Drinks package - additional charges?

[vinob]

We are booked on the Epic in 2016 and have received the drinks package free of charge. Info I have received about package is very hazy, Can any NCL previous passengers advise.

 

If you have this free package do you have to pay 18% gratuity on each drink you order? I also understand that when in Spanish waters we will have to pay 21% vat on drinks. That makes a hefty 39% extra payable on each drink.

 

When we have taken drinks packages on other cruise lines the service charge has been factored into the drinks package cost as opposed to being charged on each individual drink.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

[dlynng83]

You pay the 18% on the total value of the drink package. So my package was worth $378 ($54 per day x 7 days) and they pre-charged me the 18% gratuity ($68.04) at the time of booking. It is not per drink.

 

I'm not sure about the VAT because I have never done a European cruise.

Edited September 19, 2015 by dlynng83

[the wandering two]

For UK bookings the 18% gratuity is included in the package, for US bookings it is not.

Can't comment on Spanish vat as our only recent departures have been transatlantics rather than a closed loop Europe.

 

Mark & Heather

[KeithJenner]

The VAT on drinks in Spain is actually 10%

 

I'm sure it has been reported that you don't pay the VAT on these trips with the UBP, but I don't know from experience. Recently on the Spirit from Venice, we were charged the VAT whilst we were still in Venice, which shows that it is possible. However, as I said, I'm sure others have reported not paying it.

 

To confirm the previous answer, you don't pay the service charge if you have received the UBP free with booking in the UK? The first answer you received is correct for US bookings, but isn't relevant to you (unless you booked using a US TA or through NCL in the US.

 

When asking questions about deals like this, it's worth stating that you're in the UK, as otherwise you may get a lot of answers which don't apply to you.

Edited September 19, 2015 by KeithJenner

[Rosemerseyside]

We were on the Jade in June around the Med and had the UBP included in our package and we didn't pay anything extra!! Enjoy it!

[KeithJenner]

We were on the Jade in June around the Med and had the UBP included in our package and we didn't pay anything extra!! Enjoy it!

 

 

The Epic cruise is a quite specific issue as it doesn't leave the EU VAT area. Most, if not all, Jade cruises don't have this issue.

Edited September 19, 2015 by KeithJenner

[june123]

if you booked your cruise through the uk site them you will not be charged the 18% grat. you will have to sign a bill for your drinks but 10% of nothing is nothing . don`t worry enjoy your cruise x

[vinob]

Many thanks for your help Keith, its good to know we're not going to have a huge raft of extra charges. The cruise leaves Barcelona and takes in Morocco, the Canaries and Madeira, so hoping we will only have to pay the vat while we are in Barcelona & Malaga as I've been told that although Canaries belong to Spain they are not in the EU vat area, but not sure how true this is. Also good to know VAT on Drinks is only 10%. Kind regards Viv.

[KeithJenner]

Yes. I assumed you were on the 7 day summer Epic trip, which is the one where the VAT is charged all week on drinks purchases.

 

I did the Canaries trip last year on the Spirit. On that cruise, you only pay the VAT whilst actually in Barcelona and Malaga. You probably won't pay it at all with the free UBP, but even if you have the same situation as we did in Venice it should only cost you a few extra dollars.

 

Just as a note, whilst there is the discussion about whether the Canary Islands are inside or outside of the VAT area, it is all a bit irrelevant and Morocco certainly is, so there is no issues with the VAT being charged all week. I can confirm that we weren't charged any VAT in the Canary Isles ports (Madera and Lanzarotte for us), but that is usually the case in ports alongside he way anyway. In my experience, Spain is the only country where you pay VAT in the ports of call. We have never paid in in French, Italian and Greek ports of call.

Edited September 19, 2015 by KeithJenner

[vinob]

For UK bookings the 18% gratuity is included in the package, for US bookings it is not.

Can't comment on Spanish vat as our only recent departures have been transatlantics rather than a closed loop Europe.

 

Mark & Heather

 

Many thanks for taking the time to reply, good to know the gratuity is included, the email from ncl in response to my question regarding the package was not very clear and led me to think that an additional 18% would be added.

Kind regards

Viv

[vinob]

We were on the Jade in June around the Med and had the UBP included in our package and we didn't pay anything extra!! Enjoy it!

 

Thanks for posting, there are six of us going and we will be celebrating a 50th anniversary, a 70th birthday and another anniversary, so lots to celebrate and enjoy. Kind regards Viv.

[vinob]

if you booked your cruise through the uk site them you will not be charged the 18% grat. you will have to sign a bill for your drinks but 10% of nothing is nothing . don`t worry enjoy your cruise x

 

Many thanks June, we will certainly enjoy ourselves as lots of celebrations between the six of us. Kind regards Viv.

[vinob]

Still haven't got the hang of posting, just realised I'm creating numerous replies. Could I just take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been so kind to reply to my question and have put my mind at rest.

Kind regards to you all.

Viv

[Demonyte]

Even though OP (original poster) got their answer, just to clarify some of the not-so-clear answers:

 

Nobody with a drink package pays 18% per drink onboard. Ever.

 

The 18% is either included in the package or paid in advance, but never per drink.

[LrgPizza]

Regardless of how you received the package, nobody with UBP ever pays the 18% gratuity on the drinks on board. Either it was included with the UBP promo, or you paid for it when receiving the promo, or paid for it when purchasing the package, etc. No matter what, the 18% on drink purchases is never paid on board by anyone who has the UBP.