For many cruisers, stepping aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship means it’s time to let loose and have at least a few drinks each day of vacation. But those beers and cocktails can add up quickly if you’re not paying attention. Like many cruise lines, NCL takes the cost anxiety away by allowing passengers to pre-purchase beverage packages ahead of their cruise. This means that the per-day price has already been set, and passengers can order as many drinks as they want without worrying about their bills adding up.
Norwegian Cruise Line offers four drink packages that let passengers pay a flat daily fee and get an unlimited amount of the included beverages. These packages include the Unlimited Soda Package, the Unlimited Starbucks Package, the Unlimited Open Bar Package, and the Premium Plus Beverage Package.
The Unlimited Soda Package includes unlimited fountain soda throughout the cruise, including Coca-Cola products like Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Fanta. Ginger ale, tonic water, and soda water are also included. This package is available to guests 3 years old and up.
The Unlimited Starbucks Package includes coffee and tea from Starbucks, as well as specialty beverages, Frappuccinos, and Refreshers by the cup sold at the branded outlets on board select ships. Canned and bottled drinks, food, and Starbucks merchandise are not included. To purchase the package, guests must be at least 18 years old.
The Unlimited Open Bar Package is the standard Norwegian drink package that includes alcohol. It covers cocktails and spirits priced under $15, beer and wine by the glass up to $15, a selection of premium juices, and unlimited soda. It also gives guests 20% off all bottles of wine and Champagne. Passengers must be at least 21 years old to purchase this package.
The Premium Plus Beverage Package is the most inclusive alcohol package offered by Norwegian Cruise Line. It includes everything the Unlimited Open Bar package includes, plus top-shelf cocktails and spirits, all beer, red wine, white wine, and NCL’s exclusive rose by the glass, unlimited still and sparkling bottled water, all Starbucks coffee and specialty drinks, energy drinks, and select premium bottles of wine and NCL’s rose with dinner. The package also includes 40% off all other bottles of wine and Champagne. The same rules apply for this package as they do for the Unlimited Open Bar package.
The cost of Norwegian Cruise Line’s drink packages varies depending on the package chosen. The Unlimited Soda Package is $9.95 per person, per day. The Unlimited Starbucks Package is $12.95 per person, per day. The Unlimited Open Bar Package is $109 per person, per day. The Premium Plus Beverage Package is $138 per person, per day. A 20% gratuity and beverage service charge is added to all packages at checkout.
However, Norwegian Cruise Line also offers the Free at Sea program, which includes the Unlimited Open Bar package as one of its perks. If you choose to keep the package as a perk, you won’t have to pay the drink package’s daily fee, but you will have to pay the package’s automatic 20% gratuity charge. So, most people who sail on NCL and plan to drink alcohol or other specialty beverages are going to end up with the Unlimited Open Bar package through Free at Sea.
For those who want top-shelf liquor and wines, Starbucks beverages, or bottled water, the Premium Plus Beverage package is available. Most people don’t pay the full price for this package either. Instead, they take advantage of the Free at Sea Plus upgrade option, which costs $49 per person, per day. This upgrade also includes additional perks like more specialty dining meals, more shore excursion credit, and unlimited Wi-Fi.
As for the question of whether Norwegian Cruise Line’s drink packages are worth it, it depends on your drinking habits and how much you would typically spend on drinks while on board. If the average cost of a cocktail or glass of wine is around $10 to $12, you would need to drink at least 10-11 drinks per day to break even on the Unlimited Open Bar package at face value. However, most guests aren’t paying face value for this package due to the Free at Sea program. In this case, you would only need to drink a few cocktails or a combination of cocktails and sodas each day to break even.
Ultimately, whether the drink packages are worth it depends on how much you plan to drink and how much you would typically spend on drinks while on a cruise. If you’re someone who enjoys having a few drinks each day and likes the convenience of not worrying about the cost, then the drink packages can be a good value. However, if you’re not a big drinker or prefer to pay for drinks as you go, then it may not be worth it for you.