NCL “free at sea” beverage package

[mjkacmom]

8 minutes ago, ddferrari said:

Room service delivers wine. There is a $10 charge for any and all room service deliveries, but the food and wine (assuming you have a drink package) themselves are "free".

If you order alcohol through room service, you are charged full price even if you have the package. 

[ddferrari]

7 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

If you order alcohol through room service, you are charged full price even if you have the package. 

Oh! My mistake. Somehow I remembered differently!

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, ddferrari said:

Room service delivers wine. There is a $10 charge for any and all room service deliveries, but the food and wine (assuming you have a drink package) themselves are "free".

The wine delivered by room service is not included in FAS. 

[dilbertsdaddy]

On 9/6/2024 at 1:35 PM, cruiseny4life said:

I'm not an oenophile, so don't understand why anyone would bring wine onboard (corkage fee or not). I agree with you about losing money to NCL as you won't take full advantage of the drink package. I'm also not one to bring my own shampoo, conditioner, lotion, pillows, electrical cords, towels, etc. 

I don't want to bring it, but if you do not have a drink package, you can't buy anything while at port in Greece or Italy (so I'm told, but not by NCL).  I will bring 3 bottles and pay the $45 fee.  The only other alterative is to pay $400 gratuity for the "free" beverages, and my wife does not drink.  I can't drink $400 worth and no specialty coffee included....rip off

 

Even though I don't want to and would not if I had the package, if you do the math it is actually a wash to pay the fee, $30 bottle of wine + $15 fee = 3 glasses if you buy it.  More than 3 glasses in a bottle  

 

I would gladly buy the package if I only had to pay for myself

Edited September 8 by dilbertsdaddy

[mek]

I normally cruise on Royal, X, or Princess where I get free drinks because of my status on those lines, so I never have to buy a drink package.  Because they are free, I always tip the bartenders in cash when ordering, but now I'm on Joy the end of this month with the included drink package.  I know tips are included in the package, but do people still tip in cash when ordering their drinks?  Thinking more of when you actually go up to a bar and order a drink and possibly build a rapport with a particular bartender.

[Asawi]

1 hour ago, mek said:

I know tips are included in the package, but do people still tip in cash when ordering their drinks?  

Some do and some don't. Some people here tip big early and swear it gives them better service. I don't and I get great service anyway. 

[mjkacmom]

4 hours ago, dilbertsdaddy said:

I don't want to bring it, but if you do not have a drink package, you can't buy anything while at port in Greece or Italy (so I'm told, but not by NCL).  I will bring 3 bottles and pay the $45 fee.  The only other alterative is to pay $400 gratuity for the "free" beverages, and my wife does not drink.  I can't drink $400 worth and no specialty coffee included....rip off

 

Even though I don't want to and would not if I had the package, if you do the math it is actually a wash to pay the fee, $30 bottle of wine + $15 fee = 3 glasses if you buy it.  More than 3 glasses in a bottle  

 

I would gladly buy the package if I only had to pay for myself

I really don’t think $21 a day is a rip off for a beverage package, a glass of wine starts at $13.

[Pauser]

9 hours ago, mek said:

 I know tips are included in the package, but do people still tip in cash when ordering their drinks?  

We might not always have cash, but we always tip for drinks. 

[D_And_K_gocruising]

On 9/8/2024 at 6:04 AM, dilbertsdaddy said:

I don't want to bring it, but if you do not have a drink package, you can't buy anything while at port in Greece or Italy (so I'm told, but not by NCL).  I will bring 3 bottles and pay the $45 fee.  The only other alterative is to pay $400 gratuity for the "free" beverages, and my wife does not drink.  I can't drink $400 worth and no specialty coffee included....rip off

 

Even though I don't want to and would not if I had the package, if you do the math it is actually a wash to pay the fee, $30 bottle of wine + $15 fee = 3 glasses if you buy it.  More than 3 glasses in a bottle  

 

I would gladly buy the package if I only had to pay for myself

If a glass is $13, with gratuity that's 15.6 per glass.. over 7 days that works out to less than 4 glasses per day to get back to your $400...  Sooooo. compared to prices for packages I've see on my upcoming 4 day royal cruise..   This seems like a deal, not a rip off.  But, to each their own.  

[cruiseny4life]

On 9/7/2024 at 2:34 PM, mjkacmom said:

Are you a guy? I can’t imagine not taking my own shampoo and conditioner (that don’t even provide conditioner). I’ve paid $15 corkage before, I love drinking (multiple) glasses of wine on my balcony, sometimes I want a nicer bottle than the 2 buck Chuck served on the package, I live a 20 minute drive from the port so very little effort, NCL isn’t saving money on me, I also like making my own drink flights because I don’t need to drink the whole thing.

I am. I am. A balding guy. I stopped using product back in my early 20's and I don't think I've ever actually used conditioner. But I don't have big ole frizzy hair. Some days I wish I did, but then I'd have to maintain it and that seems like quite the chore to me. 

 

I will enjoy multiple cups of Nespresso on my balcony. I don't think I've ever even had an alcoholic drink in my room. That's just not me. I'm not judging. Just saying that's me. Now, if they didn't give me coffee, I'd be bringing my own onboard! 

 

  

On 9/8/2024 at 6:04 AM, dilbertsdaddy said:

Even though I don't want to and would not if I had the package, if you do the math it is actually a wash to pay the fee, $30 bottle of wine + $15 fee = 3 glasses if you buy it.  More than 3 glasses in a bottle  

I really enjoy the swill NCL provides, being Shades of Grey Riesling. Yummy!