Sorry so many people are being so mean.
I’ve done the math and the packages are only worth it for people who drink 7+ drinks a day. I’m always surprised how many people buy them.
I’m sort of a non-cruiser but have figured out how to enjoy them for a family vacation. Here are my tips:
1) it’s easy to avoid the crowds if you want. Avoid the pool. Theres always a quiet deck where you can read a book and enjoy the sea air. You just have to hunt for it. Embarkation will be a madhouse but just steel yourself for that (or go super early to be the first one there).
2) it’s worth researching the ports a little. If you just walk off the ship, you will hate it as the ports are all surrounded with tacky crap. But most ports have really awesome activities a short distance from port. One of the big advantages of a cruise is that they drive you to a new place every day, so take advantage of it.
3) take a half hour when you embark to organize the room and put stuff away. There’s actually a lot of space in the drawers if you use it, and it will save you from feeling like the room is too small if you put stuff away to start with and designate a place for dirty laundry. On a week log cruise, it’s worth paying for them to do a bag of dirty underwear socks and tee shirts midway.
4) there’s a lot of food. Much of it is not great but because there is so much, that’s not a big deal. If you don’t lik it, skip it or order something else. ITs totally fine to order 3 appetizers instead of an entree and you can often even order off the menu. On the NCL ships, the Cuban restaurant is a good choice at lunch. The sit- down dining room breakfast is typically better than the buffet, in my opinion, as I greatly prefer things made to order.
Go in with a positive attitude and you’ll have fun.
If your ship has the dueling piano bar, definitely go—that was one of my favorite things— they were amazingly talented!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most cruise lines allow you to carry-on (1) 750ml bottle of sealed wine. Enjoy your wine and refill wine bottles with your favorite liquor, replace cork and re-seal. Two people, two bottles of liquor for a week. How much more is needed?

Norwegian has a $15 corkage fee per wine bottle you bring on. Add the price of the wine and you're not saving much.

I had a cabin mate who lost her job just after purchasing the cruise we were on. She bought a drink or two most days but made a game of sneaking vodka from port into her water bottle. It gave her wallet a break, the cruise was still getting drink dollars most of the time. If they didn't make such draconian rules about the whole reservations I'd have more sympathy for the cruise line.

100%. You're pretty captive and can't even bring bottled water. This is no different than foregoing buying alcohol at your hotel and bringing it in in my opinion.

Anonymous wrote:Most cruise lines allow you to carry-on (1) 750ml bottle of sealed wine. Enjoy your wine and refill wine bottles with your favorite liquor, replace cork and re-seal. Two people, two bottles of liquor for a week. How much more is needed?

Norwegian has a $15 corkage fee per wine bottle you bring on. Add the price of the wine and you're not saving much.

I had a cabin mate who lost her job just after purchasing the cruise we were on. She bought a drink or two most days but made a game of sneaking vodka from port into her water bottle. It gave her wallet a break, the cruise was still getting drink dollars most of the time. If they didn't make such draconian rules about the whole reservations I'd have more sympathy for the cruise line.

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes it's fun to break the rules. OP, I searched 'hidden liquor bottles' at Amazon and got dozens of results. Lots of choices besides fake shampoo bottles. Check it out!

“Sometimes it’s fun to steal!”

Most cruise lines allow you to carry-on (1) 750ml bottle of sealed wine. Enjoy your wine and refill wine bottles with your favorite liquor, replace cork and re-seal. Two people, two bottles of liquor for a week. How much more is needed?

My dad would empty out Mountain Dew bottles and put clear liquor in them before taking them on the cruise.

I dont think they ever confiscated them.

Are they seriously going to go through your bags to search for stuff before you board??? If this is the case - one more reason never to go on a cruise.

I'd just go a la carte if I were you - but then again, I don't drink much more than a glass of wine with dinner. That said - I won't judge you if you hide some and bring it along. I assume you're not bringing TONS.

Omg. Are there really that many rules about alcohol on a cruise? And you can’t even bring your own water (hello, norovirus).

CRUISES SOUND HORRIBLE!

Sometimes it's fun to break the rules. OP, I searched 'hidden liquor bottles' at Amazon and got dozens of results. Lots of choices besides fake shampoo bottles. Check it out!

Op could just be frugal

Have you never brought food into a stadium to avoid paying $6 for a hot dog? Same idea

Are you an alcoholic?

If you need more liquor than you can afford to buy on a cruise...you might be an alcoholic.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alcohol problem much, OP?

It would take a lot of alcohol to get me to enjoy a cruise.

OP here. Yeah, this is kind of where I"m coming from.

You all are harsh. I've never been on a cruise, hate the idea of it, trying to suck it up for my in-laws, for whom this will be their last vacation. They've moved into assisted living and are in failing health. This will be their last hurrah, and neither my husband nor I are cruise people and not exactly looking forward to that portion of it. But we're happy to spend the time with them.

From my friends who do cruise they say "oh, everyone sneaks it on." Then I saw this on the neighborhood listserv and thought, well, hell, with such a market for these products, people must really sneak stuff on I guess.

I guess not, based on what I'm hearing here. No, we are not alcoholics, which is why there is no hell way we're paying $2,000+ for alcohol. Yes, that's their policy - this is on Norwegian Cruise lines, and since my in-laws made all of the reservations, we would all be required to purchase. But I'm unapologetic that if I have to endure this cruise, I might as well drink.

It's not "necessary" but it's vacation and a la carte it is. (I do see they allow wine, but that's all they allow you take on board. Not even water.)

Thanks for the reality check. You can all go about your day now.

OP, I sympathize, and thank you for your post. I went on my first cruise 2 years ago, and didn't like it, at all. Same as you - did it for the inlaws, and when we finished, swore we wouldn't do it again. Well, we are scheduled for another (mercifully shorter) cruise this summer, again with the inlaws and extended family. My issue is that the offerings on the cruise ships are terrible. I'm OK buying drinks; I'm not OK being forced to buy drinks where the only options they have are, at best, mediocre, and at worse complete crap. I like good whiskey, it's my vacation, and I'm not drinking swill for 5 days. So, I'll be bringing some good whiskey in a shampoo bottle. I should plan it now, so I can drain and properly clean the bottle.

Anonymous wrote:If OP is under 25 and female and wants to party it up and hookup it’s ok. Otherwise I would judge him or her as a loser.

If op is female who wants to get drunk and hook up on a cruise I'd judge her as a loser

Have a lovely cruise. Ignore the haters.

Smuggle it in knowing that it might get confiscated. Does Norwegian have a hand-carry allowance for a bottle of wine?

The cruise ships do go through luggage, but they can't go through every piece of luggage and deliver luggage on time the first night. The drinks are expensive and 18% gratuity is added every time you walk up to the bar, stand in line, and order yourself a cocktail. A beer with lunch, a cocktail before dinner and a glass of wine with dinner hardly make the package worthwhile. You need to be a serious drinker and a not-so-picky drinker to get your money's "worth" out of the drink packages.

Try the fake bottles and let us know how it goes.

Anonymous wrote:Are you 20yrs old? What is wrong with you? Just pay for drinks a la crate. How much do you drink that this is an issue? If you would rather drink liquor that has been in a plastic bottle than pay for 1-2 drinks each day on board maybe you have an issue.

Now we're talkin'. Let's get this party starteeeedd!