Carnival vs. NCL - All You Can Drink

[salty dingo]

Looking for a cruise in 2019 and nothing Carnival has strikes my fancy, so looking at NCL. I noticed they have a "free unlimited beverages" promotion as an option, along with specialty dining or other options to choose.

 

In actuality, it is not free at all, but would cost two passengers on a 7 day cruise $250 in "service charges." Compare that with what Carnival charges for Cheers at $840.

 

NCL plays games with their "regular" drink prices, which are double that of Carnival, but who cares what price they charge if you are just drinking the stuff included for free in the package?

 

Sure, the selections may be more limited, but if you just want to drink house liquor, wine, or beer, what's not to like? Why the heck doesn't Carnival offer some reasonable package like NCL does?

 

Anyone else think NCL has a better idea than Carnival does when it comes to beverage packages?

[grandmarnnurse]

I’ve sailed NCL twice and had the UBP both times. We loved it. Because I only paid the service charges, it was worth it for us. If I had to pay the full price of a drink package, I wouldn’t do it, as we don’t drink enough. We got our money worth with just service charges, though. Drinks were fine, and since I’ve never had “top shelf” alcohol in my life, I was just fine.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[boomhower]

For the cruises I have checked the cost of the NCL cruise is substantially more than Carnival. They offer a sail away or something termed like that with no perks for a price similar to Carnival.

 

As far as the packages NCL is truly unlimited capped at $15/drink. Carnival is $50/drink with a max of 15 alcoholic drinks a day. Carnival also includes bottled water, energy drinks, fancy coffees and milkshakes.

 

I am taking a 7 day western trip next March on the Miracle. I paid $1600 for a regular balcony room. Cheer's is another $840 for $2440. NCL for a substantially similar cruise is $2650. So the cost between the two is very close in the end. But you get a second perk on the NCL cruise as well so that can be a money saver. Plus you have two different cruise lines with different experiences.

[firefly333]

Celebrity has a similar promotion to NCLs according to a email I got. Not sure if they add a service charge. (pick 2, for suites, pick 4 I think was the going offer, may still be going)

 

NCL lets you pick 2 choices usually if you book early and then after final paymet drops prices, ... comes out about the same to me. I would pick to pay tips as one, plus most people pick the free drinks.

 

RCL if you are about what platinum is on Carnival has a perk where you get free wine at night, which I really enjoy. Have skipped a few dinners lol.

 

At diamond level on RCL, which is similar to carnival, you get free mixed drinks and hot appetisers. I need a couple more RCL cruises.

 

Im not loyal to any, but Carnival often goes where i want.

[oncruisecontrol]

Try NCL. I am Platinum on Carnival, but haven't cruised Carnival since 2015. We tried NCL in 2016 for the first time, and now I'm an NCL convert. We love NCL! We were on the Getaway in 2016 with the UBP promotion (only paid gratuities) and it was awesome. In 2017 we cruised the Escape with the UBP promotion again; we loved it. I was not drinking just well drinks either; before dinner I always had my Courvoisier which was included in the UBP. The only time I had to pay was when I ordered a double Courvoisier, and I only paid the difference between the $15 cap and the price of the double shot. One of the reasons I love the Escape and the Getaway over Carnival is because the quality of the food is leaps and bounds better than Carnival. The main dining room food is very good, but so are the specialty restaurants. In 2016 on the Getaway, we also had a promotion for 3 specialty restaurants of our choice. One in our party had sailed NCL several years ago on one of their older ships (I think it was the Sky) and the food was not that good. So, I recommend their newer ships. NCL is my new favorite line.

[memoak]

Believe me if a cruise line is throwing in the package for free then they have at least part of it built into the cruise fare. Have booked the last 3 long cruises with Princess during their "Sip and Sail" promo - drink package thrown in 15 alcohol drinks (max of $12), unlimited coffees, small waters and fountain soft drinks (you do not pay the service charge). Cruise fare is a little higher than normal but not crazy and since we take 14 - 21 day cruises we end up saving a lot of cash.

[Georgie562]

The beverage package for NCL is very very very limited.

All it includes is alcoholic beverages and fountain gun soda/ juice. thats it

No water bottles, no powerades, no coffee from coffee shop.

So if you dont mind the basic package they offer then it's an okay deal if you break even or pass the $89 per person.

 

What really frustrates me is that the package doesnt include bottles waters and i think it should at least include that.

[salty dingo]

For the cruises I have checked the cost of the NCL cruise is substantially more than Carnival. They offer a sail away or something termed like that with no perks for a price similar to Carnival.

Believe it or not, the cruise fare (inside cabin) on the NYC to Bermuda cruise I looked at was comparable to Carnival pricing with the beverage package. Maybe they jack up the prices for the nicer cabins? Or maybe you were seeing a premium price for one of their newer mega ships (which are of no extra value to us?)

 

We have cruised NCL multiple times in the past and never paid more than we did on Carnival (though this was before UBP was available.)

 

Their UBP also includes similar non alcohol choices as Carnival's Bottomless Bubbles. Seems overall to be a much better value.

[salty dingo]

Believe me if a cruise line is throwing in the package for free then they have at least part of it built into the cruise fare.

Yes, absolutely they will. The thing is, the cruise line gets cheap prices on the beer, booze, and wine. They can afford to sell it cheap and still make a profit... Carnival just won't sell it as cheap as NCL will, apparently.

 

Smuggle liquor on Carnival or be above board on NCL... decisions, decisions...

[Aquahound]

In actuality, it is not free at all, but would cost two passengers on a 7 day cruise $250 in "service charges."

 

It's actually more than that. Look at the price of the cabin without the package and factor in the difference you're paying to get the package included.

[salty dingo]

It's actually more than that. Look at the price of the cabin without the package and factor in the difference you're paying to get the package included.

There was no price of the cabin without the package. It was a "choose one" promo where the beverage package was one of the choices. There was not a cheaper price for omitting the promo.

 

Also, NCL advertised a Corks and Caps Wine and Beer Package

 

Carnival does not have a beer and wine only package.

[jimbo5544]

It's actually more than that. Look at the price of the cabin without the package and factor in the difference you're paying to get the package included.

 

 

 

It has been my experience there is no such thing as a free lunch in most things in life, this one is no different.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Georgie562]

For the cruises I have checked the cost of the NCL cruise is substantially more than Carnival. They offer a sail away or something termed like that with no perks for a price similar to Carnival.

 

Not all the time. I booked a balcony for a day 10 day Caribbean cruise on Norwegian Epic this December for $1,277 per person that's the grand total. It includes a drink package (service charges included), A 4 dinners package per person, as an incentive they are also throwing in 250 wifi minutes, 125 in cabin ship to shore phone call minutes and $50 per port excursion credit.

I highly doubt you can find a comparable cruise on Carnival that will cost that much once you factor in their cheers package. I am more than sure it will exceed $1,277.

[salty dingo]

It has been my experience there is no such thing as a free lunch in most things in life, this one is no different.

That is my experience too.

 

It is also my experience that two different businesses will try to sell the same thing for different prices, with different business models.

 

Carnival has lower priced drinks, so it is a better line to buy drinks a la carte (or not buy them at all.) NCL has higher regular prices but lower package prices, which only cover house booze, so it is a better line for someone who is not too picky about their drink, and just wants to drink without a bar bill.

[salty dingo]

Not all the time. I booked a balcony for a day 10 day Caribbean cruise on Norwegian Epic this December for $1,277 per person that's the grand total. It includes a drink package (service charges included), A 4 dinners package per person, as an incentive they are also throwing in 250 wifi minutes, 125 in cabin ship to shore phone call minutes and $50 per port excursion credit.

Geez, you got every one of the choices on the "choose one" promo I saw. Guess I need to shop around!

[BNBR]

I didn't like NCL's package. Yes, it is "included" but the cruise fare is more... it balances out. It's not free. You don't get everything included with it, either. I like ordering some higher end liquors, heck, Gentlemen Jack isn't even top shelf and on NCL "Sorry, not included"... And bottled water? Nope. I'd much prefer Royal or Carnival. The fares are less so its similar priced anyways, but I like to just be able to walk up and order whatever the heck I want, including bottles of water, and I get it. That extra detail makes a big difference for me, though maybe not everyone.

[Georgie562]

Geez, you got every one of the choices on the "choose one" promo I saw. Guess I need to shop around!

 

Well they are offering whats called a distinctive voyage promotion only on certain sailings.

included in the promotion is 250 wifi minutes, 125 phone call minutes, $50 per port shore excursion credit, $400 airfare credit (people don't use this perk because you have to book airfare directly with NCL) and $100 hotel credit

 

this is also combinable with the Free at Sea promo (5 perks) and the Tax/Port fees promotion where they pay your taxes/fees

 

Thats how i got a good deal and yes it pays to shop around :)

[tallnthensome]

NCL's free at sea drink promo is better, or more worth, and NCL cruise prices are better when adding Cheers to a Carnival sailing. Here's an example. We are sailing the brand new NCL Bliss for 15 days on the Panama Canal in 2019. Inside cabin for 4 and two drink promos for my wife and I, it's $5775 minus gratuities. A month earlier on the older Carnival Freedom for 14 days, one day less, inside cabin for 4 with Cheers is $6600 minus gratuities, an even 7K in January 2019 . Not even close to the overall deal on NCL that we have. NCL brand new ship, 15 days not 14, drink packages for wife and I and $900+ less than CCL. Cheers is $1700 and the NCL service charge is $500 for the promo, so $1200 less for the package, not even close. I enjoy all my cruises and sailed the Vista last year and am on the Panorama for 2020 and I must say it makes me SMH constantly reading how Carnival is "the best deal" according to Carnival loyalists ..... when they are not much of the time.

Edited April 26, 2018 by tallnthensome

[Georgie562]

NCL's free at sea drink promo is better, or more worth, and NCL cruise prices are better when adding Cheers to a Carnival sailing. Here's an example. We are sailing the brand new NCL Bliss for 15 days on the Panama Canal in 2019. Inside cabin for 4 and two drink promos for my wife and I, it's $5775 minus gratuities. A month earlier on the really older Carnival Freedom for 14 days, one day less, inside cabin for 4 with Cheers is $6600 minus gratuities. Not even close to the overall deal on NCL that we have. NCL brand new ship, 15 days not 14, drink packages for wife and I and $900 less than CCL. I enjoy all my cruises and sailed the Vista last year and am on the Panorama for 2020 and I must say it makes me SMH constantly reading how Carnival is "the best deal" according to Carnival loyalists ..... when they are not much of the time.

 

Exactly. Carnival is NOT always cheaper.

[BNBR]

Exactly. Carnival is NOT always cheaper.

 

Nobody is always cheaper.

[grandmarnnurse]

Believe it or not, the cruise fare (inside cabin) on the NYC to Bermuda cruise I looked at was comparable to Carnival pricing with the beverage package. Maybe they jack up the prices for the nicer cabins? Or maybe you were seeing a premium price for one of their newer mega ships (which are of no extra value to us?)

 

We have cruised NCL multiple times in the past and never paid more than we did on Carnival (though this was before UBP was available.)

 

Their UBP also includes similar non alcohol choices as Carnival's Bottomless Bubbles. Seems overall to be a much better value.

The NCL alcohol package only includes alcohol beverages and fountain soda. It does not include specialty coffees, bottled water, or milkshakes. I could never figure out why their package costs more (if you were to buy it) than the Carnival Cheers package.

[salty dingo]

Exactly. Carnival is NOT always cheaper.

I am pretty close to a Carnival loyalist... hoping to get to Platinum. However, I will not stay loyal if I can get a better deal elsewhere.

 

Better get on the ball, Carnival, or the competition will eat your lunch.

[Tatka]

Why not try them all and see for yourself?

I know we did. 8 lines.

Unfortunately Carnival wasn't up to our liking.

 

As for the prices... you can find good deals pretty much for every line.

[salty dingo]

The NCL alcohol package only includes alcohol beverages and fountain soda. It does not include specialty coffees, bottled water, or milkshakes. I could never figure out why their package costs more (if you were to buy it) than the Carnival Cheers package.

I will tell you exactly why... They overpriced the package to get more service charge, which is a percentage of the normal price.

 

Nobody pays the normal price, though. Everyone gets it for "free" where free means $125 pp.

 

Still, it is a great deal for those of us who only want the alcohol. Who wants to drink a milkshake when you can have rum and coke, for crying out loud:p.

[DHnDWplus2]

We sail both NCL and Carnival. My biggest problem with NCL adding the UBP promo...it takes forever to get a drink! The bartenders are so busy slinging cheap drinks, they barely look up or say hello

 

Sent from my SM-G930P using Forums mobile app