Originally Posted by supermaxhd View Post
Dan, I normally go on Carnival cruises. I have not taken a seven stars cruise yet. I also can get balcony cruises from NCL from PNG gaming (Hollywood). I am going to look at NCL. Do you know if you can get any of the free extra's that they offer like the unlimited drink package (normally $79 a day)? I am thinking the value of the drink package may actually be worth as much as the cruise. $79 a day is a lot. Carnival is about $55 a day and I think that is a lot.
Yes, you get any promo they are running at the time.

Also, if you see a better promo, and it's before "final payment" date, you can simply call them and switch, with no penalty.

If you want the UBP (ultimate beverage package), yes that will almost always be a promo available to you. However, keep in mind that they charge 18% on top of that for "tips" (which are not even given to the crew, which is even more offensive!), and that you must pay. So I think you will be on the hook for $90 per person in "tips" if you get the UBP. While that's WAY cheaper than $79/day, you should only get it if you plan upon drinking enough to be worth $90.

Also, the UBP doesn't include ALL drinks onboard (the more expensive ones are excluded, or there's an upcharge, I forget which), nor does it include bottled water (which is REALLY expensive).

I will say that NCL has a better reputation than Carnival, primarily for its clientele. Carnival tends to attract a lot more of the young, party type, while NCL's crowd tends to be 50+. On some itineraries, NCL's crowd is quite old. I took a New England/Canada NCL cruise in 2015, and I was one of the youngsters there at age 43. It was rare to see anyone there who was fewer than 15 years older than me!

I actually prefer the older crowds because they aren't nearly as rowdy, loud, or drunk. The only irritating thing about cruising with old people is that they tend to walk really slowly in the hallway, and it's a pain in the ass getting by them.

Usually balcony rooms get 2 of the "free" perks. You should consider grabbing the dining package. The specialty restaurants (especially Cagney's and Le Bistro) are far superior to the main dining room, both in atmosphere and food.

The "free internet" is also a good perk, though it's only 250 minutes, which goes really quickly. I prefer to just get other perks and then buy the unlimited internet. I can use that to make phone calls to shore for free.

Also, after booking, keep checking back to see if they've added on board credit as a balcony perk. Sometimes you'll get as much as $100. Again, you can keep rebooking with better perks up until final payment date.