Premium All Inclusive ..what’s it all about?

There has been lots of interest over the past week surrounding NCL cruises and their announcement that as from the 6th April they have become a Premium All Inclusive cruise line. NCL’s promotions recently have included all-inclusive drink packages, on board credit offers, Wifi packages and speciality dining packages so their cruise customers have already experienced the “All Inclusive feel” to their cruise. This is the next step and it has had a big impact, love it or hate it it’s happening.

So what does it mean exactly, well in a nut shell, you will have the Premium drinks package included in your cruise and also the gratuities will be included. For those staying in the Haven accommodation and suites there will be extra benefits including Wifi, on board credit and speciality dining choices.

I have to say it does make booking an NCL cruise simpler, no more having to work out which promotion is applicable to which stateroom, do you qualify or don’t you for the offers they have?? Sometimes as a cruise specialist the offers can be quite confusing and of course this is often worse for customers trying to understand just what the offer means to them. This way it’s simple your cruise will now be Premium All- Inclusive no matter which grade of accommodation you book.

Your drinks package will a premium package which will include spirits, beers, wines by the glass, cocktails, soft drinks, juices, premium coffees, bottled water. Great news for all those guests who like to book a drinks package and you no longer have to worry about which drinks are and are not included.

Gratuities now being included in the cost of your cruise I feel has to be a huge selling point. It’s always a topic of discussion, some like to pre pay others strongly disagree with the whole notion of pre paying your tips. This way everyone who has booked an NCL cruise will have their gratuities included, makes it so much simpler.

There are lots of positives to be taken I think from this change but with positives can also come negatives. Is it going to mean that the price of your cruise increase? Surely a drinks package worth over $50 per person per night has to be paid for somewhere, nothing is ever “Free” so to speak! Is it going to in turn alienate those that don’t drink, will they feel like they are paying for a package within their cruise cost they are not going to get the benefit from? Is making their ships All Inclusive with no limits on what passengers drink going to turn them into “booze cruises”? Is this what cruising is really about? I am sure some of my customers will be against this change preferring the more traditional aspects of cruising but I do know lots who would be very happy to be on a fully all-inclusive ship!

What do you think …? Is this the way forward for cruising, have NCL got it right? One thing for sure is that it is going to divide opinion out there in the world of cruise.

I would love as always to hear your views.

Abbi x