Sharing drinks on NCL

[Asawi]

9 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

One of the changes to the FAS charges aligned the pppd cost to be similar to the cost charged in the US.

 

More recently they added £50 to each range of dates I think it now makes it more expensive than the US.

And we can't opt out of the drinks and/or speciality dinners and still get Internet minutes and excursion discounts. It's all or nothing. (I've been able to take advantage of a couple of half-price promos, but not always possible.)

[seemoreroyals]

 

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

One of the changes to the FAS charges aligned the pppd cost to be similar to the cost charged in the US.

 

More recently they added £50 to each range of dates I think it now makes it more expensive than the US.

 

Sounds like cruisers of NCL in Europe have a different set of rules than we have.  Maybe we should not be so quick to judge what OP does in regards to their use of the drink package.

[Asawi]

14 minutes ago, seemoreroyals said:

 

 

Sounds like cruisers of NCL in Europe have a different set of rules than we have.  Maybe we should not be so quick to judge what OP does in regards to their use of the drink package.

Not really a difference in rules for using the package. Just in how to get it. Sharing still isn't allowed.

[seemoreroyals]

1 minute ago, Asawi said:

Not really a difference in rules for using the package. Just in how to get it. Sharing still isn't allowed.

OP states that all even though the other two passengers in cabin purchased drink package that they were not required to purchase drink package.  They purchased soda package.  Others have reported that everyone in cabin has to purchase drink package on cruises in other parts of the world. 

 

I know that NCL prices cruises differently for Europeans than they do for other parts of the world.  I am suggesting than there is at least a possibility that this sharing that everyone seems to be so upset about is already baked into the pricing.  And that we should not be so quick to judge the OP.   If NCL is being taken advantage of as badly by current policy for Europeans as some suggest then they need to change policy and require everyone in cabin purchase drink package.  

 

 

 

 

[WarfRatWA]

46 minutes ago, seemoreroyals said:

OP states that all even though the other two passengers in cabin purchased drink package that they were not required to purchase drink package.  They purchased soda package.  Others have reported that everyone in cabin has to purchase drink package on cruises in other parts of the world. 

 

I know that NCL prices cruises differently for Europeans than they do for other parts of the world.  I am suggesting than there is at least a possibility that this sharing that everyone seems to be so upset about is already baked into the pricing.  And that we should not be so quick to judge the OP.   If NCL is being taken advantage of as badly by current policy for Europeans as some suggest then they need to change policy and require everyone in cabin purchase drink package.  

 

 

 

 

Perhaps the 3rd wheel is under the age of consent (such as a 16yr), and therefore is only required to have the soda package.  The approach to alcohol is very different in Europe.  Not uncommon or unusual for teens to drink wine/beer when out with the parents or with their friends.  Sharing is prohibited under both TC's.

[havoc315]

44 minutes ago, seemoreroyals said:

OP states that all even though the other two passengers in cabin purchased drink package that they were not required to purchase drink package.  They purchased soda package.  Others have reported that everyone in cabin has to purchase drink package on cruises in other parts of the world. 

 

I know that NCL prices cruises differently for Europeans than they do for other parts of the world.  I am suggesting than there is at least a possibility that this sharing that everyone seems to be so upset about is already baked into the pricing.  And that we should not be so quick to judge the OP.   If NCL is being taken advantage of as badly by current policy for Europeans as some suggest then they need to change policy and require everyone in cabin purchase drink package.  

 

 

 

 

Of course it’s baked in. It’s why they generally require everyone be on the package in the same cabin — to prevent it from being a huge widespread abuse. 
 

But another way to look at it — if we are being sticklers for wording— The drink package is “free.” Pretty hard to steal something that is being given away for free!!

They just ask that you pay the gratuity. So if OP went and took the “extra” drink, and left the bartender a cash gratuity— then, if we take everything at face value— then everyone got what they’re entitled to.  
Unless of course, we acknowledge that NCL is committing fraud by calling the drink package “free” and “gratuity only.”

 

[Menocchio]

Any server that will give you two alcoholic beverages at a time is very likely assuming that you will share the second. Otherwise, that's a recipe for getting very drunk very fast and they really don't want that. I think it's actually illegal in some places, and it's certainly against policy in many venues for very good reason (I've had waiters that refused to serve me until I finished or let them remove my previous drink). I imagine that's also pretty true for fancy mocktails. I'll often have a stiff drink and water or soda at the same time, but something more complex I tend to savor by itself. Now, perhaps they are assuming that you are sharing with your cabinmate who they also assume is on the same drinks package. So it'd all be the same in the end, and they're just saving time for both server and customer by only swiping the one card. 

 

So, if you don't correct that unstated assumption are you cheating? I guess, but why should I care? It's not my responsibility to see to the business practices of a for-profit corporation. I'm not in any way harming the server, or my fellow guests (like chair hogging does). Nor am I taking a dangerous risk (like speeding does). I might (depending on the circumstances) be cutting into the profit margin for drinks that they overcharging me for both a la carte and in the drinks package. Let me tell you that I have absolutely no moral qualms about that.

 

Never ever be rude to the server if they won't break the rules for you. I wouldn't even lie if directly asked, and I'd certainly apologize and pay for the drink the "right" way if confronted. And yeah, if I got caught once I wouldn't risk doing it again. I'm not pretending this is some brave principled stand to take. But if they don't care, then I don't care. 

[detroitlions]

I did not read all the answers in this thread after I read some straight up flogging of the person who asked the question I stopped.

What I had experienced is similar to what some of you all have said.

I have gone with groups of people we order drinks almost every time we all pull the cards out and they only take some of them. I always have to package for me and the DW there was a couple folks with no package.

That being said last year with my 20 year old son and his 20 year old GF at dinner (6 of us) they would only take a few cards. The 20 year olds would drink wine at dinner.

I tried to get my son and friend the beer and wine package which on the NCL site says it is allowed they told me they do not do it anymore.

Bottom line is I asked my son what his tab was at the end of the trip. He said a very low number. I thought it would be more. He told me he and a few others in the group were not charged for every drink only a few.

 

 

[dmwnc1959]

On 2/11/2024 at 2:43 AM, AlmiranteChurruca said:

On the Norwegian Dawn next summer for a 10 days British Isles/Ireland itinerary. Three adults in one cabin. Adults 1 and 2 have Free At Sea package. Adult 3 does not drink much alcohol, so just purchased a soda package separately. However, this third adult likes to have just a mocktail or a glass of wine from time to time which, to the best of my knowledge, are NOT included in the soda package. 

This may have been asked and answered - reading through five pages of really long posts is tedious at best - but why can’t your friend buy their own drinks on a single glass by glass charge? Aren’t drinks on NCL available for a charge without having the package? Buy one glass of wine this time, a cocktail the next time. Buying their own?

[Two Wheels Only]

9 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

Now, perhaps they are assuming that you are sharing with your cabinmate who they also assume is on the same drinks package.

 

If adults are in the same stateroom, they DO have the same package. It wasn't always that way but....

 

11 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

So, if you don't correct that unstated assumption are you cheating? I guess, but why should I care? It's not my responsibility to see to the business practices of a for-profit corporation.

 

...you should care because if more and more people share drinks with guests who don't have a drink package, NCL will adjust accordingly. 

 

12 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

I might (depending on the circumstances) be cutting into the profit margin for drinks that they overcharging me for both a la carte and in the drinks package. Let me tell you that I have absolutely no moral qualms about that.

 

When actions of guests cut into profit, NCL will adjust to make up for that loss. The drink package was $59pppd and the service charge was 15% when I started sailing with NCL. Only guests 1&2 would receive the package as a promo and would pay the 15%. Over the years, as people continued to share with guests 3&4, NCL adjusted by raising the cost of the beverage package, raising the service charge on the package to 18% then 20%, and requiring all adults in the stateroom to take the promo (and pay the service charge) if any adult in the stateroom took the promo. The people who don't/never share drinks are paying more because of the actions of those who do share drinks. 

 

22 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

But if they don't care, then I don't care.

 

When you walk into a store, you might never shoplift. If you see someone shoplift, you might not care, either.  If someone else does shoplift, that store will have to make up for that loss. The store will make up for the loss by raising prices. The honest shopper (you) will pay more because of the actions of someone else. Then, you will care. 

[Asawi]

4 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

This may have been asked and answered - reading through five pages of really long posts is tedious at best - but why can’t your friend buy their own drinks on a single glass by glass charge? Aren’t drinks on NCL available for a charge without having the package? Buy one glass of wine this time, a cocktail the next time. Buying their own?

Of course the person could do that! But they may not  want to because of the cost. Sharing would be less expensive/free. 

[mom2tcdx2]

• Applicable to guests 1-8 on the reservation for the entire length of the cruise. If 3-8 guest is under 21 years of age, Unlimited Open Bar Package does not apply, and soda package will not be given as a substitution.

I am a bit curious how they didn't automatically apply the drink package to your third guest?  Every time we have looked the drink package included the third person and they got a soda package if under the age of 21. 

[Asawi]

4 minutes ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

• Applicable to guests 1-8 on the reservation for the entire length of the cruise. If 3-8 guest is under 21 years of age, Unlimited Open Bar Package does not apply, and soda package will not be given as a substitution.

I am a bit curious how they didn't automatically apply the drink package to your third guest?  Every time we have looked the drink package included the third person and they got a soda package if under the age of 21. 

It's a European booking. I travel solo so I don't know the full rules, but there is no automatic package applied to us.We buy it separately (and it's all or nothing, you cannot opt out of just drinks), and only passengers 1+2 can buy it as I understand it. 

[mom2tcdx2]

1 minute ago, Asawi said:

It's a European booking. I travel solo so I don't know the full rules, but there is no automatic package applied to us.We buy it separately (and it's all or nothing, you cannot opt out of just drinks), and only passengers 1+2 can buy it as I understand it. 

Ah, I just saw the poster saying they had the free at sea package, didn't realize its conditions were different than for US Bookings.  I was thinking anyone booking the free at sea package would have the same terms/conditions.  

 

[Asawi]

6 minutes ago, mom2tcdx2 said:

Ah, I just saw the poster saying they had the free at sea package, didn't realize its conditions were different than for US Bookings.  I was thinking anyone booking the free at sea package would have the same terms/conditions.  

 

Yeah.. I suspect that if person 3 could have had the drinks package for $21.80/day this probably wouldn¨t have been an issue. As it is I THINK person 3 has to buy the package at full price, $109/day. Not sure at all if this is the case, but I can't find any good inforamtion about EU bookings.

[Menocchio]

10 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

When actions of guests cut into profit, NCL will adjust to make up for that loss.

NCL will seek to maximize profit however they can no matter what their guests do, and it's not the responsibility of their guests to maximize their profits for them. 

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, havoc315 said:

Of course it’s baked in. It’s why they generally require everyone be on the package in the same cabin — to prevent it from being a huge widespread abuse. 
 

But another way to look at it — if we are being sticklers for wording— The drink package is “free.” Pretty hard to steal something that is being given away for free!!

They just ask that you pay the gratuity. So if OP went and took the “extra” drink, and left the bartender a cash gratuity— then, if we take everything at face value— then everyone got what they’re entitled to.  
Unless of course, we acknowledge that NCL is committing fraud by calling the drink package “free” and “gratuity only.”

 

I agree with @havoc315. It's not stealing. It may be a breach of contract, but is not stealing. The moment I buy a drink from a bartender, it's MY PROPERTY and what I do with MY PROPERTY is my business and no one else's. I can't be accused of stealing what's already mine. End of story. Not up for debate. It might be wrong, but it's not stealing. I will not respond to anyone who disagrees. The lawyer has it right, so whatever bad feelings people might have about sharing, it isn't theft. Period.

[Two Wheels Only]

1 minute ago, Menocchio said:

NCL will seek to maximize profit however they can no matter what their guests do, and it's not the responsibility of their guests to maximize their profits for them. 

 

The act of sharing makes it easier for NCL to justify raising prices. The guest is 100% responsible for NCL's profit because that's where the money comes from. Sharing drinks is an added cost that the paying guest will (eventually) make up for. There is no valid reason to give a drink to someone when that someone can easily pay for it on their own.

[dmwnc1959]

3 minutes ago, Asawi said:

Of course the person could do that! But they may not  want to because of the cost. Sharing would be less expensive/free. 

Maybe I’m misunderstanding, and really don’t want to get into semantics: sharing is letting someone have a drink from your own beverage; letting someone obtain an entire beverage they aren’t really entitled to isn’t really sharing, it’s stealing. Yes, stealing is free, sharing your beverage is also free.

 

For the sake of argument let’s say this happens thousands of times a day across the 19 ships in NCL’s fleet. Regardless if any 3rd person wants to or not, or can afford it or not, it doesn’t justify what’s being suggested. 

 

I still don’t understand why the third person can’t buy their own single drinks à la carte. I’d like to hear that reason from the OP. 

 

This thread has basically turned into five pages of trying to show cause for and justify stealing. 

[Asawi]

6 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Maybe I’m misunderstanding, and really don’t want to get into semantics: sharing is letting someone have a drink from your own beverage; letting someone obtain an entire beverage they aren’t really entitled to isn’t really sharing, it’s stealing. Yes, stealing is free, sharing your beverage is also free.

I just want to point out that I am in no way suggesting this sharing would be OK. It IS against the rules and I have no problem followong this rule. I am just trying ti interpret what's going on. (And how come person 3 doesn¨t have a drinks package.)

As you point out, if thousands of passengers across the whole fleet did this it would probably have the effect of raised prices. But maybe that's not such a plausible scenario with the majority of passengers sailing with US rules and therefor all (or non) of the adults in the room having the drinks package. Still breaking the rules though. And I do not think that should be done.

[dmwnc1959]

3 minutes ago, Asawi said:

As you point out, if thousands of passengers across the whole fleet did this it would probably have the effect of raised prices. But maybe that's not such a plausible scenario with the majority of passengers sailing with US rules and therefor all (or non) of the adults in the room having the drinks package.

Let’s look at a scenario where two cabins of people are traveling together: ‘Cabin A’ gets the drink package and ‘Cabin B’ doesn’t, but the first cabin ‘shares’ their drink package with their friends or family members in the other cabin. That was the point I was trying to make. It’s still feasible, even in the US, where when everyone in the same cabin has to have the package it can be abused. It’s still stealing regardless of how others twist their words, and it’s still against the NCL’s rules. 

[AlmiranteChurruca]

17 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Maybe I’m misunderstanding, and really don’t want to get into semantics: sharing is letting someone have a drink from your own beverage; letting someone obtain an entire beverage they aren’t really entitled to isn’t really sharing, it’s stealing. Yes, stealing is free, sharing your beverage is also free.

 

For the sake of argument let’s say this happens thousands of times a day across the 19 ships in NCL’s fleet. Regardless if any 3rd person wants to or not, or can afford it or not, it doesn’t justify what’s being suggested. 

 

I still don’t understand why the third person can’t buy their own single drinks à la carte. I’d like to hear that reason from the OP. 

 

This thread has basically turned into five pages of trying to show cause for and justify stealing. 

 

Sure the 3rd person can buy and pay for those drinks à la carte. And most probably for everybody's peace of mind (including mine) and for preventing NCL going bankrupt becuse of my sharing (or stealing as many want to call it) that 3rd will end up doing so. So, thank you fellow CC members (at least some of you). I was a horrible criminal just for even imagining a future crime scenario, but so many well meant comments have made me see the light. Forever grateful. And now I officially call this a dead horse from my side. Happy sailings. At least nobody will put the blame on me if and when NCL decides to raise the prices for their packages one more time.

[Two Wheels Only]

11 minutes ago, AlmiranteChurruca said:

The procedure for ordering the drinks is impeccable and according to the rules.

 

7 hours ago, AlmiranteChurruca said:

We then proceed to a table, have a sit and I hand him over my mocktail/wine and I get his cola.

 

Technically, the handing over would be a violation of the terms of your package....

 

"Packages may not be shared and are non-transferable and non-refundable."

 

It might seem like no big deal or "...it's the same thing..." but if the friend with the soda package drinks something that isn't covered by his/her package, that friend should pay for it. 

[dmwnc1959]

Just now, AlmiranteChurruca said:

 

Sure the 3rd person can buy and pay for those drinks à la carte. And most probably for everybody's peace of mind (including mine) and for preventing NCL going bankrupt becuse of my sharing (or stealing as many want to call it) that 3rd will end up doing so. So, thank you fellow CC members (at least some of you). I was a horrible criminal just for even imagining a future crime scenario, but so many well meant comments have made me see the light. Forever grateful. And now I officially call this a dead horse from my side. Happy sailings. At least nobody will put the blame on me if and when NCL decides to raise the prices for their packages one more time.

Oh, bless your little heart. A confession, silly and ridiculous as it may be. It’s still a confession. 

[AlmiranteChurruca]

1 minute ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Oh, bless your little heart. A confession, silly and ridiculous as it may be. It’s still a confession. 

 

Indeed! Bless you too! Happy? 😅