Average Alcohol Consumption on a Cruise

[WanderLuster101]

Cutting fizzy white wine with orange juice makes it palatable.

 

I also love champagne with cranberry juice as I recently discovered.

 

And I'm wearing my "Mornings are for Mimosas" t-shirt - so I feel like this discussion is right on theme!

[Dei3Nascar8]

My wife and I like to have a drink with the show and maybe one if it is hot and we are by the pool. We would never do the UBP if it were not a perk. The funny thing about it though, we didn't drink more but felt we could spend more on other things; gift shop, dinners, and shows. In the end with the UBP NCL got more money out of us this cruise and we didn't drink more than we needed either. I even bought a bottle of wine, when I could have ordered free by the glass. I would be interested in seeing how the numbers broke down, as in my wife and I booked our next cruise for this year already because of the UBP even though we would never cost NCL money in the deal. It is just too hard to get the wallet out for $20 for two drinks. We just didn't spend anything. Somehow this is working out in NCL's benefit. They give us free drinks, and we spend more on the other areas of the ship... Will be interested in seeing if that holds true the next cruise now that I know it. I have a feeling that it will. I feel like we have an extra couple hundred that we can spend since we are not spending the money on the UBP.

[johnritt]

I can't imagine anyone or almost anyone actually buying the beverage plan now. For me, it is included at a reasonable rate or I don't cruise with them.

 

I just booked a 10 night cruise for $1109 (cheap balcony) that works out to be right at $3000 for the two of us including drinks and 4 dinners each with all taxes and fees including beverage and dinner gratuities. That works out to $150 per person per day for the cabin, drinks and 4 dinners each along the way.

 

Could have done the identical cruise for $2000 in an inside cabin that wouldn't have included the dinners or the dining gratuities but included everything else. $100 per person per day including the drinks package is a good deal in my opinion.

 

I haven't added general tips or travel, as they are about the same no matter who I choose.

 

NCL can claim the drinks package is worth whatever they want to. I just look at total value and choose the best total deal for me. For me,NCL worked out to be the best value I could find for when I wanted to cruise, by far.

 

No one else came close.

[the_dylaness]

I also love champagne with cranberry juice as I recently discovered.

 

And I'm wearing my "Mornings are for Mimosas" t-shirt - so I feel like this discussion is right on theme!

 

we call that a "Hibiscus"! Love it

[june123]

I kept track of it the last time. I was easily having 8-9 drinks a day without trying, and I wasn't stumbling around intoxicated. We won't book without the package.

 

 

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Same here . Will only book if i`m getting the drinks package thrown in .

[4774Papa]

I can't imagine anyone or almost anyone actually buying the beverage plan now. For me, it is included at a reasonable rate or I don't cruise with them.

 

I just booked a 10 night cruise for $1109 (cheap balcony) that works out to be right at $3000 for the two of us including drinks and 4 dinners each with all taxes and fees including beverage and dinner gratuities. That works out to $150 per person per day for the cabin, drinks and 4 dinners each along the way.

 

Could have done the identical cruise for $2000 in an inside cabin that wouldn't have included the dinners or the dining gratuities but included everything else. $100 per person per day including the drinks package is a good deal in my opinion.

 

I haven't added general tips or travel, as they are about the same no matter who I choose.

 

NCL can claim the drinks package is worth whatever they want to. I just look at total value and choose the best total deal for me. For me,NCL worked out to be the best value I could find for when I wanted to cruise, by far.

 

No one else came close.

 

John,

The problem is that the promos like the drinks packages that are added increases the bottom line price.

I prefer a base price with no promos. The wine choices on the drinks packages are not very good, so we declined to choice that choice to avoid the $99 in gratuities pp for a week cruise.

[Justaddvodka68]

A rather significant difference, however, is that NCL offers their beverage package for only $99/week (mandatory gratuities) to anyone who wants it and has done so for like 2 years.

 

True, but it's really more like $299 - as if you book a guarantee, without the "perk" you can save about $200 per person on your cruise fare.

 

It's still worth it, IMO. But we're drinkers - especially on vacation and we like good vodka and whiskey cocktails. Martini's, manhattans and the like, which would rack up a good bar tab every night, even at a land based bar.

 

One of the reasons we like cruising and the UBP -

[Justaddvodka68]

Cutting fizzy white wine with orange juice makes it palatable.

 

Fizzy white white with a shot of Chambord. Mmmmm.

[iatag]

I like to drink but can easily cruise for a week without a single drink (and have done so on several occasions) when forced to pay $10+ per drink. Just not worth it for me. We have booked our last two cruises with NCL mainly because of the UBP. I actually prefer Carnival in many other areas, but when prices are similar and NCL throws in the UBP, it's a "no-brainer" for me. I have no problem offsetting the $99 gratuity charge in drinks consumed. I thoroughly enjoy the freedom to order "what I want, when I want" without worrying about the expense. My only concern is that I tend to "over induldge" in both food and drink and find myself in bed early or walking around feeling "stuffed". Oh well, cruising only happens once a year for me so why feel guilty.

[sweetlillym]

This will be our first time sailing with Norwegian. The UBP perk was a big deciding factor for us. It's a great deal!

[johnritt]

John,

The problem is that the promos like the drinks packages that are added increases the bottom line price.

I prefer a base price with no promos. The wine choices on the drinks packages are not very good, so we declined to choice that choice to avoid the $99 in gratuities pp for a week cruise.

 

Different strokes. I'm not a big wine drinker but my wife is. A decent red blend with dinner and I'm happy. My wife actually looks at the wine list! It's Chinese to me. I suppose we'll pay the up charge for what ever wine she wants this trip. If it becomes stupid to us, we'll cancel our next cruise for a better deal, if there is a better deal out there. Or we'll just do something else. I'm not welded to a ship.

 

The thing is , I've priced out some of these cruises where the drinks package costs more than the cruise, including adding the the costs of the drinks package gratuity. So worrying about what NCL claims the package is worth makes little sense for me, as NCL doesn't come close to charging that price when adding it as a cruise benefit, if it is a benefit (and it is) that I will use.

 

We've bounced from carnival to ncl to celebrity to trying rci in a week and now back to ncl. If we can find a better deal elsewhere, we'll bounce again. We always try to follow the value.

 

However, what I consider a value may not come anywhere close to what you consider a value. The fun thing is that we're both right.

[beerman2]

It didn't mention fizzy white wine, it mentioned champagne. I just don't think they are serving up that much champagne.

 

Mimosas at breakfast are probably filtered into the numbers. So it could easily get to 6,300.

[UPNYGuy]

Same here . Will only book if i`m getting the drinks package thrown in .

 

 

We have 4 cruises booked on NCL, 2 on HAL, and 1 on MSC that all have a beverage package. I booked the HAL cruises under the Explore 4 promo, and MSC is in the Yacht Club, so those are all inclusive beverages. NCL all have the UBP.

 

 

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[Flamencacha]

I definitely drink more when on a package. Never purchase one but always select it as a perk.

 

My next cruise is package less, I am doing a garantee[emoji33] with a family member that doesn't drink. We will see how that goes.

 

The price between the two made the package quite reasonable as a choice, for two drinkers.

 

 

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[ClevelandCruisin]

People drink more on vacation!

 

Plus when drinks are included, you want to get your money worth!

 

A drink here or there turns in to many drinks before you know it!

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

That's what I have for breakfast.

[uneamie]

I think NCL's $79+gratuity is outrageous. We did select this as one of our "perks" on our BTB cruise in June, but only because it was offered. If it weren't, we would not have purchased it on board. We cruised on RCI last June. Their beverage package cost $49pp + gratuity included frozen drinks AND bottled water. A much better deal. The 7 night UBP on NCL costs $652.54 pp. The 9 night RCI charge was $520 pp. Just saying......

We got the free UBP....for a 14 day cruise the gratuities were $378 for the 2 of us. Not all that bad, but if it were not free and I had to pay that on top of the price of the package I would not purchase it. My hubby is not much of a drinker so it wouldn't be worth it.

[uneamie]

John,

The problem is that the promos like the drinks packages that are added increases the bottom line price.

I prefer a base price with no promos. The wine choices on the drinks packages are not very good, so we declined to choice that choice to avoid the $99 in gratuities pp for a week cruise.

 

Hmm...so when you are at dinner and want a glass of wine and have the free drink package...do they have separate menus for only the drinks you are allowed to have? I mean how limited are you? I don't expect to get a glass of $20 per glass wine....but I also don't want to drink sub par crappy wine either.

[sanger727]

Hmm...so when you are at dinner and want a glass of wine and have the free drink package...do they have separate menus for only the drinks you are allowed to have? I mean how limited are you? I don't expect to get a glass of $20 per glass wine....but I also don't want to drink sub par crappy wine either.

 

 

The UBP covers drinks up to $15. For a drink over $15 you pay the difference. We had no problems finding wines under the limit.

 

 

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[SeekingKillerWhales!]

I'm not much of a drinker - three drinks on my Alaskan cruise tour a couple years ago. But I did go for the drink package as I will never get a chance to try so many drinks for just a hundred bucks. I want to try all the frou frou drinks possible, starting with the Bushwhacker. :D But since I don't drink much, nor do any of my traveling companions, I suspect the three gals will be ordering all different drinks and tasting each others. So if I get to try six drinks, but only drink the equivalent of two, I think that's a win!

 

BTW what are the green yummy drinks pictured in the post above? Will definitely try one of those!

 

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[SeekingKillerWhales!]

The two green drinks with pineapple wedges are pictured in a post on page two of this thread. ;)

 

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[gymbomb]

Most days 1 drink. Sometimes none, sometimes 2. We don't select the package even as a perk unless we are getting a suite and not paying the gratuities on it because we don't drink enough to make it a good deal. We take the dining package instead because it has a greater value for us.

 

 

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[SNJCruisers]

And without a package, I have alligator arms because I always think about the cost. The all inclusive feel of it is great. Many people say that once you go with a balcony, you can't go back to an inside. I feel the same way about the drink packages. Whether it's an included perk or purchased, it's how I now prefer to cruise.

 

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[SNJCruisers]

Hmm...so when you are at dinner and want a glass of wine and have the free drink package...do they have separate menus for only the drinks you are allowed to have? I mean how limited are you? I don't expect to get a glass of $20 per glass wine....but I also don't want to drink sub par crappy wine either.

 

The UBP covers drinks up to $15. For a drink over $15 you pay the difference. We had no problems finding wines under the limit.

 

 

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Your average wine drinker can usually find something that will fit under the 15.00 limit. It's the wine snobs that are used to the fancier wines that they consume at home and they have a fit when they can't get something that is palatable to their taste buds that is under 15.00. They usually find something that only costs a few dollars over the limit and it appeases them.

[4774Papa]

I think NCL's $79+gratuity is outrageous. We did select this as one of our "perks" on our BTB cruise in June, but only because it was offered. If it weren't, we would not have purchased it on board. We cruised on RCI last June. Their beverage package cost $49pp + gratuity included frozen drinks AND bottled water. A much better deal. The 7 night UBP on NCL costs $652.54 pp. The 9 night RCI charge was $520 pp. Just saying......

We had the free beverage packages for our Alaska cruise on the Sun last September. It was prior to us having to pay the 18% gratuities. Still, the red wines offered on the drinks packages were not to my liking.

 

Consequently, we will never pay for or even choose the free drinks packages, due to the wine choices and gratuities. We normally spend about $250 on alcohol for a week cruise.

 

I understand some people start drinking at breakfast or early in the day, but I prefer to save my liver. I had a heavy drinking friend that died at 65 of liver failure.