services charges and gratuities

[foxyreg]

I am considering and upgrade and this upgrade will let me get UBP and dinning speciality package.in my upgrade i see the services charges is in the cost but not the gratuities. My question is how its work for gratuites? With UBP thy will put on my card every drink i take and charge me the 18% on every drinks or its 18% of a certain cost ? Anyone know and can help me to understand, thank you.

[KeithJenner]

If you have the UBP you don’t pay the 18% on individual drinks.

 

 

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[AndyCapn]

Any drink you buy under $15 will be covered, including the 18% gratuity. Anything above $15 you will be charged the difference and pay the 18% gratuity on that difference.

 

You're paying the 18% up front on the cost of the package, or $16.02/day (18% of $89, the daily cost of the UBP that you're getting for free). Whether you have no drinks or 30 drinks that day, you will have already paid $16.02 ninety days prior to sailing.

 

Similar with the dinner package. You're paying the 18% gratuity on $69 ($12.42) for the three-meal plan, whether you end up ordering $69 worth of food or not.

 

If you're on a ship with an upcharge restaurant like Ocean Blue or Cirque Dreams, you get a discount if you apply your SDP to the meal and would pay the difference plus an 18% gratuity on that difference.

[NLH Arizona]

18% on the UBP and SDP will show up on your cruise confirmation and will be payable with your final payment.

[foxyreg]

My final payment is already done,i booked a BX balcony( guaranteed balcony) they give me a category BE but i don't have any perks because i book at lower price sail away a 799$ p.p.

 

Today i asked if upgrade if i can get the 5 free perks announced on NCL. here is the offer they give me.

 

You can upgrade to a BD category and qualify for the 5 perks for an additional:

$377.36 room upgrade

$224.28 Bev package service charge for 2

$ 24.84 Dining package service charge for 2

Total $626.48

 

 

It is worth it?i don't know as i never take before the UBP, but i know its at least 40$(cheapest) for a wine bottle at dinner. Do you think its worth it or no?

[Nogoals31]

My final payment is already done,i booked a BX balcony( guaranteed balcony) they give me a category BE but i don't have any perks because i book at lower price sail away a 799$ p.p.

 

 

 

Today i asked if upgrade if i can get the 5 free perks announced on NCL. here is the offer they give me.

 

 

 

You can upgrade to a BD category and qualify for the 5 perks for an additional:

 

$377.36 room upgrade

 

$224.28 Bev package service charge for 2

 

$ 24.84 Dining package service charge for 2

 

 

Total $626.48

 

 

 

 

 

It is worth it?i don't know as i never take before the UBP, but i know its at least 40$(cheapest) for a wine bottle at dinner. Do you think its worth it or no?

 

 

 

Hi the way I look at it, it comes out to $50 per day per person. You get to pick your room. 3 nights at specialty dining which I can’t comment on as I’ve always been happy with complimentary ones. I just up grade also so I can let you know on this in 59 days. But the UBP equals out to about 4 drinks a day and you are ahead of the game.

 

 

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[fshagan]

My final payment is already done,i booked a BX balcony( guaranteed balcony) they give me a category BE but i don't have any perks because i book at lower price sail away a 799$ p.p.

 

Today i asked if upgrade if i can get the 5 free perks announced on NCL. here is the offer they give me.

 

You can upgrade to a BD category and qualify for the 5 perks for an additional:

$377.36 room upgrade

$224.28 Bev package service charge for 2

$ 24.84 Dining package service charge for 2

 

Total $626.48

 

 

It is worth it?i don't know as i never take before the UBP, but i know its at least 40$(cheapest) for a wine bottle at dinner. Do you think its worth it or no?

 

What is your final alcohol bill like when you cruise without a beverage plan? That will tell you if you drink enough to make the $224 cost worth it. We have maybe a drink a day so it's never worth it for us, but other people will have 4 or 5 drinks throughout a day, and it usually works out that way. Some people make it their personal challenge to maximize the value of a beverage plan by consuming far more than they do normally (no value judgement from me; they are free moral agents who have a professionally trained designated driver at the helm). I definitely wouldn't take the upgrade on the basis of cost to benefit for us, but "your mileage may vary" as they say.

 

If the room upgrade doesn't matter that much to you, and you don't normally drink 4 or more drinks per day, then I would say no. If the room upgrade really makes you smile, and you think you'll make use of the drink plan to your benefit, then sure.

[ray98]

That would be worth it for me. The total upgrade cost is less than the cost of purchasing just the beverage package. The SDP and other amenities are icing on the cake.

[ONECRUISER]

Normally the upgrades do NOT come with the FAS options for the upgraded cabin, you keep whatever FAS options you had previously.

 

https://www.ncl.com/content/upgrade-advantage-faq

 

2. Does the upgrade include any additional promotions?

The upgrade does not include any additional promotions. However, you get to keep whichever promotions you already have.

Good point...

[Até]

OP is considering a paid upgrade, not through the Uprade Advantage bid system.

[pete_coach]

I am considering and upgrade and this upgrade will let me get UBP and dinning speciality package.in my upgrade i see the services charges is in the cost but not the gratuities. My question is how its work for gratuites? With UBP thy will put on my card every drink i take and charge me the 18% on every drinks or its 18% of a certain cost ? Anyone know and can help me to understand, thank you.

I am confused. I have paid "service charge" already too. What exactly are they? Are they not the $13.99 per day "gratuity"? I should not have to tip again, should I?

[NLH Arizona]

I am confused. I have paid "service charge" already too. What exactly are they? Are they not the $13.99 per day "gratuity"? I should not have to tip again, should I?

There are two things. The 18% on the UBP and SDP and the Daily Service Charge.

 

If you pre-paid the DSC, it will show up on your confirmation as Prepaid Service Charges. If you paid the 18% for the UBP or SDP, it will show up as (not sure of the exact verbage) dining or beverage service charge.

[ColinIllinois]

I am confused. I have paid "service charge" already too. What exactly are they? Are they not the $13.99 per day "gratuity"? I should not have to tip again, should I?

 

 

Pete, On NCL.com read the Frequently Asked Questions under "Money Matters" about the DSC and tipping. For dining plan promos and alcohol promos click on them and read the Terms and Conditions and you'll see what gratuities are charged.

 

Cheers.

[All-ready2cruise]

Unfortunately, as far as I know, NCL removed the DSC information from the Canadian site and have not seen fit to reinsert it into Money Matters.

 

Any Canadians out there that have been able to find info for DSC on the Canadian website?

[pete_coach]

Unfortunately, as far as I know, NCL removed the DSC information from the Canadian site and have not seen fit to reinsert it into Money Matters.

 

Any Canadians out there that have been able to find info for DSC on the Canadian website?

No, that is why I asked.

Am I "expected" to leave any more money when I leave the ship? Will I have a daily gratuity for service added to my account?

I have not sailed on NCL before but on my other cruises I pre-paid the daily charge and if I left any additional,it was up to me.

[All-ready2cruise]

No, that is why I asked.

Am I "expected" to leave any more money when I leave the ship? Will I have a daily gratuity for service added to my account?

I have not sailed on NCL before but on my other cruises I pre-paid the daily charge and if I left any additional,it was up to me.

 

I thought that might be why you asked, I know the explanation used to be under Money Matters but was removed months ago for some reason.

You are not expected/required or asked to leave any further tip nor service charge. If you've aleady paid the DSC (Daily Service Charge) you're good. I always pre pay the DSC too, just makes it easier to read your bill.

 

Some pax do leave an additional amount to those they feel did an exemplary job, however, even that is not necessary, it is totally up to you, correct.

 

Hope you enjoy your upgrade and your cruise.

Cheers

[MikeBTN]

No, that is why I asked.

Am I "expected" to leave any more money when I leave the ship? Will I have a daily gratuity for service added to my account?

I have not sailed on NCL before but on my other cruises I pre-paid the daily charge and if I left any additional,it was up to me.

 

The service charges are the pre-paid gratuities for the beverage and dining packages based on the retail price of the packages. Ultimate Beverage Package (UBP) = $89 per person, per day and Specialty Dining Package (SDP) = $69 per person. UBP service charge = $89*2*7*18% = $224.28. SDP service charge = $69*2*18% = $24.84

 

"Gratuities" are separate and added to your on board account daily at a rate of $13.99 per person, per day. These are separate from the service charges listed above and would be added to your on board account whether or not you chose this upgrade.

 

As for if it is worth it, you'll both need to drink about $40 per person, per day in order to "break even" on the beverage package alone, which works out to about 4-5 cocktails per day per person. For many people that is easy to do on vacation.

[Até]

Norwegian’s discretionary daily service charges make it easy for guests to provide gratuities to key onboard staff who provide superior guest service during the cruise, including their room steward, restaurant servers and behind-the-scenes support staff. Any guests who feel the quality of the service they received did not meet their expectations can dispute their daily service charges by emailing Servicecharges@ncl.com, once they have returned from their cruise.

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=47784531#post47784531

[fshagan]

There is no daily "gratuity" there. The $13.99 is the DSC (sometimes called DSF), and is not a tip or gratuity. You never HAVE TO tip on NCL other than the 18% automatically added to certain packages. This is all covered in the FAQ section on the NCL web site.

 

The problem, for Canadians, is that the FAQ does not exist on the website they see. It is on the US site, but they are directed to the site for Canada based on their IP address. And NCL has decided not to put the information on their website. They would have to use a US IP address to get to the US site with the FAQ.

 

On the US site NCL no longer uses "DSC", "DSF", or "discretionary" in their FAQ. They refer to them only as "service charge", "Onboard Service Charge", and, in one place, "fixed service charge".

[pete_coach]

The problem, for Canadians, is that the FAQ does not exist on the website they see. It is on the US site, but they are directed to the site for Canada based on their IP address. And NCL has decided not to put the information on their website. They would have to use a US IP address to get to the US site with the FAQ.

 

On the US site NCL no longer uses "DSC", "DSF", or "discretionary" in their FAQ. They refer to them only as "service charge", "Onboard Service Charge", and, in one place, "fixed service charge".

So, I consider the "service charge" a tip. The normal gratuity.

 

As Ate provided "Norwegian’s discretionary daily service charges make it easy for guests to provide gratuities to key onboard staff who provide superior guest service during the cruise, including their room steward, restaurant servers and behind-the-scenes support staff."

If I get what I believe is extra effort, I will leave extra gratuity for that extra effort.

[Two Wheels Only]

No, that is why I asked.

Am I "expected" to leave any more money when I leave the ship? Will I have a daily gratuity for service added to my account?

I have not sailed on NCL before but on my other cruises I pre-paid the daily charge and if I left any additional,it was up to me.

It depends on what you have "pre-paid".

 

For the UBP, the 18% service charge is added/paid before you board the ship.

For the SDP, the 18% service charge is added/paid before you board the ship.

 

The $13.99 (non-suites on most ships) daily service charge can be paid before you board the ship OR is charged to your on-board account daily. (you have the choice on how to pay it).

 

If you have paid the UBP/SDP/DSC service charges, you do not need to pay anything extra unless you want to pay extra.

[NMLady]

It depends on what you have "pre-paid".

 

For the UBP, the 18% service charge is added/paid before you board the ship.

For the SDP, the 18% service charge is added/paid before you board the ship.

 

The $13.99 (non-suites on most ships) daily service charge can be paid before you board the ship OR is charged to your on-board account daily. (you have the choice on how to pay it).

 

If you have paid the UBP/SDP/DSC service charges, you do not need to pay anything extra unless you want to pay extra.

 

PERFECT answer!

[pete_coach]

It depends on what you have "pre-paid".

 

For the UBP, the 18% service charge is added/paid before you board the ship.

For the SDP, the 18% service charge is added/paid before you board the ship.

 

The $13.99 (non-suites on most ships) daily service charge can be paid before you board the ship OR is charged to your on-board account daily. (you have the choice on how to pay it).

 

If you have paid the UBP/SDP/DSC service charges, you do not need to pay anything extra unless you want to pay extra.

Paid, paid and paid. :)