NCL All Inclusive Drinks&Tips Package – Going Down A Treat?Or Getting Stuck In Your Throat?

Recently NCL announced that their Ultimate Drinks Package & prepaid gratuities were now mandatory in all of their sailings.  At first glance this would seem to be a good idea.  After all, I can’t tell you how many enquiries I get on a daily basis, asking if a drinks package is included.  Rightly so, as your bar bill is usually the most expensive item on your cruise bill!

So there has been a definite trend towards passengers preferring a total cruise fare with an all inclusive drinks package.    When cruise lines introduce these promotions  – They are snapped up!   However, the fall-out of this new development is that alot of passengers are now complaining that the cost of an NCL cruise has increased significantly!  Also people who are not alcohol drinkers are now complaining that the price of their cruise has gone up and they are now ‘forced’ to take a drinks package.

Regarding the gratuities with this new fare structure, there has also been a definite trend by passengers to remove the gratuities set as a guide by NCL (and other cruise lines) who prefer to choose which staff they tip.  I would say that more than 95% of my clients when booking their  cruise, now ask for the gratuities to be removed.

NCL have wised up to this trend, which is why  they are now including prepaid gratuities  as mandatory.  After all, why should they give the passenger an All Inclusive drinks package for them to then  remove the gratuities?   I believe that it won’t be long before the other cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, will follow suit, and recoup this lost revenue.  Already I can see subtle wording in the fare costs: Instead of gratuities, they are being replaced by ‘Service Charge’. Implying that it is a fixed price of the cruise.

Of course ‘To Pay or Not To Pay’ has always been an emotive subject.  Tipping comes second nature to our cousins across the pond, and in the Med, its the done thing.  However we Brits are rather more reticent in handing over our hard earned cash, willy-nilly.  Its not in our nature just to tip someone for ‘doing their job’ .  We are happy to reward someone who has given us exemplary service over and above what is accepted, but not just because we’re told to.  More on this very emotive subject in my next blog……….

What’s your thoughts on this?  Would this new all inclusive drinks & tips put you off booking a cruise?  Do you prefer to have a choice?