newbie questions

[cjft]

Hi there, I'm pondering a first time cruise and want to get some things clear in my mind before I book, so apologies for the amount of questions...

If I don't get a free at sea alcoholic drink package, can I sub in the Starbucks one with free at sea?  Or is it only an add-on?

I don't drink that much and the 300 tip charge seems a lot to me for 10 days if I'm only getting bar drinks a couple of times a day.  This cruise would be the Mediterranean so I won't be on the ship a whole lot, we have one at sea day and I'll be off the ship as much as possible. 

Do you pay in cash on board the ship? if so what currency?  If I buy OBC, can it be applied to everything on the ship including food and drink? Can I tip the staff with USD?

If the price drops after booking, will they give us credit or refund?

And finally if I wanted to upgrade, how would I do that? Phone it in or online?  

I know I can phone in the questions but I want to book online because I have the Amex 250 credit deal and it specifies using the ncl.com.   I don't want to sit through upselling (do the CSRs do that?)and I don't find the website that detailed.   Thank you in advance for any insights! 

[mjkacmom]

Can’t switch out packages, the gratuity on FAS is about $21 a day, so if you drink more than 2 drinks a day on average, it’s worth it. If the price goes down before Vinson payment, you can rebook with the current offer. You can tip in USD, I believe that’s the only thing you need cash for onboard.

[Two Wheels Only]

20 minutes ago, cjft said:

If I don't get a free at sea alcoholic drink package, can I sub in the Starbucks one with free at sea?

 

No. 

 

20 minutes ago, cjft said:

Or is it only an add-on?

 

Yes. 

 

20 minutes ago, cjft said:

I don't drink that much and the 300 tip charge seems a lot to me for 10 days if I'm only getting bar drinks a couple of times a day.

 

If you're getting drinks "a couple of times a day", it might be better to take the package. Taking the package adds $21.80 per person per day. If your daily consumption is more than that without a package, you'll be better off with the package. When you don't have a package, 20% is added to the cost of each individual drink that you order. 

 

23 minutes ago, cjft said:

Do you pay in cash on board the ship?

 

No, you add funds to your onboard account and use your ship/room card for purchases. 

 

27 minutes ago, cjft said:

 If I buy OBC, can it be applied to everything on the ship including food and drink?

 

Yes.

 

27 minutes ago, cjft said:

Can I tip the staff with USD?

 

Yes.

 

27 minutes ago, cjft said:

If the price drops after booking, will they give us credit or refund?

 

It depends on when the drop takes place. 

 

 

 

 

[cjft]

1 hour ago, mjkacmom said:

Can’t switch out packages, the gratuity on FAS is about $21 a day, so if you drink more than 2 drinks a day on average, it’s worth it. If the price goes down before Vinson payment, you can rebook with the current offer. You can tip in USD, I believe that’s the only thing you need cash for onboard.

Thank you so much! What is the Vinson Payment? And by rebook do you mean I have to cancel and then rebook?

[cjft]

59 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

If you're getting drinks "a couple of times a day", it might be better to take the package. Taking the package adds $21.80 per person per day. If your daily consumption is more than that without a package, you'll be better off with the package. When you don't have a package, 20% is added to the cost of each individual drink that you order. 

 

I'm sorry I'm confused - do they add this 20% at the point of sale? or the final payment on the ship ?  Is this a gratuity charge?  

Good to know about the Onboard credit.  I will add as much as possible because CAD is so low right now.

[Two Wheels Only]

55 minutes ago, cjft said:

I'm sorry I'm confused - do they add this 20% at the point of sale? or the final payment on the ship ?  Is this a gratuity charge?

 

If you don't have a drink package.....

 

Every drink has 20% added to it as a "gratuity/service charge". A $10 drink will cost you $12.

 

 

If you do have the package via promo...

 

NCL covers the cost of the package ($109 per person per day) but you will pay the 20% ($21.80 pppd) of the package cost before you board because it is included in your final payment cost. With the package, the $10 drink is completely covered and the 20% that you would otherwise be charged is covered by the 20% that you already paid. Even if you have twenty $10 drinks in one day, you won't be charged anything additional. Your package covers included drinks up to $15. If you get a drink that is over $15 ($20, for ex.), you will pay the difference ($5) plus 20% on that difference ($1). Your $20 drink will cost you $6 onboard. I'm using U$D just to get the point across. 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, cjft said:

Hi there, I'm pondering a first time cruise and want to get some things clear in my mind before I book, so apologies for the amount of questions...

 

If I don't get a free at sea alcoholic drink package, can I sub in the Starbucks one with free at sea?  Or is it only an add-on?

It can not be substituted. You pay full retail: $12.95 * 10 days = 129.50 + 20% gratuity = $155.40

 

I don't drink that much and the 300 tip charge seems a lot to me for 10 days if I'm only getting bar drinks a couple of times a day.  

Let's say the average bar drink costs $11 + 20% gratuity = $13.20. If  you have 2 drinks a day, you will exceed the $21.80 cost of the drinks package. 

 

Do you pay in cash on board the ship? if so what currency?  If I buy OBC, can it be applied to everything on the ship including food and drink? Can I tip the staff with USD?

The ship is cashless. You charge everything to your room account. Most people settle their room account to a credit card. You can settle your account in cash on the last night of the cruise. Note: The currency of the ship is USD and there will be an unfavorable exchange if you use Canadian dollars to settle your account. 

 

If the price drops after booking, will they give us credit or refund?

You can rebook (technically a cancel and rebook) any time up to final payment. After final payment, you will pay a penalty. 

 

And finally if I wanted to upgrade, how would I do that? Phone it in or online?  

You can rebook (technically a cancel and rebook) any time up to final payment. After final payment, you will pay a penalty. You can not change your reservation online - you would need to talk to NCL. 

 

I know I can phone in the questions but I want to book online because I have the Amex 250 credit deal and it specifies using the ncl.com.   I don't want to sit through upselling (do the CSRs do that?)and I don't find the website that detailed.  

The call center don't upsell, but they will talk to you about your options. 

[luckybecky]

1 hour ago, cjft said:

Thank you so much! What is the Vinson Payment? And by rebook do you mean I have to cancel and then rebook?

 

I'm not sure what Vinson payment is, maybe a typo, I think they meant final payment.

 

So we always book with just putting the deposit down. We don't pay the rest until just a couple of days before final payment is due. In the meantime, we keep checking the price periodically. If it goes down, we give them a call and they will adjust our booking to reflect the lower price. We have not been required to cancel and re-book. 

 

If final payment has been made, they generally don't give money back to you if they price goes down. Depends on the cruise line and I haven't had a lot of experience with NCL on this particular question. But if the price goes down after you have paid the full fare, they generally will offer you something, such as a cabin upgrade or an onboard credit. It never hurts to call and ask.

 

And it is on you to monitor the price and request an adjustment. They don't notify you if it does down. 

 

I hope this helps.

 

Happy sailing!

[cjft]

1 hour ago, Two Wheels Only said:

Every drink has 20% added to it as a "gratuity/service charge". A $10 drink will cost you $12.

Thank You!

[cjft]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Let's say the average bar drink costs $11 + 20% gratuity = $13.20. If  you have 2 drinks a day, you will exceed the $21.80 cost of the drinks package. 

Thank you! Thanks for posting the menu too super helpful!

[cjft]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Do you pay in cash on board the ship? if so what currency?  If I buy OBC, can it be applied to everything on the ship including food and drink? Can I tip the staff with USD?

The ship is cashless. You charge everything to your room account. Most people settle their room account to a credit card. You can settle your account in cash on the last night of the cruise. Note: The currency of the ship is USD and there will be an unfavorable exchange if you use Canadian dollars to settle your account. 

SUPER helpful Bird!

[cjft]

1 hour ago, luckybecky said:

So we always book with just putting the deposit down. We don't pay the rest until just a couple of days before final payment is due. In the meantime, we keep checking the price periodically. If it goes down, we give them a call and they will adjust our booking to reflect the lower price. We have not been required to cancel and re-book. 

Great, thank you.  Sounds like call centre is easy to deal with.

[cjft]

Thanks everyone for your very helpful replies.  Such a friendly community.  

I guess it'll be free at sea AND Starbucks (damn caffeine addiction).   I will buy as much OBC as I think I'll need ahead of time and pre pay the service charges.  Hopefully I can add OBC to my booking.

[dbrown84]

1 hour ago, cjft said:

Thanks everyone for your very helpful replies.  Such a friendly community.  

I guess it'll be free at sea AND Starbucks (damn caffeine addiction).   I will buy as much OBC as I think I'll need ahead of time and pre pay the service charges.  Hopefully I can add OBC to my booking.

the limit for OBC is $1000.  You can get any leftovers back in cash on the last morning if you don't spend it all.  Also, looking into FAS+ and do the numbers.  I say this because it does include Starbucks as well as water.  It will give you extra meals, Internet for the trip and extra excursion credit.  Only you know your habits, but look into it and see the costs and decide which is best for you.

[cjft]

1 hour ago, dbrown84 said:

the limit for OBC is $1000.  You can get any leftovers back in cash on the last morning if you don't spend it all.  Also, looking into FAS+ and do the numbers.  I say this because it does include Starbucks as well as water.  It will give you extra meals, Internet for the trip and extra excursion credit.  Only you know your habits, but look into it and see the costs and decide which is best for you.

Thanks I will!

[Panhandle Couple]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

 

If I don't get a free at sea alcoholic drink package, can I sub in the Starbucks one with free at sea?  Or is it only an add-on?

It can not be substituted. You pay full retail: $12.95 * 10 days = 129.50 + 20% gratuity = $155.40

 

I don't drink that much and the 300 tip charge seems a lot to me for 10 days if I'm only getting bar drinks a couple of times a day.  

Let's say the average bar drink costs $11 + 20% gratuity = $13.20. If  you have 2 drinks a day, you will exceed the $21.80 cost of the drinks package. 

 

Do you pay in cash on board the ship? if so what currency?  If I buy OBC, can it be applied to everything on the ship including food and drink? Can I tip the staff with USD?

The ship is cashless. You charge everything to your room account. Most people settle their room account to a credit card. You can settle your account in cash on the last night of the cruise. Note: The currency of the ship is USD and there will be an unfavorable exchange if you use Canadian dollars to settle your account. 

 

If the price drops after booking, will they give us credit or refund?

You can rebook (technically a cancel and rebook) any time up to final payment. After final payment, you will pay a penalty. 

 

And finally if I wanted to upgrade, how would I do that? Phone it in or online?  

You can rebook (technically a cancel and rebook) any time up to final payment. After final payment, you will pay a penalty. You can not change your reservation online - you would need to talk to NCL. 

 

I know I can phone in the questions but I want to book online because I have the Amex 250 credit deal and it specifies using the ncl.com.   I don't want to sit through upselling (do the CSRs do that?)and I don't find the website that detailed.  

The call center don't upsell, but they will talk to you about your options. 

Keep in mind the drink pkg includes mid-level wine in the MDR and specialty restaurants in addition to bar drinks.  1 drink before dinner, 1 wine at dinner gets you the 2 per day for "break even" on the tips.    You can also try different drinks (outside of your regular ones) and if you don't like them...no problem (or cost) with simply setting them aside.  Many of the bartenders have their own favorite drinks to make, not always on the list.  Simply ask them if the bar is not crowded.  And if it is hot out, a dessert drink like a Bushwacker or Mudslide is great.

 

If you do rebook later, it might not include the AMEX credit, which is probably time limited.  Need to factor that in your costs. 

[gizfish]

With regards to tipping, a daily service charge will be automatically applied to each person's account every day of the cruise (unless you pre pay it).  Also, any services you buy like drinks, spa, or specialty dining will have a 20% gratuity automatically applied.  The daily fee covers room stewards, dining staff and behind the scenes staff.  You are free to tip extra if you want, and can do so in cash or when buying a service by adding any additional amount to the receipt you will be signing.  The daily charge does not cover Haven butlers or concierge and does not cover camp counselors.

[kismet618]

13 hours ago, cjft said:

Thanks everyone for your very helpful replies.  Such a friendly community.  

I guess it'll be free at sea AND Starbucks (damn caffeine addiction).   I will buy as much OBC as I think I'll need ahead of time and pre pay the service charges.  Hopefully I can add OBC to my booking.

You can bring a prepaid Starbucks card and use that to pay for your coffee as well. 

[DCGuy64]

Another thing (or two) to remember about price drops:

1. If the price on your sailing drops, you can (as several have pointed out) cancel and rebook, but doing so may jeopardize any perks or promos you had on the old rate.

2. In our experience, if the price drops after final payment, you can only get OBC for the difference, and only one time. IOW you can't get multiple OBC's for multiple price drops. So if you get the OBC and the price drops again, you're out of luck.

 

Not trying to dissuade OP in any way, just making sure he/she knows the deets!  😁

 

 

[Menocchio]

1 hour ago, kismet618 said:

You can bring a prepaid Starbucks card and use that to pay for your coffee as well. 

Do I need the actual card, or can I use the Starbucks app? I ask because I can get e-gift cards through a perk at my job, but I'd actually need to go out and buy a card. 

Edited April 19 by Menocchio

[cruiseny4life]

20 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

Do I need the actual card, or can I use the Starbucks app? I ask because I can get e-gift cards through a perk at my job, but I'd actually need to go out and buy a card. 

Get the e-gift card, download the Starbucks app (if you haven't already) and add the e-gift card to your app. Then scan the barcode from the e-gift card when you want to pay. 

[debenson0723]

21 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

Do I need the actual card, or can I use the Starbucks app? I ask because I can get e-gift cards through a perk at my job, but I'd actually need to go out and buy a card. 

You can use the app. You will earn the 'stars' for your purchases but cannot use the 'stars' to buy drinks on the ship. The balance on your card won't update until you get to shore and use data but they will give you a receipt that shows your balance after every purhcase, it you ask.

[Menocchio]

8 minutes ago, debenson0723 said:

You can use the app. You will earn the 'stars' for your purchases but cannot use the 'stars' to buy drinks on the ship. The balance on your card won't update until you get to shore and use data but they will give you a receipt that shows your balance after every purhcase, it you ask.

Fantastic. I've got my Starbucks account linked to my Delta Skymiles account so let's see if I can drink my airfare home. 

 

(Though with that much caffeine, I could just flap my arms and fly home by myself)

[Sailing12Away]

15 hours ago, cjft said:

Thanks everyone for your very helpful replies.  Such a friendly community.  

I guess it'll be free at sea AND Starbucks (damn caffeine addiction).   I will buy as much OBC as I think I'll need ahead of time and pre pay the service charges.  Hopefully I can add OBC to my booking.

Look at the options and pricing for the different drink packages and pick the one that you think would be the best value for you. You can add the Starbucks package on if you think you'll be having at least 2 drinks per day, or just pay as you go with either a Starbucks gift card or on your cruise account if you don't need a 2x/day fix.

 

https://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/790164-BEV_Package_Flyer_UOBP_PPBP Update_V7_no_crops.pdf

[hallux]

4 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Another thing (or two) to remember about price drops:

1. If the price on your sailing drops, you can (as several have pointed out) cancel and rebook, but doing so may jeopardize any perks or promos you had on the old rate.

2. In our experience, if the price drops after final payment, you can only get OBC for the difference, and only one time. IOW you can't get multiple OBC's for multiple price drops. So if you get the OBC and the price drops again, you're out of luck.

 

Not trying to dissuade OP in any way, just making sure he/she knows the deets!  😁

 

 

I'll add another - there needs to be a cabin available in the category in order to get a price drop.  They need something to compare it to.  You can't have a regular balcony cabin, see that a large balcony balcony cabin now has a lower price and try to get a price drop if there are no regular balcony cabins available to compare the price to.