Beverage package as a free perk

[danandbeths]

Can anyone explain how the NCL beverage package works and what all is included?  I know it says alcoholic beverages, but is this all beverages?  Are non-alcoholic beverages included, like carbonated water and soda?  Are frozen drinks included?  Wine at dinner in a dining room or specialty restaurant?  Would appreciate any info, as I’m undecided on which perks to take.  

I have a large group, so everyone is wondering how it works.  Thanks!

[Turtles06]

Always good to go right to the source, NCL's Terms & Conditions:

 

https://www.ncl.com/terms/premium-beverage-package

[BirdTravels]

35 minutes ago, danandbeths said:

Can anyone explain how the NCL beverage package works and what all is included?  I know it says alcoholic beverages, but is this all beverages?  Are non-alcoholic beverages included, like carbonated water and soda?  Are frozen drinks included?  Wine at dinner in a dining room or specialty restaurant?  Would appreciate any info, as I’m undecided on which perks to take.  

I have a large group, so everyone is wondering how it works.  Thanks!

The package pays for the first $15 of drinks (sodas, frozen drinks, mixed drinks) from bars (no room service or mini bar - see T&Cs for other exclusions). You pay the difference above $15 plus gratuity on the difference. 

[don't-use-real-name]

In addition to BirdTravels post - beer - wine by the glass - some champagne is included -

NO Starbucks specialty Coffee but Irish coffee from the bar restaurant is.

When you are at a bar and look at the liquor bottles on the tiered shelves notice the tiers that the

bottle are on - in a basic sense those bottles on the first tier or the well below the bar

are included in the UBP package - those on the second shelf may or may not be - those

on the top shelf will almost always be over the $15 cover.

 

There is an addition to the beverage package for a premium price that includes just about anything

including the specialty coffees - UBP + at about $30 per person per day in addition to the basic

program - something not for the casual drinker.

 

The beverage packages are an individual per person program - one drink at a time

although recently ordering two drinks at a time is OK - a good idea when service is slow

waiting for dining or the lack of enough waiters/bar staff !   

[sanger727]

The package covers alcoholic drinks on the ship anywhere (MDR, buffet, bars, specialty restaurants, etc) up for $15 per drink. A drink that is $18 will cost you $3+ gratuity. It also includes soda. It does not include specialty coffee, bottled water, drinks in your minibar, or drinks delivered by room service. We found that you could get pretty much any drink at some option for the covered price (so you could get a basic martini but a specialty one might be over; you could get a glass of Merlot but there were options over as well). 

[danandbeths]

Wow, thanks for all this info, I feel like I know the ropes now and won’t be disappointed with the package!  I’ll happily pay a little upcharge for a top shelf or nicer wine on occasion so I love that option, but mostly I can stay in their boundaries and be happy.  Luckily, I LOVE Irish coffee ☘️ 

Thanks again to you all!

[Liljo22]

2 hours ago, danandbeths said:

Wow, thanks for all this info, I feel like I know the ropes now and won’t be disappointed with the package!  I’ll happily pay a little upcharge for a top shelf or nicer wine on occasion so I love that option, but mostly I can stay in their boundaries and be happy.  Luckily, I LOVE Irish coffee ☘️ 

Thanks again to you all!

For nicer wines you would probably have to pay the upcharge but I think you will find most of the liquors you would want to be included.  The link is what is included.

 

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/premium-beverage-package.pdf

[Zaphod1962]

11 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

In addition to BirdTravels post - beer - wine by the glass - some champagne is included -

NO Starbucks specialty Coffee but Irish coffee from the bar restaurant is.

When you are at a bar and look at the liquor bottles on the tiered shelves notice the tiers that the

bottle are on - in a basic sense those bottles on the first tier or the well below the bar

are included in the UBP package - those on the second shelf may or may not be - those

on the top shelf will almost always be over the $15 cover.

 

There is an addition to the beverage package for a premium price that includes just about anything

including the specialty coffees - UBP + at about $30 per person per day in addition to the basic

program - something not for the casual drinker.

 

The beverage packages are an individual per person program - one drink at a time

although recently ordering two drinks at a time is OK - a good idea when service is slow

waiting for dining or the lack of enough waiters/bar staff !   

They will allow 2 drinks at a time in our experience. I have ordered 2 drinks, and been handed 4. On our last cruise we met a couple who had brought their large Tervis Tumblers, and were ordering 2 drinks each, and filling those. Next Cruise I am taking this.

[ratfam]

We had the drinks package as a "free" perk (had to pay for the gratuity on the cost) on our recent cruise on the Encore.  We had never done this before so weren't sure what to expect but we really enjoyed it.  It pretty much covered everything in terms of cocktails at the bars--I think there were some premiums liquors that may have been extra but the vast majority of the menu at the cocktail bars were within the $15.  There were a number of wines by the glass that were within the package price.  There were 6 of us and it did allow us to order different things rather than being committed to getting everyone to agree on a bottle.  And at dinner in the MDRs the servers tended to bring a really generous pour or sometimes they even kept the bottles close by and just kept topping us off--probably made it easier for them than needing to run back and forth to the bar.  

The rule was you could get two drinks at a time, which was nice because we would pick up drinks for each other.

The only thing I would do differently next time is bring a lot of small bills since we realized we have no idea whether the bartenders gets the gratuities that we prepaid.  We didn't regularly frequent the same place so we hadn't established relationships with particular bartenders that we would have gone back to tip but it would have been nice to have something to tip along the way and we were just too dumb to think about it until the end of the cruise.

[wilsonhold]

We are not huge drinkers. I sometimes wonder if you could (as a over 21 year old adult) can get the soda package as a perk. And only pay on 20% on the price of the soda package not the liquor package? Maybe something we would consider...

[don't-use-real-name]

5 minutes ago, wilsonhold@gmail.com said:

We are not huge drinkers. I sometimes wonder if you could (as a over 21 year old adult) can get the soda package as a perk. And only pay on 20% on the price of the soda package not the liquor package? Maybe something we would consider...

 

The Soda Package can be purchased separately !

[wilsonhold]

2 minutes ago, don't-use-real-name said:

 

The Soda Package can be purchased separately !

I should correct my prior  post . I meant as a free perk and only pay the 20% on the soda package

[julig22]

2 hours ago, wilsonhold@gmail.com said:

I should correct my prior  post . I meant as a free perk and only pay the 20% on the soda package

I have sent that suggestion into Corporate - give a choice between the soda or booze package.  Maybe if enough people ask?? I also wish they would allow substitutions on the "free sparkling wine" - not everyone who cruises drinks alcohol!