bobstheboy

I also called NCL today and spoke with our cruise consultant. He said a decision has not yet been made to cancel Istanbul or Ephesus for the May 19th Spirit sailing. I find it very interesting reading the different perspectives on Istanbul. It is a terrible thing that happened. But it was one day out of 365. I chose this itinerary specifically for Istanbul. Unless the attacks there become a regular occurrence, I hope NCL doesn't cancel too prematurely. If they do - it will be because of lack of sales - not safety of passengers, unfortunately. That said, Croatia would be a nice alternative. No one can predict where the next suicide bombing will be - but the way they seem to operate - it is likely it won't be in the exact same spot.

Wow

So you are willing to take the chance that it will not be a regular occurrence and you will not be at the spot where the suicide bombers will be next time ?

Hope your luck holds out.

I understand what you are saying but I wouldn't put my wife and my life at risk. If we do go we will both enjoy a quieter day onboard.

Well done !

Eenjoy.

You seem to find only British passengers are rude. My own observations are that most nationalities have rude people, especially on cruise ships.

We tend to queue where others don't so I find pushing in rude. Anyway, thanks for your comments, I am back on board in March after doing the same itinerary in December.

From a polite Britisher.

More explosions in Istanbul with fatalities.

Will MSC join other lines and stop going ? I have a cruise in May with stops in Istanbul and Izmir so they could be pulled. I wouldn't mind if Rhodes was added in lieu of one of them.

I wouldn't go on NCL unless I got UBP.

We are on the Epic in March with the promo and have a MSC cruise from Venice in May and the drinks package is £20 pppd, which is great value as it includes coffee and botted water.

When we disembarked in December we did it ourselves at 7am and there were many before us. If you can manage your own bags it is easy.

23 days since my last cruise, 65 days until my next.

We were on board early December and had no trouble getting a table for 2 at about 7pm. We enjoyed the food and I can eat and was not hungry, so everyone has a different slant on restaurants.

There are a small number on here that are obsessed with this subject.

Get a life lol !

On board this month and hate smoke. Had no problem walking through the casino, but not gamblers so didn't hang about.

Why do people on here get so involved in the DSC and percentages added to drinks and dining ? If it is acceptable then just pay and enjoy the cruise, if not then don't give them your custom. If the staff are not happy they can find other cruise lines, but on my recent Epic voyage everyone seemed very happy and not looking for extra.

Just back off the Epic and must have put on a few pounds, enough said !!

I don't know but I have included a screen shot of the two schemes side by side.

 

You may have to press Ctrl and the PLUS SIGN together a couple of times to zoom in to read it.

 

You go back with Ctrl and the MINUS SIGN.

 

You can make an informed guess as to which is closer to NCL Gold ;MSC SILVER or MSC GOLD

 

 

 

 

I have not cut off any benefits to either scheme they are all shown

Many thanks. Maybe silver, could be gold, will find out in March !

from answers on this thread

 

NCL SILVER = MSC CLASSIC

 

 

NCL PLATINUM = MSC BLACK

 

 

76+ points on NCL is PLATINUM

 

So you would then be BLACK on the MSC voyagers club in March

Thanks.

I got the points total wrong, I will have 61 points, so will be gold. What will that equate to ?

We will be NCL gold after a cruise in March and going on Magnifica in May so will wait for after the March cruise before attempting to level match.

Any one know what level MSC will put us on, NCL 86 points ?

Nope.

You do not understand the system.

Pay the Service Charge. You are not expected to tip anyone.

I totally understand the system and why it was introduced and explained just this in a previous post.

It is well known in the cruise industry that British passengers, among others, are bad tippers, it is a cultural thing, we do not tip barmen in pubs for instance. To keep service staff happy "Service Charges" were introduced.

DSC is just a fancy term for gratuities, and something I personally am happy to pay.

The DSC replaces the old tipping system for specific people on the ship. In the old days, before Freestyle, you had assigned seating for dinner. You received little envelopes to tip the maitre d, head waiter, waiter, and drink waiter that served you in the dining room each night. You received a little envelope to give to the room steward. On the last night, you presented your envelopes personally to each person you were tipping. The last time I was on a cruise with this system I believe the total was somewhere around $11 a day in tips for all these people. That was about 17 years ago.

 

Today, you pay a flat rate "DSC" which replaces that old system. It has gone up. NCL and the workers seem happy with this system, but many passengers want a complete accounting of where that DSC goes, because they feel that NCL might be exploiting the workers. My ethical values are somewhat different because if I did think NCL was exploiting workers I would never set foot on their ships, not save a few bucks by reducing the DSC. But that's me.

 

The people you customarily tip today, at the bar, in the spa, and in the specialty restaurants, are purported to NOT be included in the DSC. In the old days, you also tipped these people at time of service. It is customary to tip these people today, and mandatory service charges have been implemented on bar bills and specialty restaurants for the tips there; in the spa and some other venues (kid's clubs, etc.) it is entirely voluntary, but still customary. For the butler and concierge in the suites, you also have an entirely voluntary but customary tip for them.

 

This is the custom, as it has evolved, and seems to be quite OK with the workers. Large tip income is favorable in certain countries, like the Philippines, where tip income is not reported or taxed, but regular wages are taxed on a progressive scale from 5% to 32%. Paying the Filipino workers in wages instead of tips would cost them a pay decrease from 5% to 32%.

 

I feel it is unseemly to talk about how much extra we give the poor people while we stiff the company, but many people claim to give hundreds of dollars in cash tips and remove the DSC to punish the company they are supporting with their vacation dollars. NCL still allows this, so I guess that's OK if you want to do that.

 

I suspect that cruise passengers are in the top 1% of worldwide income earners. At least the top 5%. To see so much time and worry spent here on CC over the matter of an extra $189 for a couple over the course of a week's cruise is astonishing.

 

"But they also charge .20 more per soda because we are a captive audience!"

 

OK. Well. Just so.

 

I feel extremely fortunate on this Thanksgiving that I have my family, my health, and have been blessed enough financially to be able to afford a cruising vacation. Even when I spend over half the average annual world-wide income on my cruise, I know it is entirely a function of just how rich I am in comparison to most of the people in the world. I will be gracious, and thankful.

Thank you for your history lesson on how tipping has evolved on cruise ships over the years.

I have been cruising for over 20 years and have experienced all the customs you outline. I have always given staff what I consider a good tip and become very friendly with many. The NCL system does ensure that a large percentage of passengers reward the service staff. Many times I have seen a large number passengers avoid the dining room on the last night so they didn't, have to give out envelopes.

What I do object to is paying a service charge, DSC, call it you want, imposed AND people on here saying you must give staff extra. I am going on the Epic on Sunday and for 10 nights paying about one hundred and fifty British pounds for myself and my wife for staff gratuities.

This I consider to be enough.

Well, sometimes NCL isn't correct.

Go figure.

Not a tip/gratuity !? So I am expected to pay the DSC and tip everyone who gives me service on top of this not inconsiderable sum of my money ?

No Way.

These threads make me laugh.

You either pay the DSC and if you dine in the speciality restaurants, pay an additional 18% and that's it or,

do the above and walk around with pockets of dollar bills to give to hard working staff or,

Take a refund on the DSC and tip everyone you think deserves it or,

do the above and don't tip anyone or,

don't sail NCL.

I have never known so many people get into a lather over cruise service charges and worry about how NCL distribute the cash. If their employees weren't happy they could walk, but I believe they are more than happy because they get a nice slice of the DSC and get cash tips on top from all you generous passengers, happy days !!

Fly out in four days... sail in 6 days! It's almost here! :D

Same here.. Epic here we come !!

Joining the Epic on Sunday week (29th) in Barcelona. Leaving Heathrow a couple of days before so packing will start next Wednesday. Having done lots of cruises we know what we need so I can have my clothes folded and packed in 30 mins, my wife takes a lot longer !!

I enjoy getting the paper work together, so we did that yesterday. We are well organised so everything is pre-booked, taxis from airport to hotel and the ship back to the airport so we have peace of mind.

My first MSC cruise late May 2016. Been on most other lines so looking forward to it, but I have two NCL cruises first !!

The May cruise is from Venice on the Magnifica, 7 nights after a 2 night stay on the island in Venice and after the cruise, by train to Lake Garda for a further 3 nights, a treat for my 70th birthday.

I am in the same situation. The service charge was paid by NCL so you do not have to add gratuities unless you want to.

I have just received an email from a well known UK cruise company offering a deal on the Spirit for New Year 2016.

What is interesting is that they offer an Ultimate Beverage Package for outside and above but the terms are :-

Spirits and cocktails $8.50 or less

Draft and bottle beer $5.50 or under

glasses of wine costing less than $10

This is way below the current deal, anyone else heard this news ?