When Free isn't Free

[ray98]

I will never understand why people fixate on this.  Is logic lacking in society today?

[emcelh]

8 minutes ago, ray98 said:

I will never understand why people fixate on this.  Is logic lacking in society today?

Yes.   Some people seem to not understand that nothing is really free.  Someone is going to pay for it.

[softl]

30 minutes ago, emcelh said:

Yes.   Some people seem to not understand that nothing is really free.  Someone is going to pay for it.

Some people just don't like to tip!

[RaiderDuck]

This is why I, a casual drinker, have never taken advantage of the "free" drink package. On a seven-night cruise, I'm unlikely to even drink $138 worth of booze (which would be about two drinks a night, give or take), let alone enough to build up $138 in tips.

Edited August 29, 2019 by RaiderDuck

[GA Dave]

14 hours ago, Edhoff said:

Please correct me if i'm wrong.  If I elect the Free Drink Package it DOES NOT INCLUDE the 20% Grat charge. So Free Will cost me aprox. $250.

 

[PTC DAWG]

1 hour ago, GA Dave said:

 

Perfect..

[Edhoff]

1 hour ago, GA Dave said:

 

 

6 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Perfect..

Thanks for your "BoneHead" reply.  Just trying to make people aware of what they are getting or not.

 

 

[RaiderDuck]

The bickering in this thread makes me want a drink...

[ThxMomnDad]

17 hours ago, Named-Tawny said:

Depending on port, you may also need to pay taxes on your drinks

I've read this on other threads too. Does anyone know if Bermuda is a part of this? I'll be on the Escape in October and we spend 2 nights there.

[pieshops]

11 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

After all this "What part of *FREE* do you not understand" ?

 

No little * (star) see Terms & Conditions - Gratuities not included (even if it is FREE)

and if something is FREE how can that be taxed - Nothing times nothing is after all Zero nada nothing "0" !

Something about that new math being used - must be that warp speed infinity technology !

 

There are taxes on free items, if you are on a game show and win a 100,000 dollar boat, you need to pay taxes on that boat or you dont get the boat

[phillyguy31]

2 hours ago, ThxMomnDad said:

I've read this on other threads too. Does anyone know if Bermuda is a part of this? I'll be on the Escape in October and we spend 2 nights there.

No there is no tax in Bermuda, only in some US cities. I know Miami and NYC for sure because I have contributed to both.😀

[ThxMomnDad]

18 minutes ago, phillyguy31 said:

No there is no tax in Bermuda, only in some US cities. I know Miami and NYC for sure because I have contributed to both.😀

Awesome! Thanks phillyguy31!!

[sfaaa]

You are free to keep your $250 and not to cruise NCL. Do it.

[Phaedrus78]

19 hours ago, Budget Queen said:

And. Additional-  the cruise price is also more.   So it’s naive thinking it just the 20% grats cost.  I’ve seen the base cruise price hundreds of dollars more.    

 

If the price on another line after adding their drink package and and their associated gratuities is less than the price on NCL with their gratuity added, then by all means sail the other line.

 

I haven't found that to be the case on comparable cruises with Royal or Carnival so I sail NCL.  Your mileage may vary.  

[DirtyDawg]

My first experience with "Free" drinks package was with Celebrity where "Free" meant no additional charge for gratuities. So the drinks and the gratuities were "Free". I was a wee bit shocked when Norwegian's "Free" drinks package was only drinks being "Free". Only a wee bit shocked because both are "Free" as defined by their respective marketing departments and marketing folks earn MBA's and six figure salaries figuring out how to describe a green coffee supplement as a weight loss miracle, or how tap water is somehow an exotic spring water just because it has a fancy bottle, or how the product is new and improved just because they changed the packaging.

 

Unlike beauty, "Free" is not in the eyes of the beholder, it is in the eyes of the marketing department! 

 

Edited August 29, 2019 by DirtyDawg

[KeithJenner]

33 minutes ago, Phaedrus78 said:

 

If the price on another line after adding their drink package and and their associated gratuities is less than the price on NCL with their gratuity added, then by all means sail the other line.

 

I haven't found that to be the case on comparable cruises with Royal or Carnival so I sail NCL.  Your mileage may vary.  

That isn't what they mean.

 

The cruise price on NCL for a room which qualifies for the promos is usually more (sometimes significantly more) than a room which doesn't qualify for them.

 

So, if you aren't worried about the other differences (i.e. selecting your cabin) then getting the beverage package costs a lot more than just the 20% gratuity. Some people save a lot by booking the cabin without the perks.

[softl]

2 hours ago, phillyguy31 said:

No there is no tax in Bermuda, only in some US cities. I know Miami and NYC for sure because I have contributed to both.😀

Port Canaveral as well. I think I got an $0.89 tax added to my account on my beverage package. Maybe the tips kept that down a bit, I don't know, but I had quite a few beers at O'Sheehan's before we left port. It was St. Paddy's Day.

[Budget Queen]

1 hour ago, Phaedrus78 said:

 

If the price on another line after adding their drink package and and their associated gratuities is less than the price on NCL with their gratuity added, then by all means sail the other line.

 

I haven't found that to be the case on comparable cruises with Royal or Carnival so I sail NCL.  Your mileage may vary.  

You don’t get the point I’m making.   Post 41.     I’ve seen the cruise price- base-   Hundreds if dollars more.    Your end cost of the perk is NOT simply the grats.  

[Kelownacruiser]

2 hours ago, sfaaa said:

You are free to keep your $250 and not to cruise NCL. Do it.

Well, while that is a pretty snarky response, I for one am actually really considering your sweet offer. I very much dislike the direction NCL is taking with including a good portion of all their "free'"offers in the base price of their fares. Just compare a sail away cabin price with no "free" things to a "choose your cabin" fare. I just looked at a random 7 night Breakaway cruise from Miami in November. Sail away Balcony price, no "free" goodies, $909. Cheapest Forward Balcony that you choose, $1418!  That's 50% more expensive, BEFORE the mandatory gratuities. So, correct me if I'm wrong, but the only way for me to choose my cabin is to pay 50% more than the Sail Away price,  regardless of whether I even want the "free" stuff.  Then, if I do choose the "free" items, the difference will be even more??

 

So, while I may be the only one (although I doubt it), I am seriously considering other cruise lines for this reason.

[Kelownacruiser]

11 hours ago, softl said:

Some people just don't like to tip!

 

If you're at an all inclusive resort do you expect them to add on a 20% gratuity to your rate? Do you expect them to add on a daily fee for having your room cleaned and to cover tips for the waiters? I haven't been to one in a number of years but pretty sure, all inclusive is exactly that, all inclusive. If they don't, do you tip 20% of the resort cost of a drink on every free drink you get? Cruise lines should be mandated, just like airlines, to include all costs in the price of their ticket. IMHO. It's just deceptive advertising otherwise. Of course I pay the daily gratuities on a cruise, I'm not out to stiff the hard working crew, just cut out the BS of keeping your base fare so low by excluding all these charges.

[Birdie And Sue]

3 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

My first experience with "Free" drinks package was with Celebrity where "Free" meant no additional charge for gratuities. So the drinks and the gratuities were "Free". I was a wee bit shocked when Norwegian's "Free" drinks package was only drinks being "Free". Only a wee bit shocked because both are "Free" as defined by their respective marketing departments and marketing folks earn MBA's and six figure salaries figuring out how to describe a green coffee supplement as a weight loss miracle, or how tap water is somehow an exotic spring water just because it has a fancy bottle, or how the product is new and improved just because they changed the packaging.

 

Unlike beauty, "Free" is not in the eyes of the beholder, it is in the eyes of the marketing department! 

 

 

 

They said free drink package and that is what you get in anyone's eyes.  They did not say no gratuities and the fact that is not free is fully disclosed. One's failure to read the details of an offer does not indicate deception on the part of the party making the offer.

[Kelownacruiser]

2 hours ago, Birdie And Sue said:

 

 

They said free drink package and that is what you get in anyone's eyes.  They did not say no gratuities and the fact that is not free is fully disclosed. One's failure to read the details of an offer does not indicate deception on the part of the party making the offer.

Sure it does. To receive something for "free" when you need to pay something, hence, it's not free anymore. Deceptive advertising. Explain to me how you are able to obtain the drink package for free? How do I go get a drink using my drink package without it costing me anything? I can't. I can;t have the automatic gratuity removed and choose to tip in cash. Doesn't matter what the reason is for an additional cost, it's still an additional cost and is no longer free. If they had advertised it as drink package for just $20/day, that's not deceptive advertising. Free wifi is free, no deceptive advertising there.

Now, that's the way everything is nowadays, buyer beware, but doesn't make it right.

Edited August 30, 2019 by Kelownacruiser

[Named-Tawny]

25 minutes ago, Kelownacruiser said:

Sure it does. To receive something for "free" when you need to pay something, hence, it's not free anymore. Deceptive advertising. Explain to me how you are able to obtain the drink package for free? How do I go get a drink using my drink package without it costing me anything? I can't. I can;t have the automatic gratuity removed and choose to tip in cash. Doesn't matter what the reason is for an additional cost, it's still an additional cost and is no longer free. If they had advertised it as drink package for just $20/day, that's not deceptive advertising. Free wifi is free, no deceptive advertising there.

Now, that's the way everything is nowadays, buyer beware, but doesn't make it right.

Free WiFi isn't free - it's built into the cost of your cruise fare.

 

Just about nothing that a company offers you is ever truly free - there is always a cost.

 

Facebook isn't free - you pay for it by looking at ads. The Starbucks coffee you get "free" with your loyalty points isn't free - it's baked into the cost of the coffees you do pay for.

 

So yes, it's true - the free drinks package isn't truly free.

 

But if you were to make a list of things that are called free that aren't, you'd die of old age before you were finished typing.

[KeithJenner]

7 hours ago, Kelownacruiser said:

Well, while that is a pretty snarky response, I for one am actually really considering your sweet offer. I very much dislike the direction NCL is taking with including a good portion of all their "free'"offers in the base price of their fares. Just compare a sail away cabin price with no "free" things to a "choose your cabin" fare. I just looked at a random 7 night Breakaway cruise from Miami in November. Sail away Balcony price, no "free" goodies, $909. Cheapest Forward Balcony that you choose, $1418!  That's 50% more expensive, BEFORE the mandatory gratuities. So, correct me if I'm wrong, but the only way for me to choose my cabin is to pay 50% more than the Sail Away price,  regardless of whether I even want the "free" stuff.  Then, if I do choose the "free" items, the difference will be even more??

 

So, while I may be the only one (although I doubt it), I am seriously considering other cruise lines for this reason.

You are basically saying that you will go beyond all the marketing gimmicks and look at the total cost of the cruise (under the various options available) and decide whether that is an acceptable cost to you.

 

Which is what many of us are saying that people should do.

 

Many of us choose not to get hung up about advertising speak and just look at the final numbers. I would very much recommend it.

 

Running the numbers, considering which of the options works better for you (sailaway, perks included etc) and considering whether another cruise line, or a completely different holiday option is best for you is a very sensible thing to do, and will likely result in making good decisions.

 

Spending time grumbling about the marketing terminology used by big companies is rather less likely to be as productive. I find it’s beat to skip that bit. 🙂

[Birdie And Sue]

6 hours ago, Kelownacruiser said:

Sure it does. To receive something for "free" when you need to pay something, hence, it's not free anymore. Deceptive advertising. Explain to me how you are able to obtain the drink package for free? How do I go get a drink using my drink package without it costing me anything? I can't. I can;t have the automatic gratuity removed and choose to tip in cash. Doesn't matter what the reason is for an additional cost, it's still an additional cost and is no longer free. If they had advertised it as drink package for just $20/day, that's not deceptive advertising. Free wifi is free, no deceptive advertising there.

Now, that's the way everything is nowadays, buyer beware, but doesn't make it right.

 

 

That is the whole point you are NOT paying for the package no matter how many times you stomp your feet, whine, yell, and hold your breath.  The package is free.

You have two choices (if you want the package).

Pay for it - Use the FAS and get it free.  Under both choices the barkeep needs to prepare and serve your drink and thus should get tipped.  The 20% tip applies whether you pay for the package or get it free.  You pay $0 for the package, that means it is free.  It is the very definition of free.

By your silly and inane (il)logic, it is equally you would be whining if they did not charge the 20% since you had to book and pay for the cruise to get the FAS so it would never be "free".

Bottom line is if you do not like getting a drink package without having to pay for it then by all means turn down th offer  and pay instead.  Your choice!