NCL Epic - Saving money on alcohol?

[peachgrill]

Hey Everyone!

 

It's my first cruise and we will be sailing on the Epic in a couple of weeks. We ended up not getting the UBP and opted for Canadian at par instead, which has me a bit concerned about how easily we may rack up a pretty hefty bar tab. I was just wondering if anyone has any tips for saving money on alcohol (besides smuggling it in or not drinking!)? Are there happy hour specials or drinks of the day, etc? Anything you've learned to cut down on the bar tab would be greatly appreciated!

[lrsxcchick]

You have a couple of options here. You can bring on bottles of wine or champagne, but are subject to a $15 USD corkage fee (each bottle). You can also order buckets of beer and get a slight discount per beer that way. There is always a drink of the day listed in the dailies and on some of the cocktail menus. Certain dining venus/bars can also have drink specials in the morning on select drinks (ex: mimosas, bloody Mary's). There may be others as well; this is just what I've seen.

[havanadaydreaming]

drink off the ship at local bars a short distance from port? 

 

drink beer instead of cocktails on the Epic. 

 

after that, I'm plum out of suggestions. 

[KeithJenner]

If you drink wine then get a few bottles with the Viva Vino package. That works out at quite a discount.

 

If you drink beer then you can make a bit of a saving, as mentioned above, by getting buckets. It’s basically 6 for the price of 5.

 

For cocktails there is a drink of the day which is usually a few dollars cheaper. Just make sure you don’t get it in the souvenir glass.

 

For spirits, I don’t know of any good money saving tips.

 

Before they started offering the UBP as a promo we used to combine Viva Vino and beer buckets, plus the occasional bottle taken onboard for $15,  and the package wasn’t worth buying in comparison. That was when the package was a lot cheaper than it is now.

Edited January 23, 2019 by KeithJenner

[lrsxcchick]

5 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

If you drink wine then get a few bottles with the Viva Vino package. That works out at quite a discount.

I forgot about Viva Vino. Thanks for adding!

[MCC retired]

You will save a lot of money on drinks aboard the Epic due to the lines at every bar .

Discouraging . There is Drink of the Day but not a bargain @ $8.95