Bailey's Not Included?

[mjkacmom]

42 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

There's a really good (not so good) reason for that...one of the posters is being forced, like robbed force, to cruise NCL, when they hate NCL, ergo NCL is the devil incarnate (in corporate flesh, not human). So we must endure their posts about how wonderful Celebrity is compared to our bad ole frankie boy-led NCL. 

There seem to be some posters who appear angry that folks like the NCL product and don’t care to sail celebrity, it’s a little odd at this point.

[graphicguy]

12 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Hey, I enjoy sailing in Celebrity a lot.  I agree with others, I don’t  get the comparisons here. Apples and Oranges. 

In enjoy both Celebrity and NCL.  Agree that they’re somewhat different products.  Unless it was during the startup, when I was able to score hella good deals, Celebrity fares are generally higher than NCL’s.  So, one way or the other, you’re paying, regardless of how they’re framing it.

[kayjaypea42]

On 10/4/2022 at 6:56 AM, detroitlions said:

Don't forget if the drink package was not "FREE" 80% of the folks on CC would be on another cruise line cause there bar tab would be $2000 at the end of the cruise .

 

But it is "free"...or at least WAAAY cheaper than any other cruise line.  If it weren't free (yes, it's like $200+ pp), we'd likely see the cost of booze go way down.  It's a game.  To me, that means that a Bailey's is $1 out of pocket.  I'd have to purchase 30 of them a day to make the premium package worth it.  On a cruise, I MIGHT have one mudslide as a dessert.  The only other drink I would have is a Bailey's Alexander...  $2 is not a horrible fine, even if it does kinda suck.  I'm still out of pocket WAY less than I would be on like RCCL.  For a group of 3 adults in a room, the alcohol package would have been more than the cost of a cruise for another person.  ($1500 at $60pp/pd)

[detroitlions]

On 10/4/2022 at 8:59 AM, graphicguy said:

Hooo…..boy.  You obviously haven’t stayed at a Ritz Carlton lately.  Even a teeny shot of Jack Black will run you close to $20.

 

Anyway, if you buy drinks individually, they’re priced like they are at a resort.  Certainly not cheap.  If you have the drink package, your alcohol outlay is mitigated.  Personally, I think NCL’s included package is a pretty good deal.  For the roughly $20/day (tips), I can drink all the beer, alcohol and wine I want.  I’ve heard the wine selection is mediocre, but I’m not a wine drinker.  So, that doesn’t affect me.

 

I don’t keep a specific tab on my daily alcohol consumption, but it goes something like this…

 

-A.M. or early afternoon-Bloody Mary and/or Belini

-afternoon…..2, maybe 3 beers

-early evening…pre-dinner bourbon

-after dinner apertif

-Evening martini(s) and a Bourbon nightcap.

 

Roughly, $60+/ day at any decent establishment at home.

 

Mentioned before, I like Buffalo Trace.  I can’t even find Buffalo Trace at home….at any price……and I live right across the OH River from the Bourbon Trail.

 

I do like Celebrity’s drink package.  But, I pay more in fares for the entire cruise to get it.

 

You can’t just take one small component and try to do an apples to apples comparison.  Yeah, you may get something on one cruise line’s drink package you can’t on another. But, the fare on the cruise line is $800 more for you to get that one drink you want.

 

I do get Jamie’s point.  I would think that Bailey’s would be part of the regular drink package.  I do know the “bourbon cream” brands they carry on board in addition to Bailey’s are not nearly as good.

I agree with what your saying and our habits are similar when it comes to the drinks unless in the casino the numbers go up. There is no rhyme or reason on some of the prices even when compared to other drinks. Grey Goose and Crown are similarly priced but Grey Goose is included. And that is only because everyone had a fit when it was not.

[detroitlions]

12 minutes ago, kayjaypea42 said:

 

But it is "free"...or at least WAAAY cheaper than any other cruise line.  If it weren't free (yes, it's like $200+ pp), we'd likely see the cost of booze go way down.  It's a game.  To me, that means that a Bailey's is $1 out of pocket.  I'd have to purchase 30 of them a day to make the premium package worth it.  On a cruise, I MIGHT have one mudslide as a dessert.  The only other drink I would have is a Bailey's Alexander...  $2 is not a horrible fine, even if it does kinda suck.  I'm still out of pocket WAY less than I would be on like RCCL.  For a group of 3 adults in a room, the alcohol package would have been more than the cost of a cruise for another person.  ($1500 at $60pp/pd)

I totally agree. Another point I will add is for folks that like wine and bubbly which I do not. I looked at the included list and the not included list not allot of choices. My wife likes this stuff she is probably not going to like it. I saw one prosecco listed in the included list. And there own wine North South stuff is 2 or 3 dollars extra wow.

[graphicguy]

13 minutes ago, detroitlions said:

I agree with what your saying and our habits are similar when it comes to the drinks unless in the casino the numbers go up. There is no rhyme or reason on some of the prices even when compared to other drinks. Grey Goose and Crown are similarly priced but Grey Goose is included. And that is only because everyone had a fit when it was not.

I'm sure somewhere deep in the accounting bowels of all these cruise lines there's one person with coke bottle glasses working on EXCEL formulas who does nothing but slices and dices which brands, how much availability, what access is for all these different brands.  And, that person decides what is or isn't included.

 

This isn't just NCL.  It's Royal.  It's Carnival.  It's Celebrity.  It's HAL....etc, etc!

[pc_load_letter]

On 10/4/2022 at 5:45 AM, munchkin1208 said:

why are we spending so much time talking about the drink package that celebrity has? Im sailing NCL and am only concerned with their prices and menu"s. 

 

Yeah, wife booked Bliss out of Long Beach for November. We've been on NCL several times before but I guess I'm just spoiled on Carnivals KISS beverage package. One price, you get booze, coffee, water. Now I see I need to upgrade to get the same level.

 

Oh well, I guess they have done the research and think it's better this way.

[CruizinSusan70]

1 hour ago, kayjaypea42 said:

 

But it is "free"...or at least WAAAY cheaper than any other cruise line.  

Not quite.  MSC is the cheapest.  Next July we're on the Meraviglia out of Brooklyn for 800pp all in including taxes and drink package.

And if comparing an apple to an apple ship and destination wise, Carnival with Cheers is usually cheaper as well.

[kayjaypea42]

47 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Not quite.  MSC is the cheapest.  Next July we're on the Meraviglia out of Brooklyn for 800pp all in including taxes and drink package.

And if comparing an apple to an apple ship and destination wise, Carnival with Cheers is usually cheaper as well.

 

MSC is, in my opinion based on one terrible cruise on the Divina in 2018 and corroborating testimonials by  others on different MSC ships since then, a terrible cruise line.  There is a reason they're dirt-cheap.  I have not been on Carnival yet, but I'd like to try Mardi Gras.  That said, when I looked into Cheers briefly, I think it was $50 pp / pd, which is more expensive than NCL. (Granted the cruise itself is often cheaper, so it probably washes, but also...I don't recall ever hearing about fights breaking out on NCL ships.  There's been at least 3 or more in the past couple of months on Carnival to the point where they had to implement a formal fine and policy for such occurrences.)

Edited October 5, 2022 by kayjaypea42

[JamieLogical]

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

There's a really good (not so good) reason for that...one of the posters is being forced, like robbed force, to cruise NCL, when they hate NCL, ergo NCL is the devil incarnate (in corporate flesh, not human). So we must endure their posts about how wonderful Celebrity is compared to our bad ole frankie boy-led NCL. 

 

I certainly don't hate NCL. If I hated it, no amount of persuasion would get me to sail NCL again. As I have said in other threads, there are pros and cons to any cruise line and some people value certain aspects above others. That is fine. When I first sailed Celebrity, I was disappointed that Bailey's wasn't covered in their Classic package while it was covered in NCLs, so that was actually a point in NCL's favor.

 

Currently, I find Celebrity to be a better value for my tastes. I am sailing Princess for the first time in December, so we will see how that goes. Right now I only have NCL and Celebrity to compare to one another. I think it's pretty natural, when you experience two different versions of a thing, to compare them to one another. Sorry that some people disagree.

[PATRLR]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

I'm sure somewhere deep in the accounting bowels of all these cruise lines there's one person with coke bottle glasses working on EXCEL formulas who does nothing but slices and dices which brands, how much availability, what access is for all these different brands.  And, that person decides what is or isn't included.

That would be the Senior VP for Nickel and Dime Accumulation.  And he actually has assembled a team of such individuals, generally considered to be the best in the business at their craft.  NCL is very proud of this VP and his department.  😉

[JamieLogical]

I just checked the terms of the drink package for my upcoming Princess sailing. The included "Princess Plus" package covers drinks up to $12. According to the most recent menus I could find from August, Bailey's is listed as $7.50. So Princess is already beating NCL and Celebrity in one category at least.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I certainly don't hate NCL. If I hated it, no amount of persuasion would get me to sail NCL again. As I have said in other threads, there are pros and cons to any cruise line and some people value certain aspects above others. That is fine. When I first sailed Celebrity, I was disappointed that Bailey's wasn't covered in their Classic package while it was covered in NCLs, so that was actually a point in NCL's favor.

 

Currently, I find Celebrity to be a better value for my tastes. I am sailing Princess for the first time in December, so we will see how that goes. Right now I only have NCL and Celebrity to compare to one another. I think it's pretty natural, when you experience two different versions of a thing, to compare them to one another. Sorry that some people disagree.

Anxious to hear about your Princess cruise, as we seem to have similar cruising tastes.

 

Have looked at them a few times.  Just nothing there that ever floated my boat (pun intended).

[JamieLogical]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Anxious to hear about your Princess cruise, as we seem to have similar cruising tastes.

 

Have looked at them a few times.  Just nothing there that ever floated my boat (pun intended).

 

The two things I am dreading are no couch in the room and having a shower curtain in a tiny shower. In order to get a couch on Princess you need a mini suite and on the Panama Canal sailing we are doing, it would have cost us thousands of extra dollars to upgrade.

[graphicguy]

5 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

The two things I am dreading are no couch in the room and having a shower curtain in a tiny shower. In order to get a couch on Princess you need a mini suite and on the Panama Canal sailing we are doing, it would have cost us thousands of extra dollars to upgrade.

Shower curtains sticking as you shower…….oh my!  Don’t miss that at all!

[CruizinSusan70]

10 hours ago, kayjaypea42 said:

 

MSC is, in my opinion based on one terrible cruise on the Divina in 2018 and corroborating testimonials by  others on different MSC ships since then, a terrible cruise line.  There is a reason they're dirt-cheap.  I have not been on Carnival yet, but I'd like to try Mardi Gras.  That said, when I looked into Cheers briefly, I think it was $50 pp / pd, which is more expensive than NCL. (Granted the cruise itself is often cheaper, so it probably washes, but also...I don't recall ever hearing about fights breaking out on NCL ships.  There's been at least 3 or more in the past couple of months on Carnival to the point where they had to implement a formal fine and policy for such occurrences.)

You mentioned about 3 or more fights breaking out on a Carnival ship.  For arguments sake, let's double your number to six and then spread it across the say 20+ ships at sea on a given day and exponentially the odds of you being on a ship where a fight breaks out, then being in the particular area of that ship is kinda slim.  

The Excel Class has changed things for Carnival.  We like to sail on the newest ships that various lines offer.  Sailed on the Escape three times a few years back and we'll be on the Prima for 25 days.  The same holds true to Carnival.  Been on the Mardi Gras for 28 days, had a great time and will be on the Celebration for 33 days.  The Celebration starts in November out of Miami. I'd recommend it over the MG.

[CruizinSusan70]

9 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

I just checked the terms of the drink package for my upcoming Princess sailing. The included "Princess Plus" package covers drinks up to $12. According to the most recent menus I could find from August, Bailey's is listed as $7.50. So Princess is already beating NCL and Celebrity in one category at least.

We spent 14 days on the Discovery back in April.  It was our first cruise on Princess and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Based on demographics and vibe, Princess is closer to Celebrity than NCL since that is whom you've cruises on.

[greg_atlanta]

On my recent Spirit sailing a friend with the drink package wanted Bailey's after dinner but was told it would be $1 extra.  He was offered Maloneys as an alternative -- and waiter suggested a double (which is allowed).   So that worked out fine.  I'm not an irish creme person but tasted Maloneys and it was fine.

 

I do think the individual drink prices are ridiculous and not likely to sail NCL anytime soon unless there's attractive pricing of the drink package before the cruise.

 

[Also FYI....  considering an MSC cruise and they have very good pricing on drink package, but if you go over the limit of your package you have to pay the full price of the drink -- not just the difference.]

Edited October 6, 2022 by greg_atlanta

[PATRLR]

5 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

You mentioned about 3 or more fights breaking out on a Carnival ship.  For arguments sake, let's double your number to six and then spread it across the say 20+ ships at sea on a given day and exponentially the odds of you being on a ship where a fight breaks out, then being in the particular area of that ship is kinda slim.  

There is a way to make it even slimmer:  Avoid the 3 or 4 night Bahamas cruises.  As I recall, at least one of those fights was on a short cruise to the Bahamas.  And my personal experience on a 4 night RCCL cruise to the Bahamas was that there was a lot of people doing some very hard partying (i.e. very drunk), much more so than a 7 night (or longer) cruise.

I've cruised Carnival a lot.  The clientele really isn't all that different from NCL. 

Edited October 6, 2022 by PATRLR

[smillerholmes]

On 10/3/2022 at 8:34 PM, whitsmom said:

Really don’t like Jim Beam (except for the Green Apple flavor) even though  it’s like 20 minutes from my house. Woodford Reserve or Angels Envy are two of my favorites along with Bradshaw and Lincoln. We live in the heart of the Bourbon Trail. 

Woodford Reserve is available - however, I believe it is on the premium list.  I did not see Angels Envy, Bradshaw or Lincoln.  I was able to find Eagle Rare a couple of times and Wild Turkey 101.  Good Luck!

[dexddd]

They were doing Irish Cream alternative last week on Prima and Crown Royal a buck upcharge, for your convenience, of course.

[Reese15233]

18 hours ago, JamieLogical said:

 

I certainly don't hate NCL. If I hated it, no amount of persuasion would get me to sail NCL again. As I have said in other threads, there are pros and cons to any cruise line and some people value certain aspects above others. That is fine. When I first sailed Celebrity, I was disappointed that Bailey's wasn't covered in their Classic package while it was covered in NCLs, so that was actually a point in NCL's favor.

 

Currently, I find Celebrity to be a better value for my tastes. I am sailing Princess for the first time in December, so we will see how that goes. Right now I only have NCL and Celebrity to compare to one another. I think it's pretty natural, when you experience two different versions of a thing, to compare them to one another. Sorry that some people disagree.

 I don't think this was aimed at you. I think you have been very clear about your feelings and frustrations and you have never bashed NCL, merely expressed frustrations and shared you reasons for trying something else. I appreciate your honest and balanced expressions based on your experiences. The comparisons are also appreciated.

I am relatively new to cruising and my 3 cruises so far ( I have 2 more scheduled for 2023) have all been NCL because my initial research showed they had a fairly good safety and satisfaction rate. Also, when I price similar itineraries on different lines NCL has been the best option given my preferences and budget. That said I have have loved my experiences cruising and will try other lines. The opinions of cruise critic board participants, such as yourself, who can offer informed opinions have been and will continue to be extremely useful in helping me to decide which lines to try when and where based on what I am looking for in a particular experience/trip. Those who just complain without constructive criticism are not helpful. It just makes me wonder why they chose to invest the time and effort in "discussing" their dissatisfaction.

Different people will weigh factors differently, so finding like minded individuals is key.  Generally, I have found your preferences similar enough to benefit from your experiences and opinions. I for instance don't care for Bailey's but I do enjoy other cream liqueurs and I was pleasantly surprised to see Amarula is on either beverage list for NCL. Keep sharing!

[munchkin1208]

On 10/5/2022 at 1:13 AM, CruizinSusan70 said:

As a stock holder I thank you.  As well as the powers that be at NCL that hope that many other cruisers like yourself keep blinders on and are not educated as to what the competition offers.

I am not blind to, or uneducated about what other cruise lines offer. I do my homework and am well aware of the differences between the cruiselines. I just dont see the benefit of talking so much about Celebrity's drink package on this thread when someone is inquiring what/why a particular alcohol in or isnt included in the Ncl pkg. thats all!

Enjoy your day

 

[Cruising Lynne]

If I am understanding correctly, for people with the regular drink package on NCL or Celebrity, Bailey's Irish cream will cost you a dollar? 

 

I have to say that I on my most recent NCL cruise (September 2022), I ordered a mudslide. It was made with Maloney's Irish Cream. I found out that I preferred it over Bailey's. Bailey's sometimes upsets my stomach, and I found that did not happen with the Maloney's. I do not know how it would taste straight or in other mixed drinks. I do not like Irish cream enough to ever drink it straight. 

 

Unrelated to Irish Cream:

I have sailed on Celebrity in the past and enjoyed it, but for now prefer NCL. I really like Freestyle dining and the entertainment on NCL.

 

It is really hard to compare cruise lines. Even within the same cruise line your experience can vary depending on the class of ship. I like that on the smaller ships I do not need to reserve any shows, but on the larger ships I enjoy the Broadway shows. On Celebrity and Royal, I like that some of their ships have an included indoor pool and indoor hot tubs. People really need to do research before booking on any line to find what cruise will align with their personal preferences.

Edited October 6, 2022 by Cruising Lynne
spelling error

[NorthernJoey]

I just read all three pages of Baileys being 1 dollar over the drink package vs Celebrity vs Princess.

 

All I can say is WOW, does it make any difference when putting things in perspective?

 

I personally have spent like 5k for the cruise ahead and we have the regular drink package.

 

If I and my better half have five Baileys each during the cruise (not likely that many) we are talking ten bucks, right?!?

 

So, I just think it is going to be like 0,2% of the total cost and there are few more disturbing things going on right now. Way to go guys 🤣