Which cruise lines offer discounted or free drink packages?

Norwegian Cruise Line offers an unlimited beverage package as one of their "Free at sea" promotions. Even with the gratuities cost for the UBP, and if you find a bargain fare, the rate is unbeatable. It's kept my wife and I going back to NCL.

Carnival has some cheap fares but their $50 per day/per person for their UBP seems to crush any fare deals.

We would love to float some other boats. Do other cruise lines regularly run promotions that offer similarly free or discounted packages?

Celebrity offers a free drink package as one of the four perks you choose when you book. You can upgrade to two perks or all four perks. Sometimes, they offer two free perks as a promo.

The four perks are: Classic Drink Package (includes alcohol); unlimited internet; OBC; or pre-paid gratuities.

Royal offers discounts from time to time. Royal's UK bookings many times get a "free" drink package.

For the last two summers Princess has offered a Sip 'n Sail promotion that includes the All Inclusive Beverage Package (all drinks under $10 which is at least 90% of them). In 2015 and 2016 the promo was offered in July and August for cruises in the following 18 months or so. In 2015 we reserved a December 2016 31 day cruise and in 2016 we reserved an October 2017 25 day cruise. With the AIBP costing almost $60/day per person and on cruises with lots of sea days we got our monies worth and then some. My DH especially liked trying new drinks and not feeling like he 'had to' finish them if he didn't like them. I have no idea if they will offer it this year but lots of folks are anxiously awaiting news on the Princess Board.

HAL offers the Explore 4 promo from time to time. The drinks are not unlimited - maximum of 15 in a 24 hour period - and maximum cost of $8 per drink. The amount that most cabins increase in price during the Explore 4 program often negates the savings on the drink package (unless you can actually drink 15 $8 drinks per day:eek::eek::eek:).

There is no such thing as a free lunch...or free drink package :). The packages are essentially marketing promos and always come with a price. For example, if you know how to shop around (with some high volume cruise agencies) you can usually get a price for a cruise with or without drink packages. In most cases, the cruise lines simply increase prices to cover drink packages and other amenities. They muddy the waters by offering all kinds of benefits and packages. Less then 2 years ago we booked a long ( 38 day) HAL cruise at a pretty high price....which included their drink package. A few weeks later, by watching pricing, we were able to rebook that cruise (the same cabin) for about $10,000 less! The major difference was that we gave up the drink package. I seem to recall when we did the math that drink package was costing us over $130 per person/day! Since our average bar bill on a cruise averages about $40 per passenger day....the drink package (at over 3 times that cost) made little sense.

You will see a lot of this kind of marketing with lines like Celebrity and RCI....which routinely run promotions. Sometimes the promos make sense...and other times they are a complete rip off. So what to do? Always cost out your cruise at a "Real Cost per Passenger day." To do this simple calculation simply combine your total cruise price (including taxes and fees) with the "real" value of any amenities. So if a cruise line gives you a drink package....forget the value they put on the package and value it at what you would normally spend on drinks per passenger day. So that Celebrity Classic Drink package that might be value at $59 per passenger day (by the cruise line) is likely worth something less to most folks. Of when Celebrity gives me a free dinner in an alternative restaurant which they value at $50 per person...it is actually worth less to me...since we seldom pay full price for those restaurants (we usually can negotiate 30-50% off).

Hank

Celebrity offers a free drink package as one of the four perks you choose when you book. You can upgrade to two perks or all four perks. Sometimes, they offer two free perks as a promo.

 

The four perks are: Classic Drink Package (includes alcohol); unlimited internet; OBC; or pre-paid gratuities.

The internet package would be a huge plus. We need it for work and NCL charges $30 a night for unlimited. I'll toy with their numbers and see what I learn.

There is no such thing as a free lunch...or free drink package :). The packages are essentially marketing promos and always come with a price. For example, if you know how to shop around (with some high volume cruise agencies) you can usually get a price for a cruise with or without drink packages. In most cases, the cruise lines simply increase prices to cover drink packages and other amenities. They muddy the waters by offering all kinds of benefits and packages. Less then 2 years ago we booked a long ( 38 day) HAL cruise at a pretty high price....which included their drink package. A few weeks later, by watching pricing, we were able to rebook that cruise (the same cabin) for about $10,000 less! The major difference was that we gave up the drink package. I seem to recall when we did the math that drink package was costing us over $130 per person/day! Since our average bar bill on a cruise averages about $40 per passenger day....the drink package (at over 3 times that cost) made little sense.

 

You will see a lot of this kind of marketing with lines like Celebrity and RCI....which routinely run promotions. Sometimes the promos make sense...and other times they are a complete rip off. So what to do? Always cost out your cruise at a "Real Cost per Passenger day." To do this simple calculation simply combine your total cruise price (including taxes and fees) with the "real" value of any amenities. So if a cruise line gives you a drink package....forget the value they put on the package and value it at what you would normally spend on drinks per passenger day. So that Celebrity Classic Drink package that might be value at $59 per passenger day (by the cruise line) is likely worth something less to most folks. Of when Celebrity gives me a free dinner in an alternative restaurant which they value at $50 per person...it is actually worth less to me...since we seldom pay full price for those restaurants (we usually can negotiate 30-50% off).

 

Hank

I agree and I always price the cost out at (cruise fare + pre-paid gratuities + beverages + beverage gratuities) / nights. The promotional rates with NCL often inflate prices but at times they end up remarkably low too. Our last cruise was an 11 day Mediterranean cruise. Our total cost was only $2,065 in an ocean view midship after all gratuities and beverage package. (For 2 people) $187 a night is hard to beat.

Why do people refer to drinks packages, for which they obviously pay, as "free drinks"?

Why do people refer to drinks packages, for which they obviously pay, as "free drinks"?

Because “free" drink is easier to type than “promotional package that may or may not be at a true discounted price or may be a complete rip-off while either offered as an ’included in the fare’ promotion or as a stand-alone per diem promotion” drinks

The markeking folks call them 'free' to for the same reason.:D ;)

Now I have to go shopping to get that "new and improved" Tide, and a box of Wheaties, can't be a "Champion" without eating that this morning!:)

And then I'm going to sit in front of the TV and watch that "Fair and Balanced" news channel.:)

Princess allows passengers to refare their resevations anytime (or multiple times) before final payment but you lose the originally booked promo (you do get the current promo). We watched both our cruise fares and - maybe because we booked so far in advance on popular itineraries - the fares were never cheaper. Someone booking closer to final pyment would have had to pay thousands of dollars (which we would never, ever do) for the AIBP on such long cruises. Next year we are taking the 2 kids, spouses and grandchild on a 7 day Alaska cruise. We have no interest in the AIBP for such a short, port intensive cruise (they can buy their own booze :D) so I'm waiting for a promo that includes free gratuities and then I'll watch the prices until final payment.

Why do people refer to drinks packages, for which they obviously pay, as "free drinks"?

Same reason as they pay a monthly phone bill with "free long distance"

Same reason as they purchased a high end home appliance with "free delivery"

Same reason as they paid $2.39 for a cup of soda with "free refills"

Same reason as they paid $69 for an oil change with "free tire rotation"

Same reason as they pay a monthly phone bill with "free long distance"

 

Same reason as they purchased a high end home appliance with "free delivery"

 

Same reason as they paid $2.39 for a cup of soda with "free refills"

 

Same reason as they paid $69 for an oil change with "free tire rotation"

Except, you do not hear people raving about "free delivery" of appliances or similar INCLUDED services - the way so many CC posters do about drinks packages. Also, why wouldn't a monthly phone bill cover all calls made in that month?

In fact, a number of lines (HAL and Celebrity, among others) do promote their drinks packages as PURCHASED options - without the hype about the drinks being "free" - perhaps because they have a bit more respect for the intelligence of their customers.

Additionally, virtually any other package deal, involving logically related goods/services, costs the advertised price - while "free drinks" always seem to wind up costing 18% more than the advertised price when tips are rolled in.

 

Additionally, virtually any other package deal, involving logically related goods/services, costs the advertised price - while "free drinks" always seem to wind up costing 18% more than the advertised price when tips are rolled in.

In fact, a number of lines (HAL and Celebrity, among others) do promote their drinks packages as PURCHASED options - without the hype about the drinks being "free" - perhaps because they have a bit more respect for the intelligence of their customers.

Exactly. Most lines call it "promotional" or something similar. NCL is the only line I've seen with enough gall to call it "free." When you add 18% to a promotion, it's still a promotion. But when you add 18% to free, it's no longer free. Yeah, I agree, the other lines have a little more respect for their passengers' intelligence.

Except, you do not hear people raving about "free delivery" of appliances or similar INCLUDED services - the way so many CC posters do about drinks packages. Also, why wouldn't a monthly phone bill cover all calls made in that month?

 

In fact, a number of lines (HAL and Celebrity, among others) do promote their drinks packages as PURCHASED options - without the hype about the drinks being "free" - perhaps because they have a bit more respect for the intelligence of their customers.

 

Additionally, virtually any other package deal, involving logically related goods/services, costs the advertised price - while "free drinks" always seem to wind up costing 18% more than the advertised price when tips are rolled in.

I got a free deluxe drinks package in the Uk for our June cruise on RC.

NCL offering all inclusive in Europe.

43 cruises and counting.

Believing all promotions fall under the same over inflated pricing leaves missed opportunities. I can only really speak for NCL but there are diamonds in the rough rates to be found. You may pay an extra $300 in fare, taxes and gratuities but that $300 savings is more than enough to cover comparable costs without the promotion. Build a spreadsheet and track your pricing for fare, taxes, pre-paid gratuities, drink gratuities and drinks. If I can find rates for about $200 a night for 2 I usually find it worthwhile.

Bundled promotions are probably here to stay; so you need to get used to evaluating what you are being offered by:

1. attempting to determine the incremental costs of the promotional perks when ever possible - often this can be done by comparing fares with and without promotional perks.

2. comparing the incremental costs of a promotional perk to your estimated personal value of the perk - gratuities and OBC are relatively easy to estimate their value to you. While the personal value of a beverage package takes a bit more effort, you can try to estimate it by calculating the cost of what you would typically otherwise pay for beverages if you did not have the package. But it's still not all that easy since there is something called price elasticity - i.e. you drink more when there is no incremental cost to drinking more! So do you value the package based on the costs of what you would drink without a package, or the costs of what you would drink with the package, or perhaps somewhere in between!