Free UBP promo charging me $29/day service charge?

[Sissaaaaaa]

We would easily walk away with a $1,000 bar bill for a 7-night cruise. The included UBP more than pays for itself - extra service charge or not!

[Sissaaaaaa]

Not really new, but I know that the first time I payed out of pocket for the package the gratuities were included.

 

Correct. When the package was first introduced under O'Sheehan there were not any extra gratuities. We got it for free and did not pay anything extra. That didn't last long though.

Edited April 1, 2016 by Sissaaaaaa

[SuiteCruiser]

How does the above not make sense? There is no world in which a drink costs pennies.

 

I manage a bar and even our rail vodka is almost a dollar a pour for just the cost of the vodka. But the vodka isn't the only cost of the drink. You have to pay for the mixer (juice, soda), the ice machine that makes the ice, and the water in the ice, the glass that it's served in, washing the glass it's served in, the blender the makes the slushy drink, the electricity to run the blender, the bevnap or coaster it's sitting on, the shelf the liquor sits on, the cabinet it's stored in, the stool the patron parks on, the floor the stool is sitting on, the heat/air conditioning to keep the patron comfortable, the liability insurance incase something happens to the patron, in addition to the staff to make the drink, move the stock (barback), manage the shift..... The list goes on and on.

 

Our median pour price is $2.50 a drink BEFORE the cost of anything that goes into the glass.

 

The only way a drink costs "pennies a pour" is if you're drinking Nikolai a half oz at a time, warm, at home, in the dark, where your other costs are already sunk in your price of living.

 

My understanding is that NCL gets their booze duty free. Depending on where you work, a good chunk of the cost of the bottle is tax.

[Sissaaaaaa]

I really don't understand why people are upset by the $99 charge. Whether it's a true gratuity, or just lining NCL's pocket, you are still drinking for an entire week for $99. A glass of wine alone is $12. People were paying roughly $600 for the package prior to it being included in the cruise cost (I don't know what the cost was - we never had to purchase it). Now you're paying $99, for top shelf, for a week. :eek:

Edited April 1, 2016 by Sissaaaaaa

[hawkeyetlse]

When the package was first introduced under O'Sheehan there were not any extra gratuities. We got it for free and did not pay anything extra. That didn't last long though.

It lasted for four months, which is longer than any wave season promotion I'd ever seen up to that point.

 

Anyway, the poster you were responding to was not talking about the promotional UBP. They were saying that the first time they bought the UBP, there was no extra gratuity charged. This may have been true at the very beginning when they were testing out the package on the first few ships (late 2012). But the time it was introduced fleetwide, the price was $49/day + 15% gratuity.

[Sissaaaaaa]

It lasted for four months, which is longer than any wave season promotion I'd ever seen up to that point.

 

Anyway, the poster you were responding to was not talking about the promotional UBP. They were saying that the first time they bought the UBP, there was no extra gratuity charged. This may have been true at the very beginning when they were testing out the package on the first few ships (late 2012). But the time it was introduced fleetwide, the price was $49/day + 15% gratuity.

 

Thanks for the clarification!

[Sissaaaaaa]

I said O'Sheehan LOL :D

[swedish weave]

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[mking8288]

*NOMINEE* Post of the Year

 

Going to hit the LIKE button if there is one. I will "second" this, now, let's call for motion -

 

Truly and really glad that others are seeing through another set of smokes and mirrors. Woke up this morning ... another email from a TA,

2 for 1 Cruise fares, Free Airfare, Free unlimited internet, exclusive OBC, and, bonus ... free shorex, free beverage package, or, up to $xxx add'l OBC. Wow - oops, that's from Oceania (* read those details / fineprints carefully)

 

Next email - "This is No Joke! Extended Until Sunday" "Up to $3,000 in Overall Value" ... woohoo. That's NCL.

 

I am going to bet that by the end of 2016, the add-on gratuities will adjust upward to 20% ... whether the DSC will adjust upward too, that's a different discussions. One would be foolish not to re-check options & prices on RCI, CCL & even Princess - they too, have their variant of freestyle dining. ;)

 

Hey, NCL is a for-profit business - buyer's beware, that's all. For those that feel they are getting their money's worth & then some with the alcohol packages, good for them. We will shop around for best value, to us, and if NCL's product is a good fit - we will probably book it, no-frills pricing is just fine for us, don't care for / need the extra bells & whistles.

 

Cruiseline can't possibly be making money giving all these freebies away - but they do, margins are up (CCL reporting results)

[pimmi]

Aha, you think NCL is running their business for fun not for profits - Get real!

 

 

 

This is why we took the wifi package plus an obc from our Ta

 

Done with the specialty places as they just aren't what they used to be

 

Drink package is a joke and would never in a million years drink that much....calories alone are disgusting

 

Shore excursions. Really? All that does is guarantee Ncl full excursions and I watch excursion prices and it's quite apparent they have raised them significantly...of course the local tour guy is still getting the same $$ I'm sure. Lol. And who in their right mind cant just take a taxi to a gorgeous beach in the Carib? In most if not all Carib ports regulated taxis are well run and dependable. It's your choice if you choose to use some non regulated one to save $5.

 

 

Also it's only $50 per port per cabin ...um...so a family of 4 must book Ncl excursions at Ncl prices? Really....I have a bridge for sale btw

 

It should be noted that I have booked Ncl excursions in the past when the prices were lower and I felt it important to be with Ncl...as in our 5 hour call in Tortola at 7 am. The smart money booked the baths excursion thru the ship if you wanted to go there. Primarily for return to ship timing. If had a full day DIY would be ok but not for our call.

 

I would take the free dsc if offered but it isn't right now

 

Every single one of the perks is designed to fund Ncl in one way or another. I'm sure the wifi will be slow but I also set up my iPhone thru Verizon for their $40 package as well. I'm not penny wise and pound foolish. I always have a plan b/c/d at the ready

 

Regarding the drink package...well since it costs Ncl pennies per pour....they are nt giving away much. If it COSTs them $10 per day per pax in alcohol cost plus overhead...that's a lot

 

You can't think retail drink prices when analyzing the package from Ncls standpoint...you must think cost. So the 18% they charge you covers their cost....unless you are naive enough to this the bartenders get it....

 

The bartenders get a salary plus the cash you throw at them because you feel guilty they work so hard ....it's their choice remember

 

Also IMHO. Ncl who we know reads these boards is thrilled we all think the dsc does NOT get to the crew....they and the crew know that means we will

Pay the dsc plus tip in cash

 

I dont remove the dsc and only tip $30 to the steward per cabin. He deserves it.

[sfaaa]

It's sort of a local dialect: there's "free", and then there's "NCL free"; totally different.

 

If you don't like any NCL promo, you are free to decline the deal in your selection. Yeah that's right. Totally free as in no charge to you to turn it down.

Edited April 1, 2016 by sfaaa

[shugey]

We have been trying to follow the posts on the subject of NCL's recent policy to charge a "SERVICE charge and/or Gratuities" on the comp perks which passengers are offered when booking a cruise. We have previously been on NCL (sometimes in HAVEN and sometimes just balcony cabins). When booking i.e. HAVEN all perks awarded (beverage package/etc.) we have not had any supplemental service charge associated with the beverage package show on our bill, and none when in balcony cabin either when the beverage package was chosen as one of the perks.

NOW (as of latter half of 2016) we have been hearing that passengers who choose the beverage package as their perk or in the case of HAVEN guests, we will be charged an extra % service / gratuity for the beverage package on a per day per person package.

Can anyone on a recent NCL cruise who got this supposedly "free" perk i.e. Ultimate Beverage Package....DID YOU SEE A CHARGE ON YOU DAILY STATEMENT AND IF SO, HOW MUCH... ALSO ADVISE WHETHER YOU WERE IN HAVEN SUITES OR NOT, DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE -as someone in one thread alluded that HAVEN GUESTS were not charged extra. ???

[hawkeyetlse]

If you book a suite/Haven, you will not have to pay any extra service charges on the beverage and dining perks.

 

If you book a non-suite/Haven category, you will have to pay 18% service charges on the retail value of the beverage and dining perks, if you choose either of those options.

 

This is true for bookings through NCL US.

 

For complete details, read the terms of the promo here:

Free At Sea terms & conditions

[electro]

My understanding is that NCL gets their booze duty free. Depending on where you work, a good chunk of the cost of the bottle is tax.

 

This is true.

they use one of the same suppliers that duty free for diplomatic duty free is purchased from.

A 1 ltr bottle of Gosseling Dark rum sells for $9.50.

This is the rum used in the dark and stormy that NCL now charges over $17 for.

 

if their pours are 1.5 oz, that is 43 cents a drink.

If they are 1 oz pours it is 29 cents a drink. plus the cost of the ginger beer.

 

Lois

[cruisegal40]

Hey, I'll drink for 8 days of a week for $99.00. DH and I usually have anywhere from 200-300 in bar tab for the week. Those wine glasses add up fast. I may now even try mixed drinks. The offer is for UBP not free UGP (unlimited gratuity package).

[LrgPizza]

We have been trying to follow the posts on the subject of NCL's recent policy to charge a "SERVICE charge and/or Gratuities" on the comp perks which passengers are offered when booking a cruise. We have previously been on NCL (sometimes in HAVEN and sometimes just balcony cabins). When booking i.e. HAVEN all perks awarded (beverage package/etc.) we have not had any supplemental service charge associated with the beverage package show on our bill, and none when in balcony cabin either when the beverage package was chosen as one of the perks.

NOW (as of latter half of 2016) we have been hearing that passengers who choose the beverage package as their perk or in the case of HAVEN guests, we will be charged an extra % service / gratuity for the beverage package on a per day per person package.

Can anyone on a recent NCL cruise who got this supposedly "free" perk i.e. Ultimate Beverage Package....DID YOU SEE A CHARGE ON YOU DAILY STATEMENT AND IF SO, HOW MUCH... ALSO ADVISE WHETHER YOU WERE IN HAVEN SUITES OR NOT, DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE -as someone in one thread alluded that HAVEN GUESTS were not charged extra. ???

 

First of all, this isn't a recent policy.

 

Secondly, those being charged the service charge/gratuity on the UBP package are charged it prior to sailing, and it must be paid at the time the final payment is made. No one who has UBP, whether purchased or received as a promo, is ever charged the gratuity/package service charge daily on their shipboard accounts.

[ray98]

Because they are not giving you a free drink at retail....they are giving you a free drink at their very low cost

 

It costs Ncl very little to give away the drink package and they allow you to actually cover that very low cost out of your own pocket too...by way of the dsc.

 

But they love that you think they are giving you an expensive drink package.

 

You seem rather confused at the economics and true product cost to a business that others have tried to point out.

 

Simply, it doesn't work that way, especially when you are promoting a product to customers who would likely purchase it at retail anyway. By giving you the drink they are eating the cost of the product along with forgoing the profit to be made when that customer purchased at retail.

 

I do promotions all the time in my line. If I offer to comp an item for a customer who would have likely purchased anyway at retail I cannot just deduct the cost of the product as my loss. I also have to include all the legacy costs along with the profit on the item I will no longer receive.

[CruisinHarvey]

I had a guy at work that refused to buy 2 $100 football tickets from a guy selling them, because he found out the guy got them for free. He was asking $50 a piece. 3 days later my co-worker bought tickets for $125 each.

 

Why does anyone care how much it costs a vendor for the product they sell you? Either it's a good deal for you or not. That's all.

[SuiteCruiser]

LOL, didn't realize this was an old thread. I posted the same thing in April so I deleted my post :)

Edited October 7, 2016 by SuiteCruiser

[tinkr2]

Thank you Ray. I get so frustrated with people acting like the cost of a drink at home is the same as the cost of a drink out. The loss of revenue is huge on those packages for NCL. We normally have a 1000 bar tab and We are just 2 guests. While you are pouring a drink at home, you're not paying yourself or expecting to make a profit. NCL has to pay all those people and have profit to build that ship with all the bells and whistles. If you think the 99 isn't going to the bar but is straight into their profits, be grateful, they need profit to stay afloat. Every single cruise line charges gratuity on the packages up front so I find it difficult to believe its a scam. In any case , I'm thrilled to drink for 99 bucks .... Oh and the horror, we tip a buck a drink also. Because it's a nice thing to do. And most of them said, thank you so much for the additional tip. And I emphasize the bartenders said ADDITIONAL.

[SuiteCruiser]

Thank you Ray. I get so frustrated with people acting like the cost of a drink at home is the same as the cost of a drink out. The loss of revenue is huge on those packages for NCL. We normally have a 1000 bar tab and We are just 2 guests. While you are pouring a drink at home, you're not paying yourself or expecting to make a profit. NCL has to pay all those people and have profit to build that ship with all the bells and whistles. If you think the 99 isn't going to the bar but is straight into their profits, be grateful, they need profit to stay afloat. Every single cruise line charges gratuity on the packages up front so I find it difficult to believe its a scam. In any case , I'm thrilled to drink for 99 bucks .... Oh and the horror, we tip a buck a drink also. Because it's a nice thing to do. And most of them said, thank you so much for the additional tip. And I emphasize the bartenders said ADDITIONAL.

 

No other cruise line charges the gratuity on the free perk though, so it's understandable that people are confused.

Edited October 7, 2016 by SuiteCruiser

[ray98]

Thank you Ray. I get so frustrated with people acting like the cost of a drink at home is the same as the cost of a drink out. The loss of revenue is huge on those packages for NCL. We normally have a 1000 bar tab and We are just 2 guests. While you are pouring a drink at home, you're not paying yourself or expecting to make a profit. NCL has to pay all those people and have profit to build that ship with all the bells and whistles. If you think the 99 isn't going to the bar but is straight into their profits, be grateful, they need profit to stay afloat. Every single cruise line charges gratuity on the packages up front so I find it difficult to believe its a scam. In any case , I'm thrilled to drink for 99 bucks .... Oh and the horror, we tip a buck a drink also. Because it's a nice thing to do. And most of them said, thank you so much for the additional tip. And I emphasize the bartenders said ADDITIONAL.

 

Yup. It is easy to realize the real world cost if you use a bit of common sense. The amount we drink is pretty consistent no matter if it is by the drink or as part of a package. It was routine for us to spend a $100+ a day on drinks which was several price levels ago, it would probably be $150 now. The packages started coming out and at the time were slightly cheaper overall but came with the benefit of having no concerns of what or how much. It opened us up to trying a variety of drinks, some more expensive, than we would have tried normally. That adds value for me above and beyond the cost of the drinks.

 

Since NCL started this program it has been a huge money saver for us every time we booked. I can compare like cruises between lines where you look at difference in fares along with calculating the actual cost of each respective program and it is easy to see where the value is. It is just math.

[westcoastman]

Thank you Ray. I get so frustrated with people acting like the cost of a drink at home is the same as the cost of a drink out. The loss of revenue is huge on those packages for NCL. We normally have a 1000 bar tab and We are just 2 guests. While you are pouring a drink at home, you're not paying yourself or expecting to make a profit. NCL has to pay all those people and have profit to build that ship with all the bells and whistles. If you think the 99 isn't going to the bar but is straight into their profits, be grateful, they need profit to stay afloat. Every single cruise line charges gratuity on the packages up front so I find it difficult to believe its a scam. In any case , I'm thrilled to drink for 99 bucks .... Oh and the horror, we tip a buck a drink also. Because it's a nice thing to do. And most of them said, thank you so much for the additional tip. And I emphasize the bartenders said ADDITIONAL.

So 18% is not enough in your opinion for a drink tip so you figure 28% is more in line? Some of the blender drinks seem harder to make so maybe 28% is right. $10-$11 drink cost for normal $1000 bar tab so you tip an additional $100 on top of the just under $200 gratuities you already paid for the package. I'm assuming 100 drinks over the cruise for two so that's about $3 in gratuity for each drink. Does that tip amount include bottled beer too?

 

One of our problems is we use the free 3rd and 4th passenger promo so needed to pay an additional $600 to get a porthole instead of an inside room so we could also get two promos and the drink package for two passengers in the room. That all starts to add up. We figured we paid $800 extra on our last cruise for the drink package for two and a porthole. Then NCL said I would have to pay $2.50 extra (over $15) for each of my favorite drinks. See what I'm saying?

Edited October 7, 2016 by westcoastman

[ray98]

No other cruise line charges the gratuity on the free perk though, so it's understandable that people are confused.

 

 

....but the rub is NCL's direct competitors don't even offer a drink package as a free perk. Carnival will gladly sell you one at $49+gratuity and RCCL will hook you up for $55+gratuity.

 

Simply...you are paying the gratuity no matter what, only one of those is comping the cost of the package itself.

Edited October 7, 2016 by ray98

[SuiteCruiser]

....but the rub is NCL's direct competitors don't even offer a drink package as a free perk. Carnival will gladly sell you one at $49+gratuity and RCCL will hook you up for $55+gratuity.

 

Simply...you are paying the gratuity no matter what, only one of those is comping the cost of the package itself.

 

Yes they do, look at Royal and Celebrity