Beverage Package no longer free

[wichitastatecruiser]

I wouldn't base your opinion on that one single account. There have been numerous reports from people saying the complete opposite. That's the only time I've ever heard of someone having trouble getting a drink.

 

Having trouble getting a drink all has to do with the time of year, if its a sea day, if there is a party and if there are any large groups on board.

 

If you sail during "spring break" or Halloween the ships are going to be fuller and the bars busier. If it's a sea day or there is a deck party, bars (especially in that area are going to be busier. If your sailing has a "hosted" group or large group booking the bars are going to be busier.

 

Also the bars on ships are not usually designed for high traffic. Most can only accommodate 2-3 people behind the bar. The other issue is that when it does get busy you always have those sitting at the bar and people tend to group around them and have to squeeze between them and back out to get a drink. Cruise ships would be smart to do a grab and go lines. One for just beer purchases and another for mixed drinks for people not sitting at the bars to move people quicker.

[edin_cruiser]

So I have always wondered how much it was to purchase the UBP when cruising. Are you saying that it's $400 per person for a 7 day cruise? :confused:

 

 

 

I couldn't agree more. We just got off the Dawn a few weeks ago and you were lucky if you could get a drink in a matter of 1/2 hour. It was crazy. You could tell this was all due to the UBP. You were lucky to find a place to stand at when you were at the bars and once you made it up there, you would remain there for A LONG TIME before they would even recognize you and there was no way for them to keep track of who was next in line because there was ONLY 1 EMPLOYEE working the bar itself. Then they would have the 2nd employee making drinks for the bar runners. It was CRAZY! :eek:

 

 

On Jade recently, on the nights when Spinnakers was really busy I found it quicker to walk down to star bar to grab a drink before returning to the lounge.

[luvcruzing]

As for the service we had no problems on the Jewel in April and our daughter had no problems in May. She was on the Dawn. I did have to wait about 5 minutes at the atruim bar. Even the casino servers were around every couple of minutes and the casino bar was very quick.

 

I was on the Getaway on the April 18 cruise. I didn't have the UBP, and only ordered drinks while playing in the casino. The service was the worst I've ever experienced on my many NCL cruises. I also tip at least $1 for each drink so that didn't make a difference.

[Beachcampin]

I wouldn't base your opinion on that one single account. There have been numerous reports from people saying the complete opposite. That's the only time I've ever heard of someone having trouble getting a drink.

 

I agree with this and will base it mostly on my own observations. I've seen the complaints more than once, but as you've noted, I've also seen observations to the opposite.

[newmexicoNita]

It also has to do about when and where you get a drink. Carnival and NCL don't have that many bars so on sea days and deck parties the bars get especially busy. It's usually quicker to just go to a bar beside the pool bar during those times and come back. RCCL has more and better spread out bars than the other lines so its usually not bad there.

 

yep the pool bar is a good bet and the casino bar is rarely very busy. This is true with the bar near the casino on some ships as well, like on the Pearl. As I have said over and over, the only bar we have found to be really busy has been the one in the atruim and the sports bar if there is one on the ship. It still depends on the demographics at any time and what ship it is. The more passengers, the harder it is going to be to get served. That should go without saying.

[rob&tam]

I agree with this and will base it mostly on my own observations. I've seen the complaints more than once, but as you've noted, I've also seen observations to the opposite.

 

 

There is a large degree of perception involved also. People's expectations are so variable. Many do not realize that if you walk up to a bar during a high traffic time, it will take longer ... Also remember for every one that complains openly, there are generally between 3 and 10 that have good to acceptable experiences that say nothing.

[newmexicoNita]

There is a large degree of perception involved also. People's expectations are so variable. Many do not realize that if you walk up to a bar during a high traffic time, it will take longer ... Also remember for every one that complains openly, there are generally between 3 and 10 that have good to acceptable experiences that say nothing.

 

Excellent points. We all expect to have a positive experience so often don't both to report it, but if something goes slightly wrong people want everyone to know it. For instance, I find it almost unbelievable that anyone has had to wait 15 minutes to order a drink. I can believe 5 or so which for some, may feel like 15. Iknow myself, often it seems like much longer wait than it really is. Just like the people who complain about about waiting forever to be seated in the dining room. We have waited about 15 minutes a couple of times, but rarely do we wait more than 5 minutes and we eat as early at 6pm and as late as 7:30 or so. Once many years ago, when the Jewel did its first transatlantic crossing and the ship was packed, as well as "freestyle" though not brand new, still somewhat new: there was a group of us, about 25. We had reservations and still waited about 1/2 hour. No, we did not get to all sit together either.

Edited July 13, 2015 by newmexicoNita

[luvcruzing]

Also remember for every one that complains openly, there are generally between 3 and 10 that have good to acceptable experiences that say nothing.

 

And there are between 3 and 10 that have had bad experiences that say nothing.

Edited July 13, 2015 by luvcruzing

[mitsugirly]

You mentioned the 4 busiest parts of the ship. Next time go to a bar that's not in a heavy traffic area. On the Getaway I usually grabbed a drink at Sunset, the bar by Grammy Experience or by Taste and Savor before I went to the pool deck. O'Sheehan's is directly above the atrium on the Breakaway class so I usually went to the bar there to get a drink. Of course I'm a ship roamer so by day 2 I usually know my way around a ship, the least busy bars and the quickest ways to get to point A to B!

 

I will have to scope out the Breakaway for some "out of the way" type of bars and see if that helps. Those areas I mentioned are just some that we are mainly in during the cruise (and obviously others are there as well since it's crowded :p). The only issue is with the casino though...I'm not willing to walk a distance to find a bar that's less crowded just to find a drink. That will suck. I may have to do the unthinkable for me...and have the waiter get my drink for me while I'm sitting at a machine. :p What is a normal courtesy tip for them since I have never done this before?

 

Not to bicker, but I did find the comment interesting due to the fact that NCL has lured me away from RCCL for a few bookings, in part, because of this promotion. If NCL cannot deliver a service that is similar and provide adequate bar serivce, then that will factor into my decision whether to keep my bookings. I do not think I am the only one who will be giving NCL a try from RCCL and Carnival. NCL has sold a bunch of cruises with free UBP, if they fall down on the job and do not increase staff to meet the new demand from their customers, then I will view this as a failure of NCL. Failure to plan, failure to provide promised services, or intentionally creating a bottle neck to reduce costs, it doesn't matter to me the reason, all will be a viewed by me as a failure and a detriment of my experience. It will be interesting to find out how NCL manages this going forward, but it seems as they may not be ready yet.

 

So true and I agree with everything you said. I seriously hope that our service on the Breakaway is going to be a different experience than last month on the Dawn. It was quite evident that they need to have more bar staff in those areas due to this promotion. Otherwise the promotion is not even worth it. This next cruise will definitely give me some insight as to whether or not my next cruise is with NCL..or after they decide to give up this madness offer without increasing the staff to accommodate the cruisers.

[mitsugirly]

This certainly wasn't our experience in April. Possibly the problem right now has more to do with the season than the UBP> Remember the ships are going out full and there are families everywhere. I will be anxious to see how the service is on the Jewel in Oct.

 

That could be. Our next cruise will be considered "off season" with the kids and families less likely to be cruising so we'll see how this goes the next time around.

 

 

As for those saying don't base it off this one experience, I can guarantee that I have read complaints of others saying the same thing about noticing the slower service and not enough bar staff.

 

I can also say that anyone around these boards that knows me knows that I'm NOT a complainer by any means. I'm not a cheerleader even though I mainly sail with NCL and I would never come on these boards just to complain about something petty. I'm as middle of the road as they get with a super high tolerance for bumps along the way. I don't get upset easily nor do most things upset me that would upset others...just read my reviews and you'll see what a positive person I am after breaking multiple bones during a cruise, missing flights and everything else that has occurred along the way during my cruises. I still make the best of it and can turn any situation around and I roll with the punches.

 

HOWEVER, I do call it as I see it and how I personally experienced it. I can tell you that one of my waits at the bar in the casino was WELL over 15 minutes. How do I know? Because I timed it...along with the guy standing beside me that was pretty darn irate by the time I finally got my drinks and when it was his turn...they went to the other side of the bar to serve someone that came well after we did. :(

[Out to sea!]

We are all aware of the changes, but it is still basically free. You are not paying for the booze. If I get a coupon for a free pedicure and there is a required gratuity, it is still free. the service is not but the product is. As for the service we had no problems on the Jewel in April and our daughter had no problems in May. She was on the Dawn. I did have to wait about 5 minutes at the atruim bar. Even the casino servers were around every couple of minutes and the casino bar was very quick.

 

"Required Gratuity" is an oxymoron. If it's required, it's a service charge. If it's a gratuity, it's optional. ;)

Edited July 13, 2015 by Out to sea!

[Out to sea!]

I was on the Getaway on the April 18 cruise. I didn't have the UBP, and only ordered drinks while playing in the casino. The service was the worst I've ever experienced on my many NCL cruises. I also tip at least $1 for each drink so that didn't make a difference.

 

If the service was that bad, why did you continue tipping above the 18% included service charge?

[newmexicoNita]

"Required Gratuity" is an oxymoron. If it's required, it's a service charge. If it's a gratuity, it's optional. ;)

 

call it what you want: of course "required" does change it to a service charge, but that isn't what this post is really about. In my opinion, the package does offer free, unlimited alcohol. Whether there is a one time service charge or not. You have your ideas, I have mine. I think we will have to agree to disagree; end of the story for me on this one.

 

Mitsugirly: I do understand what you are saying, I still have to question the 15 min wait and feel the bad experiences at the bar are not the norm. Remember I am generalizing, I am not saying it can never happen. All I can judge the bar service on, is our experience and we just have never had a huge problem, before or after the introduction of the UBP promos.

Edited July 14, 2015 by newmexicoNita

[Out to sea!]

call it what you want: of course "required" does change it to a service charge, but that isn't what this post is really about. In my opinion, the package does offer free, unlimited alcohol. Whether there is a one time service charge or not. You have your ideas, I have mine. I think we will have to agree to disagree; end of the story for me on this one.

 

Mitsugirly: I do understand what you are saying, I still have to question the 15 min wait and feel the bad experiences at the bar are not the norm. Remember I am generalizing, I am not saying it can never happen. All I can judge the bar service on, is our experience and we just have never had a huge problem, before or after the introduction of the UBP promos.

 

Except the alcohol isn't free if one must pay a required service charge to select the package. It may be cheap, but it isn't free and therefore what NCL is doing is false advertising.

[sid_9169]

Except the alcohol isn't free if one must pay a required service charge to select the package. It may be cheap, but it isn't free and therefore what NCL is doing is false advertising.

 

A friend of mine won a "free car" on a TV game show. He still had to pay the taxes for it, but the vehicle itself was free... Same thing with the UBP. It's a very small price to pay for an unlimited amount of drinks while on vacation. I'm not sure why people are having such a problem with this...

[Arzeena]

Yes. I was just ensuring people understand that is the NEW policy, not the old policy that many people booked their cruises under. Also, to be correct, I did not remove the gratuity at the restaurant as there seemed no way to do so so therefore I removed the equivalent from the DSC (which, IMO, should be lower anyway to compensate for specialty servers being removed from the DSC pool).

 

Either way, you stiffed someone and are proud of it!

[Out to sea!]

Either way, you stiffed someone and are proud of it!

 

You obviously missed my last sentence. If someone is taken out of the DSC pool and paid separately by an 18% surcharge, then no one was stiffed by removing the equivalent from the DSC. True, I didn't pay a raise via the DSC to the fewer number of workers now in the pool but I stiffed no one.

 

Funny but I don't remember seeing anyone standing next to me at 5 in the morning when I was at Guest Services adjusting my DSC so I didn't think anyone could see me jumping for joy over the pride I felt at stiffing someone. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Edited July 15, 2015 by Out to sea!

[NLH Arizona]

Except the alcohol isn't free if one must pay a required service charge to select the package. It may be cheap, but it isn't free and therefore what NCL is doing is false advertising.

The beverage package is indeed free (you can have all the alcohol you want with not additional charge), it is the 18% gratuity that is not free.

 

I have to wonder, if this change didn't come about because some or many of those that got the UBP as a free perk didn't tip the bartender, which I think some of us would have thought was appropriate, when getting a free drink.

Edited July 15, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[Out to sea!]

A friend of mine won a "free car" on a TV game show. He still had to pay the taxes for it, but the vehicle itself was free... Same thing with the UBP. It's a very small price to pay for an unlimited amount of drinks while on vacation. I'm not sure why people are having such a problem with this...

 

Paying taxes (mandated by law) and paying "forced gratuities" (mandated by cruise line policy) are two completely different animals. One is dictated by law, the other by greed and ability of slick marketing to think someone is getting something free when it's not. Most likely (at least it is my belief) the "forced gratuity" will most likely cover the base price of the alcohol as paid for by NCL and therefore they don't really lose anything in the deal.

 

BTW, your friend didn't have to pay the taxes, he simply could have refused the car. Even he had an option.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Out to sea!

[Out to sea!]

The beverage package is indeed free (you can have all the alcohol you want with not additional charge), it is the 18% gratuity that is not free.

 

I have to wonder, if this change didn't come about because some or many of those that got the UBP as a free perk didn't tip the bartender, which I think some of us would have thought was appropriate, when getting a free drink.

 

If a promotional "free" item has a "required" gratuity attached, it is not FREE. You can shout your opinion to the top of the mountains if you wish, but FACT remains, if you must pay something for your "free" gift, it isn't free. It may be cheaper, but it ain't free.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Out to sea!

[NLH Arizona]

If a promotional "free" item has a "required" gratuity attached, it is not FREE. You can shout your opinion to the top of the mountains if you wish, but FACT remains, if you must pay something for your "free" gift, it isn't free. It may be cheaper, but it ain't free.

 

We just have a differing opinion. Shout your opinion from the top of the mountains and I'll shout mine. Fact remains for me, drinks are free, gratuity isn't; still a free beverage package.

[rochelle_s]

The beverage package is indeed free (you can have all the alcohol you want with not additional charge), it is the 18% gratuity that is not free.

 

I have to wonder, if this change didn't come about because some or many of those that got the UBP as a free perk didn't tip the bartender, which I think some of us would have thought was appropriate, when getting a free drink.

 

When NCL first started giving the UBP as part of a promo they stated that it included the gratuities. Getting 2 $10 glasses of wine would mean a gratuity of $3.60. Why should anyone have to tip more?

 

If you look at the increase to cruise fares it is easy to see that these 'free' promos are incorporated into the base fare. So not really free at all.

 

That said I can understand why NCL is now charging the gratuities for the promotional UBP and/or the UDP. I just think it is unfair to blame the customer who did not tip over and above the automatic 18%.

 

 

Rochelle

[NLH Arizona]

When NCL first started giving the UBP as part of a promo they stated that it included the gratuities. Getting 2 $10 glasses of wine would mean a gratuity of $3.60. Why should anyone have to tip more?

 

If you look at the increase to cruise fares it is easy to see that these 'free' promos are incorporated into the base fare. So not really free at all.

 

That said I can understand why NCL is now charging the gratuities for the promotional UBP and/or the UDP. I just think it is unfair to blame the customer who did not tip over and above the automatic 18%.

 

 

Rochelle

Sorry, it is just my opinion and you don't have to agree.

[sid_9169]

18% gratuity on beverage package for a 7 day cruise= $68.04 Divided by 7 days equals $9.72 per day (The equivalent of 1 mixed drink) What is it that makes people so contentious over such an insignificant amount of money for an unlimited amount of adult beverages?

[Husky1987]

If a promotional "free" item has a "required" gratuity attached, it is not FREE. You can shout your opinion to the top of the mountains if you wish, but FACT remains, if you must pay something for your "free" gift, it isn't free. It may be cheaper, but it ain't free.

 

You have to purchase a cruise to get the UBP in the first place.

 

Does forcing someone to buy a cruise to get free alcohol mean it can never be considered free even if the gratuities are also paid?