How to avoid hidden costs?

[NewCruiser51912]

Hubby and I are going on our first cruise ever on the NCL Epic June 3-10 disembarking from Barcelona. We have the SDP and UBP(I know this is a $15/drink max) and an aft-facing balcony room. We also have $100 on board credit. We pre-paid our service charges and all our taxes, etc.

 

I've heard cruises are notorious for tacking on hidden costs. :rolleyes: Hubby and I are going to be on a bit of a budget as this trip is a celebration of him finishing grad school that we're adding on to the end of an Ireland trip with his family. We want to avoid a large bill at the end as much as possible. Being cruising newbies, we don't know what to expect. I know we'll need money for tipping, shopping, shore costs, etc. but is there anything we should be expecting? Is there anything that you were surprised to see on your bill at the end of your cruise? Is gratuity covered in the service charges we already paid? Sorry if this is confusing or silly, but I'd like to have as much info as possible before we leave! :)

[roboclam]

FYI: Gratuity and service charge are 2 different things...There should not be any charges to you or the room that you did not authorize via your room key...Should not be any surprises unless you git drunk while at the bar and bought everyone a drink...

have a great cruise, remember you're there to relax and enjoy...Tipping is personal, do what you feel the service you get deserves...

Rob

[pieshops]

Hubby and I are going on our first cruise ever on the NCL Epic June 3-10 disembarking from Barcelona. We have the SDP and UBP(I know this is a $15/drink max) and an aft-facing balcony room. We also have $100 on board credit. We pre-paid our service charges and all our taxes, etc.

 

I've heard cruises are notorious for tacking on hidden costs. :rolleyes: Hubby and I are going to be on a bit of a budget as this trip is a celebration of him finishing grad school that we're adding on to the end of an Ireland trip with his family. We want to avoid a large bill at the end as much as possible. Being cruising newbies, we don't know what to expect. I know we'll need money for tipping, shopping, shore costs, etc. but is there anything we should be expecting? Is there anything that you were surprised to see on your bill at the end of your cruise? Is gratuity covered in the service charges we already paid? Sorry if this is confusing or silly, but I'd like to have as much info as possible before we leave! :)

 

There is not one, zippo, zero hidden fee or cost. Read the FAQ's and read the information on the site and you will see everything you may or may not be charged for

[mcmomny]

Hi Kayla

 

There should be no extra costs unless you decided to do something that costs money, for example doing an additional specialty dinner or a drink that cost more than $15. But do be aware of a tax that is added to your free drink package if you are having a drink while the ship is in port, like the day you board. It isn't much.

 

We had the same deal and struggled to spend our $100 on board credit, I bought some things in the gift shop, we had some taxes from drinks while in port and I ended up buying the bottled water package so I wouldn't leave any credit behind!

 

Have fun, loved Barcelona!

[SuiteTraveler]

A Med cruise is extremely port intensive, so most of your costs is going to be whatever you decide to do for shore excursions. Most people have breakfast and get off the ship by 8:30am and don't get back on until 5-6pm where they go have dinner and either see a show or just pass out in bed only to get up and do it all again the next day. Typically shore excursions in the Med cost somewhere between $85 per person per day and $400 per person per day depending on how much of the transportation you DIY via foot, trains and buses and how many tours with transportation you take. For me, the biggest surprise was how expensive shore excursions can be in the Med compared to Alaska or the Caribbean. But they are well worth it. It is imperative to have a plan for your shore excursions and book them in advance. You can meet fellow cruisers to share these expenses with here on Cruise Critic under your ships Roll Call. Since you won't be on the ship much and are likely to be very tired in the evening, it may not be worth it to get a spa pass or schedule to see any show you must pay for. You will have little time to visit the casino and there's not much worth buying in the gift shops, so...onboard, I don't think you will have much in the way of extra expenses. For drinks, you will be charged a gratuity and service charge per drink. Same deal with specialty dining. But your $100 onboard credit can go towards this. You can easily keep up with your onboard expenses by turning on your TV and accessing your account each day so there will not be any surprises. If you look on the NCL website it says that the drink and dining package excludes tips and service fees:

 

• FREE OPEN BAR
   
  Sip on a Mojito poolside and a glass of Pinot at dinner. With Free Open Bar, Guests 1 & 2 get an Ultimate Beverage Package, including all you can drink spirits and cocktails, wines by the glass and draft beer, and juice or soda.
   
  YOU SAVE UP TO $178.00 PER DAY
  Excludes gratuities and service charges.
   
  
• FREESPECIALTY DINING
   
   
   
   
  

[sanger727]

There are no hidden costs. Everything that is additional cost has a price tag on it. With your pre-paid service charge, UBP, SDP, and on board credit, it’s entirely possible you’ll walk off with a zero dollar bill. Only things to know are what’s not included in the UBP - bottles of wine, drink tastings, mini bar, room service, bottled water, specialty coffee; know that some restaurants require an upcharge to use your SDP credit and in any specialty restaurant you go to you can only order 1 entree per person. Outside of that, enjoy your trip. It’s usually gambling and alcohol that get people in trouble on their bills.

 

 

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[gambit57]

You've covered your bases. The service charge (or crew member "tip" or "gratuity", regardless of what some folk say, the industry still uses all three terms fairly interchangeably) for people like your cabin steward and dining room waiters, etc is typically the biggest "gotcha" for newbies. Yes, they warn you in fine print, etc, but lots of people never bother reading that stuff.

 

If you've got that covered, everything else is pretty obvious and in your face. Pictures? They pester you to buy pictures and packages, but with a store setup area, it's clear it's extra charge. Drinks you've got covered. Specialty dining has prices or cover fees on the menus, etc.

 

Honestly, your biggest problem is going to be saying no because you've got a little $100 wiggle room to splurge on stuff. It's a little harder to track that $100 than on land, where internet is at your fingertips and you can either log onto your bank account constantly (or get alerts) or you have it in cash and can see it dwindle.

[NewCruiser51912]

A Med cruise is extremely port intensive, so most of your costs is going to be whatever you decide to do for shore excursions. Most people have breakfast and get off the ship by 8:30am and don't get back on until 5-6pm where they go have dinner and either see a show or just pass out in bed only to get up and do it all again the next day. Typically shore excursions in the Med cost somewhere between $85 per person per day and $400 per person per day depending on how much of the transportation you DIY via foot, trains and buses and how many tours with transportation you take. For me, the biggest surprise was how expensive shore excursions can be in the Med compared to Alaska or the Caribbean. But they are well worth it. It is imperative to have a plan for your shore excursions and book them in advance. You can meet fellow cruisers to share these expenses with here on Cruise Critic under your ships Roll Call. Since you won't be on the ship much and are likely to be very tired in the evening, it may not be worth it to get a spa pass or schedule to see any show you must pay for. You will have little time to visit the casino and there's not much worth buying in the gift shops, so...onboard, I don't think you will have much in the way of extra expenses. For drinks, you will be charged a gratuity and service charge per drink. Same deal with specialty dining. But your $100 onboard credit can go towards this. You can easily keep up with your onboard expenses by turning on your TV and accessing your account each day so there will not be any surprises. If you look on the NCL website it says that the drink and dining package excludes tips and service fees:

 

• FREE OPEN BAR
   
  Sip on a Mojito poolside and a glass of Pinot at dinner. With Free Open Bar, Guests 1 & 2 get an Ultimate Beverage Package, including all you can drink spirits and cocktails, wines by the glass and draft beer, and juice or soda.
   
  YOU SAVE UP TO $178.00 PER DAY
  Excludes gratuities and service charges.
  
• FREESPECIALTY DINING
  

 

Thank you for this! We've already booked our shore excursions as well. We're doing excursions in the first 3 ports (Pompeii, Rome, Florence) but just plan to wing it in Cannes by just hitting a beach near the port or hanging out on the ship, and walking where we want to go in Palma.

 

We rolled our service charge into our fare cost so it looks like our only on-ship cost could very well be the gratuity. I'm not sure if we want to see any shows or not. Like you said, we might be exhausted so we'll play that by ear.

[NewCruiser51912]

There are no hidden costs. Everything that is additional cost has a price tag on it. With your pre-paid service charge, UBP, SDP, and on board credit, it’s entirely possible you’ll walk off with a zero dollar bill. Only things to know are what’s not included in the UBP - bottles of wine, drink tastings, mini bar, room service, bottled water, specialty coffee; know that some restaurants require an upcharge to use your SDP credit and in any specialty restaurant you go to you can only order 1 entree per person. Outside of that, enjoy your trip. It’s usually gambling and alcohol that get people in trouble on their bills.

 

 

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Ooooh drink tasting? What are those? Sounds like something I might enjoy! :D

 

By specialty coffee, do you mean that stuff at the coffee shop in the atrium? I don't know if I can survive without my daily chai latte! ;p

[LrgPizza]

There is not one single hidden charge anywhere. I have no idea why you would need to try to avoid them. If you buy something, you will be charged. If you don’t, you won’t. There are no tricks or secrets involved.

 

 

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[ggTexasGal]

Hubby and I are going on our first cruise ever on the NCL Epic June 3-10 disembarking from Barcelona. We have the SDP and UBP(I know this is a $15/drink max) and an aft-facing balcony room. We also have $100 on board credit. We pre-paid our service charges and all our taxes, etc.

 

I've heard cruises are notorious for tacking on hidden costs. :rolleyes: Hubby and I are going to be on a bit of a budget as this trip is a celebration of him finishing grad school that we're adding on to the end of an Ireland trip with his family. We want to avoid a large bill at the end as much as possible. Being cruising newbies, we don't know what to expect. I know we'll need money for tipping, shopping, shore costs, etc. but is there anything we should be expecting? Is there anything that you were surprised to see on your bill at the end of your cruise? Is gratuity covered in the service charges we already paid? Sorry if this is confusing or silly, but I'd like to have as much info as possible before we leave! :)

 

 

The following page should be extremely helpful for you!

 

https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/prepare-for-your-cruise

 

You might want to go to the bottom of the page and open several different links under

USEFUL INFORMATION.

I suggest studying the Cruise Lingo, so you are familiar with what other cruisers are talking about.

BTW; "Embark" on your cruise (getting on the ship) and Disembark (getting off the ship)

... in your case, both will take place in Barcelona.

[BostonGal35]

no hidden costs.

but yes, if you want that fancy chai coffee every day, its gonna cost you a few bucks. btu the cost is crystal clear.

[PTC DAWG]

I think you'll be fine. As others have said, it's pretty clear when you have to pay extra. The bartenders are usually very good about alerting me about a BOURBON being over the $15 limit and I would have to pay extra. They seemed surprised when I would tell them it's fine. $3 plus tax for a Basil Hayden is a bargain, in my book. Enjoy the cruise.

[candigirl41]

Thank you for this! We've already booked our shore excursions as well. We're doing excursions in the first 3 ports (Pompeii, Rome, Florence) but just plan to wing it in Cannes by just hitting a beach near the port or hanging out on the ship, and walking where we want to go in Palma.

 

We rolled our service charge into our fare cost so it looks like our only on-ship cost could very well be the gratuity. I'm not sure if we want to see any shows or not. Like you said, we might be exhausted so we'll play that by ear.

 

There will be no gratuities as your pre paid the service charge. NCL calls it the DSC. You may tip people extra as you go but your are not required to. The only charges would be tax on drinks in port depending on the country you are in, if you order a drink over the $15.00 limit you would pay the difference plus the 20% gratuity on the difference, anything you would like to purchase from the shops on board or spa. As someone else mentioned, since you have $100.00 OBC you could walk away owing nothing. Have a great cruise.

 

Candi

[NLH Arizona]

Is gratuity covered in the service charges we already paid? :)

There are two different service charges. There is the service charge/gratuities for the UBP and SDP, due upon your final payment (you will see this on your confirmation, it is 20% of what the UBP and SDP would have cost, if you purchased them). There is also the DSC, which is either charged to you on a daily basis or you can pre-pay it. Just wanted to bring this up, because you said you are first time cruisers.

 

There are no hidden fees; if there is a charge for something, they will let you know.

 

Have a wonderful first cruise.

[NewCruiser51912]

The following page should be extremely helpful for you!

 

https://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/prepare-for-your-cruise

 

You might want to go to the bottom of the page and open several different links under

USEFUL INFORMATION.

I suggest studying the Cruise Lingo, so you are familiar with what other cruisers are talking about.

BTW; "Embark" on your cruise (getting on the ship) and Disembark (getting off the ship)

... in your case, both will take place in Barcelona.

 

Ugh I keep doing that! I mean to type "depart" and end up typing "disembark" by accident. I must just be so excited I can't keep myself straight! ;)

[NewCruiser51912]

There will be no gratuities as your pre paid the service charge. NCL calls it the DSC. You may tip people extra as you go but your are not required to. The only charges would be tax on drinks in port depending on the country you are in, if you order a drink over the $15.00 limit you would pay the difference plus the 20% gratuity on the difference, anything you would like to purchase from the shops on board or spa. As someone else mentioned, since you have $100.00 OBC you could walk away owing nothing. Have a great cruise.

 

Candi

 

I've seen responses like this and other responses that say the gratuity is different than the service charge I already paid. Can someone please clarify?

[cruis247g]

This isn’t really hidden, but I don’t believe the souvenir glasses, which are often handed out (sold) when you arrive, are included in the UBP. Hopefully another CCr can clarify, but I seem to recall that the drink was included, but the glass was not or or the amount over $15 was not covered or something like that. (Can someone recall how this is charged?) That could be a surprise.

[Two Wheels Only]

I've seen responses like this and other responses that say the gratuity is different than the service charge I already paid. Can someone please clarify?

 

There are different things at play and different things for different countries..

 

(for the US and many others, not including NCL Sky)

When receiving the UBP as a promo, there is a service charge of $17.80pppd or $124.60 for 7 days. This is paid before boarding the ship.

When receiving the SDP as a promo, there is a service charge of $13.80 (3SDP) or $16.80 (4SDP). This is paid before boarding the ship.

 

There is a DSC of $13.99 (non-suites) or $16.99 (suites) per person per day. It can be paid before boarding OR is deducted daily from the on-board account. MOST OBC cannot be used for this.

 

Some people are mistaken by paying the service charge on their promos but are then charged the DSC because they didn't pre-pay that.

 

If you paid the service charges on you promos (if required) and paid the DSC, there will not be any "hidden" charges except for a possible fuel supplement charge (rare but possible).

 

Even with the UBP, if a drink is over $15, the guest pays the difference above the $15 plus 20% on that difference.

Even with the SDP, an extra entree is charged full menu price. Some specialty restaurants require a SDP use plus an up-charge.

[ray98]

There are no hidden costs. There is nothing that isn't provided that is necessary. I have walked off the ship with a $0 balance several times.