UBP - Is this math correct?

Since when were the drinks cost $8 apiece? :confused:

I hate the NCL price bundling with these overpriced beverage packages. We are mainly wine drinkers and used to purchase a wine package for about $300 for a 14 day cruise and that was all we spent on the cruise. Charging $89 per day is ridiculous. Charging 20% gratuity on a drinks package from a bundled package is even more ridiculous. The gratuity for a 14 day cruise would amount to about $230, almost what we once paid for our wine package.

 

That is why we never select the drinks package when forced to pick two promos. Our only cruise with the drink packages was on the Sun in 2016 when no gratuity was charged. Even then, we didn't like the options for red wine on the drinks packages.

 

I plan to take 5 bottles of wine to take on the ship (price per bottle about $9 and pay the $15 corkage charge. We get one free bottle for our free dinner at Le Bistro, so that will take care of our needs for a seven day cruise.

I get bringing your own bottles ($125 or so total) but if you used to spend $300 on a wine package, isn't $230 actually a savings compared to that??

We paid a total of $89.00 for our drink package on our 5 days cruise on the Pearl in February. It was $89.00 total not per day [emoji484]and was well worth it.

 

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Isn't that the gratuity charge on the package? $17.80 times 5 days = $89 exactly. Just FYI.

Math is hard for some folks. :)

The math would be a lot better if it also included premium coffees as well... :hot-beverage:

Isn't that the gratuity charge on the package? $17.80 times 5 days = $89 exactly. Just FYI.

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The drink package for my 7 day cruise would have cost me $400 more in cruise fare plus the price of the drink package or gratuities.

The sail-a-way price for our cruise was $400 cheaper than the regular price that included the "free" drinks.

Even "free" I wouldn't take it unless it was FREE, that is no 20% charge. With the 20% fee we both would have to drink 3 drinks a day, every day, just to be slightly in front.

3 a day? Those a rookies numbers, we’ve got to pump them up!

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We choose the drink package as one of the offers from NCL and yes the $89.00 was the gratuity charge. My husband and I both had the package so we each paid $89.00 total for the whole 5 day cruise for alcoholic drinks. It was not per day it was $89.00 total each. I made very good use of this promo !

It's the same thing. It works out to be $17.80 ($89 x .20) per day with the promo but is paid all at once. In your case, it was 5 days and $89 ($17.80 x 5 days). For 7 day cruises, it is $124.60 ($17.80 x 7 days).

"I plan to take 5 bottles of wine to take on the ship (price per bottle about $9 and pay the $15 corkage charge. We get one free bottle for our free dinner at Le Bistro, so that will take care of our needs for a seven day cruise."

You would pay a $15 corkage on a $9 bottle of wine (assuming that is retail price)? Why not just pay less and take the promo tax and drink the $9 wine that is included in the package?

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The drink package for my 7 day cruise would have cost me $400 more in cruise fare plus the price of the drink package or gratuities.

 

The sail-a-way price for our cruise was $400 cheaper than the regular price that included the "free" drinks.

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The drink package for my 7 day cruise would have cost me $400 more in cruise fare plus the price of the drink package or gratuities.

 

The sail-a-way price for our cruise was $400 cheaper than the regular price that included the "free" drinks.

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Two assumptions:

1) Each drink is $8

2) Cruise is 5 days

 

Cost of package per day $89 + 20% ($17.80) = $106.80/day = $534

If I were to drink 8 $8 (plus 20% = $1.6) drinks per day that would be $64 plus $12.80 = $76.80 = $384

 

Therefore, using ONLY the above assumptions, it would be more cost effective to pay per drink rather than buy the package.

Math is correct, $8 per drink is really low. Where do you drink you booze on land? We usually figure at least $8 for a glass of decent wine, usually closer to $10 and a mixed drink at least $10. another thing: most of us get the UBP as a perk so we are only paying the gratuity which we would anyway. For those who are mainly wine drinkers or very light drinkers, of course the drink package isn't a good idea. everyone has to judge for themselves how much they drink and what works best. We love the idea of having our alcohol all taken care of prior to sailing. We have the freedom to drink if and when we want without thinking $$s and cents.

I get bringing your own bottles ($125 or so total) but if you used to spend $300 on a wine package, isn't $230 actually a savings compared to that??

Yes, but that is just the gratuities on the beverage package! We pick something else and we pick our own wine.

Two assumptions:

1) Each drink is $8

2) Cruise is 5 days

 

Cost of package per day $89 + 20% ($17.80) = $106.80/day = $534

If I were to drink 8 $8 (plus 20% = $1.6) drinks per day that would be $64 plus $12.80 = $76.80 = $384

 

Therefore, using ONLY the above assumptions, it would be more cost effective to pay per drink rather than buy the package.

Are you purchasing the UBP in addition to your cruise, or is the UBP included with the price of the cruise? Can you book a guarantee cabin without any perks and at the lowest price offered and then pay per drink?

Who pays full price for the drink package?

Incidentally, as we will be traveling with our 2 year old next year, we actually thought about not getting it since we obviously won't be drinking as much as we did on previous cruises. But even a drink or 2, and a couple of sodas a day, and it makes sense for us.

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It is vacation time and I am not going to keep track of the dollar value of the drinks I consume just to make sure I get my monies worth from the UBP. I will settle for a nice peaceful buzz during my cruise

It is vacation time and I am not going to keep track of the dollar value of the drinks I consume just to make sure I get my monies worth from the UBP. I will settle for a nice peaceful buzz during my cruise

I'm with you...

"Shall we have another?"

"Errr, yeah!"

Then

<Sleep>

OR

If <Awake>

GoTo

<Repeat>

...or something like that. The male brain is easily pleased.

It is vacation time and I am not going to keep track of the dollar value of the drinks I consume just to make sure I get my monies worth from the UBP. I will settle for a nice peaceful buzz during my cruise

Then there are those that try to figure out how to drink the most expensive liquors and wines that are included. Then there are those that suggest drinking Long Island iced teas to "get the biggest bang for ones buck" with regard to amount of liquor in a drink.

It's all quite amusing, really.

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I believe there is a limit, but it's sneaky. Like only 2 drinks an hour or something similar to that. I vaguely recall a waiter by the pool telling my friend about it when she wanted to get another drink or 2 drinks at once, but she had already had one drink that hour. It not only regulates how much you drink, but keeps you from "buying" drinks for others who may not have UBP. It's the kind of limit most wouldn't notice. This was over a year ago and my memory of the details are a bit hazy.

The drink package for my 7 day cruise would have cost me $400 more in cruise fare plus the price of the drink package or gratuities.

 

The sail-a-way price for our cruise was $400 cheaper than the regular price that included the "free" drinks.

This is the key here. You're not just paying $17.80 per person per day for the UBP. You select a much higher fare just to get those "free" perks. So add on that $400 to the cost of the "free UBP". This is a mistake many people make and it's what NCL banks on.

This is the key here. You're not just paying $17.80 per person per day for the UBP. You select a much higher fare just to get those "free" perks. So add on that $400 to the cost of the "free UBP". This is a mistake many people make and it's what NCL banks on.

only if you place no value on choosing your cabin. If you are happy taking the chance of having a cabin under the disco or similar, more power to you. We are not willing to take that chance.

only if you place no value on choosing your cabin. If you are happy taking the chance of having a cabin under the disco or similar, more power to you. We are not willing to take that chance.

Actually, many of the categories that include the perks are also guarantee cabins. The price difference between a BX & BF category is what the cost of the perks you are paying. If you want to actually choose your own cabin you have to pay more on top of that for one of the higher categories. The cost to actually choose the cabin you want is $20-50 per person (difference between BF & higher Balcony categories that are not a guarantee). If you look across the board you’ll see that the actual savings for choosing a guarantee cabin isn’t that much (ie Carnival, RCL, Princess etc).

Actually, many of the categories that include the perks are also guarantee cabins. The price difference between a BX & BF category is what the cost of the perks you are paying. If you want to actually choose your own cabin you have to pay more on top of that for one of the higher categories. The cost to actually choose the cabin you want is $20-50 per person (difference between BF & higher Balcony categories that are not a guarantee). If you look across the board you’ll see that the actual savings for choosing a guarantee cabin isn’t that much (ie Carnival, RCL, Princess etc).

I can't imagine doing Sail Away versus picking my cabin outright. Even if you do the GTY in a specific category, you know you will at least get that category or better. With Sail Away they could literally put you in the worst cabin on the ship! Taking a look at my upcoming cruise in October... I paid $999 per person for one of the angled balconies on Deck 13 on the Escape, which includes $100 OBC under the current promo, $100 OBC as a Latitudes Reward, double Latitudes points, Specialty Dining, and Ultimate Beverage. The Sail Away rate is $749.

If I do a mock booking, the total for two people comes out to a difference of $388.40 per person (that's after the added service charges for drinks and dining). That would be a lot to pay for just the drink package... roughly $55 per day. Could I spend that in paying for drinks outright? For sure! I would say I easily drink 7-10 drinks per day while cruising. But in addition to those drinks, I get 3 specialty dining meals, I get one of the nice angled balconies in a location of my choosing, we get OBC, and we get double points. Clearly well worth the total difference in price. So I am not "ONLY" paying the extra for the "free" drink package.