MSC automatic ' daily hotel charge'

The $9 charge equates to E6.50 approx which means E230 approx to be added on to any quote I get for this cruise for me and DH.

 

There's been some talk recently that MSC are proposing to increase their hotel charges. Be nice if they gave some indication of their plans - it helps when budgeting for a trip to have an idea of extra costs beforehand.

The higher the hotel charge, the more people will opt out of paying it, or just not book with MSC in the first place.

I imagine that currently only a tiny minority of guests opt out of paying the hotel charge but also it is probably set at the limit of comfort for many. Even a small increase could result in a net decrease in revenue. MSC will tamper with these things at their peril.

Consumers are increasingly well informed. The vast majority go along with automatic daily charges because we accept it as part of our cruise fare and receive excellent service. If the charges become excessive, the tide will quickly turn and the norm will be to cancel them as soon as we board.

It would be far preferable for these automatic charges/expected tips etc. to be included in the cruise fare so that cruise lines can compete transparently on their respective offerings without hiding extra charges.

I asked the UK Government Office of Fair Trading to investigate this cruise industry-wide practice but they said they had more important things to do. Either way these charges cannot be enforced....

Know your rights! Any cruise sold within the EU or on an EU-based cruise line, such as MSC, nothing has to be paid, without explicit consent, beyond the invoice amount shown at the time of booking. To try to convince you otherwise would be a separate and more serious crime. MSC routinely flouts EU law in these regards as do many others.

I have forgotten how many times I have taken Thomas Cook to court for flagrant breaches of EU law. They have never once defended themselves. These mega travel companies do what they want regardless of the law and rely upon a tiny number of claims that they settle by default because it is cheaper overall than abiding by the law.

Cynical or sensible? I would rather these companies behave.

I have wandered. Your thoughts on automatic, daily cruise charges not mentioned at the time of booking?

When I first started cruising with MSC neither the hotel or bar service charges existed. So what you paid was the invoiced amount. They supplied envelopes so you could tip tour steward and waiter if you wished. I liked that system.

Then they decided to copy the other lines and introduced these charges and said tips were not required.

My preference would be that they do away with tips or gratuities or service charges or whatever and just increased the basic cruise prices.

When I first started cruising with MSC neither the hotel or bar service charges existed. So what you paid was the invoiced amount. They supplied envelopes so you could tip tour steward and waiter if you wished. I liked that system.

 

Then they decided to copy the other lines and introduced these charges and said tips were not required.

 

My preference would be that they do away with tips or gratuities or service charges or whatever and just increased the basic cruise prices.

On Royal Caribbean both times I have sailed with them, there was a choice between 'prepaid', i.e. put on the onboard account, or in person, as we chose,, in which case envelopes would appear two nights before the end together which suggested amounts for the waiter, assistant waiter, head waiter, cabin steward and assistant cabin steward.

Most Brits do not routinely tip, it is not part of our culture. We will do it after an expensive meal but not after a cup of tea or fish and chips. I used to tip taxi drivers but that was years ago when they were affordable!

Mediterraneans generally tip less often than Brits. They are more likely to slip someone a bribe when they arrive in return for special treatment and argue about the bill than they are ever to pay more than than is on the bill.

In parts of the Far East it would be considered a personal offence to offer more than the requested amount.

No, MSC is clearly emulating the U.S. lines with their automatic daily charges in order to compete with them on headline fare. The U.S. has weak consumer legislation compared to the EU and also a low-wage, high-tipping culture.

U.S. lines expect high tips to pay wages. If MSC did the right thing and abolished morally-solicited 'hotel charges', their fares would look less competitive. Still, an 'all tips included' policy would appeal to most of the planet who resent apparent compulsory tips.

Sorry to sound stupid, but I stumbled across your thread and would like some clarification if you don't mind. Am I reading correctly that on my upcoming MSC cruise I can request that the automatic service charge ( $24 pp per day I believe) not be charged and request envelopes be given so I can tip what I deem to be an appropriate amount to specific individuals?

That seems so much more reasonable to me! I would still probably give approximately the same amount, but I would feel better if I could make choices as to who got more/less depending on the level of service they provided. I was under the impression that's what tips were for anyways...extra compensation for a job well done.

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They don't give out envelopes any more.

I believe you can request that the service charge be removed. I've never done so myself so I can't say whether it is easy to accomplish or you need to be quite determined to get it removed.

This thread is more a debate on the service charge and how different cultures view it.

.... Am I reading correctly that on my upcoming MSC cruise I can request that the automatic service charge ( $24 pp per day I believe) not be charged and request envelopes be given so I can tip what I deem to be an appropriate amount to specific individuals? .....

You can request the daily service charge be all or partially removed by contacting guest services before leaving the ship. However, cash tipping is not allowed by MSC; we were told by a crew member aboard Poesia (USA) that crew were not allowed to keep any tips, and they could be fired for not giving any tips they might recieve to management!

When I first started cruising with MSC neither the hotel or bar service charges existed. So what you paid was the invoiced amount. They supplied envelopes so you could tip tour steward and waiter if you wished. I liked that system.

 

Then they decided to copy the other lines and introduced these charges and said tips were not required.

 

My preference would be that they do away with tips or gratuities or service charges or whatever and just increased the basic cruise prices.

When I first started cruising (with Carnival) they too had the envelopes for tips. The problem was (at least for the dining staff) is that on the last night (when the tips were expected), less than half the dining room would show up (thereby stiffing the waiters and their helpers)! :eek: Carnival instituted this practice around 2003 in response to the number of jerks who did this (yes, to me not paying what is expected is being a jerk.......or worse) and I believe it is a much better system than the envelopes. I do agree though, I wish it were included in the booking price just like port charges and taxes and was not removable just like port charges and taxes. That would keep the cheapskates from removing the service charges on the last night after receiving a weeks worth of service.

Wait so you can remove the service charge but not tip in cash? That makes no sense! Why would they let you do that, then not allow cash tips. Seems unfair to the staff if this is the practice!

I guess will I have to change my view of this service charge. I thought of it as a way to tip, not a fee for service, which is what I'm starting to view it as. If this is the case I agree that this "fee" should be included in the stated price of the cruise. Then people could tip as they see fit for good service.

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The USA charge we paid was $12 per adult/day, half that for each child. We were told it was not a tip, but held by MSC to pay the crew.

Wait so you can remove the service charge but not tip in cash? That makes no sense! Why would they let you do that, then not allow cash tips. Seems unfair to the staff if this is the practice!

 

I guess will I have to change my view of this service charge. I thought of it as a way to tip, not a fee for service, which is what I'm starting to view it as. If this is the case I agree that this "fee" should be included in the stated price of the cruise. Then people could tip as they see fit for good service.

 

 

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It's definitely a fee for service.

What is really important to remember is that a large chunk of the world don't tip. It's just not part of the culture - not expected by either the patron or the server. However, Americans are so entrenched in it that they insist on tipping no matter where they travel - fueled on by fears they will receive poor service or worse if they don't. When in Rome do as the Romans does not seem to apply to Americans and tipping.

MSC is a Mediterranean cruise line and whilst it follows other cruise lines in their service charge (which I agree should be part of the base fare) it also states in the FAQs directly under the section on the different service charges 'MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individual members of staff.'

http://www.msccruisesusa.com/us_en/an-msc-cruise/faq.aspx

from the MSC website again:

Hotel Service Charge

 

During your cruise, you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. They are supported by just as many staff and crew who work hard behind the scenes to ensure you enjoy every moment on board.

For your convenience MSC Cruises will automatically add a daily Hotel Service Charge to your shipboard account, based on your chosen itinerary and the number of days for which the services are actually provided. The Hotel Service charge serves to ensure we maintain the highest quality standards of service to our guests. The daily amounts below have been calculated with this in mind and cannot be modified. However, should you wish to remove any of the daily Hotel Service Charge in the unlikely event that you do not receive satisfactory service, you may do so by contacting the Guest Relations Manager on board.

There is also an additional 15% service charge automatically added to purchased drinks and foods, and also spa services. So no tipping is necessary at all.

Good to know! Thanks for all the great info. I will just leave the service charge then and try not to feel bad when not tipping as I normally would.

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