Beverage Package Value

[hawkeyetlse]

My husband drinks Jack Daniels, I will drink Absolut with a few fru-fru drinks here and there.

Are you planning to drink wine with your meals? I agree with what Tiggertastic was saying above: The wine was one of the main reasons we came out ahead with the UBP.

 

If you're planning to stick mostly to JD and Absolut, it would almost surely be much cheaper to buy a liter of each for your stateroom, or even two liters. You can fill an old-timey hip flask to carry around the ship, and pour your own drinks wherever you go. Some might call that strange and tacky; I call it Freestyle :D

[mrs.cool]

Just bought ours'! I figured it out and it comes out to 6.5 drinks per day. I may fall behind on days on shore but I think we'll make up for it on at sea days.

 

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[mrs.cool]

Thought I'd update this thread now that we're back and added up our receipts. :eek: They totaled $1073. As we paid $788 for the package, we came out ahead. For anyone who plans on doing this, my advice is to make SURE you know what the price of the drink is. They have to be under $10. We ordered Tequila Sunrises at the Bimini bar, which is the bar overlooking the pool, the day they were advertised in the daily as the poolside drink of the day, for $4.25. Well, apparently overlooking the pool is not the same as poolside, and they came out to $21.95 once the automatic tip was included. Well, this is NOT under $10 each, and our server didn't say a word about it not being included in the UBP, and charged our account. For both rounds. The day we disembarked and got our bill, we were too upset by our account saying we owed $1900, with $1400 of that being in the casino, which we never stepped foot in, AND the beverage package, which I had already paid for, AND the $12/day "Service charge" which I had already paid for, that we didn't even think to complain about the Bimini bar charges. That was the least of our worries at that point. :mad:

So, just beware that if a specific drink is NOT covered by the UBP, they are NOT going to tell you so. :mad:

Edited February 6, 2014 by mrs.cool

[Demonyte]

For anyone who plans on doing this, my advice is to make SURE you know what the price of the drink is. They have to be under $10. We ordered Tequila Sunrises at the Bimini bar, which is the bar overlooking the pool, the day they were advertised in the daily as the poolside drink of the day, for $4.25. Well, apparently overlooking the pool is not the same as poolside, and they came out to $21.95 once the automatic tip was included. Well, this is NOT under $10 each, so without saying a word, our server didn't say a word about it not being included in the UBP, and charged our account.

 

Thanks for your info, but you have two facts wrong: the limit $10 per drink is for wine - for mixed drinks it's $8.50.

 

Also it's the price before gratuity that matters because you have already paid the 15% gratuity when purchasing the package so if it was taken into account again when purchasing drinks, you'd be essentially double billed for the gratuity even if you didn't have to pay it because of the UBP.

[jeepgirlroo]

 

A few positives - if the drink you wanted was above $8.50 they would make you a version with cheaper spirits within the package and if you had a couple of 3 glasses of wine during dinner, you flew through the days charge

 

That is great to hear they didn't give you a hard time about it! I am not picky about the brand of alcohol I get but I want to try all the fruity fun drinks I see on the menu!

 

I am traveling with a friend - girls trip - and there is no doubt it will be worth it for us. I HATE the bill at the end of the cruise. I live in fear of it!

I could easily have a mimosa or two at breakfast, a couple of drinks by the pool, a couple (or more) glasses of wine with dinner and not be stressed about running up my tab like I usually am. I am not a beer drinker at all, so this plan is perfect.

[geegee1]

Interesting that the minors have to get the soda package. None of my kids like soda. And I'll have 3 of them with me. So this option definitely wouldn't make sense for us.

 

Even without kids, on a port-intensive cruise, I would find it challenging to drink at break-even levels during the few hours you're on the ship!

 

Same here. Was doing the math and it doesn't seem to make sense since my daughters (8 & 5) are not soda drinkers. Straight milk and AJ for them. On two of our port days we plan on being off the ship for a majority of it. Also we're big fans of getting the buckets of beer. Having to get one by one is kind of a downer.

 

I understand having to have both adults in a cabin buying the package, but not a fan of having to buy the soda package for kids, especially for young ones.

 

*Great post.

Edited February 6, 2014 by geegee1

[sixesandeights]

That is great to hear they didn't give you a hard time about it! I am not picky about the brand of alcohol I get but I want to try all the fruity fun drinks I see on the menu!

 

I am traveling with a friend - girls trip - and there is no doubt it will be worth it for us. I HATE the bill at the end of the cruise. I live in fear of it!

I could easily have a mimosa or two at breakfast, a couple of drinks by the pool, a couple (or more) glasses of wine with dinner and not be stressed about running up my tab like I usually am. I am not a beer drinker at all, so this plan is perfect.

 

With the price of drinks with the 15% it is SO easy to get your money's worth. Like you said a few drinks here and there and you are easily paying for the package. The freedom is without question the best part. Never thinking about money and how much you have spent on alcohol really makes the vacation much nicer.

 

6&8

[KeithJenner]

With the price of drinks with the 15% it is SO easy to get your money's worth. Like you said a few drinks here and there and you are easily paying for the package. The freedom is without question the best part. Never thinking about money and how much you have spent on alcohol really makes the vacation much nicer.

 

 

 

6&8

 

 

Did you realise that you pay the 15% on the price of the UBP as well?

 

 

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[sixesandeights]

Did you realise that you pay the 15% on the price of the UBP as well?

 

 

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No you are not. It is included in the price per day. There is no additional charge per drink on the ship at all.

 

6&8

[Demonyte]

No you are not. It is included in the price per day. There is no additional charge per drink on the ship at all.

 

He said "on the price of the UBP", not on the price of each drink.

[hawkeyetlse]

No you are not. It is included in the price per day. There is no additional charge per drink on the ship at all.

You are correct, as long as by "price per day" you mean $56.35, not $49.

[QuiGonJohn]

Bottom line for me is I do not think it is worth it. For my wife and I, on our 7 day cruise, it would total to $788.90 (if I have the math right, $49 + 15% per day, times 7 days).

 

In order to even come close to breaking even, we would both have to drink more than we otherwise would. I think I prefer to drink less alcohol and save my money. If I spend a couple hundred on alcohol over the week, I still come out way ahead. This is especially skewed considering my wife typically drinks a lot less than I do, when we are drinking, so I would have to take up the slack. We both would be fine with 2 drinks each a night. That would come to $136.85, (using the 8.50 drink price plus tip). Even if we drank twice that, it would then be only $273.70. And truth be told, if we are paying per drink, we may not even have 2 each daily.

[DinaS]

No you are not. It is included in the price per day. There is no additional charge per drink on the ship at all.

 

6&8

 

There is no additional charge when you get each drink on the ship at all, but when you pay for the unlimited beverage package, they tack on an additional 15% to the price of the package. They (NCL) state "A 15% gratuity plus any applicable taxes will be added to all package purchases."

 

Ooops.... missed the folks above who already corrected this :)

Edited February 7, 2014 by DinaS
Too slow in posting...LOL