Free Promos are Not Free

[Shidah]

I can mathematically get to the 38.96, 29.95 for the meal, 20% gratuity and tax perhaps. But how did it go to 62.96? You state an additional tip of 8, still should have been 46.96. Were you still in a US port when eating there ( drink taxes), purchase the picture ( doesn’t match up $ plus I think you pay for those separate). Did your spouse leave the tip, and what you thought was 3 and 5 was actually more?

[KeithJenner]

I just did

 

Well, in that case, your post where you explained to the OP how their final bill was made up appears to have disappeared.

[KeithJenner]

I can mathematically get to the 38.96, 29.95 for the meal, 20% gratuity and tax perhaps. But how did it go to 62.96? You state an additional tip of 8, still should have been 46.96. Were you still in a US port when eating there ( drink taxes), purchase the picture ( doesn’t match up $ plus I think you pay for those separate). Did your spouse leave the tip, and what you thought was 3 and 5 was actually more?

 

Yes, I wondered whether there was some confusion regarding the tips. Maybe they were entered twice.

 

Not that it matters, as there are a couple of people on this thread who understand it all. Just waiting for them to explain to us. :)

[Trimone]

The motto of this is, cruise all inclusive, us brits do, we have no choice, everything and everyone is paid upfront.

[Doug R.]

You nailed it!

Most important, was that you let us know that you sent this from your iPod :* (sarcasm)

 

That is automatically added by the mobile software. Save your snark.

[Newleno]

Well, in that case, your post where you explained to the OP how their final bill was made up appears to have disappeared.

 

Nope the post is still there, you replied to it

[KeithJenner]

Nope the post is still there, you replied to it

 

And it doesn't explain how the charge was made up, so basically you don't "understand completely what happened".

 

Thanks for confirming.

[Newleno]

We pay mandatory (although you can adjust) gratuities of about $15 per day, unless we buy alcohol, generally speaking their aint going to be anymore tipping for dinners because we already paid for it, the majority of the time we do buffet anyway, plenty of left over tip money to be paid (because did not use mdr) from the tip pool to specialty staff.

[Newleno]

And it doesn't explain how the charge was made up, so basically you don't "understand completely what happened".

 

Thanks for confirming.

 

No you dont understand, I explained it the first time, I am sorry you dont understand the ncl nickel and dime system.

[KeithJenner]

No you dont understand, I explained it the first time, I am sorry you dont understand the ncl nickel and dime system.

 

 

 

Look, this is obviously really complicated for you, so I will explain it to you slowly.

 

 

 

If you can't be bothered to read it then please also don't bother to reply.

 

 

 

I said that we don't understand how the amount which the other poster its saying was made up. This wasn't a point about "nickel and diming" or the rights and wrongs of NCL's policies. The point is that the numbers don't seem to add up and we don't know why.

 

 

 

You banging on about nickel and dining is completely irrelevant to my post which you quoted.

 

 

 

So, in response to my post that you quoted, you very clearly don't "understand completely". You are just posting irrelevant stuff.

 

 

 

You seem to be making assumptions about my view on NCL's pricing policies, which I don't believe I have commented on in this thread.

 

 

 

Get it now?

[Newleno]

Look, this is obviously really complicated for you, so I will explain it to you slowly.

 

 

 

If you can't be bothered to read it then please also don't bother to reply.

 

 

 

I said that we don't understand how the amount which the other poster its saying was made up. This wasn't a point about "nickel and diming" or the rights and wrongs of NCL's policies. The point is that the numbers don't seem to add up and we don't know why.

 

 

 

You banging on about nickel and dining is completely irrelevant to my post which you quoted.

 

 

 

So, in response to my post that you quoted, you very clearly don't "understand completely". You are just posting irrelevant stuff.

 

 

 

You seem to be making assumptions about my view on NCL's pricing policies, which I don't believe I have commented on in this thread.

 

 

 

Get it now?

 

 

I'm glad you now understand the ncl nickel and dime system, you are welcome, I always love to educate cruisers on thrifty ways to travel.

[Newleno]

The motto of this is, cruise all inclusive, us brits do, we have no choice, everything and everyone is paid upfront.

 

 

Thanks for the great information, we are pretty disciplined so when we take an ncl cruise we go into it with the mindset of we that we already paid for an all inclusive and we will not pay one penny more.

[KeithJenner]

I'm glad you now understand the ncl nickel and dime system, you are welcome, I always love to educate cruisers on thrifty ways to travel.

 

 

I see you chose to reply without having the common decency to actually read my post.

 

As you are now on my ignore list you can respond away as much as you want, and I will not have to waste my time reading your nonsensical posts any more.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KeithJenner]

Just looked at my stateroom bill. The charge was $41.96 plus an additional separate $5.00 (tip for chef). The $41.96 included an additional $3 tip for waiter. That $8 was on top of their automatic charges ($38.96) which were - price of meal, 20% gratuity, and what is the additional few dollars if not tax? So how is the $38.96 broken up?

 

 

 

Again - the total for 3 of us was $62.96 (2 promos). My complaint was the ridiculous charge for the 1 vegetarian meal - and I was really comparing the same situation on RCI. In the end the food at Teppanyaki was really good. I'll just make sure to check my bills more closely in the future.

 

 

After that rather pointless little interlude, let’s get back to trying to work out this problem.

 

Just looking at an old Teppenyaki receipt, I note that the ones covered by the dining package just state the cover charge, with no mention of the auto gratuity on it. My guess as to what may have happened is that either you saw no gratuity on the first two peoples slip and didn’t notice that the third one was different, or that maybe the third one was incorrectly originally printed as if covered by the package.

 

That doesn’t explain why the numbers don’t add up, but could explain why you weren’t aware of the auto gratuity on the third persons meal.

[palolake]

I still don't understand how people are shocked by this. When you go to a restaurant with a gift card or a coupon for a free meal, do you not tip your waitstaff?

 

They're shocked because, for instance on Princess, free is free. No gratuity charge. It's included. I would have been shocked too!

[BirdTravels]

We pay mandatory (although you can adjust) gratuities of about $15 per day, unless we buy alcohol, generally speaking their aint going to be anymore tipping for dinners because we already paid for it, the majority of the time we do buffet anyway, plenty of left over tip money to be paid (because did not use mdr) from the tip pool to specialty staff.

If you are using the Buffet, then your gratuity is going to pay the hardworking cooks, servers, and staff in the buffet. Just like if you were to a buffet at home, you don't just stiff the staff there. The specialty staff are not tipped by the daily service charge. they are tipped by the gratuity on specialty dining payment.

[Newleno]

There are lot of industries that try to take advantage of consumers as far as the cruise industry is concerned from my experience it is always NCL. I'll say I will never cruise with them again, then I go back because of price and convenience of the nyc port (As long as one stays away from their "free" stuff, their "free" was going to cost us over $500.)

 

Now we dont need further regulation in the cruise industry as regards to pricing because after all we are talking about vacations and buyer beware, however some industries do need more regulations: Funeral homes big time rip off artists charging 1000% percent market up for services when people have time of need, rental cars always trying to rip you off, cable tv/phone company/internet companies. The list goes on and on buyer beware. Buyer beware of Free at Sea

[Newleno]

If you are using the Buffet, then your gratuity is going to pay the hardworking cooks, servers, and staff in the buffet. Just like if you were to a buffet at home, you don't just stiff the staff there. The specialty staff are not tipped by the daily service charge. they are tipped by the gratuity on specialty dining payment.

 

 

Well if I dont use the buffet that night then my tips would not be used to tip them since I did not use their services. Sometimes I had people who worked at the buffet serve me at specialty restaurants, (do they now get double tips even if they aint working in the buffet?) If I ate on shore once again no tips were used, etc... Feel free to double tip if you wish, I already paid for all inclusive tipping. To each his own nothing wrong with giving a 50% tip of your bill, I just aint gonna do it, to each their own, to each their own. My cruise fare equals $600, my tips for that cruise $160, that is 27% of total fee, plenty, plenty, plenty of tip. Others may pay more for tip, not me.

 

If NCL cant figure out away to divide the massive 27% percentage of tip that I prepaid then that there concern, I paid my share. Buyer beware of ncl Free.

Edited September 3, 2018 by Newleno

[NLH Arizona]

Just looking at an old Teppenyaki receipt, I note that the ones covered by the dining package just state the cover charge, with no mention of the auto gratuity on it. My guess as to what may have happened is that either you saw no gratuity on the first two peoples slip and didn’t notice that the third one was different, or that maybe the third one was incorrectly originally printed as if covered by the package.

It has been a little while since I have eaten in the Teppanyaki restaurant without a dining package, but if I remember correctly, the fee and gratuities are listed and then there is a total, then there are spaces for additional tip and then a space for you to total the extra tip to the fee and gratuity (just like the slips you sign at the spa). I really wish the poster would find the receipt, because I'm really confused as to what happened to her and where the extra $3 came from. Edited September 3, 2018 by NLH Arizona

[Trimone]

Well if I dont use the buffet that night then my tips would not be used to tip them since I did not use their services. Sometimes I had people who worked at the buffet serve me at specialty restaurants, (do they now get double tips even if they aint working in the buffet?) If I ate on shore once again no tips were used, etc... Feel free to double tip if you wish, I already paid for all inclusive tipping. To each his own nothing wrong with giving a 50% tip of your bill, I just aint gonna do it, to each their own, to each their own. My cruise fare equals $600, my tips for that cruise $160, that is 27% of total fee, plenty, plenty, plenty of tip. Others may pay more for tip, not me.

You get people on CC that in their eyes NCL can do no wrong, opposition to them gets you so much abuse, it’s hard to be critical.

Some believe that tipping is essential even if the service is crap, I’ve been told by them to use another cruise line, just because I’ve complained about the Haven with kids running riot... and you’re on an ignore list, by some boring no all? You can’t win

[graphicguy]

So, this thread is still lingering on and on...

 

Two points....

 

1. I always look at the total amount I’m likely to pay for my cruise vacation. That includes any freebies like OBC, drink packages, dining packages, etc. My last cruise was several months ago on the NCL Gem. Had all the packages. With my OBC, after tips, Service Charges, etc, I came out of pocket for nothing. Matter of fact, NCL mailed a check back to me for $200 for the OBC I didn’t use a couple weeks later.

 

I compared the Gem cruise to similar cruises on Royal, Princess, MSC and Carnival. For example, I was in a full aft suite, with all the perks, Butler, Concierge, etc for about the same price as a superior Balcony on Royal. Same for Princess. MSC YC was a little less, but I had sailed them in November. Carnival was less, but I wasn’t in the mood for that “experience”.

 

Again, total cost is the focus....not just one or two charges here or there.

 

2. It befuddles me that someone believes businesses are required to divulge their process of how they come up with their pricing. I don’t know of any company (or individual) who would divulge their proprietary business pricing process. That’s like asking me how much I make and how I come up with my household budget. Nunya business.

[NLH Arizona]

deleted

[KeithJenner]

Deleted as well. Certainly not worth the effort.

[Trimone]

deleted

It was a post called Tipping..

[NLH Arizona]

It was a post called Tipping..

I don't care if someone tips or not or how they choose to tip or not, but what always amazes me about some posters on here is that they have to continually to post that they don't tip, to start arguments, that would be my guess. If someone has an issue with others discussing their tipping policy, then don't post it.