What are the extras that you pay for on NCL

[trosmiles2u]

We are planning a cruise for September 2017 to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary. We are going to Bermuda and want to do a 7 day so it looks like we have NCL, Celebrity or Carnival to choose from. We have cruised with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Princess. I have just started looking, but we have to book by 8/14 to get the current promotion. So i expect to pay for the spa etc., but I saw that some entertainment is ticketed?? Can someone help me understand what things are not included in the cruise price?

 

Thanks

[Computer Nerd]

soda

alcohol

bottled water

specialty coffees

specialty restaurants

certain dinner shows

gratuities

gratuities on *free* packages

excursions

internet

[cruiseelady]

soda

alcohol

bottled water

specialty coffees

specialty restaurants

certain dinner shows

gratuities

gratuities on *free* packages

excursions

internet

 

 

Room service

[Heckah]

While the entertainment is "ticketed" it's more of a reservation, you don't have to buy tickets. The cirque dinner is an exception.

[NMLady]

Room service

 

No room service charge for continental breakfast before 10:30am. We always tip whoever brings it, though.

[LrgPizza]

Basically, the extras you pay for will be 95% the same on any cruiseline you choose. These include alcohol (if you don't have a package), excursions, specialty dining, bingo, spa... It is possible to leave a cruise with very little or no money owed on your account, or to leave with a giant bill. It will be up to you, and there are no hidden surprises.

Edited August 7, 2016 by LrgPizza

[Kealy]

We've also paid extra for the ice bar.

[Sauer-kraut]

soda

alcohol

bottled water

specialty coffees

specialty restaurants

certain dinner shows

gratuities

gratuities on *free* packages

excursions

internet

 

Can anybody verify the 95% same comment ????? I don't think so.

 

EVERYTHING on this list incurs a fee on Carnival and I don't hesitate to think even on RCCL these are not included. The ONLY this on here that I see that isn't on the other lines would be "dinner shows". This isn't a common thing on other lines.

[ColinIllinois]

FYI...there is no room service charge if you are a Haven customer.

[NLH Arizona]

FYI...there is no room service charge if you are a Haven customer.

And those in suites don't pay the 18% gratuity on the free UBP and UDP, but if one is like me and tips when I get these as a perk, carry some cash. Edited August 7, 2016 by NLH Arizona

[sfaaa]

soda

alcohol

bottled water

specialty coffees

specialty restaurants

certain dinner shows

gratuities

gratuities on *free* packages

excursions

internet

 

All at your own discretion and not mandatory unless you insist on having them as an add on.

[david_sobe]

Spa Pass

Specialty Dining 3 times in the week

The upcharge entertainment

250 min internet package

A few goodies like gelato or cakes

excursions

Edited August 7, 2016 by david_sobe

[fshagan]

We are planning a cruise for September 2017 to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary. We are going to Bermuda and want to do a 7 day so it looks like we have NCL, Celebrity or Carnival to choose from. We have cruised with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Princess. I have just started looking, but we have to book by 8/14 to get the current promotion. So i expect to pay for the spa etc., but I saw that some entertainment is ticketed?? Can someone help me understand what things are not included in the cruise price?

 

I have read your post and will try to answer your specific questions, and provide some of my insight in dealing with older people on a cruise.

 

There are some subtle differences among the lines.

 

As far as what you'd normally expect to be included on Princess is included on NCL. (We have only sailed Princess beside NCL from your list). They do have "dinner shows" on the larger ships like the Breakaway that have a cover charge but all of the main entertainment options are free. The NCL beverage plan only includes alcoholic drinks (although you can order a virgin drink to sneak in an orange juice), where other lines will include non-alcoholic drinks like bottled water and specialty coffees. Room service has a fee except for a very limited "continental breakfast" menu (you can get coffee and cold pastries without the fee in the morning).

 

NCL also charges 18% gratuity on the value of free promos like the beverage plan and dining package. Just watch out for that in comparing rates; as far as I know, none of the others do so. The beverage package, for instance, will cost you about $95 per person for a 7 day cruise when it's included as a promo. Still a deal if you are going to drink, but it can be a surprise to have your bill $400 more than you anticipated. It's included in the final payment when you book so there's no "gotcha" moment on board. But it is a cost to consider.

 

The experience you have will differ based on the ship you are sailing on ... on the GEM you will have a smaller ship, with singing / dancing style shows in the main theater, live music in various venues on the ship. No reservations required and no cover charge. Unless your parents like Vegas or visiting NYC, the bigger ships like the Breakaway may not appeal to them ... they are like a floating resort with a lot going on.

 

On the newer, larger ships like the Breakaway you will have a larger theater with a Broadway level show (well, almost) and no cover charge. We saw Blue Man Group on the Epic a few years back and loved it. Reservations for these shows are recommended but not absolutely required; we walked in right before showtime on three nights.

 

The ship will also determine how much the pool is crowded. On the larger ships like the Breakaway NCL has a small pool for the total number of passengers. If you like sitting by the pool, either the GEM or another line is a better choice.

 

Seeing how it's a 50th anniversary your decision will have to be made also on how lively the older couple is; they are at about 70 years old I would guess. The bigger ships tend to have more of a night life with dancing - NCL does a Glow or White Hot party that is lively on these ships. The smaller ships are a bit more subdued, but still have plenty going on until about midnight. Princess, in our experience, generally has little going on after 10. If they loved Princess in terms of entertainment I would vote for taking them on the GEM sized ships rather than the Breakaway sized ships.

 

Are you sailing from NYC (GEM and Breakaway, I believe) or are you planning to sail from Miami?

[atomax]

I'm not the OP, but I appreciate your thoughtful, insightful, and pleasant response. These threads can go off the rails so quickly, but you kept it on track. Kudos!

 

I have read your post and will try to answer your specific questions, and provide some of my insight in dealing with older people on a cruise.

 

There are some subtle differences among the lines.

 

[Warm Breezes]

I have read your post and will try to answer your specific questions, and provide some of my insight in dealing with older people on a cruise.

 

There are some subtle differences among the lines.

 

As far as what you'd normally expect to be included on Princess is included on NCL. (We have only sailed Princess beside NCL from your list). They do have "dinner shows" on the larger ships like the Breakaway that have a cover charge but all of the main entertainment options are free. The NCL beverage plan only includes alcoholic drinks (although you can order a virgin drink to sneak in an orange juice), where other lines will include non-alcoholic drinks like bottled water and specialty coffees. Room service has a fee except for a very limited "continental breakfast" menu (you can get coffee and cold pastries without the fee in the morning).

 

NCL also charges 18% gratuity on the value of free promos like the beverage plan and dining package. Just watch out for that in comparing rates; as far as I know, none of the others do so. The beverage package, for instance, will cost you about $95 per person for a 7 day cruise when it's included as a promo. Still a deal if you are going to drink, but it can be a surprise to have your bill $400 more than you anticipated. It's included in the final payment when you book so there's no "gotcha" moment on board. But it is a cost to consider.

 

The experience you have will differ based on the ship you are sailing on ... on the GEM you will have a smaller ship, with singing / dancing style shows in the main theater, live music in various venues on the ship. No reservations required and no cover charge. Unless your parents like Vegas or visiting NYC, the bigger ships like the Breakaway may not appeal to them ... they are like a floating resort with a lot going on.

 

On the newer, larger ships like the Breakaway you will have a larger theater with a Broadway level show (well, almost) and no cover charge. We saw Blue Man Group on the Epic a few years back and loved it. Reservations for these shows are recommended but not absolutely required; we walked in right before showtime on three nights.

 

The ship will also determine how much the pool is crowded. On the larger ships like the Breakaway NCL has a small pool for the total number of passengers. If you like sitting by the pool, either the GEM or another line is a better choice.

 

Seeing how it's a 50th anniversary your decision will have to be made also on how lively the older couple is; they are at about 70 years old I would guess. The bigger ships tend to have more of a night life with dancing - NCL does a Glow or White Hot party that is lively on these ships. The smaller ships are a bit more subdued, but still have plenty going on until about midnight. Princess, in our experience, generally has little going on after 10. If they loved Princess in terms of entertainment I would vote for taking them on the GEM sized ships rather than the Breakaway sized ships.

 

Are you sailing from NYC (GEM and Breakaway, I believe) or are you planning to sail from Miami?

 

This is incorrect. Fountain Soda is included in NCL's UBP (canned soda is not). Juice is included in NCL's UBP (fresh squeezed juice is not).

[fshagan]

Would someone who has cruised with either Holland America or Princess--or both--in recent years please point out the major differences I can expect when I sail on the Norwegian Star? If it would helpful, I tend to sleep in on sea days, I usually only order from room service for breakfast, I am not purchasing a beverage package, and I'm not planning on having dinner at a specialty restaurant, but I do enjoy dinner in the MDR.

 

Any and all suggestions and comments would be appreciated!

 

I have not sailed HAL, but we like NCL much more than Princess. We found the MDR food on Princess to be better presented, and the service faster in traditional dining than NCL. But in terms of taste the food was about the same with a bit of an edge to NCL (at least for us). And move to Princess' Anytime Dining (or whatever they call it) and the service is as slow as it is on NCL. So we don't find any advantage in terms of dining on Princess.

 

The one disadvantage sailing solo on NCL might be that it will be hard to find a table to share if you like traditional dining. You can ask to share, and they will seat you at a larger table, but you don't have the same table mates throughout the cruise due to Freestyle Dining. There is no traditional dining on NCL at all. Maybe some other solo cruisers will chime in on this point. You can easily get a table for two in the main dining room if you prefer to eat in solitude.

 

NCL will assess a $7.95 room service delivery fee for any hot items you have for breakfast such as eggs, etc. You can get cold pastries and coffee without the room service delivery fee before 10 or 10:30 AM. They may also have some extra cost breakfast items you can purchase; if you do order them they waive the $7.95 delivery fee.

 

Our experience is that the entertainment on NCL is much better than on Princess, with better shows in the theater at night. Our NCL cruises have tended to have a younger crowd than Princess but that difference might disappear with your longer cruise.

[CruznRagtop]

I have not sailed HAL, but we like NCL much more than Princess. We found the MDR food on Princess to be better presented, and the service faster in traditional dining than NCL. But in terms of taste the food was about the same with a bit of an edge to NCL (at least for us). And move to Princess' Anytime Dining (or whatever they call it) and the service is as slow as it is on NCL. So we don't find any advantage in terms of dining on Princess.

 

The one disadvantage sailing solo on NCL might be that it will be hard to find a table to share if you like traditional dining. You can ask to share, and they will seat you at a larger table, but you don't have the same table mates throughout the cruise due to Freestyle Dining. There is no traditional dining on NCL at all. Maybe some other solo cruisers will chime in on this point. You can easily get a table for two in the main dining room if you prefer to eat in solitude.

 

NCL will assess a $7.95 room service delivery fee for any hot items you have for breakfast such as eggs, etc. You can get cold pastries and coffee without the room service delivery fee before 10 or 10:30 AM. They may also have some extra cost breakfast items you can purchase; if you do order them they waive the $7.95 delivery fee.

 

Our experience is that the entertainment on NCL is much better than on Princess, with better shows in the theater at night. Our NCL cruises have tended to have a younger crowd than Princess but that difference might disappear with your longer cruise.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your insight! I now have a much better idea of what to expect.

[lmintzer]

I recently traveled on the Pearl. Extras paid ahead of time were: required gratuity (I believe it was $13.50 per day per person), 18% gratuity on two perks--on 3 nights of free specialty dining and unlimited beverage package for me and soda package for my older son. I also paid for 3 nights of specialty dining for my younger son (since the perk only applied to two travelers) The gratuity total was about $283. The specialty dining for 1 plus gratuities on that and the drink packages came out to a little less than $250.

 

On the ship: $200 in the casino playing Black Jack (oops! should probably not have let my brother convince me to play at the $15 table with him--should have stuck with the $6 table, but it was hard to get seats; oh well, this was over a couple of nights, and we had fun). Other than that, I had a total of $1.87 (that's it!) charged to my cruise card. I had started with $165 OBC that had been included for myself and my children. Over the course of the week, we spent it (on bowling, Bingo, a few video games, a virgin daiquiri for my younger son, etc.) but only went $1.87 over that! Not bad! This included some being allocated toward extra tips to servers at restaurants who we felt deserved a little more.

 

I also tipped my room steward $60 and the Teen Club leader $20.

 

That was really everything (except for tips to guides on excursions).

 

I know people talk about nickel and diming, but I felt I had a lot of choice about how much I spent and how I spent it. I never felt pressured into anything.

Edited August 14, 2016 by lmintzer

[deliver42]

That is the bottom line. Everybody has a choice what to spend. They can go crazy and spend $1000.00 on board, or nothing, except for maybe an extra tip. Whatever it is, don't blame NCL for your choices.

[tel2]

"The NCL beverage plan only includes alcoholic drinks"

 

 

The NCL beverage package also includes virgin frozen drinks. I get virgin strawberry and/or banana daiquiris every day.....

 

terry

[Sizzlechest]

Ice cream in OSheenan's incurs a charge, but ice cream at the buffet with the same toppings is free. The gelato and muffins aren't included. The sushi is extra, but the noodle bar is free. Eventually Margaritaville will replace the one of the free food areas on the newer ships but for a fee. Beer, Wine, Margarita, etc. tastings are a fee and are not covered by the beverage package. Neither is the wine lovers musical. Certain fitness activities in the gym cost extra, too.

[Trellaine]

I'm confused as a newbie. One of my free options is the alcohol/drinks. I will drink the occasional beer etc, maybe more with this deal BUT does this include soda pop and bottled water? Seems I have read different answers.

 

If it includes soda and bottled water then I should pick the beverage freebie.

 

Thanks

 

If not how much is a soda pass on 5 night cruise?

[NLH Arizona]

I'm confused as a newbie. One of my free options is the alcohol/drinks. I will drink the occasional beer etc, maybe more with this deal BUT does this include soda pop and bottled water? Seems I have read different answers.

 

If it includes soda and bottled water then I should pick the beverage freebie.

 

Thanks

 

If not how much is a soda pass on 5 night cruise?

Includes soda, but not water.

[poohdreaming]

Soda- yes, but in a cup. Water - no bottle waters.

 

Here is the information from their: Terms & Conditions:

 

Unlimited Beverages: (Excluded on Hawaii Cruises)

Applicable to guests 1-2 on the reservation.

Guest must be at least 21 years of age at time of sailing to qualify for the Ultimate Beverage Package. Guests under 21 will receive the soda package.

Variety of spirits and cocktails, wines by the glass and bottled or draft beer up to $15 USD. Includes fountain soda and juice, and non-alcoholic beer.

A 20% discount will be given on bottles of wine (champagne and sparkling included) purchased on board.

Does not apply to the Ice Bars.

Does not include room service, package sales, bottled water, ship specific promotions or beer buckets, designated super premium brands (subject to change), bottled wine, mini bar purchases, fresh squeezed juices, Lavazza coffee beverages, wine dispenser, energy drinks or vending machines.

Guest who receive the Soda Package may obtain fountain soda at any bar, lounge or restaurant throughout the duration of the cruise.

Guest's check may reflect applicable VAT and/or taxes for certain ports or itineraries.

Guest is responsible for 18% gratuities & service charges on the retail value of the Ultimate Beverage Package and/or Soda Package prior to cruise, except when booking a Haven or Suite.

18% gratuities & service charges on the retail value of the Ultimate Beverage Package and/or Soda Package are included when booking through the Australia office.

Retail value of Ultimate Beverage Package is $79 USD per person per day. Package price is subject to change.

Retail value of the Adult Soda Package is $7.50 USD per person per day. Package price is subject to change.

When booking a Haven or Suite category, gratuities related to beverage and soda packages are included.

[Trellaine]

If I pick the beverage package. Value $79 per day. I'm taking a 5 night cruise.

 

$79 X 5 would be free? But then I pay 18% on the $79 X 5? And how about gratuities?

 

Thanks