Cruise lines roll out cheap drinks and meal deals

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31: Carnival is testing an out an all-you-can-drink alcohol package called ‘My Awesome Bat Programme’. The cost is $42.95 per person per day, plus a 15 per cent gratuity on top of that. Also, if you purchase the package, anyone who is in your cabin who is over 21 must also purchase it.

Is it worth it?

Depends on how much a drinker you are.

For me, the answer is no, but if you are having six plus drinks a day (more if it’s beer) and your cabin companion drinks that much too, then yes.

Celebrity rolled out a two-tiered all-you-can-drink programme two years ago priced at $44.85 (beers that cost up to $5, spirits, cocktails and wines by the glass that go for up to $8 each) and one for $56.35 per day that includes all drinks up to $12 per glass.

At $5 per beer, you’d have to have 10 beers to reach the break even point — and your cabin mate as well, then repeat that for each of the seven days of the cruise.

Norwegian dining package

Along the same lines, Norwegian is offering a speciality dining package entitled ‘Signature Trio’, which allows cruisers to pre-purchase three of the lines most popular specialty restaurants prior to sailing at $47 per person.

If you purchase the package you’ll get the steakhouse (Cagney’s), the French Bistro (Le Bsitro) and the Italian restaurant (La Trattoria).

*There is savings here as Cagney’s costs $25, Le Bistro $20 and La Trattoria $10, and it does guarantee that you’ll have reservations in all three.

Normally you can’t book your dinner in one of the specialty restaurants until you board and then only one day in advance.

As someone who has altered my schedule to stand in line in the morning to book reservations, it is worth it to have it taken care of ahead of time.

American Airlines

American Airlines announced this week it is adding two non-stop flights to St Kitts out of Miami starting on November 16. The new flights will run on Fridays and Sundays. It will leave Miami for St Kitts at 4:35pm and arrive at 8:35pm.

The return flight will arrive into Miami on Saturday’s and Monday’s at 11:05am.

Thanksgiving

For those of you who do your shopping in the US over the long US holiday weekend, The New York Hilton is promoting its view of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The cost is $454 per night for a room and you have to book at least three days (which might just kill any shopping savings from the trip). Non-parade route views start at $299 a night.

Go to www.newyorkhilton.com

Delta

The airline announced as of September 1, some of its special fares will not accrue its SkyMiles at the same rate as before.

Student fares, consolidator fares, group fares, flights as part of a cruise package and discounted tour packages will now all earn less miles.

The reduced rates vary from 25 per cent less to 75 per cent less.


*Originally I had Le Bistro at $10 but that was base on old information, so at $20, that makes this deal even better.