"non discountable amount"

[AndyPanda]

What is included in the "non discountable amount" of our cruise fare?

Are gratuities?

Anything else?

Thanks, Andy

[kryos]

I think stuff like taxes and port charges. Those wouldn't be discounted because the cruise line just collects them from you and pays them to someone else.

 

Gratuities are not included in the "non-discountable" figure. In fact, they're not included at all in the cost of your cruise. Gratuities are paid once onboard via an assessment of $10 per day, per person to your onboard account.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[MercedMike]

What is included in the "non discountable amount" of our cruise fare?

Are gratuities?

Anything else?

Thanks, Andy

 

Once, long ago, these were called "port charges," and were added on to your fare in tiny type down at the bottom. Then it turned out that cruise lines were lumping all sorts of stuff like pilot fees, tugboats, dockage, fresh water, garbage service and a bunch of other stuff into their add-on for "port charges." There was a lawsuit, and eventually the lines were forced to put all that stuff into their published fares, not into tiny add-on type.

 

Today, they are sort of a base amount that EVERYBODY has to pay -- even Travel Agents on a "fam" (familiarization) cruise or people who have a "free" cruise. There is really not much significance to them to the traveling public. They are very important to TAs because they are also "non-commissionable."

 

Gratuities are another question. Almost all the major cruise lines now add a "discretionary" $10 a day fee to your shipboard account which is pooled and distributed among the service personnel. One line - NCL Hawaii - even makes it mandatory, not discretionary. I suspect someday there will be litigation about that one too and eventually it will be included in the calculated fare.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

Mike

 

Cruising with the Halls:

http://www.bully4.us/cruising.html

 

Cruise Countdowns:

http://members.aol.com/cruznphulmike/countdown.html

[cruznon]

Thanks for info Mike

[Willia]

I'm not surprised by the OP's question.

Just pulled up the HAL site and made a sample booking

- we have our own insurance and don't need air or Transfers so it would seem that our taxes and fees would be $79.97 but even adding in the Transfers, I still don't know how the Non-Discountable amount becomes $247.80.

The fact that I priced it in CDN funds should not, I think make any difference. Can anyone explain, please? Very :confused:

 

Cruise/Tour C$3,220.22

Discount Amount -C$1,216.00

Result Amount C$2,004.22

Cancellation Plan - None

Taxes & Fees C$79.97

Home City Air None

Pre/Post Transfers and Packages C$30.68

Miscellaneous Charges None

Customer Pays C$2,114.87

(Final Pymnt Due 12/23/06)

Non-Discountable Amount C$247.80

[InTheWASide]

So you're going onto cruise line websites and tying up inventory just to go on a cruise website and ask a question?

 

That doesn't seem right...

 

I'm not surprised by the OP's question.

Just pulled up the HAL site and made a sample booking

- we have our own insurance and don't need air or Transfers so it would seem that our taxes and fees would be $79.97 but even adding in the Transfers, I still don't know how the Non-Discountable amount becomes $247.80.

The fact that I priced it in CDN funds should not, I think make any difference. Can anyone explain, please? Very :confused:

 

Cruise/Tour C$3,220.22

Discount Amount -C$1,216.00

Result Amount C$2,004.22

Cancellation Plan - None

Taxes & Fees C$79.97

Home City Air None

Pre/Post Transfers and Packages C$30.68

Miscellaneous Charges None

Customer Pays C$2,114.87

(Final Pymnt Due 12/23/06)

Non-Discountable Amount C$247.80

[jtl513]

Gratuities are not included in the "non-discountable" figure. In fact, they're not included at all in the cost of your cruise. Gratuities are paid once onboard via an assessment of $10 per day, per person to your onboard account.

Gratuities are another question. Almost all the major cruise lines now add a "discretionary" $10 a day fee to your shipboard account which is pooled and distributed among the service personnel. One line - NCL Hawaii - even makes it mandatory, not discretionary. I suspect someday there will be litigation about that one too and eventually it will be included in the calculated fare.

 

On our final on-board bill received 12/15 the $10/person/day was not listed as Gratuities as in the past, but as "Hotel Service Charges". I smell a hint of this soon becoming non-discretionary on HAL, and expecting pax to "tip" out-of-pocket once again.

[Charliesmom]

IntheWASide,

 

I don't think that the cruise line's inventory was tied up by an inquiry on line. I don't think it gets tied up until it is actually reserved - either by an agent or by giving the cruise line your credit card number.

 

The "non-discountable" amount used to be port charges. I think they lumped in other charges and gave it a new name so they don't have to rebate actual port charges if a port is cancelled. I also think it is another way to pass on some of their costs to the passengers without having to pay commission to the travel agents. Carnival Corp. is extremely adept at taking cost out of their product and increasing the number of ways they create revenue.

 

This is not entirely bad. Cruises cost a LOT less today than they did 20 years ago. Now you have to pay for all of the little extras, but you don't if you don't want or use them. 20 years ago you paid for them whether or not you used them. It was included in the cost of the cruise.

[MercedMike]

...it would seem that our taxes and fees would be $79.97 but even adding in the Transfers, I still don't know how the Non-Discountable amount becomes $247.80. ...

 

Cruise/Tour C$3,220.22

Discount Amount -C$1,216.00

Result Amount C$2,004.22

Cancellation Plan - None

Taxes & Fees C$79.97

Home City Air None

Pre/Post Transfers and Packages C$30.68

Miscellaneous Charges None

Customer Pays C$2,114.87

(Final Pymnt Due 12/23/06)

Non-Discountable Amount C$247.80

 

"Taxes and fees" are actual government taxes and per passenger fees that the cruise line pays directly to an outside agency. They are actually added on to your cruise fare.

 

"Non-discountable" is something else again. As I said above, it includes all sort of unavoidable overhead items and costs that the ship incurs. It is also the same for every cabin category. It really means nothing to the passengers becuase it is included in your quoted fare, not added to it. It is important in only two ways -- if somehow you get a discount, or a "free" cruise (as TAs, suppliers and certain other industry people sometimes do, and also in some promotions or contests), you still pay the "non-discountable" amounts! The other is that it is "non-commissionable" to Travel Agents.

 

In other words it is basically just baffle gab that the cruise lines adopted when they were deprived of their "port charges." You do have to be a bit careful because sometimes unscrupulous online sites will try to quote prices without it and then add it on, which makes them seem cheaper than honest agents when they really aren't.

 

So -- SUMMARY -- "taxes and fees" are actual governmental charges, and are added to quoted fares. "Non-discountables" are just cruise line talk and are included in the quoted fares. And "port charges" added to fares are no more!

[AndyPanda]

I'm still confused.

I think I got a good deal, but my invoice quotes $420 for NDA.(seems kinda high)

Taxes & fees were listed separately.

I was also told that the gratuities were included.

Could it be that it's because the deal I received was a special "vendor appreciation fare?"

Thanks, Andy

[BOBBO3383]

If you are being charged only $420.00 for NDA costs that sounds like a pretty good deal. I have an Invoice totaling $8661.00 without air and the NCF (Non-Commisionable Fees) are $630.00. These fees have nothing to do with taxes, but are for Port Charges and Fees which are charged to the cruise lines by the various ports for costs of docking the ship, paying for the passenger terminals, etc. NDA and NCF are essentially the same thing.

[PRINSENDAM]

If you are being charged only $420.00 for NDA costs that sounds like a pretty good deal. I have an Invoice totaling $8661.00 without air and the NCF (Non-Commisionable Fees) are $630.00. These fees have nothing to do with taxes, but are for Port Charges and Fees which are charged to the cruise lines by the various ports for costs of docking the ship, paying for the passenger terminals, etc. NDA and NCF are essentially the same thing.

 

Yes, but $420 NDA is probably for 10 or 14 days and the $630 NDA might be for 21 days.

 

Stephen

[AndyPanda]

My total cost is $1733.(after discount)

10 day Southern Carib.

No air, no insurance (both purchased elsewhere).

$420 seems like a pretty high NDA to me.

[DD]

Once, long ago, these were called "port charges," and were added on to your fare in tiny type down at the bottom. Then it turned out that cruise lines were lumping all sorts of stuff like pilot fees, tugboats, dockage, fresh water, garbage service and a bunch of other stuff into their add-on for "port charges." There was a lawsuit, and eventually the lines were forced to put all that stuff into their published fares, not into tiny add-on type.

 

Today, they are sort of a base amount that EVERYBODY has to pay -- even Travel Agents on a "fam" (familiarization) cruise or people who have a "free" cruise. There is really not much significance to them to the traveling public. They are very important to TAs because they are also "non-commissionable."

 

Gratuities are another question. Almost all the major cruise lines now add a "discretionary" $10 a day fee to your shipboard account which is pooled and distributed among the service personnel. One line - NCL Hawaii - even makes it mandatory, not discretionary. I suspect someday there will be litigation about that one too and eventually it will be included in the calculated fare.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

 

Mike

 

Cruising with the Halls:

http://www.bully4.us/cruising.html

 

Cruise Countdowns:

http://members.aol.com/cruznphulmike/countdown.html

 

Mike, I've got to tell you that's one of the best explanations of NCFs that I've heard in a long time. Kudos to you!!

[MercedMike]

My total cost is $1733.(after discount)

10 day Southern Carib.

No air, no insurance (both purchased elsewhere).

$420 seems like a pretty high NDA to me.

 

Well, honestly, I don't understand why you care. It is all part of your quoted fare. Look at the NDA as "overhead" that everybody on the ship pays, and then the rest of the fare is determined by which cabin you choose.

 

For example: Inside cabin, $799 = $420 NDA + $379 for that cabin

Balcony $1699 = $420 NDA + $1279 for that cabin

Suite $3299 = $420 NDA + $2879 for that suite

 

The NDA is important to the TA because they don't get commission on it, that's all.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[noblepa]

...I was also told that the gratuities were included.

...Thanks, Andy

 

I don't know exactly what a "Vendor appreciation fare" is, but I've never heard of HAL or any other cruise line including gratuities on the invoice, unless you specifically ask to prepay the gratuities. In that case, the gratuities should appear as a separate, clearly labelled line item.

 

If you did get some sort of fare in which they are including the gratuties, good for you! I would double check that, though. I'd hate to go on the cruise, thinking that my waiters and cabin steward had been tipped, when they really hadn't.

 

Paul Noble

[Stevesan]

Non Discountable charge:

 

I pulled our HA Passenger Confirmation form, which clearly itemizes all charges, from our European Capitals Cruise in June 2005.

 

The ND amount is port charges.

 

Tax/fee, Cruise/Tours, Air, etc are all itemized separately.

 

I always ask for the Passenger Confirmation form, and usually get it (a few travel agencies decline to share).

 

What's most interesting is when the TA forgets to block off the bottom part showing commissions. Wow!

A bottle of wine, a robe and dinner in Pinnacle make barely a dent. There's lots more wiggle room, so haggle away fellow cruisers.:)

[rain_bowbrite]

My total cost is $1733.(after discount)

10 day Southern Carib.

No air, no insurance (both purchased elsewhere).

$420 seems like a pretty high NDA to me.

 

We are doing a 5 night in Feb and the NCF amount of our fare per person is $119. So thats $238 total for a 5 night so $420 for your 10 nighter sounds good to me!

 

Enjoy your cruise and don't worry about it:D !

 

Jodie