Free Promos are Not Free

[beerman2]

OK....sounds like they were confused, then.

 

Thx for the clarification!

I can attest that a Dirty Grey Goose Martini contained three shots and counted as one drink.

[BNBR]

I can attest that a Dirty Grey Goose Martini contained three shots and counted as one drink.

 

I couldn't get Carnival to pour doubles, which annoyed me. So I ended up getting long islands. Which is funny because they can pour more into a long island than just giving me a double Jack.

[davesgirl51]

I still don't understand how people are shocked by this. When you go to a restaurant with a gift card or a coupon for a free meal, do you not tip your waitstaff?

My guess, Jamie, would be no. :o

[lenquixote66]

As former NCL cruisers DH and I were open to trying NCL again. When attempting to book a 5-day cruise out of Tampa I selected the Free Drinks promo. Imagine my surprise when the total cruise cost amount included a $178 service charge for the "Free Drinks." What is free about that? I chatted with a NCL rep and was told the service charge is the 20% gratuities for the free drinks! Free drinks should include the gratuities or it isn't really free. No thanks, we'll stick to Carnival and Holland America where there aren't service charges for "free" promos. By the way, their drink gratuities are 15%, not 20%.

 

 

NCL charges $33 for a FREE specialty restaurant meal.

[wasabipearl]

I couldn't get Carnival to pour doubles, which annoyed me. So I ended up getting long islands. Which is funny because they can pour more into a long island than just giving me a double Jack.

 

A long island is all cheap liquor and Jack is premium

[Newleno]

just goes to show you how we all feel different about value, for me this "free" is an absolute no doubt about it scam for others it is a great deal. Recently booked a sailaway fare for $599 per person the "free at sea" would have cost us $270 more per person. From reading these posts a lot of people here think paying $270 more person would have a been a great deal. we are all different

[drsel]

just goes to show you how we all feel different about value, for me this "free" is an absolute no doubt about it scam for others it is a great deal. Recently booked a sailaway fare for $599 per person the "free at sea" would have cost us $270 more per person. From reading these posts a lot of people here think paying $270 more person would have a been a great deal. we are all different

I agree fully. But is the sail away fare always available?

[BirdTravels]

just goes to show you how we all feel different about value, for me this "free" is an absolute no doubt about it scam for others it is a great deal. Recently booked a sailaway fare for $599 per person the "free at sea" would have cost us $270 more per person. From reading these posts a lot of people here think paying $270 more person would have a been a great deal. we are all different

Then don’t take the promo. Simple. Nothing to complain about. Or read the terms and conditions,,, even the “double coupon” offer at the supermarket has terms and conditions. Not everything is doubled. Even though it is called Double coupons. Absolute, not.

[20165]

I dont know if a comparison has been made on this post to RCL, but on our recent Oasis cruise 2 weeks ago, we paid about $43 per person per day for the UBP and im pretty sure tips were included. NCL is $89 per person per day and i believe tips are in addition to that so if NCL didnt offer this special, that would significantly add to the overall cost of the cruise if you wanted the UBP. We bounce back and forth between NCL and RCL and that cost would definitely factor in our decision.

[drsel]

I dont know if a comparison has been made on this post to RCL, but on our recent Oasis cruise 2 weeks ago, we paid about $43 per person per day for the UBP and im pretty sure tips were included. NCL is $89 per person per day and i believe tips are in addition to that so if NCL didnt offer this special, that would significantly add to the overall cost of the cruise if you wanted the UBP. We bounce back and forth between NCL and RCL and that cost would definitely factor in our decision.

The $89 pppd is an artificially high price that nobody pays. Its kept artificially high for 2 reasons---

1) so that folks think that the UBP Free at sea is an excellent deal, cos the daily rate is exhorbitant.

2) so that they can charge you as much as $17.80 pppd (20% gratuities) on the "free UBP"

Edited September 2, 2018 by drsel

[david_sobe]

The promos are not good for everyone. You can beat NCL at their own game by reducing your overall cost of the cruise by declining some of the offers. IMHO the MDR meals are fine and no need to eat at the specialty restaurants. Also you must drink a lot to make out on the deal. Last night had me re-thinking my drink plan because I had 2 rum drinks watching a movie and fell asleep :o:confused:.

 

Its pretty clever marketing. They are charging you for the offers that you may not want or need. You don't have to be tempted to BUY them (notice I did not say take).

[Donna_In_India]

I wouldn't like having to take the "free at sea" options. They're not something we'd have to use/do. So in our case it is NOT a good deal. And the difference between the price with the promotions and without - on a balcony, for example - is at least $150pp and unless I pay it I don't get to choose my room, which may end up being an obstructed balcony room. So yea...you ARE paying for your "freebie". It's just built into the price of your cruise already.

Edited September 2, 2018 by Donna_In_India

[drsel]

Absolutely!

[Nebr.cruiser]

Easy solution, pick another freebie and pay for the drinks. Problem solved.

 

The problem is their other 'free' offers aren't that great. If I have 6 glasses of wine a year I'm doing good, so obviously the drinks package is a no go. Even if the gratuities were included I'd never get that much value out of it.

 

The dining package is a decent deal, since the added gratuities aren't very high, but we normally are just fine with the MDR meals.

 

The internet is ok; we do use it to keep in contact with home, but the value isn't very high.

 

The $50 per cabin per port excursion credit isn't worth much to us. We haven't taken a ship tour in years and don't really want to; also, $25 pp really isn't much of a discount.

 

Some lines offer free gratuities (daily service charge). Now that is a perk we would appreciate. Also, certain lines will give you OBC instead of the drinks package.

[4774Papa]

I book early and never see the option of choosing something like a balcony guarantee that doesn't include the promos.

By the way, the cruise we are on in a few days is offering balcony guarantees with no promos, but the fare is the same as what we booked with promos over a year ago.

 

We won't take the beverage packages with the high gratuities and poor wine choices. I will bring my own wine, pay the $15 a bottle corkage charge. We did accept the dining package since NCL's MDR dining is not always that fantastic.

 

Frankly, we are leaning away from NCL toward Royal C, which has great entertainment and the food is almost as good as Celebrity.

 

Also, we are Diamond on Royal (from being elite on Celebrity). On our first Royal cruise across the Pacific for 23 days we enjoyed the wonderful happy hour from 4:30 to 8 where we ordered a glass of wine for dinner the MDR (just before 8). We didn't buy a single alcoholic drink for the entire 23 days.

[Newleno]

I book early and never see the option of choosing something like a balcony guarantee that doesn't include the promos.

By the way, the cruise we are on in a few days is offering balcony guarantees with no promos, but the fare is the same as what we booked with promos over a year ago.

 

We won't take the beverage packages with the high gratuities and poor wine choices. I will bring my own wine, pay the $15 a bottle corkage charge. We did accept the dining package since NCL's MDR dining is not always that fantastic.

 

Frankly, we are leaning away from NCL toward Royal C, which has great entertainment and the food is almost as good as Celebrity.

 

Also, we are Diamond on Royal (from being elite on Celebrity). On our first Royal cruise across the Pacific for 23 days we enjoyed the wonderful happy hour from 4:30 to 8 where we ordered a glass of wine for dinner the MDR (just before 8). We didn't buy a single alcoholic drink for the entire 23 days.

 

23 days without buying a drink, nice, usually the only additional expenses we have are the gratuities. We are not married to a cruise line so we dont have any decent status, we usually book deals last minute.

[stella!!]

So, with the "free dining" you still pay a tip even though you already automatically pay for daily gratuities ???

[ukbecky]

So, with the "free dining" you still pay a tip even though you already automatically pay for daily gratuities ???

 

 

Oh definitely!

 

The per person surcharge for specialty dining used to be justified -

by claiming the surcharge covered the staff that were not in the main dining room - and therefore not covered by the daily per person service charge.

I remember --- I started cruising with them in 2002.

 

Then NCL started offering "free" dining packages as a perk and, lo and behold!, gratuities were added on after - for the specialty restaurant staff, you know.

 

What kind of person would deny these hard-working people a tip?

 

NCL excels at these backdoor ways of raising prices -- and implying that their customers are just cheap SOBs if they object.

[$hip$hape]

So, with the "free dining" you still pay a tip even though you already automatically pay for daily gratuities ???

 

Oh definitely!

 

The per person surcharge for specialty dining used to be justified -

by claiming the surcharge covered the staff that were not in the main dining room - and therefore not covered by the daily per person service charge.

I remember --- I started cruising with them in 2002.

 

Then NCL started offering "free" dining packages as a perk and, lo and behold!, gratuities were added on after -

for the specialty restaurant staff, you know.

 

What kind of person would deny these hard-working people a tip?

NCL excels at these backdoor ways of raising prices -- and implying that their customers are just cheap SOBs if they object.

Please. With these threads, sometimes, I have a hard time understanding if one is being sarcastic (or not).

Could you explain a little more?:)

Edited September 2, 2018 by $hip$hape

[teamflames]

Oh definitely!

 

 

 

The per person surcharge for specialty dining used to be justified -

 

by claiming the surcharge covered the staff that were not in the main dining room - and therefore not covered by the daily per person service charge.

 

I remember --- I started cruising with them in 2002.

 

 

 

Then NCL started offering "free" dining packages as a perk and, lo and behold!, gratuities were added on after - for the specialty restaurant staff, you know.

 

 

 

What kind of person would deny these hard-working people a tip?

 

 

 

NCL excels at these backdoor ways of raising prices -- and implying that their customers are just cheap SOBs if they object.

 

 

 

I especially like that although you are not having your meal in the mdr you are still expected to pay the full daily gratuity, then pay extra for the specialty meal (again despite not having the meal you paid for), then pay extra tips to the staff in the specialty restaurant even though those staff will be moved to the mdr if not being utilised in the specialty... and then the real kicker they always leave a section for you to tip extra on top of the specialty tipping! And in Teppanyaki ask you to tip the chef as well ... wowee- anyone else need a tip?

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums

[Donna_In_India]

I book early and never see the option of choosing something like a balcony guarantee that doesn't include the promos.

By the way, the cruise we are on in a few days is offering balcony guarantees with no promos, but the fare is the same as what we booked with promos over a year ago.

 

We won't take the beverage packages with the high gratuities and poor wine choices. I will bring my own wine, pay the $15 a bottle corkage charge. We did accept the dining package since NCL's MDR dining is not always that fantastic.

 

Frankly, we are leaning away from NCL toward Royal C, which has great entertainment and the food is almost as good as Celebrity.

 

Also, we are Diamond on Royal (from being elite on Celebrity). On our first Royal cruise across the Pacific for 23 days we enjoyed the wonderful happy hour from 4:30 to 8 where we ordered a glass of wine for dinner the MDR (just before 8). We didn't buy a single alcoholic drink for the entire 23 days.

 

Bliss Nov 17, 2018 - SailAway Balcony (no promos) $1049, Regular Lowest Price Balcony with Promos $1199. But as I mentioned I wouldn't risk getting an obstructed view balcony.

 

We also book early and came across the same situation as you. By the time I realized you COULD book without the promos, the price was the same as ours with the promos.

 

We just got off the Bliss yesterday and that was our last NCL cruise. We are heading back to RCI Oasis class - our favorite for a number of reasons.

[Donna_In_India]

I especially like that although you are not having your meal in the mdr you are still expected to pay the full daily gratuity, then pay extra for the specialty meal (again despite not having the meal you paid for), then pay extra tips to the staff in the specialty restaurant even though those staff will be moved to the mdr if not being utilised in the specialty... and then the real kicker they always leave a section for you to tip extra on top of the specialty tipping! And in Teppanyaki ask you to tip the chef as well ... wowee- anyone else need a tip?

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums

 

Just about died on the Bliss with Teppanyaki. Saw in the daily paper that the charge was 29.95 (or whatever it was)....So I added a tip for both the waiter and the chef, without realizing NCL was already adding the tip AND tax. My 9 yr old daughter's VEGETARIAN meal at Teppanyaki came to over $47!! I never saw an actual bill until I went to Guest Services to ask about it! So 3rd person doesn't get the promos...and certainly for a child, not to mention a vegetarian, the price should be lower. It is in RCI's specialty restaurants!

[$hip$hape]

I especially like that although you are not having your meal in the mdr,

you are still expected to pay the full daily gratuity,

then pay extra for the specialty meal (again despite not having the meal you paid for),

then pay extra tips to the staff in the specialty restaurant

even though those staff will be moved to the mdr if not being utilised in the specialty...

and then the real kicker they always leave a section for you to tip extra on top of the specialty tipping!

And in Teppanyaki ask you to tip the chef as well ...

wowee- anyone else need a tip?

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums

 

You nailed it!

Most important, was that you let us know that you sent this from your iPod :* (sarcasm)

[teamflames]

You nailed it!

Most important, was that you let us know that you sent this from your iPod :* (sarcasm)

 

 

 

Handy little device [emoji106]

 

 

Sent from my iPod touch using Forums

[NLH Arizona]

Just about died on the Bliss with Teppanyaki. Saw in the daily paper that the charge was 29.95 (or whatever it was)....So I added a tip for both the waiter and the chef, without realizing NCL was already adding the tip AND tax. My 9 yr old daughter's VEGETARIAN meal at Teppanyaki came to over $47!! I never saw an actual bill until I went to Guest Services to ask about it! So 3rd person doesn't get the promos...and certainly for a child, not to mention a vegetarian, the price should be lower. It is in RCI's specialty restaurants!

Things must have recently change, because in December on my cruise you get a check at the end of the meal at the Teppanyaki restaurant whether you have the SDP or not in case you want to leave a tip for the server and/or chef and to sign. The bill should have been $36, plus possibly a drink, hopefully Guest Services adjust your bill. I'm assuming you tipped in cash since you didn't get a check. Edited September 2, 2018 by NLH Arizona