Tips not included in UBP?? NCL says otherwise

[Beaver1975]

We returned yesterday from a week on the Jewel. We had the UBP and the UDP and paid the 18% tip/gratuity for each and every drink and meal. This was our experience...

 

When you pay for a drink, they put the charge on the bill along with the 18% tip. Then when it goes through accounting, they ring it up as zero charge for the drink PLUS the 18% tip, which of course is left in place. (It is all very confusing.)

 

On the last night of the cruise they charged us full price for the drinks and Mike had to go down and get it removed early on the day of disembarkation. If we hadn’t looked at our final bill, we never would have seen the mistake... at least not until we got home and it was too late to do anything about it.

 

The bottom line is... there is an 18% tip/gratuity added and we had to pay it... for every drink and for each meal.

 

No, you did not have to pay the gratuity. They add it to the check for an accounting to compensate the bar staff properly. Your bill, as it pertained to your bar purchases, was zeroed out at the end of the cruise.

 

The same exact thing happens with the dining package.

Edited April 19, 2015 by Beaver1975

[cruitenn]

Got off the a Epic this morning and the limit per drink was $11. Gratuities were not charged to the account at all. The only charge we received were for sales tax when we were docked in Miami.

[mking8288]

Nevermind - disregard, deleting to avoid ....

Edited April 20, 2015 by mking8288

[DebbieCruises]

No, you did not have to pay the gratuity. They add it to the check for an accounting to compensate the bar staff properly. Your bill, as it pertained to your bar purchases, was zeroed out at the end of the cruise.

 

The same exact thing happens with the dining package.

 

oops! My bad... I just looked at my print-out and you are right. We were only charged the Texas tax for the first day and the last night when they incorrectly charged us for dinner and drinks, which they reversed when my husband took our print-out to the service desk. I apologize for my error and misinformation. I just hate when I make a fool of myself like this.:o:(

[rochelle_s]

oops! My bad... I just looked at my print-out and you are right. We were only charged the Texas tax for the first day and the last night when they incorrectly charged us for dinner and drinks, which they reversed when my husband took our print-out to the service desk. I apologize for my error and misinformation. I just hate when I make a fool of myself like this.:o:(

 

No worries thanks so much for posting the amended info. Hope you had a great cruise otherwise!

 

 

Rochelle

[DebbieCruises]

No worries thanks so much for posting the amended info. Hope you had a great cruise otherwise!

 

 

Rochelle

 

Thanks, Rochelle. One additional confirmation I can make is that if you want a drink that costs more than the $11 limit, they only charge you for the overage amount. For instance, the "Pear Pleasure" signature martini in Cagney's costs $11.50. We were charged only 50 cents. It was the same for glasses of wine over the limit, too. We were happy about that for sure!

[rochelle_s]

Thanks, Rochelle. One additional confirmation I can make is that if you want a drink that costs more than the $11 limit, they only charge you for the overage amount. For instance, the "Pear Pleasure" signature martini in Cagney's costs $11.50. We were charged only 50 cents. It was the same for glasses of wine over the limit, too. We were happy about that for sure!

 

Very good to know..and would you recommend the Pear Pleasure?

 

 

Rochelle

[DebbieCruises]

Very good to know..and would you recommend the Pear Pleasure?

 

 

Rochelle

 

Oooooohhhh, yes!!! It was soooo yummy!!!

[FireEater]

Just got off the Sun today.

 

Receipts for drinks for those on UBP showed a price for the drink plus the gratuity, giving a total IF one was to pay for it. You sign the receipt like you are being charged what is shown (I think they are doing it for inventory purposes) but it does not show up on your ship's bill. I threw out my receipts daily.

 

The UDP showed the price for the restaurant charge, but showed $0.00 for total.

No gratuity showed up on my UDP receipt.

 

If you order drinks with your meals, you will get 2 receipts. 1 for the drinks, 1 for the meals. If the base was less then $11.01, I paid nothing. I DID see a few small insignificant charges for items that were a base over $11.00. I am only talking $1.05 or less for a few of the drinks I tried that were over the base price of $11.00.

[rochelle_s]

Oooooohhhh, yes!!! It was soooo yummy!!!

 

Well I am going to splurge and take 59 cents from my OBC and try one of those when I go to Cagneys next month! :D

 

 

Rochelle

[DebbieCruises]

Well I am going to splurge and take 59 cents from my OBC and try one of those when I go to Cagneys next month! :D

 

 

Rochelle

 

Hahahaha!! You go girl! Live large!:D:D

[bmwman]

You should* not have to pay any VAT in Europe if you received the UBP as a promo, because VAT is calculated as a percentage of the amount you have paid.

 

10% of €0 is €0.

 

If you paid for the UBP, then you should* pay VAT on the cost of the UBP, so if $54 then 10% of $54 is $5.40.

 

The cost of the individual drinks is irrelevant for the VAT calculation when you have the UBP.

 

*This is not to say that NCL does do it this way, but should do it this way. If they add VAT to a theoretical price of a drink, then you are being overcharged.

This is correct there will be no VAT as the charge was made on the booking and included all taxes due. I am British but bought the cruise through USA. Think logically how on earth could you have a situation where you charge on a price you have already paid.

 

If you pay for the UBP how on earth can they charge VAT. If you drink more than you have paid at consumer cost you will end up paying VATon more than you paid for the package.

 

VAT is simple it is a sales tax on a supply the supply is where you bought the package not on the boat! Simples

[Beaver1975]

oops! My bad... I just looked at my print-out and you are right. We were only charged the Texas tax for the first day and the last night when they incorrectly charged us for dinner and drinks, which they reversed when my husband took our print-out to the service desk. I apologize for my error and misinformation. I just hate when I make a fool of myself like this.:o:(

 

You did not make a fool of yourself!!!

 

The emotions around here are at palpable levels and "mistatements" happen. The refreshing part is when someone admits they might have been wrong and we move on.

 

Thank you!:cool:

[jaja]

you did not make a fool of yourself!!!

 

The emotions around here are at palpable levels and "mistatements" happen. The refreshing part is when someone admits they might have been wrong and we move on.

 

Thank you!:cool:

 

like .

Edited April 20, 2015 by jaja