Carnival vs. NCL - All You Can Drink

[Aquahound]

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

 

Ain't that the truth!

 

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.

 

Gotcha. That's a bit different from the Free at Sea promotion they were running for a long time. When I last priced NCL a couple weeks ago, a balcony room was $799 but if I wanted the Free at Sea promotions (choose 2), the price jumped to $1019.

[salty dingo]

Interestingly, with Carnival you can order a liter of booze for the cabin for the low, low price of $100 online.

 

There is not even the option on NCL. I guess nobody would pay $100 for one bottle when they could pay $125 for a whole week of unlimited booze?

[Tatka]

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

 

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We will be using this promo for the first time, but I’ve not noticed any more crowding in the bars with an introduction of UBP.

Many people who use it would be buying package anyway if it was not in place.

[Tatka]

Ain't that the truth!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gotcha. That's a bit different from the Free at Sea promotion they were running for a long time. When I last priced NCL a couple weeks ago, a balcony room was $799 but if I wanted the Free at Sea promotions (choose 2), the price jumped to $1019.

 

 

Well, we booked our room and added promo after final pricing. Of course 20% gratuities were added which increased total.

[naxer]

NCL's UBP was the clincher for my solo cruise next February. I tried like the dickens to find a comparable Carnival Cruise, but no price came close to NCL's solo suites, especially when the drinks are included. I'll even get better (?) coffee in the solo suite lounge that's complimentary. But I'm still booked on Carnival this August and will be on Carnival again after NCL, both with a friend, and without Cheers. It's all about the math.

[trex-de]

Love them both. Sailing both this summer. NCL gets a slight nod by us because we like the choices of specialty restaurants. Prices/alcohol packages are a wash if you drink. Have fun!

[Georgie562]

Interestingly, with Carnival you can order a liter of booze for the cabin for the low, low price of $100 online.

 

There is not even the option on NCL. I guess nobody would pay $100 for one bottle when they could pay $125 for a whole week of unlimited booze?

 

 

Yes and they will charge you a delivery fee to deliver that bottle to your cabin. I know because my sister ordered a bottle for our cruise on Saturday and they charged her a $12 delivery fee

[firefly333]

what i like about NCL is they have solo, no 100% cruises.

 

I did the getaway and thought NCL had taken the best of rcl and carnival fun stuff, like springs to bounce, and water slides and stuff.

 

I did like their food better, but not their loyalty program.

 

But for solo cruising if NCL had those deals out of galveston, i would cruise NCL more often, instead of paying the 100% solo supplement.

 

I also wish Carnival had loyalty perks like free wine for several hours a night like RCL.

 

No one line has it all :( .... and Carnival wins because they go to Belize out of Galveston, and RCL now does some private island which isnt good for me (Ive had 4 skin cancers removed), so i cruise carnival because it fits me. But I do wish Carnival had some of what RCL and NCL have, i want it all lol.

[emm126]

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.

 

Is this $6600 including cheers for all 4 or just 2 like the NCL?

[SNJCruisers]

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.

Because nobody in their right mind would pay 89.00 per day, plus 20% gratuity for their drink package. Granted, it's unlimited, but it is capped at 15.00 per drink and only includes alcohol and fountain soda. But, you do get it for 125.00 per person for a 7 day cruise, which is the 20% gratuity charge.

[SNJCruisers]

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.

Made Platinum back in 2009, have 18 on Carnival, but the first two didn't count because they were prior to 1992 when they must have discovered computers. Have two booked on the Horizon, but will probably never make it to my milestone cruise of #25 because of what else is available with other lines. Only two out of my last 11 have been on Carnival. Included drinks packages on the NCL Escape 3 times as well as Celebrity three times and the MSC Seaside have made me take off the blinders and throw away the rose colored Carnival glasses. Because of my kid free experience in the Vibe Club on the Escape, I am looking forward to the Havana area on my 2 Horizon cruises, both in inside cabins. But as you can see from my signature, I also have future cruises booked on two of the other new builds from 2018, the Bliss and the Edge, both with included drinks packages.

[SNJCruisers]

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

 

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Didn't think that the UBP was alive back in May of 2013, according to your signature. But I will tell you that on my first Escape cruise in July of 2016, my second one in January of 2017 and my third one in September of 2017, the only time getting a drink was a hassle was on white night at the aft of the ship.

[SNJCruisers]

We will be using this promo for the first time, but I’ve not noticed any more crowding in the bars with an introduction of UBP.

Many people who use it would be buying package anyway if it was not in place.

What are you smoking? Who in their right mind would pay 89.00 per person per day, plus 20% gratuity for a drinks package that has a 15.00 cap and only includes alcohol and fountain soda. That's 106.80 per day for one or 213.60 per couple or just under 1500.00 for a 7 day drink package for 2 people.

[Tatka]

What are you smoking? Who in their right mind would pay 89.00 per person per day, plus 20% gratuity for a drinks package that has a 15.00 cap and only includes alcohol and fountain soda. That's 106.80 per day for one or 213.60 per couple or just under 1500.00 for a 7 day drink package for 2 people.

 

 

 

People who drink more than 7 per day or don’t want to worry about $$$ ( I read the same explanations about prepaying gratuities!) [emoji4]

 

By the way Princess’s package is about the same $$$ and has a limit, I think 15 drink. Guess what? People are buying!

 

Besides I’ve read so many complaints from Carnival cruisers about 15 drinks limit.... you would think 7 was enough.

[salty dingo]

NCL has found the solution to the liquor smuggling problem. They offer reasonable drink prices for those who want more than the occasional drink. Why would anyone smuggle when they can have all they want from the bar at a reasonable price? I do not consider Carnival's $840 a week to be a reasonable price, and will not consider paying for it.

 

The downside to that is of course their a la carte prices are double that of Carnival, so anyone who just has one drink a night is paying more on NCL. I think NCL has figured out that cruisers who are satisfied with just one drink would also be satisified with zero drinks if the price was too high, so they are not counting on the a la carte drink revenue, like Carnival does.

 

I think Carnival is counting on selling individual drinks to some passengers and Cheers packages to others... and it's working based on what I have read here... but NCL has a better deal, and I expect more and more cruisers will defect to NCL until Carnival changes its business model to match what the people demand.

[mdsgu]

It's hard to compare apples to apples between Carnival's Cheers package and NCL's UBP. I've had both, and both have advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I like Cheers better.

 

CHEERS: 15 alcoholic drink limit, but basically no limit on price --> so you can drink better alcohol, but only 15 per day (and I've hit that limit a couple of times). Carnival keeps their cabin prices lower and they don't ever put Cheers on sale.

 

UBP: no limit on number of drinks, but $15 limit on price --> NCL jacks up the price on their nicer liquor so if you drink it, you have to pay the difference (plus 20% gratuity on the difference). NCL already jacked up the price on the package, basically just to charge more gratuity, and then they jacked the gratuity from 15% to 18% to 20%.

 

We have a 7 day, 3 port cruise on Carnival Dream in June (inside room) and we bought Cheers. Total for the cruise came to right around $4000. We have another 7 day, 4 port cruise on NCL Breakaway during Thanksgiving (balcony room). UBP was included. Total for that came to right around $4000. We've had similar observations in the past, so we don't tend to cruise one particular line (also have a short RCL in July); we book based on the ship -- sometimes -- and the itinerary.

[Sizzlechest]

UBP: no limit on number of drinks, but $15 limit on price --> NCL jacks up the price on their nicer liquor so if you drink it, you have to pay the difference (plus 20% gratuity on the difference). NCL already jacked up the price on the package, basically just to charge more gratuity, and then they jacked the gratuity from 15% to 18% to 20%.

 

NCL likes to bundle two of the following: UDP, UBP, Wifi, or shore excursions with the fare. I never chose the UBP since I don't drink that much and to pay all those gratuities for drinks I don't want is madness. I just got a postcard from NCL about their cruises to Cuba and the UBP looks to be MANDATORY. You still pick two, but it looks like the UBP is forced as your first option. The website doesn't seem to word it the same way. Even still, it's a little scummy to push people to the UBP by making the ad deliberately confusing.

[nutterbutter818]

We sailed NCL 2 years ago and loved it. The suite perks were awesome (way over what Carnival offers), including the alcohol that was kept stocked in our room.

[Aquahound]

I just got a postcard from NCL about their cruises to Cuba and the UBP looks to be MANDATORY. You still pick two, but it looks like the UBP is forced as your first option. The website doesn't seem to word it the same way. Even still, it's a little scummy to push people to the UBP by making the ad deliberately confusing.

 

That's probably on the Norwegian Sky. The UBP is part of the fare on that 1 ship. As far as I know, they haven't extended that to any of their other ships yet.

[joluvscruzin]

Because nobody in their right mind would pay 89.00 per day, plus 20% gratuity for their drink package. Granted, it's unlimited, but it is capped at 15.00 per drink and only includes alcohol and fountain soda. But, you do get it for 125.00 per person for a 7 day cruise, which is the 20% gratuity charge.

When they offer the Free-at-sea promotion you can get the unlimited package but pay $15 per day for gratuities up front. If your choice of cocktail or wine is over $15 you pay the difference. We trend to drink way too much since it's "free" but it's a good deal for those who enjoy two or more drinks every day.

 

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[salty dingo]

I just got a postcard from NCL about their cruises to Cuba and the UBP looks to be MANDATORY.

Funny that Carnival makes the beverage package mandatory for all adults in the cabin (if any want it) but NCL makes the beverage package mandatory for everyone on the ship (if they want it or not!)

 

That's one way to fund the alcohol - spread it out over the entire population. Now if we can just figure out how to do that with health care :)

[firefly333]

Funny that Carnival makes the beverage package mandatory for all adults in the cabin (if any want it) but NCL makes the beverage package mandatory for everyone on the ship (if they want it or not!)

 

That's one way to fund the alcohol - spread it out over the entire population. Now if we can just figure out how to do that with health care :)

 

or book ncl after final payment, then it doesnt have the same incentives or drink packages, but cheaper prices.

 

personally i dont want health care spread all over everyone and know my taxes will go up because i pay my way. please no no. i feel so bad for that little boy in the UK who cant get medical care because of socialized medicine, though i hear UK has no constitution, so the US would never go to that if they adopt socialism as the millineums say they want.

 

but i just wait to book NCL or book when they have no solo supplement. Im already paying double for most cruises, dont want to supplement drinkers, thanks but no.

 

always a way to do the best you can booking any cruiseline. But that solo supplement always been a pita to me, hate paying double.

[tallnthensome]

Is this $6600 including cheers for all 4 or just 2 like the NCL?

That ls just Cheers for 2. The third and fourth passengers are my young children. Like said, 15 days on NCL with drink package for $500 vs. $1700 for Cheers. That's a big difference. That will pay for plenty of bottled water and coffee that is missing fro NCL's package. Sure, apples to apples we like Cheers as a package better as a whole vs. the NCL promo package...... just not $1200 better ......

[Joebucks]

Please don't get caught up in comparing prices by comparing all of the things that don't matter. Compare the end result of what you will be paying and what you want to get out of the vacation. Just because one is included, one is cheaper ala carte, one has more gratuities, one is a bigger charge in itself, etc, none of those things matter. It's all marketing, and too many people fall for it. No business is giving you anything free out of the kindness of their hearts.

[BlerkOne]

I guess some are so focused on alcohol they don't notice that other cruise lines have higher gratuities, charge for all room service, charge more for cases of bottled water, shore excursions, etc.

 

Last time I looked, NCL only offered non-refundable deposits and just about any change resulted in loss of initial deposit. Don't think they offer an option for price protection like Carnival, etc.

 

If you like a variety of restaurants that come with a surcharge, you should be happy with NCL.

 

Royal's Diamond bars have limited menus and hours, but they do offer some drink tickets, likely to avoid overcrowding in the Diamond lounge.

 

If blinded by better alcohol packages, you might do better on a different cruise line.