Jump to content

"Free" drinks package - do we now have to pay 18% service charge?


wales4ever
 Share

Recommended Posts

If you got it as a perk when they started charging this, it would have been on your invoice when you made final payment. For those that purchased the package, it would have been added on to the purchase price of the package.

 

Aha moment! It was built in somewhere along the line prior to the cruise.

Thank you for clarifying that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you received the UBP by way of a FREE promo then there should be NO gratuity or 18% service charge.

 

NOTHING TIMES NOTHING IS OF COURSE NOTHING and 18% of NOTHING is still nothing !

 

 

 

Now if you purchased the UBP then you would be charged the cost of the UBP

 

package and an additional 18% of the program cost.

 

Thanks NCL for making that Oh so clear.

 

 

 

If you go to a bar restaurant etc. and order a drink costing more than $15 (FREE) you could expect to be charged the difference plus the 18% of that difference.

 

So you order an high end premium drink that costs $20 - $15 is covered under

 

the UBP and the remaining $5 is charged the gratuity of $0.90 for a charge

 

of $5.90 for that premium drink.

 

It is fawty (intentionally misspelled) math to charge 18% on the total drink of $20 when $15 was under a FREE program or had already been charged 18% !

 

 

 

Something is rotten in the state of Norway - or put another way what part of FREE do you not understand NCL ?

 

 

 

You are looking at it all wrong. For example, if you had a coupon for a free meal at a restaurant, even though your bill can say $0.00, you still tip on the full price. Caveat is that I am speaking for us Americans.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems clear that the gratuity is charged on the "value" of the package, and not per drink - which means the more you drink, the lower the per-drink gratuity will be.

 

 

 

To me, the only question is why do people who pay for a drink package insist upon calling their drinks "free"?

 

 

Correct, the drink package isn't free. It's a promo. Just like my $699 cruise (as advertised) isn't $699, it's $893 with taxes, port fees, and dsc. it's a fee that is presented upfront so you have the choice (and yes, a completely extra free, no promo option is offered too). But for me, the drink promo fee was a good enough deal that it was worthwhile.

 

It's the 'free drinks promo' not because it's free. You can get a guarantee cabin at a lower rate with no promos anyway, but because once you book with that option, your drinks on the cruise are free

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited by sanger727
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does when you get the drink package for free on celebrity gratuities are included This is not a good idea.

 

 

True, but when, for the same itinerary, ncl charges $699 with free drinks and free grats plus $200in the package free and celebrity charges $1199 for free drinks only with no package fee, which would you rather pay? In my pricing celebrity was generally much more pricey than ncl, so it's all relative.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It seems clear that the gratuity is charged on the "value" of the package, and not per drink - which means the more you drink, the lower the per-drink gratuity will be.

 

 

 

To me, the only question is why do people who pay for a drink package insist upon calling their drinks "free"?

 

 

Not hard to understand

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

NCL are a corporation so they do not pay income tax. They would pay corporation tax on profits, not income.

 

In the US, corporations do pay "income tax", but it is on net income (profit). All of our income tax is structured that way ... income minus expenses for businesses, and income minus exemptions and deductions for individuals. So it is similar to your tax on profits in the UK. Some states do have a "gross receipts tax" for some corporations (CA imposes a gross receipts tax on limited liability companies, so you pay that tax even if your business fails and you lose money).

 

My guess is that NCL pays more corporate tax to the UK than they do to the US. The cruise lines pay no US corporate tax on ship based revenue.

 

World-wide, the cruise industry pays about 1.3% tax on profits. I'm not certain, but I think that they incorporate each individual ship "off shore" and use the loophole under section 883 of the IRC (our "Internal Revenue Code" of tax law).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You are looking at it all wrong. For example, if you had a coupon for a free meal at a restaurant, even though your bill can say $0.00, you still tip on the full price. Caveat is that I am speaking for us Americans.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

The problem with this is that you assume people tip on a free meal. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23].

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The problem with this is that you assume people tip on a free meal. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23].

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

Wow. That just amazes me. I do not assume that. It is the accepted protocol (for us Americans). And it is how the servers make a living. If you can't afford to tip them you shouldn't go out to eat.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow. That just amazes me. I do not assume that. It is the accepted protocol (for us Americans). And it is how the servers make a living. If you can't afford to tip them you shouldn't go out to eat.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

I have to hope you're not yelling at me? If so, take a chill. Relax. I'm in your side. Whoa!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to hope you're not yelling at me? If so, take a chill. Relax. I'm in your side. Whoa!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

All good. I definitely misunderstood you. But I would never yell. Always try my best to be civil.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's 18 % on the package price of $79 pp per day about $14 pp each day, and we still leave cash dollar bill,per drink.. Always good service ...So worth it if you have 2 or more drinks a day.. We love it and we aren't big drinkers but do drink a bit more with the package ..w

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeez someone who actually understands thr program!

 

I think most people understand it perfectly well.

 

The perk is " Purchase an unlimited drink package for only $100 per person"

 

No one disputes that that is a pretty good deal.

 

Telling me it's FREE is misleading.

 

Adding the 'gratuity' to the original package price is a stretch.

 

We all also understand that it's not really a gratuity, but a revenue stream.

 

NCL is allowed to seek revenue streams wherever they can and good for them in finding one that seems to be working.

 

We understand that.

 

IT IS NOT FREE though.

 

These threads will continue because people don't like being told something is free when it isn't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think most people understand it perfectly well.

 

The perk is " Purchase an unlimited drink package for only $100 per person"

 

No one disputes that that is a pretty good deal.

 

Telling me it's FREE is misleading.

 

Adding the 'gratuity' to the original package price is a stretch.

 

We all also understand that it's not really a gratuity, but a revenue stream.

 

NCL is allowed to seek revenue streams wherever they can and good for them in finding one that seems to be working.

 

We understand that.

 

IT IS NOT FREE though.

 

These threads will continue because people don't like being told something is free when it isn't.

 

Anyone who lives in the USA knows "Free" is used in advertising in almost every industry while requiring other purchases to receive the "free" item. This is not news:eek:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think most people understand it perfectly well.

 

The perk is " Purchase an unlimited drink package for only $100 per person"

 

No one disputes that that is a pretty good deal.

 

Telling me it's FREE is misleading.

 

Adding the 'gratuity' to the original package price is a stretch.

 

We all also understand that it's not really a gratuity, but a revenue stream.

 

NCL is allowed to seek revenue streams wherever they can and good for them in finding one that seems to be working.

 

We understand that.

 

IT IS NOT FREE though.

 

These threads will continue because people don't like being told something is free when it isn't.

 

And we all know "nothing" is ever free. It's semantics and I'm sure NCL management and or lawyers are quite certain using that term has no legal ramnifactions.

 

If everyone could just get passed the word "free" and realize that paying 200.00 per couple to drink for 7 days and be Happy about would be better than complaining.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think most people understand it perfectly well.

 

 

 

The perk is " Purchase an unlimited drink package for only $100 per person"

 

 

 

No one disputes that that is a pretty good deal.

 

 

 

Telling me it's FREE is misleading.

 

 

 

Adding the 'gratuity' to the original package price is a stretch.

 

 

 

We all also understand that it's not really a gratuity, but a revenue stream.

 

 

 

NCL is allowed to seek revenue streams wherever they can and good for them in finding one that seems to be working.

 

 

 

We understand that.

 

 

 

IT IS NOT FREE though.

 

 

 

These threads will continue because people don't like being told something is free when it isn't.

 

 

 

If one were to purchase the UBP then they would be charged 2 line items. One for the package and one for the service charge. So it is absolutely valid to say that the Package is free while one still has to pay the service charge. Similar to how it would be at a restaurant where you had a coupon for a free meal. Your bill would come and that one item would be $0.00 but you would still be obligated to pay gratuities.would it be nice if they didn't charge the service charge as part of the perk? Absolutely! But it is still a great deal and I see. I reason they shouldn't call it free.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It wouldn't be thanksgiving without an argument about the drinks package and service charge. I love holiday traditions!

 

That made me :).

Now someone please give me the link to the post about the new policy banning bringing your own soda or water onboard. The price of their bottled water is more obscene than the UBP service charge.

Edited by DaveL00
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can someone answer me this: Why does every other cruise line who offers a free drinks package, not charge gratuities on it?

 

Could it possibly be because their packages have a significantly lower per day price and include more things?

 

While people happily gobble up NCL's rather shady marketing hype and gouging price structure, then this state of affairs will continue.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That made me :).

Now someone please give me the link to the post about the new policy banning bringing your own soda or water onboard. The price of their bottled water is more obscene than the UBP service charge.

 

 

That info is in the NCL Frequently Asked Questions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can someone answer me this: Why does every other cruise line who offers a free drinks package, not charge gratuities on it?

 

Could it possibly be because their packages have a significantly lower per day price and include more things?

 

While people happily gobble up NCL's rather shady marketing hype and gouging price structure, then this state of affairs will continue.

 

 

 

I do not believe this is an accurate statement. I am pretty sure Carnival charges a service charge on their beverage package plus their package is limited to 15 drinks a day.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...