5 for Free isn't Free At All

[PTC DAWG]

6 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Ah, you are correct. If you are booking about a year out, the Sail Away options aren't available, but you can still always decline the perks so you don't have to pay the service charges.

Exactly, I just looked at the end of 2021 cruises, the option to remove the drink package, etc is there, the charged grats go away. I don’t see the issue. 

[Nola26]

We have booked two balcony stays under the take 5 offer. We are declining the beverage package on our upcoming 9 night cruise. The kicker for us is the discounted airfare.  Both of our bookings have included international airfare and I think the Japan trip is an especially good overall deal as we have the Latitudes offer as well: 20% off and double points. Without the perks I never would have even considered booking this trip.

 

On our trips that depart from domestic ports the 3rd and 4th free is an awesome savings.

 

When I sail solo the excursions perk is ideal.

 

NCL promotions benefit and value depend on your group size, ship and cabin choice as to how good of a deal it is for you.

Edited January 23, 2020 by Nola26

[Buford T Justiice]

23 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

 

Ah, you are correct. If you are booking about a year out, the Sail Away options aren't available, but you can still always decline the perks so you don't have to pay the service charges.

 

Thanks for pointing this out.  Does anyone know when sailaway rates options become available?

 

although you can unclick the "free offers" you're still paying for them.  We have booked Sail Away mini suites cheaper than BB balconies that include the offers...

Edited January 23, 2020 by Buford T Justiice

[Liljo22]

25 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

We book very early and the cruises that I look at for NCL  never offer the no perks option. Perhaps it works closer to sailing, but we book early.

You can always not select the drink and dining package perks with NCL.  Right now you can't deselect the internet or shore excursion perks but they do not add anything to the price.  This is the farthest out cruise you can book currently which is Dec 2022.

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by Liljo22

[4774Papa]

16 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

You can always not select the drink and dining package perks with NCL.  Right now you can't deselect the internet or shore excursion perks but they do not add anything to the price.  This is the farthest out cruise you can book currently which is Dec 2022.

 

And still pay the inflated prices, NOT

[PTC DAWG]

21 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

And still pay the inflated prices, NOT

I think that's the POA in Hawaii..it's always HIGH.

 

You can book 2021 on other ships and the same screen comes up....they can be deselected.  

[Fogfog]

14 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

I went to book a 14 night med cruise for Oct 2020 in a suite with the 5 for free.  When they stated the cruise cost I asked what happened to the brochure price. Well it's 200 for tips on the free beverage package and $30 more for the specialty restaurants and a measly $50 PER CABIN per port for their shore excursions. I felt it was deceptive advertising and didn't book it. I went over to Azamara who has a better value because they are really inclusive without deception. Why do people let them get away with this. Just as an FYI I don't even drink alcohol just diet cokes and water and they said bottles of water aren't included anyway. 

 

The grats on the perks and fees on perks seems to be a newer thing

Celebrity is now charging a daily surcharge/fee on top of the bev package (and grats for the package) To find the fine print is difficult and it bumps their base rate when one chooses the bev package as a perk

 

Recently we booked an NCL sailing and getting a straight answer about what the surcharges were for the perks (bev and specialty dining pp pd) was a chore. And on 18 nights with the bev package grats and then dining grats ... it was pretty spendy. 

 

BTW Azamara is a great line!  shhhh 

 

 

 

 

[ksmcdonald]

12 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Neither is Coke (Diet or otherwise)...🤯

 

Is this new where they don't include soda?  I've been on many NCL cruises with drink package and it does include soda, not bottled water.

 

 

[ColeThornton]

2 minutes ago, ksmcdonald said:

 

Is this new where they don't include soda?  I've been on many NCL cruises with drink package and it does include soda, not bottled water.

 

 

 

That poster was referring to the fact that NCL doesn't have Coke products, only Pepsi products..

[lixogab]

1 hour ago, Buford T Justiice said:

 

Thanks for pointing this out.  Does anyone know when sailaway rates options become available?

 

There is no set date for that. As soon as the cruise sells good they will not add sailaway rates.

Couple of years ago we booked an OV on  Rome R/T. No sailaway was offered at the booking time. I was monitoring the rates hoping to get a balcony but balcony rates didn't go down and the sailaway rates never showed up.

[graphicguy]

Glad I got the extra large movie popcorn for this thread!

[4774Papa]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

I think that's the POA in Hawaii..it's always HIGH.

 

You can book 2021 on other ships and the same screen comes up....they can be deselected.  

Somebody else posted the POA, I have done Hawaii and purposely avoided the POA.

When I book a cruise, I have a specific area that I am looking for, because I like to do a land trip in conjunction with a cruise.  If I want to book something in the MED, then I don't want anything else.

NCL seems to have the least flexibility on a lot of things.

We booked Alaska with NCL in 2016, when drink packages were still broader in choices and didn't charge grats.  When cruise tours to Denali finally came out, I called and asked to book the cruise tour.  WRONG, I would have had to cancel my original booking (cruise price had gone up hundreds) and booked the cruise and tour together.  NOT.  Found a great land tour with Alaska Tours and Travel that was cheaper than NCL's cruise tour.  

 

Also, Celebrity doesn't charge grats on beverage packages that are given as promos.

[PTC DAWG]

18 minutes ago, 4774Papa said:

 

 

Also, Celebrity doesn't charge grats on beverage packages that are given as promos.

Very familiar with Celebrity...sailed Equinox last fall and will be on the Edge in March...Their recent Veterans Day sale was the real deal on many cruises.  4 perk deal was offered for the price of 2 on many sailings....I bit.  🙂

Edited January 23, 2020 by PTC DAWG

[2+2]

10 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

The NCL beverage package is not for us.  Sure, others may find it works for them.

 

Compared to Celebrity, the NCL package is awful.  Wines on NCL's package are not so great.  Also, Celebrity includes water, soda, coffee, etc.  Further, Celebrity doesn't charge gratuities on their package.

 

NCL price bundling has pushed NCL out of the competition with Celebrity and Royal C.  We book early and NCL never seems to allow a NO PERK choice, unlike Celebrity and Royal.

 

We did an NCL cruise with family a couple of years ago and declined the beverage package. Instead, I purchased wine for our cruise (we primarily drink wine on cruises), paid the $15 corkage fees and STILL paid LESS for our alcohol that JUST the Da-- 20% gratuities.   Still, I guess if you like umbrella drinks and drink a lot, you might like the NCL bev package.

My last Celebrity cruise, I had to sign for an additional three dollars on almost every drink I got. And , I was only able to get one drink at a time. I  had to make two trips to the bar each time that I  wanted one for my wife and I to have out on our balcony. Poor me. 

[sprint180]

...

Edited January 24, 2020 by sprint180

[fshagan]

13 hours ago, Fogfog said:

Celebrity is now charging a daily surcharge/fee on top of the bev package (and grats for the package) To find the fine print is difficult and it bumps their base rate when one chooses the bev package as a perk

 

We did it first! Those copycats!

[newmexicoNita]

On 1/22/2020 at 7:32 PM, cruzsnooze said:

I went to book a 14 night med cruise for Oct 2020 in a suite with the 5 for free.  When they stated the cruise cost I asked what happened to the brochure price. Well it's 200 for tips on the free beverage package and $30 more for the specialty restaurants and a measly $50 PER CABIN per port for their shore excursions. I felt it was deceptive advertising and didn't book it. I went over to Azamara who has a better value because they are really inclusive without deception. Why do people let them get away with this. Just as an FYI I don't even drink alcohol just diet cokes and water and they said bottles of water aren't included anyway. 

It is your choice you do not drink alcohol so if it is including in the 5 perks, what would you expect them to do for you? As for the tips, if you go to a restaurant and you have a 2 for 1 coupon wouldn't you expect to tip on the entire bill if you did not have the coupon? Of course I would think you would. As for the excursions, I have always thought the line explains it very clearly: it is per cabin, not per person. I can only see one legit gripe you have and that is the bottled water one. Why NCL does not include it in the packages is a puzzle for most. If you don't want to take advantage of the 5 for free then book without the perks. 

[newmexicoNita]

On 1/22/2020 at 9:43 PM, mugtech said:

So you have made over 6,000 posts, been on CC since 2010 and you just discovered this "free" thing?  Welcome to NCL. 

after I posted I noticed the same thing: obviously OP knows how it works or certainly should. I find it hard to understand how anyone could not know how perks and packages work if they are seasoned travelers and seasoned posters.  

[4774Papa]

12 hours ago, 2+2 said:

My last Celebrity cruise, I had to sign for an additional three dollars on almost every drink I got. And , I was only able to get one drink at a time. I  had to make two trips to the bar each time that I  wanted one for my wife and I to have out on our balcony. Poor me. 

Not sure what you drink, but we hear few complaints about Celebrity regarding drinks.  We love the FREE Happy Hour every night for two hours prior to Dinner.  Once you are Elite, it is great.   Royal C. has a similar Diamond happy hour that runs for three hours.  We never take the drink package on either.  

[PTC DAWG]

13 hours ago, 2+2 said:

My last Celebrity cruise, I had to sign for an additional three dollars on almost every drink I got. And , I was only able to get one drink at a time. I  had to make two trips to the bar each time that I  wanted one for my wife and I to have out on our balcony. Poor me. 

Sounds like you had the Classic Package and were ordering drinks at the Martini Bar...

 

BTW, the upgrade from Classic to Premium on Celebrity is $12 per day...one or all in the cabin can upgrade..

[Liljo22]

And the reason why people "let them get away with it" is because Carnival and RCCL do not have their drink or dining package as a perk.  A 7 day drink package for 2 on Carnival comes out to $858.21 and on RCCL its $908.60.  NCL is $277.20.  We can get into the sailaway rates vs rates with offers but it comes down to this for me.  Is NCL with the packages a better value for my cruise than Carnival or RCCL.  It was for me.  My family of 4 are in a balcony on the 7 Day Getaway with drink and dining package for $3053.  Liberty of the Seas without the drink package was going to be about $4500 and Vista without Cheers was going to be about $4,000.  

[graphicguy]

41 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

And the reason why people "let them get away with it" is because Carnival and RCCL do not have their drink or dining package as a perk.  A 7 day drink package for 2 on Carnival comes out to $858.21 and on RCCL its $908.60.  NCL is $277.20.  We can get into the sailaway rates vs rates with offers but it comes down to this for me.  Is NCL with the packages a better value for my cruise than Carnival or RCCL.  It was for me.  My family of 4 are in a balcony on the 7 Day Getaway with drink and dining package for $3053.  Liberty of the Seas without the drink package was going to be about $4500 and Vista without Cheers was going to be about $4,000.  

EXACTLY!  Well put!

[PTC DAWG]

51 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

And the reason why people "let them get away with it" is because Carnival and RCCL do not have their drink or dining package as a perk.  A 7 day drink package for 2 on Carnival comes out to $858.21 and on RCCL its $908.60.  NCL is $277.20.  We can get into the sailaway rates vs rates with offers but it comes down to this for me.  Is NCL with the packages a better value for my cruise than Carnival or RCCL.  It was for me.  My family of 4 are in a balcony on the 7 Day Getaway with drink and dining package for $3053.  Liberty of the Seas without the drink package was going to be about $4500 and Vista without Cheers was going to be about $4,000.  

Agreed..not sure why math is lost on some people.  

 

And yes, folks can opt out of the drink/dining gratuities if they choose to.  

[misguy]

I created a video that discuss this subject.  

 

 

[cementhands]

I agree free is not free. The tips and added cost of basically the same room as a sail away are excessive to $1,000.00 for 2 people. We enjoyed the sail away rate many times. Recently on the Gem 2 in ocean view for 14 nights was like $1,900.00. Same room with free drinks package was $2,900.00.

My wife doesn’t drink. Cancer survivor so no bashing, please. But I can’t drink $1,000.00 worth in 2 weeks.
On RCL and celebrity we’re diamond and elite so we get a few free drinks a night but we enjoy Ncl activities more.
The Gem was always fun nightly dancing activities. Going on the Bliss soon and hopefully the same. I think it’s all personal preference. My 90 year old mother cruises with drinks package only. Red wine has preserved her well.