New Cruiser - gratuities help

[Shrewsbury on Tour]

Hello to everyone.

 

We are booked for NCL Baltic with Getaway on the 14/08/17. I prepaid gratuities when booking, this was called a "Service Charge" I'm confused does this cover everything from this point on??

 

 

Or do we still incur additional charges for drinks and food. We do have the UBP.

 

 

Hope this makes sense??

 

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

Matt

[RPCVcruiser]

Service charge is gratuities for the room steward, waiters etc. it does not include a butler or concierge in the Haven if you are there. UDP if included in your package has the tips (18%) added to your cruise price. This gratuity is considered "included" in the Haven. If your drink is greater than $15, you would pay the difference and the added 18%. Also, some ports tax drinks and if you have that situation, you will pay the local port tax even if you have UDP. Hope that helps

 

 

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[Shrewsbury on Tour]

Hi,

 

Thanks for reply...

We are not staying in the Haven.

So we pay 18% on any drink that we have on our drinks package, plus with if we have a drink over $15 we pay the difference plus the 18% ???

So as a rough guess if we have say $120 worth of drinks per day on a 9 day cruise, at the end of the trip we would pay almost $200 of gratuities??

Sorry forgot to ask, do we pay this charge as we go?? Or at the end of the cruise?

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[RPCVcruiser]

The 18% for the UDP is already in your cruise cost. If a drink is $18 dollars you pay $3 plus $0.54 for that drink. That would go on your onboard account and settle that account at the end of the cruise. There are a lot of choices under $15. Also note buckets of beer or specialty glasses aren't included. You can tell the bartender to use a normal glass

 

 

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[Shrewsbury on Tour]

Thanks....I hate not knowing about "hidden charges" so if we don't have a drink more than $15 dollars than no extra charges . It's just about knowing, many thanks for your help.

 

Matt

[EmeraldCoastCruisers]

Thanks....I hate not knowing about "hidden charges" so if we don't have a drink more than $15 dollars than no extra charges . It's just about knowing, many thanks for your help.

 

Matt

 

 

Correct! When you are still stateside there may be a slight cost due to the state tax laws for a drink purchased. Very small amounts, less than $1.00. Just for clarification also is the prepaid gratuities may be on your drink package and any specialty dining package offered. You still will have the cost of gratuities added for the stateroom attendants, dining room staff, etc.

 

 

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[Shrewsbury on Tour]

Hi,

 

Thanks for information. New to all of this...there's a lot of information to absorb. The cruise is around the Baltic, so nothing stateside, if that's the correct term.

 

Thanks

 

Maa

[All-ready2cruise]

I think a little clarity might be good here:

UDP = Ultimate Dining Package (not a current promo)

SDP= specialty dining package (current promo)

UBP= Ultimate Beverage Package (current promo - includes beverages up $15 anything over that limit you pay the additional amount + 18% grats.)

DSC= Daily/Discretionary Service Charge

 

Enjoy your cruise,

[Ergates The Ant]

Did you book through the UK website?

Was the UBP an included perk, or did you pay for it?

If it was a free perk, through the UK website, then the gratuities for the drinks are included, as per UK rules and regulations, and you will pay nothing more for gratuities.

We had UBP as an included perk two weeks ago, booked through the UK website, and we paid nothing extra on our on board account for drinks.

I think that if you buy any drinks above the limit of , I think, $15, you pay the extra and 18%gratuity on that extra.

US passengers who get the UBP 'free' have to pay the gratuity on everything.

It sounds as if you booked before the new all inclusive rate for UK passengers came into effect.

[Shrewsbury on Tour]

Hi,

 

Yes indeed booked through UK, but on the phone. But I guess that's the same. I booked a year ago. It's not about the money, more the principal. Yes we got the UBP as a free offer etc.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

[Ergates The Ant]

Hi,

 

Yes indeed booked through UK, but on the phone. But I guess that's the same. I booked a year ago. It's not about the money, more the principal. Yes we got the UBP as a free offer etc.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

Pretty sure your drinks will be free then, with no added gratuity added onto your on board account. The web site with terms and conditions is geared for the US market, took me a while to confirm the no extra gratuity.

I think it is because our consumer laws insist that free means free.

[hawkeyetlse]

If you booked through NCL UK, then the only "service charge" that could have appeared on your booking would be the daily hotel charge, which covers your housekeeping and complimentary dining service. If you have prepaid that, bring some proof of that and make sure that they don't charge you again on board ($13.99 per person per day) during the cruise.

 

If you booked the same cruise today through NCL UK, this charge would not appear anywhere, because it is now included in the cruise fare under the Premium All-Inclusive offer. (But the current fare is likely to be higher than what you paid, for this reason.)

 

As already explained, the free UBP booking perk in the UK does not require any additional payment. There is a slight possibility of local taxes being charged on each order in some situations when the ship is in or near a port, but your package covers the price of the drink and the 18% automatic gratuity. Enjoy it!

[heatherbelle]

Hi,

 

Yes indeed booked through UK, but on the phone. But I guess that's the same. I booked a year ago. It's not about the money, more the principal. Yes we got the UBP as a free offer etc.

 

Thanks

 

Matt

 

 

Because you booked prior to April 2017 in the UK you will be charged tips to your onboard account. Because you are a Brit and booked in the UK you can ask guest services to remove your tips on the final night of your cruise, if you are dissatisfied with the service onboard, unlike Those who book with a US TA. They have to complete a form and then send it to NCL when they return and eventually they get their tips back.

 

If you book in the UK after April 2017, all tips and drinks are included (up to $15).

[BaWBarmy]

From what I can gather the OP stated that they had prepaid the Service charge and they have the UBP, exactly what we had when sailing on the same cruise as Ergates.

 

As long as you keep to each individual drink being $15 or less then you shouldn't see any extra or hidden charges. Don't use the mini bar and keep out of the speciality restaurants and the cruise will cost you exactly what you've paid.

 

Enjoy the Baltic it's great and enjoy your cruise.

[BirdTravels]

Correct! When you are still stateside there may be a slight cost due to the state tax laws for a drink purchased. Very small amounts, less than $1.00. Just for clarification also is the prepaid gratuities may be on your drink package and any specialty dining package offered. You still will have the cost of gratuities added for the stateroom attendants, dining room staff, etc.

 

The OP stated that they pre-paid their daily service charge, so there will not be any additional charges there. The OP is on a Baltic cruise that does not get anywhere near the United States. Since the cruise is not entirely within the EU, the VAT may be avoided or change during the cruise. The OP also booked through a non-US NCL office which does not charge the gratuity on the beverage package.

[BaWBarmy]

For the purposes of this thread does it really matter, what ever they're called they've been paid up front.

[flexsmom]

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[Gampy1967]

You mentioned "specialty glasses". Are these glasses like at other bars that you can keep as souvenirs? Thanks. Has been over 20 years since I have been on a cruise.

 

 

The 18% for the UDP is already in your cruise cost. If a drink is $18 dollars you pay $3 plus $0.54 for that drink. That would go on your onboard account and settle that account at the end of the cruise. There are a lot of choices under $15. Also note buckets of beer or specialty glasses aren't included. You can tell the bartender to use a normal glass

 

 

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