Free benefits. Which is best value?

[afeiner31]

Of the 5 free benefits offered which is considered the best value? My husband & I will drink 6-7 alcoholic beverages a day. We are traveling with 2 teenagers.

[NittanyCruise]

Ubp

[janj01]

Of the 5 free benefits offered which is considered the best value? My husband & I will drink 6-7 alcoholic beverages a day. We are traveling with 2 teenagers.

We always take the beverage package. Cant beat it especially when its free. Here in Oz we dont pay gratuities on complimentary dring packages but I believe elswhere they do. Still much cheaper than paying as you go. Those cocktails are yummy and go down pretty easily 😊

 

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[Kryssa]

We did beverage package and dining package.

 

If you'll all be in one room, the choose the free extra guests.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[4774Papa]

NCL's beverage package is not our favorite. First, NCL charges gratuities, unlike any other cruise line. Second, the wine choices per glass, especially for red wines is not good. We don't drink 7 drinks a day, so the package is not economical for us.

 

It depends on your volume of drinking.

[tallnthensome]

NCL's beverage package is not our favorite. First, NCL charges gratuities, unlike any other cruise line.

What does this mean? Explain? Are you talking gratuities on drinks, drink packages? Are you talking about the service charge for the promo?

[Alter Ego]

First, NCL charges gratuities, unlike any other cruise line.

 

I don't understand this - what other cruise lines? I know Royal charges tips - and you're paying for the package unlike the NCL perk. I would be surprised that other lines don't do similar.

[JezzaC]

I don't understand this - what other cruise lines? I know Royal charges tips - and you're paying for the package unlike the NCL perk. I would be surprised that other lines don't do similar.

 

I think writer is referring to NCL charging the gratuities related to "free" beverage package. On other cruise lines for example Celebrity when you selected the free beverage package - you don't have to pay anything extra related to the package.

[BirdTravels]

What does this mean? Explain? Are you talking gratuities on drinks, drink packages? Are you talking about the service charge for the promo?

 

Papa is complaining about paying the gratuity/service charge when you select the package. NOT per drink.

 

Back to the OP, we select the dining package the the shore ex package.

[richstowe]

I think writer is referring to NCL charging the gratuities related to "free" beverage package. On other cruise lines for example Celebrity when you selected the free beverage package - you don't have to pay anything extra related to the package.

Exactly . Plus the NCL package doesn't include bottled water , "fancy" coffee, canned soda or fresh juices like Celebrity does . For us, the NCL "free" drink package is just barely worth it .

It is however worth it for the OPer if they drink 6-7 drinks each .

[LynnTTT]

Of the 5 free benefits offered which is considered the best value? My husband & I will drink 6-7 alcoholic beverages a day. We are traveling with 2 teenagers.

 

There is no such thing as "free benefits". We are taking a Transatlantic cruise this fall. A basic balcony was priced at $699 but we bumped up to $ 999 which gave us the beverage package and 4 dinners at specialty restaurants. For a 13 day cruise, almost all at sea, this seemed a good deal. But it's never free. And it really doesn't matter if they charge a separate tax which you can see, or just roll it into the price.

[EmeraldCoastCruisers]

If you drink more than 2 drinks per day it's definitely Italy worth it. Yes, when booking and requesting the UBP or UDP, you pay gratuities on them. Still worth it to me as our first cruise with NCL last November was the only time we had a beverage package and we feel it was the only time we could completely relax and not worry about a hefty bill at the end. We aren't heavy drinkers, but with a couple beers at the pool and a couple glasses of wine with dinner and possibly a drink of the day periodically it adds up.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[BostonGal35]

the beverage package.

 

we now have started picking wifi or excursions as our second pick as those do not have an 18% gratuity charge. the specialty dining is not that good anymore, and we get 2 free meals as Platinum. the MDR's are just fine for us the other 5 nights.

[richstowe]

the beverage package.

 

We now have started picking wifi or excursions as our second pick as those do not have an 18% gratuity charge

yet !

[garycarla]

What is best value?

 

Pretty sure it depends on who is asking. Each person has to do the math and figure out what works for them. If you are doing 8 drinks a day, then the drink package is great. If you do not drink, then I guess this is not good for you.

[cruiseelady]

Of the 5 free benefits offered which is considered the best value? My husband & I will drink 6-7 alcoholic beverages a day. We are traveling with 2 teenagers.

 

If you drink 6-7 drinks a day, without a doubt the drink package is the best value.

[garycarla]

the beverage package.

 

we now have started picking wifi or excursions as our second pick as those do not have an 18% gratuity charge. the specialty dining is not that good anymore, and we get 2 free meals as Platinum. the MDR's are just fine for us the other 5 nights.

 

The 18% may or may not make a better decision point. I guess you just have to add that into the overall cost factors.

 

I totally get the speciality dining thing. We have that already included (no choice) on an upcoming cruise and really doubt we will even use them all. MDR, Buffet and O'sheeans all are very good options. Sometimes an afternoon by the pool bar with burgers and fries and many drinks rule out dinner anyways.

[Velvetwater]

Naturally the UBP is the best...if we had bought outright for our 10 day it would have been £719 each

 

I might be in the minority in saying this but if grats are not available as a perk I think the next best one is the internet package.

 

Hear me out here....

 

I have read some reviews and had a think about this (Not been on NCL yet so I will admit if this is wrong) but because the free at sea has been implemented for a while now it may lead to less care with dining venues as they slowly (or already are) become a general eat venue like every other free option...but just packaged up well. Theres also the simple fact that NCL already offers enough tasty free food so why get more slightly better stuff? Theres also the grat charge that makes it less free.

 

Hubby and I booked late so got the premium package thing (very happy to get free grats and drinks as well as the coffee and water) but if we had done Free at Sea we would have got the internet package for sure as our 2nd choice in an OV.

 

Also, I am not sure if free at sea options are the same as they were or have changed. Some posts above state options not offered to Brits earlier this year.

[janj01]

Exactly . Plus the NCL package doesn't include bottled water , "fancy" coffee, canned soda or fresh juices like Celebrity does . For us, the NCL "free" drink package is just barely worth it .

It is however worth it for the OPer if they drink 6-7 drinks each .

It does include fresh juice. We get free juice at the buffet at breakfast every morning and also because we book in Australia there are no gratuities added

 

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[richstowe]

It does include fresh juice. We get free juice at the buffet at breakfast every morning and also because we book in Australia there are no gratuities added

 

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Free vs Fresh

I know there is free juice at breakfast but it wasn't fresh juice .

I was able to get fresh orange and grapefruit juice on Celebrity .

 

I'm glad gratuities are included but if previous Aussie gripes are correct , you pay dearly for this

inclusion as reflected in your cabin rates .

[janj01]

Free vs Fresh

I know there is free juice at breakfast but it wasn't fresh juice .

I was able to get fresh orange and grapefruit juice on Celebrity .

 

I'm glad gratuities are included but if previous Aussie gripes are correct , you pay dearly for this

inclusion as reflected in your cabin rates .

Nope our cabin rates were exactly the same as the US rates when converted and the juice we got at breakfast WAS the fresh squeezed one

 

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[zqvol]

Of the 5 free benefits offered which is considered the best value? My husband & I will drink 6-7 alcoholic beverages a day. We are traveling with 2 teenagers.

Probably the UBP, BUT it is different for everyone and you have to do the math.

[hoopics]

The best value is the package / packages you'll actually use. We just returned from four days on Pearl in Alaska. We chose the Internet and dining, as 3rd / 4th guests free wasn't offered on our cruise. We didn't choose UBP because over 7 days my wife had three glasses of wine and I had zero paid drinks other than morning iced coffee, which wouldn't have been included, and our kids hate soda so they drank the free juices and lemonade. We didn't choose the excursion credit because none of the Victoria excursions interested us and we had private excursions in two of our other three ports. We did get full value out of the dining and Internet packages. So for us they were the biggest value.

[Velvetwater]

Us Brits also have drink grats included and our cabin prices are very comparable with the US.

 

I worked out that based on what I am paying for my cabin for ten days, along with taking off my free general gratuaties I am paying about £15 ($19) a day for my drinks package.Bargain!

[janj01]

Us Brits also have drink grats included and our cabin prices are very comparable with the US.

 

I worked out that based on what I am paying for my cabin for ten days, along with taking off my free general gratuaties I am paying about £15 ($19) a day for my drinks package.Bargain!

Way to go 😊

 

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk