Pricing NCL cruise

[ozblue_7]

Trying to price a 22 day ncl cruise Dubai to Rome.

my question is does the price shown inAUD include gratuities for Australians or do I need to add the daily charge which is around$20 per person per day?

 

Also if I take the free?? beverage package will I also be charged the 20% gratuity per day which would be about another $20 per person per day.

 

On a 22 day cruise it makes quite a difference possibly turning a good deal into not so good.

 

Thanks for your help.

[GUT2407]

I understand you will be charged both, only not charged on Australian cruises, that’s what I was told anyway. Have yet to sailhe outside Aus.

[The_Big_M]

Gratuities are extra. I understand same applies to drink packages on NCL.

[MicCanberra]

10 hours ago, ozblue_7 said:

Trying to price a 22 day ncl cruise Dubai to Rome.

my question is does the price shown inAUD include gratuities for Australians or do I need to add the daily charge which is around$20 per person per day?

 

Also if I take the free?? beverage package will I also be charged the 20% gratuity per day which would be about another $20 per person per day.

 

On a 22 day cruise it makes quite a difference possibly turning a good deal into not so good.

 

Thanks for your help.

May be worth asking on the NCL board but in my experience NCL have mandatory tipping which can either be prepaid or have added daily ( to remove them requires a letter with reason for bad service to head office after the cruise). If you buy a drinks package the gratuity will be added when purchased. I believe if the drinks are a part of a perk than so would the gratuities for those drinks.

[joejoe 59]

17 hours ago, ozblue_7 said:

Trying to price a 22 day ncl cruise Dubai to Rome.

my question is does the price shown inAUD include gratuities for Australians or do I need to add the daily charge which is around$20 per person per day?

 

Also if I take the free?? beverage package will I also be charged the 20% gratuity per day which would be about another $20 per person per day.

 

On a 22 day cruise it makes quite a difference possibly turning a good deal into not so good.

 

Thanks for your help.

We booked an ncl mediterranean  & then Baltic cruise with an Australian  online  agent & our drinks gratuity  & cabin gratuity  are in the price, I can see them on our paperwork  & on ncl site.

Can't  mention what site but My their Cruises  are good😁

[stki]

17 hours ago, ozblue_7 said:

Trying to price a 22 day ncl cruise Dubai to Rome.

my question is does the price shown inAUD include gratuities for Australians or do I need to add the daily charge which is around$20 per person per day?

 

Also if I take the free?? beverage package will I also be charged the 20% gratuity per day which would be about another $20 per person per day.

 

On a 22 day cruise it makes quite a difference possibly turning a good deal into not so good.

 

Thanks for your help.

We have done 2 NCL cruises overseas. The drinks package was included as a perk and we were not charged the additional 20% tips (was told as we booked in Australia, it was not added). If you dont take the perk, and buy drinks on board the 20% is added to each drink.

 

We also pre bought on board credit. at the time the rate was .75, which was pretty good. It would be worthwhile for you to log onto  your NCL account, to see what the rate is now. Maximum we could buy was $1000 USD. With the USD tanking, I would probably pre pay my tips too (if the rate is good). 

 

Cheers

 

Tanya

[MicCanberra]

2 hours ago, stki said:

We have done 2 NCL cruises overseas. The drinks package was included as a perk and we were not charged the additional 20% tips (was told as we booked in Australia, it was not added). If you dont take the perk, and buy drinks on board the 20% is added to each drink.

 

We also pre bought on board credit. at the time the rate was .75, which was pretty good. It would be worthwhile for you to log onto  your NCL account, to see what the rate is now. Maximum we could buy was $1000 USD. With the USD tanking, I would probably pre pay my tips too (if the rate is good). 

 

Cheers

 

Tanya

We have done similar with our cruises from time to time. That exchange rate can sometimes work in your favour.

[ozblue_7]

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

As there was split opinion, I sent an email to ncl asking the same question and received this reply,

 

we we are an American cruise line. Therefore gratuities are compulsory. If you do not prepay our service charges, you will be charged on board in US dollars. Have a great day!

 

Sender was an Australian cruise consultant.

 

Seems a bit abrupt,  but nonetheless conclusive, but doesn’t sit with the experience of some on this thread. 

[The_Big_M]

I think the only one possibly different here was joejoe, but I took that as just being an additional prepayment as it was done through a TA and they often just present a total package price themselves. i.e. the base NCL price plus the cost of the prepaid NCL gratuities.

[ozblue_7]

Yes, I think you’re right about joejoes perhaps being in the package deal. Just leaves stki not being charged 20% gratuities on perk due to booking in Australia. 

[MicCanberra]

In addition if a drinks package is provided as a perk, it would include the gratuities for the drinks as well. 

[ozblue_7]

36 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

In addition if a drinks package is provided as a perk, it would include the gratuities for the drinks as well. 

Seems not. They take the value which isUS99 a day and add 20% gratuity. On a 22 day cruise it’s an extra US435 per person.

[MicCanberra]

1 hour ago, ozblue_7 said:

Seems not. They take the value which isUS99 a day and add 20% gratuity. On a 22 day cruise it’s an extra US435 per person.

Really, I think that something is wrong there. How can they call it free when there is a charge.

 

[ozblue_7]

That’s a whole other discussion about cruise lines ?free offers. They also add 20% to the value of the free specialty meals offer.

[MicCanberra]

Just not when booked from Australia.

[stki]

As I said, we were given the Beverage package as a free perk. We did not have to pay the 20% gratuities. This was for an overseas cruise, that was booked direct with NCL Australia

 

Cheers

 

Tanya

[Toryhere]

The idea of charging for gratuities is ridiculous. Once you make them compulsory they are no longer gratuities but merely part of the cost of the ticket or drinks package. 

Its like the silly practice of not showing the tax inclusive price on goods in the US. The whole idea is to try and fool you into thinking that the headline price is really cheap, when in fact the real price is far more expensive. Of course it doesn’t work. We all know that the price is really higher, but some of us will choose to concentrate on the headline price and pretend that is the important factor.

I wonder if Oz Blue 7 would have looked at this cruise if the original price quoted was higher because it was inclusive of gratuities and drinks package?

It is a clever marketing ploy. They excite you with what looks like a good price. That gets you hooked,  so then you are happier to be nickled and dimed on the extras. 

 

[MicCanberra]

Always important to look at the total package costs once everything is included.

[The_Big_M]

4 hours ago, MicCanberra said:

Really, I think that something is wrong there. How can they call it free when there is a charge.

 

 

You haven't spent much time in the US. Pretty standard there.

[MicCanberra]

I have and free is free to me.

[The_Big_M]

But not totally free by US custom.

[ozblue_7]

Think I'm clear now.

 

The daily service charge (gratuities) of US$15/day is additional to the price quoted, and as mentioned can be prepaid.

 

Concerning the 20% gratuities on the drinks and specialty dining packages  in the current `Take All 5 for Free' promotion, it is included in the price for bookings made in Australia. Found the exemption for Australians at the end of the terms and conditions of the promotion.

 

Thanks to all for your interest and help. (just have to decide whether we want to book or not now!)

[SinbadThePorter]

17 hours ago, Toryhere said:

The idea of charging for gratuities is ridiculous. Once you make them compulsory they are no longer gratuities but merely part of the cost of the ticket or drinks package.

 

Not being a lawyer my opinion is worth as much as it costs, but I suspect that under Australian Consumer Law gratuities cannot be compulsory unless they are included as part of the advertised fare. Even if they are an American cruise line, they are selling a product in Australia and are subject to Australian law.

 

I seem to recall that NCL did/does allow gratuities to be withdrawn when on board, but they require some sort of paperwork and the reimbursement was made to be some weeks after the end of the cruise.

Edited June 4, 2019 by SinbadThePorter

[MicCanberra]

50 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Not being a lawyer my opinion is worth as much as it costs, but I suspect that under Australian Consumer Law gratuities cannot be compulsory unless they are included as part of the advertised fare. Even if they are an American cruise line, they are selling a product in Australia and are subject to Australian law.

 

I seem to recall that NCL did/does allow gratuities to be withdrawn when on board, but they require some sort of paperwork and the reimbursement was made to be some weeks after the end of the cruise.

correct, I know some that have done this and it took nearly 10 weeks and several letters.

[joejoe 59]

On 6/3/2019 at 1:17 PM, The_Big_M said:

I think the only one possibly different here was joejoe, but I took that as just being an additional prepayment as it was done through a TA and they often just present a total package price themselves. i.e. the base NCL price plus the cost of the prepaid NCL gratuities.

I think you are correct,  as we booked a package  it is all priced up all ready. We are happy with that as no surprises once on the ship.