graphicguy

Accepted my pic from my Epic Cruise in October. Flying in to HOU and staying close to the pier (within a few miles). I had read the MardiGras happenings. So, glad I'm near the port. Dining was done yesterday with the pre-cruise concierge. I'm ambivalent about Donna Summer. Probably go just "because". I'm not a disco person. Will let the initial crowd hanging around the port to clear out. Figure the lines start around 9:30-ish and will mill about until 11:00-ish. I'll get there when that clears out. No eDocs available yet. Not worried.

Wellll....I see NCL's WEB woes have not improved. Got checked in. But, it wasn't without some cajoling....complete one page, it hangs. Learned to complete one page, "Save and Exit". Log out, log back in. Complete next page. "Save and Exit". Log out, log back in...wash, rinse, repeat. Allowed me to pick a check in time. I don't know much about Galveston. And, I DO NOT want to get into a mad rush. Assuming it's like other ports, people start showing up around 9:30-10:00. Maybe start boarding Mobility and Haven guest somewhere about 11:00-11:30. I'll probably shoot for 11:45-Noon and let the dust settle so I can just stroll on board.

What Time Is It? It's check in day......

LOL! In the Haven, I've always been able to swap it out. But, the last several cruises I've taken since my Latitudes status "rewards" me with some sort of sparkling wine/champagne, has not been to my liking. That said, I'm not a champagne connoisseur. Bourbon? I can talk all day about that.

Interesting! Yeah....Uncle Same is going to get his tax revenue. POA is the outlier. The rest? Different countries of origin (with the exception of San Juan, which is also part of the U.S.) not sure how they look at wages earned in international waters. Any international tax accountants in here? 😉 That said, I have met a few U.S. Citizens working on other ships (non POA) but they were either working in the Cruise Next office or as part of the entertainment crew.

I’ve always wondered in crew income is taxable at all, given it’s earned mostly in international waters?

Don’t know about the red wine. But, I know the champagne they have in the cabin isn’t something I like!

Can’t even begin to tell anyone how much time I wasted playing that. Oh, the memories….

Just because this is fresh in may mind, I just got off the phone with the pre-cruise concierge. She made all my dinner reservations. She made note of no "gummy bears" as a snack and to replace those with peanut M&Ms. No Champagne in the room, to be replaced with red wine. Cream to be put in the fridge for coffee and no "decaf" coffee pods.....only the coffee with the caffeine is to be stocked. I think I'm good to go. Can't think of anything else I'd put in any sort of letter.

What? You don't want to go a few rounds about tipping...? In reality, your response was perfect. I am close to what you do...a little more here, a little less there, but in the same ballpark. Although, I do tip a $1/drink for the bartenders/servers outside the Haven.

Restaurants all over the place are paying start up bonuses for signing on. I know 2 owners personally doing it. Again, ask them if their tips are bribes. None of them will think that. Truth is, if you ask them that question, they’ll be insulted!

Ask the crew if they are demeaned as you’re sticking a Hamilton in their palm. They’re in the service industry. Tips aren’t a bribe. They are a major part of their compensation.

I do pre-cruise requests via phone as much as possible. If things change, I work with the on board concierge and Butler. I am fairly "seat of the pants" when cruising in the Haven because I know they'll take care of me...before and during the cruise. I've tried emails, too. But, phone seems to be the easier and quickest way to get a response. I've never had any of them be anything but helpful and cordial.

That works. I know a small monetary gesture at the beginning of a cruise to those you expect to interface with often goes a long way to them recognizing and helping you (e.g. find a table in a Specialty Restaurant when it only has openings 3 hours later) when you request help. Same for bartenders.

"....but i would argue that if you do have a beef about the quality of customer care onboard an NCL ship. you would be doing a great disservice if you didn't report it to guest services and you didn't adjust the onboard service charge. NCL would continue blithely on its way thinking everything was just fine... it's only when people express concerns about something that NCL knows it may have a legitimate problem. and a heavy volume of complaints carries greater weight." @Upstages....agree whole heartedly with this. Let Customer Service know of any egregious lapse in service. They need and want to know. If they can't accommodate or rectify the situation, then yes, adjust your service charges. But, in my experience, they will go over and above to fix any sort of service snafu.

I know my cash tips at the bar are put in a "jar" and shared among the bartenders and bar backs. That's the way it worked all those many years ago when I was a bartender. So, assuming that's the same. As far as DSC and how it gets distributed, that's business policy. NCL states (as do other cruise lines) that service charges are used for compensation in different forms. Probably bonuses, healthcare, etc. Don't know that to be a certainty. And, it has nothing to do with transparency. I don't ask my roofer how he broke out the cost of my roof with his employees. It's none of my business. And, when I was still working, if someone asked how I was compensated, I responded the same way..."nunyas". I was in the military many, many years ago. Don't know what that has to do with this topic. But, I know for a fact I never worked 7 days/week, 12-14 hours/day, 6-8 months at a time. Yes, I was deployed in different geographic areas over months at a time. But, I was given time off. Again, it was brought up, but can't see the relevance to the crew working on a cruise ship. None of my business whether you withhold some or all of your DSC. But, to book a cruise, know there is a DSC, and then deny those charges after the fact, well.....that tells me all I need to know. Carry on! Until there's another crazy tipping or service charge thread, I'll be a lurker.

Thank you, my friend! Well sail together again!

Again, not meant to offend. Agree to disagree!

No disagreement. I did, too. I had crappy jobs, bad companies and bad bosses, and for a while worked in the service sector. I was a bartender in my early career to supplement my meager wages. I know what it felt like when those who threw a buck at me and acted like they were doing me a favor. Those were the ones who complained that our/my "service" wasn't up to their standards and sometimes as an insult left me a penny. Then, there were the ones who demeaned me by running up a $100 tab and laughing as they left their soggy $10 bill under their spilled beer glass after yelling for their drinks for hours. Stating that someone's service was worth $16/day but not $20/day while cleaning their commodes and bathrooms, picking up after them, making their bed, serving them food and drinks, etc seems an insult to me. If I offended, my apologies. We'll just agree to disagree.

I always get a charge out of these types of posts. It's like going to a land based restaurant and telling the manager you don't want to tip 20%. It will probably go something like this.... "I only want to tip 10%" "Sir/M'am was your server bad?" "No" "Was your food not to your liking?" "It was fine" "Then why did you even come here?" If you don't see the value in the service charges...ON ANY CRUISE LINE....don't cruise them. If you don't like the cruise lines' policies, don't cruise them. You can whine about it, you can post here...but in the end, I question why you cruise knowing up front what the charges are and then whine enough to try to justify you punishing the crew by reducing their compensation? You know the charges going into the cruise. You want to change them after the fact for really no good reason other than you don't want to adhere to the cruise lines' policies. These crew work hard...very hard....harder than probably anyone who is a guest ever worked. So, is it a "power trip" thing? Is it a "I have more money than you and I'll show you how to wield it" thing? I have sailed NCL 15, soon to be 16, times. Service issues have been very few and ver far in between. There was NEVER a service situation that I bought to the attention of management that wasn't rectified quickly and actually overcompensation for the small gaff was way over the top. Further, I've seen people at the Customer Service desk removing/reducing tips. They are without fail to be curmudgeons and people I try to avoid on board because of their overall attitude. I don't want them brining my joy and happiness down even a smidgeon. Finally, I HAVE NEVER seen any crew not offer to make whatever transgression (perceived or real) better.

Two drinks from the NCL Epic, which I sailed this past October. I can't remember the actual drink name. Bartenders make their own "infusers". The 2nd is a smoked Manhattan being made in the Haven Bar.

Observation Lounge Bar is similar to Alchemy. Haven Bar is a couple of steps above Alchemy. They smoke drinks, have great mixologists, etc.

They love pictures of Benjamin Franklin on green paper!

Yep....same one I took.

I don't know where this is coming from. I just looked at this. I think OP pricing is way off for NCL.