Free drinks or food which would you choose

[coppola908]

Can someone please clarify the UDP with the freestyle choice plus promotion? Does it include the 3rd person in the room? My TA said no, but it looks like one person said yes. I've read over the terms and conditions and it's not very specific. Thanks!

[jjikids]

Can someone please clarify the UDP with the freestyle choice plus promotion? Does it include the 3rd person in the room? My TA said no, but it looks like one person said yes. I've read over the terms and conditions and it's not very specific. Thanks!

 

UDP would be everyone in the cabin.

[Sleepylove83]

I was on the Getaway this past fall and I purchased the beverage package. I am a drinker and I got my money's worth. I saved my receipts and ended up spending almost $900 alone. Like most people said its more value in the drinks than the dining since its way cheaper. If you plan on drinking more than 4 drinks a day I'd go for it.

[Family Travel Story]

I read a lot what people are saying the ultimate beverage program works for me because I looked at my receipts at the end of the cruise. I wonder though would you have to drank so much if you didn't have the UBP. You also have to think, are you trying to make the program work for you.

 

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[Sleepylove83]

I personally wasn't trying to make it work for me I knew it would if i drank more than 5 or 6 a day. And with 3 sea days I knew it wouldn't be a problem. lol I would not have drank nearly as much but it would probably still have the price I paid. Someone posted an entire list of the drinks that NCL offers and their prices. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42797372&postcount=1

[KeithJenner]

I read a lot what people are saying the ultimate beverage program works for me because I looked at my receipts at the end of the cruise. I wonder though would you have to drank so much if you didn't have the UBP. You also have to think, are you trying to make the program work for you.

 

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This is a very valid point.

 

I made the decision about the UBP when it was first introduced by looking at what I had spent on previous cruises. Going by that it isn't worth us getting the UBP from a purely financial viewpoint, as we generally spend about $100 less than the plan would cost us. However, we have always kept out bar bill down by buying beer buckets and Viva Vino packages. If we had the UBP we would get beer by the bottle and wine by the glass and all of our receipts would add up to a lot more.

[lilkrz]

I've been trying to research the UBP they are giving away when booking a cruise on these boards but have yet to find the answer to my questions.

 

How does the server get their gratuity with this package?

 

When in Bermuda do they charge an extra tax on drinks like they do in the US ports?

 

Thanks

[Mustangdrew]

I've been trying to research the UBP they are giving away when booking a cruise on these boards but have yet to find the answer to my questions.

 

 

 

How does the server get their gratuity with this package?

 

 

 

When in Bermuda do they charge an extra tax on drinks like they do in the US ports?

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

Each drink they get a 15 percent tip.

[Alegeeter]

We are a group of 4 sailing with CAS so we felt UDP was the better option for us. The first two passengers in the room are already getting a casino drink card so we didn't think it was necessary to give those passengers (one being me) more free drinks elsewhere when the other two would just get the soda packages. On an Alaskan sailing, we don't imagine we will be drinking heavily or even spending much time on the ship when the casino is closed so we did not think the UDP would be worth much to us. Four UDPs, however, is a bonus we will take advantage of nightly.

[welove2cruise*]

 

And because we hate Pepsi products :(, we have to bring on a duffel full of Diet Coke, and replenish at various ports.

I guess if NCL doesn't want to SELL us Coca Cola products, so be it. That forces us to bring it with us, at a much lower cost ;)

 

 

GeezerCouple

 

I so agree. I am not a Pepsi fan. They used to have coke products on the ship. I always paid for the beverage program. Have not done that since they switched to Pepsi. I wish they would change back but I will also be hauling my diet coke along with me if they do not.

[LMaxwell]

We took the drink package even though we are not heavy drinkers and would never purchase a drink package (just don't drink enough to make the math work).

 

That said, they already provide plenty of free food on the ship. Any time I do feel like a cocktail with dinner or a show I'd be reaching into my pocket, so to speak, without the package. We may try one specialty place, or not at all. To me we'd have to eat every possible meal in specialty dining to get our value out of it.

[xriva]

This question comes up ALL THE TIME.

 

The answer is: It's up to you. Don't think of it as "I have to go to Cagney's every night or I won't get my money's worth." It's "I can go to Cagney's every night, if I want."

 

Only a borderline alcoholic is going to drink enough to "make money" on the UDP (and I drink, and I've done the math.) What the UDP gives you is the freedom to not count your drinks. If you drink more than the cost of the package, great. If not, all of your drinks were still free.

 

I would take the UBP for free if I were booking because we have paid for the UDP our past two cruises, and bought the previous package (three dinners and a bottle of wine) before that. It's a price I'm willing to pay and we get a Latitudes discount. The UBP is too expensive for me (and I drink, but my wife doesn't - much) so if I'm going to pay for UDP anyway, I might as well drink without counting, if they will give it to me free.

 

However, my wife booked our next two cruises, and she took the free UDP for both because we use it, so we didn't have to pay for it.

 

So, you can argue either way.

 

My wife was sick on our Christmas cruise, and we had room service one night. I did not stay awake that night, fretting that I had not gotten my money's worth on the UDP I had purchased. I was on vacation. Worrying is for the office.

[KeithJenner]

Only a borderline alcoholic is going to drink enough to "make money" on the UDP (and I drink, and I've done the math.)

 

Not the case at all.

[buckirj1]

I sail solo, in an inside cabin, and don't have much of a choice. Inside cabins are ineligible. It's an automatic OBC for me.

[insidecabin]

This question comes up ALL THE TIME.

 

The answer is: It's up to you. Don't think of it as "I have to go to Cagney's every night or I won't get my money's worth." It's "I can go to Cagney's every night, if I want."

 

Only a borderline alcoholic is going to drink enough to "make money" on the UDP (and I drink, and I've done the math.) What the UDP gives you is the freedom to not count your drinks. If you drink more than the cost of the package, great. If not, all of your drinks were still free.

 

I would take the UBP for free if I were booking because we have paid for the UDP our past two cruises, and bought the previous package (three dinners and a bottle of wine) before that. It's a price I'm willing to pay and we get a Latitudes discount. The UBP is too expensive for me (and I drink, but my wife doesn't - much) so if I'm going to pay for UDP anyway, I might as well drink without counting, if they will give it to me free.

 

However, my wife booked our next two cruises, and she took the free UDP for both because we use it, so we didn't have to pay for it.

 

So, you can argue either way.

 

My wife was sick on our Christmas cruise, and we had room service one night. I did not stay awake that night, fretting that I had not gotten my money's worth on the UDP I had purchased. I was on vacation. Worrying is for the office.

 

When it is a trade off between UBP and UDP the drink count is very low 2-4pp a day to break even

 

UDP is a $17pppd or less purchase on 7n+ cruise.