Auto Gratuity At Specialty Restaurant Implemented

[Out to sea!]

Prepaid DSC is not non-refundable - you can adjust that just as well as you can when paying DSC as-you-go.

 

Since it's pre-paid one would have to assume if you adjust the DSC lower it would become OBC as I doubt they would pull a $20 bill out of the drawer and hand it to you.

[sixesandeights]

And until I know differently, I will go with what they said.

 

Still not reading NCL's own terms....sad how you keep pushing your false narrative....The FACTS could not have been presented to you more clearly then the previous poster did...

 

6&8

[maywell]

That is the crux of the issue: We are not being asked to pay twice for the same service, we are being asked to pay an additional tip for an additional service. If you choose to eat at a specialty restaurant, you pay a cover charge, even though you have already paid for standard meals in your cruise fare. You are not paying for the same dinner twice. It's not double-dipping, it's addition. The cover charge, together with what you have already paid for a standard dinner in your cruise fare, adds up to the total cost of your specialty dinner.

 

The tips have now been brought in line with this principle. You have already paid for standard service through the DSC. But as of this week, if you choose to eat at a specialty restaurant, you are being asked to pay an additional tip for the extra service you receive there. You are not paying for the same service twice. The 18% specialty tip (applied only to the cover charge, not to the total cost of the meal), together with what you have already paid for standard dinner service in your DSC, adds up to the total gratuity for your specialty meal. It's not double-dipping, it's addition.

 

If you don't agree that the food in the specialty restaurants is worth an extra cover charge on top of what you have already paid in your cruise fare, don't go there. If you don't agree that the service in the specialty restaurants is worth an extra tip on top of what you have already paid through the DSC, don't go there. Or go there and refuse to tip.

 

I know that NCL always used to say that the DSC was enough to cover the service in specialty restaurants. Now they are saying that it's not enough. That's a bummer, but it's their call. They used to say that $12 per day was enough, now they are saying that it's not enough. Are they lying and just collecting more money to buy new ships and pay dividends to stockholders and not actually raising workers' wages? I don't think so, but I don't know any more than anyone else here (we are all very smart [emoji14]).

That 18% automatic 'addition' is on top what's being paid out from DSC as well. And if have you been on NCL ship, that service in specialty dining is sometimes even worst than the MDR which has more tables than the paid restaurant. Plus, the staff switch places to help out :i.e Teppanyaki waitress pouring wine in the MDR, Savor waiter bring in plates into Le Bistro - which the DSC (we assume) was supposed to cover for that event.

 

If a waiter in a paid restaurant gave impeccable service then of course, they should receive additional tip at the discretion of the customer on top of the cover charge while also get the DSC. But if the service was completely poor, why should the cruiser pay the automatic 18% while waiter/staff still receiving from the DSC, as well? Because honestly, I don't believe NCL regarding 18% and the DSC due to how the staff is set over there plus the lack of communication.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

[jaja]

OK--now this is funny....just got the email..Lattitudes Spring edition magazine.. here is what it says

 

 

"Plus, Choose From Four Freestyle Choice Spectacular Offers*

 

 

 

• Free Beverage Package

 

• Free Dining Package

 

• Free Gratuities

 

• Free Spending Money

 

 

 

Up to $2,090 in value!

 

 

 

Whichever you choose, Family & Friends sail free!"

 

Yes...I see an *..to see if any mention of 18%...guess what---link will not work...:mad: This is par for the course....NO COMPLETE INFO...

[rochelle_s]

I certainly understand why folks are upset with regard to how this was rolled out. It was rolled out very badly. I for one, called NCL because I wanted some answers to some questions and they told me that the specialty restaurant servers are not included and that has been told to other posters who have posted it on here as well. And until I know differently, I will go with what they said.

 

I applauded you for deciding to tell the manager that you disagree with the 18% and that you paid it on your DSC. If you believe that the specialty restaurant servers are included in the DSC, I think this is the way to do it and will make a better statement than merely reducing the DSC.

 

As many have said before you cannot necessarily trust what is said by the people answering the phones at NCL. I posted earlier a link and a quote directly from their website. Here is the quote again;

 

What about Gratuities?

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, Pride of America has a service charge of 18% for all spa and salon services, and all other ships have an automatic gratuity of 18% for all spa and salon services and 18% for beverage service.

 

 

Service by a wait staff is something rendered to all guests. It should not matter in which location I eat my dinner I have contributed to the DSC and this service is covered.

 

NCL took the opportunity here to identify the staff positions not included in the DSC and as you will note specialty restaurant staff is not listed.

 

You will also note that this is not old information waiting to be updated as it clearly states that there is 18% added to beverage service. This is very recent.

 

If NCL has seen to it that their website is updated with new information than I take it that what is to be found there is more reliable than a person on the phone ( many times proven to be providing the wrong information).

 

 

Rochelle

Edited March 20, 2015 by rochelle_s

[Out to sea!]

I certainly understand why folks are upset with regard to how this was rolled out. It was rolled out very badly. I for one, called NCL because I wanted some answers to some questions and they told me that the specialty restaurant servers are not included and that has been told to other posters who have posted it on here as well. And until I know differently, I will go with what they said.

 

I applauded you for deciding to tell the manager that you disagree with the 18% and that you paid it on your DSC. If you believe that the specialty restaurant servers are included in the DSC, I think this is the way to do it and will make a better statement than merely reducing the DSC.

 

Other than your single phone conversation with an NCL rep every other piece of information provided by NCL state the contrary. Restaurant staff (with no differentiation between specialty and MDR staff) ARE included in the DSC. That is the written word on the NCL website and I base my expectations on that wording. But, not wanting to be an ahole, I will ensure both the manager and I are seeing eye to prior to eating at one of the specialty restaurants instead of creating a scene after a meal.

[maywell]

Rochelle_S, thank you for summarize it perfectly.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

[sixesandeights]

As many have said before you cannot necessarily trust what is said by the people answering the phones at NCL. I posted earlier a link and a quote directly from their website. Here is the quote again;

 

What about Gratuities?

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, Pride of America has a service charge of 18% for all spa and salon services, and all other ships have an automatic gratuity of 18% for all spa and salon services and 18% for beverage service.

 

 

Service by a wait staff is something rendered to all guests. It should not matter in which location I eat my dinner I have contributed to the DSC and this service is covered.

 

NCL took the opportunity here to identify the staff positions not included in the DSC and as you will note specialty restaurant staff is not listed.

 

You will also note that this is not old information waiting to be updated as it clearly states that there is 18% added to beverage service. This is very recent.

 

If NCL has seen to it that their website is updated with new information than I take it that what is to be found there is more reliable than a person on the phone ( many times proven to be providing the wrong information).

 

 

Rochelle

 

 

THANK YOU!!! Hopefully if someone else tells her she will stop posting the same nonsense over and over again and will allow the discussion to continue.

 

6&8

[njhorseman]

I certainly understand why folks are upset with regard to how this was rolled out. It was rolled out very badly. I for one, called NCL because I wanted some answers to some questions and they told me that the specialty restaurant servers are not included and that has been told to other posters who have posted it on here as well. And until I know differently, I will go with what they said.

 

I applauded you for deciding to tell the manager that you disagree with the 18% and that you paid it on your DSC. If you believe that the specialty restaurant servers are included in the DSC, I think this is the way to do it and will make a better statement than merely reducing the DSC.

 

As I cited way back in post #231, in the past NCL has stated the specialty restaurant waiters are included in the service charge pool, and that is supported by the service charge FAQ on the website. Also the gratuity FAQ does not list restaurant wait staff among the positions that are not supported by the service charge.

 

NCL telephone customer service has a long history of giving out ridiculously incorrect information and I don't believe anything they say that can't be independently verified by the guest ticket contract, terms and conditions, FAQs or other written information.

Edited March 20, 2015 by njhorseman

[NLH Arizona]

As I cited way back in post #231, in the past NCL has stated the specialty restaurant waiters are included in the service charge pool, and that is supported by the service charge FAQ on the website. Also the gratuity FAQ does not list restaurant wait staff among the positions that are not supported by the service charge.

I can only tell you what I was told by a Manager at NCL and I choose to believe their response, if others don't that is up to them.

[sixesandeights]

I can only tell you what I was told by a Manager at NCL and I choose to believe their response, if others don't that is up to them.

 

Now its a manager....interesting. I have no doubt you guided the conversation to the answers you wanted and they simply agreed with you to get off the phone. Believe what you want, the rest of us will believe what is written in clear black and white on the NCL website as presented by the Corporation.

 

6&8

[njhorseman]

I can only tell you what I was told by a Manager at NCL and I choose to believe their response, if others don't that is up to them.

 

I have a little game I sometimes play with officers on board the ships. I ask a question that I know the answer to in order to see how knowledgeable the officer is. Guess what...I've gotten many incorrect answers, including incorrect answers from some senior hotel directors who have been with NCL forever.

[NLH Arizona]

I have a little game I sometimes play with officers on board the ships. I ask a question that I know the answer to in order to see how knowledgeable the officer is. Guess what...I've gotten many incorrect answers, including incorrect answers from some senior hotel directors who have been with NCL forever.

Fun game, not something I would play, but it sounds fun. How about we try this...you call NCL and ask for a Manager and see if you get the same answers that I got.

[mking8288]

... stop posting the same nonsense over and over again and will allow the discussion to continue. 6&8

Why bother - just add to the Ignore List and move on. Plain & simple - in clinical terms, self-denial - a/k/a, being "stubborn" in lay person's simple language. I can quote whoever I claimed to have spoken to, except - maybe - God, and use my citation as fact while rejecting everyone else's proof as invalid.

 

Let me see, servers that work only 5 to 6 hours daily for the week in speciality dining, comparable pays and full-time perks, free room & boards, etc. like the rest of the crews below deck. Not a bad deal, outplacement in Miami ought to offer these options to those with the brown envelope & boxes on their way out to the parking lot under police/security escort. Anyone feel like reading (and dealing) with work place violence ... :rolleyes: with these streamlining operations - none of our darn business, yes - I know.

[njhorseman]

Fun game, not something I would play, but it sounds fun. How about we try this...you call NCL and ask for a Manager and see if you get the same answers that I got.

 

I have no idea who "a manager" might be or how experienced they are, but I sure as heck know that some of the HDs and other officers have been with NCL for a long, long time and gave incorrect answers.

[NLH Arizona]

What about Gratuities?

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, Pride of America has a service charge of 18% for all spa and salon services, and all other ships have an automatic gratuity of 18% for all spa and salon services and 18% for beverage service.

 

I see that it was update with regard to the 18 percent for beverage service, but where is it updated with regard to the 18 percent for specialty restaurants? Unless I missed it, it is not mentioned here, so I would assume that the website has not been updated to include the gratuity for the specialty restaurants.

[Annmeat]

After reading both hubris, vitriol, bullying,lies,damned lies, conjecture,

Pontificating and bloviating

 

One question:

If, as ya'll are claiming, your anger at NCL is because they were sneaky and not "transparent "...

Had they emailed every client with a reservation and informed us that they were adding this charge...would you still be complaining? Most of you say that you already tip more than 18% and it is the principle that counts.

 

Seriously- 100"bucks extra for a family of five and you are this upset? I don't buy the double dipping complaint if you claim to already tip, I don't buy the feigned concern over living wages for the crew and waitstaff.

 

Don't eat there if you don't want to pay. None of us knows the reasons this was instituted and nobody is going to change anyone's mind with their fifteenth -hand stories of people who KNOW that the tips are/ are not pooled, that DEFINATELY NCL is stealing this money to have parties for execs....

 

What I find the funniest is that the dyed -in the wool cheer staff has TURNED on the beloved NCL . Oh no!!!!!!

 

Want to give them a message? CANCEL ALL YOUR CRUISES.

Everyone says that this is IT- after your already- booked cruises, of course.!I will not go back to NCL...after next December...blah blah blah!

Make it so NOW!!!Cancel your cruise and go somewhere else or to another line. The only way to stick it to NCL is to take your business away from the,All of it.

 

Then you don't have to worry about sticking it to the crew by removing your DSC.

 

After my first post I was accused of being "another one who,doesn't get it".

 

Ummmm...I do get it. And if the policy of a company disturbed me so, I would not patronize them AT ALL.

 

This particular thing doesn't bother me.

[NLH Arizona]

After reading both hubris, vitriol, bullying,lies,damned lies, conjecture,

Pontificating and bloviating

 

One question:

If, as ya'll are claiming, your anger at NCL is because they were sneaky and not "transparent "...

Had they emailed every client with a reservation and informed us that they were adding this charge...would you still be complaining? Most of you say that you already tip more than 18% and it is the principle that counts.

 

Seriously- 100"bucks extra for a family of five and you are this upset? I don't buy the double dipping complaint if you claim to already tip, I don't buy the feigned concern over living wages for the crew and waitstaff.

 

Don't eat there if you don't want to pay. None of us knows the reasons this was instituted and nobody is going to change anyone's mind with their fifteenth -hand stories of people who KNOW that the tips are/ are not pooled, that DEFINATELY NCL is stealing this money to have parties for execs....

 

What I find the funniest is that the dyed -in the wool cheer staff has TURNED on the beloved NCL . Oh no!!!!!!

 

Want to give them a message? CANCEL ALL YOUR CRUISES.

Everyone says that this is IT- after your already- booked cruises, of course.!I will not go back to NCL...after next December...blah blah blah!

Make it so NOW!!!Cancel your cruise and go somewhere else or to another line. The only way to stick it to NCL is to take your business away from the,All of it.

 

Then you don't have to worry about sticking it to the crew by removing your DSC.

 

After my first post I was accused of being "another one who,doesn't get it".

 

Ummmm...I do get it. And if the policy of a company disturbed me so, I would not patronize them AT ALL.

 

This particular thing doesn't bother me.

Very well said!

[triptolemus]

After reading both hubris, vitriol, bullying,lies,damned lies, conjecture,

Pontificating and bloviating

 

One question:

If, as ya'll are claiming, your anger at NCL ...

 

That's a little dramatic, isn't it? No one seems to have vitreous anger as far as I can tell.

[$hip$hape]

I see that it was update with regard to the 18 percent for beverage service, but where is it updated with regard to the 18 percent for specialty restaurants? Unless I missed it, it is not mentioned here, so I would assume that the website has not been updated to include the gratuity for the specialty restaurants.

Keep trying;

 

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

~ Winston Churchill

[NLH Arizona]

Keep trying;

 

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

~ Winston Churchill

Not a failure, at least I don't have the most posts on this thread...I guess others are just as enthusiastic as I am about what they believe!!:)

[Nolesfan]

Let me say this first, I find anyone who complains about having auto gratuity added to their bill and then follows it up with "I always tip more anyway" to be completely disingenuous. If you already planned on tipping more, having an auto gratuity added changes nothing, so why complain? Anyone who routinely pays higher than standard gratuity is not going to whine when they get a check with gratuity already added unless they feel the service was well below standard and even then likely would not be that upset.

 

I spent a brief time my last semester of college selling cars and learned an important lesson about people while doing so. The people who paid the most for their cars were the absolutely happiest people with their purchase and the people who paid the least for their cars were always the least satisfied. The people who paid the most knew what they could afford and just wanted a car that provided those things within their budget and if they could find that car they were happy. The people who paid the least felt no matter what price they paid the dealership was still taking advantage of them and left, often paying thousands less than the happy customer, completely unhappy in their new car. It wasn't that the people who paid more were unintelligent or wanted to avoid confrontation so they paid more. Instead they just knew what they could afford and were happy when they found it. In contrast, many of the unhappy customers could easily afford to pay more but were convinced that the car dealer was going to get them anyway they could so they always left feeling they still paid too much.

 

This taught me that worrying about how much something cost or how much you pay for it was useless. If you feel the purchase it worth the price enjoy it. If you feel it is not then don't purchase it and move along with your life instead of paying and being unhappy about it.

 

I appreciate that NCL is defining this policy so their customers know what to expect and can take that into account when planning their cruise. I also believe that it is the fair thing to do for the servers working in these venues to ensure they get paid for their service. I think that this policy is likely changed due to the fact that NCL promotions are including the UDP along with the cruise price so the likelihood that some will not tip when they have a $0 bill makes it more important that the customers who do receive a bill leave proper gratuity, so they instituted the policy.

[sixesandeights]

Not a failure, at least I don't have the most posts on this thread...I guess others are just as enthusiastic as I am about what they believe!!:)

 

The difference is we have the facts to back up what we have said. You keep pushing your story with nothing to back it up. That is a failure. You have absolutely nothing to back your position after pushing in countless post for us to produce proof. As soon as proof was produced you simply switched to purely ignoring the facts....

 

6&8

[SteveH2508]

A European viewpoint here -

 

NCL's statement that this is standard practice in restaurants may be true for the US but is certainly not true for most of the rest of the world. For a company who are looking to expand to other areas they really have screwed up big-time.

 

I was prepared to follow the flawed tipping system when it was (IMHO) reasonable(-ish) at $12 pppd and 15% on booze.

 

They have now upped the DSC; the booze gratuity and now added this speciality gratuity all in the space of a couple of weeks. Add in a new CEO to the mix and his statements about getting $50 extra per passenger and we can see where this is going.

 

From a PR point of view NCL has seriously screwed up. We currently have no NCL cruises booked (mainly due to the lack of new itineraries) - however - given the seeming change of attitude to their customers we are much less likely to book NCL again.

 

If we do book another cruise with them, then we would remove our DSC (something we would never have considered doing before); tip who we see fit to tip; try to blag a bottle or two of booze on board (and have no moral qualms about doing it) and work the system for as much as we can.

 

From a PR point of view, NCL have made a major c*ck-up - their belated, patronising post on this site probably made it worse.

 

We (probably naively) thought that NCL were generally an honourable company to deal with - this is now clearly not the case and we deal with them (or not) in that light from now on.

 

Seems to me that this Del Rio character could be the death of NCL from a cruiser's POV - thankfully I have no financial interest apart from my Platinum status.

Edited March 20, 2015 by SteveH2508

[sixesandeights]

Let me say this first, I find anyone who complains about having auto gratuity added to their bill and then follows it up with "I always tip more anyway" to be completely disingenuous. If you already planned on tipping more, having an auto gratuity added changes nothing, so why complain? Anyone who routinely pays higher than standard gratuity is not going to whine when they get a check with gratuity already added unless they feel the service was well below standard and even then likely would not be that upset.

 

I spent a brief time my last semester of college selling cars and learned an important lesson about people while doing so. The people who paid the most for their cars were the absolutely happiest people with their purchase and the people who paid the least for their cars were always the least satisfied. The people who paid the most knew what they could afford and just wanted a car that provided those things within their budget and if they could find that car they were happy. The people who paid the least felt no matter what price they paid the dealership was still taking advantage of them and left, often paying thousands less than the happy customer, completely unhappy in their new car. It wasn't that the people who paid more were unintelligent or wanted to avoid confrontation so they paid more. Instead they just knew what they could afford and were happy when they found it. In contrast, many of the unhappy customers could easily afford to pay more but were convinced that the car dealer was going to get them anyway they could so they always left feeling they still paid too much.

 

This taught me that worrying about how much something cost or how much you pay for it was useless. If you feel the purchase it worth the price enjoy it. If you feel it is not then don't purchase it and move along with your life instead of paying and being unhappy about it.

 

I appreciate that NCL is defining this policy so their customers know what to expect and can take that into account when planning their cruise. I also believe that it is the fair thing to do for the servers working in these venues to ensure they get paid for their service. I think that this policy is likely changed due to the fact that NCL promotions are including the UDP along with the cruise price so the likelihood that some will not tip when they have a $0 bill makes it more important that the customers who do receive a bill leave proper gratuity, so they instituted the policy.

 

Another person that completely misses the entire point. The wait staff is ALREADY tipped through the DSC which was just increased. This additional tip they added is double-dipping which is the entire point of this discussion.

 

6&8