I added up all my drinks from my 5-night cruise

[New2cruise2022]

3 hours ago, eileeshb said:

I was paying the upgrade fee for unlimited internet yesterday (before NCL realise they can jack up the prices with starlink) and was kinda distracted by the FAS+ offer.

It was listed as about €273 and I had a serious think about it. In the end I just went for the wifi upgrade and now FAS+ has disappeared as an upgrade option. 

I'm not a coffee drinker nor too much of a top shelf liquor person and since I travel solo the extra excursion credit is not applicable to me.  But I'll definitely keep it in mind for future bookings as it'll probably be worthwhile for the bottled water alone in my case.

BTW for those not familiar with EU€ pricing our base fare tends to be a lot higher than you get in $, we also pay for FAS which used to be €99 for a 7day but has now gone up to €149 and yes that includes gratuities. 

For those that might be curious the Euro upgrade packages pricing for a 7-day cruise at the moment are as follows (AFAIK Gratuities are included due to EU rules):

FAS+ €273

PBP+ €234

2 meal specialty dining add on €69

Unlimited wifi €106

Unlimitied wifi w/streaming €173

 

FAS+ includes PBP+, 2SDP and unlimited wifi, so those 3 alone combine to exceed the price of FAS+.

 

 

If you still want to consider FAS+, call NCL. I have found you can’t trust most of what you see on MyNCL or the app. Calling (Al thought wait times can be bad and quality of representative is inconsistent) will often lead to different results than what appears online. 

[gmbhardy]

11 hours ago, PappyDays said:

There actually is a limit to the bottle cost in that the bottles available for purchase using the FAS+ plan are specifically indicated in the wine menu. If I recall correctly, the highest priced wines by the bottle under the FAS+ drink package on our recent cruise were $99 per bottle. If the bottles aren’t listed under the drink package, then you can buy them at a 40% discount from the menu price. For example, Dom Perignon was not available under the package, but was available by the bottle at a 40% discount from the menu price which was listed between $250 and $300 as I recall. 

I don’t think that’s accurate. The list of wines and champagnes available by the bottle has nothing to do with the cost. There is simply a selection of wines and champagnes you can choose from that are designated on the wine menu. Veuve Cliquot for example is available by the bottle with a cost of $139.00. The other champagne available by the bottle is Pommery (pink). We preferred the Pommery over Veuve and ordered a bottle every evening with dinner.

[willsears94]

We also preferred the Pommery to Veuve.

 

Very clean and smoothly sweet.

[PappyDays]

10 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

I don’t think that’s accurate. The list of wines and champagnes available by the bottle has nothing to do with the cost. There is simply a selection of wines and champagnes you can choose from that are designated on the wine menu. Veuve Cliquot for example is available by the bottle with a cost of $139.00. The other champagne available by the bottle is Pommery (pink). We preferred the Pommery over Veuve and ordered a bottle every evening with dinner.

We are both right. I agree that there is a selection of wines and champagnes that are designated on the wine menu as premium plus choices that have nothing to do with the cost. I was just stating that the most expensive bottles listed as included as premium plus options that I could recall were at the $99 price point. I don’t remember the bottle cost for Veuve Cliquot since I just had glasses of it without getting a bottle. However, I noticed that the wine list someone posted for the Breakaway had Veuve priced at $99…obviously, every ships wine list is different, sometimes even for the same products. 

[Sydneyberlin]

20 hours ago, david_sobe said:

82 drinks on a 5 night cruise?
I have a hangover just thinking about it  😲

The funny thing is- we’ve found that with the Plus package, you actually drink higher end alcohol so you have LESS of an hangover the next day.

 

But we’re also on the extreme end. 16 alcoholic drinks is nothing for us. And the water, Starbucks, Red Bull comes on top of that. I think we usually come out at around 20-25 drinks in total, depending on whether it’s a port or a sea day. This includes lots of champagne and some rather high end spirits so I honestly think that we’re the kind of people who break even at the least.

 

And yes, not healthy. But how often do we cruise- once a year at max. April will be the first one since just pre-Covid so we’ll make it worthwhile 😝

[drwbrt]

3 hours ago, Sydneyberlin said:

The funny thing is- we’ve found that with the Plus package, you actually drink higher end alcohol so you have LESS of an hangover the next day.

 

But we’re also on the extreme end. 16 alcoholic drinks is nothing for us. And the water, Starbucks, Red Bull comes on top of that. I think we usually come out at around 20-25 drinks in total, depending on whether it’s a port or a sea day. This includes lots of champagne and some rather high end spirits so I honestly think that we’re the kind of people who break even at the least.

 

And yes, not healthy. But how often do we cruise- once a year at max. April will be the first one since just pre-Covid so we’ll make it worthwhile 😝

Love that for you. I saw the sunrise from my balcony every morning. I was never hung over. I just had a genuinely good time. When in Rome? Cheers to you. 

[Sydneyberlin]

10 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

Love that for you. I saw the sunrise from my balcony every morning. I was never hung over. I just had a genuinely good time. When in Rome? Cheers to you. 

Thank you! Love seeing the sunrise from a cruise ship balcony and also very much enjoy a quiet drink out there before heading to bed at night. This is so so special and after the pandemic particularly something we really look forward to, more even than to all those drinks 🤗

 

A special cheers to you too!

[david_sobe]

4 hours ago, Sydneyberlin said:

The funny thing is- we’ve found that with the Plus package, you actually drink higher end alcohol so you have LESS of an hangover the next day.

 

But we’re also on the extreme end. 16 alcoholic drinks is nothing for us. And the water, Starbucks, Red Bull comes on top of that. I think we usually come out at around 20-25 drinks in total, depending on whether it’s a port or a sea day. This includes lots of champagne and some rather high end spirits so I honestly think that we’re the kind of people who break even at the least.

 

And yes, not healthy. But how often do we cruise- once a year at max. April will be the first one since just pre-Covid so we’ll make it worthwhile 😝

I love it.  I dont think I could drink 82 bottles of water on a 5 night cruise.  I am glad someone is getting their money's worth on the Plus package 🙂

[claimee]

If I upgrade to the premium beverage package but my friends don’t, how much do they crack down on sharing? Is it like old Netflix or new Netflix? 😋

[drwbrt]

Just now, claimee said:

If I upgrade to the premium beverage package but my friends don’t, how much do they crack down on sharing? Is it like old Netflix or new Netflix? 😋

Old Netflix for sure. As of now, you can order two drinks at a time almost anywhere. I wouldn't count on that being yours and your friends access to higher-shelf booze and them funneling every order for you.

 

While sailing last week, I would do the coffee run for @New2cruise2022 and myself. While we both had Prem+ it was nice to not have him present when we couldn't drag himself out of bed.

 

If you're not ordering booze, most of the bartenders will put all drinks on one card. They want things to run smoothly and can't care enough about perfect accounting with 20 people at the bar.

 

At the end of the day you have to decide what you're comfortable with. Are you sharing your Netflix account with a roommate that you lived with when you signed up, or is it being accessed by someone you used to date and don't talk to anymore. Tipping the bartender in cash is a nice way to smooth over the internal debate. I would have a much better experience if I didn't feel (even if it isn't true) like I was cheating NCL on their behalf or being used by my friends.

[Lupush]

I'm a drinker and my wife isn't, however we get great value out of the ultimate beverage package.  The Acqua Panna, Starbucks, bottled water, and Premium Spirits make it a no brainer for us.  Never added up my drinks over the course of a cruise like the OP, but I'd venture to say it's probably somewhere around the same amount.

[PTC DAWG]

On 1/28/2023 at 9:58 AM, SeaShark said:

So explain the other side...if all it takes it a morning Starbucks and wine with dinner to come out ahead, then why would the cruise line kiss all their profit goodbye so easily? If the guest comes out ahead, the cruise line loses...do you really think the program is set up for them to lose?

Any of those drinks take very little $$$ to make...yes, they will come out ahead most every time.  Yes, I upgrade to FAS+ every time.  Everyone is happy.  

[claimee]

11 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

Old Netflix for sure. As of now, you can order two drinks at a time almost anywhere. I wouldn't count on that being yours and your friends access to higher-shelf booze and them funneling every order for you.

 

While sailing last week, I would do the coffee run for @New2cruise2022 and myself. While we both had Prem+ it was nice to not have him present when we couldn't drag himself out of bed.

 

If you're not ordering booze, most of the bartenders will put all drinks on one card. They want things to run smoothly and can't care enough about perfect accounting with 20 people at the bar.

 

At the end of the day you have to decide what you're comfortable with. Are you sharing your Netflix account with a roommate that you lived with when you signed up, or is it being accessed by someone you used to date and don't talk to anymore. Tipping the bartender in cash is a nice way to smooth over the internal debate. I would have a much better experience if I didn't feel (even if it isn't true) like I was cheating NCL on their behalf or being used by my friends.

Thanks for the info! My friends have their own standard drink package, so it would only be the occasional Starbucks or top shelf drink. Or sharing a bottle of something at dinner. 

And we were in each other’s weddings 26 + years ago so more family than roommates 😁

[drwbrt]

6 minutes ago, claimee said:

Thanks for the info! My friends have their own standard drink package, so it would only be the occasional Starbucks or top shelf drink. Or sharing a bottle of something at dinner. 

And we were in each other’s weddings 26 + years ago so more family than roommates 😁

We never ordered a bottle but we have heard reports that bottle service was the area being controlled more than anything. Stop and get your Vueve at two locations on the way to dinner instead. We never went to dinner empty handed, the bar service was too slow in the restaurant.

[scooter6139]

43 minutes ago, claimee said:

If I upgrade to the premium beverage package but my friends don’t, how much do they crack down on sharing? Is it like old Netflix or new Netflix? 😋

 

I think it depends on the ship and management.  We tried twice to get 4 glasses for a wine bottle we got off the Plus package, but they said no to having our tablemates (Premium) share.  This was just our experience on Joy last month, I've read plenty where others have had better luck.  

[Tijmen]

How was the supply of P+ wines, by the glass, or by the bottle (that are included in the package)? Sailing on the Bliss in 2 weeks 😁

[drwbrt]

3 minutes ago, Tijmen said:

How was the supply of P+ wines, by the glass, or by the bottle (that are included in the package)? Sailing on the Bliss in 2 weeks 😁

I looked at the whites on the menu pretty heavily and didn't notice anything absent from the list.  Sorry I can't speak for the reds. 

 

The sparkling was stocked. 

 

This is all by the glass. I didn't do any by the bottle.

[disneydave]

On 1/28/2023 at 8:56 AM, Monica887 said:

Got it. Like I said, I can't even drink that much water, so it sounds like a lot, but that's just me. Enjoy!

I cannot drink that much water either but when on a cruise we can certainly enjoy that many beverages during the entire day.  🙂

 

[RocketMan275]

5 hours ago, claimee said:

If I upgrade to the premium beverage package but my friends don’t, how much do they crack down on sharing? Is it like old Netflix or new Netflix? 😋

I hope they crack down severely.  There's no excuse for doing that. 

[curlstravel]

On 1/28/2023 at 12:37 PM, bortman23 said:

We recently came off a 7 night sailing on the Prima, and found the FAS+ upgrade well worth it. We had planned to upgrade to unlimited wifi anyway, and the extra $50 ShoreEx saved us a lot (we got an excursion in every port, and only cost us about $250 CAD for both, total). 

 

We also found it useful for:

- Flow water at night and every day before going ashore

- Trying all the high end Whisky at the Whiskey Bar

- Starbucks every day, often twice (morning/afternoon)

- A shot of Baileys in our Starbucks!

- Aqua Panna bottles at dinner

- P+ Wine by the glass or Bottle at dinner

- My partner probably drank a few bottles of Veuve to himself, and I constantly had Belvedere martini

- Having 2 extra Specialty Dinning was wonderful, we barely ate in the MDR (though it was also good)

 

All said I think we came out ahead, over purchasing all these upgrades separately. Though we were VERY mindful of getting as much out of it as possible. 

 

I would do it again for a cruise like this, just the two of us or a small group. When traveling with family/large group I wouldn't since most of my family would not opt to upgrade, and with the extra dinners we likely would never eat together (maybe that's a good thing!?).

Belvedere is on the regular package you do not need to upgrade to the plus package for it

[willsears94]

49 minutes ago, drwbrt said:

I looked at the whites on the menu pretty heavily and didn't notice anything absent from the list.  Sorry I can't speak for the reds. 

 

The sparkling was stocked. 

 

This is all by the glass. I didn't do any by the bottle.

Most Reds were available in the wine bar. The male sommelier was more helpful than the other attendant in finding a comparable red.

[drwbrt]

3 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

I hope they crack down severely.  There's no excuse for doing that. 

It serves NCL too. The more policing they do, the less they are serving customers, paying or not. This is factored into prices, policies, and practice. @New2cruise2022did a write up on the Unlimited Arcade that clearly explains how these things are factored in. They plan on you sharing the arcade, they plan (to some degree) on the drinks being shared.

[New2cruise2022]

Just now, drwbrt said:

It serves NCL too. The more policing they do, the less they are serving customers, paying or not. This is factored into prices, policies, and practice. @New2cruise2022did a write up on the Unlimited Arcade that clearly explains how these things are factored in. They plan on you sharing the arcade, they plan (to some degree) on the drinks being shared.

And to @RocketMan275 point, if they are abused without crackdown, it can negatively impact customer pricing for future cruises. 

[bortman23]

4 hours ago, curlstravel said:

Belvedere is on the regular package you do not need to upgrade to the plus package for it

 

I know, the only Vodka on P+ is the absolute elyx. I prefer the Belvedere

[claimee]

10 hours ago, drwbrt said:

We never ordered a bottle but we have heard reports that bottle service was the area being controlled more than anything. Stop and get your Vueve at two locations on the way to dinner instead. We never went to dinner empty handed, the bar service was too slow in the restaurant.

 

9 hours ago, scooter6139 said:

 

I think it depends on the ship and management.  We tried twice to get 4 glasses for a wine bottle we got off the Plus package, but they said no to having our tablemates (Premium) share.  This was just our experience on Joy last month, I've read plenty where others have had better luck.  

So if I arrive at dinner with my bottle in hand, it’s mine to share as I please? or will my table mates have to watch me drink the whole bottle? 
What are the stipulations on the bottles? Is there a limit per day? Can you take them back to your cabin?

I have not been on Norwegian since the “Free at Sea” was implemented so it’s all new to me.