Did I miss an announcement about UBP and the gratuities ??

[ready2cruzagain]

It's not so minimal...this change along with the increase from $79 to $89 will mean $15-20 million extra per year out of our pockets (NCL customers) and that's just from additional revenue from service charges.

 

The reality is that NCL is no longer the bargain it was 2-3 years ago. If MSC does a decent job with their new ships they'll blow NCL right out of the water.

I agree. We have booked a cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette for Jan. 2019 for 21 days which includes free gratuities and free drinks. The price we paid for the 21 days on Celebrity is cheaper than the 21 days we are paying for the Epic this January.

 

Love the fact that Celebrity actually has a FREE drink package and does not add on service charges for it. Love the FREE gratuities also. Celebrity's schedule for fall of 2019 comes out this week and hoping to find some great cruises. It will determine whether or not I buy any more cruise next certificates on our next NCL cruise.

[phissy]

From what I can tell it went into effect on Dec. 1st. Funny how they just snuck it in without saying anything.

AGAIN and AGAIN. This is how NCL has been doing it this year. No heads up notice. Quietly, overnight, and then surprise, this cruise you were planning is suddenly more expensive. There should be more push back from NCL loyalty.

[agroom]

I know 2% isn't that much but this makes the second time this year it was raised.

 

Our next cruise is on Celebrity, we were able to get free drinks and free gratuities for 21 days and it cost less than the 21 days we are getting ready to sail on Epic cost. Of course the X cruise has gone up in price but we got a steal!

 

We are also booked in on a Celebrity cruise for January 2019, which included the classic drink package, funny thing Celebrity doesn't charge the gratuity on it. So we are probably going on our last NCL cruise this coming January, since NCL keep uping all their gratuities and fees... To bad as we do like the free style cruise/vibe we get with NCL.

[ready2cruzagain]

I see a lot of new threads about the gratuity change....guess people are just figuring it out. Still bet a lot more won't even notice.

[cheersforbeers]

No blah, blah, blah! The point is it's costing you another 25.00 per cruise about 3.50 a day. It's called inflation or however the spin is.

 

 

 

In the grand scheme of things it's minimal. Hell that's the Port taxes on drinks before sail away.

 

 

 

Yes NCL is profiting in the long run, it's a business!

 

 

 

Agree. It’s a business and business’s pass along increases.

I can’t think of many things that have not cost more that have not been passed along. Fuel, any grocery item, insurance of any kind, vehicles, alcohol, drugs just to name a few.

The fed has increased interest rates 2 Times this year already alone(inflation), and that’s more than was done in the last few years.

So damn the torpedos on NCL for passing along costs. They like most business have a Board that they answer to and share holders.

If someone take exception with them then don’t do business with them, but you shouldn’t do business with any other organization that has increased your costs either.

 

 

 

Being Positive makes life better. Look for the Good not the Bad

[LMaxwell]

So damn the torpedos on NCL for passing along costs.

 

They raised the gratuity by 11%, they didn't pass along costs. Many people fail to make the distinction.

[cheersforbeers]

They raised the gratuity by 11%, they didn't pass along costs. Many people fail to make the distinction.

 

 

 

Hi L,

You told me this yesterday on a different thread. Personally if it’s something I enjoy 11% is nothing. I’m a bottom line type of person, it’s still less expensive than purchasing the UDP out right. Before the UBP they had buckets, buy 5 get 6, until recently they offered both. Now they don’t, so I’m not going to throw myself down on the ground and do carpet angles.

Life Happens b

 

 

Being Positive makes life better. Look for the Good not the Bad

[LMaxwell]

Hi L,

You told me this yesterday on a different thread. Personally if it’s something I enjoy 11% is nothing. I’m a bottom line type of person, it’s still less expensive than purchasing the UDP out right. Before the UBP they had buckets, buy 5 get 6, until recently they offered both. Now they don’t, so I’m not going to throw myself down on the ground and do carpet angles.

Life Happens b

 

 

Being Positive makes life better. Look for the Good not the Bad

 

Bottom line math is fine too. Just pointing out a difference between passing on a cost, or just raising price.

 

For sake of bottom line I cruised on Escape in Dec 16, 3 people (3rd free), with UBP promo, balcony room, AARP discount; $2280 and something like 175 OBC (had more bc used NCL card offer, but not counting that, just the booking OBC).

 

Now to cruise same week on Bliss, doing same itinerary, same category cabin, choosing UBP and 3rd guest free as promo, AARP discount no longer offered; $2950 and $100 OBC.

 

Just in cruise fare, promo charges, taxes, fees that is 30% more expensive. 30% is a lot of increase to me in 2 years time. I still like cruising. If cruising costs me 30% more, even odds says I will have to do it 30% less, unless I find a way to make significantly more money. But, if someone else sees it as value, affordable, and the ships get filled up, FDR is doing what he is there to do. I wish NCLH stock would start paying dividends though.

[cheersforbeers]

Bottom line math is fine too. Just pointing out a difference between passing on a cost, or just raising price.

 

 

 

For sake of bottom line I cruised on Escape in Dec 16, 3 people (3rd free), with UBP promo, balcony room, AARP discount; $2280 and something like 175 OBC (had more bc used NCL card offer, but not counting that, just the booking OBC).

 

 

 

Now to cruise same week on Bliss, doing same itinerary, same category cabin, choosing UBP and 3rd guest free as promo, AARP discount no longer offered; $2950 and $100 OBC.

 

 

 

Just in cruise fare, promo charges, taxes, fees that is 30% more expensive. 30% is a lot of increase to me in 2 years time. I still like cruising. If cruising costs me 30% more, even odds says I will have to do it 30% less, unless I find a way to make significantly more money. But, if someone else sees it as value, affordable, and the ships get filled up, FDR is doing what he is there to do. I wish NCLH stock would start paying dividends though.

 

 

 

L,

IMHO passing on a cost and raising prices to cover their increased cost of goods is the same.

For example. It’s takes more to produce a pound of beef now a days, I pay more to buy an animal, grower pays more, processor pays more, retail chain pays more, then WE pay more. Increased input costs are passed along to the end user.

You must be determined to prove some kind of point.

Your picking the Bliss a brand new ship, with an itinerary of unknown to me is a most extreme example IMHO. I can pick a Panama Canal or a Southern Caribbean cruise and it was less than when I went 2 years ago.

I will continue to Cruise and long as I’m able both financially and health wise.

I only wish the best.

Take Care.

Edited December 5, 2017 by cheersforbeers

[LMaxwell]

L,

 

Your picking the Bliss a brand new ship, with an itinerary of unknown to me is a most extreme example IMHO. I can pick a Panama Canal or a Southern Caribbean cruise and it was less than when I went 2 years ago.

.

 

I picked an Eastern Caribbean itinerary for 2018 for the same exact week and month I sailed Eastern Caribbean on the Escape. I did not choose Alaska. Not sure why you think that. Escape was 1 year old when we sailed on it. Bliss would be 1 year old if I chose to sail at end of 2018. Pretty apples to apples. This was disclosed in my post; same week, same itinerary.

 

Anyways, raising gratuity from 18% to 20% isn't passing on costs to cover goods. It's just raising a price. A gratuity pays for a service and the service doesn't cost more, if it did cost more the raised price of packages covers that at still the same 18%.

 

I'm determined to prove 6th grade math, I guess.

[cheersforbeers]

I picked an Eastern Caribbean itinerary for 2018 for the same exact week and month I sailed Eastern Caribbean on the Escape. I did not choose Alaska. Not sure why you think that. Escape was 1 year old when we sailed on it. Bliss would be 1 year old if I chose to sail at end of 2018. Pretty apples to apples. This was disclosed in my post; same week, same itinerary.

 

 

 

I changed my original comment from Alaska to unknown. I also included a comment on passing along costs vs simply raising prices

And that’s your option. I picked 2 itineraries I cruised on prior and paid less. Same apples to apples.

You go your way and I’ll go mine.

[e3g]

If you look at the big picture, NCL has been the Master of "nickel and diming" for the last 10 to 12 years. That is their business model and it has worked well. So much in fact that other mass market cruise lines eventually follow to some degree.

They know that some will complain for a couple of months but their latest increase will soon be accepted as the norm.

As long as their ships fill up and their bottom line increases, they don't care what you think. Take it from a retired accountant, it's all about the bottom line. These are service charges ( not tips, not gratuities) and they go towards the bottom line, not employees.

I know this dose of reality will offend some. So mote it be.

[pokerpro5]

I find it unlikely that this increased "gratuity" (which has gone up in two ways -- percentage and base cost) will land in the pockets of the employees.

 

These are highly coveted jobs by those in the third world, and NCL doesn't have to keep raising their rate of pay at such breakneck speed in order to retain them.

 

As I've stated before, I do not believe the DSC or the food/beverage gratuities go to the staff, but rather reimburse NCL for a flat rate they've already agreed to pay employees.

 

If you believe otherwise, you're gullible.