Free at Sea - NCL - Specialty Dining - Is it worth it?

[ray98]

4 minutes ago, Seaside maid said:

Sorry to sound stupid so does that mean each and every drink we order we pay 18% on whatever is the retail price of the drink.

 

No....you pay based on the value of the package, not per item.  If you added the drinks and dining packages when you booked you have already paid the gratuity.  The only additional thing you will see is the DSC one you are on board.

Edited November 2, 2019 by ray98

[Seaside maid]

Drink package and sdp for 2 people were the free ones from the free at sea offers but the third one I paid for so I understand that the gratuities for the "paid" packages were included in the fee I paid but what about the 2 free packages.  The earlier posts have me confused.  Sorry

[ray98]

Just now, Seaside maid said:

Drink package and sdp for 2 people were the free ones from the free at sea offers but the third one I paid for so I understand that the gratuities for the "paid" packages were included in the fee I paid but what about the 2 free packages.  The earlier posts have me confused.  Sorry

 

 

It would've automatically added the gratuities for the free at sea packages at booking.

[beerman2]

9 minutes ago, Seaside maid said:

Drink package and sdp for 2 people were the free ones from the free at sea offers but the third one I paid for so I understand that the gratuities for the "paid" packages were included in the fee I paid but what about the 2 free packages.  The earlier posts have me confused.  Sorry

From reading other post bookings in the U.K. (Overseas) are completely different than booking in U.S. Isn't/Wasn't your gratuities included in your pricing????

[ray98]

3 minutes ago, beerman2 said:

From reading other post bookings in the U.K. (Overseas) are completely different than booking in U.S. Isn't/Wasn't your gratuities included in your pricing????

 

....missed that.

[Seaside maid]

I booked this with a British travel agent and definitely did not have them included.  The 3rd person package I ordered online  direct with NCL  on the My NCL part of the website.

[salty dingo]

12 hours ago, myslakkie said:

I did not like the MDR food at all.  We did Specialty Dining or the buffet.  We are probably pickier than average LOL.  It’s really a personal choice - on our next cruise we will do 50/50 Specialty and buffet is my guess and not set foot in the MDR

We were just the opposite. MDR had plenty of variety but the key was the service. You sit down at a table covered in white cloth and they take care of you.

 

At the buffer I felt like a lion prowling among a huge herd of water buffalo. Lots of food but I have to work for it.

[sanger727]

13 hours ago, Seaside maid said:

I booked this with a British travel agent and definitely did not have them included.  The 3rd person package I ordered online  direct with NCL  on the My NCL part of the website.

I don’t know what the booking terms are for England. But the ‘gratuities’ on the ‘free’ beverage package and dining package are a set fee paid at booking. They are never charged after the fact as an 18% cost. If you didn’t pay them at booking then I wouldn’t worry about it. The rest of us get a line item on our bill for the service charge when we choose those perks. 

[CazV]

14 hours ago, Seaside maid said:

I booked this with a British travel agent and definitely did not have them included. The 3rd person package I ordered online  direct with NCL  on the My NCL part of the website.

Your drinks and dining gratuities are included in the price you've paid.

The daily service charge can be prepaid or you can wait to pay on board.

[4774Papa]

On 11/1/2019 at 2:54 AM, Longwood50 said:

I have a cruise on the NCL Jade which includes two Free at Sea offers.  I chose the drink package and am considering the specialty dining.  For those that have used the specialty dining, is it worth it?  Are the meals noticeably better than the formal dining room? 

 

With NCL "nothing" is truly Free at Sea.  You get hit with a gratuity on the "retail" value of the Perk which for my drink package was $336.00 per person.  The Specialty Dining will be about $75.00 per person. NCL valuing their drink package at $99.00 per person is ridiculous.  You are limited to drinks of $15.00 or less which means you would have to drink 7 drinks of $15.00 per day to break even.  It is so cheap it doesn't even included bottled water.  

Totally agree with your comments on the promos.   Sailaway options never seem to be available.  We prefer NO promos.   Especially the beverage package with the outrageous value of $99 per person per day.   When forced to go with promos, we usually pick the specialty dining, even though we are Platinum and have two free specialty dinners.  NCL's specialty restaurants are good, we especially like Le Bistro.

Instead of picking the beverage package, we usually do the internet and bring our own wine, pay the corkage fees of $15 per bottle or buy a viva vino package.

[beerman2]

31 minutes ago, CazV said:

Your drinks and dining gratuities are included in the price you've paid.

The daily service charge can be prepaid or you can wait to pay on board.

Thank you for affirming what I posted . Couldn't remember but I thought "KeithJenner" had posted that they were included.

 

Now if only NCL would do the same for both US and UK, the complaints about the service charge would go away.

[Seaside maid]

Thanks everyone for your useful information.  It has cleared up my worry of having a huge bill on leaving the ship.

[Longwood50]

1 hour ago, 4774Papa said:

Totally agree with your comments on the promos.   Sailaway options never seem to be available.  We prefer NO promos.   Especially the beverage package with the outrageous value of $99 per person per day.   When forced to go with promos, we usually pick the specialty dining, even though we are Platinum and have two free specialty dinners.  NCL's specialty restaurants are good, we especially like Le Bistro.

Instead of picking the beverage package, we usually do the internet and bring our own wine, pay the corkage fees of $15 per bottle or buy a viva vino package.

4774Papa

I understand that cruise lines need to make money either through the cruise fare or add ons.  In the case of the "free as sea" beverage promotion, they are charging a 20% gratuity based on a totally inflated price of $99 a day.  The gratuities for meals are only 18% and at $99 per day you would need to consume at least 7 alcoholic drinks per day to break even.  Not likely.  They are calling it a "gratuity" I would be willing to wager a whole lot of money that the entire $20 per day never makes it to the beverage staff.  I suspect the same is true of the $15 p.p. daily and 18% dining "gratuities"  I guess they think that cruise passengers will only look at the cruise fare and not figure out they are being nicked someplace else.  Certainly the $20 pp for drinks is a good price.  However, I have often found that the Celebrity cruises which include their beverage package and gratuities are a lower total price than NCL and Celebrities $59 PP beverage package includes fresh squeezed juice, bottled soft drinks and bottled water.  

 

Edited November 3, 2019 by Longwood50

[beverly631]

I have another question regarding the Free at Sea Dining Package.  I am sailing the Encore May 2020 and there are a lot of restaurants.  Are there any restaurants that charge an upcharge.  I had been on a cruise where Ocean Blue had an upcharge.  My research isn't giving me any information if that is still the case.  I'm specifically wondering about the Q Texas Smokehouse and Onda.