Free Shore Excursions

[hpecorari]

It's been advertised as one of Norwegians Freestyle Choice in the past and will continue to be advertised as a one until April 10th. However, it's actually misleading.

 

The perk is NOT 'free shore excursions'. It's a $50.00 per cabin/per port credit towards a shore excursion.

 

I love NCL but wish they'd just be honest and upfront. Why not call it something like, "Free Shore Excursion credit" or "Shore Excursions Credit"

I understand the word *FREE* catches the attention but they're really not free.

 

A bit misleading - however the T&A spell it all out correctly if one takes the time to read them.

 

Harriet

[garnet115]

I don't think the explanation is relegated to the fine print in the t&c's. It may not be the headline, but if you scroll down to the explanation of the perks, it's pretty clear, even without reading the full t&c's.

 

And it is possible for an excursion to be free under the promos. Less likely given the cost of most ship excursions, but on my upcoming cruise I have one excursion planned that will be free when the credit is applied (although I booked back when it was $75 per port, so I'm sure that makes a difference).

[CruisinMaterial]

The free shore excursion credit is another thing that has been extremely cutback on, yet the cruise line has raised the price for. Now it only applies to per cabin, not per person and it's $50 per port. Most of NCL's excursions due to pricing increases have gone up over that amount. So in essence, it's really not free. I agree with the OP about this one.

[SeaShark]

It seems to me that this offer is consistent with the rest of the promotion.

 

NCL is offering a choice of:

1) FREE Unlimited Beverages

2) FREE Specialty Dining

3) FREE WiFi

4) FREE Shore Excursions

 

However….

1) The beverages are not totally 100% FREE. There is a price limitation, and a number of beverages are specifically excluded….not exactly “FREE”

2) The specialty dining is not totally 100% FREE. You only get a set number of meals and that is it. Past that and you have to pay…not exactly “FREE”

3) The WiFi is not totally 100% FREE. You only get a set number of minutes (about 36 minutes per day on a 7-day cruise). Once they are used, you have to pay for additional time…not exactly “FREE”

4) Like the offers above, the shore excursions are not totally 100% FREE. You simply get a credit toward your excursions. Like the offers above, once the credit is used, you have to pay for anything past that.

 

 

Not sure why everyone is fixated on the Shore Excursions when the same things could be said about any of the choices available in this promotion.

[xriva]

A more critical issue with free drinks and dining is that you are now charged the 18% gratuity that is charged with the package. I think our free drinks were $80 each. The gratuities used to be included.

 

That said, I don't understand the disparity in published costs ("value" is relative) for the choices. We will use 250 minutes of WiFi, so we'd have to buy more, and it costs $125. The dinner package is $87.32 for four meals. The excursions are $50 per cabin per day, and you can't combine them. Booze is $528. For you do the math, the booze gets you the most "value", unless you don't drink at all.

 

To me, it's a question of which I will actually use. I would not drink $500 worth of drinks, and it's not worth $500 to have unlimited. It is worth $80 to have unlimited.

 

I will eat in the specialities - almost every night. So, I will pay gratuity and tax to get four nights in the specialties, then use my Platinum dinners. (This is an improvement from UDP.)

 

So, nothing is free but it just looks like they're trying to get people to choose booze.

[hpecorari]

It seems to me that this offer is consistent with the rest of the promotion.

 

NCL is offering a choice of:

1) FREE Unlimited Beverages

2) FREE Specialty Dining

3) FREE WiFi

4) FREE Shore Excursions

 

Not sure why everyone is fixated on the Shore Excursions when the same things could be said about any of the choices available in this promotion.

 

You can look at it that way, yes. However, right or wrong, the way I looked at it was:

 

Free Unlimited Beverages - I can get any amount of beverages I want, free. I've never had a drink cost more than was permitted. Some say it's not 'free' because of the 18% gratuity, however, I still see it as the drink being free....just not the tip.

 

Free Specialty Dining - again, I can dine free at specialty restaurants - I don't count the 18% gratuity here. Actually, I'd forgotten about this as I have UDP.

 

Free WiFi - I can use the WiFi free.

 

Free Shore Excursions - I've never been on and can't remember seeing an excursion for under $50.00 so for me, it's not free. It's reduced.

 

BTW, did you ever get the e-mail I sent you in regard to the server/DCS/Specialty restaurants we'd e-mailed each other about in the past?

 

Harriet

[hpecorari]

A more critical issue with free drinks and dining is that you are now charged the 18% gratuity that is charged with the package. I think our free drinks were $80 each. The gratuities used to be included.

 

Yes, the gratuities used to be included. Now they're not. However, I still consider eating in the specialty restaurants as being 'free'. I just have to pay my own gratuities. When a restaurant has a special where you buy one dinner and get the 2nd free or kids eat free with a parent, the food is free but I still give a gratuity on both meals. I have no problem with that at all.

 

I will eat in the specialities - almost every night. So, I will pay gratuity and tax to get four nights in the specialties, then use my Platinum dinners. (This is an improvement from UDP.)

 

I don't see how this is an improvement from UDP? Can you please explain? It's pretty much the same if you have 4 UDP dinners and 2 platinum dinners and one CAS dinner you end up with 7 specialty restaurant dinners free....you only pay gratuities.

 

 

Thanks!

 

Harriet

[KiwiFunCruiser]

"There is no such thing as a free lunch".:D

[hpecorari]

"There is no such thing as a free lunch".:D

 

Maybe....but there is such a thing as a free dinner!

 

I booked back when NCL was giving UDP with gratuities as a promo/perk.

 

So, I'll be eating fee dinners on the Escape and NCL will take care of my gratuities.

 

I also cruised on the Pearl in October and had the same UDP promo/perk and ate dinner free there as well with NCL picking up my gratuities.

 

I had lots of free dinners and will have more in three weeks.

 

Harriet

[xriva]

Harriet -

 

To me, the four-night SDP is better than UDP exactly because we can use our other perks - the Latitudes perk and the stockholder perk, and save some money, since the SDP is included. Beforehand, we would never get to use them, because we either had UDP included or we paid for it because it was the only option.

[hpecorari]

Harriet -

 

To me, the four-night SDP is better than UDP exactly because we can use our other perks - the Latitudes perk and the stockholder perk, and save some money, since the SDP is included. Beforehand, we would never get to use them, because we either had UDP included or we paid for it because it was the only option.

 

Gottcha! I know with the UDP they would deduct $20.00 from the cost of the UDP if you were Platinum. Now, if one got that as a perk that didn't really help in regard to their Platinum certificate but lots of people just took their friends and used the Platinum certificate that way.

 

In regard to CAS, my understanding is that CAS on some ships are actually giving a monetary value that can be spent for dining - depending on one's tier level, instead of just issuing a free specialty restaurant certification. That works well also for those that have UDP or even SDP.

 

I'm betting Platinum certificates will go that way in the future as well. Oh, and don't forget with the platinum certificate you also get a bottle of wine free so even with the UDP or the SDP, bring that certificate - if not for the meal itself for the bottle of wine. You can drink it there or of you have the UBP you can have them deliver that bottle of wine to your cabin and enjoy it there.

 

Harriet

[xriva]

Oh, and don't forget with the platinum certificate you also get a bottle of wine free so even with the UDP or the SDP, bring that certificate - if not for the meal itself for the bottle of wine. You can drink it there or of you have the UBP you can have them deliver that bottle of wine to your cabin and enjoy it there.

 

Harriet

 

That would work if my wife enjoyed wine :) I'm not going to drink a bottle by myself (unless it was a really bad day - which doesn't happen on a cruise!), and I can't be bothered tracking bottles around the ship - which my Mom does when she travels with us.

 

This time, Mom is along, so we will get the wine. Of course, she's got the UBP on her reservation, so it doesn't really matter :)

 

We finally brought two bottles home with us last trip, only to find Texas charges tax on liquor and cigarettes brought in.

 

I need to figure out how to trade a bottle of wine for mixed drinks. Then, all would be good.

 

Kevin

[boopsahoy]

That would work if my wife enjoyed wine :) I'm not going to drink a bottle by myself (unless it was a really bad day - which doesn't happen on a cruise!), and I can't be bothered tracking bottles around the ship - which my Mom does when she travels with us.

 

This time, Mom is along, so we will get the wine. Of course, she's got the UBP on her reservation, so it doesn't really matter :)

 

We finally brought two bottles home with us last trip, only to find Texas charges tax on liquor and cigarettes brought in.

 

I need to figure out how to trade a bottle of wine for mixed drinks. Then, all would be good.

 

Kevin

 

You declared the free wine you brought home? I never declare it. I usually bring home 3 bottles. I didn't purchase it so I don't owe taxes on it -as a matter of fact I am sure that NCL already paid for the wine and the taxes!

[xriva]

You declared the free wine you brought home? I never declare it. I usually bring home 3 bottles. I didn't purchase it so I don't owe taxes on it -as a matter of fact I am sure that NCL already paid for the wine and the taxes!

 

 

I never said I declared it. I also never said I didn't. Just in case :)

 

I did assume free was not taxable but decided not to go ask.

[hpecorari]

That would work if my wife enjoyed wine :) I'm not going to drink a bottle by myself (unless it was a really bad day - which doesn't happen on a cruise!), and I can't be bothered tracking bottles around the ship - which my Mom does when she travels with us.

 

This time, Mom is along, so we will get the wine. Of course, she's got the UBP on her reservation, so it doesn't really matter :)

 

We finally brought two bottles home with us last trip, only to find Texas charges tax on liquor and cigarettes brought in.

 

I need to figure out how to trade a bottle of wine for mixed drinks. Then, all would be good.

 

Kevin

 

Just ask your server. Tell them you want cocktails instead of the bottle of wine. They've done it for me! I'm thinking, if I remember, there were two of us and we both had a cocktail instead of the wine.

 

Harriet

[coscab]

As far as free excursions go, we had a suite on the Spirit a few weeks ago so had all 4 perks.

 

We did a private tour of the ruins in Costa Maya, went to our favorite snorkel spot on our own on Cayman, didn't get off the ship in Jamaica so I booked the kayak tour on GSC for my DH because it was $40. on the NCL website so I figured we should take advantage of the perk at least once.

 

When we got our bill we were charged $51., no big deal, not worth asking about for $1. but I wonder if there is some kind of tax on GSC for the kayak tour that would take it from $40. to $51.:eek:

[Shawnino]

Misleading advertising only hurts the business in the end.

[hpecorari]

As far as free excursions go, we had a suite on the Spirit a few weeks ago so had all 4 perks.

 

We did a private tour of the ruins in Costa Maya, went to our favorite snorkel spot on our own on Cayman, didn't get off the ship in Jamaica so I booked the kayak tour on GSC for my DH because it was $40. on the NCL website so I figured we should take advantage of the perk at least once.

 

When we got our bill we were charged $51., no big deal, not worth asking about for $1. but I wonder if there is some kind of tax on GSC for the kayak tour that would take it from $40. to $51.:eek:

 

I wouldn't care about $1.00 as well but we're actually talking about $11.00.

I'd want to know and would have gone to the excursion desk and asked.

 

Harriet

[coscab]

I wouldn't care about $1.00 as well but we're actually talking about $11.00.

I'd want to know and would have gone to the excursion desk and asked.

 

Harriet

The shore excursion credit was for $50. so I was only charged a $1.

but is was weird.

[hpecorari]

The shore excursion credit was for $50. so I was only charged a $1.

but is was weird.

 

Yep, I see. I was just looking at the price you were charged of $51.00 to the price it actually cost $40.00. Still - Strange!

 

Harriet

[luvcruzing]

Just ask your server. Tell them you want cocktails instead of the bottle of wine. They've done it for me! I'm thinking, if I remember, there were two of us and we both had a cocktail instead of the wine.

 

Harriet

 

We're not wine drinkers, so in the past we did ask for cocktails instead with no problem. But, on our last two cruises, we were told no.:(

[hpecorari]

We're not wine drinkers, so in the past we did ask for cocktails instead with no problem. But, on our last two cruises, we were told no.:(

 

Wow, really? When was this? October, when I cruised it was still permitted.

We did it once for one of our Platinum Certificate bottles we would have gotten and once for the bottle of wine CAS gives me with our comped dinner from them.

 

Harriet

[luvcruzing]

It was last month. We asked at Cagney's and at LeBistro.

[hpecorari]

It was last month. We asked at Cagney's and at LeBistro.

 

Hmmm, and those are the two restaurants that we went to as well that allowed it. I wonder if this depends on the ship or if it's something new and this ship wan't 'on board' yet.

 

Harriet

[Feelin' Nauti']

For the so called Free Shore Excursion....It states Each stateroom receives a $50 per port Shore Excursion credit. :cool:

 

That is totally misleading since I have never seen an excursion less than $25 p/p...:rolleyes:

 

Just wondering if the perk is just for one day use or is that for each island you visit?

 

Thinking of taking a 14 day cruise. Visiting 7 islands.