherwise. She did not call anyone anything.

[SeaShark]

Since you're going for an unprecedented level of pedantic, that poster said she thinks it's rude to insinuate otherwise. She did not call anyone anything.

You only have a point if the poster in question was identifying rude behavior while also admitting that nobody was exhibiting that behavior...