It costs $38 per day. Plus you can order unlimited fountain soda and juices at all bars, lounges, restaurants and Great Stirrup Cay. We are Don and Heidi, the husband and wife travel team behind EatSleepCruise.com. The majority of town beer shops are open before 8 p.m. or 6 p.m. on weekends. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The limit is on the price of $15/drink, not on how many drinks one can have. In some cases, there will be more than one tier of such all-encompassing plans. A Norwegian law requires you to be at least 18 years old to purchase wine or beer. Just wondering if Norwegian has a similar daily drink limit? don't-use-real-name 6.1k February 4, 2010 Bloomington MN USA #7 Posted July 4, 2019 There is no. You aren't charged for any gratuities when you actually get the drinks. Boxed wine is not allowed. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Your analysis is not very useful without the list of brands excluded (or included), which seems to be permanently unavailable. It also includes fountain soda, juice, and non-alcoholic beer. Is the Drink Package Worth it on a Cruise? Note that both prices will have an 18% gratuity tacked on. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. Theres a 40% discount on other bottles of wine as well. Happy cruisingCheers! Cost per day: $59.95, including gratuities. The beverage package also covers bottled water, so you can grab a bottle on your way off the ship and not worry about finding a local convenience store. Unlimited Soda / soft drink package for $9.95 per day + 20% gratuity (FYI, NCL now serves COKE branded products) Water Package which ranges from $19.95 to $49.95 for 6 liters to 24 liters of water. You cant purchase the drink package for individual days or portions of the cruise. There are five different adult beverage packages available on Norwegian Cruise Line cruises. Apply and select your preferred metal Card design: classic Platinum Card, Platinum x Kehinde Wiley, or Platinum x Julie Mehretu. Norwegian offers guests the option pre-order water and have it delivered to their cabin. 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. Even as a perk, the service charge for my wife and I require that we consume a minimum of 4-5 drinks per day to break evenand she doesnt drink at all. The even less pricey Easy package only includes a limited number of drinks and is not valid in extra-charge specialty restaurants. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Your email address will not be published. Cost per day: $19.95, including gratuities. So get ready to drink to your hearts content just dont go overboard on the alcohol (pun intended). If we had purchased the Norwegian Cruise Line Premium Drink Package out of pocket, it would have cost us $1663.20 total. There is no service charge on the Australian package. And if you are in a warm climate, such as the Mediterranean, Australia, or the Caribbean, you may want to bring water with you as you explore the ports of call. The Adult Soda Package is $7.95 per day plus gratuity of $1.59 for a total of $9.54 per day. Fine print: If one adult of legal drinking age in a cabin or traveling under the same booking number purchases a package, all adults of legal drinking age in the same cabin also must purchase it. Note: Final prices will add a 15% gratuity to the cost of the package. All you are paying for each time is 18% of the cost the drink. This happens for every drink you have on the package. Does the Drink Package Include Gratuities? Most cruise lines will not limit the drinks you can get when you have a drink package. You can purchase a Norwegian Cruise Line drink package online pre-cruise or once onboard the ship. If each stateroom has the same package, the package must be . Norwegian has no daily limit on the amount of alcohol in its drink packages. As a comparison, on our cruise, the featured cocktail of the day was $8.95. What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, spirits and cocktails. 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. When doing the calculations, dont forget to factor in port days. Cost per day: $59.99, including an 18% gratuity charge. Its easy to go overboard if you are just trying to get your moneys worth from the drink package. Category Bottled Water (1 liter) Price $5.00 Total 0 Costs $0.00. The Premium beverage package does not include room service, ship specific promotions or beer buckets, designated Super Premium brands, bottled wine or liquor, or mini bar purchases. Thats because the package price is $3 cheaper per person per day if purchased before embarkation day. They do have a limit of two drinks per person per order, which is helpful to know when there's a long line at the pool bar. Bringing alcohol onboard at embarkation: Beer and liquor is not allowed -- items will be secured until disembarkation day. This equates to $831.60 per person for a 7-day cruise (including 20% service charge).Analysis of the Norwegian Cruise Line Drink Package. Notably, this restriction does not apply to alcoholic beverages so, you could get bottles or cans of beer, but not sodas or water. The package is not available for Australia-based itineraries shorter than seven nights or voyages shorter than two nights in all other regions. I have been lucky enough to travel on multiple continents, as well as several cruise lines. So, comparing $13.80 daily to $9.54 daily, the full-priced Adult Soda Package is $4.26 per day. What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, spirits, mixed drinks, cocktails, soda, juices, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees, teas and premium bottled water. Some cruise lines offer a classic soda package or non-alcoholic drink package, which we wont cover in this article. That's unlimited wine, soda, beer and cocktails priced under $15. Note: Final prices will add an 18% gratuity to the cost of the package. The Premium Plus beverage package is currently priced at $128 per person, per day. That said, many cruise lines will allow you to use the drink package on their private islands. Many first-time cruisers are shocked to find that nearly every other beverage must be paid at an extra cost besides basic tea, coffee, and tap water. Essentially, you will need to decide if you will drink at least $29 a day per person of the additional inclusions. Follow along as we share our travel tips, cruise reviews, information on ports of call, and the latest cruise news to help you plan the ultimate cruise vacation. Windstar also has begun offering optional All-Inclusive Pricing rates for cruises that include unlimited drinks at no extra charge. Through the promotion, guests can receive a free beverage package. Even if you receive a drink package with the cruise lines Free at Sea promotion, you are still responsible to pay this 20% gratuity. Further vending machine purchases and wine stations are not included. More elaborate (and expensive) tiers will add alcoholic and nonalcoholic cocktails, wine, beer and specialty coffee drinks. The cost was around $300 and it was a very good deal as it worked out to just over $21 a day. It depends. While you might be able to consume enough drinks on sea days to make the package worth the price, youll have to consider the days that you will spend in port. 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? Credit ranges are a variation of FICO Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application. Thats the equivalent of 2-3 alcohol drinks per day for the couple depending on price. drink package is one of the most inclusive packages on our list. Book today and enjoy 50% Off all cruises! How Much Do Drinks Cost on a Cruise Ship? The Norwegian Cruise Line Premium Drink Package was formerly known as the Ultimate Beverage Package. These have bubbles, but theyre not sparkling water. Those are not free a the rate is higher for the promo. You guessed it, you have to pay 20% gratuity on the free soda packages as well. If you forgo the beverage package, you can simply pay for each drink. So six max-priced drinks would be $90, which is still less than the daily price of the premium package. 3-5 Day Cruises upgrade for 99 per person 6-8 Day Cruises upgrade for 149 per person9-11 Day Cruises upgrade for 199 per person 12-14 Day Cruises upgrade for 249 per person 15-17 Day Cruises upgrade for 299 per person 18+ Day Cruises upgrade for 349 per person. Other packages: Oceania offers a less expensive House Select package that includes wine and beer with lunch and dinner. $12 for a drink made with leftover banana peels? Norwegian Cruise Line do feature a lot of 'speciality dining' options onboard their ships but these have an extra cost. Cost per day: $59, not including a 15% gratuity charge. 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. The 24-hour period runs from 6 am-6 am. Starbucks does not have an active drink package. In addition to that, it consists of non-alcoholic beer, juice, and fountain soda and juice. Theres a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per person in a 24-hour period. What's Not Included in the Unlimited Open Bar Package? For these passengers, the uncertainty of the running bar tab creates too much stress when you should be relaxing. Heres Your Answer! What's included in a cruise line drinks package and how do they work? Copyright 19952023 The Independent Traveler, Inc. Amazing, Funny & Totally Awesome Cruise Photos, Click here to reload the page in order to enable certain features, Policy regarding COVID related Discussions, C858B0A9-6769-424D-B129-59363EDAC023.jpeg, B5073042-BF8A-4EEC-BD19-0938D8732763.jpeg. CC Help Jenn 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. I can assume an 18 year old single malt scotch is well over $15but by how much? Soda, bottled water and specialty coffees already are included in the fare on Oceania sailings. While marketed as a limited-time promotion, we often find the promotion available more often than not. How much is a glass of wine on Norwegian cruise? And The value of up to $1888 just refers to the price one would have to pay for the package if it were not free. All NCL drink packages are priced as per person, per day. Only one beverage serving, per sticker, will be served at a time. 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. By proceeding, you agree to Cruise Critics. The main dining room and buffet are free on all ships in the fleet and there is usually another free option such as a bar/pub. Be sure to check the fine print in your particular line's drinks package before placing an order for a drink to your room. For a simple estimation, figure out what drinks you will consume (beer, wine, soda, whiskey) and how many drinks you will consume daily. If so, you may be able to use your beverage package off of the ship. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. Further, most drink packages have a price limit for drinks. Check here before booking an award fare. we have been very satisfied with the regular package on most of our cruises. Packages do not include drinks from in-room minibars or those ordered through room service. The price is $59.95 per person, per day if bought prior to your cruise or $64.95 per person, per day if bought on the ship. Cost per day: $79.99, not including an 18% gratuity charge. Cheers to all the spirits and cocktails, wines, draft beer, juice, and soft drinks. Also, any guests under the age of 21 must purchase a soda package as a substitute. Subscribe to receive travel tips delivered straight to your inbox. The line's new Premium-Plus package is the "top beverage offering" of Norwegian and is designed for passengers who love top-shelf liquors. She is a self-confessed thrill seeker, obsessive planner, and over-packer. The only limit is your own personal weakness and self doubt about having just one more beverage. Why Do Cruise Ships Have Helipads? Plus Ups are excluded. Princess Cruises is the only cruise line we know of that doesnt require all passengers sharing a cabin to purchase the drink package. Youll just have to pay the gratuities. You must purchase a Norwegian drink package for the entire length of the cruise. Your Cabin Mate Has Different Drinking Habits Than You. Cruise line drinks packages generally are honored anywhere you can order a drink on a ship think bars, lounges and eateries. If the drink package costs more than the amount youd spend on individual drink purchases, then the drink package may cost you more. Can I bring my own alcohol onto a cruise ship? This gratuity is added to the total cruise fare at the time of booking. Our complete analysis will help you answer the question, "Is the Norwegian Cruise Line Drink Package Worth It?". At the time of writing, the cruise line is offering a $50 top-up when guests add $300 to their tab. Drop us an anchor below with your analysis of this beverage program. Passengers can receive the Premium Beverage Package for free through Norwegian's Free at Sea promotion. The drink value can be up to and including $15 USD. What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails, soda, juices, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, specialty coffees, teas and most bottled water. On the flipside, if you are visiting NCLs private island of Great Stirrup Cay on your cruise, this gives you more opportunity to use the package while enjoying some fun in the sun. And if you are traveling with a group, dont even consider using your beverage package on friends in other cabins. American Express has expanded The Centurion Network to include 40+ Centurion Lounge and Studio locations worldwide. The package includes spirits and cocktails along with a selection of soft drinks, juice, draft and bottled beer, and wine-by-the-glass. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. This is to prevent two or more people in a cabin from sharing a single drinks package. To find out more, please. Royal Caribbeans Deluxe Beverage Package is their highest-tier beverage package. Ginnie6, January 1, 2016 in Norwegian Cruise Line. Dont make the mistake of thinking beverage packages are only for alcoholic drinks. You will be able to leave a comment after signing in, By The Free Open Bar is likely the top pick for many from Norwegians Free at Sea promotion. For a full list of included beverages, seehere. With the My Drinks Plus package, guests receive premium cocktails, mini bar purchases, prestigious liquor brands, and bottled Corona and Becks. So you pay the gratuities upfront. Most cruise lines require all guests sharing a cabin to purchase the same beverage plan to prevent sharing between friends and family. 2-IN-1 LID; Our unique 2-in-1 lid allows you to sip your drinks with the flip up Sip lid, and drink your cold drinks with the Integrated Straw lid, We took your two favorite ways of drinking, and built them into one awesome lid. If the Classic Beverage Package isnt enough, passengers can upgrade to the Premium Drinks Package at an additional cost of $12 per person per day. Cruisers can upgrade by paying the difference in the retail package price ($29) in addition to associated service charges ($34.80 total per person, per day). Prices 6 litre Just Water Package $16.95 12-litre Just Water Package $29.95 24 litre Just Water Package $44.95 Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $20. Do you think the Norwegian Cruise Line Drink Package is a good value? Compare the cost in points or miles to cash, and see which option is best. Cost per day: $128, not including a 20% gratuity charge (effective Jan. 1, 2023, pricing will rise to $138). I found that it wasnt worth it because I didnt drink that much. Earn 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. 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. Still, whether or not you should purchase one of these beverage packages is an individual choice that depends on several factors. I plan on setting a record with most drinks consumed using the UBP! I have a 14 day cruise booked and Iam sure I will get my monies worth. The drinks package included in Princess Plus is now called Plus Beverage Package. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. So, for a 7 day cruise, you will be assessed a charge of $124.60 for each adult beverage package. 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. Editorial disclaimer: 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. It also does not include Wine and Spirit Experiences, tastings or flights, Starbucks, or Ice Bars. Further, this package includes unlimited fountain soda and juices at all bars, lounges, restaurants, and Great Stirrup Cay. Note: Final prices will add a gratuity to the cost of the package. This means less time on the ship to take advantage of that drink package. 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? In those instances, a parent or legal guardian must be onboard the sailing with the minor and sign a waiver form at the front desk. Cost per day: $84, not including a 20% automatic gratuity charge, for passengers who have purchased a cruise-only rate. Read on for the answers in this ultimate guide to cruise line drinks packages. anytime you want with Bottomless Bubbles. There is no limit to how much alcohol you can drink on the road, which is one of the strictest in the world. Children are charged for a less expensive, nonalcoholic package. When electing to purchase a package, you have to pay for the entire length of the cruise. If you get caught sneaking a drink to a travel companion, you will have your drink package privileges revoked. You Want More than Just Water, Coffee, and Tea. Also for a limited time only, get up to 300 per person Airfare Credit on select Cruises. Remember that bartenders and servers will only serve you one drink at a time. I am passionate about sharing my experience with readers. If you decide to purchase the beverage package, booking online ahead of time is better. Any items over $15 will receive a $15 discount; you will then need to pay only the difference. Drink packages dont apply when youre running around port or on shore excursions. 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. 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. Package name: Silver Spirits Beverage Package. But, youll still be paying full price for the beverage package. CHEERS! Soft drink is served by the glass (16 ounces); juice is served by the glass (10 ounces). What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks, specialty cocktails, soda, juices, nonalcoholic cocktails, energy drinks, smoothies, milkshakes, specialty coffees, teas and bottled water. 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. Start with these stories: The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. As a bonus, guests can take advantage of the Princess Cruises Princess Plus fare, which includes the Premier Beverage Package, unlimited WiFi for one device, and daily gratuities. Once on board, you will often purchase the drink package during the first two days of sailing. Virgin Voyages will top up the amount when guests pre-purchase the Bar Tab before sailing. Most cruise lines require every adult in a cabin to purchase the same drink package. Just kidding around, but that would be a hard thing to accomplish. For example,Royal Caribbeans CocoCay islandand MSCs Ocean Cay allow you to use your beverage package for drinks on land. The package also brings a 20% discount to wine-pairing dinners on Oceanias Marina and Riviera. Fine print: Theres a limit of 15 alcoholic drinks per day. Make sure you consider the reduced consumption during port days to estimate your drink expenses better. Purchasing alcohol in port: Same rules as above apply for wine and Champagne; all other alcohol will be retained until the end of the cruise. Have another, we won't tell.*. Guests under 21 will receive the soda package. Most individual drink prices covered by the beverage package vary between $5 to $15 per day. An upgrade beverage package is rarely needed if you sail with any of these cruise lines. This Is What You Need To Plan The Best Cruise With A Baby, How To Plan Awesome Family Cruise Shore Excursions Youll Love. NCL's Unlimited Open Bar Package (formerly known as the Premium Beverage Package or the Ultimate Beverage Package) costs $99.00 per day. Home / Cruise Tips / Is the Drink Package Worth it on a Cruise? And that would have to be 7 drinks actually consumed on the ship itself. Some lines also offer coffee cards that let you get a fixed number of fancy coffee drinks at a shipboard coffee bar for a discounted price. Thus, purchasing a case of water at $44.95 ($6.42 broken down per day) and 2 specialty beverages at $9-10 total, we would not reach the $29 per person, per day fee associated with upgrading. Are you ready to embark on your journey to sea the world, one port at a time? Fine print: More expensive drinks are available at a 25% discount. The cruise line offers the Unlimited. Unlike theCarnival Cheers Programwhich limits you to 15 alcoholic drinks a day, NCLs drink packages are truly unlimited. No votes so far! Premier Beverage Package - $59.99 The Premier Beverage Package on Princess includes unlimited premium beverages and snacks throughout the cruise. Though, it does come at a higher price point. But no, as of right now theres no set limit. Depending on the cost of the package, you and your cabinmates will need to drink between 5-10 beverages per day each. By continuing to browse the site you agree to our use of cookies. Be the first to rate this post. Knowing the total cost of the cruise vacation before you set sail is a smart budgeting trick so that you wont be surprised when you receive the bill at the end of your sailing. 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. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Once youve done the calculation, its time to decide whether or not the drink package is worth the investment. The package has a daily limit on alcoholic beverages of 15 beverages over a 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.).