NCL Introduces new "Free At Sea Plus" Packages

[Old Fart Cruisers]

How much do the gratuities increase from the Premium to Premium Plus Beverage package?

[dbrown84]

15 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

How much do the gratuities increase from the Premium to Premium Plus Beverage package?

premium plus upgrade is $29 per person per day.  Gratuities would be 20%, so $5.80 per day

[Yesimapirate]

It obviously isn't for everyone or every  trip but I think it's great  

 

Doesn't work for our Greek cruise but the numbers work in our favor for Alaska as we're going to upgrade the drink package and wifi for 2.  Add in a couple of excursions and we essentially get 2 free specialty meals.  

 

For Greece, we will not be upgrading the drink package,  only one of us will upgrade wifi and the 2 excursions we have with NCL are already booked and paid for.

 

Even if it doesn't work for you,  no reason to knick others if they're happy with it.

[chillyw]

1 hour ago, andychris said:

How do you book this upgrade? I don’t see it on any of my reservations to upgrade. 
Thanks!

 

According to the person I just talked to on NCL.com chat:

 

"You will need to contact the Reservations Department at 1-866-234-7350. Open Mon-Fri 8AM-12AM & Sat/Sun 9AM-9PM EST."

 

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by chillyw

[jbcallender]

I'm on a 12 day cruise in November.  I've already paid for the embedded beverage package cost plus $600 in gratuities on the beverage package.  The upgrade for this would run $1200 plus more gratuities.  It is unlikely that I'm gonna drink that amount of starbucks and bottled water.  We are mainly wine drinkers.  The excursions...meh.  Not feelin' it.

 

We depart at 11 p.m., so that I'm sure counts as a day for the package.  $100 for an hour....    

[KeithJenner]

7 hours ago, tetleytea said:

One has to book excursions through the ship to make it work, and the cheaper excursions which go down to almost free fill up quickly.  Otherwise it's best to price vs. booking independently, and all this does is even that out.  So you're not really saving $100 per excursion.  

 

The MDR meals are already paid for, so the value of the "$85" specialty meals is certainly a lot less than $85.  

 

The internet is of no value if the internet service stinks.  

 

If this all comes down to drinks, and people are truly drinking that many drinks to make this worth it, then I wouldn't call it the Free at Sea Plus package--i would call it the Future Friends of Bill W package.

 

I’m sure that is all very interesting, but completely irrelevant to my point.

 

My point was very simple. Firstly that the plus beverage package includes more than Starbucks and secondly that some people are already paying for those upgrades so the $$$ obviously compute for them.

 

I am not interested in criticising other peoples motivations, so all that is irrelevant to me.

 

I can’t just leave your last paragraph though. The upgraded beverage package is about quality, non quantity. You can already drink as much as you want with the standard package. You have had two stabs at what that package is about and been spectacularly wrong both times.

[KeithJenner]

I’m really pleased that NCL have introduced this package.

 

Not because of the actual offer, but because it gives us the entertainment on these threads from the comments on here.

 

If they offered spa passes at a bargain price then I wouldn’t be interested, but I would just not purchase and move on. I wouldn’t come on here and say that it doesn’t represent value, as that would just make me look ridiculous. 🙂

[mianmike]

No wonder NCL reduced the Free at Sea three specialty dining meals to two meals.  It obviously wasn't to reduce overcrowding and and make more traditional dining times available for more people; it was highly likely done to free up space for this promo.  I wonder if this is also a partial reason why NCL removed the free wifi minutes from higher level Latitude members . . . . 

[tetleytea]

7 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

I’m sure that is all very interesting, but completely irrelevant to my point.

 

My point was very simple. Firstly that the plus beverage package includes more than Starbucks and secondly that some people are already paying for those upgrades so the $$$ obviously compute for them.

 

I am not interested in criticising other peoples motivations, so all that is irrelevant to me.

 

I can’t just leave your last paragraph though. The upgraded beverage package is about quality, non quantity. You can already drink as much as you want with the standard package. You have had two stabs at what that package is about and been spectacularly wrong both times.

 

First off, when anybody ever starts off with "I'm sure that is very interesting," it is obvious they didn't hear a word I said.

 

Second, you are spectacularly wrong yourself if you think that, by people paying for an upgrade, that the $$$ obviously compute for them.   Obviously not everybody is good with money, has good judgement, or just immediately computes math in their head.  Or they fall for marketing ploys or the need for conspicuous consumption.   When you're looking at even a regular Free At Sea package where you have to have 3 drinks a day, every day, just to come out head on the gratuities alone, that is where we're at.  Let alone Free at Sea itself, let alone paying for yet another upgrade on top of that upgrade.

 

Third, you seem awfully sensitive about it, and when people get that sensitive about it, one has to wonder what makes you so sensitive?.  It's a plain, simple statement of fact:   if you're trying to lose weight, don't spend hours in the all-you-can-eat buffet line.  If you have a gambling problem, don't set foot in a casino on double-points day.   And if you have a potential drinking problem, don't plunk down $1000 on an all-you-can-drink package while couped up on a ship.   Very simple.  Yet for some reason when it comes to this, people want an intentional blind spot.  The way the drink package works is very simple:   you have to drink X number of drinks (where X is not particularly a low number.  Definitely >>3) every day to come out ahead, and that incentivizes you to drink more.  Clearly you are planning ahead to drink a lot.  Not a little--a lot.

 

It is well-known that the casino operators prey on poor judgment.  You get free booze while spinning, they have all the promotions and bright lights meant to entice.  We all know how slots work:  you stick $1 in, and you get 40 cents out.  Fantastic math there.  If it was about the entertainment, then why are free slots with pretend money so unpopular on Steam?   Because people don't particularly find it a fun game when the money is not real.

 

Yet somehow... would the cruise lines ever exploit poor judgment to make a buck?  Oh no, never!   After all, who would ever want to just get smashed on the cruise, and not care about the money?

 

So go ahead:   I am the bad guy.  Families are getting ripped apart, not just by the alcohol, but by the finances.   Meanwhile the rest of us on the cruise have to deal with drunken behavior around the night clubs, fueled by the open bar.  But I know, I am the one who's wrong, because I'm the one who is actually not doing it and I dared ever state the obvious.   If I get challenged to a fight by a guy about to lay himself flat on the floor without throwing a single punch, I just have to deal with it.   Because after all, who am I to police?   I said something!  Oh no!

 

[thedarklord]

It feels to me that the fixed extra number of meals is a far better benefit on shorter cruises than longer ones.
On a 3 night cruise for example, you'd pay the increased rate for 4 days, and get to benefit from the two  extra meals over 3 nights.
On a 14 night cruise however, you pay the increased rate for 15 days, but still only benefit from the meals bonus on two nights.
It seems to me that the additional meals should probably be tiered based on length of cruise, as they are already on free at sea.
 

[Two Wheels Only]

23 minutes ago, tetleytea said:

 

First off, when anybody ever starts off with "I'm sure that is very interesting," it is obvious they didn't hear a word I said.

 

Second, you are spectacularly wrong yourself if you think that, by people paying for an upgrade, that the $$$ obviously compute for them.   Obviously not everybody is good with money, has good judgement, or just immediately computes math in their head.  Or they fall for marketing ploys or the need for conspicuous consumption.   When you're looking at even a regular Free At Sea package where you have to have 3 drinks a day, every day, just to come out head on the gratuities alone, that is where we're at.  Let alone Free at Sea itself, let alone paying for yet another upgrade on top of that upgrade.

 

Third, you seem awfully sensitive about it, and when people get that sensitive about it, one has to wonder what makes you so sensitive?.  It's a plain, simple statement of fact:   if you're trying to lose weight, don't spend hours in the all-you-can-eat buffet line.  If you have a gambling problem, don't set foot in a casino on double-points day.   And if you have a potential drinking problem, don't plunk down $1000 on an all-you-can-drink package while couped up on a ship.   Very simple.  Yet for some reason when it comes to this, people want an intentional blind spot.  The way the drink package works is very simple:   you have to drink X number of drinks (where X is not particularly a low number.  Definitely >>3) every day to come out ahead, and that incentivizes you to drink more.  Clearly you are planning ahead to drink a lot.  Not a little--a lot.

 

It is well-known that the casino operators prey on poor judgment.  You get free booze while spinning, they have all the promotions and bright lights meant to entice.  We all know how slots work:  you stick $1 in, and you get 40 cents out.  Fantastic math there.  If it was about the entertainment, then why are free slots with pretend money so unpopular on Steam?   Because people don't particularly find it a fun game when the money is not real.

 

Yet somehow... would the cruise lines ever exploit poor judgment to make a buck?  Oh no, never!   After all, who would ever want to just get smashed on the cruise, and not care about the money?

 

So go ahead:   I am the bad guy.  Families are getting ripped apart, not just by the alcohol, but by the finances.   Meanwhile the rest of us on the cruise have to deal with drunken behavior around the night clubs, fueled by the open bar.  But I know, I am the one who's wrong, because I'm the one who is actually not doing it and I dared ever state the obvious.   If I get challenged to a fight by a guy about to lay himself flat on the floor without throwing a single punch, I just have to deal with it.   Because after all, who am I to police?   I said something!  Oh no!

 

 

TL;DR 😵

 

Sooooooo......I guess you won't be upgrading to Premium Plus? 

[KeithJenner]

2 hours ago, tetleytea said:

 

First off, when anybody ever starts off with "I'm sure that is very interesting," it is obvious they didn't hear a word I said.

 

Second, you are spectacularly wrong yourself if you think that, by people paying for an upgrade, that the $$$ obviously compute for them.   Obviously not everybody is good with money, has good judgement, or just immediately computes math in their head.  Or they fall for marketing ploys or the need for conspicuous consumption.   When you're looking at even a regular Free At Sea package where you have to have 3 drinks a day, every day, just to come out head on the gratuities alone, that is where we're at.  Let alone Free at Sea itself, let alone paying for yet another upgrade on top of that upgrade.

 

Third, you seem awfully sensitive about it, and when people get that sensitive about it, one has to wonder what makes you so sensitive?.  It's a plain, simple statement of fact:   if you're trying to lose weight, don't spend hours in the all-you-can-eat buffet line.  If you have a gambling problem, don't set foot in a casino on double-points day.   And if you have a potential drinking problem, don't plunk down $1000 on an all-you-can-drink package while couped up on a ship.   Very simple.  Yet for some reason when it comes to this, people want an intentional blind spot.  The way the drink package works is very simple:   you have to drink X number of drinks (where X is not particularly a low number.  Definitely >>3) every day to come out ahead, and that incentivizes you to drink more.  Clearly you are planning ahead to drink a lot.  Not a little--a lot.

 

It is well-known that the casino operators prey on poor judgment.  You get free booze while spinning, they have all the promotions and bright lights meant to entice.  We all know how slots work:  you stick $1 in, and you get 40 cents out.  Fantastic math there.  If it was about the entertainment, then why are free slots with pretend money so unpopular on Steam?   Because people don't particularly find it a fun game when the money is not real.

 

Yet somehow... would the cruise lines ever exploit poor judgment to make a buck?  Oh no, never!   After all, who would ever want to just get smashed on the cruise, and not care about the money?

 

So go ahead:   I am the bad guy.  Families are getting ripped apart, not just by the alcohol, but by the finances.   Meanwhile the rest of us on the cruise have to deal with drunken behavior around the night clubs, fueled by the open bar.  But I know, I am the one who's wrong, because I'm the one who is actually not doing it and I dared ever state the obvious.   If I get challenged to a fight by a guy about to lay himself flat on the floor without throwing a single punch, I just have to deal with it.   Because after all, who am I to police?   I said something!  Oh no!

 

Wow, you really have missed the point. 
 

Once again, I’m sure that is all very interesting. And yes, I have only skim read it because I am not personally interested in most of that at all.
 

To be absolutely clear before you start your next essay, this is what I am saying:

 

The premium plus beverage package includes more than Starbucks coffee.

 

Some people will get value from free at sea plus based on what they are currently paying.

 

The premium plus package doesn’t increase the quantity of alcohol available. If someone wants to get wasted they can do that quite adequately on the standard package. In fact, the plus package increases the non alcoholic options available.

 

This is a small selection of things I am

not saying:

 

That you are a bad guy.

 

That overconsumption of alcohol is good, or to be encouraged.

 

Anything about the casino.

Anything else that I haven’t said, but for some reason you think that I have.

 

I apologise for not fully digesting and discussing your comments on the things I’m not talking about.

[Dave994]

19 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

The upgraded beverage package offers far more than Starbucks, and is really the key to whether this deal is worth it. People already upgrade that package, so this will likely be of interest to them.

 

The number of excursions you take will also be a factor, as it could half the cost of the upgrade.

I agree.  I was planning on upgrading the wifi and the drink package on our 7 day cruise and I think this will be perfect for us. Just need to see the Canadian $ conversion 🙂 

[Dave994]

3 hours ago, tetleytea said:

 

First off, when anybody ever starts off with "I'm sure that is very interesting," it is obvious they didn't hear a word I said.

 

Second, you are spectacularly wrong yourself if you think that, by people paying for an upgrade, that the $$$ obviously compute for them.   Obviously not everybody is good with money, has good judgement, or just immediately computes math in their head.  Or they fall for marketing ploys or the need for conspicuous consumption.   When you're looking at even a regular Free At Sea package where you have to have 3 drinks a day, every day, just to come out head on the gratuities alone, that is where we're at.  Let alone Free at Sea itself, let alone paying for yet another upgrade on top of that upgrade.

 

Third, you seem awfully sensitive about it, and when people get that sensitive about it, one has to wonder what makes you so sensitive?.  It's a plain, simple statement of fact:   if you're trying to lose weight, don't spend hours in the all-you-can-eat buffet line.  If you have a gambling problem, don't set foot in a casino on double-points day.   And if you have a potential drinking problem, don't plunk down $1000 on an all-you-can-drink package while couped up on a ship.   Very simple.  Yet for some reason when it comes to this, people want an intentional blind spot.  The way the drink package works is very simple:   you have to drink X number of drinks (where X is not particularly a low number.  Definitely >>3) every day to come out ahead, and that incentivizes you to drink more.  Clearly you are planning ahead to drink a lot.  Not a little--a lot.

 

It is well-known that the casino operators prey on poor judgment.  You get free booze while spinning, they have all the promotions and bright lights meant to entice.  We all know how slots work:  you stick $1 in, and you get 40 cents out.  Fantastic math there.  If it was about the entertainment, then why are free slots with pretend money so unpopular on Steam?   Because people don't particularly find it a fun game when the money is not real.

 

Yet somehow... would the cruise lines ever exploit poor judgment to make a buck?  Oh no, never!   After all, who would ever want to just get smashed on the cruise, and not care about the money?

 

So go ahead:   I am the bad guy.  Families are getting ripped apart, not just by the alcohol, but by the finances.   Meanwhile the rest of us on the cruise have to deal with drunken behavior around the night clubs, fueled by the open bar.  But I know, I am the one who's wrong, because I'm the one who is actually not doing it and I dared ever state the obvious.   If I get challenged to a fight by a guy about to lay himself flat on the floor without throwing a single punch, I just have to deal with it.   Because after all, who am I to police?   I said something!  Oh no!

 

sweet lord this is long and I don’t know how to respond to some of it. I am not planning on getting “drunk” every night but will enjoy my beverage package. My wife and I enjoy coffee and the Starbucks will be nice. I enjoy energy drinks and will have one of those daily, I would like to try more premium type liquor, champagne by the glass and other wines. 
 

we will both use the wifi and plan on doing excursions in almost all ports…

 

 

and more importantly, as it’s our 25th wedding anniversary trip, I don’t want to think at all about how much anything costs. 

I pay this and just go and enjoy the week. I think it will come out cheaper, but to be honest, the piece of mind is worth it to me 

[Labracadabra]

Just ran the #'s for our 7 day cruise on the Encore in January. Upgrading each of these (except the shore excursions) individually would cost us $600 ($84 extra meal upgrade, $30 for the Wi-Fi and $486 for the premium plus drinks). At one excursion, we'd break even and start profiting on the second. 

 

The thing is, we don't really like the cruise line's excursions. And I kind of like not having much internet at sea. But if you were going to do the premium beverage anyway, get one excursion in and the rest is gravy. 

[KeithJenner]

22 minutes ago, Labracadabra said:

Just ran the #'s for our 7 day cruise on the Encore in January. Upgrading each of these (except the shore excursions) individually would cost us $600 ($84 extra meal upgrade, $30 for the Wi-Fi and $486 for the premium plus drinks). At one excursion, we'd break even and start profiting on the second. 

 

The thing is, we don't really like the cruise line's excursions. And I kind of like not having much internet at sea. But if you were going to do the premium beverage anyway, get one excursion in and the rest is gravy. 

Is it only $30 to upgrade for the unlimited streaming? I'd have thought it was more than that.

 

Edit: Just to clarify for anyone who gets confused, I am just asking a question. I am not advocating abuse of the internet, or destroying families by some internet crime, or anything else that your wild imagination may want to make up.

Edited July 14, 2022 by KeithJenner

[Dave994]

I still can’t find anything about this online. Where did the original image come from? I will have to call them tonight. Luckily We don’t cruise until 2023 so I have some time. Lol 

[KeithJenner]

7 minutes ago, Dave994 said:

I still can’t find anything about this online. Where did the original image come from? I will have to call them tonight. Luckily We don’t cruise until 2023 so I have some time. Lol 

I've not seen anything elsewhere either. I have sent my PCC a message asking if it is available in the UK and for pricing if so. He isn't usually all that quick to respond to emails but I'm not really interested enough to call, as I don't think that it will be worth it for us, so I will see what happens.

 

Hopefully it will turn up online when NCL get their IT in place, so sometime in the next couple of years. 🙂

 

[littlelulu01]

Ironically we don’t benefit from the alcohol package so never take it but we might benefit from adding the beverage package and then doing this upgrade.  Our port intensive Europe sailing we have booked ship excursions each day except one sea day.  We also have purchased upgrade dining packages, upgrade to internet and purchased soda package in lieu of fas beverage pkg.  In addition to that we each purchase two Starbucks each day and a couple bottles of pelligrino. I figure that getting this package will be less than all the upgrades we already have and then we each have internet instead of sharing the one upgrade I purchased. 

 

our booking came with the bev pkg but we declined it and purchased soda pkg which might be why my pcc doesn’t see the code to add it to my booking. Now I just need to see about unwinding what we already purchased to move into this plan.   

[cameronp12]

Anyone been successfully able to upgrade to this if you have already booked shore excursions? Thinking of trying today.

[spanishguy1970]

On 7/13/2022 at 9:42 AM, schmoopie17 said:

So...that's essentially $100 more per couple, per day. That means for our upcoming 16 day TA, that would be an extra $1,600 for us. Not a bargain, by any stretch of the imagination.

exactly i am glad i am not the only one who sees that, is ridiculously expensive.

[cruiseny4life]

My husband contacted his (errr I mean our) PCC yesterday. I would much rather just book online, he likes human interaction. She's usually pretty quick at getting back to him. If we hear anything from her today I'll let y'all know. 

 

Due to this upgrade program, if it's real, we actually considered (for about 5 minutes) whether to book just a balcony room instead of the Haven. And so, now, we might actually consider a non-Haven room? I don't know, but we'd definitely be able to cruise more. More specialty restaurants, some internet to watch YouTube instead of the free Haven movies, and Starbucks. 

[aubreyc1988]

For certain people, this has no value but I will be buying it the next time I sail with NCL. 

 

Just for the sake of conversation, the reasons are listed as follows in order of most valued by me

 

1) Starbucks. I could easily spend 15.00pp a day on coffee here. 

2) 100.00 Shore ex credit per cabin. I have been taking more and more excursions through the cruiseline since the restart of cruising so this would be a money saver for sure

3) Wifi. I normally pay for wifi anyhow for my husband who loves to have a bit of internet on a cruise

4) The dinners are a good perk but it feels a little hollow given the fact that they recently reduced the numbers of dinners included in the regular Free at Sea. It's also not the BEST perk for us seeing as we are platinum and get 2 extra free dinners anyhow...but I love NCL specialty dining so it wouldn't be a hardship for me to take a couple more. 

5) Upgraded Alcoholic Beverages. Meh for me, as I am not a wine or scotch drinker but this would make more scotch/whiskey options for my husband which would be a positive. And don't forget the water, that is worth a small amount too. 

 

Other thoughts: I would have loved them to add maybe one or two more interesting perks to this, like maybe a small about of OBC per person OR include some of the usual paid activities, like the go carts, virtual reality, etc. 

Edited July 15, 2022 by aubreyc1988

[rbxlady]

17 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Is it only $30 to upgrade for the unlimited streaming? I'd have thought it was more than that.

 

Edit: Just to clarify for anyone who gets confused, I am just asking a question. I am not advocating abuse of the internet, or destroying families by some internet crime, or anything else that your wild imagination may want to make up.

Our upgrade to unlimited wifi (not unlimited premium wifi) from the "free at sea" wifi minutes is about $109.93 each for me and my husband. This is for a 7-day Caribbean itinerary on the Getaway.

[phillygwm]

It's odd that I'm unable to find this on the NCL website.  I have a weekend booze cruise coming up; I've already upgraded the specialty meals and intended to upgrade to Premium Plus and Unlimited Internet.  So I'd just need to delete the 2 additional meals I prepaid and take this package ($42 as a solo traveler.)  It's a nice savings for me.

 

I'm on with NCL now.  Thanks to OP for pointing this out!

Edited July 15, 2022 by phillygwm