Is the NCL Drink Package worth it??? Free at Sea? Everything you need to know before you chose...
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- čas přidán 18. 02. 2023
- I discuss the Norwegian Cruise line's offered drink packages and if they were worth it for myself and if they may be worth the money? Free at sea? Is it really worth the money?
Thanks So Much for that information im sailing soon and didn't read the fine print . Keep up the great work
Love love love NCL’s Free at Sea program. Just took a cruise with them in April & had so much fun!
Going to sail on the norwegian soon. Very straight forward video to understand
Just sailed NCL for the first time in Dec.2022. Looking at the big 3 lines, IMO, I think that the free at sea is probably the best value. No limit on drinks per time (can come back 2min later) or per day. Much cheeper than paying per drink, unless you only drink just a couple per day. Have coke products which is preferred by us. Also, most bartenders were cool enough that if you had two room cards they would take one process it and give you two drinks with double shots per drink, technically equalling four drinks at once. And another thing that never gets mentioned is having the package is SUPER convenient. Otherwise they have to bill you and have you sign every time then you have to keep track.
Bobby I agree with you! Their beverage packages are great and though I’ve not run into a bartender who would run both of our cards that’s super good to know. The convenience of scanning the card and not having to sign or deal with the bill later is awesome. Thanks so much for your input!
I hated when they were offering Pepsi products.
We did the unlimited drink pkg and loved it. We also got two dozen free bottled water that was in our room.
Nice explanation!
For me it isn’t about getting the money back for the drink package it’s more about not having to keep track of drink expenses.
Thanks for pointing out that NCL does not allow you to bring bottled water onboard! I would not expect that based on my experience with CCL
Remember, for those who want to conserve on your budget when you board the ship and got to a bar or restaurant while the ship is still considered IN port, taxes are charged on all drinks and purchases while in a USA port. New Orleans even charges taxes till you are out at sea by at least 3 miles beyond the Mississippi River.
Just off the NCL Spirit Australia to New Zealand cruise and while we have a lot of positives about the ship, food (excellent) and crew (very good) - the “Free at Sea” drinks package for wine lovers is a big rip-off! All wines to $15 BUT they don’t have ANY wines at $11/glass; $12, $13, $14, $15, $16 nor $17. Wines (and not a huge choice I may say) start at $9/glass and are all either $9.00 or $9.50 or $10.00/glass. NOT MANY GOOD WINES there so you have to go to $18/glass to $35/glass wines (getting your $15 credit) - I complained and they said “Miami decides this” (Miami is NCL HeadQuarters). Just awful. They say “Hey you can buy nice wines to $15/glass- but guess what, we don’t offer any over $10/glass!!” In an earlier cruise on CELEBRITY the limit was $20/glass and there was a wide wine selection and many $20 and $18 per glass wines offered! The dance music was not great on Celebrity (better on NCL) and we are dancers - but the wines on NCL were disappointing and their “Free at Sea” for wines is basically a SCAM. (They did have cocktails up to $15/glass - but again no wines in the $11 to $17 range). So if you enjoy wines - just be aware of this “scam”. 29 Feb 2024.
This video was so informative. Thank you so much!
Absolutely, we hope it helps!
On a NCL cruise right now, our 2nd one in 6 years (frequent cruisers but use luxury lines). Ive NEVER seen so much nickel & diming in my cruising experiences). We have the premium bev pkg and we cant even get bottled water. They’ve jacked up prices on their beverages so anything over $15 is charged to your account (which includes my most fave basic cocktails. This is our last NCL cruise. For the same price at NCL, Princess Plus provides much more, and better service. The wait staff availabilty is a J O K E. We had to get up and wait in the crazy long line every time. I detest being ripped off…..I work way to hard for my money and for the price paid ($6k+ for a 7 day on Pearl) customers deserve a true vacation! Back to Princess & Celebrity for us! NCL, NEVER AGAIN!
I would agree, they are a joke!
Omg I was on the Pearl in April (7 days) we paid 2K for 2 people. We had an amazing cruise.
NCL to Alaska was great. First time cruiser and the free at sea package worked. I will wake up with a drink in my hand and end the night with a drink lol. It was a good time in Alaska. Definitely going with NCL again hope i can use my perks. 😂 I definitely hear people complaining in every cruise line about different things. Hopefully, i can take different cruise lines in the future and compare them to my first cruise.
Oh dear I have booked the Pearl for October 😬😬😬
Just used it on an 18 day cruise. 5 or6 drinks a day between myself and my wife. Was satisfied with it.
The Starbucks package: My wife drinks coffee, I do not. Is this package one where everyone is the cabin has to be on the same package? Spending $120+ per week for her would not be a bad price. Spending $240+ per week for just her to enjoy her coffee would be atrocious.
You can take each members card and ring up 2 drinks per card at the transaction. No need to walk multiple times, just bring all the cards at the same time.
On my cruise April,2023. If you did not the drink package A "Screwdriver" cocktail was $14.95 + a 20% gratuity. If you wanted a "Double Shot" the total is $29.90 per drink + 20% gratuity. In Spain you also had to pay an additional 8% tax. Now here is the real deal. I believe that NCL waters down their liquor. There is NO WAY that a person can drink 4, double shot, drinks in 1.5 hours without feeling something, That's 8 shots of say Vodka in 1.5 hours. I know I can't I would be on the floor. . I did this for a "TEST" . Didn't feel a thing., seriously. Went to the gym and worked out after my TEST. Not sure about wine. I don't drink wine. Saying all of that. the one thing about the drink package is that you don't have to keep track of all your drinks and at $15.00 per drink it adds up. Remember the other person in your cabin has to take it as well. Yes , there was a Starbucks but very limited selection and NO ICE TEA or cold beverages. (Ice Tea is what live on) I believe one package allows you to get a can of COKE where another one doesn't Don't drink soda so I'm not sure on this oneAlso, according to another travel blog today. NCL is not allowed to serve alcohol in UK waters. Drink package or not. Something to do with NCL not paying taxes. Also, If you feel your service was not good you can get your gratuities refunded when you settle up your final bill. Also the free at sea internet for my 2 week cruise was 300 min. total per room, 1 device (say your phone) 9 times out of 10 you can get free wifi in the terminal building.
300 min limit? This video and the comments taught me why I do not want to do NCL! However, I might see about how I get Starlink differently as a cruiser without paying greed to screw me over. I don't think its possible, in that ship will probably ban such devices. I can't drink alcohol, can't drink coffee either, but can do only specific teas and do drink lots of water. Without a water package, how am I taking my meds with bottled water banned so you can buy their over priced bottled water? No thanks!
Most of my cruises always have the free at sea promos for early bookings.
You should do a video about the free at sea plus. Best deal ncl has. For $294 you get the plus drink package, unlimited wifi, 2 specialty dinners, additional $50 off for the second guest on shore excursions. Add it all up it’s almost $500 on its own.
I completely agree with you, energy drinks, higher end beverages and Starbucks. We get our fill every time
@@get.decked i was on the encore a month ago. Im not a big drinker probably cant tell top shelf from bottom shelf lol butwhat was cool i got a $75 bottle of wine every night. Fresh squeezed juices, water, and 25 trips to starbucks for the week more than paid for upgrade and the wifi wasnt bad being the non streaming, which i had no trouble watching youtube with it.
I did it for the tequila and can honestly say i had 3-4 bottles of patron anejo alone
Starbucks on some NCL ships don't use the Starbucks Card or app, like the Escape which tells you they only accept your room key, so get a receipt to get stars later and keep track if drinks to be sure your account is not overcharged.
Ok is that just some of the ncl ships??
Great video! Just wondering if soda package includes seltzer water too. Thanks for the info!
Nope! You get tap water.
Tks heading on cruise in March
Where are you headed ma’am?
The Premium+ was such a great upgrade with the free at sea plus. I was on the bliss two weeks ago drinking $30-45 glasses of wine all week.
I completely agree myself. I love myself a glass of wine and a beautiful view!
Hey, I will be on the bliss in October. I checked the wine list and the most expensive glass of wine was about $16. For instance, they do have Napa Valley Opus One but it is only listed as available to order by the bottle ($160), but not by the glass. How were you able to drink the $30 per glass wines? I am debating whether to pay for the premium plus.
@@cybermaru You may be looking at the standard NCL bar menu. The restaurants and The Cellars (the wine bar) have a more extensive wine list.
Usually its not worth it because the other cabin persons also need to take this expensive package, so basicly you must be sure all the cabin residents, drink ALL the time and not go on any excursions. And make sure you don't go through spain or brazil because then you need to pay an additional 20% even if you have the package!
@@sebkeccu4546I think it's just the first two in a cabin.
Not all ships have a Starbucks so be sure and check if that matters in your decision.
We just paid 300 dollars for the FREE drink package. That's about 20 dollars per day per person in tips. Not sure what kind of fuzzy math they're using to arrive at this number. We'd have to drink 20 drinks per day between us to have that make sense, assuming a 2.00 tip per drink. The drink package gratuitues is higher than the standard gratuities for cabin stewards and waitstaff. How does that make sense? I really get sick of the dishonest pricing breakdowns all the cruise lines use. Many years ago the feds started forcing the airlines to include taxes and fees in advertising. Perhaps they need to do the same with the cruise industry.
On the other hand if you look at the price per drink, once you’ve had two alcoholic drinks the package has paid for itself.
Went on NCL with free at sea drink package 2 months ago. Found that there were limited number of bars and the bars were closed as much as they were open. When they were open, the bars were understaffed and had long lines. Even getting a soda, included in the package, was difficult.
what ship? Was on the escape in Dec 2023 and never had an issue.. Only time bars were closed were early AM and then not all were open all the time on port days. But there were plenty open and hardly ever had a wait... Well we also had the vibe so we spent a decent about of time there so for sure no wait there..
I sailed NCL in Dec 22 as a solo traveler. I even upgraded the beverage package. Made reservations for my Specialty Dining option.....which they promptly lost as soon as I was onboard....and since it was a holiday cruise, there were nearly 1000 over capacity with all the kiddos.......almost an hour long wait for Starbucks....Never got to use my Specialty Dining option since the had lost my reservation and everything was booked. Customer Service wasn't just bad....it was non-existent. Worst cruise I've ever taken.
I hope you got the gratuities taken off I wouldn’t pay them if it was that bad
Everything you quoted was for a typical seven night cruise. People need to remember that Norwegian offers cruises that are weeks long and your associated cost for the gratuities, etc. will be proportional.
Energy drinks like redbull and containers of water are free in the casino plus drinks even without the drink pkg, but you need to be playing.
Are the Starbuck Refreshers included in the Starbuck package?
don't forget you get free drinks while gambling in the casino. One time I opted out of any drink package. But I still feel I was able to drink enough by just spending time in the casino playing
VAT charge(Tax) for every drink on mediterranean cruise from Rome 10% on every drink.Keep in mind.
Funny thumbnail😂
Could I just buy Starbucks gift cards and load them onto my Starbucks app and pay with that on an NCL cruise ?
I beg to differ, it's not just well drinks that you get. My wife is a bourbon drinker and she gets top shelf (Buffalo Trace). We also get Tito's Vodka and other top shelf brands. Granted you can not have the Ultra Premium booze unless you upgrade but I don't consider what is available as well booze. Plus I am not sure where you are coming up with the 20 minute limit. We have never encountered a glass of anything on board that was $30+. There is a shot of some ultra exclusive cognac that was $80 per shot but that is a specialty, not something that people are going to continuously drink.
I thought anything namebrand was considered premium
Not free but the drink package is a lot better deal than most other cruise lines.
Thanks for your video. Do you or anybody else know what other bottled water they sell besides Flow water? Thanks.
Flow is the only water you will find on the ship
@@get.decked what is flow water?? Is that water from a tap??
Only for US customers. Anyone purchasing cruises from NZ and Australia it’s all included, no extra gratuities charged.
I had no idea, thank you so much.
So Australia and NZ get drinks and food unlimited for the duration of the cruise included in the price??
Its always worth it
It pays for itself after 10 drinks a day
That’s literally before dinner
I am totally confused. After paying for the free at sea charge, Every time I go to get a soda or a glass of wine, i'm going to have to pay an additional twenty percent gratuity, Or is that 20% gratuity just charged one time when you buy the whole package? Please help me to understand thank you
Hi, thank you. Going on Hawaiian NCL cruise in July. We booked the drinks package. Do you know if we can cancel the package for a refund as at most we’ll drink a few light beers. We went low carb for health reasons and too much alcohol wacks you.
I’d even change to the package that included Starbucks as I’m def coffee.
Many thanks
I know I should contact them but wanted to watch a few vids and wondered if you knew.
The answer was, we could change but both my wife and I would need to change which for the cruise package we have would save around $300 but we would still need another package. A couple both have to be on same package. So we didn’t bother. I’ll still have the odd drink.
Do all packages, if one cabin mate purchases one, require everyone in their cabin purchase that package?
Yes
If you plan to only have one drink a day, it's not worth it. The free at sea open bar drink package includes soda, so there is no reason to get hammered. The Plus packages are good if you are a snob. Another reason not to get it, is if your spouse doesn't drink, or doesn't drink much.
Free at sea part of drink package $22 pp per day unlimited $15 drinks
( one drink $17)
Think good deal as RCL 3x that cost
Hi miss, does the free at sea include sodas along with alcohol. Thnx
Yes
Does free at sea speciality meal include guest or is it for one person
Just did NCL Free at Sea in April & the specialty meal included both myself & my boyfriend.
When you sit down for dinner thats included and you dont have the drink package, do they charge you for a soda with your meal? And is water in a cup free?
Yes, It is my understanding that you pay for soda everywhere without the drink package. As for the water, yes it is free if you know where to look. Mostly in the main dining halls, water is available for cups and water bottles.
Is there a list of cruise lines that have Starbucks (so I can avoid them)?
Is milk included in the complementary drinks?
Yes ma’am it was on our most recent sailing.
only in the morning and only at the buffet restaurant
@@sebkeccu4546 not so it’s available all meals and in the dinning rooms. There were a lot of milk drinkers on my cruise.
Can you fill up a water bottle at the buffet and take it to your room?
Yes, you absolutely can.
We keep a mini Brita in the room refrigerator. Works good.
@@tdav225 that’s an awesome idea sir!
@@tdav225 that water is RO
@@badgerattoadhall isn’t that crazy what they charge for water!
Uhm there are 4 bars on decks 17 &18 not 1. Prima, Waves, Vibes, observation lounge. There is also a heaven bar but I won't count that.
19 bars for 3200 passengers is actually the most amount per passenger at sea. You seem to be exaggerating.
Do they have any non-Starbucks coffee that is included? It doesnt make sense to allow you to get a $15 drink but not a $7 coffee haha
Nope, coffee is only available in the premium package, crazy (except for the disgusting filter coffee they give at the buffet)
All the restaurants that serve breakfast, including the buffet, have free coffee, it’s just not specialty coffee (cappuccino, latte, etc).
@@lorrainerivera5121 sure but do you think it is fair to ask money 5 dollars, while you purchased a drinking package that is supposed to give you all the drinks up to 12 dollars? That's just a scam
@@sebkeccu4546 I agree it’s bizarre you can’t get specialty coffee on an alcohol based drink package…or bottled water or energy drinks. The exception being Starbucks, on my NCL cruise in April, Starbucks had long lines all day everyday, I can see why they can’t include it in an alcohol package.
@@lorrainerivera5121 somehow i can understand bottled drinks, but coffee from a coffee machine is nothing special.
We were 4 people in a room 3 adults and they were charging us $700 per trip for the “free drinks “ which was totally not worth it
Drink package generally not worth it unless you are as big drinker. For 2 the gratutities cone out to about $315 for a 7 day cruise
Do they add a gratuity on to every drink, if you buy them individually on board, without the package ?
yes, a gratuity is added for each drink if you don't have a drinks package.
@@Michael-Bennett Thank you Michael. Is it the same 20% gratuity that they add on to each drink, like they do if you took the Free At Sea Package ?
We cancelled NCL as our line of choice because of this all-inclusive and things such as wifi we do not use. Our purpose in cruising is to leave as much of the world behind.
Why did you cancel? Because they offer these? You don't have to use them....
You can op out of the free at sea package part or all of it. No need to cancel the entire cruise.
Free at Sea is 100% optional, it’s cheaper to book without it. Why cancel?
Not worth it, if only one person drinks alcohol.
Sally, I completely agree even though my husband only drinks energy drinks. On a seven day cruise I only saw him with three alcoholic beverages.