Beverage Packages - Are They Worth It?

 

Beverage Packages - Are they worth it?  Someone I once worked with answered many questions with the phrase: "It Depends."  This tends to be the answer for most people considering beverage packages.  Cruisers trying to select which package is best for their needs can be complicated, given pricing structure for drinks on the ship, beverages included in the package, how many beverages one plans to consume, whether the package is bought on the ship or before the cruise. the age of the cruiser and even the port one sails from.

I have chosen not to include package combinations such as Princess Plus, Princess Premier, NCL's Free at Sea, as they would add additional levels of complexity to the comparison process - something which is already hard to do.  Instead, I have chosen a sample of beverage packages from the major cruise corporations to illustrate the complexity of comparing beverage packages.

Each cruise line prices its beverages differently.  Additionally, different rules apply to beverage packages by cruise location.  For example, one cruise line charges more for its beverage packages when sailing Australian routes.  Other cruise lines structure their beverage packages differently when sailing out of New York, Texas and Florida.  And NCL offers a special beverage package for its one US Flagged ship doing 7-Day cruises from Honolulu.  And then, Royal Caribbean uses dynamic pricing for its packages.

So, are these packages worth it?  If one is a heavy drinker of alcoholic beverages, Yes!  If one is a teetotaler, then a soda package might be worth it.  But, if one is a light drinker, is usually makes sense to buy one's drinks outside of the package.

Cruzely.com has an excellent calculator one can use to determine whether a drink package makes sense for a person to buy.

As for me, I've elected to do the extra work and figure out whether combination packages such as NCL's Free at Sea and Princess Plus/Premier makes sense for me on each cruise, as I also include the value of meals in the specialty restaurants in my calculations. Since I like the specialty dining experiences on both of these lines, the extra "casual dining" restaurants on Princess, and the extra specialty dining meals I get on NCL due to my loyalty status, I pay a little extra to NOT worry about what my final bill will be when I leave the ship.

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Sample Cruise Lines' Beverage Packages:

Royal Caribbean:

Water Package: 12 bottles for $39; 24 bottles for $69
Classic Soft Drinks Package: $12.99 per person, per day
Refreshment Package: $29 per person, per day
Deluxe Beverage Package: $56 to $105 per person, per day
(depending on your ship and trip)
Cafe Select Coffee Card: $31 per card

Carnival:

Bottomless Bubbles - Unlimited Sodas: Starting at: $9.50 / Adult Per Day
Cheers! - Up to 15 Alcoholic Beverages & Unlimited Sodas: 
Starting at: $59.95 / Person per Day

NCL:

Soft Drink Package: $7.95 USD per person, per day. 
Unlimited Open Bar Beverage Package:  $109.00 USD per person, per day.  
Premium Plus Beverage Package: $138.00 USD per person, per day.  
Hawaii Beverage Package (only on P.O.A.): $109.00 USD per person, per day.

For all NCL beverage packages above, a 20% gratuity is not included in the listed prices.

Princess:

Premier Beverage Package: $84.99 USD per person, per day. 
Plus Beverage package: $64.99 USD per person, per day. 

MSC:

Easy Package: $46/day, includes drinks on a limited menu.
On cruises less than 6-nights, the package is $49/night.

Easy Plus Package: $61/day for cruises 7-nights or longer
and $64 for cruises 6-nights or fewer, includes drinks up to $10.

Premium Extra Package: $85/day, includes drinks up to $16. 

Alcohol-Free Package: $28/day, includes non-alcoholic drinks

Minors Package: $19/day, includes non-alcoholic drinks
for guests under 21 (North America) and 18 (Europe)

Pride of America - Hawaii Cruisetour Observations (12/07/22 - 12/17/22)

 

The following are my unfiltered observations in regard to the Pride of America Cruisetour offered by NCL.  No two people will feel the same about NCL's offerings, nor should they.  To me, the Cruisetour offers the most Hawaii-intensive experience one can have while cruising.  For example, Princess Cruises offered a 15 day Hawaii cruise out of Los Angeles for $1199/pp.  Only 4 of these days would be spent in Hawaii.  Compare this with a 10 day Cruisetour being offered by NCL out of Honolulu for $2630/pp.  The  Princess cruise is almost $300/day/pp for its time in Hawaii, while the NCL Cruisetour is only $263/day/pp for the time in Hawaii.  Which do you think is the better deal, exclusive of airfare?

Flight Arrangements:

1. When one allows NCL to book one's flights, you have absolutely no control over which airline, flight, and  (on occasion) airport you will use to reach Honolulu.  Only after NCL has booked your flights will you be able to contact the airline for seat assignments and luggage reservations.
2. On the return trip from Honolulu, many people are booked on "Red Eye" flights out of Honolulu, so that they can reach the West Coast early in the morning, then make it to the East Coast by mid afternoon. This might not be the best thing for some people, as they might prefer "Red Eye" flights out of the West Coast, so that they can reach their destinations in the morning.
3. NCL can book flights for the Cruisetour, allowing cruisers to arrive up to 2 days before the tour, and depart up to 2 days after the cruise.  However, NCL will not provide hotel transfer arrangements for early arrivals or later departures.

Pre-Cruise Hotel Arrangements:

1. NCL has selected a good hotel near Waikiki Beach for its Cruisetour customers.  There is an ABC Store on thr ground floor of the building which contains many of the sundries one might have forgotten at home (e.g. Toothbrushes, Deodorant, Feminine Hygiene Products, etc.)  For anything else, one may need to take a cab to the store of one's choice.
2. Once at the hotel, your luggage will be transported to your room as you are checking in.  By the time I got to the floor my room was on, I saw the man delivering my luggage - and he directed me to my room, as it was not where I expected it to be.
3. NCL's pre-cruise excursions leave from a side street where the tour buses are found.  This hotel entrance/exit is not easy to find until you've been shown where it is.  This is not a complaint.  The ground floor of the building is designed to be an outdoor shopping mall; tour bus entrance and egress is designed to blend in with the mall's appearance.
4. NCL does not supply a map of where nearby restaurants can be found.  This doesn't seem like much, but the last thing I want to do is eat at an overpriced restaurant when other places are nearby.

Pre-Cruise Activities/Tours:

1. NCL makes a note that people can relax on the day they arrive at the hotel, enjoying a nice swim at nearby Waikiki Beach.  This is possible only if one's flights are on time.  In my case, this didn't happen as expected.  I was lucky to make it to Honolulu in time for the first tour.
2. NCL contracts out the tour part of the Cruisetour package.  The tour company provided good service, and helped me out with transfer arrangements when I should have called the transfer company directly.
3. There are 3 main destinations for the tours before the cruise: 
   - The Polynesian Cultural Center (returns to the hotel when finished)
   - Pearl Harbor (returns to the hotel when finished)
   - The Kualoa Valley Ranch (returns to the ship when finished)
   
4. On the first day of touring, NCL had to deal with organized chaos, assigning people to their tour buses, then leading them to the buses for the first time.  In my case, NCL did not record that I was present for the first tour.  As a result, they sent me a message to remind me to be there for the next day's tour.
5. On the last day of touring, NCL has us delivered directly to the terminal.  Although we were told that our bags would be on the ship before us, this was not the case.  It paid to check with guest services shortly after arrival, as we were able to determine that my luggage had just arrived.

Embarkation/Settling in.

1. Checking in for the cruise is easy.  Once you make it through security, most of everything has already been done for you.  (In my case, I had to have my picture retaken.)
2. Once done with check in, you will get lei'd.  (These seem to be fresh flowers.)   If you want a souvenir picture taken, this might be one you might like.
3. If you haven't made specialty dining arrangements, do so now.  By the time one gets to the ship, most of the good times and restaurant choices will be unavailable.  In my case, I had to settle for one restaurant I prefer not to eat in.
4. Excursion information may not be complete, and they may need minor info to complete ticket issuance.  In my case, they wanted to know if I was traveling with others, so that we could all be seated on the same bus.  This was a waste of time, as they could have gotten this information before the cruise, or implied it from my booking arrangements.
5. Unlike other NCL cruises I've taken, I did not see my room steward until the 3rd day of the cruise. This was an inconvenience, as I would have wanted the Mini Bar emptied, along with other minor things I wanted taken care of in this cabin.

Room Layout.

1. This appeared to be a balcony cabin that could sleep 3 people comfortably.   Both closet and drawer space was plentiful, and I had no problems finding convenient places to put my stuff.
2. The bathroom needs to be upgraded for modern needs. 
   - There was only a shower curtain separating the shower area from the rest of the bathroom.
   - There were no shelves where cruisers could place their toiletries. (No space on the sink.)
   - The shower area needs a foot rest to make it easier for a woman to shave her legs.
3. The cabin interior looks like other NCL ships built 20 years ago.  It is clean and well maintained.
4. There are 3 American power outlets in the room.  Only 1 European power outlet was in room.
5. Lighting was adequate for most purposes, save for applying makeup at the desk area.

Restaurants.

1. The Buffet. (Complementary)
   - On the first day, I had to ask for napkins and silverware, as they weren't on the tables.
   - Not as wide a selection of foods as found on other NCL ships - POA caters to Americans.
   
2. Cadillac Diner. (Complementary)
   - This venue replaces O'Sheehan's and The Local venues found on other NCL ships.
   - The decor mimics a 1950's/1960's diner.  Two Elvis themed movie posters adorn a wall.
   - This restaurant is open 24 hours/day.
   - The only item served that is not complementary is the thick shake. ($4.00)
3. Cagney's (Ala a Carte - Steak House)
   - Both service and food quality were top notch.
   - Portion size was relatively large.
4. Jefferson's Bistro (Ala a Carte - French Bistro, also known as Le Bistro on other NCL ships)
   - Both service and food quality were top notch.
   - Portion size was relatively large.

Excursions.

1. Maui - Road to Hana.
   - The "Deluxe" tour that I took had a friendly and informative driver.  
   - Although the road was 39 miles long, it took 2 1/2 hours to reach its destination.  
   - The driver provided us with lunch - no ability to inform of dietary needs.
   - Lunch consisted of Salad, a chicken wrap and a fish wrap.
   - The road itself is the destination, not Hana.  The visual delights make the trip worthwhile.
   - At each of the photo-op locations, the driver made an effort to get pictures for each rider.
   - The driver knew local customs and history, and kept us entertained along the way out and back.
2. Maui - Kalealaka Crater.
   - The driver made sure we knew that we may not see anything due to weather at the summit.
   - Unfortunately, we couldn't see anything at the summit due to fog and rain.
   - The driver was friendly, and gave us a history of Hawaii to keep us entertained on the drive.
   - The driver made an extra stop on the way back, so we could buy a few items at the store.
3. Hilo - Volcanoes National Park.
   - The weather is unpredictable.  One might not get to see the crater.
   - This is a tour where there is more driving than being in the park.
4. Kona - Scenic Taste of Hawaii.
   - This tour had a friendly and informative driver.
   - The driver provided us with lunch - no ability to inform of dietary needs.
   - Lunch consisted of a Turkey sandwich, chips and a cookie.
   - I wasn't impressed by the local brewery, as I don't like "flavored beers".
   - I was impressed by the rum distillery, as we were shown how to detect and enjoy a good rum.
5. Kauai - Luau
   - This excursion was close to the pier. It appears that tour buses ran as a shuttle to/from luau.
   - Luau had enough food types for most people.  However, vegans would have limited choices.
   - The first set of performances was generic.  
   - The second set of performances focused on Hawaiian myths told in dance.  Very interesting.
6. Kauai -Journey to Waimea Canyon
   - This excursion was about an hour's drive from the ship.
   - Although we had a bio-break at a park, most of the time spent was driving to/from Waimea.
   - Waimea Canyon was well worth the trip.  It was an amazing place to visit.
   - At least one viewing platform was handicap accessible.
   - After the canyon, we had a hour in town to shop and to eat.
   - The driver was of native Hawaiian blood, and gave us history from an indigenous viewpoint.

Post-Cruise Activities and Tours.

1. For those with late flights, NCL offers 2 tours which drop people off at the airport at 6 pm.
2. NCL will provide airport transfers for those purchasing these options.
   
3. A day use hotel selection should be provided for those on the Cruisetour to avoid redundancy, when flights are scheduled for post-6:00 pm departures.

Miscellaneous Items of Note.

1. There is no casino on this ship, as gambling is illegal in Hawaii.
2. The ship's library is larger than what is usually found on NCL cruise ships.
3. Most cruises will now bypass the scenic Na Pali coast, unlike cruises given previously.
4. Hawaii tax is charged on all sales while in port, including drinks on Hawaii Beverage Package.
5. The Hawaii Beverage Package includes alcoholic beverages, sodas, and boxed water, unlike alcoholic beverage packages offered on other NCL ships.

Cruising - Bargain Hunting

 

One might be amazed by this, but many cruise line price their cruises below the costs incurred to provide many cruisers with the services they’ll get while on cruising.  Food, Housekeeping, Entertainment, and Security are some of the expenses incurred by the cruise line on every sailing.  To find bargains, one must first answer the following question:

How does a sailing make money for the cruise line?

First, one must look at the goods and services sold on the ship, as well as how the finances of a cruise line are structured.  However, one should focus on the pricing of a cruise and its goods and services to figure out where bargains can be found.

Many products on cruise ships are either “overpriced” or supplied via “underpaid” labor.  For example, one can get a “free” beverage package with NCL’s “Free at Sea” promotion.  All a cruiser must do is pay the gratuities for the package.  But how much alcohol can a non-alcoholic drink?  When I priced the beverage package option for “Free at Sea”, I found that I would need to consume 3 alcoholic drinks per fay to cover what NCL was charging me for the gratuities.  It would be cheaper for me (in most cases) to buy a separate soft drink package, and buy an occasional alcoholic beverage outside of this deal.  Another product that is often overpriced is the photography package.  Most of the time, people will not look at the novelty pictures taken on the cruise.  Yet, I found that for the one or two times I wanted a nice picture of myself, the $25/picture was a tolerable price to pay.

Alcohol and photography are among the many things that can take money out of a cruiser’s pocket.  But the big money makers (based on sales floor area) are Jewelry, Watches, Alcohol (bottled spirits and liquors), and Cigarettes.  A smart cruiser will compare prices on the ship with those on land (both at home and in foreign cruise ports) to determine whether the on-ship store has a better value than that found on land.  On one cruise, I was in St. Thomas and found that I could buy a larger bottle of Grand Marnier at a lower price than I could buy it on the ship.  Since I do not buy cigarettes, jewelry or expensive watches, I cannot say much about cruise line prices from personal experience.  But I can say that if it did not have a high markup, it would not be sold on the ship unless it was absolutely necessary.  So, I avoid buying anything from the ship’s stores unless I need those items and can not wait to get them at the next port.

Another area where one can spend a lot of money is in the ship’s spa.  Although some of the prices may be reasonable, the spa is staffed with low priced labor.  This allows the cruise line to maximize its profits selling services to people who want to be pampered.

Lastly, we come to the casino.  Almost all the standard land based games can be found in a ship’s casino, as well as a few more games not found on land.  Since I do not gamble much, I walk through this area on the way to somewhere else.  When I do gamble, I always remember that the odds are often not as good as would be found in a land based casino.  The slots are often very tight, and some of the table games may have different payouts than found on land.

So, how do we find bargains before booking the cruise and while on the cruise?

First, one can use sites such as vacationstogo.com and cruiseplum.com to track cruise prices and hunt for discounts.  Recently, I did a search for cruises which had pre-paid gratuities included in the price.  When I booked such a cruise, I saved $140 on the net total price of the cruise.  Next, I check to see whether the services I want from “premium” fare options (such as NCL’s “Free at Sea” or Princess’s “Premier” upgrade options) are priced low enough to make them worth buying instead of the basic cruise fare.  Recently, I booked a cruise where the basic fare and the “premium” fare option was being sold at the same price.

Then, I would look at selecting a “Guaranteed” cabin in a selected category.  This is usually cheaper than selecting a specific cabin.  However, this may preclude one from getting any of the goodies associated with a “premium” fare option.  Yet, I have seen some fare options where one will get a guaranteed cabin with the benefits of a premium fare. 

If one wants a selected cabin type, but is willing to make sacrifices, consider an “Obstructed View” cabin.  On one cruise out of Brooklyn, my partner got a balcony with an obstructed view.  We could see the New York City skyline, but couldn’t see Governor’s Island due to the lifeboat in front of us.  Most of these cabins are not created equal, and some are better than others.  One of my favorites, and one I hope to book one day is found on some Royal Caribbean ships, is the Ben and Jerry’s Sweet. Since the Ben and Jerry’s display blocks this cabin’s view of the promenade, Royal Caribbean compensates the cruiser with one free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream treat each day.   Not bad compensation, indeed!

Instead of cruising in peak seasons, I would look for cruises in shoulder seasons.  For example, peak season for Alaskan cruising is in June, July, and August.  I would consider an Alaskan cruise in April, May, September and October. Not only does one avoid the headaches of peak season, but one can cruise at a much lower price.  Each region has peak and shoulder seasons, so a bargain hunter will continually track fares for both peak and shoulder seasons and choose a cruise that meets the selected price point.

If sea days on a cruise are more important than port days, one can consider repositioning cruises to save money.  However, one must ask whether the money saved on the cruise is lost in airfare.  In many cases, the price for a one-way flight can be more than a round trip ticket.  So, this may not be a cost saving option for all cruisers.

Cruising - Food and Beverages

 

One of the important pleasures for many when cruising is the food served onboard. Years ago, I enjoyed Baked Alaska on the final day of the cruise.  Even now, I find that the chefs on cruise ships still have goodies in their menus that make me salivate at the thought of eating them.

There are several types of dining venues on the average mass market ocean-going cruise ship:

• Buffets (Complementary)
• Lido Deck Grills (Complementary)
• Main Dining Rooms (Complementary)
• Specialty Restaurants (Extra Charge)

Each of these venues have things I like about them.  For example, the buffets are usually open from early morning until late evening, with minor closures to allow for switch-overs from breakfast to lunch to dinner food during the day.  One usually can find many kinds of foods in the buffets, from “American favorites” (such as: Pizza, Hamburgers, and Carved Meats), Indian Dishes (such as: Chicken Tikka Masala), Wok cooked dishes, and others.  If one wants to sample many different food types, the buffets are for you.

To me, there is nothing like sitting near the pool and eating food from the Lido Deck grills.  In warm sunny weather, these grills are open to serve people wanting to eat in the open air.  However, they are not open all day.  They are typically open around lunch time, and serve a simple set of dishes which might be found in a backyard barbeque.

Each cruise line has a different policy regarding its main dining rooms.  For example, NCL is very casual in both personal appearance and when a person arrives at its dining rooms.  There is no dress code, save for the specialty dining restaurants. Additionally, one is not required to sit at the same table (with the same dining companions) at the same time for the length of the cruise.  Most cruise lines have some formality, as the cruiser must select a time to dine, and dress (formally or informally) based on whether it is gala night or not.  For example, Cunard is a model of formality, and cruisers are required to be dressed formally (“Black Tie” preferred, Dark suits are OK) on gala nights when in public areas.  I recommend that every cruiser checks the dress code for each ship before cruising, as this will help the cruiser plan what to pack before the cruise.

I have often travelled solo.  This did not mean that I dined alone.  Much of the time, I requested to be seated at a “shared table” where other cruisers were seated.  Dining this way helped me make several new friends, people who I hope to again cruise with some day.

Most major cruise lines have specialty restaurants that are an upcharge from the base fare.  In general, one should expect to follow the cruise line’s wardrobe requirements being used for the main dining room (and other public areas).  Prices for these restaurants will vary from cruise line to cruise line and from restaurant to restaurant.  This where a cruiser gets to see the best from a cruise line’s chefs.

Almost all major cruise lines have a steakhouse as one of its ship’s specialty dining options.  Other specialty offerings may include Seafood, Continental/Italian Cuisine, French Cuisine, Barbeque, Hibachi rooms, and Sushi bars.  The best meals I have had when cruising have been at a ship’s specialty restaurants. Of these restaurants, the Steakhouses and the French restaurants are my favorites, as they prepare food that I would not usually eat at home.

Every good meal needs a beverage to go with it.  Most cruise lines only include juice, coffee, tea and tap water for free.  Other beverages are usually covered by individual serving sales or by the sale of beverage packages.  When I started cruising, I limited myself to these beverages, as I did not like paying “big city” restaurant prices for soft drinks.  And then I found the value of soda packages. For a “nominal” cost, I was able to drink as much soda as I liked – all I had to do was pay an upfront fee for that package.  On my last cruise, I got the drink package for the price of its gratuities and broke even on the deal.  (In NCL’s “Free at Sea” promotion, the drink package is free, but you pay the gratuities.)  Some cruise lines offer coffee packages, and if I were a specialty coffee addict, I might have bought one of these packages as well.

Please note that the terms and conditions of each beverage package will vary by cruise line, as well as the beverages that are included in the base cruise fare.  One should compute how many drinks in each category one usually consumes and compute whether purchasing a beverage package is a worthwhile deal.