Note-free isn't free on NCL

[pearljammer]

you may have noticed if shopping around on cruise prices, but NCL currently has the get items free depending on cabin selection and length of cruise. Looking at a 7 night inside you were given choice of 4 "free" options. We selected unlimited beverage which is I think a $79 value pp. well when you see final costs breakdown, there's a $199 promotion service fee. So I went back and un selected the "free" item and it lowered the overall trip price. So you're coming out cheaper just buying the drink package on your own. Merely pointing that out if you aren't paying attention to the breakdown. Free isn't so free!

 

[Pens Fan]

Not sure about your math, here. The beverage package on NCL is $79 pp per day. So on a 7 day cruise it would cost $553 pp. They add on an 18% service charge to make the total cost roughly $653 pp. If you get the "free" beverage package as one of your perks, they charge you the 18% service fee based on what the package would have cost had you bought it separately as part of your cruise fare. Honestly, I have zero problem with that. If you have a coupon for a "free" meal at a restaurant on land, you still tip the servers (or at least you should). I don't see this as any different, but reading CC's NCL board I see that others think it's some type of bait and switch. When NCL first started offering the drink package as a free perk at booking, they did not charge the service fee up front and left it at guest's discretion to tip the bar tenders. I'm guessing that didn't work out so well for the NCL bar staff. They then began charging the service charge up front and you'd have thought NCL came to people's home and killed their dog, reading some of the reactions.

Now, if you aren't much of a drinker it might not make sense to get the free beverage package as your perk. It very well might save you money to just buy your drinks individually on board. But if you think you will spend more than $99 pp (18% service charge added on to your cruise fare for a 7 night cruise) on individual drinks, the perk saves you money. If it doesn't, simply pick one of their other perks. They have several options.

 

[Bree]

Yup. There is a service fee for those programs. You would have to pay the fee whether you got it for free or paid out of pocket.

 

[tinkerone]

Its a pretty good deal, its certainly not bait and switch. Plus, you have a choice of options so no one is stuck with something they don't want. Considering the price of the cruise a free drink package is a great bonus, IMO.

 

[pearljammer]

Not sure about your math, here. The beverage package on NCL is $79 pp per day. So on a 7 day cruise it would cost $553 pp. They add on an 18% service charge to make the total cost roughly $653 pp. If you get the "free" beverage package as one of your perks, they charge you the 18% service fee based on what the package would have cost had you bought it separately as part of your cruise fare. Honestly, I have zero problem with that. If you have a coupon for a "free" meal at a restaurant on land, you still tip the servers (or at least you should). I don't see this as any different, but reading CC's NCL board I see that others think it's some type of bait and switch. When NCL first started offering the drink package as a free perk at booking, they did not charge the service fee up front and left it at guest's discretion to tip the bar tenders. I'm guessing that didn't work out so well for the NCL bar staff. They then began charging the service charge up front and you'd have thought NCL came to people's home and killed their dog, reading some of the reactions.

Now, if you aren't much of a drinker it might not make sense to get the free beverage package as your perk. It very well might save you money to just buy your drinks individually on board. But if you think you will spend more than $99 pp (18% service charge added on to your cruise fare for a 7 night cruise) on individual drinks, the perk saves you money. If it doesn't, simply pick one of their other perks. They have several options.

Gotcha. It merely said $79 value. So if that's true per day then yeah, it's a definite bonus. Thanks for clarifying. I tell you, if Disney doesn't release those prices soon I'm going to drive myself nuts! On the Wonder, beers were around $6/beer and drink of day was $4.95. Mixed drinks on CC were just over $5 with the tropical depression being my fav. Now if you got a drink in the souvenir cup, it was $9.95. On sail away party, they weren't selling drink of the day in the souvenir cups. So got the drink of the day from the bar!

 

[squirk]

That's still misleading, though. In the OP's situation, the drink package was not "free". Heavily discounted, perhaps, and reclassified as a promotional fee, but at the end of the day, the "free" promotion increased the cost of their cruise.

 

[Pens Fan]

That's still misleading, though. In the OP's situation, the drink package was not "free". Heavily discounted, perhaps, and reclassified as a promotional fee, but at the end of the day, the "free" promotion increased the cost of their cruise.

Here is the web page describing NCL's "free" promotions. https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/choice It clearly states that service charges apply so I'm not sure how they are misleading anyone. The drink package itself is absolutely free. It's just that NCL is making you pre pay the tips. I know that offends some people, but honestly I prefer it. It's one less thing to have on my bill at the end of the cruise. From what I've read on CC, the bar tenders often don't bother to print out a receipt for folks with the drink packages, so we will take some cash with us to tip additionally for extra ordinarily good service, but otherwise the tips for bar service and specialty dining are already paid for. I like that. Some don't, but to each their own.

We received an OBC of $300 on our upcoming NCL cruise and I'm not even sure what we will use it for. Pretty much everything is already paid for which I like.

 

[squirk]

Here is the web page describing NCL's "free" promotions. https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/choice It clearly states that service charges apply so I'm not sure how they are misleading anyone. The drink package itself is absolutely free. It's just that NCL is making you pre pay the tips. I know that offends some people, but honestly I prefer it. It's one less thing to have on my bill at the end of the cruise. From what I've read on CC, the bar tenders often don't bother to print out a receipt for folks with the drink packages, so we will take some cash with us to tip additionally for extra ordinarily good service, but otherwise the tips for bar service and specialty dining are already paid for. I like that. Some don't, but to each their own.

We received an OBC of $300 on our upcoming NCL cruise and I'm not even sure what we will use it for. Pretty much everything is already paid for which I like.

I'm just saying - I think if you presented anyone with "free + $199", they'd say that's not really "free". It's "$199".

 

[owensamo]

This is one of the reasons when we started cruising outside DCL we ended up on Celebrity and not on NCL. Celebrity has a promotion that offers 4 options - one of which is a promotional beverage package that includes gratuity - so no extra service fee is charged for the beverage package on promo. If you purchase the beverage package on Celebrity, the 18% gratuity is actually factored into the price of the package, so what you see is what you pay.

 

[cyndiloveswalt]

In case anyone is interested we were just on DCL and spent the day at Serenity Beach on CC and the last couple of hours they were selling all the drinks BOGO. It was a great deal, I think the mixed daquari kind of drinks were $6

 

[cruiser21]

I have a cruise booked on NCL. The service charge is for the tips. I think 199.00 for unlimited drinks is a pretty good deal. If you don't drink or if you do drink and don't think bartenders deserve tips then choose a different offer. They have 5 offers. 50.00 dollar credit per port, specialty dining, 250 free internet minutes are all examples.

 

[cruiser21]

I'm just saying - I think if you presented anyone with "free + $199", they'd say that's not really "free". It's "$199".

The drink package on a 7 day cruise would be 550.00 dollars pp so paying 99.00 just for gratuity seems ok to me.

 

[mab2012]

Here is the web page describing NCL's "free" promotions. https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/choice It clearly states that service charges apply so I'm not sure how they are misleading anyone. The drink package itself is absolutely free. It's just that NCL is making you pre pay the tips. I know that offends some people, but honestly I prefer it. It's one less thing to have on my bill at the end of the cruise. From what I've read on CC, the bar tenders often don't bother to print out a receipt for folks with the drink packages, so we will take some cash with us to tip additionally for extra ordinarily good service, but otherwise the tips for bar service and specialty dining are already paid for. I like that. Some don't, but to each their own.

Some would prefer for cruise lines to simply pay their employees a decent wage and incorporate that cost into the fare, so that a) guests don't have to try to guess at what an employee makes, what their service is worth, or whether a tip is adequate, and (more importantly) b) employees aren't dependent on the largess of customers to ensure they are being paid fairly.

As another poster pointed out, NCL could just as easily include the "tip" (ie. labour cost) as part of the promotion. They choose not to. Some will still consider it a "good deal", some won't. But however you look at it, it's really not "free", nor even fully included in your fare.

This wasn't directed at the poster I've quoted, by the way. Just a general comment.

 

[Club Disney Chandler]

Some would prefer for cruise lines to simply pay their employees a decent wage and incorporate that cost into the fare, so that a) guests don't have to try to guess at what an employee makes, what their service is worth, or whether a tip is adequate, and (more importantly) b) employees aren't dependent on the largess of customers to ensure they are being paid fairly.

As another poster pointed out, NCL could just as easily include the "tip" (ie. labour cost) as part of the promotion. They choose not to. Some will still consider it a "good deal", some won't. But however you look at it, it's really not "free", nor even fully included in your fare.

This wasn't directed at the poster I've quoted, by the way. Just a general comment.

Those who would prefer a cruise line that pays their employees or cast members that wage, and not deal with gratuities are going to have a hard time finding cruises. In the 20 plus years I paid for an alcoholic beverage I've never not tipped the employee, why should it be different if the alcohol is included. Meals on DCL and all cruise lines are included and we all pay gratuity, what's the difference?

 

[pearljammer]

NCL: A 7 night eastern Caribbean for 3 from PC with balcony room the week of Nov 18th this year with the drink package (unlimited soda, beer, wine, spirits- up to $15/a drink; bottles of wine discounted 20%; each adult can order 2 at one time) and the $50 shore credit per port came out to $2893. And deposit was only $50 pp so total of $150!

I currently have a 4 night from PC for 3 on DCL for the week after Thanksgiving for $2400 and change.

Merely sharing. And no, the DCL has no OBC or discounts associated in pricing.

NCL Nov 18 but inside state room and drink package is $2593.

Cruising the week of Dec 2nd they have an option of 3rd guest free with western itinerary and drink package came to $2200 and change - yes, that's balcony also.

 

[mab2012]

Those who would prefer a cruise line that pays their employees or cast members that wage, and not deal with gratuities are going to have a hard time finding cruises. In the 20 plus years I paid for an alcoholic beverage I've never not tipped the employee, why should it be different if the alcohol is included. Meals on DCL and all cruise lines are included and we all pay gratuity, what's the difference?

They exist, but they're expensive. Most of the higher-end cruise lines include "gratuities".

As for your specific question, there is no difference, and I wasn't trying to suggest there was. I'd prefer to see *all* gratuities done away with. As it is, they're essentially a service charge anyway. They're non-optional on bar tabs, and usually at least auto-added, if not prepaid, for other tipped positions. Why not just add that into the cost and stop trying to pretend it's discretionary? That way employees are sure to get paid, and it's one less thing for guests to think about.

 

[tinkerone]

Some would prefer for cruise lines to simply pay their employees a decent wage and incorporate that cost into the fare, so that a) guests don't have to try to guess at what an employee makes, what their service is worth, or whether a tip is adequate, and (more importantly) b) employees aren't dependent on the largess of customers to ensure they are being paid fairly.

As another poster pointed out, NCL could just as easily include the "tip" (ie. labour cost) as part of the promotion. They choose not to. Some will still consider it a "good deal", some won't. But however you look at it, it's really not "free", nor even fully included in your fare.

This wasn't directed at the poster I've quoted, by the way. Just a general comment.

I would prefer exactly what you are suggesting but sadly as yet it does not work that way.
NCL could just as easily include the tip as part of the promotion however it is not part of the promotion. Its a pretty generous offer as it is. If I decide that the tip is to much to pay then I would move on and pick one of the items that will not cost me anything. Wait, did I say ONE of the offers? Most cabins give you two three or even four that you can choose. That is one good deal. Then I can go ahead and pay the for the drink package at $79 p.p. per day and pay that darn tip anyways.

Its all how you look at it.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I'm just saying - I think if you presented anyone with "free + $199", they'd say that's not really "free". It's "$199".

Well now I'm curious. Disney offers the free dining promo every fall. The standard dining plan does not include gratuity (as it used to). So when Disney offers people the "free" dining plan promo, does this include the 18% gratuity? Or are guests still having to pay that out of pocket? It's been...oh....6+ years since webdid the free dining promo at WDW so I can't really remember exactly. Husband says we did pay our gratuities out of pocket. So it seems even the mouse-who-does-no-wrong isn't above doing the exact same thing NCL is.

 

[tinkerone]

Well now I'm curious. Disney offers the free dining promo every fall. The standard dining plan does not include gratuity (as it used to). So when Disney offers people the "free" dining plan promo, does this include the 18% gratuity? Or are guests still having to pay that out of pocket? It's been...oh....6+ years since webdid the free dining promo at WDW so I can't really remember exactly. Husband says we did pay our gratuities out of pocket. So it seems even the mouse-who-does-no-wrong isn't above doing the exact same thing NCL is.

You are correct. The 'free' dinning plan does not include tips and you are presented with a bill at every meal.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

You are correct. The 'free' dinning plan does not include tips and you are presented with a bill at every meal.

Confirmed then. Disney does the exact same thing NCL does. Well, sorta. Disney won't get off their duff and offer us some all-inclusive prepaid adult beverage packages.