Unlimited Drink Options Included with other lines: will you still book Carnival?

[LakeWobegon]

We're doing Seaside Spring Break next year. We decided to try the Yacht Club Deluxe Balcony Suite) and I will tell you that it's $400 (for 7 nights) more than a balcony on our August Vista cruise (8 nights). Different timeframes and one night less I understand but both are in high demand. In fact, I would say that March timeframe is higher in demand. If purchasing Cheers, MSC is actually several hundred dollars less as the Yacht Club has unlimited beverages and all the perks plus its own restaurant and pool, etc. I read YC people even have a special feature on their key card where you go straight to the YC. So if you are on the second floor and the elevator is full, you can swipe your card, step in and everyone's floors are cancelled out and you go straight to the YC and they have to start over again. Now you would have to be a complete a-hole to do that. lol.

 

Anyway, all this Carnival and NCL bashing is amusing. Let's throw in MSC too. I plan to cruise on ships I enjoy! And I've owned a Chevy, Ford and Dodge!

[jimbo5544]

only 400+ posts before we got to a Walmart reference. It is OK people the bashers are still here, you can all relax now.

[beerman2]

Please do.

 

Be sure and tell us about the flat iron steak served in the extra cost steak house. :D

Actually for my 2nd entrée the flat iron in the MDR on Carnival hasn't been too bad.

 

And if I'm on any cruise line at a Specialty Steakhouse a flat iron wouldn't even be a choice.

 

Time to get real!

[LMaxwell]

We are really not big drinkers at all, and for non-alcohol drinks am more than satisfied with included water, juices, teas, etc. on almost every cruise (line) I have been on. I have gotten drink packages as promos and it is nice to be able to order a drink without thinking about it, but now they tie additional service charges to it. For NCL for me to get free drinks for a week would cost me about $200 in service charges. Honestly, we may not even drink $200 worth during a week cruise. And if you order many of the popular drinks on the menu it is pre-made and sugary mixes with a tiny drop of booze. If you order liquor and know what you like and order by name, thats different.

 

So, if the number pencils out right at the end, I'll take it as a promo as a value adder but I'm fine without it and cruising without it. It may grab my attention to look, but ultimately doesn't sway me to book (by itself; need other more compelling reasons)

[LMaxwell]

Since I never have more than a few drinks per day, I do not purchase an unlimited drink package on any cruise line. In that case, the Carnival cruises are almost always cheaper. You see, one actually does pay for the "free" drink package on NCL with a higher cabin rate, and since we don't drink much, it makes the NCL more expensive.

 

I did a mock booking of the Norwegian Escape: IX category cabins (unassigned rooms) do not offer free beverage package. For $200 more per cabin, you can get the lowest class cabin choice, and you get "free" drinks for $249 for "promo service charge" (aka pre-paid beverage tip). So, for my frugal family, I would sail in IX for $449 cheaper than the "free" package. We would not possibly drink $449 in individual drink purchases.

 

I have sailed on 2 NCL cruises with unlimited drinks (when the tips were included and you didn't have to pay the service charge) and never drank more than 3 drinks in a single day, and many days I did not even have one drink. Active port days can be exhausting and all drinking will do is make me sleep my vacation away. I often need coffee so that I don't miss anything.

 

Yeah, pretty much mirrors my thoughts posted above. I did have the plan when it was "free free" but even then, just did not drink very much. I eat my calories, I don't tend to drink them.

 

I am sailing MSC and when they came out with their new drink plan as part of the booking I called and had it added to my booking. My room price stayed the same, so why not? I will still pay a 15% gratuity, but it will be on each drink ordered instead of based off an absurdly priced package. I would be surprised if between 3 of us we rack up $50 total charges for that week. So a "nice" to have, not a must have.

[SNJCruisers]

It is great/funny at times reading the diverse opinions and how adamant each is that "they" are 100% right.

It's the same rhetoric from the Loyal Royals as well as the Carnival and NCL loyalists that have blinders on. Some cruisers like to broaden their horizons and experience new lines, while others like to stay in their lane and be content.

[SNJCruisers]

 

An example from NCL:

 

Lots of drunk, classless cruisers on that NCL ship. That alone is enough for me to pass on NCL in the future.

Who's cherry picking now? Edit....Beerman2 beat me to it.

[SNJCruisers]

Heck for variety I'm thinking about MSC in the future.

 

Do it, the Seaside was fantastic. She had some bumps and bruises the first 90 days but MSC had that all ironed out by the time we sailed in April. Best deal around anywhere ...

Here's a link to my Seaside review from back in January while she still had growing pains.https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2598283

[BlerkOne]

It's the same rhetoric from the Loyal Royals as well as the Carnival and NCL loyalists that have blinders on. Some cruisers like to broaden their horizons and experience new lines, while others like to stay in their lane and be content.

 

Some cruisers bore easily and need to ramble on. Others like a feeling of coming home.

[BlerkOne]

Who's cherry picking now? Edit....Beerman2 beat me to it.

 

Alcohol and fights go together. Enjoy your free drink package cruise lines.

[LakeWobegon]

Thanks for posting the January review! I found it balanced and I like that you found positives too. As my wife says, I don't think you could go on a "bad" cruise unless there was an event like the "poop cruise." We're looking forward to trying something new and if we don't care for it, don't have to cruise that ship or line again. But again, even my worst vacations have resulted in some good stories and memories.

[Tatka]

Carnival gets the most bashing and fake, yes, fake reputation as the party line, when all we hear about is the booze packages and free drinks on other cruise lines. Anything bad happen on any cruise line - file footage of a Carnival ship is shown. A brawl on Carnival? That was in Australia.

 

 

Google cruise ship brawl and Carnival (Australia) pops up left and right. Yet fights also happens on NCL and other cruise lines. But everyone likes to pick on Carnival.

 

An example from NCL:

 

 

 

Lots of drunk, classless cruisers on that NCL ship. That alone is enough for me to pass on NCL in the future.

LOL.

I've seen worse on Carnival.

And that barfing contest... was beautiful.

 

This is how we rate overall pax on all lines we sailed.

 

Cunard

Celebrity/Holland

Princess

 

Royal

 

NCL

Carnival

 

MSC needs more research as two cruises we took featured more folks from overseas. I suspect that combination lowest prices and mostly local folks wouldn't be pretty. Food was the weakest, daily production shows and Italian flared entertainment one of the best. Ships were simply stunning.

[SNJCruisers]

Thanks for posting the January review! I found it balanced and I like that you found positives too. As my wife says, I don't think you could go on a "bad" cruise unless there was an event like the "poop cruise." We're looking forward to trying something new and if we don't care for it, don't have to cruise that ship or line again. But again, even my worst vacations have resulted in some good stories and memories.

My pleasure. I enjoy "paying it forward" and yes, there is always a positive aspect to any cruise that you go on, unlike some of the occurrences here on cruise critic that can be trying at times when you get into a heated discussion with some individuals that have one track minds and are set in their ways.

[EBFURR]

It's the same rhetoric from the Loyal Royals as well as the Carnival and NCL loyalists that have blinders on. Some cruisers like to broaden their horizons and experience new lines, while others like to stay in their lane and be content.

 

Agreed. We were very loyal to Royal for many years, mainly out of habit and the fact that we were satisfied with the product and knew what to expect. We started to cruise with Carnival last year and have been equally satisfied. We find many more similarities than differences and both lines have positives and not very many negatives as far as we are concerned. We have a future MSC cruise booked as well. Never been on NCL but that could change in the future. Bottom line is that we have no issue with "loyals" nor with the "variety" types. We do wonder why some feel it necessary to bad mouth those who see things differently but such is the nature of free speech and we would not want to have it any other way.

 

By the way, I spent a lot of time in South Jersey working several years back. Around Swedesboro. Loved that area.

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

NCL, Royal and Carnival basically carry the same guests, especially the 3 and 4 day cruises. Years ago, not the case, but now when i cruise, I generally see the same guests. It isn't fair to pin Carnival down to the rowdy crowd anymore, when NCL has a " all inclusive" 3 day sailing out of Miami. I have been on that once and let me say it was out of control.

[Tatka]

We don't sail 3-4 dayers. I suppose on these (plus older ships) crowd is similar, party crowd.

Our shortest were 4-5 holidays sailings on Celebrity and Cunard - new ship and Queen Mary 2. Their crowd was different from massmarket all together, but they weren't cheap.

[ray98]

Why would anyone book a cruise for the drinks package? Must be an alckyholic.

 

 

deep thoughts......