FAS+ on the Breakaway, my experience.

[ziggyuk]

We have just got off the Breakaway out of New Orleans (11-18 Dec) and went for the FAS+ as we had a lot of excursion's booked.

 

I will try to keep this balanced as my experience was not all great but equally was far from all bad.
Some of the best aspects were:

Starbucks, every morning we got or fix and took it to the dining room as the Starbucks they serve in the MDRs is Starbucks beans in a auto machine and they are not great. Some days there were some very big lines, probably due to the popularity of the various packages that not include coffee, most mornings we would split up and one would grab a table while the other stood in line for the coffee.
Starbucks was a really good perk, I don't consider it great coffee but its just so much better than the normal offering.

 

Water was another great benefit, with every meal we ordered a bottle of Acqua Panna & San Pellegrino as well as picking up cartons of Flow water at the bars to take off the ship.

Speciality meals, this was great, two extra meals with the FAS+ and as it was a 7 day this meant we hardly eat in the MDR, for longer cruises this benefit with watered do and you get two extra meals regardless of the length of the cruise.

The unlimited internet was great, the speeds were fine for my needs of simple surfing and we were able to have overseas WhatsApp calls without problem, and normally having the restricted basic FAS allowance, it was a treat not to have to keep logging out to save minutes.

Now the alcohol, I like my premium spirits and Champagne and this was one of the main reasons I purchased the package.

Firstly there was no champagne available at any bar, and the only place we could avail ourselves was in the dining rooms, this was the Breakaway and that ship does not have a wine or Champagne bar, we were even being told we could only have prosecco by many staff in the restaurants or on other occasions told we could only have champagne by the glass, we had to be very insistent to actually get a bottle of champagne which normally meant the restaurant manager having to see us and not getting any drinks until we were almost finished our meal.
To be honest, the difficulties we had were enough to put me off purchasing the package again.

 

The Champaign situation was bad enough but there were almost no premium spirits available, I was getting so frustrated I asked to see the beverage manager, Hendricks gin was only available at Syd Normans and the maltings, the was no kraken rum at all on the ship (the beverage manager told us it's now deleted from NCLs list), there was no Monkey Shoulder gin. The best gin most bars had was Tanqueray 10, the best vodka was Grey Goose and the best spiced rum was Bacardi.

The Beverage manager promised me that she would get Hendricks gin and Kraken rum into the atrium bar for me, but neither of thee things happened due to shortages (and the last few Kraken bottles already gone).

The only place to get and good wine was again the restaurants and none of the bars carry premium wines and there is no wine bar on the Breakaway. We did find a solution as the wine dispensers are included in the P+, however they were soon empty of good wines and not stocked up for 3 days which I again had to get the beverage manager involved in as all the other requests I made to have the dispensers restocked fell on deaf ears.

To balance this out there were some premium Rye Whiskeys (not much Scotch) and Tequilas available and we were able to order these but they are not either of our preferred drinks.

 

I was told by a bar tender there was a big shortage of alcohol and it the expected shipment did not arrive in NO on the 18th there would be huge problems for that week sailing.

A lots of negatives there I know but overall we did like the package and felt it was good value, the hassle of getting drinks did put us off and as out next cruise is 12 days we wont be taking it for that trip (due to the excursions, the fixed 2 meals and the overall cost for 12 days).

Would I do it again? Yes I would on shorter cruises & importantly I would consider the ship and the bars it has before making that choice.
IMHO the FAS+ (ore importantly the P+ element) is not suited to the breakaway class.

Edited December 19, 2022 by ziggyuk

[rnfulk]

My experience on the 12/11-12/18 Breakaway cruise echos yours. All aspects of the FAS+ package were acceptable other than frustrations over the beverage package upgrade. I was mostly interested in having bottles of better wine during the cruise. We had issues every time we requested a specific bottle of “premium plus” wine. They never had what we requested. Not a single time. It’s not like we kept ordering the same elusive wine. We asked for something different each night. Most of the time the wine steward would come and try to assist with the selection of another bottle, but we were often halfway through dinner by the time we finally got a drink. Le Bistro and Ocean Blue were exceptions with the wine steward coming to the table with suggestions prior to us ordering anything. They were also much more aware of what was actually in stock. At Moderno there was zero effort to try to find us a premium plus option and in the Manhattan Room we were made to feel like a burden for the amount of time that had been spent attempting to find the bottle we ordered.  
I would probably get the upgraded package again, but only if I knew the supply issues were resolved. 

 

[spenecer]

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

Speciality meals, this was great, two extra meals with the FAS+ and as it was a 7 day this meant we hardly eat in the MDR, for longer cruises this benefit with watered do and you get two extra meals regardless of the length of the cruise.
 

When they say two extra meals, is this two extra meals per person (so 3 speciality meals per person on a 7 day cruise)?

[New2cruise2022]

Thanks for the thorough review. It seems like there is plenty of value for the package (unlimited internet that you don’t stress over, convenience and cost savings on packaged water, and daily Starbucks included) along with diminished satisfaction. 
 

You did a great job describing both and you’ve set the stage for my evaluation of FAS+ when I sail next month on Bliss. It won’t exactly be apples to apples because of class size and available bars, but at least I know what to measure and something to measure against. 
 

Dollar for dollar, I will probably find the value (unlimited water options and Starbucks) without a single drop of alcohol (premium plus or otherwise). I will drink enough water with meals as well as on-the-go, and multiple Starbucks per day to reach a value-met advantage for my wallet. (I also enjoy energy drinks, so the tally of cost savings will truly be there.)

 

Satisfaction is certainly a part of value, but I can see this is the shortcoming for you and many people regarding P+ offering. It may very well be a product of supply chain, as that excuse continues to be thrown around a lot in many areas of most of our lives. Supply chain does, however, does feel somewhat an excuse of convenience with other financial driven decisions and policy changes as NCL continues to recover from the pandemic.
 

With room service increase charges, mixed shot policies, increased DSC, it is not hard for consumers to conclude that the availability (or lack there of) of premium wines and spirits on board is part of cost cutting rather than supply chain. 
 

Good, detailed reviews such as this will help the CC community be more informed and have more realistic expectations as they consider the FAS+ package and use it on board. 
 

Thanks again!

 

[New2cruise2022]

16 minutes ago, rnfulk said:

only if I knew the supply issues were resolved. 

Even with great reports back like this one, it will be hard to rely on a supply report because every ship and sailing is so different. 
 

Is the availability to have bottled wine with every meal (regardless of the quality of wine) different with P+ versus the standard drink package?

[Redsky5292]

We are having issues getting the wine we want at our local package store.  The owner told us that there is a major supply chain issue, specifically with the glass that they use to make the wine bottles.

[JandC_Cruising]

31 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Is the availability to have bottled wine with every meal (regardless of the quality of wine) different with P+ versus the standard drink package?

With the P+ package, each guest with the package may order a select bottle of wine free of charge.  The bottles covered are highlighted on each of the wine lists (usually with a bold *). 

Example attached:

 

In our experience when a desired "free" bottle was not available, the server (or wine steward) has offered to give us a comparably priced bottle without charge.  

I agree, that nicer bottles and even premium glasses (>$15) are not kept at most of the bars throughout the ship.  That said, we have never struggled find a premium glass or champagne (Veuve or Moet) throughout the ship.  What the OP experienced is certainly an issue as so many do get the P+ to enjoy the nice champagnes.

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, spenecer said:

When they say two extra meals, is this two extra meals per person (so 3 speciality meals per person on a 7 day cruise)?

 

Yes, so an inside on a 7 day would get one meal, the FAS+ gives both guests and extra two meals making 3 each in total, then if like us you are platinum, that is a further two meals making five in total for a 7 day cruise.

[ziggyuk]

4 minutes ago, JandC_Cruising said:

What the OP experienced is certainly an issue as so many do get the P+ to enjoy the nice champagnes.

 

Yes, this was a major motivation for us and it will depend a lot on the ship, the Breakaway does not have Champagne at any bar, not helped by the fact there is no wine bar onboard this ship.

 

When I told the Beverage manager I felt is was misleading to sell a package that includes Champagne if it's actually not available anywhere outside the restaurants, she said it was covered in the small print which apparently says something on the lines of "where available on the individual bar menus" (I haven't checked this).

 

Since we can't see the individual bar menus prior to package purchase that small print is IMHO a little unfair, and I stand by it being misleading. If Champagne is important I would suggest the menus posted on CC are interrogated to ensure it is actually available.

I hope I have not made this sound too negative as we did find value in the package, we were just disappointed in the alcoholic drink element that was of major importance to us.

[Niffernay]

3 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

The unlimited internet was great, the speeds were fine for my needs of simple surfing and we were able to have overseas WhatsApp calls without problem, and normally having the restricted basic FAS allowance, it was a treat not to have to keep logging out to save minutes

@ziggyuk- could you verify whether this was unlimited internet for both people in the cabin, or just one shared connection?  Thanks!!!!

[JandC_Cruising]

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

I hope I have not made this sound too negative as we did find value in the package, we were just disappointed in the alcoholic drink element that was of major importance to us.

You didn't.  We have always upgraded to the P+ for all the same reasons you mentioned.  Additionally since our first cruise back from the shut-down (and we've done 3 already) we've been adding 2 extra meals and upgrading our wifi.  The new FAS+ is a great deal to wrap all the upgrades together - plus an additional $50 off excursions for guest #2.

  We are big whiskey drinkers and visit Maltings/Tobacco Road each night for our Old Fashions and Scotches.  We have not faced significant outages in any cruise yet, but are on the Encore in two weeks and hope we don't see the same issues you saw. 

Happy Cruising!

[New2cruise2022]

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

I hope I have not made this sound too negative as we did find value in the package, we were just disappointed in the alcoholic drink element that was of major importance to us.

Not at all! This was a great post with fair criticisms to help everyone. 

[ziggyuk]

30 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

Not at all! This was a great post with fair criticisms to help everyone. 

 

I just noticed all my typos though, good lord! I need to slow my typing down 🙄

Edited December 19, 2022 by ziggyuk

[MNcruisingcouple]

@ziggyuk Did you happen to check the Prime Meridian bar (between Cagney's and Moderno) for Champagne/wine?  I believe someone suggested to try that.  

Honestly, we ran into the champagne issue a year ago on the Breakaway.  Escalated the issue to the food and bev manager and was told it wasn't available outside of a dining room.  Never had an issue getting it in a specialty restaurant but Manhattan room was another story (slow and frustrating).

[ziggyuk]

43 minutes ago, MNcruisingcouple said:

@ziggyuk Did you happen to check the Prime Meridian bar (between Cagney's and Moderno) for Champagne/wine?  I believe someone suggested to try that.  

Honestly, we ran into the champagne issue a year ago on the Breakaway.  Escalated the issue to the food and bev manager and was told it wasn't available outside of a dining room.  Never had an issue getting it in a specialty restaurant but Manhattan room was another story (slow and frustrating).

 

That was the only bar we did not try as we had a couple of Scotch shots there while waiting for a meal. As the Beverage manager told us Champagne was not available at any bar we had given up asking at that point.
The bar between Taste and Savour were unable to serve Champagne so I think the beverage manager was probably correct and Prime Meridian would not have been able to serve Champagne either.

 

It's interesting your experience of a year ago was identical to ours.

Edited December 19, 2022 by ziggyuk

[bortman23]

Appreciate the review and info.

 

We've booked the FAS+ for our Prima Sailing next month, mainly for all the same reasons as you. I'll be disappointed if we are not able to get a bottle of champagne at dinner. We're already planning Starbucks every AM, and have an excursion booked for every port!

 

Anyone experienced the FAS+ on the Prima?

 

I'd love to see NCL do something similar to other lines and include the service charge into this cost (even for an increase in price). I think they'd see a lot more people add it on.

[MNcruisingcouple]

35 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

That was the only bar we did not try as we had a couple of Scotch shots there while waiting for a meal. As the Beverage manager told us Champagne was not available at any bar we had given up asking at that point.
The bar between Taste and Savour were unable to serve Champagne so I think the beverage manager was probably correct and Prime Meridian would not have been able to serve Champagne either.

 

It's interesting your experience of a year ago was identical to ours.

 

Thanks for the reply.  I'll be checking the Prime Meridian bar in Feb but I don't have high hopes.  The only issue we had a year ago was the Champagne.  I think that will be on going on ships without a wine bar.

[dbrown84]

thanks for this post.  The shortage of upgraded drinks has also been reported by others.  I was thinking of upgrading for the upgraded Scotch, but I think I'll pass for now until the supply problems are behind us.  I'm not a fan of Starbuck coffee and I can get water at the casino bar, so without the drinks that I would want this would be a waste.  Especially since I always decline the drink package.  I would be accepting the drink package gratuities plus the upgrade cost just to find out that there is no Macallan anywhere on the ship.  Man, I wouldn't be happy 🙂

[gmbhardy]

My son was on the Breakaway in November and reported the same frustrations with the Premium Plus package, so much so that he cancelled the purchase on his upcoming NCL cruises. I really don’t think these are supply chain issues. NCL is restricting the availability of premium liquor to reduce costs. I’m on a 15 day Panama Canal cruise on the Bliss in a couple weeks and I have pre purchased the plus package. If I’m unable to get a fair assortment of premium drinks I’m going to raise bloody hell. I worked hard for my money and I simply want to get what I paid for. 

[sassytpotts]

We were on the cruise right after Thanksgiving and the only bar that had champs was the Prime Meridian bar.  The bartenders there were fabulous and had a glass(es) of Vevue waiting for me every night.  The did run out the last night however.

[roxette]

I have been on four cruises with the Premium Plus package. The two first were in the very beginning, when they just had introduced it, once on Getaway and once on Bliss. You could get anything at almost any bar. The last two, Getaway and Epic was really so so. Not worth it, for me, if they dont deliver what they say in the PR.

 

I just got of a Celebrity Cruise. No issues with the Premium package there. 

[luv2kroooz]

12 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

If I’m unable to get a fair assortment of premium drinks I’m going to raise bloody hell. I worked hard for my money and I simply want to get what I paid for. 

I don't blame you and would probably do the same. I certainly understand that there can be supply chain issues NCL may not be able to control. However, it is not the customers fault either. If they can't deliver the product, then refund the money. I don't understand why any company would expect a customer to pay for a product that is not deliverable. And putting an asterisk with a disclaimer subject to availability doesn't change my opinion. Deliver what is advertised or refund the money paid, instead of under delivering and keeping the money.

[New2cruise2022]

1 hour ago, luv2kroooz said:

I don't blame you and would probably do the same. I certainly understand that there can be supply chain issues NCL may not be able to control. However, it is not the customers fault either. If they can't deliver the product, then refund the money. I don't understand why any company would expect a customer to pay for a product that is not deliverable. And putting an asterisk with a disclaimer subject to availability doesn't change my opinion. Deliver what is advertised or refund the money paid, instead of under delivering and keeping the money.

I know this is a wildly unpopular opinion to many, but I think if they won’t refund P+ when it has failed to deliver, it is perfectly fair to remove the DSC. DSC is for service. Regardless of position, all crew represent the company. 

[luv2kroooz]

12 minutes ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I know this is a wildly unpopular opinion to many, but I think if they won’t refund P+ when it has failed to deliver, it is perfectly fair to remove the DSC. DSC is for service. Regardless of position, all crew represent the company. 

I certainly can understand why that would be unpopular, but I also wouldn't disagree with you for making the very personal and intentional choice to do so. Unfortunately, the shi* rolls downhill.

 

If you are faced with a situation where you believe you haven't received a substantial portion of what you paid for, you either have to eat the cost or try to recoup your potential losses. If it is a supply chain issue, I imagine no substitute product would even be available onboard.

 

What is interesting to me is that I read on the Celebrity board or on here is that there were no supply chain issues on a recent Celebrity sailing, so who knows, maybe it is ship and homeport specific. I do know there are limits on quantities of spirits here in our local stores.