Miss leading free drink package

[Mrearl]

I was checking on a 14 day cruise with a drink package included.  They then state we have to pay gratuities which is $690 in  gratuities. It makes the initial price look good until they add the gratuities. This is the first cruise line I have been on that makes you pay gratuities for the drink package.  

[debenson0723]

The package itself is free...you pay the gratuities, which are about $21 p/p per day. So if you drink anywhere between 2-3 drinks a day, it pays for itself.

And you must not have been on an RCL cruise...for their drink package on my cruise, it was $89.99 p/p per day PLUS 18% gratuities. Needless to say, I skipped buying that one.

[All-ready2cruise]

1. Yup,  gotta do the math. Don't like it, don't do it. 

[realnice46]

From what I can see if you choose all inclusive with Celebrity drinks and Wi-Fi include these is no extra charge on the drink package. NCL seems to be a bait and switch making you think you have all inclusive and you don’t when you view the final price.

[Russiamomm]

23 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

The package itself is free...you pay the gratuities, which are about $21 p/p per day. So if you drink anywhere between 2-3 drinks a day, it pays for itself.

And you must not have been on an RCL cruise...for their drink package on my cruise, it was $89.99 p/p per day PLUS 18% gratuities. Needless to say, I skipped buying that one.

Completely agree with this.  I always look at the total cost vs. the so-called “free” perks.  We went on an RCCL trip last year and declined the drink package because of the cost.  One frozen drink at the pool was more than $17!  That would have almost paid for a full day of drinks on NCL.

 

1 minute ago, realnice46 said:

From what I can see if you choose all inclusive with Celebrity drinks and Wi-Fi include these is no extra charge on the drink package. NCL seems to be a bait and switch making you think you have all inclusive and you don’t when you view the final price.

I haven’t been on Celebrity, but I’m willing to bet that that all inclusive package is significantly higher than a bare bones fare.  You have to compare apples to apples.  How much are you actually paying for that “all inclusive” fare?  NCL doesn’t make anyone take the drink package.  You can opt out.  But for most people that want a few drinks a day, NCL’s package is a great deal.

[SoloAlaska]

Celebrity sometimes charges over $120 a day more for all-inclusive which doesn’t include your daily service fee (aka tips) and it doesn’t include specialty dining either . RCI charges 18% gratuity on its drink package. Carnival has a max of 15 drinks per day. Really NCL is by far the best deal for drinks. My last cruise was 15 nights and I knew I wouldn’t be drinking most days so I decided to pay as I go and drink prices weren’t too bad. My next cruise is shorter and I don’t have to work so I’ll be enjoying my time at the bar with FAS. 

[Two Wheels Only]

You can also decline the promo and pay for drinks à la carte.

You will then have a 20% service charge added to each drink. 

Your choice. 

 

 

[IAcruising]

1 hour ago, Mrearl said:

I was checking on a 14 day cruise with a drink package included.  They then state we have to pay gratuities which is $690 in  gratuities. It makes the initial price look good until they add the gratuities. This is the first cruise line I have been on that makes you pay gratuities for the drink package.  

 

Dust off that old calculator in the drawer and do the math. Then compare it to other cruise lines where you have to purchase the drink package. See?

 

[Mrearl]

Celebrity free drink package includes gratuities in their drink package. 
Their 14 day cruises are basically cheaper due to not paying gratuities for the drink package.

They should not advertise free drink packages,it is not if you have to pay and additional $690 for gratuity 

[SoloAlaska]

1 minute ago, Mrearl said:

Celebrity free drink package includes gratuities in their drink package. 
Their 14 day cruises are basically cheaper due to not paying gratuities for the drink package.

They should not advertise free drink packages,it is not if you have to pay and additional $690 for gratuity 

I haven’t seen celebrity offer a free drink package. They offer all-inclusive options but you’re easily paying $120 a day for those items to be included. I just went to price out an Alaskan cruise and AI was double the price.

[IAcruising]

3 minutes ago, Mrearl said:

Celebrity free drink package includes gratuities in their drink package. 
Their 14 day cruises are basically cheaper due to not paying gratuities for the drink package.

 

 

Numbers please. Because, you know, math works.

 

[SoloAlaska]

16 minutes ago, Mrearl said:

Celebrity free drink package includes gratuities in their drink package. 
Their 14 day cruises are basically cheaper due to not paying gratuities for the drink package.

They should not advertise free drink packages,it is not if you have to pay and additional $690 for gratuity 

I went back to look at longer cruises and interestingly enough the categories were all sold out except the suites for solos but when I put in 2 guests it miraculously had cabins available. Celebrity at its finest. For the 13 day cruises I looked at it was $66 per night for AI. So not a bad deal for what you’re getting.

[havoc315]

I’m curious if FAS gratuities actually all go to bar staff and wait staff (doubtful), or it just goes directly into NCL revenue, which pays a set amount to bar staff. 
 

It all really is just a misleading promotion — it’s not “free” at all. In reality, $21 per day probably covers NCL’s actual costs for labor and alcohol. (Their drink cost is less than $2 per drink. So if the average guest has 4 drinks in a day (some more, some less)… that’s about $8 worth of alcohol and $13 towards labor).  
 

But yes, it’s definitely not free. Most cruise lines that don’t give “free” drink packages price their packages between $50 and $100 per day. So at best, can look at NCL’s “free at sea” as a discounted drink package. 

[Liljo22]

50 minutes ago, Mrearl said:

Celebrity free drink package includes gratuities in their drink package. 
Their 14 day cruises are basically cheaper due to not paying gratuities for the drink package.

They should not advertise free drink packages,it is not if you have to pay and additional $690 for gratuity 

You should stay with Celebrity then.  

[Liljo22]

1 hour ago, realnice46 said:

From what I can see if you choose all inclusive with Celebrity drinks and Wi-Fi include these is no extra charge on the drink package. NCL seems to be a bait and switch making you think you have all inclusive and you don’t when you view the final price.

Not a bait and switch in any manner.  You get the full price before you book.  If it’s a good deal to you, book it.  It’s it’s not, don’t book it.  

[julig22]

29 minutes ago, havoc315 said:

It all really is just a misleading promotion — it’s not “free” at all.

No different than any marketing offer - Free, just pay shipping and handling...

[All-ready2cruise]

1 hour ago, Mrearl said:

Celebrity free drink package includes gratuities in their drink package. 
Their 14 day cruises are basically cheaper due to not paying gratuities for the drink package.

They should not advertise free drink packages,it is not if you have to pay and additional $690 for gratuity 

Then cruise with Celebrity, easy-peasy. No worries. 

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, Mrearl said:

Celebrity free drink package includes gratuities in their drink package. 
Their 14 day cruises are basically cheaper due to not paying gratuities for the drink package.

They should not advertise free drink packages,it is not if you have to pay and additional $690 for gratuity 

If you like Celebrity, then you won’t like NCL, so your best bet is to,stay with Celebrity

[rodndonna]

I just checked today's banner - 

 

FREE 2nd ,FREE $250, FREE Ulimited OpenBar, AIR,More

 

Do I really think when it shows a fare of $1000 - my husband will be Free and we will get $250 and the bar is free and the airfare is free ....

 

so $750 fare for 2 of us to fly, cruise, drink and more - sign me up!!!! 

 

"FREE" is a term used very liberally in marketing ... by everybody and all cruiselines.

[hallux]

9 hours ago, Mrearl said:

They should not advertise free drink packages,it is not if you have to pay and additional $690 for gratuity

And if you bother to see the * on the offer, then refer to the T&C's indicated by that note you will see the details of the offer and the guest responsibility for fees or service charges.  The information is all there IF YOU CHOOSE TO READ IT.  Don't fault the cruise line if you can't be bothered to read the terms of the offer.

[SeaShark]

8 hours ago, havoc315 said:

I’m curious if FAS gratuities actually all go to bar staff and wait staff (doubtful), or it just goes directly into NCL revenue, which pays a set amount to bar staff. 
 

It all really is just a misleading promotion — it’s not “free” at all. In reality, $21 per day probably covers NCL’s actual costs for labor and alcohol. (Their drink cost is less than $2 per drink. So if the average guest has 4 drinks in a day (some more, some less)… that’s about $8 worth of alcohol and $13 towards labor).  
 

But yes, it’s definitely not free. Most cruise lines that don’t give “free” drink packages price their packages between $50 and $100 per day. So at best, can look at NCL’s “free at sea” as a discounted drink package. 

 

If there is anything misleading it is posts like this that are nothing but word games on the word "free". You want to play the "it's not free at all" card, but you gloss over the fact that you have to purchase an entire cruise to get what you classify as "free". Do you really think anything can be "free" if you have to purchase a cruise to get it?

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, Mrearl said:

I was checking on a 14 day cruise with a drink package included.  They then state we have to pay gratuities which is $690 in  gratuities. It makes the initial price look good until they add the gratuities. This is the first cruise line I have been on that makes you pay gratuities for the drink package.  

Welcome to NCL cruising. 
 

The Free at Sea promotion has been running the exact same way for years. And you are given the opportunity to review the package right on the splash page. 
 

It’s like gong to McDonalds and getting a FREE SANDWICH,,,, “with the purchase of another sandwich of equal or higher value”. 
 

It’s called marketing. And you need to spend time understanding what you are buying. 

[havoc315]

15 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

If there is anything misleading it is posts like this that are nothing but word games on the word "free". You want to play the "it's not free at all" card, but you gloss over the fact that you have to purchase an entire cruise to get what you classify as "free". Do you really think anything can be "free" if you have to purchase a cruise to get it?

???  So NCL isn’t  misleading in their use of the word free, because nobody should take it seriously to begin with?

But if someone points out that it’s not really free, then they are the misleading person?

 

[david_sobe]

The package does not work for everyone.  For example my next cruise will have 4 in a cabin with 1 non drinker and others that dont drink much.  The package gratuities were over $600.  If only one person in the cabin is a big drinker, it still does not save anything and will actually cost you more.  Just imagine how much you could drink with a $400 or so allowance?  You could get plastered every day and still not make out on the "free" deal.  NCL marketing is like any other marketing.  You don't have to take those "free" drinks.  Depending on you and your cabin mates, it could be costing you more.  If everyone is a big drinker then you will make out on the deal.  I saved $600 during my booking process by simply declining the offer.  

Edited February 16 by david_sobe

[SeaShark]

1 minute ago, havoc315 said:

???  So NCL isn’t  misleading in their use of the word free, because nobody should take it seriously to begin with?

But if someone points out that it’s not really free, then they are the misleading person?

 

 

Depends. It is "free" as in "no cost", or "free" as in "free to enjoy drinks without the worry of a huge bar bill at the end of the cruise"? NCL's moniker is "freestyle" cruising? Does that mean you don't pay for cruises?

 

Since everyone knows that nothing is "really free", it doesn't need to be pointed out, and yes, those who want to point it out to create a narrative are being misleading.