sanger727

I understand the op's point of view of rounding up the tip from 18% to 20%, in fact I generally do that when paying for drinks (so like drink would be $10, auto tip would be listed at $1.60, so I'd add .40 to make it a $2 tip). The difference to me is that with the current sdp/auto tip structure. I don't think you would have those amount literally on the receipt? I think that the sdp tip goes into paying the crew a higher salary as opposed to your server literally gets paid different amounts every day based on how many tables they serve and how much you order. Therefore, the only real 'tip' is the $1 you left; not $9 divided up from the sdp tip u paid plus $1, creating a tip of $10.

I'm in agreement with the statement that $1 is an insulting tip and worse than leaving nothing in that situation. I don't think any tip is required on top of the auto grat, but if the service was so wonderful that I wanted to tip additional I'd probably go with $5-$10.

No idea if it was a mistake or theft, have trouble seeing how 1.00 could be misinterpreted to 10. But agree they should have been able to produce the receipt and fix it on board.

Yes, believe all cabins are setup like that. It is a more modern setup. I can't tell you how many hotels I've been to recently that have been designed the same way. It doesn't bother me and my BF in the slightest, but is uncomfortable when traveling with a non-romantic partner. Your parents may or may not be bothered by it.

I'm not so sure. I think you just had to have paid for it. In Nassau, we almost missed our glass bottom boat excursion because when I booked online, the time posted was a different time (I think it might have been Bahamas time). I had that printout in my trip folder that I brought with me. Never bothered to look at the excursion tickets when they arrived. We were sitting in Garden Cafe having a leisurely lunch. Then I looked at the tickets. Holy poop, we were five minutes late!

 

Booked off the ship, I ran ahead on my own. Got to the gate with the excursions, told the lady we were on glass bottom boat and I see it right there. She didn't take our tickets. I ran up as the boat was shoving off. One of the crew members actually had one foot on the boat and one on the dock. He saw me, I showed him the tickets, my family got on. No one ever took our tickets.

 

So I have to wonder, if we had missed it, even though we paid for it, would we not have gotten the credit? I would have complained.

I don't think the issue would literally be that you don't get the credit unless you participate. Simply that you don't get the credit until the excursion time has passed and you haven't cancelled. Otherwise you could book the excursions, get your credit the first day, then cancel them all and get the money refunded to your credit card.

To the OP, def consider if another perk would work better for you. We also prefer to book tours independently. My understanding is that you can always switch to another perk that was offered when you booked. If you would like to switch to a perk that wasn't offered when you booked (i.e. we had the choice of UBP, SDP, shore excursion, and internet, so if we wanted the pre-paid gratutities) you would have to get re-priced at current pricing.

In this scenario I think it will be a simple cabin change without going through a cancel and rebook. How far out is your cruise. If you are before final payment, I can't see you having any issues at all. If you are after final payment, I supposed they could put their foot down if they wanted. But you won't know until you call.

After doing hours and hours of research on private tours, and presenting them to dh, he decided we should book all of the excursions I had researched with NCL. After I finished cursing him out, I did so. Yes, they are more expensive (we probably added $200 to the cost of our 3 tours for 4 people) but dh felt more secure using ship tours - even though we are technically still in the U.S.

To each their own. I've done independent tours all over The Caribbean without ever feeling unsafe or running close to missing the ship. For me it's half price and half tour quality. Every ship tour I've taken or seen while on a private tour was a huge bus or boat stuffed full of people but many independent tours were just a large van and or a smaller boat where we had more attention from the guide and a great time.

Just a thought. While obviously no one (besides maybe the room Stewart) knows who is sleeping where. Might they know who the first and second passenger are (assume they get the free ubp and sdp) and who the third and fourth passenger are? I would think that would be listed on the reservation somewhere that the Stewart and restaurant had access to. If so, it might be possible that with all the 'friends and family sail free' bookings, they might be under the impression that you sailed free with your friends and therefore might not be as worried about impressing you with the service as the 'paying' customers.

We are trying NCL for the first time in 25 yrs. I'm reading things about ala-cart dining, different dining plans and beverage plans?

 

Are the dining plans only for specialty restaurants?

Is there a list somewhere that can break down what these "plans" are and what they cost?

And perhaps the drink plans also?

 

We are looking at the NCL Getaway 1/29/17

 

And yes, I'm trying to use the search function and read threads, but all the different information is overwhelming!

I think you are thinking about it the wrong way. You don't need to pay your cruise fare and then buy a dining plan and a drinking plan. The core is the same as cruising has always been. Your cruise fare includes all you can eat in the main dining room, buffet, and a handful of complimentary dining venues and all the included beverages (lemonade, ice tea, coffee, etc). I am pretty sure you have always paid extra for alcoholic drinks. As they have begun adding specialty dining as an extra cost item they have created a specialty dining plan and ultimate beverage plan to help people who want to purchase those items control their costs. It's completely optional, but it's nice that they are thrown in now with your booking for a minimal extra charge (gratuities). I am pretty sure the ultimate beverage plan works in an restaurant/bar/theater for any drink (other than the excluded coffees, bottled water, bucket of beer, etc) up to $15. If you want a drink over $15, you pay the difference (and just as a side note, not all lines allow that. Celebrity for instance won't let you pay the difference if your drink is over the limit unless you have their premium package, and only the classic is offered as a booking perk)

If you are planning on eating in the MDR, there will be a "basics" menu that stays that same all week that should have a chicken and a vegetarian dish on it. Then there will also be a menu that changes daily that will usually have a chicken and/or a fish and a vegetarian dish. So, there should be something new every night they can eat, they may just be limited to 1-2 choices. The buffet and specialty dining is always and option though. They post the menu for the night earlier in the day, so I like to check it out in the morning and then decide if I want to do the MDR that night or an alternate option.

I think the critical issue is whether or not the promo you want was offered when you booked. If it was then it's simple to change promos. You aren't changing any of the booking terms, just from one offer to another. However, if the promo you want wasn't offered when you booked, you are now changing your booking terms. So it's a cancel and rebook under current pricing with a slight possibility of losing your cabin.

Not sure about prohibitions against bicycles. But, I'd be a little concerned about the logistics of it. I can't imagine them being ok with you bringing a full assembled bicycle on board after a port day and lugging it around the ship. So at the minimum I think you would have to take it on and off the ship in it's boxed form. Which would leave the dilemma of what to do with the box while you are out riding. Plus, they have you go through security when you come on board and put your items through an airport x-ray machine. Again, not sure if they will be ok with a package that big coming through port security or not.

Have you explored renting a bicycle when you get to Bermuda? Then could balance the cost of that vs the cost of getting the bike to the port (if you are flying) and hassle of putting it together and taking it apart every day.

Are you debating between a basic comprehensive policy and gold comprehensive policy (including trip cancellation, interruption, and medical coverage) or a evacuation only plan? If it's a comprehensive plan, there's probably a lot more to the basic vs gold than just 100,000 vs 500,000 in medical evacuation. Are you only worried about evacuation or do you want medical coverage in foreign countries (keep in mind, while many insurance plans will cover you outside the country, you often have to pay out of pocket up front for treatment and get reimbursement from insurance later). There are evacuation only policies, evacuation and medical only policies, and full comprehensive insurance... and the first two options are usually considerably cheaper than the latter. I"m not suggesting you go without insurance if you want that, but if your only concern is the evacuation, you can probably get an evacuation only plan cheaper. If your concern is comprehensive, than there's probably a lot of differences between the basic and gold to consider.

We did a European cruise with stops in Italy, Greece, and Turkey. We didn't have to go through customs at any of them, it was just like a Caribbean cruise where we only went through customs when disembarking. The only difference was that as US citizens (instead of EU citizens), they kept our passport at guest services for the cruise (I assume it has to do with the customs paperwork/requirements that the cruise line is responsible for).

The service charge is worth more than the dining package. So you can always buy the dining package if you want it and still come out ahead. So do the UBP and service charge. From what I heard the wifi is not good, and you can usually find somewhere in port to connect for the occasional email.

Are the free gratuities essentially the TIPS that would be applied? I am new to NCL so just trying to understand if the promo for Free at Sea promo option for: FREE PREPAID SERVICE CHARGE is equal to the per person, standard grats applied daily.

Also, what is that amount for NCL - I cannot find it on the site.

thanks so much.

sorry to hijack the thread.

Everyone who cruises on NCL will be charged $13.50 or $15.50 (suites only) per day per person. Free prepaid service charge waives that. So you will not be charged the $13.50 pp per day. If you choose the UBP or SDP promotions or buy anything on board (drinks, specialty dining, spa) you will still pay applicable gratuities (18%).

The only option I don't think you could do is have four people dine on two credits. If the kids are 12 and under, I believe there's a free children's menu that they can order from. Your other options would be to buy them the package or, since it's a la carte, assuming they eat less than an adult, it might be cheaper just to have them order an appetizer or share an entrée.

I'd suggest you look at OVERALL costs. Are other cruise lines offering the same prices? Are the inclusions more to your liking and acceptance? Do you FEEL better about your vacation with a another line?

 

Everyone is different. I highly value NCL's pricing. I get the rock bottom prices I want with guarantee cabins- I get 2 free cocktail parties a cruise, which is enough drinking for me. :) I get a free LeBistro meal- many times only one I'm eating outside of the buffet.

This suits my travel style.

 

I suggest you determine- the bottom line with what YOU are looking for and want from your vacation. Then go with that "choice".

I agree with this point of view. I've cruised with Norwegian once and certainly not loyal to them. That being said, when we were looking at a Caribbean cruise for this winter, that went to islands we hadn't been to before, We looked at Norwegian, Royal, Carnival, and Celebrity. I was biased against Norwegian due to the fact that I dislike how often their policies change. But, side by side, the Norwegian cruise appeared to be the best value. For us it was the best combination of ports and price per night, plus it included the free UBP and UDP. I think the service charge is high, but since we've paid that I'm not feeling compelled to tip anything additional onboard, so from that standpoint the nickel/diming will be less. The bottled water is irrelevant, we refill bottles as we go. The room service charge is irrelevant, we never order room service. The Harvest Caye and Margaritaville are irrelevant since neither applies to our trip. So, ultimately it just comes down to which policies affect you, and whether or not the price/value of the trip compensates for it. Now, we probably will never be loyal to Norwegian due to how often their policies change, but feel like that applies across the board too.

Are you allowed to? No. Do people do it? Yes. No idea what the penalties are if you get caught.

The solution we use is to bring packaged snacks on the trip from home:individual bags of trail mix, individual bags of peanut butter crackers, protein bars, etc... I've been through customs in many countries (and declared them of course) carrying snacks of those types and never had a customs official have an issue with them.

Did you do a mock booking for the $99 cabin? If you did so, you'll see it's a guarantee IX and it does NOT include free open bar!

 

Minimum is $229 for the insides and $259 for the balcony, PLUS taxes!

I thought all sky cruises were under the ships all inclusive package? It's not part of the free at sea thing.

So, I'm a little weirded out by this company. They have fantastic reviews and come highly recommended but they require you to fill out the booking form and give your credit card number before they will answer ANY questions. All I want to know is if the tour times will work with us being in port 8am - 4pm. No email listed and I face booked them and they still refused to answer the question. Has anyone taken the circumnavigation tour for me give me the tour time/pickup location since the company won't?

These pre-authorization holds are done by businesses all the time, and typically happen when you use a credit card. The business wants to ensure that you have enough credit limit free for them to collect the debt. Hotels, cruises, rental cars, etc. So, many people have a high enough credit limit that they never notice these... they don't appear on your bill and you may or may not even see them if you log in to check your account. However, like they said, if they put those on a debit card, they are holding cash from your account from you. And while you ultimately will get anything released that isn't charged to pay your balance, it could get you in hot water if you don't have sufficient extra money in the account for the "pre-authorization" holds plus to pay the bill at the end, plus to carry you over till they/your bank release the holds. If at all possible, a pure cash account or credit card is preferable to a debit card for setting up your on board account.

The reason I asked the question was because a lot of people keep saying that it's "always" best to get 3rd party insurance.

 

If you booked a trip because there were good perks and fare available, but aren't 100% sure you're going to take the trip -- your insurance payment is sunk money if you decide to cancel prior to the final payment date.

 

I booked a trip for next October earlier this month. I'm not sure we're going to take it. No flights involved, hotel reservation would be something we could cancel with 24 hours notice and it's Bermuda, so no excursions booked this far in advance. So paying the several hundred dollars for insurance now (since I've made a payment) would be lost money. We have no pre-existing conditions to worry about. So we'll probably just add the cruiseline insurance when we make final payment ... if we take the trip. If we decide not to go, we've lost $0, since we'll get back the deposit.

 

I think whether to buy the cruiseline insurance really depends on your personal circumstances and the specific trip you're taking. I've got insurance for trip to Norway next year, but will have to add to it when I book the airfare.

 

Might be worth remembering that most airlines will give you a credit for the value of your ticket, minus their change fees, if you cancel a trip after booking. If you plan to fly that airline within a year, it might be cheaper to pay the change fee than to pay to insure the airfare.

You can also wait till final payment to get third party insurance. That's not a Cruise insurance specific thing. Think the benefit to third party insurance is that you can get it when you need to (ie, when u purchase a non-refundable expense like airfare, or at final payment, or upfront to cover pre-existing conditions), and you get to pick and choose what coverage and deductibles you want.

The inability to get price drops after final payment date is pretty standard across the industry. I think it's pretty generous that they allow them before 90 days out seeing how my airfare has dropped by $80 pp, we are more than 90 days out, and there's no option for getting the new price.

Carnival offers the early booker option and no ncl doesn't offer that. But believes carnivals program doesn't allow free cancellation prior to final payment if you cancel more than 90 day out AND your price adjustment is in obc, not cash. So it's an ok program but not necessarily better.

Has anyone else had the "Adult Beverage Plan" listed on their perks? I called NCL and they said it did not include soda typically but since I was in the Haven it would. This definitely does not seem right!

 

I know that it should include soda (Diet Coke/Diet Pepsi is my poison) but I'm wondering what the experience was for anyone else who had the Adult Beverage Plan.

 

:-)

Mallory

Yeah, that thing about soda not being included except in the haven doesn't seem right. Did you book with the ubp perk or the sky or some other all inclusive dea? The only 'adult beverage package' I'm aware of them including in the perks is the ubp, and all the terms and conditions of that are listed on the website.

It comes down to whether or not you are interested in paying approx $14 per day (gratuities) to have access to free drinks up to $15. For non or minimal drinkers, it's not a good value. For many it is. I'm not a huge drinker but we have 4 sea days so I think I'll do better than break even. But since we are only traveling w 2 in the cabin we were able to pick both ubp and sdp.

Think of the ice bar is more of an attraction than a bar. You are paying for entry, and entry includes 2 drink tickets and whether you want those drinks or not (child, pregnant, non-drinker), you still have to pay for admission to the attraction.