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Proof of 18% gratuity on specialty restaurants

hpecorari

By hpecorari,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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NLH Arizona

NLH Arizona

Posted
Posted
Well, let's consider this: NCL apparently felt the DSC was not sufficient to compensate the waiters who also work ALL or SOME of their nights in a Specialty. These waiters presumably have a higher skill set and experience than the average MDR waiter or Buffet worker who never work in a Specialty.

 

IF NCL had raised the DSC to the point where it was sufficient to reward a Waiter for their time in a Specialty, then everybody who paid DSC would then be paying that subsidy, not just those who go to the Specialties and have the services of a specialty waiter. Remember how we hate paying for services we don't use?

 

So instead, they increased slightly the DSC amount, made it clear it covered the services of the staff who worked those Free Venues, and added an 18% auto grat to the cover charges for the Specialties and UDP packages. That way only those who go to a Specialty pay this extra.

 

So a waiter who works ONLY MDR would have Base Pay (NCL) plus share of DSC = Salary.

 

A waiter who works some hours in the MDR and some in the Specialty would have Base Pay (NCL) plus some share of the DSC, plus some share of the 18% = Salary.

 

None of us know how NCL determines what portion of DSC a worker gets, but it is almost certainly not an equal amount for everyone ( the pool divided by the number in it ) but based on performance and probably determined quarterly or something. That's why they call it an "Incentive Program". Rather like most companies where x amount of $$ are allocated from the budget for bonus/raises and it is given out in salary based on performance.

 

So if this is the case, then maybe this is not Double Dipping after all. I can see that a waiter who works both free and specialty venues would receive some compensation from both pools, DSC and 18% pool. So maybe not truly double dipping in my view.

This is the way I've said it is all along, especially the part that we have no idea if the servers in the specialty restaurant get any or a portion of the DSC.

 

I wish NCL would have had all their ducks in a row and made all the appropriate changes to their website before enacting this new charge and they still haven't updated all their websites, it would have decreased the amount of stress, speculation, etc. some on here have had over this new charge.

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Demonyte

Demonyte

Posted
Posted
So instead, they increased slightly the DSC amount, made it clear it covered the services of the staff who worked those Free Venues, and added an 18% auto grat to the cover charges for the Specialties and UDP packages. That way only those who go to a Specialty pay this extra.

 

That would be plausible IF it wasn't for the fact that they announced in February that they'd be raising DSC in March, and then couple of weeks later they raised the drink prices and gratuities so fast that they didn't even have updated menus yet, and lastly two weeks from that they decided that DSC covers only specific people and added even more gratuities to charge.

 

Sorry, but I still call BS on NCL's part.

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SJ

SJ

Posted
Posted
Not sure what you mean by your statement that the 18% has nothing to do with the staff. If it has nothing to do with the staff, then NCL should call it a service charge and not an auto gratuity.

 

What I meant is big companies like NCL will tell you what you want to hear so you're fine with parting with your money. Using our sympathy for the crew is the easiest route. But in practice, is anyone really getting more since March 15? I think we're being naive if we believe everything we are told by corporations. Their endgame is opposite of consumer's endgame. They want us to spend as much as possible while providing the least, we want to spend the least possible to get the most of what we want.

 

I can't convince people to change their beliefs but I hope people will use common sense to determine what is reality and what these companies want you to believe.

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punkincc

punkincc

Posted
Posted (edited)
That would be plausible IF it wasn't for the fact that they announced in February that they'd be raising DSC in March, and then couple of weeks later they raised the drink prices and gratuities so fast that they didn't even have updated menus yet, and lastly two weeks from that they decided that DSC covers only specific people and added even more gratuities to charge.

 

Sorry, but I still call BS on NCL's part.

 

Well, I never said they handled it well:rolleyes:. They have asked us to swallow a lot lately, so no wonder some of it is stuck in our craws.

 

I am only trying to make sense of the DSC and 18% Auto Grat in Specialties for waiters who work in both, and we know they probably all do. It is the only scenario that fits with the changes made to the website wording and makes it at all palatable to me to pay both the DSC and an 18% auto grat in the specialty. I wish they had just increased the cover charges instead and took some portion of it to compensate the waiter. None of our business then, and much easier to swallow than a mandatory auto grat which is so NOT Freestyle.

 

And yes, I agree with what some are saying about big corporations, telling us what we want to hear, etc. Except, IMO, NCL is seeming to be extremely inept or should I say amateurish in the area of PR and how this whole thing was presented. There was no finesse whatsoever. Almost embarrassing. A good NCL PR person should be able to hand you crap and convince you it is caviar. Seems like they just don't care at all how we take all this and this is as troubling to me as any of the changes. Whether this is Del Rio's style or if they were always this bad at it I have no idea. But fast losing that warm fuzzy feeling for NCL.

Edited by punkincc
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penwah2002

penwah2002

Posted
Posted

This is a just a guess but being a business owner of a golf course with a restaurant there is a tax tax advantage as an employer to pay a lower hourly rate and have tips make the wage they can accept. Therefor as an employer the payroll taxes are less. So there maybe a tax advantage for cruise lines to keep wages flat and increase the "tip" amount.

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njhorseman

njhorseman

Posted
Posted (edited)
This is a just a guess but being a business owner of a golf course with a restaurant there is a tax tax advantage as an employer to pay a lower hourly rate and have tips make the wage they can accept. Therefor as an employer the payroll taxes are less. So there maybe a tax advantage for cruise lines to keep wages flat and increase the "tip" amount.

 

There are no US payroll taxes to be paid for crew on NCL's ships because they're flagged in the Bahamas (Pride of America is the sole exception as it's a US-flagged ship that sails exclusively in Hawaii). The same is true (foreign flag) for all other cruise lines's large ocean-going cruise ships based in the US.

Edited by njhorseman
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fshagan

fshagan

Posted
Posted
There are no US payroll taxes to be paid for crew on NCL's ships because they're flagged in the Bahamas (Pride of America is the sole exception as it's a US-flagged ship that sails exclusively in Hawaii). The same is true (foreign flag) for all other cruise lines's large ocean-going cruise ships based in the US.

 

Not completely; if you are a US citizen NCL withholds federal income tax as specified at the bottom of this page: http://www.ncl.com/about/careers/shipboard-employment/faq

 

U.S. crew members assigned to an international ship will have federal taxes withheld.

 

If you are assigned to an international ship, it will be your responsibility to report income earned when you return to your respective country.

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Demonyte

Demonyte

Posted
Posted
Not completely; if you are a US citizen NCL withholds federal income tax as specified at the bottom of this page: http://www.ncl.com/about/careers/shipboard-employment/faq

 

 

There are extremely few (if any) US citizens that are not paid fixed salary working on Bahamian flagged NCL ships so their taxation is really not relevant in this discussion.

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insanemagnet

insanemagnet

Posted
Posted
I am only trying to make sense of the DSC and 18% Auto Grat in Specialties for waiters who work in both, and we know they probably all do. It is the only scenario that fits with the changes made to the website wording and makes it at all palatable to me to pay both the DSC and an 18% auto grat in the specialty.

 

If anyone thinks that the waiter that served you in the speciality restaurant received the exact 18% you were surcharged, they can dream on.

 

All the money, whatever it is claimed to be for, is received by NCL, and will simply be used to pay the wages bill for all the staff.

 

The staff, wherever they work will have contracts that say they are getting paid x per hour, plus whatever from the "incentive programs".

 

Anything else would cause a logistical nightmare, with HR needing to know not only how long someone worked, but where someone worked, when trying to calculate their pay.

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njhorseman

njhorseman

Posted
Posted
Not completely; if you are a US citizen NCL withholds federal income tax as specified at the bottom of this page: http://www.ncl.com/about/careers/shipboard-employment/faq

 

The number of employees in "tipped" positions on NCL's foreign-flagged ships is virtually zero, hence the argument made by the person to whom I was replying, which dealt with "tipped" positions, not salaried positions, had no validity.

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luddite

luddite

Posted
Posted
As of March 20, 2015, Norwegian Cruise Line will include an 18% gratuity on all specialty and entertainment dining. This gratuity has been added as a convenience for our guests, and is in-line with current tipping practices at land-based restaurants.

 

What a pantload.

You have us at a severe disadvantage here. We are not allowed to tell you guys what sort of people you are for actually writing this sort of nonsense.

Shame on you.

 

That you repeat this load just amplifies what you people need to called, yet,....we cannot call you what you deserve to be called for actually post this sort of septic spew.

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luddite

luddite

Posted
Posted

I was ruminating.......

Platinum Latitudes get several comped meals in pay venues.

My grade school math teachers would be VERY pleased to know that I can do simple math----18% of zero is......zero.

I'm wondering how the spin-doctor from NCL will respond to that bit of info.......

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AEckhardt

AEckhardt

Posted
Posted
I was ruminating.......

 

Platinum Latitudes get several comped meals in pay venues.

 

My grade school math teachers would be VERY pleased to know that I can do simple math----18% of zero is......zero.

 

I'm wondering how the spin-doctor from NCL will respond to that bit of info.......

 

 

From what I've read all across these boards, it's my understanding comped meals include gratuity, so you will not be charged anything. Of course, at the rate NCL is going, they'll try to find away around that.

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maywell

maywell

Posted
Posted (edited)
yes from now on only cash for me.if ncl doesnt like this its their problem..i will pay only cash to whatever staff i want to...that way iam going to be sure that this money goes to the crew and not to corporate

 

And what happens if the worker puts in a company pool anyway? Are you still going to tip them in cash? Just saying....

Edited by maywell
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backsbanny

backsbanny

Posted
Posted

all the staff ive asked the previous years told me that they dont put in in a pool if this is the true though and they put them on a pool i am sorry no more tips from me...i am so frustrated at the moment with ncl..i loved this company so much i referred them to many friends all this year and i was one of the most loyal fans...thats it for now...i am just going to enjoy my vacation i pay thousands of dollars each time..the salaries of the crew is not my problem its ncl problem...i am fed up with all of these ridiculous changes.i will go this april and if i see bad atmosphere on board then its going to be my last time on ncl...i can easily cancel the jan cruise ive booked

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