refund on gratuity on drink beverage

[njhorseman]

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

That isn't a rip off? 

It's a corporation trying to make  a profit, which is what businesses do.

 

 For someone who drinks enough to warrant taking the package it can just as easily be viewed as slightly less of a bargain than if a lower underlying cost assumption was used. In the example I used you're talking about a price differential of less than $35 dollars a week, which might be about 50 cents a drink. My decisions on taking a particular cruise turn on factors other than a trivial price difference.

 

Anyone who thinks it's a rip off should just vote with their wallet and book a different cruise, not complain about it here. You have lots of choices. Pick the cruise line that satisfies your needs the best.

[RocketMan275]

3 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

It's a corporation trying to make  a profit, which is what businesses do.

 

 For someone who drinks enough to warrant taking the package it can just as easily be viewed as slightly less of a bargain than if a lower underlying cost assumption was used. In the example I used you're talking about a price differential of less than $35 dollars a week, which might be about 50 cents a drink. My decisions on taking a particular cruise turn on factors other than a trivial price difference.

 

Anyone who thinks it's a rip off should just vote with their wallet and book a different cruise, not complain about it here. You have lots of choices. Pick the cruise line that satisfies your needs the best.

I'm not doing a good job of explaining.  First, I think beverage packages are a rip off.   The cruise line says the package is a $99 PD value.  It probably is worth about half that for the average cruiser.  Then they add a 20% gratuity to the 'value'  Not only is the average cruiser paying for thing he won't get (the full value of the package) but then the cruise line throws the 20% gratuity on top of the 'value'.  

 

Quite frankly, buying the beverage package is like buying an extended warranty on a purchase.  It's very rare that you'll recoup the cost of the warranty in needed repairs.  But, it does have the feature where you know you won't pay more than the warranty cost.  Still, you wind up losing money.  Then, add insult to injury and make you pay for a gratuity to the service man on repair calls you will never make.

 

They price these 'free' packages just like the car companies price their extended warranties.  Just like the car companies, the cruise line has very good data on how many drinks of what kind the average cruiser will consume.  They know what that will cost them, they add an insurance margin of several 10's of a percent to ensure they won't lose money.  You wind up with an over priced package.  Then they add gratuities on a product they're very confident you won't consume.  Just a sneaky way to increase the profit margins.

 

Yes, you have other options, all of which cost you money.  Sure, you don't have to take the beverage package.  You can always make a different choice but you are still paying.

 

[smplybcause]

OP - the problem you have is the current promo is take ALL. Which by definition means you have to take all the free at sea offers. Otherwise the offer is the normal you pick 2 for OV and balcony rooms. So if you don't want the beverage package then you can't use the ALL promotion and can only pick 2.

 

If you truly don't drink then it's better to just pick 2. The money you save from the drink package gratuities can pay for the third perk - if you'd use it.

[njhorseman]

17 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I'm not doing a good job of explaining.  First, I think beverage packages are a rip off.   The cruise line says the package is a $99 PD value.  It probably is worth about half that for the average cruiser.  Then they add a 20% gratuity to the 'value'  Not only is the average cruiser paying for thing he won't get (the full value of the package) but then the cruise line throws the 20% gratuity on top of the 'value'.  

 

Quite frankly, buying the beverage package is like buying an extended warranty on a purchase.  It's very rare that you'll recoup the cost of the warranty in needed repairs.  But, it does have the feature where you know you won't pay more than the warranty cost.  Still, you wind up losing money.  Then, add insult to injury and make you pay for a gratuity to the service man on repair calls you will never make.

 

They price these 'free' packages just like the car companies price their extended warranties.  Just like the car companies, the cruise line has very good data on how many drinks of what kind the average cruiser will consume.  They know what that will cost them, they add an insurance margin of several 10's of a percent to ensure they won't lose money.  You wind up with an over priced package.  Then they add gratuities on a product they're very confident you won't consume.  Just a sneaky way to increase the profit margins.

 

Yes, you have other options, all of which cost you money.  Sure, you don't have to take the beverage package.  You can always make a different choice but you are still paying.

 

That's fine. I don't agree with your extended warranty analogy, but there's no sense to continue to debate, so lets's just leave it with the understanding that we have different opinions.

[erdoran]

When I booked under the take all, I saw the “no additional cost” promos pre-selected - wifi and $50/port-and then I could select OR NOT SELECT the extra cost ones - booze pkg and speciality dining pkg.  

 

The stated cost of $99/day plus 20% autograt is ridiculous and is only there so they can charge the $20/day autograt.  In my eyes, the cost of the pkg is $20/day/person - so if you would have 2 drinks/day it’s worth it; otherwise it isn’t.  The mythical cost is just that - you aren’t paying it so non-issue.

 

For OP if for some ridiculous reason they don’t let you remove it, ask them to substitute the soda pkg instead.  That is much less per day and the autograt will be much much lower.  Hopefully you like soda?  I think you might also be able to get virgin versions of the booze drinks if you like them. 

[zqvol]

6 hours ago, smplybcause said:

OP - the problem you have is the current promo is take ALL. Which by definition means you have to take all the free at sea offers. Otherwise the offer is the normal you pick 2 for OV and balcony rooms. So if you don't want the beverage package then you can't use the ALL promotion and can only pick 2.

 

If you truly don't drink then it's better to just pick 2. The money you save from the drink package gratuities can pay for the third perk - if you'd use it.

Even when it is take all you can decline any part of it you don't want. In OP's case the perks OP is entitled to are the ones that were available at the time of original booking, not what is available today.

[smplybcause]

4 minutes ago, zqvol said:

Even when it is take all you can decline any part of it you don't want. In OP's case the perks OP is entitled to are the ones that were available at the time of original booking, not what is available today.

 

Not when I've done mock bookings online. There's a line for take all, otherwise you select the choose two and can select only two. Haven is the only category I've seen where you can pick as they always have up to 4 perks as an option. 

 

 

Edited August 11, 2019 by smplybcause

[erdoran]

Yeah, I’m Haven, that’s why...

[ed01106]

Calling it free open bar is bull.  Calling the package  a $99.99 packages is bull.  The drink package is $120 reduced to $20.  And NCLs pricing is absolutely fraud advertising the price as $999 and then adding an additional $15 to $20 pp pd in charges to the listed fraud.  It is not fraud to have a suggested tip, because that is just suggested.  But when it becomes mandatory it is now part of the price and any representation otherwise is just fraud.

Edited August 11, 2019 by ed01106

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, ed01106 said:

Calling it free open bar is bull.  Calling the package  a $99.99 packages is bull.  The drink package is $120 reduced to $20.  And NCLs pricing is absolutely fraud advertising the price as $999 and then adding an additional $15 to $20 pp pd in charges to the listed fraud.  It is not fraud to have a suggested tip, because that is just suggested.  But when it becomes mandatory it is now part of the price and any representation otherwise is just fraud.

If you feel that strongly that this is fraud or false advertising, maybe you should file a complaint with the office of your state's Attorney General.

[DarrenM]

14 hours ago, njhorseman said:

It's a corporation trying to make  a profit, which is what businesses do.

 

 For someone who drinks enough to warrant taking the package it can just as easily be viewed as slightly less of a bargain than if a lower underlying cost assumption was used. In the example I used you're talking about a price differential of less than $35 dollars a week, which might be about 50 cents a drink. My decisions on taking a particular cruise turn on factors other than a trivial price difference.

 

Anyone who thinks it's a rip off should just vote with their wallet and book a different cruise, not complain about it here. You have lots of choices. Pick the cruise line that satisfies your needs the best.

Its a corporation................................................Then stick it to the man. Like we should do to all corporations now and again.

 

Up the revolution.

 

Use the drinks package to fulfill everyone elses dreams, and have one very happy ship, even for just a very short time.

 

What ship and date is this? I might be free.

[DarrenM]

And before anyone says anything, yes I have worked for a big corporation and yes I got paid well and yes I use and like cruise ships. 

 

And yes I got married in a church and yet I am not religious.

 

Yes I know. I am a hypocrite.

[DarrenM]

And I still want to stick it to the man