Gratuities going up...minimally

[luvtheships]

It really would be easier to just add the DSC to the cruise fare and be done with daily charges across all lines! Of course, perhaps it would have to be taxed if added to the rate...there is another line that charges more for suite DSC, I just can't remember who it is...

 

Exactly!!! If they added it to cruise fare the ship has to claim it as income when it is not.

 

 

 

Leave it as it is so as to not overstate income which based on the thousands and thousands of dollars in dsc per cruise..... Would artificially overstate a positive financial situation of the company

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[DevCruise]

This is the case if we state we want to prepay when we book. I'm not sure what happens if we subsequently phone and ask for them to be added, but I imagine it is the same.

 

I'm in the U.S. and called my PCC to have them added. All it does if you do it that way is increase the total due at final payment. If you do it from the website, it actually makes you pay them. At least that's how it worked for me.

[triptolemus]

Exactly!!! If they added it to cruise fare the ship has to claim it as income when it is not.

 

Leave it as it is so as to not overstate income which based on the thousands and thousands of dollars in dsc per cruise..... Would artificially overstate a positive financial situation of the company

 

I think you should consider returning to school to finish your degree in forensic accounting. Seems like you have some work to do...

[dna529]

Seriously, if you are not in a suite it is an extra $79.80 total extra for all 3 cruises if you are in a suite it is an extra $247.80 total extra for all 3 cruises.

 

While if you handed me that cash I would gladly take it but in the big scheme of things and the cost of 3 cruises this really is not a lot of money

 

I guess it's all relative. To me that money could pay for my cabana.

 

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[KeithJenner]

I guess it's all relative. To me that money could pay for my cabana.

 

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I think you're missing the point. We could all do something with the money, but based against what a cruise costs it isn't much.

 

You have three cruises booked and the fact that you are being asked to pay an extra 95cents a day each to go to the staff who work so hard to make sure you have a great time doesn't sound like a terrible thing to me.

 

If paying that money over means that you may not be able to afford to sit in a Cabana as those people bring your drinks to you then you are probably not going to get too much sympathy. They make the holiday great even without the Cabana.

[texastennis]

Hey guys. Let's keep this positive. There will always be people who feel differently. If NCL raised the DSC a nickel some would still complain. I know most of the folks on this forum feel about the great crews as I do. Nobody likes to see prices go up but that's life. I feel so blessed to be able to spend some vacation time on a cruise. And the NCL crews make it special. From the butler I love ;) to the laundry staff.

 

Here, here. I totally agree. To be able to take a cruise is above and beyond what I deserve or expect, and to be able to bless others who are working hard to serve me is a joy.

[dna529]

I think you're missing the point. We could all do something with the money, but based against what a cruise costs it isn't much.

 

You have three cruises booked and the fact that you are being asked to pay an extra 95cents a day each to go to the staff who work so hard to make sure you have a great time doesn't sound like a terrible thing to me.

 

If paying that money over means that you may not be able to afford to sit in a Cabana as those people bring your drinks to you then you are probably not going to get too much sympathy. They make the holiday great even without the Cabana.

 

I never said I was looking for sympathy. I'm not one of those who thinks that the staff don't deserve every penny they get.

 

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[gatime]

Can you use your OBC to pay the DSC?

[luvtheships]

I think you should consider returning to school to finish your degree in forensic accounting. Seems like you have some work to do...

 

Nevermind. You're not worth the effort.

 

 

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Edited February 13, 2015 by luvtheships

[jjikids]

Can you use your OBC to pay the DSC?

 

Not the OBC given from NCL.

[kdzkatz]

So from what I gather from the email I just received (and was also posted on here by a CC member) is the $14.95 pp per day would cover the tip to the concierge and butler? If so, I would sure think they will be taking a big hit to the money they make. On a 7 day cruise it would mean we would only be tipping the butler and concierge $21 each. Even when I did not get the best service from a concierge several years ago I still tipped them more than that. This is a terrible policy for those that work so hard to achieve these positions.

 

FYI- I just went on the NCL website to prepay the DSC it said: "We are unable to display this option at this time."

 

I'm not impressed one bit. But then again if the cruise experience was anything like the experience of dealing with the idiots on the other end of the phone and their IT people they would have been out of business years ago. Thank goodness the experience once on the ship is the exact opposite. The people that work on the ship get it. The rest of 'em seem to be a bunch of clueless dingbats.

Edited February 13, 2015 by kdzkatz

[saxgirl84]

From what I understand from the email I just received about the increase in charge, the price only goes up if you do not pre-pay, but there is no deadline to prepay by... the wording in the email makes it seem like I can wait until a couple of weeks before sailing ( I have 2 cruises booked but not until 2016 and 2017, so I have quite a while until final payment...) and prepay at the current $12/pp/pd rate... I guess I better keep the email just in case, although the $7 extra isn't going to make me go broke...

[elruth]

So $ 12.95 is up to and including mini- suites, right?

[jd1966]

My, my, my . . . This certainly is one interesting thread. :)

 

 

All month long, NCL is letting your Friends & Family Sail Free :D

 

NCL is also offering

• Free On Board Credit
  
• Free Ultimate Dining Plan
  
• Free Ultimate Beverage Plan
  

 

…and, depending on the booking, allowing the guest the opportunity to choose one, two, or all three items! :D

 

 

 

 

And we’re all sitting here pontificating over 95 cents.

 

 

95 freaking cents. :mad:

 

 

 

And people have the nerve to accuse the cruise line of nickel and diming. :rolleyes:

 

You are absolutely correct!!!

[Demonyte]

So $ 12.95 is up to and including mini- suites, right?

 

 

Yes. Suite categories are ones with codes starting with S or H.

[KeithJenner]

From what I understand from the email I just received about the increase in charge, the price only goes up if you do not pre-pay, but there is no deadline to prepay by... the wording in the email makes it seem like I can wait until a couple of weeks before sailing ( I have 2 cruises booked but not until 2016 and 2017, so I have quite a while until final payment...) and prepay at the current $12/pp/pd rate.

 

 

I haven't received an email yet, but from the one quoted earlier in this thread:

 

Guests who have previously booked a cruise and are sailing after March 1, 2015, or who are planning to book a cruise now through February 28, 2015, can choose to pre–pay their service charges at the current rate by February 28, 2015.

[KeithJenner]

So from what I gather from the email I just received (and was also posted on here by a CC member) is the $14.95 pp per day would cover the tip to the concierge and butler? If so, I would sure think they will be taking a big hit to the money they make. On a 7 day cruise it would mean we would only be tipping the butler and concierge $21 each. Even when I did not get the best service from a concierge several years ago I still tipped them more than that. This is a terrible policy for those that work so hard to achieve these positions.

 

 

I posted on this earlier. I'm pretty sure that those who tip quite a bit will continue to give extra (as many do with their room steward for example) and at least this way they will get a bit from the large number of people who currently don't tip anything.

 

I suspect it will make very little difference overall to what the Butler and Concierge receive,

[Demonyte]

I haven't received an email yet, but from the one quoted earlier in this thread:

 

Guests who have previously booked a cruise and are sailing after March 1, 2015, or who are planning to book a cruise now through February 28, 2015, can choose to pre–pay their service charges at the current rate by February 28, 2015.

 

Email doesn't mention a deadline at all. Just that if you prepay, you can do it at old rate, DSC charged onboard will be done with new rates.

 

Here is the email received this morning:

 

"Norwegian Cruise Line is adjusting its daily service charges, effective for all sailings that depart on or after March 1, 2015.

 

The new rates are:

$12.95 per person per day for any category up to a mini-suite stateroom

$14.95 per person per day for any suite category

 

You can choose to pre-pay your service charges at the current rate of $12 per person per day. If charged on board, the new rates will apply.

 

Norwegian's daily discretionary service charges, which were last adjusted in 2009, make it easy for guests to provide gratuities to key onboard staff who provide superior guest service during the cruise, including their room steward, restaurant servers and behind-the-scenes support staff. Guests who are sailing in Suite categories also receive the services of a concierge, butler and dedicated wait staff."

Edited February 13, 2015 by Demonyte

[ladybugz07]

My letter also states that if I prepay I will be charged the old fee of $12, but if I pay once on board (nothing about Feb 28th) it will be the increased charge. I don't sail til May 3rd...

Edited February 13, 2015 by ladybugz07

[KeithJenner]

It does seem an odd omission. The email as sent out is very open and can surely be taken to mean that the $12 prepay rate will continue forever, so I can only imagine it is an error. It will be interesting to see what they do about it.

 

I still haven't received the email myself. Perhaps I won't as I have already prepaid for all my upcoming cruises.

[hawkeyetlse]

It does seem an odd omission. The email as sent out is very open and can surely be taken to mean that the $12 prepay rate will continue forever, so I can only imagine it is an error. It will be interesting to see what they do about it.

I expect they are only sending the e-mail to people who book cruises before Feb 28, 2015, and the e-mail refers to a specific cruise (reservation number, ship, and saildate in the subject line). So I don't think it can be interpreted to say that pre-paid rate will always be $12/day. Edited February 13, 2015 by hawkeyetlse

[KeithJenner]

I expect they are only sending the e-mail to people who book cruises before Feb 28, 2015, and the e-mail refers to a specific cruise (reservation number, ship, and saildate in the subject line). So I don't think it can be interpreted to say that pre-paid rate will always be $12/day.

 

 

That's a good point.

 

The difference between this email and the one sent to TAs is strange though.

[Tina-Obk]

I have 3 cruises with NCL already booked:

 

For one of the cruises I already prepaid the DSC and didn't receive the email.

 

One cruise I booked with a german Travel Agent and I didn't receive an email for that cruise either.

 

The third cruise was booked with a Travel Agent from the US and I received the mail from NCL for that cruise last night.

 

So maybe the email was only sent if the DSC wasn't prepaid yet and the cruise was not booked from outside the US.

[Casino Comp Chick]

I still haven't received the email and I have 6 booked through CAS, I did add all the tips last week and added the final room yesterday (I had to speak to my guy since its a reservation with no adults on the reservation so he had to do his magic). I am set until sept 2016.

I still have to figure out where to squeeze in the comp I got this week. I want to take advantage of the UBP again so I have to book it by the end of the month

Edited February 13, 2015 by iimmie

[mugtech]

I just called my PCC to prepay the DSC for a 29 day b2b, saving $55.10 for a 4/19/15 Panama Canal to Alaska. In making my final payment for the 5/8 10 days to Alaska the total price dropped another $200, so our inside cabin was $917 each a month ago, is now $588 each. Others may want to check this price drop, final payment date is 2/22/15.