I enjoy an cocktail before dinner and good wine with, but withotu knowing what the extra cost might be, I have no way of knowing if the $40/day service charge would be worth it for one. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Finally, cruise lines such as Celebrity Cruises, Viking Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea Cruises, and Princess Cruises Princess Plus already include a beverage package with your cruise fare. Yes! My husband did max out once on a sea day, but a couple of the drinks he had "bought" for one of the entertainment staff that we had made friends with [a couple beers while he was singing in the bar], and a couple drinks that had gone to waste when you take a couple sips and decide that it just didn't taste good. As a comparison, on our cruise, the featured cocktail of the day was $8.95. This means less time on the ship to take advantage of that drink package. And that would have to be 7 drinks actually consumed on the ship itself. If youre still not convinced. Packages do not include drinks from in-room minibars or those ordered through room service. Are You Thinking About Going on a Cruise With Your Family? Remember that once you are on board, the price tends to be pretty expensive. Most cruise lines require every adult in a cabin to purchase the same drink package. Thats because most cruise ship ports are independent of the cruise line. Premium Beverage Package - Starting at the hefty price of $99 per day (plus 20% service charge), Norwegian 's Premium Beverage Package includes any wines, beers or cocktails priced at $15 or less per glass. Some cruise lines, such as Carnival, limit the number of alcoholic drinks that any one person can order using a drinks package to 15 in a day. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. Other brands, such as Norwegian Cruise Line, charge as much as $138 per person, per day for a top-tier package. These Are The Cruise Accessories Youll Absolutely Love! Note that the pricing listed is per person, per day. In this post, we complete an analysis to answer the question, Is the Norwegian Cruise Line Drink Package Worth It?. I figured Carnival might put the limit so you don't buy a ton of drinks for friends who are not on the package. Other packages: Oceania offers a less expensive House Select package that includes wine and beer with lunch and dinner. When selecting this free perk, guests will still need to pay gratuity. This is to prevent two or more people in a cabin from sharing a single drinks package. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. There's no daily limit to the number of drinks you can order on Norwegian Cruise Line. Now hold even more of your favorite beverage at the perfect temperature for longer. Food & Drink Norwegian Cruise Line Drinks Packages Norwegian Joy NCL Drinks. At checkout, you will be charged gratuities on the drink package, usually between 15-20%. The stated prices do not include the additional 20% service charge which is added when purchasing the package. In many cases, no. Whether you've been daydreaming of hiking to one of Alaska's pristine glaciers, touring ancient ruins in the Greek Isles or exploring one of our other top destinations, get more free when you cruise with NCL. The limit is on the price of $15/drink, not on how many drinks one can have. A 20% service charge is added to your purchase at checkout. You don't need a drinks package to be able to drink alcoholic beverages or any other type of beverage on a ship. By continuing to browse the site you agree to our use of cookies. Some cruise lines also let you use your packages when visiting their private islands. If you plan to spend the day in port, you wont be consuming as many beverages as you would on sea days. The cost per day was over $57, which in my opinion isnt a great deal. The Premium beverage package is currently priced at $99 per person, per day. Absolutely not! It's easy to run up a monster bill ordering wine, beer and mixed drinks by the glass on a cruise ship. Once youve done the calculation, its time to decide whether or not the drink package is worth the investment. Infectious disease COVID and norovirus outbreaks are common on cruise ships. Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $13. Find all the details you need here regarding Norwegian Cruise Line's alcohol policy: The drinking age on NCL's ships is 21 for most itineraries; it's 18 for sailings that operate round trip from European or Australian ports (though for beer and wine only). How much is a glass of wine on Norwegian cruise? Be the first to rate this post. The 20% service charge for a 7-day cruise will cost each guest $138.60 for the Premium Beverage package. Do You Have to Purchase the Drink Package for the Entire Cruise? https://www.ncl.com/terms/ultimate-beverage-package, The Freestyle Choice information has the following:-, The first two guests can enjoy a drink (who are we kidding, drinks) for the whole cruise vacation for free. There is a 5 minute wait between ordering drinks. What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails, soda, juices, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees, teas and bottled water. Related: These 15 cruise ship bars are not to be missed when cruising. Your email address will not be published. Below, weve listed the cost of drink packages for some of the mainstream cruise lines to give you an idea of what you can expect to pay. Related: How to plan a cruise with points and miles. Packages do not include drinks from in-room minibars or ordered through room service. Also for a limited time only, get up to 300 per person Airfare Credit on select Cruises. My strange night out at Norwegian's new 'zero waste' cruise ship bar. Other packages: The less costly Topmast Discoveries Beer and Wine Package, at $49 per day, includes a choice of beers and premium wines but not spirits and cocktails. So as long as you don't share and behave yourself you can drink as much as you want. While marketed as a limited-time promotion, we often find the promotion available more often than not. Coffee shops are available onboard as well, and the drink package includes a variety of them. You must purchase a Norwegian drink package for the entire length of the cruise. Wine and Champagne are permitted, but you'll have to pay a corkage fee for any that is consumed onboard in staterooms, bars or restaurants. By Ginnie6, January 1, 2016 in Norwegian Cruise Line. So, given that it does not include many non-alcoholic items, the Premium beverage package is priced well above its competitors. But, youll still be paying full price for the beverage package. By This is a significant consideration for whether the beverage package is worth it. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Though, it is not likely worth it to purchase out of pocket unless you plan on consuming a considerable number of alcoholic beverages a day. $12 for a drink made with leftover banana peels? The package is not valid on Holland Americas private island, Half Moon Cay. If you only have a few drinks or just soda each day do they still automatically charge you the full 18 percent gratuity as if you'd maxed out the value of the program? Celebrity Cruises. Ginnie6, January 1, 2016 in Norwegian Cruise Line. With Norwegian's Premium Plus Beverage Package, you'll get all the drinks included in the Premium Package, plus premium brand liqueurs and spirits, and wines by the glass. Guests who are 21 or over will receive a, Adult alcoholic beverages generally incur charges in the $8 to $10 arrange. This equates to $831.60 per person for a 7-day cruise (including 20% service charge). Related: How to get free or cheap drinks on a cruise. Outside of the current welcome bonus, youre only earning higher rewards on specific airfare and hotel purchases, so its not a great card for other spending categories. Drinks ordered through room service also arent included. Youre on vacation, after all, and whats not to like about an all-inclusive beverage package? If you plan on drinking lots of pop or alcohol, but your cabinmate is fine with tap water, youll be better off skipping the beverage package and buying drinks at the bar. Home Cruise Norwegian Cruise Line Is the Norwegian Cruise Line Drink Package Worth It? That is, of course, an enormous number more than most people will ever want to order. We save on the average of $800 when we choose a regular balcony over the free at sea balcony. Norwegian recently updated its beverage package selection and added a new package option. Another upgrade to this plan is the availability of select bottles of wine at dinner. If youre planning on purchasing the drink package, the Princess Plus fare is an excellent way to save money. It's actually kind of easy. Heidi is a physical therapist by profession, cruise enthusiast at heart, and Princess all the time! People who want to drink without breaking the bank and enjoy a variety of drinks without . Typical drinks are much less than that. After all, at $109 a day plus a 20 percent gratuity, the Norwegian Ultimate Beverage Package only covers drinks which come in at under $15 (as opposed to the $50 cap on Carnival), and does. Youll need to consume much more on sea days to compensate for the lack of drink purchases while at the port to break even. In retrospect, one possible way to address that would be to bring our own, Another option would be to decline the free package altogether (or make a different choice if there were other options available), and pay for the package that makes sense. Is There a Limit to the Number of Drinks You Can Buy? If so, you may be able to use your beverage package off of the ship. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. CC Help Jenn While there is indeed a version of an NCL drink package for purchase thats an. If you purchase the drink package, you will be charged for every day you are on vacation, even when you spend the day in port. Do you usually purchase beverage packages when you cruise? Note that some cruise lines discount drinks packages if you buy them online in advance of sailing, and some lines offer periodic sales on their drinks packages online. It depends. If you prefer to order a bottle of wine at dinner or want to choose from a selection of high-end wine, they arent included in your drink package. It adds up and allows us to cruise more. So, comparing $13.80 daily to $9.54 daily, the full-priced Adult Soda Package is $4.26 per day. When you order drinks from a US port, you will be charged an additional tax. While the $99 per person per day base charge will be waved, you'll still be paying the 20% gratuity and beverage service charge on the full retail price of the package. Click here for information on drink packages. You would only start to see a price break once you consumed your 7th max-price drink of the day. Before deciding to purchase a drink package, we recommend doing a little math to find out if it will save money or be an unnecessary expense. Related Post: Best Cruise Lines for Families. Package name: Silver Spirits Beverage Package. The Corks and Caps Wine and Beer Package, priced at $65 per day, includes beer . If your favorite tipple is a more expensive premium single malt Scotch, you will have to pay the difference in price. For these passengers, the uncertainty of the running bar tab creates too much stress when you should be relaxing. Norwegian Cruise Line Drops a Drink Package Norwegian charges the most for its drink packages and those prices have actually recently gone up. Hawaii-based Pride of America has a single drinks package that costs $99 per day (effective Jan. 1, 2023, prices will increase to $109). For a full list of included beverages, seehere. Most individual drink prices covered by the beverage package vary between $5 to $15 per day. Note: Final prices will add a 15% gratuity to the cost of the package. has written about cruising for more than 25 years and for many years oversaw USA Todays award-winning cruise site. Does the Drink Package Include Gratuities? DOUBLE WALL VACUUM INSULATED TECHNOLOGY: This tumbler can keep beverages cold for up to 24 hours and keep hot for at least 6 hours. Started August 27, 2021, By In that case you don't buy it so do you double benefit by getting the free UDP and not have to pay the 18% like everyone else? In exchange for the annual fee, you'll unlock access to the Amex Membership Rewards program that let you access airline and hotel transfer partners, along with new lifestyle and travel credits. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. Carnival Cruise Line Australia Alcohol Policy, 10 Cruise Alcohol Hacks for Better Drinking on the Cheap. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Available on: All ships except those in the Galapagos (where drinks are included in the fare). When you pay-as-you-go, you will get the final bill at the end of your cruise. Take your tastebuds on a trip with free meals at our Speciality Dining venues. That means you'll pay $19.80 per person per day or $138.60 per person for the 7-day Pride of America sailing. Of course, this number of drinks varies slightly based on your drink preferences. I usually upgrade my package on Celebrity because I want all the free sparkling water and Celebrity has a great coffee bar. In addition to its inclusivity, CHEERS! If the drink package costs more than the amount youd spend on individual drink purchases, then the drink package may cost you more. No, you cannot share the drink package on a cruise. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. Passengers can receive the Premium Beverage Package for free through Norwegian's Free at Sea promotion. Breakfast lunch and dinner are all included on cruises with Norwegian Cruise Line. Purchasing alcohol in ships' duty-free shop(s): Any alcohol purchased in the onboard shops will be stored until the cruise's conclusion. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Drink packages that don't include alcoholic drinks, such as soda packages, typically cost far less. Find the right card for you. TPG values it at $1,600. I've maxed out once during a sea day. Norwegian Non-Alcoholic Drinks and their specialty coffees. The cruiseline has partnered with JUST Goods Water, replacing single-use plastic bottles with a plant-based carton. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. There is no hard limit, but they can and may refuse to serve you if they feel you are excessively inebriated, regardless of number of drinks purchased. There is no sharing of the NCL drink package or using your package to order drinks for other cruisers. At several of the biggest cruise brands, including Carnival Cruise Line and Holland America, the main drinks packages that include all types of drinks cost about $60 per person, per day. The package also brings a 25% discount on wine bottle purchases. Note: Final prices will add a 20% gratuity to the cost of the package. This gratuity is added to the total cruise fare at the time of booking. Other packages: The slightly less expensive Signature Beverage Package only includes drinks costing up to $11. This equates to $831.60 per person for a 7-day cruise (including 20% service charge).Analysis of the Norwegian Cruise Line Drink Package. This is also the package that guests receive as part of the Free at Sea promotion. The My Drinks package is included in the All Inclusive Rate and includes soft drinks, Draught Heineken, classic cocktails, soda, liquors, and spirits. Related: $12 for a drink made with leftover banana peels? The package also features a 25% discount on wine bottle purchases. Improve earnings, maximize rewards and track progress toward dream trips.

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