NCL proving too much for us + anyone use the Thermal Spa Pass?

NEW QUESTION TO PREVIOUS NCL CRUISERS: Has anyone done the Thermal Suite Pass? Is it worth the price?
 
That is one of the reasons we stopping doing cruises and now do all-inclusives instead. We did 3 Disney Cruises, and the costs really add up fast - $60 a day automatic gratuity (for my family of 5), extra gratuity above that, extra costs for the "premium dining", bingo, and other activities, costs for excursions, and costs for alcohol or other drinks (we're not big drinkers, but DH and I did have about 2 drinks a day, we got the kids a couple of smoothies, etc.). It can easily add thousands of dollars to your budget.

Last year we did Beaches Turks and Caicos for 8 days, and when you added up all the costs it ended up being cheaper than a DCL cruise for the same amount of time. At Beaches T&C we spent a total of $20 "extra" in the 8 days we were there, and that was to tip the driver who drove us back and forth to the airport. There were no other added costs - no tipping, alcohol is free, excursions (snorkeling, glass-bottom boat, beach bikes, etc.) are all free, activities for the kids are free.

I think the bottom line is that I could have done it cheaper on DCL, but I don't like always having to say no to things I want to do on vacation.
 

So we booked a cruise to Bermuda on the Breakway last year for this October. Since then, we have discovered that NCL now charges a $7.95 fee for room service, added gratuities to our "free" drink package (never had another cruise line do that -- their drink packages included the tips), and now won't let you bring water onboard but want you to pay $58 for a 12-pack case.

Is this going to become the cruise industry norm -- or is this typical for NCL to nickle and dime people so much. We've sailed 16 cruises on five different lines and I've never seen so much expense before we even board (must pay for any specialty restaurants up front -- so we couldn't use our onboard credits for that either). And then a rep tells me on the phone that under no circumstances are we allowed to remove or change our prepaid gratuities as they are considered service charges! Since when don't we have a say as to how we pay our gratuities or how much or to remove them if we have a problem with our stateroom host or server, etc.? Sometimes we prefer to pay the individual servers and room steward in cash and the NCL rep says we can't do that anymore?!? :badpc:

After this one, I think I'll stick to my promise that after our horrid experience on Pride of America in 2008, we really don't need to consider NCL ever again! :sad2:

We cringe at some of the extra fees. But when we really think about it, we never end up paying any of them except the excursions. We really get enough in the complimentary dining rooms and don't need any of the up charge ones or room service. We rarely even eat at the buffets they set up. And when an excursion takes us away from a meal, it's usually provided. We had plenty to drink without getting more.
 












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