So get ready to drink to your hearts content just dont go overboard on the alcohol (pun intended). At the time of writing, the cruise line is offering a $50 top-up when guests add $300 to their tab. Generally speaking, we each drink about 2 non-alcoholic specialty drinks a day plus bottled water. 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. The package has a daily limit on alcoholic beverages of 15 beverages over a 24-hour period (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.). 19 Secret Codes on Cruise Ships That You Need to Know, Virgin Voyages Partners with Sustainable Marine Fuel Providers, D23: Disney Treasure, Lighthouse Point, and Australia, Carnival Celebration Begins First Set of Sea Trials, Oceania Cruises New 180-Day World Cruise And Grand Voyages, Easy Package $38 per person per day with select drinks, Easy Plus $49 per person per day with a $9 per drink limit, Premium Extra $69 per person per day with a $15 per drink limit. Related: How to plan a cruise with points and miles. 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. That is a question that only you can answer based on your own drinking habits. The Premium Plus beverage package is currently priced at $128 per person, per day. I know Carnival has the Party reputation and I have never gone on Carnival, but I surely would. To find out more, please. Cruise Beverage Packages | Bon Voyage Gifts | Norwegian Cruise Line Have another, we won't tell.*. Also for a limited time only, get up to 300 per person Airfare Credit on select Cruises. Note: Final prices will add a 15% gratuity to the cost of the package. Check here before booking an award fare. Note: Final prices will add an 18% service charge to the cost of the package. The Unlimited Open Bar Beverage Package, priced at $99 per day, adds spirits and cocktails priced up to $15 (effective Jan. 1, 2023, pricing will go up to $109). 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. Passengers staying in the premium Retreat areas on Celebrity ships receive the Premium Drink Package for free. The beverage package for Princess Plus used to be called Premier Beverage Package. Offering unprecedented capacity. The best way to determine if a drink package is right for you is to calculate how much you would be spending on drinks. Of course, if you plan to drink more non-alcoholic specialty drinks or like bottles of wine, then this upgrade might be worth it for you. Available on: All ships except Pride of America. If you purchase a drink that costs more than the limit, most cruise lines will only have you pay the difference and the gratuity on the difference. Unlike the majority of cruise lines, Virgin Voyages doesnt offer a traditional drink package. 19952023, The Independent Traveler, Inc. It adds up and allows us to cruise more. Drink packages that don't include alcoholic drinks, such as soda packages, typically cost far less. Please view our advertising policy page for more information. When calculating, dont forget to factor in port days, where you wont be on the cruise ship for the whole day. That said, many cruise lines will allow you to use the drink package on their private islands. It's easy to run up a monster bill ordering wine, beer and mixed drinks by the glass on a cruise ship. Windstar also has begun offering optional All-Inclusive Pricing rates for cruises that include unlimited drinks at no extra charge. 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. Fine print: More expensive drinks are available at a 25% discount. Soda, bottled water and specialty coffees already are included in the fare on Oceania sailings. The package also brings a 20% discount on wine bottle purchases. Card Rating is based on the opinion of TPGs editors and is not influenced by the card issuer. Take your tastebuds on a trip with free meals at our Speciality Dining venues. Cost per day: $79.99, not including an 18% gratuity charge. Norwegian Drink Lists! Prices, Menus, and much more Be sure to check the fine print in your particular line's drinks package before placing an order for a drink to your room. Although packages and prices vary from cruise line to cruise line, some of these packages can cost more than your actual cruise fare! The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. Some cruise lines have private islands or resorts owned and/or operated by the cruise line. Some factors to consider are the price of the drink plan, your drinking habits, your cabinmates drinking habits, the cost of individual drinks, and what drinks the cruise fare includes. 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. Is the Norwegian Cruise Line Drink Package Worth It? Absolutely not! The exclusions list will vary among cruise lines but typically doesnt include mini bar purchases, room service, bottles of wine or liquor, pitchers, buckets, sharable drinks, or drinks served in a souvenir cup. Luckily, the cruise line runs the Free at Sea promotion so frequently that we dont really ever have to worry about this scenario. Below is a list of included beverages. Norwegian's Unlimited Starbucks Package has a few restrictions. Available on: All ships except those in the Galapagos (where drinks are included in the fare). Its easy to go overboard if you are just trying to get your moneys worth from the drink package. Further vending machine purchases and wine stations are not included. This means less time on the ship to take advantage of that drink package. These additional inclusions are freshly squeezed juice, bottled water (flat and sparkling), energy drinks, non-alcoholic beer, wine dispensers, and specialty coffee. Premier Beverage Package - $59.99 The Premier Beverage Package on Princess includes unlimited premium beverages and snacks throughout the cruise. Weve seen similar promotions offering a $100 top-up. Some cruise lines also let you use your packages when visiting their private islands. Related: Can I bring my own alcohol onto a cruise ship? The line's new Premium-Plus package is the "top beverage offering" of Norwegian and is designed for passengers who love top-shelf liquors. The package also brings a 20% discount on wine bottle purchases for bottles priced up to $100. Soda packages often are under $10 per person, per day. These are: Premium Beverage Package (AKA Open Bar) - $99 per day Premium Plus Beverage Package - $128 per day Corks & Caps Wine and Beer Package - $65 per day Adult & Teen Soda Program - $7.95 per day Hawaii Beverage Packag e - $99 per day More Norwegian Cruise Line Redeployments Announced, Norwegian Cruise Drink of the Day on Norwegian Escape, 31 Cruise Embarkation Day Tips Every Cruiser Needs to Know, Complete Guide to Princess Cruises Drink Packages, Complete Guide to Drink Packages on Celebrity Cruises (2023), Royal Caribbean Drink Packages Guide (2023), Everything You Need to Know About Norwegian's Free at Sea in 2023, The Complete Guide to Popular Cruise Ships With Pickleball Courts, Complete Guide to Drink Packages on Carnival (2023). Though, it does come at a higher price point. Is the Drink Package Worth it on a Cruise? Hi All - I just booked my first cruise with NCL and am getting the UBP. Seldom travelers may not get enough value to warrant the cost. This is a significant consideration for whether the beverage package is worth it. For one flat fee, these cruise ship drink packages offer cruisers the ability to make their cruise more inclusive. we have been very satisfied with the regular package on most of our cruises. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Though, given that many non-alcoholic drinks, like bottled water and specialty coffee, are not included in this package, it wouldnt make sense for us to purchase it out of pocket. That would be a total of $27.60 per day for both people. Drink Packages Drink Packages F A Q s Drink Packages Bottomless Bubbles Enjoy ice-cold refreshments during meals, during shows, during, well. Guests under 21 will receive the soda package. Norwegian Cruise Line's Premium Beverage Package (formerly known as the Ultimate Beverage Package) includes a variety of spirits, cocktails, wines by the glass and bottled or draft beer. Although annoying, it still seemed like we could make good value out of the packages even with the required fee. Cost per day: $69, not including a 15% service charge when booked on board. For these passengers, the uncertainty of the running bar tab creates too much stress when you should be relaxing. TPG values it at $1,600. When selecting this free perk, guests will still need to pay gratuity. Limitations related to drink cost: Cannot be used for drinks priced over $20. I found that it wasnt worth it because I didnt drink that much. By continuing to browse the site you agree to our use of cookies. Soda, specialty coffees and other nonalcoholic beverages already are included in the fare on Windstar sailings. She is a self-confessed thrill seeker, obsessive planner, and over-packer. No matter what package you purchase, you can order two beverages per person, per transaction. 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. Unlimited Open Bar?? - Norwegian Cruise Line - Cruise Critic Community Here are some reasons why a beverage package might be a good idea: If you are new to cruising, you may think that the cruise ships food and drinks are all-inclusive. Also includes unlimited Starbucks coffee and specialty drinks, bottled water, soda, juices and energy drinks. Related Post: Best Cruise Lines for Families. To complete these analyses, we tracked all of our beverages consumed over a 7-day cruise. The Cost of Drinking on a Cruise - Cruisewatch Even if you receive a drink package with the cruise lines Free at Sea promotion, you are still responsible to pay this 20% gratuity. A selection of spirits and cocktails, wines by the glass, and bottled or draft beer with a value of up to $15 US per drink are included in the complimentary beverage package offered by Norwegian. That means you'll pay $19.80 per person per day or $138.60 per person for the 7-day Pride of America sailing. Cost per day: $63 to $89, not including an 18% gratuity charge (pricing varies by ship and itinerary). Do You Have to Purchase the Drink Package for the Entire Cruise? The Classic Package has a value of $70.80 per person per day, including the service charge. What it includes: Beer, wine by the glass, mixed drinks and cocktails. 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. So, comparing $13.80 daily to $9.54 daily, the full-priced Adult Soda Package is $4.26 per day. So, unless you and your cabin mate can consistently drink 11+ alcoholic beverages a day, then it would not be worth buying the Norwegian Cruise Line drink package. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Packages are not available on sailings shorter than three nights with the exception of South America sailings. If each stateroom has the same package, the package must be . All qualifying individuals in the stateroom or additional staterooms under the same method of payment must purchase one. Home / Cruise Tips / Is the Drink Package Worth it on a Cruise? Royal Caribbeans Deluxe Beverage Package, Princess Cruises Premier Beverage Package, Norwegian Cruise Line offers its Premium and Premium Plus beverage packages, Celebrity Cruises offers its Classic and Premium Package, Cruise Ship Anchors: Everything You Need to Know, Royal Caribbean RoyalUp (Guide to Upgrading Your Cabin). 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. If youre planning on purchasing the drink package, the Princess Plus fare is an excellent way to save money. The Plus package is included when passengers book suite accommodations. NCL's Hawaii Beverage Package: A Complete Guide - Prof. Cruise Guests under 21 will receive the soda package, normally $5.95-$7.95 per day. The package is not valid on Holland Americas private island, Half Moon Cay. Note that both prices will have an 18% gratuity tacked on. 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). - Norwegian Cruise Line - Cruise Critic Community. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 back each month on eligible purchases made with your Platinum Card on one or more of the following: Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! Children are charged for a less expensive, nonalcoholic package.