Ultimate drink package, which is better....old or new?

We are curious about your experience with the pre-2016 package in comparison to the new package. Here are our thoughts.

In 2016, Norwegian “enhanced” their drink package from $12per drink to $15 per drink, but the new drink package has been anything but anenhancement, it has actually been somewhat of a disappointment in a few areas.

Several enjoyable mid-range ($2-3 upgrade) wines were removed from the “bythe glass” wine list, because Norwegian doesn’t want to pay the slightly highercost associated with their new $15 “benefit”. The only wines remaining by theglass are very low entry level wines. Norwegian doesn’t even offer a list of“upgrades” or “higher priced” wines by the glass, even if you were interestedin paying a few dollars more per glass. RC by contract, boasts a substantiallylarger wine list by the glass within their $12/$13 allowance, and approximatelytwenty upscale wines at a higher cost per glass

In the area of bourbons, we also saw a major cutback. A Manhattan made with Makers Mark was $11.95in 2016 prior to the change in the drink package and was covered completely bythe $12 drink package allowance. At that time Knob Creek, Woodford Reserve and few other bourbons were $1-3more per drink, very reasonable. Today, after the new $15 drink package“enhancement”, the only bourbon available that’s “included” in the drinkpackage is very low end bulleit bourbon. The new price for a Makers Mark Manhattan on Norwegian is $18.95, higherthan most restaurants in Manhattan NY charge.

When it comes to bringing unopened bottles of wine on board,they want to confiscate your bottles and charge you a $15 corkage fee even ifyou have the drink package. Ridiculous.

Norwegian now appears to have the highest cost drink package in theindustry, with the lowest value in the industry; particularly for wine drinkers.

Thoughts or comments?

You just posted this exact

long diatribe on another thread but thought it sponge-worthy to repost as a new topic?? Just saying.

I’ll bite. I like the new package.

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You just posted this exact

long diatribe on another thread but thought it sponge-worthy to repost as a new topic?? Just saying.

 

I’ll bite. I like the new package.

 

 

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Sponge-worthy!!!!

Hahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahaga

Signed-

A fellow seinfeld lover

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Hate to say it but that wine menu does kind of prove the OPs point. If you are a Cabernet drinker you have exactly one by the glass option unless you want to cough up even more money to purchase a discounted bottle, which are marked up at least 50% before your discount. I see one Cab we drink on a regular basis that is twice as much for the bottle as I pay for it at home and that’s with the 20% discount for a bottle . There are all kinds of white options but if you drink reds not so much.

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New? :confused:

The wines by the glass selection is truly terrible...other than that I think the UBP is fine. They should waive the corkage fee if you have the UBP...I mean the more your wine you bring on board the less of theirs you will drink right? Why in the world do they want to disincentive someone with UBP from bringing their own wine unless they know how bad their offering is and know they can double dip on people who want to have decent glass?

Why in the world do they want to disincentive someone with UBP from bringing their own wine unless they know how bad their offering is and know they can double dip?

Probably to keep the person with the wine from sharing with those who don't have the UBP.

Probably to keep the person with the wine from sharing with those who don't have the UBP.

I don't think I am buying that...but OK...waive for the first 4 bottles.

It matters not what the old UBP was. It doesn't exist anymore, like everything else..business and life changes. I think if people can't find stuff they like and can't enjoy their cruise with the 15 buck limit they are going to be hard to please, regardless.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Cruising is fun. ;)

It matters not what the old UBP was. It doesn't exist anymore, like everything else..business and life changes. I think if people can't find stuff they like and can't enjoy their cruise with the 15 buck limit they are going to be hard to please, regardless.

 

 

Don't sweat the small stuff. Cruising is fun. ;)

I am beating a dead horse, but for me and many others the issue isn't the $15 limit but the lack of any decent wines by the glass at any price.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahaha

 

Sponge-worthy!!!!

 

Hahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahaga

 

Signed-

A fellow seinfeld lover

 

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I bet you’re a Tigers lover too?

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I bet you’re a Tigers lover too?

 

 

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Alumni thank you very much for recognizing!

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Wine drinkers don't opt for the beverage package perk, take something else or book sail away rate. Then on board purchase the Viva Vino package (with the savings from the cruise fare) and get the decent bottles of wine that you wish you could get by the glass. You wine will be available to you wherever you want to drink it -- restaurants, bars or cabin.

Well stated "fastpitchdad", the lack of good wines by the glass at any price is the big issue for wine lovers. A 20% bottle discount on a 250% mark up is a joke. NCL seems to be saying if you like good wine, cruise with another line.

Wine drinkers don't opt for the beverage package perk, take something else or book sail away rate. Then on board purchase the Viva Vino package (with the savings from the cruise fare) and get the decent bottles of wine that you wish you could get by the glass. You wine will be available to you wherever you want to drink it -- restaurants, bars or cabin.

The problem is the Viva Vino package doesn't have any good wine and what they do have is way way way over priced. I am fine if they want to overprice wines by the glass but allow UBP to apply $15.

Thank god I’m good with a cold beer of a crown and coke

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I don't drink wine, so that doesn't really impact me.

I was delighted on a 2016 cruise to find Jameson Caskmates for $2 a shot ($17 on the menu, absolutely impossible to find in Florida at that time.)

Apart from the "few and far between" shot of an expensive whiskey, I haven't paid for a drink on any of my many NCL cruises since 2015. That amounts to a lot.

In 2015 the package was free, in the spring of 2016 NCL added the service charge so no longer free but still a decent deal for most people.

The wine menu isn’t extensive by any stretch, but NCL have other options available for those that like wine. For me it has a good selection of vodka, gin and cocktails that I can drink within the limit.

It’s not the best drinks package but it does the job for me and certainly enjoy it to the full!

I made the mistake of booking sail away rates for first cruise on Escape. I decided I wanted a Knob Creek (what I determined as best bourbon on ship) for a Halloween showing of Beetlejuice in Spice H20. $22 with tip.

I roll with UBP now. it does have some limitations with top shelf liquor, some of which I deem mid shelf, but c'est la vie.

I was very surprised to learn of the cabernet limited options. or option. that should be rectified, that's an abomination for our wine drinking cruisers.

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Good point regarding beer. Beer drinkers saw no change under either package since there weren't beers over $12 in 2015 and they aren't over $15 now.

Thank god I’m good with a cold beer of a crown and coke

 

 

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Just drink what is on the package, if you can’t abide, pick a line that suits your “wine jones”...

Alumni thank you very much for recognizing!

 

 

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Yeah!! Geaux is a giveaway to SEC fans.

With me it’s GoCocks(don’t mean to offend any non college football people) but I do love our nickname.

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Thank you BirdTravels, we looked for hours and couldn't find a recent list of wine.

This is helpful. The only respectable mid level cabernet is the Oberon. It was $13.95 a glass in 2015 ($1.95/glass with the drink package), now it's not available by the glass. NCL had no intention of actually providing $15 in value, they only wanted the optics...so they removed any options that would cost them more (Oberon Cabernet, Makers Mark bourbon, etc.) We effectively lost value and now pay $18/day extra in tips.

We did notice a few red wines by the glass for an extra fee. That's new and exciting, but take a look at the much higher mark ups on these wines by the glass. Wines by the glass are usually about 30% of the bottle price. The $29 Merlot is $8.95/glass (31% of the bottle price). The $35 Tempranillo $10.95/glass (31% of the bottle price) an now look at the Terazas Malbec upgrade for $17.50/glass; that's 41% of the bottle price for one glass !!!! Insane. If it was priced properly it would be $13.50/glass and covered by the new "enhanced" drink package.

Don't get me wrong, having the drink package is better than not having it, otherwise we would now have to pay NCL's even more inflated prices. My point in this thread is to see if anyone can point to ANY increased benefits of the "new and enhanced $15 UBP"...and so far, none have been pointed out.

NCL really needs to provide a few more red wines by the glass priced at $2.50- $5 for us to purchase. The other option that would make more sense is to provide a $35/bottle credit (based on the wines they are currently providing for free), and let us choose any bottle we want and pay the price differential.

 

 

 

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