For a 14 night cruise I paid 149 euros for the “free at sea” package. This includes: - Premium beverage package for all restaurants, specialty restaurants, bars: selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic brands and cocktails, draught and bottled beer, spirits and wine of up to 15 $ per glass. Gratuities and taxes are included - Specialty restaurant package: 3 meals - Internet package per person: 300 minutes - Shore excursion credit Per stateroom: 50 $ per tour Gratuities and taxes are included, a very good deal in my opinion. No trap.

The extra tipping line isn’t really a scam, it’s the cruise lines not wanting to pay a fair wage and trying to pass it on and guilt the passengers into supplementing the crappy wages.

A little trick to reduce the cost of the Wi-Fi on NCL is to take the free minutes and then a day or two later purchase what's left of the trip and you can reduce the cost to something between $50 and a $75 depending on how many days are left.

As experienced cruisers, I’m surprised at some of this “advice”. ALL mainstream cruise lines have drink packages that are only a good value if you run the numbers and decide if it works in your favor. As someone who does imbibe on vacation, the free at sea pkg doesn’t take much (perhaps 2-3 drinks per day if you aren’t just drinking cheap beers or well drinks) to come out in your favor…I do wish it included speciality coffees and sparkling water though. And everyone should know that “giveaways”, be they at the spa or the stores onboard, or act auctions are a waste of your time unless you are truly into such things. I’m just saying, I’m not sure why you are singling out NCL here, they all do these things

50 dollar shore excurision credit (in my case it was included in a solo deal) however the excursions were and still are so overpriced it's not worth it.

If you go on a NCL cruise just be prepared for the 'nickel and diming' that they try pulling. If you are prepared and understand the upcharges then you can still fully enjoy your holiday. Those that come on that are completely caught off guard are those that struggle. Your video points out all of those small details where the upcharges are most noticeable....well done. I still consider NCL my cruise line of choice...but I go with my eyes wide open and no rose colored glasses

I have loved my vacations with NCL but they do nickel and dime you. I've switched to Royal and Virgin for now.

The spa is definitely a trap. Having to fend off upsells after a massage undid all of the relaxation from my massage 😤

I use the wifi minutes by writing emails and texts offline. Then I hop on, check mail and texts, send my prewritten items out, synch our Fitbits and hop offline. Used this way the "included" minutes are sufficient.

if you are even a moderate drinker, the packing is a value. I am a light drinker, My fall cruise I will find out if not getting it was the wise decision. specialty dinning pushes the double tipping. As for the rest, if you go in informed, then not a trap.

I think the specialty restaurants are a scam, too. Think about it, you already paid for your meals as part of the cruise package weather, it's in the dining room or the buffet, etc.. a lot of the times it's the same food anyway. Is that really worth an extra 50 to 75 dollars more each?? I don't think so. And that goes for ALL cruiselines.

Everything you've described is present on most mainstream American cruise lines. Royal has the same spa tour and raffle at sailaway and the "prizes" cover half of an inflated spa service cost, but you are charged the gratuity based on the full price, not your discounted cost. Carnival charges to ride their roller coaster. Royal and Carnival have Starbucks for a fee; Princess and Celebrity have their own specialty coffees for a fee. Royal had Ben and Jerry's for a fee; now they have a no-name ice cream parlor. Princess and Celebrity have gelato for a fee. All mainstream American cruise lines have a line for additional tips, should you wish to provide it. Royal and Disney still leave envelopes in your cabin even though you've paid the auto gratuities in advance. ALL cruise lines add automatic gratuities to drinks and specialty dining; the difference is NCL doesn't make you pay for the drink itself or the meal itself if you select their "free at sea" promotion. I'm surprised you guys don't know all this! Or if you do, I'm surprised your title suggests that these practices are specific to this one single cruise line.

This is not limited to Norwegian. Every cruise line does this. Royal Caribbean has tons of extra charges for food and activities. All cruise lines have made cruising an a la carte experience rather than all inclusive. Dont blame one cruise line- they are ALL doing it.

The Free at Sea is $21.80 per day. I feel you are kind of misleading people, saying this is a trap, two wines at dinner ($15 x 2) easily pays the gratuities on the package. For a 9-night cruise the beverage service charge is $196.20, the dining service charge $11.80 (1 speciality dinner). I don’t see this as a trap and personally feel it’s a good value for me.

If most Americans in the service industry were paid a living wage, then 20% and higher tips wouldn't be necessary. I'd rather pay more for a meal and drinks if it meant that lot of service industry people were just paid a decent wage/salary. Most are not

I've heard of tips being written in later (by gremlins?) on those tip lines on the receipt, so I tip an extra $1-$2 CASH then write on the tip line, "PAID CASH." Naturally, I keep my copies of my receipts. I'm old lady enough to where dirty looks don't bother me in the least. 😂

We liked a Moscato on an NCL cruise and I wrote the name down. A bottle was priced at $30. Once home I found it in a grocery store for less than $5. You know in the amounts NCL purchased the it was less than the grocery store paid. I don't mind a company making a reasonable profit but that was way out there!

EXACTLY! Thanks again.

This is helpful. Thank you.

I love Ncl as a solo. My free drink at sea came out to 2.75/ drink. Some of my excursions were free because of the free at sea deal. My drink package on carnival is more per drink w tax and tip. Your price is room and most food and for iteneries.

Thanks for the information.

I always uncheck the beverage package but I do keep the specialty dinning because it is only a few dollars for the dinning. :)

Lots of great tips. Was looking at booking a NCL cruise and the taxes on the FREE drinks were more than what we would spend on drinks for the cruise. Definitely not free.

I've taken NCL twice and I agree that they are not the best cruise line out there. I much prefer Royal Caribbean or Carnival. My last cruise was on Wonders of the Sea and I loved it.

Appreciate your video. We don't cruise as a lifestyle so the extra cost for the drink package is a good deal for us. The specialty dining is excellent on NCL. The room we booked the night before the cruise was $400.00 so after that, the drink package is looking pretty good! We just came back from an NCL cruise and I didn't encounter any issues with getting drinks. Sorry to hear others have had problems with service.

We have never used all the wifi minutes on NCL. We check on things back home a couple times and then phone is off.

Taking my first NCL cruise this summer. Cruised with Carnival last summer and after having taken about 7 or so years away from cruising, I decided that I need to try other lines. I was always a cruiser, but not sure if that will continue given how much things have changed.

We usually cruise RCL, but we took Norwegian to the Panama Canal because they did a half passage. We don't drink much, so I was appalled when I realized it would cost us $400 for the "free" drink package. So, we went through a travel agent and were charged $400 less for the cruise. We still got free alcohol, $50 off each excursion, and only had to pay $20 tax on a free specialty restaurant meal. Frankly, we much prefer everything on Royal, where we get more truly free drinks than we can drink, we don't bother with the specialty restaurants, and most cruises we pay only port fees and taxes, and the cabin is free. Plus, the points from our Royal Caribbean credit card usually covers the gratuities. The food , entertainment, and customer service is much better than on Norwegian.

I booked a future NCL sailing. Thanks for your input

Americans have been pushed into a tipping culture because companies would rather have their customers pay their workers. Unfortunately, some restaurants have tried a "no tipping" policy, and raised prices to pay increased wages, and people won't eat there because the only look at the menu price. Servers at expensive restaurants like getting 20% or more of a large bill, but 20% at a coffee shop doesn't amount to much. Now, it has spread to fast food places.

Great info

We're UK and don't have to pay any 'taxes' I'm not sure what they are 🤔

I’ve never cruised on NCL but hearing your experience with trying to get a soda reminded me of my experience on the Oasis of the Seas. I brought the drink package but I kept getting charged for my soda. It was so irritating having to get those charges removed.

This is a great video!!! Thank you.

Sorry to disagree but the Free At Sea options can be a great benefit…. For my upcoming cruise the drink package costs $152.60. This charge is for the estimated gratuities for my drinks. Is it actually free? No, but it’s not a rip off either. To break even ( or better) on this I just need to consume 2 drinks a day on my cruise…which is really not that much for some people. I always recommend people do the math, if it doesn’t work out for you don’t get it. I agree the internet is not always great but 150 free minutes is not bad for those that just need a quick check in while cruising.

We always take the drinks on Free at Sea. Yes you pay gratuities, but it’s still a great deal compared to the other lines. For a week cruise, my wife and I paid around $150. That’s like 12 drinks. We’d drank that within the first two days. You pay the gratuities on the dining package as well. Still a great deal. The Free at Sea offers is usually what causes us to book NCL over Royal. If we bought all that on Royal it costs way more.

I haven’t cruised NCL but have cruised have Carnival and Royal. The drink receipts I have gotten have always had an additional tip line. Your credibility on this makes me question some of your other comments about NCL.

Very interesting and informative video

They try to get you while you are the most excited and that’s when is sail away time😂😂😂

Hi guys, love the channel (and have started watching your other channels as well)! QUESTION: Can you go over any of the hotels you may have stayed at when sailing from the Fort Lauderdale cruise port? I'm trying to decide if I should get a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale OR fly into Miami and get an Uber or Lyft to the cruise port in Ft. Lauderdale. I'm sailing on Princess next year. What is your opinion, and do you have any hotels you recommend at each port? Thanks in advance for any info!!

I agree nothing is free in regards to NCL free at sea. I opted in for the drinks on a sailing with my husband because he is a drinker. One of the other cruise lines drink package is more expensive.

Quick question for you two❤… why do you wait to get your thermal suite package for the week the day you go on the ship ? Why don’t you buy it on the app before you leave, they say it’s cheaper that way ?!?! Do you get a better deal the first day?

Thanks for taking the time to make a video...we totally made use of our drink package, mimosas for breakfast...beers, wine, was a really good deal for us.

They're more gratuities, not just taxes. And they didn't trap me with the drink thing, they trapped me with their bloody Marys. Also, when I'm not drinking the alcohol, which I very much am, I'm drinking the soft drinks, also included. I think it was 2 or 3 per day to break even. Not a lot imo.

We went on a NCL cruise to Mexico this last summer. The worst and most expensive cruise we’ve been on ! Customer service was also very poor. We’ll stick with Princess! Never again.

As a soda drinker, I do love that Disney and Virgin include it. So nice - agree with the convenience + I much prefer fountain soda. I know I can bring it onboard but I don’t want to lug it around on embarkation day. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I'm trying NCL solo next year and opted into the free at sea, only because I have a 12 day sailing and figured it would be more advantageous over the long term. I'm still a little sticker shocked and feel like I'm paying more than I would with the more modular payment model cruising I normally do, so thanks for sharing this info. Funny enough, Royal Caribbean does similar things but in different ways, like the sales pitch at the end of your massage or premium food/drinks like starbucks and cupcakes. Each cruise line has their pros and cons and people who would prefer a more all-inclusive experience like Virgin would be a better fit than NCL.

Thanks for the tips! I am going on NCL for the first time next year. I wish they didn't have that extra tip line. My son got mad at me on one cruise and I got a $1,000 bill because he double tipped.

most of the cruise lines do this. why are you slamming ncl

I always do the math on the Free at Sea packages, sometimes it makes sense, other times not. About the specialty restaurants, we are Sapphire level with NCL so we get 2 specialties each on every cruise. We've seen what the restaurant "values" the meals at when we sign off on the bill and it is around $180 for a table of two. We have the Latitudes perk so we don't pay it but we wonder do people really pay that for dinner? I love the thermal spa too but the price on that has gone up exponentially, I'll still do it but have to grit my teeth.

Let’s see…5 drinks a day at $10 per drink for 7 nights. That’s $350. If the free at sea cost me $400 then that’s only a $50 loss. And that’s only if my drinks were $10 each. Doesn’t really sound too bad unless the taxes/gratuity is more than the $400 you stated. 🤷‍♀️

Other than the Amerian Dinner, where else would you find a milk shake? Got's lots of free icecream on NCL. Last cruise however, NO cookies on the Buffett. That was quite disappointing.

I checked into one of their cruises and couldn’t understand the double speak regarding their packages. We are very happy with Princess and Carnival and opted to stick with them.

I never take the drink package since I am not a big drinker, I keep the specialty dining, however.. Actually have a Transatlantic scheduled in April with NCL..

These things are not just NCL

Do you ever go on a Paris excursion when you cruise on any cruise liner? Is this something I shouldn't fall for also?

You have to get the beverage package I’m not taking a vacation paying per drink and the specialty restaurants unfortunately are usually ten times better

I only cruise on NCL, and I don't use the specialty dining, so I remove it. If you don't drink much, don't check that box. I do use the $50 off shore excursions, but don't care about the wifi - I unplug! I drink lots of Diet Coke and beer, so the drink package is worth it. You don't have to tip if you don't want to (over and above the fees for the cruise). I tip my room steward, an especially good server or bartender, and anyone else that I think deserves it. I budget for extra things. One of the worst things about NCL, or any other cruiseline, is hearing people gripe (frankly, bitching) about anything they think they are entitled to, and not getting, aside from 50% off or 2nd guest free airfare, etc.). I think NCL might not be for you.

I think the biggest trap is the phone roaming. Make sure your phone is in airplane mode while sailing. Next biggest trap is partially mentioned by you guys which is the attempts to trick you into tipping more than once. This happens a lot with packages where you cover tips for specialty dinning meals while still keeping the gratuities allocated for that same meal under general dinning. People can pay tips out sometimes 2 or 3 times over for specific services without realizing it.

Thanks for your always detailed and interesting reviews and advise ! I am not familiar with a systematic way of non-opting out of NCL's 'Free at Sea' program. Can you point me to this option on their website ? Thanks most kindly and happy early retirement filled with lots of travel and great fun ! marcia

Thanks for your honest, unvarnished opinion on these upsells. This is something you rarely hear from many travel vloggers and bloggers, who I suspect are only presenting the sunny side of a cruise line, resort, etc, because they are travelling as invited guests of the cruise lines. When you pay your own way and you’re a customer just like everyone else, you tend to be a little more careful about where your dollars go.

Are the extras free on any cruise ship? Starbucks, go carts, stuff like that?

If you book a cruise is Europe, do they also have gratuities.

We knew about most of these issues before, thanks for telling us there is more nickel and diming then expected. That's why we sold our shares of NCLH back when the changes on grats got instituted and cancelled 2 sailings. There is better value elsewhere.

I never double tip or add additional. I never take the drink package but I do, like you, take the specialty dining with "free" at sea. Usually the internet minutes are good enough for me but you can't opt out of that one. I usually don't do excursions but they "give" me $50 off one I might buy a cheaper excursion. It is so sad how greedy the cruise lines are now. CCl made, what, a billion US dollars in three months last year. Demand is through the roof so earnings will continue. Greed will be their downfall at some point. The pandemic give aways from the government is dwindling. Consumer credit is skyrocketing. IMO it will not continue forever.

I'm heading.out in 2 weeks on my first Cruise, NCL Epic. I keep hearing so many bad things. I hope this Cruise doesn't leave me with bad thoughts on Cruising.

All cruise lines are out there to make money. They all have their quirks, head shakers, and buyer's beware.

Walking the plank on our recent NCL cruise was included

If you don't like NCL pay more and go on Halland cruise Lines

Concerning the tipping in Europe.....we tend to round up to the next Euro or give roughly 2 Euro tips depending on the service.

That free spa deal sounds like a timeshare scam!

my 7 day free at see drink package is about 300 for two of us. thats about 20/day to drink what I want. 2 glassess of wine with dinner every night will do it. Plus soda.

Royal charges for the their speciality ice cream. It used to be Ben and Jerry’s, now it’s not. They also have a candy shop. $16 a pound. As for Starbucks, most all lines have them now and they all charge. So…, maybe not best NCL up over it.

Don’t get me started on the spa giveaway!!! You don’t sit around you stand around for over an hour in the gym at 5:30 pm on embarkation day!! One and done for me. Same with the Park West scam. Free champagne!! 🥂Plus the artwork is so generic and you see the same stuff not only on every NCL ship but on every cruise line!!

Cruise Ship Crew workers are the hardest working people. Tipping is the least I can do. Really seems you have a problem with NCL. I have cruised with them for years am pleased with the cabins, crew, food and buck for the dollar. I love your Train Channel for the first time viewing the Cruise Video am Very Sad.

What’s the price difference between Virgin and Norwegian?

Good to know, you folks are great!

Drink package is not just booze. You get speciality coffee like Starbucks, Pellegrino or Acqua Panna at dinner or at some of the bars on ship, in addition to your cocktails. Also it’s not a tax it is a 20% gratuity charge on the price of the package. That goes for dining too. If you pay a la carte for any beverage on the ship they will add a 20% gratuity. The tax on drinks is when you are in certain ports.

We are on the prima. Don’t get the soft drink package it’s a ripoff. The Bingo was lame not worth the money. They close down all the fun activities when the ship is in a port.. rip off. However the food is fabouos

I am okay with service charge such as countries in Europe and Asia. The US should adopt that, I am suffering from tip fatigue, I live is the US.

And expecially, check yourself before going on a cruise: Do you have high blood pressure? How is your liver? How is your Cholesterol? Do you have diabetes? Are you overweight? Sometime the next cruise could be your last... Also don't forget that cancer cells prosper in sugar and alcohol.

Just about to take my first transatlantic cruise in January on NCL. Thanks for the heads up

Went on a NCL cruise in Dec and it was the worse at nickle and diming you to death and their internet is horrible. I couldn’t wait to get off the ship so I didn’t feel aggregated. I’m going back to Virgin in two weeks and I can’t wait.

Crazy stuff. I don't fill out tickets, no extra tips, nothing's for free!! Amusement items are supposed to be free after the ton of $$ you spend. Wow. Don't think I'll be sailing on them.

Good video the prices are too high especially to be packed in with thousands of others..... the nickel and diming is a huge turn off

If sparkling water was included on the drink package, I might consider it...

Great video... very informative for a new cruiser like me

What about the free airfare?

There are no taxes on the drink package there’s no taxes on the dining package you are paying opportunities on the drink package not taxes and drinks on the boat cost $15 for a captain Morgan and Diet Coke so you would have to pay at least a two dollar tip on that also 20% on any drinks you buy without the package no taxes

Not buying the alcohol package understandable, but buying individual sodas instead of the soda package is dumb.

Sometimes we can’t afford ‘free’ 🥴

This is why I do carnival new ships only and msc none of those problems.

Y'all just wanted to incite comments, lol. You got 'em!

Rcl is may favorite. NCL is better than carnival. Rcl has the best live shows and entertainment.

We Love NCL, BY BY

In your opinion, which cruise line offers the best bang for your buck when it comes to the drink package and specialty dining? I just booked with NCL because of the length of cruise and ports. I went for the 'free at sea' offer for the same reasons you mentioned. I don't want to be worrying about my drink bill while cruising. Looking at RCL, most of the dining is extra pay, even for a burger...come on.

i NEVER upgrade. dont waist my time. there to enjoy

Agree drink package is not worth it, have to pay tax and gratitudes.

I'm not even going to comment about tipping an America and how much American service workers get paid😔

When I clicked on your video, KZfaq launched an ad for NCL. I sailed on the NCL Prima recently, and I did not get the Free at Sea package for the same reasons you mentioned in the video. I am happy to say I avoided the traps you mentioned. Thanks for sharing your experiences.