5 for Free isn't Free At All

[cruzsnooze]

I went to book a 14 night med cruise for Oct 2020 in a suite with the 5 for free.  When they stated the cruise cost I asked what happened to the brochure price. Well it's 200 for tips on the free beverage package and $30 more for the specialty restaurants and a measly $50 PER CABIN per port for their shore excursions. I felt it was deceptive advertising and didn't book it. I went over to Azamara who has a better value because they are really inclusive without deception. Why do people let them get away with this. Just as an FYI I don't even drink alcohol just diet cokes and water and they said bottles of water aren't included anyway. 

[Diver2014]

This is nothing new - there are quite a few threads about it. You get the perks for 'free' but you always have to pay the grats for the crew.  I consider those two different things.  We got our 5 for free for November but I am well aware of the tips.  All you have to do is read - it's not deceptive advertising if you read everything.  Have fun on your Azamara cruise.

[hallux]

Yup, everyone seems to read the headline (the offer) but doesn't read the story (the terms & conditions).

 

Here's the full story - https://www.ncl.com/termsandconditions/promotions

 

Here's the line that matters - "Government taxes, port expenses & fees, discretionary onboard service charges and/or gratuities are additional."

[Two Wheels Only]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

Just as an FYI I don't even drink alcohol just diet cokes and water and they said bottles of water aren't included anyway. 

 

Neither is Coke (Diet or otherwise)...🤯

[mugtech]

So you have made over 6,000 posts, been on CC since 2010 and you just discovered this "free" thing?  Welcome to NCL. 

[cruzsnooze]

1 hour ago, mugtech said:

So you have made over 6,000 posts, been on CC since 2010 and you just discovered this "free" thing?  Welcome to NCL. 

Yes I just discovered it. I know port fees and crew gratuity would be extra but didn't expect free to come at a fee. I sailed with Princess recently and their beverage package is much less and includes gratuity when they have that particular promo. NCL is $20 PP PD for the FREE beverage package. I took a pass on NCL. 

[2+2]

I don't wear rose colored glasses, but, let me know when you find free drinks, and free tips at recent NCL prices anywhere else.

[fshagan]

3 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

Yes I just discovered it. I know port fees and crew gratuity would be extra but didn't expect free to come at a fee. I sailed with Princess recently and their beverage package is much less and includes gratuity when they have that particular promo. NCL is $20 PP PD for the FREE beverage package. I took a pass on NCL. 

 

NCL's "free" beverage package has a service fee of about $20 per day, per person.  It has been "free with service charge" for a few years now, so the rest of us are used to it.

 

But, for drinkers, that compares very well if you are buying a drink package on another line at $40 or $50 a day. Or buying more than 2 drinks each day a la carte.

 

You can always refuse a free offer; I will usually go for the specialty dining for $14 for the week, but not the drink package. I don't drink $20 of alcohol a day, even on vacation.

[mianmike]

3 hours ago, Diver2014 said:

You get the perks for 'free' but you always have to pay the grats for the crew.  I consider those two different things.  We got our 5 for free for November but I am well aware of the tips.  All you have to do is read - it's not deceptive advertising if you read everything.  Have fun on your Azamara cruise.

 

Yep, soon NCL will offer FREE cruises and buried in the fine print will be the $2000 in gratuities for the crew, ship builders, CEO, stock holders etc. 

[tallnthensome]

This topic has been beat to death. You might as well ask what’s included in the drink package while you’re at it because it’s never been asked before either. 

[tef43]

Move along, nothing to see here.

[LaCal]

You forget to mention that You aren’t forced to take the drink perk or specialty restaurants perk 🤔

 

So then there’s ZERO EXTRA CHARGE....

 

Now isn’t that really easy instead of complaining 🤣🤣

[tef43]

2 minutes ago, LaCal said:

You forget to mention that You aren’t forced to take the drink perk or specialty restaurants perk 🤔

 

So then there’s ZERO EXTRA CHARGE....

 

Now isn’t that really easy instead of complaining 🤣🤣

 

And that is indeed ... FREE!

[RedwingHockeyFan]

I would take a stand and not accept the free PDP.  Then, to spite the cruise line, pay $900 for the PDP.  That will show them!

[Liljo22]

Complains about $300 in gratuities but then books a specialty cruise line that runs thousands more than what NCL offers.  Seems about right.  Quick look and the only Med cruise Azamara offers in October is a 10 day that currently is $18,000 in a suite for two.  The NCL cruise would have been the Star which in the Haven DOS would have been $13,000 with those gratuities.  So more money and less days.  I guess you showed NCL.  

 

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by Liljo22

[JamieLogical]

I don't know why this is such a challenge for people. Every cruse line (every business for that matter) has their BS marketing. Cut through all that crap and look at the TOTAL cost of the trip. I am in the process of buying a new washer and dryer. All the big box stores have "deals" going for "30-40%" off, but that is literally ALWAYS the case. Good luck ever finding a full priced washer and dryer somewhere! Ignore the marketing and look at the bottom line. How is this a new concept to any functioning adult that has ever had to make ANY major purchase?

[Laszlo]

1 minute ago, JamieLogical said:

I don't know why this is such a challenge for people. Every cruse line (every business for that matter) has their BS marketing. Cut through all that crap and look at the TOTAL cost of the trip. I am in the process of buying a new washer and dryer. All the big box stores have "deals" going for "30-40%" off, but that is literally ALWAYS the case. Good luck ever finding a full priced washer and dryer somewhere! Ignore the marketing and look at the bottom line. How is this a new concept to any functioning adult that has ever had to make ANY major purchase?

Its like finding good broadway show tickets for $200, then you find out after the fee's and taxes the $200 seats will cost you $280

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

I went to book a 14 night med cruise for Oct 2020 in a suite with the 5 for free.  When they stated the cruise cost I asked what happened to the brochure price. Well it's 200 for tips on the free beverage package and $30 more for the specialty restaurants and a measly $50 PER CABIN per port for their shore excursions. I felt it was deceptive advertising and didn't book it. I went over to Azamara who has a better value because they are really inclusive without deception. Why do people let them get away with this. Just as an FYI I don't even drink alcohol just diet cokes and water and they said bottles of water aren't included anyway. 

The terms and conditions only the promotion has not changed since inception 3-4 years ago. 
 

No different than “Free Dinner” (with purchase of another of equal or more). Or “Free Parking” (with a $20 purchase). 
 

Sorry you are missing out on a really great deal on some of the newest ships at sea!

Edited January 23, 2020 by BirdTravels

[4774Papa]

9 hours ago, fshagan said:

 

NCL's "free" beverage package has a service fee of about $20 per day, per person.  It has been "free with service charge" for a few years now, so the rest of us are used to it.

 

But, for drinkers, that compares very well if you are buying a drink package on another line at $40 or $50 a day. Or buying more than 2 drinks each day a la carte.

 

You can always refuse a free offer; I will usually go for the specialty dining for $14 for the week, but not the drink package. I don't drink $20 of alcohol a day, even on vacation.

The NCL beverage package is not for us.  Sure, others may find it works for them.

 

Compared to Celebrity, the NCL package is awful.  Wines on NCL's package are not so great.  Also, Celebrity includes water, soda, coffee, etc.  Further, Celebrity doesn't charge gratuities on their package.

 

NCL price bundling has pushed NCL out of the competition with Celebrity and Royal C.  We book early and NCL never seems to allow a NO PERK choice, unlike Celebrity and Royal.

 

We did an NCL cruise with family a couple of years ago and declined the beverage package. Instead, I purchased wine for our cruise (we primarily drink wine on cruises), paid the $15 corkage fees and STILL paid LESS for our alcohol that JUST the Da-- 20% gratuities.   Still, I guess if you like umbrella drinks and drink a lot, you might like the NCL bev package.

[JamieLogical]

19 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

NCL price bundling has pushed NCL out of the competition with Celebrity and Royal C.  We book early and NCL never seems to allow a NO PERK choice, unlike Celebrity and Royal.

 

There are two "no perks" approaches to take when booking an NCL cruise. You can select the Sail Away rate for your desired cabin type and receive no perks. Or you can choose a specific cabin category and "deselect" the perks you are uninterested in. If you do so for the drink package or the dining package, you do not have to pay the associated service charges.

Edited January 23, 2020 by JamieLogical

[latebloomer56]

We pass on the free at sea packages. We found once it was no longer "free" it isn't worth the fees for us. I am the only drinker and don't drink more than 4 maybe 5 drinks on a 7 day cruise. My family only drinks soda or water (not included) and we get 2 free (for real free) specialty dinners with a bottle of wine as platinum.

Thanks for the tips on Celebrity we can check them out closer for next year, but just received a promo from Princess that includes everything just over $900.+ for free offers so will be looking at them as we love this line they just don't have much to offer the Northeast without flying.

NCL fits our needs when we need them, just not for everybody :). I still love the suite life, but they are pushing me toward other lines that we also don't need to fly to the port, but can get away. We shall see what trip 2 next year will be when I book it.

Keep on cruising still  a good option for some at vacation time.

[4774Papa]

3 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

There are two "no perks" approaches to take when booking an NCL cruise. You can select the Sail Away rate for your desired cabin type and receive no perks. Or you can choose a specific cabin category and "deselect" the perks you are uninterested in. If you do so for the drink package or the dining package, you do not have to pay the associated service charges.

We book very early and the cruises that I look at for NCL  never offer the no perks option. Perhaps it works closer to sailing, but we book early.

[spanishguy1970]

4 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

There are two "no perks" approaches to take when booking an NCL cruise. You can select the Sail Away rate for your desired cabin type and receive no perks. Or you can choose a specific cabin category and "deselect" the perks you are uninterested in. If you do so for the drink package or the dining package, you do not have to pay the associated service charges.

I completely agree. Whenever we pick our cruise we pretty much always pick the excursion credit and the free extra wifi...We are not drinkers and when we do drink we just pay the price of the drink plus the service charge...

[JamieLogical]

1 minute ago, 4774Papa said:

We book very early and the cruises that I look at for NCL  never offer the no perks option. Perhaps it works closer to sailing, but we book early.

 

Ah, you are correct. If you are booking about a year out, the Sail Away options aren't available, but you can still always decline the perks so you don't have to pay the service charges.

[spanishguy1970]

Azamara cruises are expensive and the drinks are pretty much included in the price. If someone can afford azamara, i would think the service charge for the drinking package would be no problem...IMHO....

Edited January 23, 2020 by spanishguy1970