nyc511

I haven't sailed NCL in a couple of years, but I now see that they have alcohol beverage packages for about $49 a day with some restrictions. Most notably (for me) is the bottled beer under $5.50. Does anyone recall what types of bottled/canned beer they have available and what the cost may be? I usually drink Amstel Light or Miller Lite, and my recollection was that the Miller came in a pint sized can and cost more than the $5.50. I wouldn't want to purchase the plan only to find the 2 beverages I drink not included in it!! Thanks

Obviously, tip what you want, but the person you are tipping via the additional tip line on is not the person who gets to keep the money. The money is put into a fund to offset the wages of all the employees not covered under the daily surcharge or who are not under a seaman's guild contract. So if you think you're doing a particular bartender a "solid," you're not. Cruise lines operate under "Foreign Choice" provisions which mean that the comfy employment laws and practices that we are used to in the USA do not apply -- including wages. This is one reason why there are no US flagged cruise ships Cash is the only way to insure that a particular crew member is getting the reward, but remember to use discretion and not tip when other crew members are present. Crew members who are known to get cash tips are expected to "spread the wealth" below decks where there is a whole underworld that passengers don't even know about and that ship's management has little control over. Just like the school yard bully that steals the lunch money, there are gangs working below decks who seldom see the light of day and who aren't going to let your friendly cabin steward end a cruise with hundreds of US dollars in his pocket.

I'm in the bar business (on land, of course) and actually, I don't like the idea of the built-in tip, and many resorts on land are starting to apply it. The reality is that the cruise line is going to pay the employee the same amount of $ no matter what -- there may be a shortage of staff officers, but not Third World waiters, bartenders and cabin stewards. What the line is doing is paying the same salary but using your tip money to do it. The reason I don't like the built-in tip as a barman is because you make less money. I buy a bottle of beer I'm going to leave $1 -- already about 20-25%. Sure, not everybody will, but you'll going to come out ahead at the end of the night -- particularly where people are on vacation and throwing $ around. Admittedly, the lack of cash on board is an issue with this. As a customer on the other hand, i have no obligation to leave more and I come out a head of the game with the 15%. Seriously, I think the tip on a bottle of beer aboard NCl was something like .62 cents; I'd get the s--t kicked out of me if I pulled a stunt like that anyplace legit!