Drink package question

[DelrayCruisers2]

One of NLC perks is free drink package. Well it isn't really free, because when I asked the cruise line for it as one of my perks,they said there was a $199 add roo charge of 199.oo to cover 18% gratuity and beverage service fee. What the heck is that? I don't mind the tip part, but when they say you get a free perk that adds 200 to your bill..... I generally don't drink that much, husband not at all except some soda. On the face this is not the perk I want. So I took the $50 for tours. But same tours booked on your own are so much less. It just seems this perk thing is not a big benefit. It almost seems the cruise lines have raised their prices to cover the perks offered.

 

Am I sensing this correctly?

[Moby0215]

If you are not a drinker then it is not for you and just pick a different perk. For me... it is a huge benefit. $100 all you can drink for an entire week??? Heck yea! Sign me up anytime!

 

 

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[Tutontow]

If you are not a drinker then it is not for you and just pick a different perk. For me... it is a huge benefit. $100 all you can drink for an entire week??? Heck yea! Sign me up anytime!

 

 

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Ditto. My wife and I took took a 7 night cruise on the Epic. It was amazing never having to pay for a drink unless you wanted a higher end beverage. I could drink Woodford for a couple of dollars more. Between the drink package and the dining package we were in hog heaven. Even on GSC we didn't have to pay for booze. As mentioned above, if you don't drink that much alcohol pick some other package.

[E&B]

The $200 or a little less is the 18% gratuity on the value of the package. You don't need to add any additional tips (although you can for outstanding service) when you order your drinks. Had you paid full price for it, it would have cost you $79 per day x 7 days x 2 people + 18% gratuity = $1,305.08. I'd say you got a deal.

 

 

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[newistcruiseaddict]

You would pay an automatic gratuity on any drinks you purchased individually without the package..including water and soda. Its a great deal for some of us. If i purchased a drink package from carnival it would be approx $800 for the week for 2 ppl. So even if I pay more for my room (with the added cost of the gratuity on the "free" package), I still come out ahead of Carnival if I purchased their "not free" package.

[smm0218]

Neither of us are big drinkers and chose the excursion discount figuring if we wanted an occasional drink or soda would you just buy. But if I understand what I'm reading the NCL Ultimate Drink package would be a better deal. $200 ($100 each) for the gratuities on the drink package which works out to about $33 a day (using 6 days, we won't be drinking at 8 in the morning on last day) or even $66 if you consider the $200 we won't be saving on our excursions. That seems like a way better deal. However I'm not sleeping much due to anticipation (or worrying, I prefer to think of it as anticipation) so my math may be way off, please correct me if I'm wrong. Assuming I'm right and want to change my perk, can I do that and how? TA or call to NCL?

[KeithJenner]

Neither of us are big drinkers and chose the excursion discount figuring if we wanted an occasional drink or soda would you just buy. But if I understand what I'm reading the NCL Ultimate Drink package would be a better deal. $200 ($100 each) for the gratuities on the drink package which works out to about $33 a day (using 6 days, we won't be drinking at 8 in the morning on last day) or even $66 if you consider the $200 we won't be saving on our excursions. That seems like a way better deal. However I'm not sleeping much due to anticipation (or worrying, I prefer to think of it as anticipation) so my math may be way off, please correct me if I'm wrong. Assuming I'm right and want to change my perk, can I do that and how? TA or call to NCL?

 

 

 

Assuming your cruise is a 7 night one then you are wrong to use 6 days for your calculation. There are 7 evenings, which is when most drinking is done. Nobody includes the final day.

 

Anyway, assuming you have a couple of drinks a day then it is probably worth taking the UBP unless one of the others gives real value to you, in which case it may take slightly more for the beverage package to be worth taking in preference.

[callmebetty]

The drink package works for virgin drinks/mocktails as well, which I think were around 6 apiece. Throw in a soda or 2 and you are pretty close to the 18% you paid.

If you booked through a TA, you probably need to call them to make the change.

[smm0218]

Thanks for answers. Of course, it is 7 nights and 6 days. That does make a little difference.

 

Just sent note to TA.

[Cyclops32]

Depending on your excursion the $50 is the worst perk choice. Example., I did the dolphin discovery in tortola but booked direct with the site. I paid half as much as anyone on the cruise excursion and actually ended up with a better experience because our time at the exact same place was a private experience. We did everything the cruise excursion did but had more one on one time.

 

With that said it is not hard to save more than the $50 by booking direct. Those savings can pay the 18% for the drink package and you are still ahead

 

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[mjkacmom]

Thanks for answers. Of course, it is 7 nights and 6 days. That does make a little difference.

 

Just sent note to TA.

It's pretty much 7 days, we usually board by 11:30.

[newmexicoNita]

One of NLC perks is free drink package. Well it isn't really free, because when I asked the cruise line for it as one of my perks,they said there was a $199 add roo charge of 199.oo to cover 18% gratuity and beverage service fee. What the heck is that? I don't mind the tip part, but when they say you get a free perk that adds 200 to your bill..... I generally don't drink that much, husband not at all except some soda. On the face this is not the perk I want. So I took the $50 for tours. But same tours booked on your own are so much less. It just seems this perk thing is not a big benefit. It almost seems the cruise lines have raised their prices to cover the perks offered.

 

Am I sensing this correctly?

you are 100% off base about this. Yes, the drink promo is free, if you get a free dinner at XYZ restaurant you are still expected to pay for tips. As for the excursions, no, the same excursion isn't more: if you book it with an outside vendor you will pay less, but it is not the same tour. It might even be better but it isn't with the same company or the exact same tour. You have already mentioned the tour if privately booked is less. That has nothing to do with the cruise line, any cruise line. And if I may ask, why in the world would you choose the booze package if hubby doesn't drink and you drink very little ?:confused:

[newmexicoNita]

Ditto. My wife and I took took a 7 night cruise on the Epic. It was amazing never having to pay for a drink unless you wanted a higher end beverage. I could drink Woodford for a couple of dollars more. Between the drink package and the dining package we were in hog heaven. Even on GSC we didn't have to pay for booze. As mentioned above, if you don't drink that much alcohol pick some other package.

Plus fun to try different drinks. We love the booze package and are not huge drinkers, but believe me, taking it as a perk saves us a bunch of money.

[BayGirl22]

For us the $50 excursion credit is the least valuable. We have a family of 4 and the credit is $50/day total (not per person). We're doing a port-intensive cruise (Hawaii) and I've compared doing an NCL excursion with the discount vs. doing a very similar excursion at each port and in every single case its still more expensive. We're not going to end up using the credit at all.

 

The drink package is always worth it for us, but not available on this particular cruise unfortunately. In my opinion the specialty dining is the best value because I likely wouldn't pay for the specialty restaurants but with the package we like the variety. (We're in a suite so we got all the Free at Sea options.)

[smm0218]

Cruising for the first time and I picked the ships excursions because I was worried about being late back to ship. Is that really something I need to worry about? Alaskan cruise if that makes any difference.

[garycarla]

The $50 excursion is a good deal for those that book through the ship.

 

LOTS of people do.

 

And plenty book on their own.

 

Good reasons to do it either way - though we personally RARELY book through the ship.

[woozles]

I would never buy the drink package on a line that requires both in a cabin to purchase because dh generally would only drink a beer or brandy a day. However we have our first cruise on NCL in January (11 days). I was well aware that the service charge was not part of the freebie. it is still a good deal for the two of use since it does include sodas and virgin drinks. we are excited that we can drink what we want when we feel like it and its all paid. Now an excellent deal would be if specialty coffees were included! It really is all in how you look at things.

 

also - nothign in this world is absolutely free.

[ray98]

If I get a free meal coupon at the local steak house I am still expected to leave the tip. No different.

 

If you have to purchase the package you pay its cost along with that same gratuity.

[Ms RealBoss]

The UBP promo is a great perk because if you buy it the cost is high, when picking the package as a promo you only pay the service charge of 99.54. It's a great perk. My husband and I pick that and the SDP as well, where we only pay the service charge and dine at 3 restaurants.

 

 

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[KeithJenner]

Cruising for the first time and I picked the ships excursions because I was worried about being late back to ship. Is that really something I need to worry about? Alaskan cruise if that makes any difference.

 

 

 

That has never been a consideration for us.

 

If you book with a private company then they will get you back onboard in time. Their reputation depends on it.

 

We usually just go by ourselves. Just make sure we are back in plenty of time. Never aim for the last train for example.

 

One thing people often give as an example of what could go wrong is "what if there is a traffic jam?" If there is then the ship will be waiting for their coaches in the same queue.

[$hip$hape]

One of NLC perks is free drink package. Well it isn't really free, because when I asked the cruise line for it as one of my perks,they said there was a $199 add roo charge of 199.oo to cover 18% gratuity and beverage service fee. What the heck is that?

I don't mind the tip part, but when they say you get a free perk that adds 200 to your bill..... I generally don't drink that much, husband not at all except some soda.

On the face this is not the perk I want. So I took the $50 for tours. But same tours booked on your own are so much less.

It just seems this perk thing is not a big benefit.

It almost seems the cruise lines have raised their prices to cover the perks offered.

 

Am I sensing this correctly?

Yes; you have a good point. It's all a big scam.(sarcasm):*

Just stay at home and languish in all the money you will be saving.

Edited August 5, 2017 by $hip$hape

[CostaFortune]

Just go to the concierge desk, say that you want to tip as and when you feel it's warranted and in person, and ask for it to be taken off your bill (by end of day 2 if poss) and they ask you to sign to say that then make the deduction. I never pay gratuities up front anyway!

 

 

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[KeithJenner]

Just go to the concierge desk, say that you want to tip as and when you feel it's warranted and in person, and ask for it to be taken off your bill (by end of day 2 if poss) and they ask you to sign to say that then make the deduction. I never pay gratuities up front anyway!

 

 

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That applies to the DSC. The 18% gratuity on the UBP is a different thing, and can't be adjusted.

[$hip$hape]

That applies to the DSC.

The 18% gratuity on the UBP is a different thing, and can't be adjusted.

Your answers are always so practical; more than mine.

[CostaFortune]

That applies to the DSC. The 18% gratuity on the UBP is a different thing, and can't be adjusted.

 

 

 

Sorry, DSC? All these people that are living, eating, sleeping, breathing cruising! I'm not used to the abbreviations and jargon....yet!

 

 

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