free drinks really free?

[MoCruiseFan]

On 4/17/2022 at 8:24 PM, Toofarfromthesea said:

Free drinks are never free.  Unless they come with the equally mythical free lunch.

 

AFAIK, NCL in the only cruise line Thay plays this game.

The drinks with the FAS package are absolutely 100% free.  Unfortunately a sufficiently large number of patrons who choose the drink package believe that a barkeep should not get a tip for a free drink.  The reality is that the same amount of effort goes into preparing that drink as does for preparing a full price drink.  As a result, NCL adds on a 20% gratuity to the FAS drink package, but as I said the drink itself is 100% free.  No games being played at all.

On 4/19/2022 at 8:13 PM, hallux said:

Except it's NOT added to the on-board account.  It's added to the fare when you go to complete the booking.  And it's not really "in fine print", it's detailed out...

 

Here's the breakdown on a Norwegian Pearl cruise to Bermuda on May 6, balcony room with all perks selected.  If you pay attention to what you're doing it's right in front of you.  Selected for 2 people, 7 days, a little less than $20 pppd...

EXACTLY.  However there are some people who just have to find a reason to complain about something.  If they do not like tipping for a 100% free drink then by all means do not take the free drink package.

[MoCruiseFan]

On 4/18/2022 at 11:05 AM, nmd18 said:

Thank you all for your quicck response to this question.  Yes, it is NCL.  Today I'm going to have a talk with them about this.  I'll let you know if anything significant happens.

Talk to them and say what?  You have two options...

1) take the 100% FREE drinks and pay the gratuity

- OR -

2) do not take the package, pay full price for your drinks, and tip as you see fit.

End of story.

[MoCruiseFan]

On 4/18/2022 at 11:53 AM, leaveitallbehind said:

As others have mentioned - the terminology of "free" simply means no separate charge, in this case, for the beverages.  But the cost of the package is buried in the cruise fare, so it is not "free" in the sense of "no cost" to you.

 

Gratuities are almost always separate as well, and as it is indicated as such in the fine print that you will pay gratuities on the beverages separately, that is a term and condition of that cruise fare.  Unfortunately I am pretty certain your argument will fall on deaf ears as a result.

There is no fine print.  The 20% gratuity is fully disclosed in several places in the same font and size as the rest of the offer.

[MoCruiseFan]

On 4/18/2022 at 1:22 PM, hallux said:

on NCL you pay gratuities on the package and no gratuities per-drink once on-board.

 

On NCL there are NO required gratuities on board.  Whether you pay for a dink package or not is irrelevant.

[MoCruiseFan]

On 4/19/2022 at 11:00 PM, Aquahound said:

The problem I have with NCL is they openly and blatantly advertise the drinks as FREE in bold yellow font at the top of their website.  It isn't until you click on the terms and conditions, which is in small gray font at the bottom of the screen, that you see the gratuity charge.  So yes, that is the fine print.  

 

 

OMG you mean people should actually READ what it is they are buying before buying it?

[Aquahound]

Just now, MoCruiseFan said:

 

 

OMG you mean people should actually READ what it is they are buying before buying it?

 

Exacty. 

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, MoCruiseFan said:

There is no fine print.  The 20% gratuity is fully disclosed in several places in the same font and size as the rest of the offer.

If you look back at the OP's initial post,  I was referring to the comment made by them regarding what they read in the "fine print".  I was not the source of the suggestion that there was "fine print".  Perhaps you should be directing this at them.

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by leaveitallbehind

[DirtyDawg]

13 hours ago, RD64 said:

Economics 101 - first day of class for the last thirty years, I always start with a classic article - “There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.”

 

You don't make them buy the entire Milton Friedman book? 

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[jennjess]

On 4/20/2022 at 12:49 AM, John Bull said:

 

 

I feel sure that the OP is aware that a "free" drinks package is actually paid for in some other way, such as in the cruise fare.

 

Their query is whether something should be described as "free" when $20 pppd is buried in the small-print and added to the on-board account, something which I see as sharp practice..

Most of us were pretty sure that the cruise line in question is NCL (confirmed by the OP), because NCL are known for their nickel & diming, and nobody on this thread has experienced that example with other cruise lines.

And if on NCL you dine in a speciality restaurant, gratuities are charged on your speciality meal, even though you're  paying the daily gratuity. So when you dine speciality on NCL you're paying double gratuities. 🙄

 

JB 🙂

The European free drinks package includes gratuities which is nice. 

[tgloersen]

Simple answer is NO.

 

You pay by paying the grauities for it.  While i always tip my bartenders where ever i go i certainly dont tip 20% on a beer.  So its not really worth the package for me, i just dont srink enough

 

So unless you drink enough it may not be worth taking the package, might be better to pay as you go.  Just remebr if you do pay as you go you pay for the cost of the drink $15 on average plus 20%

[sberg23]

Not sure why this is even a debate.  Alcohol and sodas are not included in basic fare on NCL.  Not a surprise.  Yes, the alcoholic drinks and sodas are free on NCL when you buy the Beverage Package.  No false advertising there.  And yes, you should pay gratuities when you buy alcoholic drinks on NCL, just like you would going to any bar.  So in NCL's promo deal they are, in fact, giving you FREE alcoholic drinks over the duration of your cruise once you pre-pay the gratuities.  Or if you don't want the Beverage Package they give you the easy method of opting out at time of booking (when online it's an obvious checkbox).  Again, no surprises here.

 

The math is pretty easy.  Would you partake in an average of ~$20 per person per day on drinks + tip?  If so, then it is a good deal.  If not, just decline it and buy drinks (plus tip) as you go.  2 cocktails of any kind per person per day covers it (Premium Beverage Package options is another story).

 

We personally love being able to walk up to a bar to order drinks, hand over our seapass card, and just say thanks and walk away without having to bust out a cc/cash or sign anything.  Again, this is all part of Freestyle Cruising.  Just choose what works for you.

Edited April 24, 2022 by sberg23

[mjkacmom]

37 minutes ago, tgloersen said:

Simple answer is NO.

 

You pay by paying the grauities for it.  While i always tip my bartenders where ever i go i certainly dont tip 20% on a beer.  So its not really worth the package for me, i just dont srink enough

 

So unless you drink enough it may not be worth taking the package, might be better to pay as you go.  Just remebr if you do pay as you go you pay for the cost of the drink $15 on average plus 20%

The 20% gratuity on the drink package is on the cost of the package if you paid for it. If you drink more than one drink a day it works our better than paying OOP.

[poohdreaming]

On 4/18/2022 at 7:09 AM, DirtyDawg said:

Are you saying that all those 'free' cruises people get for betting huge sums in the the casinos aren't really FREE? 😱

 

FYI, there is never a really free cruise. Most casino players lose a lot of $$$ in order to get giveaways. Even with the casino free comp cruise, still need to pay the casino fee of at least $200. NCL does this. Along with anything else that need payments, such as if wanting to upgrade to a better cabin. But then they do give you the casino free drink card, where you get can bottle of waters and some drinks.

[phissy]

Another important point.

When getting drinks while in port or local waters, local taxes are added to your room account for those drinks.

In Seattle, it is 10.5%.  
On recent cruise up the coast from Los Angeles to Vancouver, cruiser reported  about $100 in charges for local taxes on drinks. 

[Sailing12Away]

Racking up $100 in local taxes while at port is impressive. I think we were charged less than $2 per drink. Unless you don't get off the ship while at any of your port of calls and just sit boozing all day, I honestly can't see how that would be possible.

 

But still.... $100 + the $20/day gratuities is still cheaper than paying outright for those 50+ drinks that you would be paying taxes on regardless. 

[ggTexasGal]

32 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Racking up $100 in local taxes while at port is impressive. I think we were charged less than $2 per drink. Unless you don't get off the ship while at any of your port of calls and just sit boozing all day, I honestly can't see how that would be possible.

 

But still.... $100 + the $20/day gratuities is still cheaper than paying outright for those 50+ drinks that you would be paying taxes on regardless. 

Perhaps the person with $100 in local taxes had the PPBP and was drinking Veuve Clicquot , or other premium drink(s) like they were glasses of water🤪.

[UKstages]

On 4/17/2022 at 8:34 PM, Doug R. said:

On those lines the prices of the package, including "free" packages are inclusive of tips. Many who have those packages show confusion and think the bartenders/servers are going without tips.

i've never been confused by this. not even once. i have never seen anybody who looks even remotely confused by this!

 

what i have seen is people who appreciate good service providing an additional tip of a dollar or two (or five) when they receive that service. just a dollar or two often gets you preferred service, with bartenders already mixing your drink  as you approach the bar. they will gety to know you over the course of a five day, seven day or ten day (or longer) journey and will also try very hard to keep your preferred brand of whatever you're drinking on hand, if it's a bar that you frequent throughout the cruise.  

 

i also see people graciously offering additional tips to hard working individuals who support their entire family by sending money home and in acknowledgement that many of those folks didn't work for 18 months or longer. many people also provide an additional tip because they know the money is going directly to the bartenders and not into a pool where it may be inequitably divided and distributed by NCL management.

 

On 4/18/2022 at 7:09 AM, DirtyDawg said:

Are you saying that all those 'free' cruises people get for betting huge sums in the the casinos aren't really FREE? 😱

 

On 4/18/2022 at 8:40 AM, navybankerteacher said:

Of course not —- those are the people who continually report that they always come out ahead when they go to a casino.   It does make me wonder how casinos stay in business when they lose to so many players.

 

On 4/23/2022 at 1:32 PM, JustAPilot said:

I had a good laugh with someone posting about the free cruise casino. I always want to face palm when I read the posts here about getting “free” cruises by gambling at the casino and thinking your actually beating the odds and getting a real free cruise. 😂

 

there is an awful lot of casino "free cruise" bashing around here. i dunno... perhaps it's because we tend to mock and ridicule that which we don't understand.

 

the truth is that i don't know any casino gambler - in a land based casino or on board ship - who doesn't have a very good handle on the actual "cost" of the cruise or gambling in general. indeed, most will roll their eyes and joke about the two thousand dollar toaster oven some casino or other gave them for "free."

 

and, in the case of "free" cruises, yes, you pay port fees and taxes and daily service charges and NCL even tacks on an onerous $20 a day admin fee.

 

all true.

 

and, yes, most people lose most of the time, but not always. i have been on three NCL cruises in the past three years, two of them were in balcony cabins and my most recent cruise was in the haven in a room that retailed for 25K. i can assure you that i didn't lose that much money over the course of those three cruises. in fact, i came out ahead on this most recent cruise, with two hand paid jackpots. my total loss, over three cruises, was less than 1K.  

 

for me, that's a pretty good deal. i could easily have lost several thousand dollars more... and, for me, that would still be a pretty good deal. we each have different bankrolls and thresholds for loss. just because it's not right for you, doesn't mean it's not right for somebody else.

 

gambling is a form of entertainment and what you're doing by playing in an NCL casino is essentially "prepaying" your next cruise fare. there is a possibility that it won't ultimately cost you a thing, but that's unlikely. it reminds me a lot of people who plunk down 20K or more for a fractional share of a vacation home (time share) worth far less and nearly impossible to sell in the aftermarket, for the "right" to pay thousands more every year in common charges and fees for their "free" vacation. i would never do that, but lots of people swear by it.

 

the thing non-gamblers often don't understand about casinos is that the casino doesn't care if you win. and people do indeed have to win sometime, or they would stop playing. it is absolutely true that the house always wins, but they don't do it by making sure every player loses. they don't care if YOU win or lose... only that you play.  your comps and "free" cruises are based on your play, not your loss. they know if you play, more often than not, you will lose. but they don't really care if an individual player wins or loses.

 

there are other advantages to cruising as a casino guest. folks have already mentioned the free drink cards, which includes bottled water and energy drinks. there's also a premium drink card for elite players... that will get you the same drinks - for free - that the premium plus drinks package gets you, including veuve cliquot champagne and sparkling water in bottles, not NCL milk cartons. big savings there.  of course, the casino isn't open in most ports, so many casino customers also pay the gratuity on the "free" drinks package so they can drink when they are roaming about the ship.

 

there are even bigger savings for solo casino guests. there is no "single supplement" for solo travelers. the free cruise benefit applies to the room is not based on a specific number of occupants, meaning that you're welcome to add a second, third and fourth guest, but you can travel alone with no penalty.

 

if you have an extra three or four hundred dollars in your cruise budget, try this test: go to the casino and run your money through some slots... see what happens. you might win; you'll probably lose. but i'd be willing to bet (see what i did there?) that you will get an offer from NCL's casino at sea program. it might be a "free" cruise, but it might be just a discount, if that's all you've run through the machines.

 

and, hey, if it's not for you, it's not for you.

 

no harm, no foul.

 

i promise not to go online and make fun of you for how much you "paid" for your cruise at 35% off the fantasy rates that nobody actually pays.

[imacruiser99]

For full disclosure, I am a fan of NCL.  Even though I do not always like their promotions, I always get the drink package freebie (even though my wife drinks way less and I do mean way less then I do).  The way I view it, I am getting a discounted drink package and not a freebie.  I am will to give the hard working folks on the ship a little extra in their pockets, even if we both do not consume our fair share of alcohol.  I do wish NCL would come up with a middle of the road plan, so that if one partner is not a drinker to give them an option to get drinks from the coffee shop instead.  I have said on Carnival and will be sailing again shortly and I like their program, but not a fan of the 15 drink alcoholic limit (even though I doubt I would hit that on all days).  Their drink price criteria is better than NCL's (I think currently under $25.00), but it does include unlimited specialty coffess and milkshakes.

 

But you need to remember, that without the gratuity included in the package price, there are a number of folks who "stiff" the wait staff and I like to help them out as much as I resaonably can  Even though I have paid the gratuity on the drink package, a couple of dollars every once in a while goes a long way, and that includes the the bartenders and wait staff.  It is amazing how much attention I get when I include a few buck to the wait person when on the pool deck.  There have been numerous times that my drink is never empty and if it has sat there for a while, it is refreshed.

 

So in other words, consider the free drink package only as a reduced drink package (a cost of cruising) and tip the staff.  We are fortunate we live in such a prosperous country and should be able to share a little of our wealth.  These are hard working folks and deserve our gratitude for marking the cruise enjoyable.

[MoCruiseFan]

32 minutes ago, UKstages said:

i've never been confused by this. not even once. i have never seen anybody who looks even remotely confused by this!

 

what i have seen is people who appreciate good service providing an additional tip of a dollar or two (or five) when they receive that service. just a dollar or two often gets you preferred service, with bartenders already mixing your drink  as you approach the bar. they will gety to know you over the course of a five day, seven day or ten day (or longer) journey and will also try very hard to keep your preferred brand of whatever you're drinking on hand, if it's a bar that you frequent throughout the cruise.  

 

i also see people graciously offering additional tips to hard working individuals who support their entire family by sending money home and in acknowledgement that many of those folks didn't work for 18 months or longer. many people also provide an additional tip because they know the money is going directly to the bartenders and not into a pool where it may be inequitably divided and distributed by NCL management.

 

 

 

 

there is an awful lot of casino "free cruise" bashing around here. i dunno... perhaps it's because we tend to mock and ridicule that which we don't understand.

 

the truth is that i don't know any casino gambler - in a land based casino or on board ship - who doesn't have a very good handle on the actual "cost" of the cruise or gambling in general. indeed, most will roll their eyes and joke about the two thousand dollar toaster oven some casino or other gave them for "free."

 

and, in the case of "free" cruises, yes, you pay port fees and taxes and daily service charges and NCL even tacks on an onerous $20 a day admin fee.

 

all true.

 

and, yes, most people lose most of the time, but not always. i have been on three NCL cruises in the past three years, two of them were in balcony cabins and my most recent cruise was in the haven in a room that retailed for 25K. i can assure you that i didn't lose that much money over the course of those three cruises. in fact, i came out ahead on this most recent cruise, with two hand paid jackpots. my total loss, over three cruises, was less than 1K.  

 

for me, that's a pretty good deal. i could easily have lost several thousand dollars more... and, for me, that would still be a pretty good deal. we each have different bankrolls and thresholds for loss. just because it's not right for you, doesn't mean it's not right for somebody else.

 

gambling is a form of entertainment and what you're doing by playing in an NCL casino is essentially "prepaying" your next cruise fare. there is a possibility that it won't ultimately cost you a thing, but that's unlikely. it reminds me a lot of people who plunk down 20K or more for a fractional share of a vacation home (time share) worth far less and nearly impossible to sell in the aftermarket, for the "right" to pay thousands more every year in common charges and fees for their "free" vacation. i would never do that, but lots of people swear by it.

 

the thing non-gamblers often don't understand about casinos is that the casino doesn't care if you win. and people do indeed have to win sometime, or they would stop playing. it is absolutely true that the house always wins, but they don't do it by making sure every player loses. they don't care if YOU win or lose... only that you play.  your comps and "free" cruises are based on your play, not your loss. they know if you play, more often than not, you will lose. but they don't really care if an individual player wins or loses.

 

there are other advantages to cruising as a casino guest. folks have already mentioned the free drink cards, which includes bottled water and energy drinks. there's also a premium drink card for elite players... that will get you the same drinks - for free - that the premium plus drinks package gets you, including veuve cliquot champagne and sparkling water in bottles, not NCL milk cartons. big savings there.  of course, the casino isn't open in most ports, so many casino customers also pay the gratuity on the "free" drinks package so they can drink when they are roaming about the ship.

 

there are even bigger savings for solo casino guests. there is no "single supplement" for solo travelers. the free cruise benefit applies to the room is not based on a specific number of occupants, meaning that you're welcome to add a second, third and fourth guest, but you can travel alone with no penalty.

 

if you have an extra three or four hundred dollars in your cruise budget, try this test: go to the casino and run your money through some slots... see what happens. you might win; you'll probably lose. but i'd be willing to bet (see what i did there?) that you will get an offer from NCL's casino at sea program. it might be a "free" cruise, but it might be just a discount, if that's all you've run through the machines.

 

and, hey, if it's not for you, it's not for you.

 

no harm, no foul.

 

i promise not to go online and make fun of you for how much you "paid" for your cruise at 35% off the fantasy rates that nobody actually pays.

If you find $20 a day to be onerous perhaps you should not be cruising.

[MoCruiseFan]

9 minutes ago, imacruiser99 said:

For full disclosure, I am a fan of NCL.  Even though I do not always like their promotions, I always get the drink package freebie (even though my wife drinks way less and I do mean way less THAN I do).  The way I view it, I am getting a discounted drink package and not a freebie.  I am will to give the hard working folks on the ship a little extra in their pockets, even if we both do not consume our fair share of alcohol.  I do wish NCL would come up with a middle of the road plan, so that if one partner is not a drinker to give them an option to get drinks from the coffee shop instead.  I have said on Carnival and will be sailing again shortly and I like their program, but not a fan of the 15 drink alcoholic limit (even though I doubt I would hit that on all days).  Their drink price criteria is better than NCL's (I think currently under $25.00), but it does include unlimited specialty coffess and milkshakes.

 

But you need to remember, that without the gratuity included in the package price, there are a number of folks who "stiff" the wait staff and I like to help them out as much as I resaonably can  Even though I have paid the gratuity on the drink package, a couple of dollars every once in a while goes a long way, and that includes the the bartenders and wait staff.  It is amazing how much attention I get when I include a few buck to the wait person when on the pool deck.  There have been numerous times that my drink is never empty and if it has sat there for a while, it is refreshed.

 

So in other words, consider the free drink package only as a reduced drink package (a cost of cruising) and tip the staff.  We are fortunate we live in such a prosperous country and should be able to share a little of our wealth.  These are hard working folks and deserve our gratitude for marking the cruise enjoyable.

 

 

I am not a drinker but I do concur that requiring all passengers in a cabin to get the drink package should be modified.

 

[Cruising Lynne]

On 4/23/2022 at 1:32 PM, JustAPilot said:

I had a good laugh with someone posting about the free cruise casino. I always want to face palm when I read the posts here about getting “free” cruises by gambling at the casino and thinking your actually beating the odds and getting a real free cruise. 😂

I consider the "free" cruises I get from my local casino to be a good discount. It really saves a lot on the total price of the cruise. I realize that if I stop spending money at the casino, I could put that money toward a cruise. My husband says that by earning my cruise at the casino, I get to have fun twice! 🎰🚢

 

 

[MoCruiseFan]

On 4/23/2022 at 1:32 PM, JustAPilot said:

I had a good laugh with someone posting about the free cruise casino. I always want to face palm when I read the posts here about getting “free” cruises by gambling at the casino and thinking your actually beating the odds and getting a real free cruise. 😂

 While I seldom come out ahead at the end of any given cruise, more often than not my net is well below what the value is of the freebies they give me.  Laugh away.

[Two Wheels Only]

5 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

I am not a drinker but I do concur that requiring all passengers in a cabin to get the drink package should be modified.

 

There are too many dishonest people who ruin it for everyone. Many people will claim that they don't drink alcohol just to pay less while the other person in the stateroom who has the PBP will simply get drinks for both.

 

When only adults #1 and #2 got the promo, too many times they would share with adult guests #3 and #4. Now, all of those adults will have their own PBP and will pay the 20% service charge. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

8 hours ago, UKstages said:

it reminds me a lot of people who plunk down 20K or more for a fractional share of a vacation home (time share) worth far less and nearly impossible to sell in the aftermarket, for the "right" to pay thousands more every year in common charges and fees for their "free" vacation. i would never do that, but lots of people swear by it.

Bingo.  The difference between gambling and time shares is that you don't have to die to quit gambling.

8 hours ago, UKstages said:

if you have an extra three or four hundred dollars in your cruise budget, try this test: go to the casino and run your money through some slots... see what happens. you might win; you'll probably lose.

 

8 hours ago, UKstages said:

no harm, no foul.

Sounds like a $400 foul.  What am I missing?

[MoCruiseFan]

2 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

There are too many dishonest people who ruin it for everyone. Many people will claim that they don't drink alcohol just to pay less while the other person in the stateroom who has the PBP will simply get drinks for both.

 

When only adults #1 and #2 got the promo, too many times they would share with adult guests #3 and #4. Now, all of those adults will have their own PBP and will pay the 20% service charge. 

 

 

I fully comprehend.  I just wish for the honest drinkers that there might be some way to do this.