Raise in beverage prices. Shouldn't we be grandfathered in?

[madgran]

Yup, I think you are reading it wrong. S/he said "In this case I booked and paid" so I think the $1100 is the total cost, not the cost of the tips.

 

They never said they paid for the ubp. She said tips. So I guess they did mean she paid for the ubp.

[mjkacmom]

Consider yourself lucky, when we had the UBP, not only did we have to pay for it, it only went up to $11, and if s drink was over, you had to pay full price, not the difference. DH ordered a Brooklyn brown ale, I believe, and was charged full price. Drink prices are always going to go up.

[SteveH2508]

The thread is here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2386472

 

 

I was trying to see about Martinis (specifically Chocolate or Espresso) as I've recently seen those at 18.95-ish within a few reviews.

 

If they have jacked espresso martinis to 18.95 (which I find hard to believe) - that would be another deal-breaker to me (Think Coke and silly priced waters for others:rolleyes:)

 

That is piss-take pricing (if it is true).:mad:

[mscdivina2016]

I may be confused, but how many days is your cruise if the gratuity on the UBP is $1100.00? Im not being a wisenheimer

 

40 night cruise and it was $1137.60 for UBP tips for 2 people.

 

Steve

Edited August 5, 2016 by mscdivina2016

[littlelulu01]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the cost of the UBP to go up next. Last time they raised the UPP to $79/day and raised the drink price inclusion from $11 to $15. When they raise the UBP price then they collect more for the 18%.

 

I hold out hope that if they raise the UBP price they will finally start including things like coffee, water bottles and canned soda like the other lines do, especially if they raise the price.

 

For someone who doesn't drink, or drinks very little and gets the package included for a suite it is quite a shock to find out they have an, "Ultimate Beverage Package" that is far from inclusive and very well may cover little to no beverages they want to consume. Simply absurd to let someone have a alcoholic coffee drink that costs $15 but make them pay for the one without the alcohol. Or a $15 bottle of beer but have to pay for the can of soda.

[DevCruise]

I think the cost of the drinks going up is a result of so many people having the beverage package now. NCL has to make their money somehow.

[NLH Arizona]

I wouldn't be surprised to see the cost of the UBP to go up next. Last time they raised the UPP to $79/day and raised the drink price inclusion from $11 to $15. When they raise the UBP price then they collect more for the 18%.

 

I hold out hope that if they raise the UBP price they will finally start including things like coffee, water bottles and canned soda like the other lines do, especially if they raise the price.

 

For someone who doesn't drink, or drinks very little and gets the package included for a suite it is quite a shock to find out they have an, "Ultimate Beverage Package" that is far from inclusive and very well may cover little to no beverages they want to consume. Simply absurd to let someone have a alcoholic coffee drink that costs $15 but make them pay for the one without the alcohol. Or a $15 bottle of beer but have to pay for the can of soda.

I'm sure, like every other company does, they will put a pen and paper to the UBP frequently and see if they are achieving their break even point and if folks are drinking more than the figure they are looking for, they will raise the cost; it is just the way business is.

 

I've always gotten a soda with my UBP, it is not in a can, but they do offer soda in the UBP.

Edited August 5, 2016 by NLH Arizona

[SteveH2508]

I think the cost of the drinks going up is a result of so many people having the beverage package now. NCL has to make their money somehow.

 

Nailed it!

 

NCL gives away booze to just about everyone at a notional cost of $79+18% pppd.

 

Other lines generally sell their booze packages at about $50-$55 pppd (+ 18%) - they seem to be making money (and including more in their packages e.g. speciality coffees and bottled waters) - perhaps NCL's business model is flawed?

 

Or

 

Perhaps they need to get cash in now - never mind the future - they are living quarter to quarter and need cash to cover the debt repayments and make the short term figures look good.

 

Whatever the real situation is - I am not prepared to risk my cruise pounds on a company who do not seem to be able to stick to a given product from one week to the next. They give me the impression of desperate firefighting to make the bottom line of the spreadsheet come right.

Edited August 5, 2016 by SteveH2508

[Annmeat]

40 night cruise and it was $1137.60 for UBP tips for 2 people.

 

Steve

 

Cool! Where are you going?

[ThePhoenix]

I would hate to NOT have the UBP and have to pay the over inflated individual drink prices!

[Frick_&_Frack]

If they have jacked espresso martinis to 18.95 (which I find hard to believe) - that would be another deal-breaker to me (Think Coke and silly priced waters for others:rolleyes:)

 

That is piss-take pricing (if it is true).:mad:

 

That was noted by someone recently staying in the Haven. And, it's on par with no Coke (since that prompted me to cancel all booked cruises beyond the one in final payment). :eek: And, since that woman didn't change anything, and confirmed the price, I'm pretty confident in it. I'll find out in a month in the Haven for myself (unless someone can post a copy of a current menu). ;)

[mscdivina2016]

Cool! Where are you going?

 

Australia to Japan

[mscdivina2016]

I would hate to NOT have the UBP and have to pay the over inflated individual drink prices!

 

With the current tip charge and now having to pay additional for my beverage of choice it almost makes smuggling worth it.

Edited August 5, 2016 by mscdivina2016

[ChrisNY2]

No, I think he meant tips on the UBP: I am already paying over $1100 in tips for the UBP as it is for two people. ( yes that is for the UBP and not the service charge)

 

Thanks! Turns out that I was the one reading it incorrectly! :)

[sid_9169]

$9.50 for "premium" $16.95 for "super premium" I would hate to even ask the prices for the "ultra premium"

 

This may be the straw that beaks the camels back...

[mscdivina2016]

Just out of curiosity here, where does the contract state that they can raise prices which result in things being excluded from what I already paid for...in full. :confused:

 

Yes the extra $2 would add up. Figure 6 drinks a day average, is $12 a day each so $24 x 40 days is almost another $1000 :eek:

 

Steve

[NLH Arizona]

If someone else cruises on Celebrity, do you remember when they did the same thing or I think it is the same thing. They had some drinks included in their beverage package and raised the price of them and they weren't in the beverage package any longer. There wasn't an issue legally in the United States, but I believe there was an issue legally in the UK and Celebrity went back and cancelled the changes. It was a few years ago and sorry I don't remember all the ands ifs and buts.

 

BTW, it had to do with purchased beverage packages, not beverage packages that were given as a perk.

Edited August 5, 2016 by NLH Arizona

[mscdivina2016]

If someone else cruises on Celebrity, do you remember when they did the same thing or I think it is the same thing. They had some drinks included in their beverage package and raised the price of them and they weren't in the beverage package any longer. There wasn't an issue legally in the United States, but I believe there was an issue legally in the UK and Celebrity went back and cancelled the changes. It was a few years ago and sorry I don't remember all the ands ifs and buts.

 

BTW, it had to do with purchased beverage packages, not beverage packages that were given as a perk.

 

Does that really matter if they advertise it as an incentive to book?

[Medtech2]

People bi-otch just about anything.....

 

grandfather in......you are kidding me right?

 

if you can't find a drink under $15 that your interested in...vacation somewhere else and take your bi-otching to those forums.

You're kidding, right? People "bi-otching" about other people "bi-otching". How about just not reading a post or thread rather than posting totally unhelpful and somewhat bullying comments?

[deliver42]

I really don't see a problem. If I want super premium, then I will pay the difference, but from what I see, I can live with the premium drinks quite comfortably.

[NLH Arizona]

Does that really matter if they advertise it as an incentive to book?

If I remember they couldn't change the price and exclude items sold in the package that was purchased. I don't know if the same would apply with it being a perk, because the package is free, and I don't know if that was the reason Celebrity went back on their changes, but it seemed like when it was brought up, then they lowered the prices of the drinks back to what they were prior to the change.

[dexddd]

And if you book GV, OS, DOS you get "call" for the bottle selection.

[SeaShark]

If the drink prices were lowered would the premise be that people who booked when the prices were higher should then be grandfathered to pay those higher prices?

 

When NCL made the Asian restaurants complimentary, did the people with existing bookings insist on paying anyway?

[CruisinHarvey]

I think they should have to grandfather folks. It's just a matter of degree of change that you've been talking about. If tomorrow they said all that's included in the package for free now is Natural light beer, Smirnoff vodka, and Charles Shaw Wines. I'm sure you'd all be board. Right? This is exactly how they nibble away at things, while most people don't notice, or care. Then you look at the cumulative effect over the course of time, sure enough you're drinking Smirnoff and tonic. Ahh! This is livin!!

[xcell]

40 night cruise and it was $1137.60 for UBP tips for 2 people.

 

Steve

 

HOLY...

 

To each his own but I would not pay that much for a drink package...