Gratuties added to booking

[broberts]

4 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

It's the same way that when people buy and eat Skittles, they shouldn't be surprised when they don't actually "taste the rainbow".

 

 

How do you know? 

[KeithJenner]

10 hours ago, Lolou127 said:

Reading this post with interest, we’re in the U.K. and booked our first NCL cruise last weekend before the offer changed, ive just checked and I’ve got all the included offers listed and an item that says service charge on beverage package, this is listed separately to the included gratuities that was part of the offer

 

does this mean I’ll just have to pay gratuities on the specialty dining package? Or are there other gratuities I’ve not taken into account?

As you booked last weekend you will have an all inclusive rate. You don’t get charged the daily service charge or the gratuities on the beverage package.

 

The only gratuities you should pay are the 20% which is added to things you buy that aren’t covered by your booking, for example speciality meals.

[ray98]

People get so invested in what is 'free' and what isn't.  All that matters is the total price, nothing is free, you pay for it all no matter how it is broken down.

 

Would raising the fare $138.60 on a 7 day and giving 'free' gratuities with the drink package make some think they are getting a better deal?

[luv2kroooz]

15 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

For some, a $2,500 cruise with no service charges is better than a $2,000 cruise plus $400 in service charges. I don't understand why but some people feel that way. 

It's all in the way we perceive things. A $2,500 cruise feels better than a $2,000 cruise plus $400 in service charges. What, you say? $400 in service charges. On a ten day cruise, that us around $40 per day. What on Earth could $40 per day in service charges be? So, even though economically it is the same, we process the info as extra fees and charges, and many would rather pay $2,500 than $2,000 plus costs plus cryptic service charges, hence the references to Celebrity.

 

Just like the specialty dining. People would rather pay x dollars to dine and go enjoy their dinner. As opposed to x dollars plus 20% service charge plus possible upcharge for select items and an additional 20% charge on the upcharge items.

 

The one remaining nice thing with NCL is that you can still escape all their marketing gimmicks and ridiculous upcharges by booking sail away rates.

[ray98]

I guess math truly is hard for some.....

[broberts]

For some it's not math, it's the semantics.

[ighten]

20 hours ago, Lolou127 said:

Reading this post with interest, we’re in the U.K. and booked our first NCL cruise last weekend before the offer changed, ive just checked and I’ve got all the included offers listed and an item that says service charge on beverage package, this is listed separately to the included gratuities that was part of the offer

 

does this mean I’ll just have to pay gratuities on the specialty dining package? Or are there other gratuities I’ve not taken into account?

 

Its different in the UK. Regardless if you bought the All inclusive rate -  or from April 2nd booked under the new system (free at sea (same as the US)) ie pick two free perks : you wont have to pay any grats on drinks or dining .  Thats because when you book through the UK or EU sites they have to actually include it - In the UK/EU consumer law protects you so NCL cant say a perk includes free drinks or free specialty dining  if you then have to pay grats on top.

Edited April 6, 2019 by ighten

[fshagan]

5 hours ago, blcruising said:

It's all in the way we perceive things. A $2,500 cruise feels better than a $2,000 cruise plus $400 in service charges.

 

We think that, but several industries show us that the first quoted price is more important. Very few airlines include a checked bag now because a cheaper initial fare draws customers even if the fare with checked bags ends up more. People commit to the fare, and then accept a certain number of add on charges before they break their commitment and start the search over.

 

Disney and Virgin quote prices per cabin based on two cruisers in the cabin, and not the despicable "per person, double occupancy" pricing most others use, and include taxes and fees for the entire cruise (Disney does add a daily service charge, but Virgin does not). But when consumers first start looking at prices they compare the initial price. I have had people tell me that Disney was three times the price for a 7 day western Caribbean cruise, but it was really "only" 1.5 times the price because of the deceptive way the cheaper line advertises it's fare. Disney and Virgin can do this because their brand loyalty is so high and they don't have trouble filling cabins. But if things go south for them, look for them to implement "per person, double occupancy" and adding the taxes and fees at the end of the process just like the others.

 

To it's credit, NCL has tried some all-inclusive fares in a pretty extensive test in the UK. They are going back to NOT including the daily service charge in the fare now. And because a cruise is a purely voluntary purchase, I suspect their test has shown what to us is counter-intuitive: consumers prefer the add-on fees rather than a higher price and no fees.

[graphicguy]

Been cruising for a while....on at least 6 different cruise lines.  So, I have a pretty good handle on how pricing works.  I can see where it might be confusing for some novice cruisers.  But, veteran cruisers know how it works.

 

-Fare quoted (x2...unless sailing in solo cabin)

-taxes

-service charges

-tips

-then you add in any drinks you buy (if you don’t take the drinks package), Specialty dining, excursions, casino play, etc

 

It’s the total cost of the cruise I use as a comparison (including perks).  Pretty easy to add those together to get your cruise price.  All cruise lines (mainstream) price everything similarly, so it’s easy to add all of it up and do an apples-to-apples price comparison.

 

Sort of like buying a car.  The price you negotiate plus tax, title, license, doc fees are the total price of the car, not just what you negotiate at the salesperson’s desk.

[Lolou127]

Sorry to keep asking so many questions! So we’ve got service charges included which I assume is DSC? so what are tips? I’m a very confused it’s time NCL cruiser 😂

[ighten]

14 minutes ago, Lolou127 said:

Sorry to keep asking so many questions! So we’ve got service charges included which I assume is DSC? so what are tips? I’m a very confused it’s time NCL cruiser 😂

 

If you booked in the UK and have service charges included (either pre paid or included) your all set to go - everything else is discretionary for you as even your bar and dining includes the gratuity.. 

 

 

Edited April 6, 2019 by ighten

[KeithJenner]

18 minutes ago, ighten said:

 

If you booked in the UK and have service charges included (either pre paid or included) your all set to go - everything else is discretionary for you as even your bar and dining includes the gratuity.. 

 

 

Not necessarily the dining.  The 20% added to any speciality restaurant charges is still payable. As well as anything added to things like spa charges etc.

 

As I said to the original poster earlier the only gratuities they will need to pay are those on top of anything that isn’t included in their original booking.

[ighten]

The dining would have no charge if it's a free perk 

[KeithJenner]

28 minutes ago, ighten said:

The dining would have no charge if it's a free perk 

Correct, although it isn’t entirely clear that have as a perk. I assume so, but maybe not.

 

My point though is that we do still pay gratuities on things onboard.

[luv2kroooz]

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Fare quoted (x2...unless sailing in solo cabin)

-taxes

-service charges

-tips

-then you add in any drinks you buy (if you don’t take the drinks package), Specialty dining, excursions, casino play, etc

 

It’s the total cost of the cruise I use as a comparison (including perks).  Pretty easy to add those together to get your cruise price.  All cruise lines (mainstream) price everything similarly, so it’s easy to add all of it up and do an apples-to-apples price comparison.

 

Problem with NCL is, aside from the base fare, everything is a moving target. Seemingly random increases and then decreases to beverage packages, price adjustments to Vibe, go carts, etc, increases to daily service charges, adjustments to dining package offerings after booking. With NCL, you pay X when you book and usually end up with something less than X when you sail. All because it's in the contract.

[elapel01]

6 hours ago, ighten said:

 

Its different in the UK. Regardless if you bought the All inclusive rate -  or from April 2nd booked under the new system (free at sea (same as the US)) ie pick two free perks : you wont have to pay any grats on drinks or dining .  Thats because when you book through the UK or EU sites they have to actually include it - In the UK/EU consumer law protects you so NCL cant say a perk includes free drinks or free specialty dining  if you then have to pay grats on top.

Well the UK/EU consumer law is how it should be.  Free should mean no money attached at all to it. 

[Two Wheels Only]

32 minutes ago, elapel01 said:

Well the UK/EU consumer law is how it should be.  Free should mean no money attached at all to it. 

 

The money is baked into the fare. It isn't "free" in either case.

[mianmike]

On 4/5/2019 at 7:40 AM, PTC DAWG said:

I don't know why folks just don't look at the final price, what you get for said price, and make the comparison from that.  It's not that hard.  

 

I have not found a way to make it "not that hard."   Is there a website that compares the final price across cruise lines and sail dates?  The only price comparison sites I have found only give the basic opaque price.  

[myjillian]

On 4/5/2019 at 6:26 PM, Two Wheels Only said:

 

It's the same way that when people buy and eat Skittles, they shouldn't be surprised when they don't actually "taste the rainbow".

 

OH I like that😍

[myjillian]

17 hours ago, ighten said:

 

If you booked in the UK and have service charges included (either pre paid or included) your all set to go - everything else is discretionary for you as even your bar and dining includes the gratuity.. 

 

 

Let's be honest here...Americans are really the only one who are brought up tipping...this and that and everything in between😉

Europeans are not brought up that way.  Like when in Rome do as the Romans do...the price of a sandwich is different if your going to sit down to eat it or if your going to take it away with you....It could be because of this fact that different countries do or don't tip....different countries pay a better wage to service people so tipping is not even thought of...it's their job...and they do it. Brits pay a different fee on cruise ships than we do....we once did a 14 day circle the Caribbean cruise on a Princess...only 200 people on board were North Americans ( meaning U.S . and Canada )  The cruise was sold in the U.K. as an Anniversary cruise.  All of the comedians and other entertainment were Brits.  It was one of the funniest cruises we ever took.  Being at a table for 10 was like being in the middle of a BBC comedy....you guys know more about what's going on in our country than we do LOL Since then we have spent many days before and after(  boarding a ship in Southhampton) in Cornwall and Devon etc....and we enjoy not tipping😍along with everything else your wonderful country has....long live Doc Martin !!!

[graphicguy]

Gotta say, I’ve never had the price I’ve paid for a cruise go up, or down, after I paid for it.

 

 

As far as comparison sites, you probably could make a spreadsheet with cells for the fare, taxes, fees, tips, etc and surf the different TA sites, as well as the NCL site and plug in the numbers to compare.

 

Fares won’t change.  But, OBC and things like perks will, depending on the site you get quotes from.

 

Personally, I’ve found an online site that I trust, who gives me a healthy OBC and takes care of the booking details for me.  I trust them (a big deal, considering some of the stories I’ve heard regarding the TAs and PCCs from other folks).  I’d find one I trusted and let them take care of everything for you.  They’ll also be able to give you a total cost.  All you have to do is pickle the ship, itinerary, cabin type.