Skeptical... does this sound right?

[fshagan]

I booked a cruise a LONG time ago (February 2015) that sails in 3 months. I have prepaid the cruise and the service charge. When I booked' date=' the package I selected offered the 3rd & 4th guest free and one other perk. I chose the UBP. I then received two adult packages and two soda packages for our kids. I've paid everything I can, and I was thinking I'd have to pay the extra 18% for the beverage packages. I called NCL today and she said that I when I booked this (a hundred years ago) the package included the 18%... and that I would not be billed for it on the cruise. She couldn't provide me anything that showed I wouldn't be billed for it upon arrival, so I'm just taking her word for it. Well, I'm kind of figuring she was wrong and am expecting to pay about $220, the gratuity on all 4 packages. Anyone else have any experience with this? Is charging 18% on a "free perk" fairly new? TIA! :)[/quote']

 

The gratuity on the "free" drink package is relatively new, so you probably bought before it existed. In addition, if you DO owe it, it is charged at final payment, not while on board. It will be itemized on the bill you paid at final payment, or on the amount due on NCL.com.

 

The only 18% you should have to pay is for any bar items not included in the package (specialty coffees, bottled water, etc.) or the 18% on the difference between the outrageous price and the $15 per drink the package covers. In reality only a few top shelf liquors are more than $15, and are about $2 more, so you would pay $2.36 if you want Ketel Vodka or an expensive single malt scotch.

 

You must toast those who had to pay 18% on the value of the package with your truly free drinks!

[easyboy]

Congrats on actually receiving a 'free' perk =D

Ditto.

[DMH15]

I booked a cruise a LONG time ago (February 2015) that sails in 3 months. I have prepaid the cruise and the service charge. When I booked, the package I selected offered the 3rd & 4th guest free and one other perk. I chose the UBP. I then received two adult packages and two soda packages for our kids. I've paid everything I can, and I was thinking I'd have to pay the extra 18% for the beverage packages. I called NCL today and she said that I when I booked this (a hundred years ago) the package included the 18%... and that I would not be billed for it on the cruise. She couldn't provide me anything that showed I wouldn't be billed for it upon arrival, so I'm just taking her word for it. Well, I'm kind of figuring she was wrong and am expecting to pay about $220, the gratuity on all 4 packages. Anyone else have any experience with this? Is charging 18% on a "free perk" fairly new? TIA! :)

 

 

You will not be billed. Early on there was not the added 18%. Also, the 3/4 passenger no longer get the soda pkg only the first 2 get the perk.

 

I booked early so I can attest.

 

 

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[ggTexasGal]

I booked a cruise a LONG time ago (February 2015) that sails in 3 months. I have prepaid the cruise and the service charge. When I booked, the package I selected offered the 3rd & 4th guest free and one other perk. I chose the UBP. I then received two adult packages and two soda packages for our kids. I've paid everything I can, and I was thinking I'd have to pay the extra 18% for the beverage packages. I called NCL today and she said that I when I booked this (a hundred years ago) the package included the 18%... and that I would not be billed for it on the cruise. She couldn't provide me anything that showed I wouldn't be billed for it upon arrival, so I'm just taking her word for it. Well, I'm kind of figuring she was wrong and am expecting to pay about $220, the gratuity on all 4 packages. Anyone else have any experience with this? Is charging 18% on a "free perk" fairly new? TIA! :)

 

 

Everybody has covered when/if UBP may have had 15% - 18% PRE-CRUISE charges added to invoice. (yes, a while back it was 15%)

 

However, an additional ONBOARD charge you may have is the Florida's tax while at port, and until the ship reaches international waters. Honestly, I don't know the actual persentage (could google), but it will show-up as an Onboard Charge each time you purchase certain items upon embarkation and until the ship reaches "that magic place"!

[hawkeyetlse]

Everybody has covered when/if UBP may have had 15% - 18% PRE-CRUISE charges added to invoice. (yes, a while back it was 15%)

I would point out that nobody has ever had 15% added to their invoice as a separate promotional service charge, no matter when they booked. Because the charge was increased to 18% in March 2015, and they only started making people pay it on the UBP perk in June 2015.

[latebloomer56]

We booked in July 2015 and there was no extra charge. The cabin we booked for our Aunt in Jan. 2016 did have the 18% on final payment. She only got the dining package with the inside we booked for her across from us.

We received 6 UDP (every night if wanted) 1 was child's, 2 UBP (first 2), 4 soda packages (all others), 2 paid auto tip (first 2), 2 $$ toward shore excursion (haven't called yet not sure how that works).

Don't know if I have the correct terms for these packages so please be kind. I did print it out from the NCL site though.

[Linda the Book Lover]

I booked a cruise a LONG time ago (February 2015) that sails in 3 months. I have prepaid the cruise and the service charge. When I booked, the package I selected offered the 3rd & 4th guest free and one other perk. I chose the UBP. I then received two adult packages and two soda packages for our kids. I've paid everything I can, and I was thinking I'd have to pay the extra 18% for the beverage packages. I called NCL today and she said that I when I booked this (a hundred years ago) the package included the 18%... and that I would not be billed for it on the cruise. She couldn't provide me anything that showed I wouldn't be billed for it upon arrival, so I'm just taking her word for it. Well, I'm kind of figuring she was wrong and am expecting to pay about $220, the gratuity on all 4 packages. Anyone else have any experience with this? Is charging 18% on a "free perk" fairly new? TIA! :)

 

Our last cruise was booked before the new charge went into play and we did not receive any additional charges on the ship for the packages.

[hawkeyetlse]

We booked in July 2015 and there was no extra charge.

You booked a suite, that's why you had no extra charges. However the perks that you listed do not correspond to the published offer for July 2015. What you described sound more like the promo that was available in April 2015.

[Linda the Book Lover]

You booked a suite, that's why you had no extra charges. However the perks that you listed do not correspond to the published offer for July 2015. What you described sound more like the promo that was available in April 2015.

 

Thanks for the reminder the DH and I sailed in a suite which could have been the reason. Perhaps that is why we did not get charged but I think our TA said we did not because we booked before the 18% charge.