Beverage Package Gratuities not included

[darstamp]

I've been reading up on the "free at sea" Beverage Package that I have (and for which I was charged over $200 CAD.  The list says that a 20% gratuity and beverage service charge will be added at checkout.  Does this mean every time I order a drink for $15  or less I am going to get billed extra? I understand if I order something over $15 I will have to pay the difference but in all my years of cruising, I have never been charged extra for the tip, it has always been included.  Please say it isn't so.  I am beginning to regret my decision to sail with NCL.  

[Travelicious]

What you were charged is the gratuity.  You won't pay more when you get drinks less than $15.

[JandC_Cruising]

6 minutes ago, darstamp said:

The list says that a 20% gratuity and beverage service charge will be added at checkout.

If "The List" you are referring to is an actual drink list or menu with prices, then what you are seeing applies to those who did not purchase the drink package.   Those people will need to pay the cost of the drink PLUS the 20% gratuity.

Because you got the drink package, you already paid your gratuity for any drink that is $15 or less.

However, if you purchase a drink that is over the $15 max of the program, you will pay that difference +20%....  A $20 drink will cost you $6 ($5 overage +$1 tip).

[Coffeeluvr05]

We paid our beverage package gratuities at the time we booked our cruise.  So much for "free"-at-sea! lol

 

I was a little shocked since having had the Princess version I've never been charged like that.  Not saying that it's not built into the cost somewhere, but that was a little surprising.  This will be my first NCL cruise and I have to say, I'm seeing a lot of nickel and diming so far and we haven't sailed yet.  I paid more for the beverage package gratuities than I did for the daily services charges that I prepaid.  About $200 more.  This might be my only NCL cruise.  We will see!

[jbcallender]

Service charge is on top of the "free" package.

[hallux]

Pretty well hashed out in this thread from Friday - 

 

[Haddonqueen]

On 12/22/2022 at 2:16 AM, jbcallender said:

Service charge is on top of the "free" package.

If you’re from the U.K. it’s already included in the price.

[CILCIANRQTS]

It’s deja vu all over again!! 😎

[CruizinSusan70]

On 12/21/2022 at 5:45 PM, Coffeeluvr05 said:

We paid our beverage package gratuities at the time we booked our cruise.  So much for "free"-at-sea! lol

 

I was a little shocked since having had the Princess version I've never been charged like that.  Not saying that it's not built into the cost somewhere, but that was a little surprising.  This will be my first NCL cruise and I have to say, I'm seeing a lot of nickel and diming so far and we haven't sailed yet.  I paid more for the beverage package gratuities than I did for the daily services charges that I prepaid.  About $200 more.  This might be my only NCL cruise.  We will see!

If someone bestows you a voucher for a free dinner for two at your local restaurant, do you give your server the voucher and leave?  Or do you give them a tip for serving you?  The dinner was free with the voucher you got, yet you still paid a 20% tip.  The same is true with NCL.  You pay a 20% tip on the "free" drink package.  It's creative marketing.  You can opt out of it as many teetotalers do.

[CruizinSusan70]

1 minute ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

It’s deja vu all over again!! 😎

Just like chair hogs and balcony smokers.

[BirdTravels]

On 12/21/2022 at 5:03 PM, hallux said:

Pretty well hashed out in this thread from Friday - 

 

It has been “hashed out” since the invention of the package years ago. Over and over. It is what it is. Take it or leave it. 

[mjkacmom]

53 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

It has been “hashed out” since the invention of the package years ago. Over and over. It is what it is. Take it or leave it. 

As someone who actually paid for the package in full when it first came out, I was very happy to just pay the gratuities the next time.

[Two Wheels Only]

10 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

As someone who actually paid for the package in full when it first came out, I was very happy to just pay the gratuities the next time.

 

Do you remember what the cost was then? The lowest that I remember was $59pppd but I didn't sail NCL until around 2015 and I've never paid for the UBP/PBP. 

[Liljo22]

On 12/21/2022 at 5:45 PM, Coffeeluvr05 said:

We paid our beverage package gratuities at the time we booked our cruise.  So much for "free"-at-sea! lol

 

I was a little shocked since having had the Princess version I've never been charged like that.  Not saying that it's not built into the cost somewhere, but that was a little surprising.  This will be my first NCL cruise and I have to say, I'm seeing a lot of nickel and diming so far and we haven't sailed yet.  I paid more for the beverage package gratuities than I did for the daily services charges that I prepaid.  About $200 more.  This might be my only NCL cruise.  We will see!

Honestly, if you are still before final payment, just cancel.  Sounds like you will be looking for things to be upset with NCL about and will have a bad time.  Why put yourself through that for something that costs this much money.

[CILCIANRQTS]

Just got our weekly NCL mailing, which of course features free at sea.

It states free specialty dining, but NOWHERE in the brochure does it state you get vouchers for 2 nights only. That’s misrepresentation.

[CruizinSusan70]

14 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Just got our weekly NCL mailing, which of course features free at sea.

It states free specialty dining, but NOWHERE in the brochure does it state you get vouchers for 2 nights only. That’s misrepresentation.

Depending upon where you're staying and the length of your cruise, it could be only a single night of specialty.  That's what it is for inside and OV cabins up to I believe an 11 night sailing.

And it's not misrepresentation because they never imply that it's for every night of your cruise.

[mjkacmom]

44 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Do you remember what the cost was then? The lowest that I remember was $59pppd but I didn't sail NCL until around 2015 and I've never paid for the UBP/PBP. 

It was probably around that, I think when it first came out it wasn’t free at all, then it was offered free with no gratuities, I believe, and my next cruise we had to pay the gratuities (and of.course the package price increased a lot).

[CILCIANRQTS]

34 minutes ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

Depending upon where you're staying and the length of your cruise, it could be only a single night of specialty.  That's what it is for inside and OV cabins up to I believe an 11 night sailing.

And it's not misrepresentation because they never imply that it's for every night of your cruise.

Beg to differ.

If I have FAS, there may be times when my specialty dining is NOT free.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

It states free specialty dining, but NOWHERE in the brochure does it state you get vouchers for 2 nights only. That’s misrepresentation.

As noted by someone else - nowhere does it say that you get free specialty dining EVERY night, so even one night (as I get for my Studio cabin on the Escape in March) still qualifies.

52 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Beg to differ.

If I have FAS, there may be times when my specialty dining is NOT free

Are you referring to the up-charge items, such as the crab cake at Cagney's?  The fine print on the back DOES indicate restrictions apply.  Reading the terms of the deals, rather than just the bold headline advertising is very important.  Sometimes that requires going online and doing some searching - the phrase 'NCL promotional terms and conditions' in Google will give you the full, CURRENT terms of the promos with the very first result.

[CILCIANRQTS]

7 minutes ago, hallux said:

As noted by someone else - nowhere does it say that you get free specialty dining EVERY night, so even one night (as I get for my Studio cabin on the Escape in March) still qualifies.

It also says Free WIFI.

Does that mean I only get it Tuesdays and Wednesdays?? 🙄

[hallux]

15 minutes ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

It also says Free WIFI.

Does that mean I only get it Tuesdays and Wednesdays?? 🙄

You do get free WiFi, up to 150 minutes per passenger.  Again, it does not indicate it's free for the entire cruise.

 

While we're at it - you don't get FULL free open bar- it's only for drinks up to $15, but you haven't complained about THAT caveat.  It's all part of the "restrictions apply" fine print on the back of the mailing, which requires extra research as I indicated before.

[wcook]

12 hours ago, CruizinSusan70 said:

If someone bestows you a voucher for a free dinner for two at your local restaurant, do you give your server the voucher and leave?  Or do you give them a tip for serving you?

But I think it clear NCL is playing games. Jacking the drink package price to over $100/day and then setting a tip rate of 20%. No sane person would pay that, would they? Don’t get me wrong, $20+/day is a nice price for drink package. But Im allowed a few eye rolls at calling it free. 

[CruizinSusan70]

6 hours ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

Beg to differ.

If I have FAS, there may be times when my specialty dining is NOT free.

You mentioned in your previous post about receiving two nights of specialty dining.  My response is that it's not two, but could only be one if you are residing in an inside or OV cabin up to an 11 day sailing.  If you're entitled to more dinners because of length of the cruise or staying in a balcony or above, either way you will pay the 20% gratuity. 

I will infer that this is your point of contention.  The dining is free, just like the drink package is free.  They each have gratuities added that are mandatory. 

If you don't like NCL's marketing, there are a plethora of other cruise lines to choose from.

[CruizinSusan70]

5 hours ago, CILCIANRQTS said:

It also says Free WIFI.

Does that mean I only get it Tuesdays and Wednesdays?? 🙄

No you only get it on February 30.

[Thor17]

Ok...I think we have determined that when NCL gives you something for free..it’s not really free....lol

 

Thankfully, NCL is not raising its daily gratuities (again)......oh, wait.....