First NCL--Need help with Perks Offer

[DaCruiseBug]

5 hours ago, Wheeling TravelingMom said:

Ah! I didn't realize this. Thank you. I just assumed as that is part of the package on other lines. I guess I will just have to have an extra glass of wine every night to make up for it 😉

 

 

If you don't drink a ton you can always opt for a SailAway rate. They're usually $300-400 less per person so that the difference for the UBP actually ends up being quite a bit more then just $20 per day. You can buy a dining package for about $100 each if you really want it.

 

For example, a SailAway Balcony on the 8th of June on the Pearl comes out to $7,138 for both people. The cheapest Balcony category with the perks comes out to $8,536 for both people is you select the beverage/dining/excursion perks. You think you'll drink or dine $1,400 worth on your cruise? That's the real cost for the "perks" not just the additional service charges.

[newmexicoNita]

22 hours ago, david_sobe said:

Sometimes you need to think outside the box.  If you are happy eating in the MDR or splurge once or twice at a specialty restaurant maybe the meal package is not worth it.  If you don't drink 5 drinks every day then the drink package is not worth it because of the gratuities you pay up front.  Since you mentioned saving money, the best way to save money is not to choose any perks for food and alcohol unless you drink a lot and plan on eating at the specialty restaurants at least 3 times.  The internet offer is a good value of at least $100.  The excursion offer is very minimal.

NCL wants everyone to pick certain offers because they are upselling the cruise.  You don't have to be tempted to do that.  Its a great marketing technique in making customer choose "free" offers that they are paying for in some way.  Just pointing that out because it rarely gets mentioned.  You can beat NCL at its game if it works for you.  If everyone who had the drink package drank like a fish with 12 drinks every day, they would not offer it as a perk.  Their sales income clearly demonstrates their income has increased with these offers.  I can instantly make a cruise payment of hundreds of dollars without paying a cent on my NCL account if I remove the drink and meal packages 😉

 

I am perplexed when someone says you have to drink 5 drinks or more a day to make the UBP pay off as a perk. The gratuities are going to be charged regardless. A drink is going to cost pretty close to $10 or more, so why would one say it takes 5 a day to be a good deal? Not to mention it is fun to be able to experiment and try something new that you would never pay for otherwise. We are not huge boozers, but we love the perk. Do we drink 5 drinks a day, yes, including wine and do we drink more with perk? Sure, I am guessing everyone does that ops for using  UBP as a perk. 

[DaCruiseBug]

3 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

I am perplexed when someone says you have to drink 5 drinks or more a day to make the UBP pay off as a perk. The gratuities are going to be charged regardless. A drink is going to cost pretty close to $10 or more, so why would one say it takes 5 a day to be a good deal? Not to mention it is fun to be able to experiment and try something new that you would never pay for otherwise. We are not huge boozers, but we love the perk. Do we drink 5 drinks a day, yes, including wine and do we drink more with perk? Sure, I am guessing everyone does that ops for using  UBP as a perk. 

 

Mom assuming they said 5 because the cost of the UBP isn’t just the service charges but also the extra $$$ you pay to book a category with perks versus a SailAway rate. In this instance, it’s a $1,400 difference for the cruise if you add on service charges and category price difference.

 

Make sense?

[senseib]

10 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

For example, a SailAway Balcony on the 8th of June on the Pearl comes out to $7,138 for both people. The cheapest Balcony category with the perks comes out to $8,536 for both people is you select the beverage/dining/excursion perks. You think you'll drink or dine $1,400 worth on your cruise? That's the real cost for the "perks" not just the additional service charges.

 

The $1,400 higher price includes 2 perks.  If you select the drinks and the dinning package on a 14 day cruise you get 5 speciality meals per person.  Backing out the cost of the dinning package leaves about $1,100 for the drinks or about $40/day per person including gratuities.  Compared to buying drinks al a carte on the ship, the breakeven is 2-4 drinks per day per person.  So if you like a cocktail before dinner, a glass of wine with dinner and nice after dinner drink, the value of the perk seems worth the extra cost.

[DaCruiseBug]

15 minutes ago, senseib said:

 

The $1,400 higher price includes 2 perks.  If you select the drinks and the dinning package on a 14 day cruise you get 5 speciality meals per person.  Backing out the cost of the dinning package leaves about $1,100 for the drinks or about $40/day per person including gratuities.  Compared to buying drinks al a carte on the ship, the breakeven is 2-4 drinks per day per person.  So if you like a cocktail before dinner, a glass of wine with dinner and nice after dinner drink, the value of the perk seems worth the extra cost.

 

Thats why I said “You think you’ll drink and dine $1,400 worth?”

 

It’s a Port intensive itinerary and many times you’re running around all day and maybe even having a few drinks in town and when you get back on you have a quick dinner before crashing for the night.

Edited December 12, 2018 by DaCruiseBug

[senseib]

31 minutes ago, DaCruiseBug said:

 

Thats why I said “You think you’ll drink and dine $1,400 worth?”

 

It’s a Port intensive itinerary and many times you’re running around all day and maybe even having a few drinks in town and when you get back on you have a quick dinner before crashing for the night.

 

The right question is will you average more than 2 or 3 drinks a day on a 14 night cruise.  

[DaCruiseBug]

4 hours ago, senseib said:

 

The right question is will you average more than 2 or 3 drinks a day on a 14 night cruise.  

 

How is that the right question? Different drinks cost a different amount. If they drink beer...they're around $6.50-7 per glass. That's more then 3 drinks per day. That's 180 beers worth on a 14 day cruise to get to that $1,400 number. That's 6.5 per person, per day. So again...$1,400 is the number she should be looking at and not generalizing to 2 or 3 drinks er day.