Question about those Free things

[serene56]

Pricing a cruise on NCL  Escape   5 day bermuda

 

I can get the free drinks and free dining but it will cost me almost 600.00 more for two people vs if i book the cabin without any free stuff.

Can someone explain to me how this is free?   

[LrgPizza]

If you were to buy the packages, you would pay the price of the packages plus those gratuities that you've listed above. In this case, you only pay the gratuities. That is how it is "free". I hope a moderator locks this now.

[PTC DAWG]

Most all cruises structure pricing this way.  

 

My Celebrity cruise this fall costs more because I took the cabin with 2 perks...

 

Just look at the bottom line, if it makes sense..go for it.  

 

I'm also guessing the cabin without the perks on NCL is a sailaway..you will have no say on where the cabin is, to most people, this can be bothersome...to others, like you maybe, who doesn't want the drink packages, etc..it may be a boom.  Again, bottom line.  

 

 

 

Edited June 13, 2019 by PTC DAWG

[serene56]

1 minute ago, LrgPizza said:

If you were to buy the packages, you would pay the price of the packages plus those gratuities that you've listed above. In this case, you only pay the gratuities. That is how it is "free". I hope a moderator locks this now.

 

i hope they dont lock it yet as I am still not understanding.     So they advertise as free so why would i pay for the packages plus gratuity?   will they take it off the bill when i get onboard? 

[PTC DAWG]

1 minute ago, serene56 said:

 

i hope they dont lock it yet as I am still not understanding.     So they advertise as free so why would i pay for the packages plus gratuity?   will they take it off the bill when i get onboard? 

You only pay the gratuities on the packages you choose.  This will NOT be removed when you board.  You will not owe any more gratuities on any drinks/meals etc you chose with the said packages.  

[LrgPizza]

1 minute ago, serene56 said:

 

i hope they dont lock it yet as I am still not understanding.     So they advertise as free so why would i pay for the packages plus gratuity?   will they take it off the bill when i get onboard? 

 

No, they will not take it off the bill. Everyone pays gratuities, whether or not you receive the package for free or pay for it. If you don't want to pay gratuities, then don't take the package. Good luck!

 

Otherwise, do a search here, because this has been asked close to one million times. There really isn't anything else to say about it. You appear to understand, but you don't like it, which is fine. Just figure out what you want to do.

[fshagan]

NCL has a couple of rates that are cheaper without the extras; the GTY bookings where you also don't get to choose your cabin (I think these are the BX categories) and sometimes a sail away rate that is cheaper and does let you select your cabin. I don't see that sail away rate on all cruises.

 

If not being under a pool deck or above a nightclub is worth $600 more, take the fare with the extras included. Many people make the choice on cabin selection alone. From that point, the forced service charge on the feebies that charge one seems reasonable to most people who would utilize that perk (drinkers paying the $20 a day service charge for unlimited drinks make out nicely if they drink more than 2 - 3 drinks a day).

 

I always wonder why people complain about a lower price. If you like the lower price and the options it gives you, go for it.

[Georgia_Peaches]

Like LrgPizza said....You're not paying for the packages when you take the perk...that's the free part.  You are paying the gratuities on the package...those are not advertised as free.  If you don't want the perks, opt out of them and then your cruise fare will go back down again.  You'll just pay for upcharge fee for the dining (if you want it) and buy drinks individually (if you want them).  Many people do it that way for one reason or another.  We always take the "free" perks because we come out better in the end by paying the gratuity only.

[serene56]

1 minute ago, PTC DAWG said:

You only pay the gratuities on the packages you choose.  This will NOT be removed when you board.  You will not owe any more gratuities on any drinks/meals etc you chose with the said packages.  

 

 

ahhhh   so the 600 is gratuities for 2 people for the drink package and dining package--  NOW that makes sense to me.  

So that i am looking at it-- IF i buy the dining package for 4 nights at 109.per person  (that is not including grats correct?   what percentage are they adding?    is that meal package worth the price?

and the drink package-- does that include soda?       We are looking at the meal package and the soda card.   just trying to figure the math   (never sailed NCL before 

[PTC DAWG]

Drink package includes Pepsi products from the bar gun...

 

20% will be the gratuity charge on the $109 meal package...about $22. So around $131 all in for that package. Assuming you do not choose the free at sea option. 

Edited June 13, 2019 by PTC DAWG

[graphicguy]

So, sounds like you’re looking at a GTY or SAILAWAY rate vs standard rates (with the freebies).

 

Booking the standard rate, you get to choose your own cabin for your particular cabin type, and its location on the ship.  Plus, you get the “Free at Sea “ goodies.  If you’re familiar with Royal Caribbean, for example, you can book a rate that’s non-refundable, or pay more and get a refundable rate.

 

On the Free at Sea for NCL, the package is free.  But, you pay the tips.

 

Hope that helps clear things up.

[serene56]

23 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Drink package includes Pepsi products from the bar gun...

 

20% will be the gratuity charge on the $109 meal package...about $22. So around $131 all in for that package. Assuming you do not choose the free at sea option. 

  Just learning my way around     dont know if the meal package will be worth it  but I also do not know whats involved that that yet.     Most dining doesnt include drinks   so have to factor that in too

[JamieLogical]

The charge is a 20% gratuity on the value of the package. A drink package costs $100 per person per day. So the gratuity on it is $20 per person per day. On a 7-day cruise for two, that totals $280.

 

Specialty dining package costs vary depending on how many meals you get, but if you are on a 7-day cruise and choose the perk, you get the three meal package, which I want to say costs about $90 per person?

 

If you don't drink alcohol, there is a a soda package you can buy instead which is significantly cheaper.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, serene56 said:

 so the 600 is gratuities for 2 people for the drink package and dining package--  NOW that makes sense to me.

That depends on where you're seeing that 600 difference. If you're looking at the total cost, part of that 600 is that, yes.  The base fare when you get the perks is also higher, by how much depends on how many people and what category.

 

This is a mental calculation I run when comparing the fares - will I get x value out of the free at sea perk, where x is the increased cost of the room that includes the perk.  If the room is $200 more on a cruise where I'll get at least 3 nights of specialty dining with that particular perk, I'll take the room with the perk (a la carte specialty dining adds up FAST).  If the room gives 2 perks, that cost difference goes up.

 

Of course - the cabin type I most likely will sail in only gets one perk AND doesn't offer GTY or sail-away rates.  I typically look at Studio cabins as a solo but have browsed ships that don't have those and have weighed the difference of with perk or as a GTY or sail-away.

[cruiseguy56]

"This is a mental calculation I run when comparing the fares - will I get x value out of the free at sea perk, where x is the increased cost of the room that includes the perk."

 

That's what we do too. On our next cruise, we could pay $400 more per person and get 1 specialty dinner ($25 value) and the alcoholic drink package.  Neither of us drink alcohol, so the perks are really worthless and we choose the cheap rate without them.

Edited June 13, 2019 by cruiseguy56

[NRWPA]

You can always select the cabins that include "Free at Sea" and select internet and shore excursion credit. There is no additional fee/gratuity with those. For whatever reason the tax/port fees are very expensive for Bermuda though - assume it's just the cost of doing business with Bermuda.

[LuckyStar]

2 hours ago, LrgPizza said:

 

No, they will not take it off the bill. Everyone pays gratuities, whether or not you receive the package for free or pay for it. If you don't want to pay gratuities, then don't take the package. Good luck!

 

Otherwise, do a search here, because this has been asked close to one million times. There really isn't anything else to say about it. You appear to understand, but you don't like it, which is fine. Just figure out what you want to do.

Why do you bother to reply if you are going to be cranky?  It's a honest question and the search feature is just not as robust as it used to be.  

[LrgPizza]

1 hour ago, LuckyStar said:

Why do you bother to reply if you are going to be cranky?  It's a honest question and the search feature is just not as robust as it used to be.  

 

I didn't realize that was cranky. Generally when I'm cranky, I don't waste my time answring. Then again, I suppose you weren't sitting beside me, so you have no idea of my mood, but you are one of those who likes to assign real life emotion to words on a screen. You just aren't good at it. 

 

Regarding the search, I use google and search for "boards.cruisecritic.com" followed by the terms for which I am searching. Works like a charm. I hope that helps you.

[kenns]

Question for the OP: How is the dining and beverage package increasing your cruise by $600? 

 

The beverage package "cost" or amount you are paying is the gratuities, as others have said, which is $19.80 per person, per day. So, $19.80 x 5 days = $99 charge per person.

 

The dining package "cost" or amount you are paying is the gratuities, as others have said, which according to the chart on NCL's website is $13.80 per person, total.

 

If you add the $99 for the beverage package gratuities + the $13.80 for the dining package, your total extra cost per person is $112.80. If you multiply that by 2, for 2 guests, that grand total is $225.60. How are you calculating $600?

 

Or are you saying that in order to get both of these packages, you need to select a more expensive cabin than the cheapest one? For example, a balcony or ocean-view cabin as opposed to an interior?

Edited June 13, 2019 by kenns

[Sauer-kraut]

1 minute ago, kenns said:

Question for the OP: How is the dining and beverage package increasing your cruise by $600? 

 

The beverage package "cost" or amount you are paying is the gratuities, as others have said, which is $19.80 per person, per day. So, $19.80 x 5 days = $99 charge per person.

 

The dining package "cost" or amount you are paying is the gratuities, as others have said, which according to the chart on NCL's website is $13.80 per person, total.

 

If you add the $99 for the beverage package gratuities + the $13.80 for the dining package, your total extra cost per person is $112.80. If you multiply that by 2, for 2 guests, that grand total is $225.60. How are you calculating $600?

She's probably meaning that the fare published is $600 above the guarantee

rate.

[JamieLogical]

4 minutes ago, kenns said:

Question for the OP: How is the dining and beverage package increasing your cruise by $600? 

 

The beverage package "cost" or amount you are paying is the gratuities, as others have said, which is $19.80 per person, per day. So, $19.80 x 5 days = $99 charge per person.

 

The dining package "cost" or amount you are paying is the gratuities, as others have said, which according to the chart on NCL's website is $13.80 per person, total.

 

If you add the $99 for the beverage package gratuities + the $13.80 for the dining package, your total extra cost per person is $112.80. If you multiply that by 2, for 2 guests, that grand total is $225.60. How are you calculating $600?

 

I wonder if they are also including taxes and port fees in that $600 total? So the cruise is costing $600 more overall than the "sticker price"?

[perditax]

4 hours ago, fshagan said:

NCL has a couple of rates that are cheaper without the extras; the GTY bookings where you also don't get to choose your cabin (I think these are the BX categories) and sometimes a sail away rate that is cheaper and does let you select your cabin. I don't see that sail away rate on all cruises.

 

I might start a separate thread for this, because I thought I understood this and I guess I don't. I've done mock bookings for a couple of Escape sailings (weeks to months out), and in all categories I've checked, for "Sail Away Rate" you can't pick your cabin and it has this text:

 

As our lowest available rate for this category, a Sail Away Oceanview stateroom guarantees you’ll receive an Oceanview stateroom or better! Please note that the view may be fully obstructed, partially obstructed, porthole or picture window. Your stateroom may be on any deck and assigned up to one day prior to embarkation. Promotional rates and offers are excluded on this category (OX).

 

I can't immediately find a GTY cabin and now I'm confused about the difference. Maybe it's that a true GTY *does* include the perk offers?

Edited June 13, 2019 by perditax

[richstowe]

OP , you're a CC chartered member with over 50 thousand posts, presumably lots of cruises and you have just discovered that free isn't free ?  Hmm . I have my doubts . 

 

[JamieLogical]

7 minutes ago, perditax said:

 

I might start a separate thread for this, because I thought I understood this and I guess I don't. I've done mock bookings for a couple of Escape sailings (weeks to months out), and in all categories I've checked, for "Sail Away Rate" you can't pick your cabin and it has this text:

 

As our lowest available rate for this category, a Sail Away Oceanview stateroom guarantees you’ll receive an Oceanview stateroom or better! Please note that the view may be fully obstructed, partially obstructed, porthole or picture window. Your stateroom may be on any deck and assigned up to one day prior to embarkation. Promotional rates and offers are excluded on this category (OX).

 

I can't immediately find a GTY cabin and now I'm confused about the difference. Maybe it's that a true GTY *does* include the perk offers?

 

So, all SailAways are GTY, but not all GTY are SailAways. When you book a SailAway rate, it comes with no perks and you do not get to select your cabin. On some sailings, depending on when you book, a category might be in "GTY" due to low inventory. In those cases, you get get all of the perks associated with that cabin category and you are guaranteed a cabin of that category or higher, but you don't get to pick your specific room. For instance, my parents recent booked a BF on the Escape only six days out from sailing. At that point, due to low inventory, that cabin category was in GTY, meaning they did not get to pick their room. However, they were assigned a BB so it all worked out great. They received all four Free at Sea perks (didn't need 3rd & 4th guest free) and got a really good deal.

Edited June 13, 2019 by JamieLogical

[Von & John]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

 For instance, my parents recent booked a BF on the Escape only six days out from sailing.

 

Thread Hijack Alert...

Jamie  --  it appears your parents have gone from reticent cruisers to being bitten by the bug...