Several of the biggest cruise lines, including Carnival, Holland America and MSC Cruises, have a rule that if one adult in a cabin orders a drinks package, all adults in the cabin must order the package. Although convenient, cruise line beverage packages are a significant investment for your vacation. More expensive bottles come with a 20% discount. One of the most hotly debated cruise topics are drink packages. 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. Cruise lines will often offer discounts if you buy the drink package before you sail. The cruiseline has partnered with JUST Goods Water, replacing single-use plastic bottles with a plant-based carton. Note that both prices will have an 18% gratuity tacked on. This gratuity is added to the total cruise fare at the time of booking. The stated prices do not include the additional 20% service charge which is added when purchasing the package. The Truth About Those Expensive Drink Packages - Norwegian Cruise Line - Cruise Critic Community. Of course, convenience is one of the perks we like about having a beverage package. So keep this in mind when you make your decision. Other packages: Celebrity also offers a less inclusive classic drinks package that now is included in the fare for its sailings as part of its new Always Included fare structure. NCL Drinks Packages: Worth It or Not? (2022) - Cruise Mummy But hurry, this limited-time offer won't last long. In 2021, MSC Cruises updated its drink package offerings, giving passengers a choice between 3 new packages. Breakfast lunch and dinner are all included on cruises with Norwegian Cruise Line. On Australia cruises, the package costs 113.99 Australian dollars ($76.03) per day. A Norwegian law requires you to be at least 18 years old to purchase wine or beer. That said, many cruise lines will allow you to use the drink package on their private islands. Unlike most cruise lines, the price of Royal Caribbeans beverage package varies depending on the individual itinerary. It also includes fountain soda, juice, and non-alcoholic beer. Is There A Limit To How Many Drinks You Can Get Per Day With An Ncl Beverage Package Unlike some cruise lines, Norwegian doesnt currently have a limit on how many drinks you can have per day with any of their packages. As part of Celebritys Always Included fare, passengers receive the Classic Package with the standard cruise fare. Celebrity Cruises. So, for a 7 day cruise, you will be assessed a charge of $124.60 for each adult beverage package. Read on for the answers in this ultimate guide to cruise line drinks packages. Dont make the mistake of thinking beverage packages are only for alcoholic drinks. A few friends of mine have, and really liked the food and the overall cruise. TPG values it at $1,600. You could purchase the drink package through your travel agent, by calling the cruise line directly, or through your online account if you booked through the cruise lines website. Package, which covers nearly every beverage -- alcoholic or non-alcoholic -- on the ship, up to $20 per drink. Cheers! Although cruise line drink packages are expensive, there are some reasons you should consider purchasing one before your next cruise. There are even more places your Platinum Card can get you complimentary entry and exclusive perks. I have a 14 day cruise booked and Iam sure I will get my monies worth. Followers 10. All Norwegian Cruise Line beverage packages are priced per person, per day. Related: Can I bring my own alcohol onto a cruise ship? October 19, 2021: Log In Issues. LauraS Weve seen similar promotions offering a $100 top-up. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. In our experience, the drink package on a cruise ship is not worth it for most passengers. 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. The package has limited options compared to the Premium package and only covers drinks served by the glass, up to $9 per drink. 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). Even if you receive a drink package with the cruise lines Free at Sea promotion, you are still responsible to pay this 20% gratuity. Carnivals CHEERS! Cost per day: $59.95, including gratuities. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). The package includes spirits and cocktails along with a selection of soft drinks, juice, draft and bottled beer, and wine-by-the-glass. Note: Final prices will add a 20% gratuity to the cost of the package. These Are The Cruise Accessories Youll Absolutely Love! In addition, you'll enjoy specialty coffee, sparkling water, bottled water and energy drinks. For the above reasons, we dont think drink package purchases make sense for most cruisers. Carnival also has a time limit between drinks. Packages do not include drinks from in-room minibars or those ordered through room service. Get expert advice, insider tips and more. For most cruisers, the drink package is simply not worth the price. Once youve done the calculation, its time to decide whether or not the drink package is worth the investment. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. The Cost of Drinking on a Cruise - Cruisewatch Other packages: Princess also offers a less pricey Plus Beverage package that can be used for drinks priced up to $12. Do Norwegian Cruise Line Cruises Include Meals? - Included Food Guide Specialty Coffee Not Included In Norwegian Ultimate Beverage Package For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit. Ultimate Beverage Package - limits? Norwegian Introduces Unlimited Starbucks Package When you choose the UDP, the 18 percent of the cost of the package is added to the cost of the cruise. The cost was around $300 and it was a very good deal as it worked out to just over $21 a day. Fine print: If one adult in a cabin purchases a package, all adults in the same cabin also must purchase it. What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks and cocktails. The Norwegian Cruise Line Premium Drink Package includes a variety of spirits, cocktails, and wines by the glass and bottled or draft beer up to $15. Cost per day: $64.95 when purchased on board, not including an 18% automatic gratuity charge; $59.95 plus the gratuity charge when purchased in advance of sailing. Worth It? Complete Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) Drink Package Guide In many cases, no. That is, of course, an enormous number more than most people will ever want to order. Most cruise lines require all guests sharing a cabin to purchase the same beverage plan to prevent sharing between friends and family. Other packages: The slightly less expensive Signature Beverage Package only includes drinks costing up to $11. Cruise line drinks packages generally are honored anywhere you can order a drink on a ship think bars, lounges and eateries. A: If a guest wishes to upgrade to the Prestige Select package which includes unlimited premium spirits, champagne, wine and beer, they may do so once on board for an additional charge of $20 per person per day. Note: Final prices will add a 15% gratuity to the cost of the package. Norwegian's Ultimate Beverage Package is currently available as a FREE offer through its Free at Sea Promotion but it is not completely free as it comes with a gratuity charge of 20% which equals $19.80 per person per day, for a week it equals $138.60. Depending on your ports of call and number of sea days, as well as your hours ashore, you may receive better savings (or less) on your voyage. Are You Confused by the Cruise Lines' Beverage Packages? However, you usually can't use them when ordering room service to your room. Get up to $300 back per calendar year on the Equinox+ digital fitness app, or eligible Equinox club memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card. Elevate your cruise experience with our widest beverage selection onboard, more specialty dining, unlimited Wi-Fi and more shore excursion credits. Norwegian recently updated its beverage package selection and added a new package option. As a simple rule, if you plan on having 6-8 drinks per day throughout your cruise, the package is worth considering. If youre still not convinced. Also, all guests in the same cabin over 18 must purchase this package. Virgin Voyages will top up the amount when guests pre-purchase the Bar Tab before sailing. Stay connected whilst at sea with an Internet Package you can use throughout the ship. Passengers can receive the Premium Beverage Package for free through Norwegians Free at Sea promotion. Subscribe to receive travel tips delivered straight to your inbox. Once on board, you will often purchase the drink package during the first two days of sailing. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $20. This is also the package that guests receive as part of the Free at Sea promotion. The Adult Soda Package is $7.95 per day plus gratuity of $1.59 for a total of $9.54 per day. But, youll still be paying full price for the beverage package. Norwegian assesses a gratuity charge of $19.80 per person per day for its basic Premium Beverage Package. Although annoying, it still seemed like we could make good value out of the packages even with the required fee. 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. Note that the beverage packages can be used not just on Norwegian ships but at Norwegian's private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay. Then, we took the average prices for each drink category to determine how much we would have spent on drinks if we paid a la carte for each item.