How many got the UBP as a perk?

[ace2542]

Yes, Visa would be on fire without it upon disembark.

 

And your liver is on fire with it upon disembark. :evilsmile:;p

[lisakoivu]

I wonder if Canadian pricing is different. If I book an inside guarantee, I seem not to be eligible for the drink package. I have to buy a higher priced cabin. Don't flame me, I may be stupid, but this is what I observe from playing around with pricing on several cruises throughout the year (I don't GO on all the cruises, I just play around with the pricing, lol). So I never get it, because it's not 'only" $100 in grats. I have to pay a few hundred more, depending on the cruise, up to $400 more, for the cabin. I'm wondering if other Canadians have observed this, or if I just don't press the right buttons.

 

I'd pay the $100. But I don't want to pay $4 or $500, you know?

 

That being said, my daughter and I WOULD like to get the drink package this summer on the Dawn, so if any Canadians can tell me what I'm missing, I'm all ears.

[KeithJenner]

I wonder if Canadian pricing is different. If I book an inside guarantee, I seem not to be eligible for the drink package. I have to buy a higher priced cabin. Don't flame me, I may be stupid, but this is what I observe from playing around with pricing on several cruises throughout the year (I don't GO on all the cruises, I just play around with the pricing, lol). So I never get it, because it's not 'only" $100 in grats. I have to pay a few hundred more, depending on the cruise, up to $400 more, for the cabin. I'm wondering if other Canadians have observed this, or if I just don't press the right buttons.

 

 

 

I'd pay the $100. But I don't want to pay $4 or $500, you know?

 

 

 

That being said, my daughter and I WOULD like to get the drink package this summer on the Dawn, so if any Canadians can tell me what I'm missing, I'm all ears.

 

 

That is the case pretty well everywhere. You can book guarantee cabins which don’t affect the extras.

 

Whether that is an additional cost for the beverage package depends on the individual. I pay the extra to select my cabin anyway, regardless of the perks, so it isn’t really an extra cost in my case.

 

 

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[lisakoivu]

That is the case pretty well everywhere. You can book guarantee cabins which don’t affect the extras.

 

Whether that is an additional cost for the beverage package depends on the individual. I pay the extra to select my cabin anyway, regardless of the perks, so it isn’t really an extra cost in my case.

 

 

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Yeah, I totally get that, that it wouldn't be considered extra to you if you picked your cabin anyway, but for me, I don't pick my cabin.

 

I just checked on the Bermuda Dawn cruise. Guarantee inside is $842 Canadian. Next category of inside is 1069 Canadian. So to me, I'm paying $200 more pp or $400 more total for what is essentially the same inside - I have sailed suites and I get that they are different, but to me, an inside is an inside is an inside, and lately I book them, so I can go on two cruises a year instead of one. To each their own. My point is, I'd have to add $200 per person, then $100 in grats to get the "free" drink package, which actually adds up to $600. For me, who doesn't care about the cabin, I can never hope to drink $600 (DH doesn't drink at all). I'd probably be hard pressed to drink $300.

 

But thanks, Keith Jenner, for making me feel I'm not totally crazy. I've not noticed people mentioning this before. It doesn't bother me, but I just thought I was missing something...

[newmexicoNita]

NewMexicoNita - had to laugh at your comment about running out of booze. On the 2/2 Breakaway they ran out of Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. Really? This is from the beverage guy in the restaurant so I thought he meant only for the restaurant so I said I'd just go down to the Atrium bar and get one. Then he said no - there was none on the ship.

Man it must have been one full ship or a lot of people drinking other things than soda. :cool: At least they didn't drink all the red. I would have been bummed if I was on a ship and they ran out of reds.

[PTC DAWG]

Yeah, I totally get that, that it wouldn't be considered extra to you if you picked your cabin anyway, but for me, I don't pick my cabin.

 

I just checked on the Bermuda Dawn cruise. Guarantee inside is $842 Canadian. Next category of inside is 1069 Canadian. So to me, I'm paying $200 more pp or $400 more total for what is essentially the same inside - I have sailed suites and I get that they are different, but to me, an inside is an inside is an inside, and lately I book them, so I can go on two cruises a year instead of one. To each their own. My point is, I'd have to add $200 per person, then $100 in grats to get the "free" drink package, which actually adds up to $600. For me, who doesn't care about the cabin, I can never hope to drink $600 (DH doesn't drink at all). I'd probably be hard pressed to drink $300.

 

But thanks, Keith Jenner, for making me feel I'm not totally crazy. I've not noticed people mentioning this before. It doesn't bother me, but I just thought I was missing something...

 

You have it right for your usage. The math on this is very easy, especially if you don’t imbibe and don’t care where your cabin is. Good choices to have.

[johnnyrb]

Your logic is absolutely spot on. There is very little incentive for the bartenders to provide good service. There is even less incentive for NCL to make "free" drinks accessible to the guets. The good news that in practice this is absolutely not the case. We've been sailing each year since they introduced the UBP and never had an issue. We're just off a 2 week cruise last week, and the bartenders are as attentive as ever, and the service was impeccable at every opportunity. Further, we were surprised at how hard NCL works at getting drinks to customers. Never long waits at the bars, always bar waiters walking around the theaters, pool areas etc. The service hasn't suffered one bit. One more surprising thing, that we spent a lot of time at the bars and only saw 3 transactions where the guest paid for a drink, everyone else was on UBP. On the UBP front, NCL has really hit a home run!

[tel1024]

We did a sail away in Jan so we didn’t get any perks.. but it seemed like everyone else on the ship had the UBP. I think ppl are more likely to tip in cash that way so bartenders prob like it better since they don’t have to claim their tips anymore. And service seemed way better for those with it than it was for us!

 

 

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[Andersoncd]

My decision on taking the UBP as my perk rests on the fact that is by far the most cost effective ... IF you are a drinker. A couple can easily run up a bar tab of several hundred dollars or more on a week long cruise, if they are drinkers. We also like the specialty restaurants and excursions, but find that the money we save from the UBP is far more than the other perks.

 

As to service, you would be amazed at what a few dollars in cash will do for you. It doesn't work with all bartenders, but if you stand at the bar and show a dollar bill in your hand, you usually go to the front of the line pretty quick.

[Gershep]

We have taken the UBP ever since it has been offered as a perk. Even thou we tip extra not every bartender or bar server knows that we tip and we have never had a problem getting a drink.

[runner15km]

I just completed a 10 day cruise on the Gem. In order for me to get the "Free" UBP it would have cost me 500.00 more for my cabin then paying the Sail Away rate. I chose the Sail Away rate and paid per drink for the cruise with a bar tab under 200.00. The two pool bars always had a line on sea days.

Very few servers around the pool deck and I was never asked if I needed bar service. Bar service was better in the MDR and lounges.

[Notnewtoit]

I just completed a 10 day cruise on the Gem. In order for me to get the "Free" UBP it would have cost me 500.00 more for my cabin then paying the Sail Away rate. I chose the Sail Away rate and paid per drink for the cruise with a bar tab under 200.00. The two pool bars always had a line on sea days.

Very few servers around the pool deck and I was never asked if I needed bar service. Bar service was better in the MDR and lounges.

 

This seems true, up to a couple of years ago wandering bar service was frequent, now they are like ghosts...

[nicoleinwi]

I'm in the minority and don't get the UBP. I don't really drink. If I have 3 drinks on a cruise, that is probably it. DH might have one drink a night. For us, doesn't make sense to pay the fees for the UBP as a freebie vs paying for our few drinks in cash.

[cruisecraze96]

Going to Alaska in July this year with a group of 15. All but my younger brother did the UBP. My younger brother and his wife rarely drink and they got an inside so they did dining because they want to do the specialty restaurants. For us I enjoy the idea of not having to worry about costs of drinks, I usually have around a $200-$250 bar bill on other cruises when it is just me so for me it is worth it.

 

 

 

 

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[Ironworker808]

Wife and I always get the UBP. I don’t know if we drink the cost of the package (probably), but we definitely drink much more than the cost of the 20% gratuity we have to come out of pocket. No brainer, IMHO.

[cheersforbeers]

Don’t leave home without it.

 

 

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[newmexicoNita]

I just completed a 10 day cruise on the Gem. In order for me to get the "Free" UBP it would have cost me 500.00 more for my cabin then paying the Sail Away rate. I chose the Sail Away rate and paid per drink for the cruise with a bar tab under 200.00. The two pool bars always had a line on sea days.

Very few servers around the pool deck and I was never asked if I needed bar service. Bar service was better in the MDR and lounges.

obviously, for you,the sail away rate was a better deal as you must drink very little. For us, like many, included in taking a perk package, is more than just the UBP. There are usually other perks included.

[irishgal1970]

We just came off the Epic. Had UBP, UDP, shore excursion credit, and internet from Norwegian. If I could only pick one I'm not sure what I would do. UBP is convenient, but I don't drink $90 worth of alcohol a day.

 

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[MizDemeanor]

We always take the UBP perk for the convenience, but I agree its very, very hard to drink the package fulfillment and to think of actually purchasing it if it were not a perk. The SC that comes with it is fine with me, the service is always good IMHO and if I have to wait a bit, its not like I don't see them working their tails off until I am gotten to.

 

They do get to know their customers and everyone is treated pretty well overall from what I have experienced. Some bars I like better and I frequent them more often. I can't be rediculous about it, many people like the same bars too, so we all have to wait our turn. ;)

[Sotermarler]

The UBP is what keeps us coming back to NCL year after year. I’d love to try another line, but we can’t beat the free drinks.

Also I feel like they have ironed out the problems the had in the past.

Last cruise the drinks came fast, I didn’t see nearly as many pre-made drinks on the counter and at MDR there was a drink guy who walked around taking orders. I had never seen that before.

 

 

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[teamflames]

The UBP is what keeps us coming back to NCL year after year. I’d love to try another line, but we can’t beat the free drinks.

Also I feel like they have ironed out the problems the had in the past.

Last cruise the drinks came fast, I didn’t see nearly as many pre-made drinks on the counter and at MDR there was a drink guy who walked around taking orders. I had never seen that before.

 

 

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We are fans as well but think the drinks packages on Celebrity (almost always offered as perk) and HAL are better. All the drinks plus bottled waters, specialty coffees, unopened sodas

 

 

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[newmexicoNita]

We always take the UBP perk for the convenience, but I agree its very, very hard to drink the package fulfillment and to think of actually purchasing it if it were not a perk. The SC that comes with it is fine with me, the service is always good IMHO and if I have to wait a bit, its not like I don't see them working their tails off until I am gotten to.

 

They do get to know their customers and everyone is treated pretty well overall from what I have experienced. Some bars I like better and I frequent them more often. I can't be rediculous about it, many people like the same bars too, so we all have to wait our turn. ;)

I would never purchase it; as you said it would be hard to drink that much for us and we are moderate drinkers, but having it as a perk is fun. We try different drinks, something we would never normally try, we have a drink mid morning,which we wouldn't do if we were paying separately and we have a drink while gambling, something else we never did before the UBP. As for slow service, overall we are fine with the service. OK,by the pool there are not a lot wait people but what is wrong with getting up, out of your lounge or chair and head to bar yourself?

[tallnthensome]

The UBP is what keeps us coming back to NCL year after year. I’d love to try another line, but we can’t beat the free drinks.

I hear that! It was actually a large deciding factor in taking our 15 day Panama Canal cruise. We love our cocktails from morning till' night ...... A 15 day drink package on Royal or Carnival is around $2000.00 so for the service charge of $500 it was a killer deal for us. It actually made this longer cruise affordable. I'd never choose wifi or shore excursion credits over the UBP package. It's saving me a couple thousand dollars vs. measly wifi and shore excursion credits.

[cheersforbeers]

I hear that! It was actually a large deciding factor in taking our 15 day Panama Canal cruise. We love our cocktails from morning till' night ...... A 15 day drink package on Royal or Carnival is around $2000.00 so for the service charge of $500 it was a killer deal for us. It actually made this longer cruise affordable. I'd never choose wifi or shore excursion credits over the UBP package. It's saving me a couple thousand dollars vs. measly wifi and shore excursion credits.

 

 

I’ll drink to that.