Free Promos are Not Free

[broberts]

There is an option when you book online to not choose any, you save a few bucks but nothing significant - other then the grats

 

This is the "Sail away" option, in which cabin selection is made by the cruise line?

[KeithJenner]

I don't know, I paid £1,209.00 PP for the 10 day southern caribbean cruise (no flights) from Miami on 1st March 2019 with inside cabin.

 

Included is "all inclusive UBP" (drinks, gratuities, 1L water a person a day, specialist coffee with food, free wifi)

 

We also got $50 a cabin per excurtion, $75 hotel credit, $150 airfare.

 

Over here we have two choices when booking "just cruise" or "all inclusive" with "just cruise" covering just cabin, food & tips (I think the same trip was about £850 on just cruise).

 

I booked direct on NCL but can't see the US NCL site without a VPN running.

 

Currently £1,209.00 equals $1,596.36, maybe you can see what the same trip is currently on the US NCL site for a direct comparison.

 

Comparing prices on individual cruises can give varying results, as things can vary from cruise to cruise.

 

What I can say with some confidence is that NCL increased their prices significantly when they introduced all inclusive. My best estimate is that the increase was about 20% on average, with some more than that and some less.

 

That is a hell of an increase, especially when you consider that the beverage package without any gratuity payable was being offered as an ongoing promo before all inclusive. What we actually get for our extra money is basically a cupboard full of more water than many people can drink, some coffee which they rarely charged for anyway plus the DSC paid.

 

Luckily for some of us, the prices had not increased much in the previous years (as long as made use of the beverage package), so that increase has been fairly manageable, but it is a fact that the prices increased significantly for very little extra benefit with all inclusive.

 

All the people from other countries who complain about NCL's pricing structure may find that one day they are unlucky and NCL change it.

[ziggyuk]

I don't know, I paid £1,209.00 PP for the 10 day southern caribbean cruise (no flights) from Miami on 1st March 2019 with inside cabin.

 

Included is "all inclusive UBP" (drinks, gratuities, 1L water a person a day, specialist coffee with food, free wifi)

 

We also got $50 a cabin per excurtion, $75 hotel credit, $150 airfare.

 

Over here we have two choices when booking "just cruise" or "all inclusive" with "just cruise" covering just cabin, food & tips (I think the same trip was about £850 on just cruise).

 

I booked direct on NCL but can't see the US NCL site without a VPN running.

 

Currently £1,209.00 equals $1,596.36, maybe you can see what the same trip is currently on the US NCL site for a direct comparison.

 

Comparing prices on individual cruises can give varying results, as things can vary from cruise to cruise.

 

What I can say with some confidence is that NCL increased their prices significantly when they introduced all inclusive. My best estimate is that the increase was about 20% on average, with some more than that and some less.

 

That is a hell of an increase, especially when you consider that the beverage package without any gratuity payable was being offered as an ongoing promo before all inclusive. What we actually get for our extra money is basically a cupboard full of more water than many people can drink, some coffee which they rarely charged for anyway plus the DSC paid.

 

Luckily for some of us, the prices had not increased much in the previous years (as long as made use of the beverage package), so that increase has been fairly manageable, but it is a fact that the prices increased significantly for very little extra benefit with all inclusive.

 

All the people from other countries who complain about NCL's pricing structure may find that one day they are unlucky and NCL change it.

 

To answer my own question:

 

I just priced the same trip on the US NCL site via my VPN (US geolocation), the same trip came up at $1392.89 which is $200 less than booking in the UK but with inside cabin (same as my trip) only 1 of 5 perks was available and I chose UBP to come to that price. Also had $50 less OBS.

 

Similar value I would say, less cost but less product.

[teamflames]

There is an option when you book online to not choose any, you save a few bucks but nothing significant - other then the grats

 

 

 

This is not accurate, sail away rates are always lower than those with free at sea. In our experience the free at sea usually equates to costing $50pp more per day (including the drinks gratuities). I hate these threads as they focus so specifically on just the gratuities component, as others have said get a calculator add up what is included and do some comparisons. We have cruised ncl a lot lately because after doing these sums it usually stills comes out significantly cheaper to have a cabin with drinks included at a lower rate than their competitors.

Separately, as mentioned on average the free at sea seems to equate to the drinks package costing you 50pp per day more than a sail away rate and that is approx what other lines charge for their drinks packages (fancy that).

 

 

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[PTC DAWG]

These pretzels are making me thirsty, for a drink. :)

[pieshops]

This is not accurate, sail away rates are always lower than those with free at sea. In our experience the free at sea usually equates to costing $50pp more per day (including the drinks gratuities). I hate these threads as they focus so specifically on just the gratuities component, as others have said get a calculator add up what is included and do some comparisons. We have cruised ncl a lot lately because after doing these sums it usually stills comes out significantly cheaper to have a cabin with drinks included at a lower rate than their competitors.

Separately, as mentioned on average the free at sea seems to equate to the drinks package costing you 50pp per day more than a sail away rate and that is approx what other lines charge for their drinks packages (fancy that).

 

 

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isn't this what I said, prices are lower but not significantly?

[Two Wheels Only]

isn't this what I said, prices are lower but not significantly?

I think that there are 2 different options being discussed.

 

One option is to not select any promos (Norwegian Rate) which will save from paying the promo service charges. With this, you can still select your stateroom or choose a guarantee stateroom.

 

Another option which saves more is to pick a Sailaway which will have no promos and will always be a guarantee stateroom.

 

Whether the amount saved is "significant" depends on the individual. Many people ALWAYS select their stateroom so any savings with taking a guarantee are insignificant to those people (like me :D)

[Toofarfromthesea]

If you are going to be nit picky about what I post, you could at least try to read what I post. Here, I will emphasize the part of my statement that is in contradiction to your objection for you so it's easier to read:

 

I think most people read the statement uncritically, and saw it as giving advice that if you are a heavy drinker or a binge drinker while on a cruise, using the standard definitions you yourself pointed out from the CDC, the $18 per day cost is worthwhile. If you are not a heavy drinker during your cruise it is not worth it.

 

I made no value judgments about the amount of alcohol anyone drinks.

 

You express your non-judgementalism in a very judgemental way.

[broberts]

I think that there are 2 different options being discussed.

 

One option is to not select any promos (Norwegian Rate) which will save from paying the promo service charges. With this, you can still select your stateroom or choose a guarantee stateroom.

 

Another option which saves more is to pick a Sailaway which will have no promos and will always be a guarantee stateroom.

 

Whether the amount saved is "significant" depends on the individual. Many people ALWAYS select their stateroom so any savings with taking a guarantee are insignificant to those people (like me :D)

 

How does one get this "Norwegian Rate"? Online at least the only choices seem to be Sailaway or with Free at Sea options selected.

[KarlChilders]

How does one get this "Norwegian Rate"? Online at least the only choices seem to be Sailaway or with Free at Sea options selected.

at the top of the page where one selects the free at see option should be a box that says norwegian rate, which is the rate with no promos.

[Two Wheels Only]

at the top of the page where one selects the free at see option should be a box that says norwegian rate, which is the rate with no promos.

Looking around, it isn't always there. :(

 

In that case, the option to avoid the promo service charges is to take a promo that doesn't add a charge (wi-fi, excursion, etc.) and select your own stateroom.

[david_sobe]

There is a much easier explanation to the countless threads or as others say "complaining".

It all comes down to the definition of FREE.

There are many who think Free is Free ...end of story. If something is promised as "Free" then there should not be any cost what so ever.

I personally don't believe anything in life is "Free" but I don't get upset at some who take the literal approach. If you ate at a restaurant and the sign said "Free appetizer" only to find out they charged 20% of the appetizer cost on the bill, the majority of customers would take issue with that.

Its a very successful marketing campaign by NCL. Another one is the OBC offer. Most cruises went up the amount of the OBC. But not all of them. I was lucky to score real OBC.

My lesson with cruising. Take the deal you can get and be prepared for unexpected costs all the time. Just like when you buy a new car. You wont get the same deal as everyone all the time. Some have a lower bottom price while others paid more for financing. Look at all options and decide what is best for you. You don't have to take any of the offers which will lower your over all cruise price. Or you can pick the ones you think are the most fair. The free internet minutes is a freebie even though a small one. The 3rd and 4th guest sail free is another good offer. Personally unless you drink at least 4-5 drinks every day, I don't think the drink package is worth it. But that is just my opinion.

Here is a tip for saving money. Some of the "free" offers will increase your overall cruise price. You don't have to do it and save money. You don't always have to be distracted by the shiny object. Think bottom pricing unless you are one of those people who can personally profit off one of the offers. We are all different so we cannot say what is good or bad on this offer.

[ClaireAndMike]

Well said.

 

There is a much easier explanation to the countless threads or as others say "complaining".

It all comes down to the definition of FREE.

There are many who think Free is Free ...end of story. If something is promised as "Free" then there should not be any cost what so ever.

I personally don't believe anything in life is "Free" but I don't get upset at some who take the literal approach. If you ate at a restaurant and the sign said "Free appetizer" only to find out they charged 20% of the appetizer cost on the bill, the majority of customers would take issue with that.

Its a very successful marketing campaign by NCL. Another one is the OBC offer. Most cruises went up the amount of the OBC. But not all of them. I was lucky to score real OBC.

My lesson with cruising. Take the deal you can get and be prepared for unexpected costs all the time. Just like when you buy a new car. You wont get the same deal as everyone all the time. Some have a lower bottom price while others paid more for financing. Look at all options and decide what is best for you. You don't have to take any of the offers which will lower your over all cruise price. Or you can pick the ones you think are the most fair. The free internet minutes is a freebie even though a small one. The 3rd and 4th guest sail free is another good offer. Personally unless you drink at least 4-5 drinks every day, I don't think the drink package is worth it. But that is just my opinion.

Here is a tip for saving money. Some of the "free" offers will increase your overall cruise price. You don't have to do it and save money. You don't always have to be distracted by the shiny object. Think bottom pricing unless you are one of those people who can personally profit off one of the offers. We are all different so we cannot say what is good or bad on this offer.

[NLH Arizona]

I'm not a fan of all inclusive, but I wish NCL would do it, like they have for ships sailing out of the UK. It would be a good thing to di on all ships sailing from every port, for two reasons. First, folks wouldn't be able to removed the DSC and secondly, it would stop folks from having an issue with the perks and any costs related to them. Will they raise the prices like they have in the UK, they sure will, but in the end I think it would be worth it IMHO.

[Two Wheels Only]

People still complain about 3rd/4th free because 3rd/4th have to pay taxes, port fees, and are charged DSC if 3 or older.

[PTC DAWG]

If you are going to be nit picky about what I post, you could at least try to read what I post. Here, I will emphasize the part of my statement that is in contradiction to your objection for you so it's easier to read:

 

I think most people read the statement uncritically, and saw it as giving advice that if you are a heavy drinker or a binge drinker while on a cruise, using the standard definitions you yourself pointed out from the CDC, the $18 per day cost is worthwhile. If you are not a heavy drinker during your cruise it is not worth it.

 

I made no value judgments about the amount of alcohol anyone drinks.

 

I don’t see 2-3 alcoholic drinks a day on a cruise as heavy drinking...YMMV

[Jana60]

.........It all comes down to the definition of FREE.

I personally don't believe anything in life is "Free" but I don't get upset at some who take the literal approach. If you ate at a restaurant and the sign said "Free appetizer" only to find out they charged 20% of the appetizer cost on the bill, the majority of customers would take issue with that.

Its a very successful marketing campaign by NCL. Another one is the OBC offer. Most cruises went up the amount of the OBC. But not all of them. I was lucky to score real OBC.

My lesson with cruising. Take the deal you can get and be prepared for unexpected costs all the time. Just like when you buy a new car. You wont get the same deal as everyone all the time. Some have a lower bottom price while others paid more for financing. Look at all options and decide what is best for you. You don't have to take any of the offers which will lower your over all cruise price. Or you can pick the ones you think are the most fair. The free internet minutes is a freebie even though a small one. The 3rd and 4th guest sail free is another good offer. Personally unless you drink at least 4-5 drinks every day, I don't think the drink package is worth it. But that is just my opinion.

Here is a tip for saving money. Some of the "free" offers will increase your overall cruise price. You don't have to do it and save money. You don't always have to be distracted by the shiny object. Think bottom pricing unless you are one of those people who can personally profit off one of the offers. We are all different so we cannot say what is good or bad on this offer.

 

I loved your statement that nothing in life is really free. I always think that everytime I hear somebody say they want free healthcare for everyone or free college education for everyone. It would be really great if you could actually have free healthcare or free college education but unfortunately somebody actually has to pay for it. To make matters worse when you don’t have people refusing to pay a higher rate because they are the ones paying it you wind up having prices go up up up! In the same way I tend wonder if the price of the drink package is so high on Norwegian Cruise line because the guests receiving the free drink package are drinking much more than they would have otherwise.

 

 

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Edited July 26, 2018 by Jana60

[fshagan]

To answer my own question:

 

I just priced the same trip on the US NCL site via my VPN (US geolocation), the same trip came up at $1392.89 which is $200 less than booking in the UK but with inside cabin (same as my trip) only 1 of 5 perks was available and I chose UBP to come to that price. Also had $50 less OBS.

 

Similar value I would say, less cost but less product.

 

Plus the daily service charge on the US fare. It is included on your UK all inclusive fare, right? It adds $101.50 or $203 total (if it's still $14.50 per person per day for the ship and stateroom category you are in).

[Visigoth]

What if we don't want any promos?

 

Ahhh...... then don't select any promotional perks. You never get a promo unless you opt for it, or your TA opts for it. Besides not selecting the promo packages, you can also choose a "Sail Away" fare if it is offered. Sail Away fares are always substantially discounted and come with no extra promotional perks. I guess what confuses me is the attitude that the cruise lines are somehow at cheating us by offering fares that include discounted packages. If the fare or package is not to your liking, don't but it. I think the advantages of the Haven are not generally worth the extra money...so I choose not to reserve the Haven cabins.

[fshagan]

You express your non-judgementalism in a very judgemental way.

 

Well, I disagree. I don't intend to insult anyone when I use standard definitions of the types of drinkers. They were intended to communicate, not slander.

 

I don't care if you drink heavily, binge drink, smoke pot, use heroin, never drink, eat meat, never eat meat, smoke, vape, don't smoke, breath air or prefer a different gender pronoun. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

 

If you don't want to accept the standard, CDC definitions of a "heavy drinker" that's fine with me too. Do what you want. I have neither insulted you or thought less of you. You are a free moral agent. In that capacity, you engaged me for debate, nit-picking the words I used in response to another poster's question and initiated this exchange.

[fshagan]

I don’t see 2-3 alcoholic drinks a day on a cruise as heavy drinking...YMMV

 

From what most people say they drink more on a cruise, and can easily drink 5 to 6 drinks a day. They are on vacation. That's why I specified that if you are a binge or heavy drinker while on a cruise (note the qualifying phrase) the UBP is worth the gratuity cost. Do you agree?

 

If you are a light drinker like me, then it might not be worth the cost. I don't see why that's controversial. My bar bill at the end of a cruise is less than the gratuity cost would be.

 

As to what a light, moderate or heavy drinker is, the best definitions are from the CDC, which my protagonist quoted first. Those are the definitions your doctor will probably use. A heavy drinker has 15 or more drinks per week if male, or 8 or more if female. In the case of "binge drinking" the amounts given by the CDC are those that would make an average person have a blood alcohol content of .08, the legal limit for a presumption of "drunk driving" in a lot of states. 4 or 5 drinks in a short period of time.

[Maniacal Cruiser]

This thread is absolutely hilarious. It is now 18 pages and 347 posts long. The op has posted just ONCE since the opening post way bask on page 1 at post number 7. Hook, line AND sinker y'all!

[Expat Cruise]

It is because most posters are just posting opinions, without backing them in facts. So it leads to page after page of no I'm right your wrong. And when facts are posted something seems to happen, the facts are gone, or the threads closed.

 

The same people who believed nothing wrong with how NCL does business on page one feel the same on page 17, same for the other side. So what really is ever done positive with most threads here? So lets see now what happens thread closed or posts go to missing land.

[broberts]

Ahhh...... then don't select any promotional perks.

 

How? I have yet to figure out how to skip picking Free at Sea options without selecting Sail Away pricing.

[Jana60]

How? I have yet to figure out how to skip picking Free at Sea options without selecting Sail Away pricing.

 

 

 

Normally there is offer of room category with no perks but right now the take fivesale is going on so it is listing that in place of the choice with no perks. What you can do is choose the Wi-Fi and shore excursion discounts. Neither of those entail any additional expense or gratuities.

 

 

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