No more "Free Beverage Package" for us

[kjquilts]

We chose the UBP as our perk on our Getaway Caribbean cruise and our Jewel Mexican Riviera cruise. Yesterday we booked the 10 Day Alaska cruise on the Pearl starting May 5th and after much discussion chose the SDP. On the 10 day cruise the dining package is for 4 nights. We will also have 2 nights of the reduced choice Platinum dinner. We don't have a problem with the included dining options but do enjoy the specialty restaurants so having them available for a very reasonable price is great.

 

The Beverage Choice Promo Service Charge is $284.40 versus $30.24 for the Dining choice (for two of us). We decided for a port intensive cool weather cruise we would be better off bringing a couple of our good bottles of wine and paying corkage. Depending on price and what is available we may buy one of the small wine packages. If NCL still has the 6 "glass" martini and mojito flights we'll give them a try. For a warm weather cruise UBP will probably still be our choice but for Alaska we're happy to save the money.

Edited April 6, 2016 by kjquilts

[LrgPizza]

The wine they will serve you with the package is very limited.

Are you trying to say that those who don't have the package are allowed to purchase more wines? That has never been true. Is that new or are you mistaken?

There is no question in my mind that the motivation for changing the wine menu was to reduce choice for UBP holders.

And by default, it also reduced the choices for non-UBP holders.

[hawkeyetlse]

And by default, it also reduced the choices for non-UBP holders.

I understand what you're saying: the menu is the same for everyone. But UBP holders don't order the same things off the menu as non-UBP holders. Everyone may have the same choices, but they don't all make the same choices. Changing the selection of wines by the glass does not affect UBP holders and non-UBP holders equally. It has a greater impact on UBP holders, because most of them only order wine by the glass, whereas wine-drinkers who don't have the UBP have an incentive to purchase full bottles instead.

[Mrs. Nic]

Wow. This is pretty disappointing. I would have been willing to pay a small upcharge to get a decent glass of chardonnay. And Meridian is NOT that. When we booked, I was under the impression that Mondavi wines were featured. Never considered that crappy wines would be the only by-the-glass option.

 

So if I buy a better wine by the bottle how is that supposed to work when I am out and about on the ship? Also, does the bottle follow you to specialty restaurants?

 

It doesn't matter whether I have the UBP or not.....a decent glass of wine should be available everywhere on a ship that size!

[hawkeyetlse]

It doesn't matter whether I have the UBP or not.....a decent glass of wine should be available everywhere on a ship that size!

Which ship are you referring to? The Escape does have a wine bar with links to Mondavi, and the menus I've seen have a lot more wines by the glass. Nothing like that on the rest of the fleet, for now.

 

If you buy a bottle on board (or bring one on board and pay corkage), they will keep it for you in between meals and you can ask for it to be retrieved whenever you want, in any restaurant. Or you can take it yourself, from lounge to lounge, to the theater, back to your cabin, etc.

[kayleighbayleigh]

That helped a lot...

 

Not

 

Budweiser, Michelob, Corona, etc.

[Mrs. Nic]

It is the Escape. If my bottle is available for dinner, I am happy. Not sure DH would be happy with me lugging my wine bottle all over the ship at night. :)

 

Thank you for the reassurance. I was pretty disappointed. This is our first NCL cruise, we are Haven guests and were really looking forward to a top notch experience.

[luddite]

I don't drink just one brand of one style but Norwegian used to have several selections of each style and that was the one that I liked the best. Now, there is no selection.

 

I understand.

The beer selection is worse.

The beverage package definitely doesn't cater to someone who really likes wine.

I don't drink white wine at all with the exception of cheap fizzy stuff for Mimosas, leaving a cab or merlot as a selection for me.

Spirits with the beverage package make it worthwhile, wine... not so much.

Edited April 6, 2016 by luddite

[triptolemus]

Luddite, what beers do we have to "settle with"?

 

Thank you

 

Instead of the beer-snob troll post from Luddite, how about a real answer.

 

If you happen to be going on Escape, here is the beer menu from District Brewhouse.

 

Photos from TheDougOut

 

 

 

[luddite]

Are you trying to say that those who don't have the package are allowed to purchase more wines? That has never been true. Is that new or are you mistaken?

 

And by default, it also reduced the choices for non-UBP holders.

I'm saying that in February, with beverage package, I had a 'choice' of one-count'em, one- Cabernet.

It wasn't the worst I ever had but it wasn't Gravity Hills.

 

I am certain that I could have purchased some others but they were not in the package.

Edited April 6, 2016 by luddite

[luddite]

Instead of the beer-snob troll post from Luddite, how about a real answer.

 

If you happen to be going on Escape, here is the beer menu from District Brewhouse.

 

Photos from TheDougOut

 

 

 

 

They are actually making an effort there.

Do not confuse a beer geek with a beer 'snob'. I'm drinking a PBR right now.

That noted, I'll never sail the escape even though the beer list is a far more inspired effort than I've ever encountered on a ship.

[triptolemus]

They are actually making an effort there.

Do not confuse a beer geek with a beer 'snob'. I'm drinking a PBR right now.

That noted, I'll never sail the escape even though the beer list is a far more inspired effort than I've ever encountered on a ship.

 

This conversation sounds familiar. ;)

[Demonyte]

I have to agree with OP and many others in this thread. I have mentioned the cuts in the availability of wines by the glass here before - and I'm not even a wine drinker per se, maybe a glass or two with dinner (always white, regardless of the food).

 

In 2014 when we first had UBP, the selection was much better and having UBP didn't mean that one would have to settle (except for the price limit). Now if you want to keep being covered by UBP, you need to take what they give you, nothing else - even when the bottle prices of previously offered wines are about the same as the few selected for to be served by the glass.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if they figured out a way to implement something like this to other drinks too.

[ighten]

Is Blue moon still avail as a beer choice

[mypleasure]

I sailed on the Dawn back in January this year and posted on my return how disappointing the wine by the glass covered by UBP was. The list of wines is long but most are not covered by UBP. I also couldn't get the Matua Chardonnay and was given North and South which I did not like at all. I find Meridian to be drinkable but not what I would prefer. If I wanted Matua I would have to pay. I don't understand why though. If you order whiskey as an example you can get anything you want. Under $15 it is included, over $15 pay the difference. It makes no sense at all.

 

I got the drink package included with my booking. I drink other drinks too and on my next cruise in 3 weeks time I will probably stay away from the wines. My husband drinks beer, except when on a cruise where the beer selection (with exception of Escape) is very poor. It will be interesting to see what he drinks this time round on the Dawn.

[Demonyte]

... I don't understand why though. If you order whiskey as an example you can get anything you want. Under $15 it is included, over $15 pay the difference. It makes no sense at all.

 

That is because by doing this they can very easily cut costs and furthermore add revenue from those that will not settle with the new, reduced selection.

 

As I said in my post earlier, I'm really not surprised if they do this in one way or another with other drinks too – NCL's drink package is already inferior compared to competition, so I don't think they mind making it even worse if it generates more onboard revenue.

 

Actually they are already testing limited UBP on Sky, while they call it still UBP, the terms state that "guests will receive complimentary beverages which include designated spirits, cocktails, bottled beer, draft beer, and wines by the glass and unlimited fountain soda and juices".

[Loralye]

Budweiser, Michelob, Corona, etc.

 

Thank you Kayleigh 😉

[Loralye]

Instead of the beer-snob troll post from Luddite, how about a real answer.

 

If you happen to be going on Escape, here is the beer menu from District Brewhouse.

 

Photos from TheDougOut

 

 

 

 

Thank you Trip. I'll be on the BA but the above post gives us hope 😉

[Demonyte]

Thank you Trip. I'll be on the BA but the above post gives us hope [emoji6]

 

 

Sorry but District Brewhouse is an Escape specific venue, on all other ships the selection is less than one of those pages and really mostly consists of "big brewery" brands and items, you probably have additional NY local brewery added in the mix (available only at O'Sheehan's) like Getaway has one from FL.

[Lisa8192]

Thankfully they had chateau st Jean cab by the glass. Not bad.. But what I couldn't understand is how I could get Patron or Grey Goose in my cocktail, but the glass wine choices were for the most part.. Low grocery store choices. Why premium alcohol but cheap wine?

 

 

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[4774Papa]

We cruise on NCL and Celebrity and both have gone big with the beverage packages. I don't like it. Prices have been inflated in conjunction with these "free" items. Please, go back to a simple pricing strategy.

[luddite]

Is Blue moon still avail as a beer choice

 

Yes.

[jennmaybe]

Wow, this just keeps getting better and better for us. :mad:

 

We booked Escape a year ago for this September and we are at the point now to where we are not even excited about our 1st NCL cruise. Had we not already booked airfare and if my MIL & her friend were not going with us, we would have cancelled by now.

 

I have a bad feeling that this will be our 1st and last NCL cruise. We already booked our 2017 cruise, but it's not with NCL.

[LrgPizza]

Wow, this just keeps getting better and better for us. :mad:

 

We booked Escape a year ago for this September and we are at the point now to where we are not even excited about our 1st NCL cruise. Had we not already booked airfare and if my MIL & her friend were not going with us, we would have cancelled by now.

 

I have a bad feeling that this will be our 1st and last NCL cruise. We already booked our 2017 cruise, but it's not with NCL.

Do you realize that if you'd never joined CC, you'd go on this cruise and have the time of your life?

[jennmaybe]

Do you realize that if you'd never joined CC, you'd go on this cruise and have the time of your life?

 

Actually, if I had never joined CC, we would have never booked an NCL cruise....:):).