How does the "Free at Sea" work? (circa Spring 2022)

[PaperSniper4]

1 hour ago, norway olin said:

My specialty dining service charge fo two passengers, two restaurants was $31.60 two weeks ago on Encore.

So for you two it was four meals with a $31.60 total gratuity. Thanks for the clarification.

 

Doug

[hallux]

7 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Huh? I'm confused.

Wait, are you saying the less expensive rate that does not include the "Free at Sea" rate  precludes me from choosing my cabin location? Whoa! All bets are off then as choosing a location is very important to us.😲

You simply need to go to the NCL webpage and do a "mock booking" (go through the process up to entering passenger info) for each cabin type to see what you are and are not allowed to do....

[dbrown84]

17 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Huh? I'm confused.

Wait, are you saying the less expensive rate that does not include the "Free at Sea" rate  precludes me from choosing my cabin location? Whoa! All bets are off then as choosing a location is very important to us.😲

yes, if you choose the sail away rate (without the free at sea), you can't choose your cabin.  You can still choose the regular rate (allowing you to choose your cabin), and decline the drink package, but you'd only be saving the service charge ($19.80/person/day).  The cost of the package itself would be included in the cruise fare. 

[CPT Trips]

9 hours ago, hallux said:

Ahhh, but you CAN.  Pick the "Sail-Away" rate.

 

MDRs don't require reservations, specialty dining will...

You can choose to make reservations for MDR as well as take your chances on walking up at a specialty restaurant. 
 

3 hours ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Oh, that sail away rate sounds good to me! Thanks!

 

Doug

 

You might change your mind if you want to select your own cabin.

[hallux]

25 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

You might change your mind if you want to select your own cabin.

and subsequent discussion revealed that it may be...

[PaperSniper4]

13 hours ago, hallux said:

You simply need to go to the NCL webpage and do a "mock booking" (go through the process up to entering passenger info) for each cabin type to see what you are and are not allowed to do....

Easier for me to just ask the TA we use, but I appreciate the tip. We have booked 95% of our last 30 cruises with him since he's "pretty good to us" with an OBC.😎

 

Doug

[PaperSniper4]

12 hours ago, dbrown84 said:

yes, if you choose the sail away rate (without the free at sea), you can't choose your cabin.  You can still choose the regular rate (allowing you to choose your cabin), and decline the drink package, but you'd only be saving the service charge ($19.80/person/day).  The cost of the package itself would be included in the cruise fare. 

Ah, and who said understanding the rules and booking a cruise today was easy? 😲Especially if one doesn't have overriding brand loyalty, it's tough to understand all their "free" packages! We don't, we bounce around with mainly 3-4 brands, and NCL is not one of those four.

 

Being able to decline the drinks package is actually a good thing for a lot of folks who do not drink at all; although there aren't that many on cruises, are there?😉

 

That $19.80 pp pd is about $275 for a 7 day cruise; not insignificant for those who drink little. For that saving I'd just order a bottle of scotch for the cabin and the wine we bring with us would be plenty for my wife. But we must be able to chose our cabin. We're a bit finicky that way.😉

 

Doug

[KeithJenner]

3 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Ah, and who said understanding the rules and booking a cruise today was easy? 😲Especially if one doesn't have overriding brand loyalty, it's tough to understand all their "free" packages! We don't, we bounce around with mainly 3-4 brands, and NCL is not one of those four.

 

Being able to decline the drinks package is actually a good thing for a lot of folks who do not drink at all; although there aren't that many on cruises, are there?😉

 

That $19.80 pp pd is about $275 for a 7 day cruise; not insignificant for those who drink little. For that saving I'd just order a bottle of scotch for the cabin and the wine we bring with us would be plenty for my wife. But we must be able to chose our cabin. We're a bit finicky that way.😉

 

Doug

I think that we may need to clarify regarding choosing your own cabin.

 

When booking there is a sailaway rate. This rate doesn’t allow you to select your cabin and also there isn’t the option of getting the free at sea offers. From what you say you don’t want to book this rate (as I wouldn’t even if I didn’t want the free at sea, because selecting cabin location is important to us).

 

Then there is the normal rate, which does allow you to select your cabin. It also offers the free at sea deal. These rates are more expensive than sailaway even if you don’t take the perks, so you are effectively paying extra to choose your cabin location.

 

When you have selected that rate you can then accept or decline the free at sea offers as appropriate. There is no harm in taking the excursion discount and WiFi, as they don’t have a cost, but as you have to pay the gratuities on the dining and beverage package if you take them then it may work out better for you to decline those. You still get to select your cabin though, as that is unrelated to whether you take free at sea.

[hallux]

16 minutes ago, PaperSniper4 said:

Being able to decline the drinks package is actually a good thing for a lot of folks who do not drink at all; although there aren't that many on cruises, are there?😉

 

That $19.80 pp pd is about $275 for a 7 day cruise; not insignificant for those who drink little.

I don't drink, I decline that package.

 

That $20 pp/pd is covered by getting just 2 drinks pp/pd..

 

8 minutes ago, KeithJenner said:

There is no harm in taking the excursion discount and WiFi, as they don’t have a cost

and in fact, you can't even decline them...

[PaperSniper4]

Thanks to all. I did go to NCL.com and did a test booking. It's now clear to me how the rates work, and I appreciate all who have helped me understand it.

 

I am still trying to decide about an NCL cruise. It does have many pluses for us (no flying, no hotel, our car waiting for us at the pier). The drinks package in the Free at Sea is something I am considering, as it depends, as many have said, on how much one drinks. We do a bit....maybe average 2-3 a day, and it appears that package is not too expensive assuming we'd have that average a day. For years we were too poor (cheap?) to get drinks on board, we just drank our wine and I may have occasionally smuggled a little whisky onboard for me; shhhh, don't tell anyone!😯 Convenience is a hard thing on which to place value sometimes. The older I get, the more important it becomes.

 

I agree the WiFi, Specialty Dining and Excursion credit are an inducement. It's just the drinks package that has me working with my calculator........😎

 

Doug

[Lionkingrichard]

A bottle sent to your room is going to be $100 or more.

 

A double scotch or Bourbon is $30 per drink. Wine $10-15 per.

 

If you drink soda then be prepared to pay!

 

2 drinks a day or one double(the only way to order) pays for the package and is a great deal!

[PaperSniper4]

5 minutes ago, Lionkingrichard said:

A bottle sent to your room is going to be $100 or more.

 

A double scotch or Bourbon is $30 per drink. Wine $10-15 per.

 

If you drink soda then be prepared to pay!

 

2 drinks a day or one double(the only way to order) pays for the package and is a great deal!

Good point on the soft drinks, I'd forgotten NCL does not permit passengers to bring their own on board. We occasionally like a coke or whatever with lunch. Roger than on the cost for a liquor bottle, it's already figured in my calculations.  The thing I like about the bottle in the cabin is convenience. Otherwise I'd have to get my whisky at the bar sometime and take to the cabin for the evening drink on the balcony. My wife only drinks wine, so bringing a couple of bottles when we board ($15 per)  happens no matter which rate we'd book. She would however, probably get a glass of wine with dinner in the MDR.

[rmurray847]

On 1/30/2022 at 7:41 AM, PaperSniper4 said:

 

 

I wish I could book a cruise without the "Free at Sea" package.

I haven't looked very recently, but I've always been offered the "Sail-Away" rate, which is much cheaper but includes no option to have any "Free At Sea" perks.

[hallux]

2 hours ago, rmurray847 said:

I haven't looked very recently, but I've always been offered the "Sail-Away" rate, which is much cheaper but includes no option to have any "Free At Sea" perks.

 

It's almost as if someone already suggested that..

 

On 1/30/2022 at 9:46 AM, hallux said:

Ahhh, but you CAN.  Pick the "Sail-Away" rate.

 

MDRs don't require reservations, specialty dining will...

 

[HxFx]

We just signed up for our first Norwegian cruise and opted for the Free at Sea promotion. I read the Terms and Conditions but am still a bit confused about the Specialty Dining offer. I know we get two meals each but it states that is an $89/p value. Since the venues typically cost more than $45/meal, does that mean you have to pay the difference (if you go to a $49 fixed rate or spend more than $45 at an à la carte)? TIA!

[Hutcha]

22 minutes ago, HxFx said:

does that mean you have to pay the difference (if you go to a $49 fixed rate or spend more than $45 at an à la carte)?

No. It'll be included. You may be limited on how many items you can get from the a la carte places

[KeithJenner]

1 hour ago, HxFx said:

We just signed up for our first Norwegian cruise and opted for the Free at Sea promotion. I read the Terms and Conditions but am still a bit confused about the Specialty Dining offer. I know we get two meals each but it states that is an $89/p value. Since the venues typically cost more than $45/meal, does that mean you have to pay the difference (if you go to a $49 fixed rate or spend more than $45 at an à la carte)? TIA!

The value that they state for the perk is how much it would cost to buy a two meal package. It's marketing and has nothing to do with how much value you may get from them, which depends on what you order.

[Lionkingrichard]

The good old days! About 3 years ago? These prices are no longer valid!🤬

[Yogik]

Can somebody can tell me if it's cheaper to buy SDP before sail or onboard price is the same?

 

Thanks!

[Oxo]

56 minutes ago, Yogik said:

Can somebody can tell me if it's cheaper to buy SDP before sail or onboard price is the same?

 

Thanks!

I have found it cheaper to buy before. However, the prices have gone up.

# Meals/ $Cost/ PerMeal

2/106.80/53.4

3/142.8/47.6

4/174/43.5

5/202/40.4

6/226.8/37.8

7/233.8/35.82

Hope this helps you,

Stay Safe and Happy Cruising!