One of the most expensive drink packages at sea is getting a little pricier.
Norwegian Cruise Line is well-known for having prices that are pushed higher than what you’ll see from competitor cruise lines like Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Nowhere is that more evident than with drink packages.
As of now, the open bar drink package on NCL runs a pricey $99 per person, per day. For comparison, Carnival offers their drink package for as little as $60 per day if bought before boarding — or early 40% less.
But that gap is about to grow larger. We noticed that Norwegian Cruise Line updated the pricing on two beverage packages last week — the Unlimited Open Bar Package and the Premium Plus Beverage Package:
The Unlimited Open Bar Package offers beer, cocktails, wine, and spirits up to $15 per glass. It also includes soft drinks and juices. It is currently priced at $99 per person, per day.
However, that price is increasing 10% to $109 per person, per day. So on a weeklong cruise (and with the additional 20% gratuity), a person buying the package would spend $916 on the package, compared to a previous $832.
The more upscale Premium Plus Beverage Package provides access to just about every drink on the ship, including all beers and wines by the glass and top-shelf alcohols. It also includes soft drinks, juices, Starbucks, and energy drinks.
This package is seeing its price rise about 8% from a daily cost per person of $128 to $138. That total cost for the package will now run a staggering $1,159 for a 7-day cruise.
One thing to note is that these prices take effect on cruises starting January 1, 2023. NCL says that sailings before then will still have the lower prices. In addition, passengers booking the drink package will also have six one-liter water bottles delivered to their stateroom at embarkation.
For some passengers, the extra cost may not matter. Many people cruise with the Unlimited Open Bar Package included as part of their trip thanks to the cruise line’s “Free at Sea” offer. So they don’t see the full daily cost as if they were buying the package separately.
This does mark another price increase for Norwegian, which earlier this year bumped up the price of its daily gratuities and soda package.
The price of NCL’s “Corks and Caps” package, which includes wine and beer only, did not increase in cost. It is still offered at $65 per person, per day.
