New UBP price list

[Gershep]

On 1/19/2019 at 7:57 PM, gmbhardy said:

Here you go!

 

Thanks for posting!

[mgf316]

Sorry guys looks like I left out the wines. Here they are!👍

[luv2kroooz]

1 hour ago, sparkmaster said:

Some of the decisions made on the liquor list do strike me as quite peculiar. Rolling Johnnie Walker Black above the UBP threshold but moving Jameson Caskmates down to the included level?

 

 

NCL is trying to be clever by inflating standard drink prices to move people onto their booking categories that include a perk, which usually ends up being the UBP. It's clever and original for the cruise market. 

 

Time will tell how clever their policy is. Many educated consumers realize nothing is "free" and packages marketed in this manner are covered via higher fares and increased gratuities/charges. Definitely original, but I wouldn't describe price gouging the consumer to be clever. I find price gouging to be an unethical business practice which speaks to me about the management that operates this company.

[Julma]

On 1/21/2019 at 9:25 PM, AtlantaAlly said:

I’m assuming you’re referring to me, the cheapskate sailing in the Haven to Alaska this June. We are spending a lot of money on this cruise and are disappointed that the cost of so many things has gone up (carts, laser tag, drinks, etc.) I am looking forward to the cruise, but I was looking forward to not having a high bill at the end, well now I can’t enjoy it the same way- $18 for a grey goose cocktail is ridiculous.

 

As a point of comparison, Per Se is one of the most expensive restaurants in NYC with a tasting menu at $355 a head. Their cost of a grey goose cocktail is $20... NCL shouldn’t be charging the same price. I imagine that soon the cost of the service charge will be $40/day and the only options will come from a plastic bottle or bag of wine. 

I agree with you 100%.  Just got off the Pearl.  Paid a premium for the Deluxe Owner's Suite.  Because I can afford that doesn't mean a $20 grey goose cocktail blow my mind (especially in a plastic cup).  Had dinner in LeBistro and the champagne listed on menu for 23.99, when I ordered I was informed that, it was now 37.00.  I've been on over 20 cruises and never had a bad one.  While this one was not bad, I certainly felt the squeeze.

[GarNik831]

On 1/21/2019 at 10:53 PM, fstuff1 said:

 

wow.. on the Bliss, jack and jameson is so cheap.

here's the price list from the Gem last week. they are still using the old price list.

 

notice that Jack Daniels Rye and Jameson Castmates are $17 instead of under $15 from the new Bliss list. 

 

 

 

Jack Daniel's is super premium?  I still have a bottle of that swill from my 1998 wedding that nobody will touch!

 

 

[bbnjcruiser]

On 1/21/2019 at 9:26 PM, AtlantaAlly said:

I’m assuming you’re referring to me, the cheapskate sailing in the Haven to Alaska this June. We are spending a lot of money on this cruise and are disappointed that the cost of so many things has gone up (carts, laser tag, drinks, etc.) I am looking forward to the cruise, but I was looking forward to not having a high bill at the end, well now I can’t enjoy it the same way- $18 for a grey goose cocktail is ridiculous.

 

As a point of comparison, Per Se is one of the most expensive restaurants in NYC with a tasting menu at $355 a head. Their cost of a grey goose cocktail is $20... NCL shouldn’t be charging the same price. I imagine that soon the cost of the service charge will be $40/day and the only options will come from a plastic bottle or bag of wine.

 

That menu photo was a bit blurry but I believe you’ll be paying 19.95 for that Grey goose cocktail plus a mandated 20% gratuity for a total of 23.94 PLUS port / local taxes - I wonder if if anyone can certify that this is now the highest total price for that drink while in NYC or on earth.

[bbnjcruiser]

5 hours ago, Georgie562 said:

Those are some hefty overly inflated prices 🤮

A soda on Princess $2

A soda on NCL $3.45

What am I missing here ? I can’t imagine Pepsi products costing so much to NCL 

 

Your missing the mandatory gratuity upcharge that puts you at 4.14 per Pepsi - retail 24 pack they’ll run you 50 cents a piece. 728% above retail seems obscene.

[newmexicoNita]

14 hours ago, mgf316 said:

Sorry guys looks like I left out the wines. Here they are!👍

Thanks so much. Now, we all have a great idea as to what to expect. I am happy that at least we can still get Malbec plus a few others. Maybe not the best in the world, but it will do. Again, thanks for taking the time to help all of us who want to know ahead of time. 

[newmexicoNita]

11 hours ago, bbnjcruiser said:

 

That menu photo was a bit blurry but I believe you’ll be paying 19.95 for that Grey goose cocktail plus a mandated 20% gratuity for a total of 23.94 PLUS port / local taxes - I wonder if if anyone can certify that this is now the highest total price for that drink while in NYC or on earth.

where are you getting the port and local taxes bit? the taxes only are added if you are in when still in America and not yet sailing and there is no such thing at port taxes when referring to taxes on drinks. As for the extra charge including 20%, for those with a UDP I think the 20% is only added to the price above the $15. I an not clear on that. 

[SAmome]

These changes will make a difference when comparing ships and cruiselines.  I wonder if this was contemplated when they moved final payment date such that locked in sooner.  

 

Anyway, I never liked the wine selection so would be mainly liquor drinker on NCL, but it was fun to experiment with different drinks, even neat so really tasting it, for what seemed like a reasonable price.  Same with specialty dining and nice could book it ahead of time.

 

I might be more likely to sail RCCL or try a Carnival newer ship now for something different.  That said, NCL will still be booking the new cruiser who doesn't know package details about what's covered and googles around for info on NCL and mainly reads good reports on UBP related to the old days.

[luv2kroooz]

2 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

where are you getting the port and local taxes bit? the taxes only are added if you are in when still in America and not yet sailing and there is no such thing at port taxes when referring to taxes on drinks. As for the extra charge including 20%, for those with a UDP I think the 20% is only added to the price above the $15. I an not clear on that. 

The 20% is only added to the price above the $15. But, at the time you book, you've already paid a gratuity of 20% on the first $100 of liquor you drink each day. Please don't give the bean counters at NCL any more ideas. Next, they'll try to double charge the gratuity on the full purchase price. Ugh.

[luv2kroooz]

1 hour ago, SAmome said:

These changes will make a difference when comparing ships and cruiselines.  I wonder if this was contemplated when they moved final payment date such that locked in sooner.  

 

Anyway, I never liked the wine selection so would be mainly liquor drinker on NCL, but it was fun to experiment with different drinks, even neat so really tasting it, for what seemed like a reasonable price.  Same with specialty dining and nice could book it ahead of time.

 

I might be more likely to sail RCCL or try a Carnival newer ship now for something different.  That said, NCL will still be booking the new cruiser who doesn't know package details about what's covered and googles around for info on NCL and mainly reads good reports on UBP related to the old days.

Exactly. Educated consumers or value driven consumers understand this and will shop around. First timers, maybe not so much. But it all comes out in the wash at the end of the cruise, when the first timers or uninformed are reunited with all the charges they've incurred throughout the week. I spent how much on liquor this past week? Wow, I never want to do that again. 

 

This is the danger of managing a business in the short term and setting prices at unethical levels. The educated customer chuckles and either looks elsewhere or reduces onboard spending to zero. Trust me, it can be done. And you temporarily fool first time customers that, in the end, will find little value in the product at the end of the day when they realize that upfront cruise fare plus backend onboard charges and services charges can be pretty expensive. So, they return less frequently, if at all.

[newmexicoNita]

45 minutes ago, blcruising said:

The 20% is only added to the price above the $15. But, at the time you book, you've already paid a gratuity of 20% on the first $100 of liquor you drink each day. Please don't give the bean counters at NCL any more ideas. Next, they'll try to double charge the gratuity on the full purchase price. Ugh.

my point simply is: the way people are figuring it, they think they are paying 20% on the entire drink cost, not realizing it is just the part above the $15. Yes they have paid the on their package already, BTW, it isn't 20% on the first $100 per day, If you do the math it is a little less than that. I just checked to see how much we are paying on our upcoming cruise. 

[cruise52]

We are booked on a 21-day cruise in November.  I just checked the NCL website to see the price difference of the daily charge for the standard Beverage Package and the Ultimate Beverage Package.  The difference is $34 per person / per day.  $65.00 vs $99.00 per person / per day.  The cost for two people on a 21 day cruise to purchase the Ultimate Beverage Package is nearly $5000. ($4,989.00).  This is ridiculous, even for a 3 week cruise.  A lot of people will consume less alcohol the longer the cruise goes. 

 

We received the beverage package package with our booking as a "free perk" along with a charge of $800 plus for drink gratuities.  We will not be upgrading.  

 

 

[bbnjcruiser]

2 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

my point simply is: the way people are figuring it, they think they are paying 20% on the entire drink cost, not realizing it is just the part above the $15. Yes they have paid the on their package already, BTW, it isn't 20% on the first $100 per day, If you do the math it is a little less than that. I just checked to see how much we are paying on our upcoming cruise. 

 

If you bought a 19.95 grey goose cocktail out of pocket with no beverage package while docked in NYC you would indeed pay a mandatory 20% gratuity (which by the way mostly does not go to the crew) for a total of 23.94 PLUS port/local taxes for alcohol sales.

 

I know some enterprising young internet experts will fact check me but I believe that makes this the highest price for that cocktail on earth.

 

 

 

[newmexicoNita]

1 hour ago, bbnjcruiser said:

 

If you bought a 19.95 grey goose cocktail out of pocket with no beverage package while docked in NYC you would indeed pay a mandatory 20% gratuity (which by the way mostly does not go to the crew) for a total of 23.94 PLUS port/local taxes for alcohol sales.

 

I know some enterprising young internet experts will fact check me but I believe that makes this the highest price for that cocktail on earth.

 

 

 

I believe you are completely right. Way more than anywhere I have ever visited but most of us are talking about those with UBP and the difference if you choose to buy a brand that is higher than what is covered in the package. 

[BiancaV]

Ok so this may be a silly question but if I get a French martini which has Chambord in it would that be $19.95? Hey and let me throw this in say I ask for it with Belvedere as the vodka? Hmmmmm 

[luv2kroooz]

1 hour ago, bbnjcruiser said:

 

If you bought a 19.95 grey goose cocktail out of pocket with no beverage package while docked in NYC you would indeed pay a mandatory 20% gratuity (which by the way mostly does not go to the crew) for a total of 23.94 PLUS port/local taxes for alcohol sales.

 

I know some enterprising young internet experts will fact check me but I believe that makes this the highest price for that cocktail on earth.

 

 

 

Yes, total price gouge. The bean counters have effectively eliminated the ability to pay as you go. I enjoy partaking of one or two drinks before or after dinner, and don't enjoy an all you can drink program for many reasons, health and caloric intake being one of them. If NCL truly wanted to initiate another money grab, they could have simply lowered the per drink limit from $15 to say $10, rather than increasing the per drink price to an unsustainable level where most educated people will not pay. Sure, there would have been upset consumers, but how is that any different than the result they achieved? Everyone is different, but the answer for me is to just forego liquor if and when I choose to sail NCL. I still have a cruise next certificate, which I will use on a low sail away rate provided they don't eliminate that, too. I'll hold my onboard spend to ZERO and not pay their ridiculous prices for drinks and shore tours and spa services, etc, while patronizing local tour operators, restaurants, and spas in port that will accept a reasonable profit margin. Afterwards, I'll look for a cruiseline that more closely matches the items I value most, which could include a low sail away rate on NCL from time to time. In the past, NCL has had trouble filling ships and has been known to dump cabins at the very last minute. In my mind, it has been the one thing that differentiated it from competition. Truth be told, the mass market lines are more similar than different. I predict a soft West Coast market, including Alaska for 2019.  Lots of choice out there with more inventory coming online every year! Competition is a great thing for the educated consumer. An educated consumer is NCL's worst nightmare. Just find me a ship and float me out to sea. :-)

Edited January 26, 2019 by blcruising

[luv2kroooz]

3 minutes ago, BiancaV said:

Ok so this may be a silly question but if I get a French martini which has Chambord in it would that be $19.95? Hey and let me throw this in say I ask for it with Belvedere as the vodka? Hmmmmm 

Great question. This is what I am wondering. We used to drink Tito's, Club Soda, and Chambord. Is that now a 14.95+19.95 = $34.90 drink? 

 

I was on the phone yesterday with someone I know at Casinos at Sea. NCL hadn't even communicated any changes to her as of yesterday.

Edited January 26, 2019 by blcruising

[fstuff1]

14 minutes ago, blcruising said:

Great question. This is what I am wondering. We used to drink Tito's, Club Soda, and Chambord. Is that now a 14.95+19.95 = $34.90 drink? 

 

I was on the phone yesterday with someone I know at Casinos at Sea. NCL hadn't even communicated any changes to her as of yesterday.

 

hm.. never thought of using chambord on anything but champagne.

hope  my sapphire premium casino drink card still covers chambord?

Edited January 26, 2019 by fstuff1

[Sand and Seas]

5 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

hm.. never thought of using chambord on anything but champagne.

hope  my sapphire premium casino drink card still covers chambord?

On this other thread it's being reported the Sapphire Tier (casino) could no longer get Grey Goose so it does appear to be changing the CAS drink cards : 

 

[BiancaV]

1 hour ago, blcruising said:

Great question. This is what I am wondering. We used to drink Tito's, Club Soda, and Chambord. Is that now a 14.95+19.95 = $34.90 drink? 

 

I was on the phone yesterday with someone I know at Casinos at Sea. NCL hadn't even communicated any changes to her as of yesterday.

As soon as I saw Chambord I bummed out. Can’t make the French martini without it. But it’s just a splash (as it would seem it would be with your drink) and not a Chambord neat or on the rocks so I’m not sure how they handle it.

[Bluesky Seeker]

On 1/20/2019 at 10:49 AM, david_sobe said:

I hope they don't start charging for ice.

 

Standard 4 cubes - no charge  each additional cube .25

Crushed ice .75

Mini cubes from purified water 1.25

Chilled reusable straw 4.95

 

You have remarkable foresight.

[SNJCruisers]

4 hours ago, fstuff1 said:

 

hm.. never thought of using chambord on anything but champagne.

hope  my sapphire premium casino drink card still covers chambord?

You can add Chambord to a margarita or a mojito or even pour it over a good vanilla bean ice cream or a piece of cheesecake.

[gmbhardy]

3 hours ago, BiancaV said:

As soon as I saw Chambord I bummed out. Can’t make the French martini without it. But it’s just a splash (as it would seem it would be with your drink) and not a Chambord neat or on the rocks so I’m not sure how they handle it.

 

When I was on the Bliss I ordered a B52 (a layered shooter with Kahlua, Bailey’s and Grand Marnier) to celebrate my birthday. The bar tender substituted Cointreau for the Grand Marnier because it was covered and the Grand Marnier was not. It didn’t layer properly and it didn’t taste very good. The amount of Grand Marnier in a B52 is marginal so you may have an answer to your question.