cruiser2015

I've recently observed strollers, walkers and wheelchairs on ship excursions. Typically, you're traveling in a large motor coach with nice, big cargo bays under the seats.

Perhaps true. But from a real managerial perspective, that process should go very slowly. If you cut to the point that your sales level drops, you're going to have a tarnished reputation in the market place - and that could take quite a while to then build it back up. Could take months, likely years to reverse such a decline. Hear that NCL? Slice with caution.

Oooh! I want to plant my flag on that mountain of brownies. Now, where is that ice cream scoop station...😋

Understood. But it was my point; call it an addendum to yours.

Yes - they graciously allow you pay pay for them fully in advance, like the rest of the cruise.

Perhaps so, but as that is not the policy on US owned lines (which makes up a ginormous amount of the industry) and is unlikely to happen any time soon, we have to live with the current fiasco. There are some luxury level lines where all tipping is all inclusive. But something tells me there are folks doing extras in cash here and there as well.

Why not do yourself a favor and beam yourself up out of these fencing matches. Your position on this subject is perfectly valid and you should not be having to defend it against other CC members who are unrelenting in tearing apart the views of others if they disagree. And it's not that the other folks are wrong in what they say, just a different take. Peace be with you...

I booked last July for our Jan. 2024 cruise. There were a number of excursions available at that time, but many were added over the next few weeks. I expect the experience will vary with every sailing, depending on when NCL arranges them with the local operators. If you want to book in advance to avoid missing out, book what you find attractive when you see it. You can always call and cancel at a later date and book something else. Excursions are cancellable up to 48 hours before they occur - that includes on board.

Didn't know that. Thanks.

Or, you can just hit the sanitizer dispenser at the entrance to all restaurants.

IDK about you - some people like the extra elbow room; some may want to use the 2 sinks at once. For me, the best part is the shower - larger and those body sprays are fantastic! Forceful and true massage capabilities. A definite plus. Not being platinum (not everyone is) I also got to do a free bag of laundry. Also got a plate of cookies - the only ones I saw for the entire 15 days last month.

Why does that sign-off NOT surprise me...😉

Hey, I didn't write this thing - it's straight from the NCL site. And indeed some of these are not exclusive. Mostly, it's these: Distinctive Purple Keycard (all suites) Pre-book onboard dining as early as 125 days prior to sailing 1 complimentary valet laundry 1 bottle of sparkling wine upon embarkation Treats delivered to your stateroom twice per week.

They also left printed noticed in each cabin the evening before each of the (multiple) time changes.

What method of torture do you recommend to get the culprits to confess? Threaten to take away their ration of hash browns and cookies?

I think you are doing fine with your approach. Tipping has been reasonably dealt with by NCL with all of those add-ons. If you were struck with the idea that someone on board was worthy of more than the typical compensation, you could consider tossing some extra cash their way. But you should not feel compelled to do so by anyone else's opinion on the subject. I wish I could get "lost" for 25 days aboard - except for the possible weight gain. Have a great cruise(s)!

Interesting point - were those envelopes, many years ago, being split up behind the scenes? I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say no. As I mentioned in an earlier post here, those envelopes became prepaid charges by the cruise line - for your convenience (it actually was more convenient. Later, that morphed into the current system, which is reportedly split amongst a larger group of workers (behind the scenes folks, who you never encounter). Dishwashers? Cleaners? Not sure if anyone outside of NCL knows for sure. Are you supplementing the income of those folks - sure. That's what tips are, generally. That's how (land based) restaurants can pay servers less than the absurdly low (in most places) minimum wage in the U.S. It works as an incentive to such workers to do a good job, as it makes up a large portion of their take home pay. As for the cruise lines, no doubt it started as an extension of that concept, but has been extended to involve other staff and is said to be distributed in several different ways, including direct compensation and assorted employee benefits like parties or gifts. Hoodwinked? A bit of a harsh way to put it. Let's put it this way. If some of these workers did not get a piece of the DSC, NCL probably would have to pay them higher salaries to attract staff. To pay these additional wages, they would raise the cruise fare. I believe the fare plus the DSC & other mandated fees or gratuities (yes, for optional buys) are part of the package delivered to you for your total payment. View it as reasonable - or not and don't buy in. Ask yourself if the value is there or not and act in your own best interests. If NCL decides to raise the DSC instead of the cruise fare, what's the diff (other than you could drop the DSC - I'll assume most passengers will not). Adding fees is also a marketing ploy, so that they can advertise a lower cruise price. Rented a car in the last several years? Many website quote the car cost without taxes & fees until you go farther into the booking. Rent from most airports, and the cost can nearly double. Welcome to capitalism.

I wouldn't doubt it for a second. His fault for trying to learn about what other folks might think. Crazy fool.

Interesting. PATRLR takes an opinion like mine, reasonably stated, so now you have gone to battle with him as well. You seem to feel the need to attack every single phrase I've written - point by point. Even after I acknowledged that no, you didn't actually force me to respond to that previous post, you decide to criticize the comment again anyway. You say that you don't have an issue with others posting their opinions. Great. But you seem absolutely compelled to tear apart those opinions, over and over, because you are so certain that they are wrong. Well, my friend, at best they are no more wrong than yours - at least in this case. Now, as for my "final challenge" to you, you conveniently did not answer it. The whole purpose of that challenge (analogous situation to our discussion) was to show that their are real situations for which the solicitation of others thoughts or information is a fair expectation. Instead, you jumped right back to what NCL states. Yup, we all know that point. You say I'm operating under an expectation of tipping extra - totally false. I've never stated that; only that someone gather these experiences and draw their own conclusions, rather than operate in the dark and somehow magically find solutions. Simply because you can write declarative statements to rebuke things I've written does not make your position the wiser one. The reason this thing has continued is that your pride will not allow you to let it go. You feel driven to "debunk" the approach that you simply don't like. My words have not been intended to stifle your right to an opinion, but to try to make you see where mine comes from. Clearly that has failed.

Yes, I do believe that I can say what "we" need here. I have total respect for your right to your opinions. I object to you painstakingly ripping apart every word of someone else's comments, looking for an excuse to say they are wrong.. Of course, you are convinced you are totally correct, but refuse to allow another view. You are so bent on disputing every phrase - even the opener here about not doing anything to me. No, you did not - literally. My words were intended as a light hearted way of saying some of what you responded prompted me to feel a need to respond back again. You just won't yield a millimeter on anything. Forgive me, but I would like to throw one more challenge at your logic. A hypothetical: Say your child approaches you with this question: I will be taking my date home from the dance tonight by taxi. I've never been in a taxi. I think that people usually give a tip to the driver. Is that true? If so, how much should it be, Dad? If your answer is "sorry, son. It's not appropriate for anyone to tell you what that should be. You need to figure that out on your own" then I feel sorry for that kid. My whole point - which I think this last example proves clearly, is that if someone is unfamiliar with a topic, it is fair game to inquire of other folks what they think. No need for you to agree - just allow the rest of us do what WE think makes sense. PS As for the newspaper tip, if I found out I was substantially undertipping (or perhaps over) and shorting the carrier - hell yeah, I would have changed the amount. Why? Because there are reasonable norms in this world, even if you refuse to acknowledge it.

Not quite. He did his job well and made a point to be extra cordial (although nearly every crew member on board exchanged greetings when passing by). There were some longer chats than a simple good morning by him. In all, it enhanced our time on the ship. I appreciated that and reacted accordingly. If the cabin was not cleaned appropriately on a daily basis or was otherwise poor in execution, there would have been no additional tip; also would not have cancelled DSC).

Okay, you've done it - going back on my last comment prediction. And, I stated that because we had both given opinions, more than once, and I felt it was time to give this tag match a rest. You had a great time dissecting each of my comments. I made an analogy using an off-ship reference, to make a point about trading tipping information NOT being an absurdity. While your position is certainly rational, it does not mean that your view is the only right one. You even stressed the point that suggestions for tipping are no longer given - and that is because things have evolved, as we all know. However, tipping still exists. And while your take on it is fine, we really don't need you telling everyone else with another take (including myself and the OP) that it is somehow completely wrong to do so. A closing word: A few months ago, I asked a couple of buddies how much they were tipping their newspaper delivery person. I had been doing it for many years, really, in a vacuum. Turns out that my amount was in line with others. Was I crazy to ask? A few months later, I ended up increasing the amount by 1/3. Why? With all of the inflation lately and the tough job that it is, I decided to up the ante. I did that all on my own. I asked around, put things in perspective, and made a decision. I expect our OP to do the same.

I find your position perfectly understandable. I suggest you just keep an open mind during the cruise and if someone does an exemplary job, consider giving them a (more modest) cash tip. And if you feel the motivation, extend a modest tip to the steward. I sailed last month on NCL. The steward was very friendly. Introduced himself on the first afternoon. Always said good morning, (or whatever part of the day) when he saw us; addressed myself & my DW by name and asked how we were doing. The only "extra" thing we asked for was ice (a few days into the cruise). He then brought a fresh bucket every PM (often after the cabin was serviced earlier). I assume this was to give us ice for the evening as we were likely out and about during the heart of the day, especially on port days. Exceptional - maybe. Likeable - absolutely. Gave him $50 cash.

I really expect this to be my last comment on this subject. Anyway, you are twisting my story around. My foreigner was not on a ship - just in America and not aquainted with the tipping customs. Forget "fair" amount - try reasonable or customary. He is clueless and looking for guidelines (like our OP who is further confused by the DSC being involved). Asking for some suggestions is very reasonable, IMHO. Yes, there's no set amount; it's variable and subject to other factors (like level of service) - that does not preclude a range of amounts. Anything said is an opinion (like yours and mine here). Tipping guidelines exist and have been around forever. Remember the days before DSC (or whatever the other guys call it these days? The cruise line gave suggested tips for the steward and MDR staff. SUGGESTIONS! Passengers were free to pay more - or less - as they saw fit. For those who don't know the history, these suggestions morphed into automatic charges onto your account to save you the trouble of sorting out the different tips in cash and handing them to the crew members. Again, with the choice to change the amounts or opt out and do it the old way - by hand. This method later became the current DSC. History of Cruise Tipping 101

Congratulations on being knowing and confident. I maintain that it is perfectly okay to solicit an opinion in order to get a feel for the subject. Then, the questioner can be a drone and use the average of his gathered info...or, as already suggested, modify this figure according to services rendered or perceived attitudes of the tip recipient. Your repeated comments that they should figure it out on their own somehow are not helpful. And despite your protestations, I will say that there are averages, or expected norms, that apply to many tipping situations. Try this one: Is it reasonable to say that at an average restaurant, with reasonable service (in the US) it is actually expected that you tip? And that the amounts usually will be from 15% to 20%; possibly more for exceptional service). Now imagine a foreigner, from a country where tipping is not expected or they add an automatic charge. This persona asks: what is a fair amount for me to tip? Your answer is "can't tell you that". Great result. And your comment sums this up nicely - that this information is irrelevant to you. Fine. Not so for others who would like to know more about something that they are unfamiliar with. You're not assisting with that, so why comment at all?