drink prices

[sixstring]

I'm booked on the Epic in Feb with the UBP as one of the perks.

 

Who else in this booking time frame has the sinking feeling (no pun intended) that by the time we board, EVERYTHING except beer and cheap wine will be over $15.00?

 

Of course this may have the unforeseen consequence of folks without the UBP not buying ANY mixed drinks at those prices. :eek:

[sid_9169]

I totally agree... I've seen the choices diminish over my past 3 NCL cruises, and now this severe price increase. One of the things I looked forward to most on vacation is now going to end up eating a hole in my wallet...

I'm booked on the Epic in Feb with the UBP as one of the perks.

 

Who else in this booking time frame has the sinking feeling (no pun intended) that by the time we board, EVERYTHING except beer and cheap wine will be over $15.00?

 

Of course this may have the unforeseen consequence of folks without the UBP not buying ANY mixed drinks at those prices. :eek:

[snow bunny]

Is it still the Ruffino Pino Grigio? If it is you can buy it in many grocery stores in the US Eg CVS. Retails for around $10 US. If it is, it's the one I drink if I'm on the UBP. Not as good as a good Marlboro Sav Blanc, but still better than the house Sav Blanc.

 

No, it is now a wine by Banfi.

[hladygirl]

If I did not get this cruise at an incredible price thru CAS I probably wouldn't have booked it. The base price is now not worth it. We are platinum now and we will most likely try another line now that the prices have severely increased and even with the UBP my favorite drinks are no longer included. Not worth it anymore. Too bad! I have only cruised NCL but I think I will try other cruiselines.

[aubreyc1988]

Not a huge drinker anymore, use to be able to down 6 or 7 tequila shots in my heyday, so I'll probably, like you, only have a few sips.

 

aww cmon, Donna up

 

[Annmeat]

aww cmon, Donna up

 

 

This is LIterally the best idea that I have ever heard.

Edited August 13, 2016 by Annmeat

[nunuc2000]

OMG, I don't drink Martinis, but with all the talk about the Chocolate Martini, I'm going to have to try it on my next cruise.

 

That and the espresso martini's are my favorites... you SHOULD try one! They are what I enjoy instead of dessert after dinner :)

[NLH Arizona]

That and the espresso martini's are my favorites... you SHOULD try one! They are what I enjoy instead of dessert after dinner :)

I'll try one of those as well. Hopefully, not to many more suggestions, otherwise, I'll miss most of my cruise because I'll be too drunk to remember it!!!!;)

[aubreyc1988]

This is LIterally the best idea that I have ever heard.

 

 

 

Donna would be a perfect cruise companion lol

 

 

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[HowardK]

Don't forget solo cruisers. We're rarely offered a promo. Two of my upcoming cruises are in balcony cabins so I have UBP on those, and I booked one in a studio when they were actually offering a promo for studio bookings. :)

 

When I booked my Studio last December (for this December) they actually offerred 2 promos for the studios (it lasted a few weeks) and I am glad I grabbed it because since then the studio itself went up $300, the UBP base price went up and the SDP went from four meals to three.

Oh yeah, and the Dark And Stormy and Woodford Reserve (which I want to try because it keeps getting mentioned in a movie called Mississipi Grind I watched lol).

Other than that the ship is now sailing at 7pm and Million Dollar Quartet is gone. I am still excited about going and am glad I pulled the Escape to Jost Van Dyke excursion this week.

However, I am going to printout this topmast list and see how it is come December.

[dijid]

 

Of course this may have the unforeseen consequence of folks without the UBP not buying ANY mixed drinks at those prices. :eek:

 

That would be my husband and I. We are occassional drinkers, but tend to have a drink or two daily while on vacation. On our cruise in June, we paid corkage for 2 bottles of wine, and bought a few drinks in addition.

 

But these new prices are OUTRAGEOUS if you are paying per drink and we absolutely would not buy anything while onboard. We would rather abstain.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

When I booked my Studio last December (for this December) they actually offerred 2 promos for the studios (it lasted a few weeks) and I am glad I grabbed it because since then the studio itself went up $300, the UBP base price went up and the SDP went from four meals to three.

Oh yeah, and the Dark And Stormy and Woodford Reserve (which I want to try because it keeps getting mentioned in a movie called Mississipi Grind I watched lol).

Other than that the ship is now sailing at 7pm and Million Dollar Quartet is gone. I am still excited about going and am glad I pulled the Escape to Jost Van Dyke excursion this week.

However, I am going to printout this topmast list and see how it is come December.

 

Yes, every once in a while they give us a promo or two. On my last cruise (first in a studio) there was no love on promos. But on my next, I have UBP. When I saw they were offering a promo for studios, I decided to go ahead and book.

 

Have a great cruise in December, Howard. I'd never heard of a Dark and Stormy until this thread. I'm absolutely certain I'll find many drinks that fall under the cap. I don't drink much at all, so it hasn't been a big deal to not get UBP, but I now have it for the three NCL cruises I have booked, so I'll be more adventurous than usual. Typically, I don't drink enough to have it add up to the gratuities, so I'll be having two or three a day most likely to cover what I paid for the free package! :D

 

Is sailing at 7 p.m. a bad thing? Not seeing MDQ wouldn't be an issue for me--saw it on land and wasn't impressed.

 

That would be my husband and I. We are occassional drinkers, but tend to have a drink or two daily while on vacation. On our cruise in June, we paid corkage for 2 bottles of wine, and bought a few drinks in addition.

 

But these new prices are OUTRAGEOUS if you are paying per drink and we absolutely would not buy anything while onboard. We would rather abstain.

 

As another occasional drinker, I agree! If I didn't have UBP for my next cruise, I wouldn't even consider purchasing a $17 or $18 cocktail. That's just crazy on land or sea!

[SNJCruisers]

the SDP went from four meals to three.

Oh yeah, and the Dark And Stormy and Woodford Reserve (which I want to try because it keeps getting mentioned in a movie called Mississipi Grind I watched lol).

Since you snagged your cabin while the SDP promo was still at 4 meals instead of 3, you're locked in, but the recent price increase from 10.95 to 16.95 on the Woodford Reserve and Goslings Rum will put you in the predicament to fork over an extra 1.95 plus 18% for each drink you order with those liquors.

[halegliss]

My husband and I aren't huge drinkers. So we only get a few drinks maybe 2 on the ship. We wait until we are on shore and enjoy some wonderful local places and grab a couple drinks.

 

 

NCL cruises

2012 Pearl

2014 Dawn Forums

[aubreyc1988]

Here's a larger version of that photo (not all of the drinks listed are actually frozen cocktails).

 

 

the gin and tonic one is probably the most crazy one I have seen thus far

 

Looking up this prairie gin stuff, and looks around 19.00 a bottle at Total Wine and you know NCL gets a discounted rate on liquors and beer.

 

 

So one shot presumably in a gin and tonic costs as much a retail bottle of the gin? How does that make any sense, even with mark up...:mad:

[halegliss]

this mark up is being seen everywhere - supposedly because people are drinking less. http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/may/25/price-we-pay-drink-strip/

 

 

NCL cruises

2012 Pearl

2014 Dawn Forums

[aubreyc1988]

this mark up is being seen everywhere - supposedly because people are drinking less. http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2014/may/25/price-we-pay-drink-strip/

 

 

NCL cruises

2012 Pearl

2014 Dawn Forums

 

I disagree. I could *maybe* understand a martini being that much, but even that is ridiculously high.

 

I'm not comparing a cruise ship price of a drink to a land based casino or any other land based operation. I bet you, you could get that same drink on most cruise lines cheaper than 17.95, and the only reason they made it 17.95 was so that they could get 2-4.00 extra out of the UBP holders. But it severely penalizes the people who actually purchase the UBP outright and don't get it as a perk.

 

It will be interesting to see how Royal Caribbean's package stacks up against the NCL UBP in terms of selection, included brands, etc. I bet you THEY are not charging their customers 17.95 plus gratuity for a "premium gin and tonic" and I also bet Carnival, Princess, Holland America, etc aren't either. And remember, the NCL UBP is 80+ per day plus gratuity if you bought it outright without getting it as a perk. To me, at that price, almost all liquors should be included, esp a bottle of gin that is under 20.00 retail. Grey goose at total wine, same fl os as the Prairie Gin, is 23.95 and is included in the UBP. It just makes *no* sense.

 

I'm just tired of NCL's nickel and diming, and to me, a 18.00 drink (even if I have the UBP as a perk and only pay the upcharge) is crazy and really turns me off to them as a cruise line. That's not to say I won't cruise NCL again, but they will definitely be one of the last choices on my list.

[halegliss]

I've never chosen any of the drink packages because they are not worth it to me. But I'm very cheap!

 

 

NCL cruises

2012 Pearl

2014 Dawn Forums

[Quilting_Cruiser]

 

I'm not comparing a cruise ship price of a drink to a land based casino or any other land based operation. I bet you, you could get that same drink on most cruise lines cheaper than 17.95, and the only reason they made it 17.95 was so that they could get 2-4.00 extra out of the UBP holders. But it severely penalizes the people who actually purchase the UBP outright and don't get it as a perk.

 

 

It also really sucks for people who don't have UBP in any form. I've cruised NCL only twice and didn't have UBP on either of those sailing so paid for what I drank. But, I wouldn't have paid almost $20 for a single drink! I do have UBP on my next three cruises. But I won't be ordering anything over the UBP cap. It's just disappointing how many things NCL is changing and it's obvious the bulk of it is to impact the bottom line. I'll still sail them through at least next year, but there've been so many changes I'm hesitant to book anything beyond that.

[aubreyc1988]

It also really sucks for people who don't have UBP in any form. I've cruised NCL only twice and didn't have UBP on either of those sailing so paid for what I drank. But, I wouldn't have paid almost $20 for a single drink! I do have UBP on my next three cruises. But I won't be ordering anything over the UBP cap. It's just disappointing how many things NCL is changing and it's obvious the bulk of it is to impact the bottom line. I'll still sail them through at least next year, but there've been so many changes I'm hesitant to book anything beyond that.

 

exactly! If I ever did a really port intensive cruise, UBP as a perk probably wouldn't be worth it, but I don't want to pay those crazy drink prices!

 

When I booked the Escape in December for a Jan sailing, from that short time period, they changed margaritaville to free to ala carte and many other little small changes that were ridiculous. People who were past final payment obviously couldn't cancel. If they are going to keep implementing changes, they need to give months notice, so those wanting to cancel have the opportunity to, since it wasn't the experience they were expecting when they booked. So yeah, makes me really hesitant to think about doing another NCL.

[HowardK]

Yes, every once in a while they give us a promo or two. On my last cruise (first in a studio) there was no love on promos. But on my next, I have UBP. When I saw they were offering a promo for studios, I decided to go ahead and book.

 

Have a great cruise in December, Howard. I'd never heard of a Dark and Stormy until this thread. I'm absolutely certain I'll find many drinks that fall under the cap. I don't drink much at all, so it hasn't been a big deal to not get UBP, but I now have it for the three NCL cruises I have booked, so I'll be more adventurous than usual. Typically, I don't drink enough to have it add up to the gratuities, so I'll be having two or three a day most likely to cover what I paid for the free package! :D

 

Is sailing at 7 p.m. a bad thing? Not seeing MDQ wouldn't be an issue for me--saw it on land and wasn't impressed.

 

 

 

As another occasional drinker, I agree! If I didn't have UBP for my next cruise, I wouldn't even consider purchasing a $17 or $18 cocktail. That's just crazy on land or sea!

 

On my last 4 NCL cruises I have purchased 1 drink + the Wine Lovers show on the Breakaway which was my birthday. Needless to say I drank everything in front of me and then started drinking the other glasses at the table! Once they couldn't stop me I explained it was my birthday. I showed them my drivers license and think they gave me more from what I remember. I don't even know to this day what Wine Lovers was about nor did I care either lol.

By getting the $80, I'll likely like you also just do 2-3 drinks a day in which I am still out ahead. I plan on trying new things that I have not had before

[17cruisesnsl]

I'm not seeing Sambuca listed on any of the posted drink menus. It was available in February on the Escape and June on the BA. - hope it's still available! I know it was on the menu at La Cucina. Has anyone ordered it recently?

 

Perhaps it is not very popular? Was at a very nice Las Vegas hotel in April (not sure if I'm allowed to say the name, but it starts with the same letter as the month we were there) and they did not serve Sambuca in the casino nor at any hotel bars; no Maire Brizard anisette either. :eek:

[SNJCruisers]

The price comparison that is the most ridiculous is for Gosling's Rum. NCl was charging 10.95 for it, and it now has increased to 16.95 by itself and 17.95 in a Dark & Stormy. Unless there has been a recent increase on Carnival, the last list I saw online was Gosling's at 5.95, Pyrat XO rum was 6.50 and Patron Silver was 9.95. All three are now 16.95 on NCL.

It's nice to receive the UBP as a perk, but it's a slap in the face when you still need to shell out extra money for certain drinks that are automatically included on comparable lines such as Carnival and RCI and even more upscale lines such as Celebrity, whose premium drink package includes all of the options at their Martini Bar, which NCL does not even have but they do have the audacity to charge 17.95 for a chocolate or espresso martini.

Edited August 15, 2016 by SNJCruisers

[nunuc2000]

Glad to see I'm not the only one who is veering away from NCL as a result of their recent changes and mark-ups. Perhaps the executive team at NCL will start paying attention - I wish they would pay attention to these boards.

 

But I'm guessing they really don't give a flying flip about any of this as long as they're lining their own pockets. They made that very clear when I wrote to them and spoke with them.

 

Just as an FYI for anyone who isn't up to speed on Carnival's drink plan... the "Cheers" program is $49.95 per person per day is purchased in advance, $54.95 if purchased once on board. It includes all beverages up to $50 each, and also includes bottled water, specialty coffees (including frozen frappaccinos, espressos, cappuccinos, etc.) , energy drinks, fancy non-alcoholic cocktails, etc. Obviously a much better deal than the NCL plan. And to top it all off, even without the Cheers plan, the higher end martinis are only $8.95, and the G&T with Prairie Organic is the same. NOT $17.95 each.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

On my last 4 NCL cruises I have purchased 1 drink + the Wine Lovers show on the Breakaway which was my birthday. Needless to say I drank everything in front of me and then started drinking the other glasses at the table! Once they couldn't stop me I explained it was my birthday. I showed them my drivers license and think they gave me more from what I remember. I don't even know to this day what Wine Lovers was about nor did I care either lol.

By getting the $80, I'll likely like you also just do 2-3 drinks a day in which I am still out ahead. I plan on trying new things that I have not had before

 

 

 

That brings quite the image to mind! LOL.

 

I'll be trying a few new things as well. Since my visit to Barcelona earlier this year, I'm hoping they can make a decent sangria. I guess I'll find out soon enough since I'm boarding in 41 days. :D