Who upgraded to the Premium Plus Drinks Package?

[Sigyn]

I'm considering an upgrade to the Premium Plus Drinks Package. Who did it, and was it worth it?

[KeithJenner]

Quite a few people on here have.

 

We did so on the last two cruises and it is now an essential upgrade for us. A combination of coffee, sparkling water, champagne and a better selection of red wine are well worth the cost.

[jetact]

We just did ii on the Bliss to Alaska. Yes I feel it was worth it. We were in the Haven so our bar tenders loved making new and fun drinks for us, we had a better bottle of wine every night with dinner. The bottled water (which the wife drinks allot of) was nice and she always grabbed an extra bottle to take back to the room. We only went to Starbucks once as we always had french press in the restaurant with breakfast. Oh and she drank allot of Vue.   I would do it again as it wasnt that much for the upgrade. We are on a chartered cruise in a couple of weeks and had to buy the drink package, just for the premium package it was over $800.00. 

[Sthrngary]

Hello, I wrote an op-ed on the Premium Plus Beverage Package which has lots of information.  The link is below:

 

The question in the table is, "Is it worth it?"  The answer is YES/NO.  If you are looking at it as a bargain or how much you have to drink to make it worthwhile, it is not worth it.  It you look at it as an adventure to try wines and spirts you would normally not drink; have selected full bottles of wine at meals; Starbucks/Specialty Coffee (Haven has specialty Coffee included); Bottled imported water/energy drinks.  Then the answer is yes.  

 

My wife and I get this upgrade every cruise.  Not saying it is for everyone.  I do it to make my cruise as all inclusive as possible.  Like anything else on a cruise, you really need to know the ins/outs of this program to gain maximum benefit.  You need to know some brands are not on NCL's list but are available and some are not.  So ask and don't be shy.  

 

The opinions on this topic will range just like when questions are asked about the Vibe Beach Club and the Haven Area.  Take the good with the bad and you will quickly realize what your decisions will be for you and your family.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[charlie murphy]

we did and I would say It depends for me if I would  repurchase. I feel like I would agree with KJ above. However,  Much of the time it was difficult or impossible to find the wine or top shelf somewhere on the ship. So it became more of a treasure hunt . We were not in the Haven so this may not be an issue.  For the rest of the ship, it was hit and miss. the bottles of wine with dinner are just OK and if the bottle thing is not important you can find wines by the glass that are as good or better. , nothing great with the bottle except that you can take it with you then you're the guy walking around with a bottle of wine . wine by the glass better but a lot not available if you find one you like then you are set. I would give it one more shot, to see.  I might just buy bottles I want with dinner and use the discount vs get the free bottles. 

[sid_9169]

When I'm on vacation I like to drink the top shelf liquor and wine, so I opt into the Premium Plus Package... Add in Starbucks, bottled water, and fresh squeezed juices, and it's even more worth it to me...

[phillygwm]

I've done it twice, the last (and next) one I did Free At Sea Plus.  Since I need the Internet access and would have purchased the extra specialty meals anyway, it's a much better value than P+ alone.

 

There have been many threads on the topic.  The answer is entirely subjective and really depends on what you drink.  Personally, I enjoy Champagne when I'm on a cruise and drink a LOT of Pellegrino (instead of flat water.)  The bottles of wine with dinner are a bonus, though I could do that by the glass if I needed to.  I'll also enjoy a Starbucks or two each day.  So I certainly get my money's worth.  If you're not into any of those things but just want a drink that is a buck or two above $15, you'll be better foregoing it because it becomes difficult to justify the cost.

 

For me, even setting alcohol aside, it's almost breakeven:  3-4 Pellegrinos @$6.00 and a couple Starbucks at ~$6 each.  But let's face it, I'm NOT setting alcohol aside so it becomes a slam dunk. 🍾

 

Again, YMMV.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 1, 2022 by phillygwm

[grozzy1]

What at Starbucks beside hot coffee is included in premium plus? Are hot chocolate or iced drinks available?

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, grozzy1 said:

What at Starbucks beside hot coffee is included in premium plus? Are hot chocolate or iced drinks available?

Hot Chocolate is certainly available. I didn’t particularly look at iced options but there were some available.

[moto_italia]

We did it in August on seven day Caribbean cruise.  My wife loves Champagne and ordered glasses of Verve Clicquot regularly, a bottle of Moet & Chandon at a couple of dinners, and I ordered Macallan Quest single malt scotch at every bar where it was available.  She was able to order a nicer bottle of wine at dinners as well.  Please note that not every bar will have the Premium Plus offerings.  Also, we ordered bottles of Acqua Panna at every meal including breakfast in main dining rooms, quick lunches at O'Sheehan's, and dinners in every main dining room and specialty restaurant.  At the end of dinner each night, we asked for 2 bottles to take back to our cabin for the night.  Yeah, it's expensive, so only you can do the math and decide, but for us it was a nice luxury for our vacation

[smillerholmes]

3 hours ago, phillygwm said:

For me, even setting alcohol aside, it's almost breakeven:  3-4 Pellegrinos @$6.00 and a couple Starbucks at ~$6 each.  But let's face it, I'm NOT setting alcohol aside so it becomes a slam dunk. 🍾

Haha - SAME!