I am a SIMPLE gal. UDP and UBP ??

[smwc71alum]

This will be my first time on NCL.....I booked a Western Italy Cruise.....11 days in Feb 2016. It was booked in February 2015.....in my reservation both the UDP and UBP are included at no additional cost.:). Will there be any service fees on my packages since my reservation was made in February of this year. I am totally confused. I welcome any other NCL advice that you can share with me..

[LrgPizza]

This will be my first time on NCL.....I booked a Western Italy Cruise.....11 days in Feb 2016. It was booked in February 2015.....in my reservation both the UDP and UBP are included at no additional cost.:). Will there be any service fees on my packages since my reservation was made in February of this year. I am totally confused. I welcome any other NCL advice that you can share with me..

No there will not. In order to verify, you can look at your NCL account online. If you have been charged a fee on those packages, it will appear on your account. But nothing will appear, because you weren't. :) You won't be responsible for any additional tips on the UDP and UBP unless you wish to pay them at the time you receive service.

[smwc71alum]

No there will not. In order to verify, you can look at your NCL account online. If you have been charged a fee on those packages, it will appear on your account. But nothing will appear, because you weren't. :) You won't be responsible for any additional tips on the UDP and UBP unless you wish to pay them at the time you receive service.

Thank you so much. I will look on my account on line. I booked this through a discount cruise outlet and a little concerned as in the past I have always booked with the cruise line directly. I need to align with someone at NCL. Any advise on that. My first time in Europe,my first time not booking through cruise line and first cruise with NCL....Can you tell I am a little nervous.

[emcelh]

Thank you so much. I will look on my account on line. I booked this through a discount cruise outlet and a little concerned as in the past I have always booked with the cruise line directly. I need to align with someone at NCL. Any advise on that. My first time in Europe,my first time not booking through cruise line and first cruise with NCL....Can you tell I am a little nervous.

If you mean by "aligning with someone at NCL" finding someone there to talk to about your reservation, that might be difficult. When you book through a travel agency of any type they own the booking. Communication needs to go through them. Go on NCLs website and register with MY NCL if you haven't already done so. When you log in you should be able to see your reservation.

[Demonyte]

Go on NCLs website and register with MY NCL if you haven't already done so. When you log in you should be able to see your reservation.

 

 

But since OP has booked through a TA, they can not see their final payment amount or other TA controlled things there.

[DeltaOne]

Will there be any service fees on my packages since my reservation was made in February of this year. I am totally confused.

 

We booked our NCL cruise last November, just off the ship last Sunday. We chose the UBP as a perk and we were charged 18% gratuity on each and every drink we ordered.

 

Being charged the gratuity was a bit of a surprise. For our eight day cruise the drink gratuities amounted to a bit less than $20.

[sandancer]

Oh dear. Now I'm really confused. I thought you paid 18% of the daily cost of the UBP. So 18% of $54 per person, per day. It would actually work out less in real terms to pay 18% of the drink cost as I probably only have 2 or 3 drinks a day. Or is it that the 18% on the full cost of the UBP does not into effect until August. Our cruise is in October.

[DeltaOne]

I thought you paid 18% of the daily cost of the UBP.

 

In our case we paid nothing for the UBP, it was a perk for booking. The 18% we were charged was on the cost of each drink -- so it varied from $1 to $2.50 or so.

[sandancer]

Thanks Paul. Our TA told us the UBP was free, no mention of the 18% gratuity. Now, we have no problem with paying the gratuity, we just would like to know what to expect.

[LrgPizza]

Oh dear. Now I'm really confused. I thought you paid 18% of the daily cost of the UBP. So 18% of $54 per person, per day. It would actually work out less in real terms to pay 18% of the drink cost as I probably only have 2 or 3 drinks a day. Or is it that the 18% on the full cost of the UBP does not into effect until August. Our cruise is in October.

I'm not totally sure I understand your question. If you buy the UBP, you pay 18% gratuity on the package price at the time you book and pay for the package. If you received UBP free as part of a promotion, depending on when you booked, you will either have gratuity included, or you will be charged the 18% at the same time you make your cruise reservation.

 

No matter what, if you have UBP, you pay no gratuities at the time you purchase a drink.

[DeltaOne]

No matter what, if you have UBP, you pay no gratuities at the time you purchase a drink.

 

I don't believe that's correct. We booked in November, were given the UBP as a perk in January. No charge or gratuity for the UBP appeared on our invoice.

 

We were charged 18% gratuity on each and every drink we ordered last week on the ship.

[sandancer]

I'm not totally sure I understand your question. If you buy the UBP, you pay 18% gratuity on the package price at the time you book and pay for the package. If you received UBP free as part of a promotion, depending on when you booked, you will either have gratuity included, or you will be charged the 18% at the same time you make your cruise reservation.

 

No matter what, if you have UBP, you pay no gratuities at the time you purchase a drink.

 

 

My question was - are we going to pay 18% of $54 pp per day or are we, as Paul says, going to pay a gratuity of 18% on each drink we have.

[LrgPizza]

I don't believe that's correct. We booked in November, were given the UBP as a perk in January. No charge or gratuity for the UBP appeared on our invoice.

 

We were charged 18% gratuity on each and every drink we ordered last week on the ship.

Then you are the first and only person this has ever happened to. I've sailed twice with it myself, and this did not happen. The 18% appears on the tickets, just like the drink price, but it is also zeroed off your account same as the drink price.

[LrgPizza]

My question was - are we going to pay 18% of $54 pp per day or are we, as Paul says, going to pay a gratuity of 18% on each drink we have.

I answered that.

[sandancer]

I should also mention that our invoice states that we have the UBP free of charge. No mention of any additional cost at all.

[LrgPizza]

I should also mention that our invoice states that we have the UBP free of charge. No mention of any additional cost at all.

If you booked prior to June 1, then that is correct. If you booked after June 1, under the new promo, the 18% gratuity would have been added as a separate line item to the price of your cruise and you would see it on your account.

[sandancer]

I answered that.

 

 

Yes, I know but then Paul came back with another post saying HE paid on each drink. I think you are getting fed up with me now so I'll go quietly and wait to see what happens. Thanks for all your advice.

[DeltaOne]

Yes, I know but then Paul came back with another post saying HE paid on each drink. I think you are getting fed up with me now so I'll go quietly and wait to see what happens. Thanks for all your advice.

 

I'll contact NCL and ask if we were charged incorrectly.

[LrgPizza]

Yes, I know but then Paul came back with another post saying HE paid on each drink. I think you are getting fed up with me now so I'll go quietly and wait to see what happens. Thanks for all your advice.

I'm not fed up at all. I'm just saying that out of the hundreds and hundreds of posters here, that is the one and only time anyone has ever posted about that happening. If you'd like to take that as fact based on one single experience, when you can find thousands of others that report the way I reported, then feel free.

[LrgPizza]

I'll contact NCL and ask if we were charged incorrectly.

That's what I would do. There is also a possibility you were charged tax on drinks purchased while in port in the USA.

 

No one has ever reported being charged gratuities on drinks under UBP, either because they are already paid, or because they were included with promos. If you were charged, that is seriously a first. I'm interested in this.

[DeltaOne]

That's what I would do. There is also a possibility you were charged tax on drinks purchased while in port in the USA.

 

No one has ever reported being charged gratuities on drinks under UBP, either because they are already paid, or because they were included with promos. If you were charged, that is seriously a first. I'm interested in this.

 

Bingo! The charges I saw were, according to the NCL guest relations dept, tax while still in the USA. My mistake...sorry for the confusion.

[DeltaOne]

One thing about the beverage package that was a surprise. The receipt showed the full price for a drink even when the drink was a special of the day.

 

For example, a few times a bloody mary was the special of the day for $5.25. The receipt would show full price...around $8 or $9 I think. (I don't have the receipts with me now to check).

 

I overheard another passenger asking about this and the bartender said it was normal practice.

[smwc71alum]

I should also mention that our invoice states that we have the UBP free of charge. No mention of any additional cost at all.

 

Thanks to everyone for their prompt responses. This ia a great source of knowledge. Upon suggestion I did contact NCL and they send me an ammenties invoice that showed both of the dining and beverage package for spouce and I at 0.....showed the gratutidies at 0 as well. Thanks again.

[LrgPizza]

Bingo! The charges I saw were, according to the NCL guest relations dept, tax while still in the USA. My mistake...sorry for the confusion.

Terrific! I'm glad you called to clarify.

 

One thing about the beverage package that was a surprise. The receipt showed the full price for a drink even when the drink was a special of the day.

 

For example, a few times a bloody mary was the special of the day for $5.25. The receipt would show full price...around $8 or $9 I think. (I don't have the receipts with me now to check).

 

I overheard another passenger asking about this and the bartender said it was normal practice.

At one point I posted a picture of 3 different receipts for the exact same drink of the day from the exact same bar within a 2 hour period. The price on all 3 receipts was different. LOL! Since I had UBP, I didn't care. If I was paying per drink, I'd have been a bit peeved.

[HarpHarp]

A few hints for your first European trip:

Join your roll call & join or set up private excursions of interest. You will save many euros & get a better experience with the smaller vans.

 

Read the Europe port boards here on CC

 

Talk to your bank about getting a credit card with a chip & pin if you intend to shop:) & also about buying euros before you go. The atm on the ship is costly and if you run into problems using your debit card or if it is compromised it is difficult to get is squared away if you have to sail.

 

 

Have a great trip