OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 #1 Share Posted March 24, 2018 What are our options? Do they have happy hour? When will they sell discount cards? Can you get a beer bucket with any kind of beer, or just the basic domestics? Cruising on Gem to NE/Canada. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sauer-kraut Posted March 24, 2018 #2 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Beer bucket buy 5 sixth is free. You can mix and match. I don't think they do happy hours anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam_s_allen Posted March 24, 2018 #3 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Every day of the week there's a drink of the day which is discounted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mslmesq Posted March 24, 2018 #4 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Have you looked at their beer and wine only plan. Honestly, their drinks seem more expensive then other lines, probably to discourage individual purchase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare BirdTravels Posted March 24, 2018 #5 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Always kind of perplexed me that people save a few dollars on a sail away fare without perks, then spend many times the difference on bar bills and specialty dining bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanger727 Posted March 24, 2018 #6 Share Posted March 24, 2018 No happy hours There are ‘tastings’ offered throughout the cruise. Martinis, margaritas, etc. we did one a few years ago before the free at sea perks and felt it was a good value. There are buckets of beer and a daily drink of the day special Other option is you can bring on as much wine as you like and pay a $15 per bottle fee Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 Author #7 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Always kind of perplexed me that people save a few dollars on a sail away fare without perks, then spend many times the difference on bar bills and specialty dining bills. We got 3rd and 4th free as our perk. And since we booked an inside we only got one perk. My DH and I both enjoy a beverage or 2, but this is a family vacation so we won't be drinking a ton. Honestly I hope we spend less on drinks than even the gratuities on the "free" drinking plan would have been. I don't see that "free" plan being a great deal unless they let me pay only the amount of gratuities for my consumed drinks (definitely never 10 per day each)!! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macandlucy Posted March 24, 2018 #8 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Anyone know how much just generic a rum and coke, vodka soda, gin and tonic, etc. is? Just the kind that uses regular old bar rail, non premium alcohol? I'm curious about that now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 Author #9 Share Posted March 24, 2018 ^yes, I was wondering that also. I imagine my DH may like an Old Fashioned, but $13.95 is extreme! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smplybcause Posted March 24, 2018 #10 Share Posted March 24, 2018 We got 3rd and 4th free as our perk. And since we booked an inside we only got one perk. My DH and I both enjoy a beverage or 2, but this is a family vacation so we won't be drinking a ton. Honestly I hope we spend less on drinks than even the gratuities on the "free" drinking plan would have been. I don't see that "free" plan being a great deal unless they let me pay only the amount of gratuities for my consumed drinks (definitely never 10 per day each)!! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Forums mobile app Fyi you don't need to drink 10 a day for it to be worth it! It's $17.80/day per person. Less than the cost of just about any two drinks. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smplybcause Posted March 24, 2018 #11 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I think the call is the cheapest it gets. Trying to remember because I always ordered the best I could get except for frozen drinks...but I think they used what's listed under call. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 Author #12 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Fyi you don't need to drink 10 a day for it to be worth it! It's $17.80/day per person. Less than the cost of just about any two drinks. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk I just meant they charge you gratuities on the "daily value", which is $89 a day. Which for beers, would be over 10 drinks to equal that. We mainly drink beers, so if I had 2 beers a day, I would get spend $14, and I'd rather pay gratuities on THAT. I'm just saying, it'd be cooler if I got charged actual gratuities instead of on an assumed $89 per day (which I could never personally drink that much). Anyways I was just asking what discounts were available. I do not have UBP perk, and I don't plan on buying the UBP. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smplybcause Posted March 24, 2018 #13 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I just meant they charge you gratuities on the "daily value", which is $89 a day. Which for beers, would be over 10 drinks to equal that. We mainly drink beers, so if I had 2 beers a day, I would get spend $14, and I'd rather pay gratuities on THAT. I'm just saying, it'd be cooler if I got charged actual gratuities instead of on an assumed $89 per day (which I could never personally drink that much). Anyways I was just asking what discounts were available. I do not have UBP perk, and I don't plan on buying the UBP. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Forums mobile app $14 for two beers plus 20% is $16.80. If you only drink two beers a day it's cheaper, if you buy a third you just spent more than you would have for the gratuities on the free package. Which, hey, if you feel better paying $8.40 a beer more power to you. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 Author #14 Share Posted March 24, 2018 $14 for two beers plus 20% is $16.80. If you only drink two beers a day it's cheaper, if you buy a third you just spent more than you would have for the gratuities on the free package. Which, hey, if you feel better paying $8.40 a beer more power to you. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk I can't get the free package, so why are we talking about this? Getting 3rd and 4th free probably saved me $600-700. I assure you I will not spend that much on drinks. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilsh75 Posted March 24, 2018 #15 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I could never justify getting UBP even as perk our bill is under 100$ for both as we have kids with us. We usually dink wine or beer so usually bring 2 bottle and pay 15$ fee plus get the beer bucket. I might get one or two frozen drinks that are a drink of a day. We also did tastings not sure if it would be covered by UDP. If we were to go with a group of other adults it would probably worth it but not as a family vacation. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 Author #16 Share Posted March 24, 2018 smplybcause, I was talking about paying gratuities on $14 vs $89. I don't think you followed what I was saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smplybcause Posted March 24, 2018 #17 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I can't get the free package, so why are we talking about this? Getting 3rd and 4th free probably saved me $600-700. I assure you I will not spend that much on drinks. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Forums mobile app Shrug. I was just responding to you post about the package and how you're not wanting to spend that much in gratuities. Math wise, that thinking is wrong. But if you don't have the package then not sure why you brought it up? Oh well. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 Author #18 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Shrug. I was just responding to you post about the package and how you're not wanting to spend that much in gratuities. Math wise, that thinking is wrong. But if you don't have the package then not sure why you brought it up? Oh well. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk All I was saying is the UBP would be a better deal if I got charged gratuities on my actual bar usage and not charged gratuities on the assumed usage of $89 per day. Math wise, that makes perfect sense. There's a chance we may not drink on the ship at all on port days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
$hip$hape Posted March 24, 2018 #19 Share Posted March 24, 2018 "There's a chance we may not drink on the ship at all on port days." What are our options? Do they have happy hour? When will they sell discount cards? And you get a beer bucket with any kind of beer, or just the basic domestics? I can't get the free package, so why are we talking about this?/quote] Your mind seems to be made. Just go for the free tea and lemonade?:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 Author #20 Share Posted March 24, 2018 I'm sorry to have bothered some of you by asking a simple question. Guess I should have gone to the money saving board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smplybcause Posted March 24, 2018 #21 Share Posted March 24, 2018 smplybcause,I was talking about paying gratuities on $14 vs $89. I don't think you followed what I was saying. No, I follow. But you're getting caught up on a part of the bill (or what the charge is called) instead of looking at the whole bill. Whether it's just towards gratuities or towards the drink & gratuities - unless you drink only two beers a day choosing the perk is cheaper to your total cost if you have at least two drinks a day. Of course, you need the ability to choose the perk. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OctoberSky Posted March 24, 2018 Author #22 Share Posted March 24, 2018 Yep, I gotcha. Agreed. I picked my savings elsewhere - a cheap room and getting our kids free. I think that will be the better deal for us. For the bar tab, "it is what it is". ☺ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsachek Posted March 24, 2018 #23 Share Posted March 24, 2018 (edited) For the posters claiming that you only need to drink $17.80 per day to break even, that's simply not true. You aren't taking into account that the sailaway rate is often hundreds of dollars less than the rates that include perk(s). If you can save let's say $175 per person on a 7-night cruise with sailaway and save the $17.80 per day gratuity, that's $300. So $300 per person worth of drinks and tips over 7 days in order to breakeven with the beverage package. So it really does depend. In the Caribbean with a few sea days thrown in, you would easily get your moneys worth from the UBP. On a port intensive European itinerary, not so much. Also, our recent cruise on the Spirit had a wine promotion. Your choice of 4, 6, or 8 bottles from a list of about 15 different regional choices. I think it was either $175 or $179 for 8 bottles. Good option if you like wine with dinner and don't have a UBP. Edited March 24, 2018 by rsachek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisakoivu Posted March 25, 2018 #24 Share Posted March 25, 2018 For the posters claiming that you only need to drink $17.80 per day to break even, that's simply not true. You aren't taking into account that the sailaway rate is often hundreds of dollars less than the rates that include perk(s). If you can save let's say $175 per person on a 7-night cruise with sailaway and save the $17.80 per day gratuity, that's $300. So $300 per person worth of drinks and tips over 7 days in order to breakeven with the beverage package. So it really does depend. In the Caribbean with a few sea days thrown in, you would easily get your moneys worth from the UBP. On a port intensive European itinerary, not so much. Also, our recent cruise on the Spirit had a wine promotion. Your choice of 4, 6, or 8 bottles from a list of about 15 different regional choices. I think it was either $175 or $179 for 8 bottles. Good option if you like wine with dinner and don't have a UBP. This. It would cost us $600 more a couple to get a room that qualified for the "free" UDP. We take Canadian at Par instead. Will be sailing for $799 pp Canadian to Bermuda on the Dawn this summer. So we'd have to drink $600 worth to make it worthwhile to get the UDP. It's not worth it at that price. It's not "just" the cost of the grats, it's the cost of the qualifying room. NCL gets you. They attract you with cheap base fares and then bait and switch. I'll stick with the cheap base fare and buy a couple drinks a day, I'll still be way ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Something fun! Posted March 26, 2018 #25 Share Posted March 26, 2018 For the posters claiming that you only need to drink $17.80 per day to break even, that's simply not true. You aren't taking into account that the sailaway rate is often hundreds of dollars less than the rates that include perk(s). If you can save let's say $175 per person on a 7-night cruise with sailaway and save the $17.80 per day gratuity, that's $300. So $300 per person worth of drinks and tips over 7 days in order to breakeven with the beverage package. So it really does depend. In the Caribbean with a few sea days thrown in, you would easily get your moneys worth from the UBP. On a port intensive European itinerary, not so much. Also, our recent cruise on the Spirit had a wine promotion. Your choice of 4, 6, or 8 bottles from a list of about 15 different regional choices. I think it was either $175 or $179 for 8 bottles. Good option if you like wine with dinner and don't have a UBP. But you also need to put a value on choosing your cabin location and account for that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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