Proof of 18% gratuity on specialty restaurants

[SissasMomE]

After 5+ years of pretty loyal defending against those accusations, now I too have to agree.

 

Charging two different fees for the same service is the dealbreaker for me - since instead of just us two we are going with a small group on our Jan 2016 cruise, we shall not cancel it, but in the foreseeabe future that will be our last with NCL - we already found a more interesting Celebrity cruise for 2017 with a slightly larger group.

 

That is our intent as well. I have a group of 8 cabins in March, so cancelling isn't ideal. Instead, since I am the "ringleader" with deciding where to eat, etc., I will not steer anyone towards any specialty restaurant or dinner show. We all have the free UBP. NCL won't be seeing extra from us, and that's a shame for them. We will still have fun with free drinks on NCL ;)

 

Celebrity for us as well!

Edited March 20, 2015 by SissasMomE

[NLH Arizona]

These tips will be pooled without question. You have no proof to the contrary, and even refuse to accept that the cash tips given prior to this were also pooled even though many have chimed in that they were also told this. maybe you should dial back your undeserved hostility to people that can see this for what it is a double dipping money grab that is not being done to benefit anyone other then NCL. They know that they can use the employees as a shield from backlash because people like you will try to make other feel guilty for not wanting to be ripped off.

 

6&8

And you have no proof that they are and many have been told the opposite as far as cash tips being pooled. So who does one believe? I'm going to believe what I've been told and you are going to believe what you have been told. No need to get hostile with folks, just because they disagree. The only way we will know what is really happening, is IF (and that is a big IF) NCL wants to share their business practices.

[Single Cruiser]

Now I understand why Kevin O'Sheehan left.

 

I bet he was presented with this task by the owners and board to increase profits and being a guy of solid morale character and grass roots taxi driver would have refused!!

[jaja]

I thought I remember seeing a post that someone had a free meal and they were only charged the 18 percent on the lobster, which cost them as well as it was over and above the free meal.

 

They have said you will pay the 18 percent at the time you purchase the UDP.

 

 

 

BUT...as I have asked before.....how will the restaurant know when I got the UDP ???????????? Must I carry around my booking info :eek:

 

AND we still have NOT been told officially that the comp meals are exempt from the 18%....

[punkincc]

But, somebody in one of the corner / executive office must do ... I could not understand - from accounting 101 standpoint - how NCL can afford to give away $1,200 to $2,000 plus worth of triple or quadtriple "free" offers for the suite life, and we know those prices are a steal :eek: - aside from "slick" marketing woodoo magics.

But, those with the included UDP deals now should be very happy, it's a values-added 18% on top of what NCL gave you under the promotions, set to expire (will it be continued ??) in about 10 days - who knows what will be offered on April Fool's Day & beyond :D NCL is paying (really ??) also the gratuity to the specialty restaurant crew and they aren't covered in part by the DSC - wow, that's a nice rebate, isn't it true :D ...

Or, a cash back reductions going into NCL's pocket instead - someone has to pay the crew's compensation. ... winging and singing it the Norwegian way.

 

 

Well, maybe those execs said, "You know, we are going to lose our shirts on these free UBP and UDP packages, but we can increase the base fares, and no one will complain because they are getting all the freebies. They probably won't even notice if we never lower them again. And it is a great time to slip in the increased drink prices, and raise the auto grat on bar drinks and increase the DSC and why not increase it even more for suites cause we can say it's because of the butler, and let's just add an 18% to the specialty prices too, because no one will really be paying attention 'cause they got them for free, or question it because after all they always leave a tip anyway even though we've told them it is not necessary and included in the DSC. Heck, some of them will even pay the 18% plus leave a tip too. And after all the promos are gone, we'll still be raking in the extra cash.;)

Edited March 20, 2015 by punkincc

[hawkeyetlse]

These tips will be pooled without question. You have no proof to the contrary, and even refuse to accept that the cash tips given prior to this were also pooled even though many have chimed in that they were also told this.

I don't know what messages you are reading, because I never said anywhere the tips were not pooled. I have no idea if they are or not, but I hope they are pooled, because when I leave an additional tip (write-in or cash) after a specialty meal, it isn't just for one server. I don't know if it goes into a pool just for the staff working that night, or for everyone in the restaurant department, or for the whole ship. Do you?

[sixesandeights]

I don't know what messages you are reading, because I never said anywhere the tips were not pooled. I have no idea if they are or not, but I hope they are pooled, because when I leave an additional tip (write-in or cash) after a specialty meal, it isn't just for one server. I don't know if it goes into a pool just for the staff working that night, or for everyone in the restaurant department, or for the whole ship. Do you?

 

I was told specifically that cash tips must be turned in and are added to the tipping pool. I asked this question because I wanted to tip a large tip to a specific person and wanted to ensure that it went to them alone. I was told that this is not the way it works.

 

6&8

[NLH Arizona]

BUT...as I have asked before.....how will the restaurant know when I got the UDP ???????????? Must I carry around my booking info :eek:

 

AND we still have NOT been told officially that the comp meals are exempt from the 18%....

I would guess it would be in the computer that you purchased it prior to the start date. But, I always carry around all my documentation for my cruise - my invoice, copies of anything I pre-booked (UDP and shore excursions, etc.), just in case.

 

One person reported that they had a comp meal, after the change, they were not charged 18 percent on the meal, but they were charged 18 percent on the lobster that was an upcharge item.

 

I would NCL a call and see what they say, as I don't think there is ANYONE on here that can give you the 100 percent answer you want.

[logan25]

My feeling on this issue is I am further dissuaded from dining in the specialty restaurants. When I started cruising with Norwegian a few years ago, it was clearly stated that specialty restaurant surcharges were a matter of capacity control, just a little something so not too many passengers would crowd the restaurants.

 

Now the surcharges are further ramping up in per person cost and adding 18% gratuity (on top of DSC). I for one can eat a really good meal at Outback for less than Cagney's ($30 plus $5.40 grat).

 

I had planned to one day buy the UDP, but I am put off by the auto-gratuity. Guess I will stick with the Platinum comped meals...until they start asking me to pay auto-grat on that as well.

[Winston Wolf]

I can't believe how bent out of shape people are getting over an extra $2-5pp.

[hpecorari]

BUT...as I have asked before.....how will the restaurant know when I got the UDP ???????????? Must I carry around my booking info :eek:

 

AND we still have NOT been told officially that the comp meals are exempt from the 18%....

 

Whenever you go to any place to eat they ask to see your room key. Your room key will be coded that you have the UDP.

 

My friend had a comped meal and was not charged the 18% on her comped meal.

 

Harriet

[Winston Wolf]

I for one can eat a really good meal at Outback for less than Cagney's ($30 plus $5.40 grat).

 

You lost me here. No way can you get the same caliber meal at Outback as you can at Cagney's. Now Outback is fine...but it isn't Cagney's.

[SissasMomE]

I can't believe how bent out of shape people are getting over an extra $2-5pp.

 

Has nothing to do with the money. These people have always been part of the DSC pool. NCL cannot arbitrarily add a mandated gratuity on top of the DSC, and expect intelligent people to just deal with it. Doesn't work that way. Doesn't matter if it's $1 or $10. It's the principle. How dare they.

[hpecorari]

 

I for one can eat a really good meal at Outback for less than Cagney's ($30 plus $5.40 grat).

 

 

NCL now has Outback on board?

 

Harriet

[SissasMomE]

You lost me here. No way can you get the same caliber meal at Outback as you can at Cagney's. Now Outback is fine...but it isn't Cagney's.

 

In recent years, Outback has become on par or better than Cagney's. That is not saying that the quality at Outback has improved, but rather Cagney's has certainly declined.

Edited March 20, 2015 by SissasMomE

[triptolemus]

I can't believe how bent out of shape people are getting over an extra $2-5pp.

 

This just simply is not the point. At all.

[bjlaac]

So basically, rather than giving a bigger bump to the DSC in order to generate more distributable tips, NCL is claiming to eliminate the specialty wait staff from sharing in the DSC (thus supposedly giving other employees bigger shares of the DSC) and imposing the 18% grat to increase what the specialty wait staff receives.

 

I guess they think we are stupid. Glad I don't need to worry about that on my upcoming cruise but I will seriously think about sticking with just the MDR going forward. After all, I've always been fine with that on my previous cruises.

 

NCL's logic makes o sense what so ever. Picture this scenario, everyone on board eats in a specialty dining room for 7 nights (I know its probably not logistically possible) and no one eats in the main dining room. Every waiter is reassigned to a specialty restaurant.

 

So exactly where does the share of waiter DSC paid by everyone go if no ones eating in the free places:rolleyes:

[jaja]

I would guess it would be in the computer that you purchased it prior to the start date. But, I always carry around all my documentation for my cruise - my invoice, copies of anything I pre-booked (UDP and shore excursions, etc.), just in case.

 

 

 

One person reported that they had a comp meal, after the change, they were not charged 18 percent on the meal, but they were charged 18 percent on the lobster that was an upcharge item.

 

I would NCL a call and see what they say, as I don't think there is ANYONE on here that can give you the 100 percent answer you want.

 

Not my idea of a restful cruise... me .having to document things to a server (who in 2016) will have no idea what I am talking about .

 

 

I did see that reply re: comp meal...but again..I want to hear it from NCL !

 

And I do not plan on calling NCL anytime soon...personally I do NOT put much faith in the varied replies reps are giving....and I believe most have no idea what is going on ...:(

[mking8288]

How do you know they aren't covered by the DSC?

"Half" truthfully, I don't - like everything else flying back-n-forth in the past week here on CC and with that useless NCL official statement, unsigned without a contact name & phone/ext. number. It can neither or either be proven and unproven - it has all sorts of financial implications on the "living" wages of these hard-working crew members on the ship. ;) It's none of my business how "they" decide what to do with the pools of money, cash or otherwise. More questions on our NCL ship next week, it now seemed :rolleyes: #humorous mode OFF next

 

As for our upcoming Platinum meals, that will be another "test" - standby for an update next week or afterward (maybe I won't do any "live" Tapatalk posting while sailing - not going to get bashed for "where's the photographic proof !!) unless someone wanted to voucher my satellite internet access, LOL. Got better things to do on a cruise and with those OBC since we aren't buying another FCR anytime soon - enough already.

Edited March 20, 2015 by mking8288

[punkincc]

I can't believe how bent out of shape people are getting over an extra $2-5pp.

 

By the time you add in the increases to DSC which can add up for a family, increased auto grats on drinks, increased drink prices, a new 18% on UDP package price, or per night per person, it sure adds up to way more than 2-5$ pp.

[LrgPizza]

I would have rather they had just raised the cover charge of the specialty restaurants, and subsequently the price of the UDP. I doubt if there would have been such an outcry, and they could have done the exact same thing with the money that they plan to right now, whatever that might be. When O'Sheehan's team raised the price of the UBP, there wasn't this type of reaction. NCL has gone about this completely wrong.

[SissasMomE]

I just told my husband about the 18% "gratuity". His immediate response was "they are double dipping". Amazing how easy it is for some to grasp :cool:

[SJ]

Whenever you go to any place to eat they ask to see your room key. Your room key will be coded that you have the UDP.

 

My friend had a comped meal and was not charged the 18% on her comped meal.

 

Harriet

 

Curious, if your key card is coded with UDP, why is a sticker necessary? I failed to see the need. The sticker says more to me that the card is not coded. I don't know since I never bought a package.

[hpecorari]

"Half" truthfully, I don't - like everything else flying back-n-forth in the past week here on CC and with that useless NCL official statement, unsigned without a contact name & phone/ext. number. It can neither or either be proven and unproven - it has all sorts of financial implications on the "living" wages of these hard-working crew members on the ship. ;) It's none of my business how "they" decide what to do with the pools of money, cash or otherwise. More questions on our NCL ship next week, it now seemed :rolleyes: #humorous mode OFF next

 

As for our upcoming Platinum meals, that will be another "test" - standby for an update next week or afterward (maybe I won't do any "live" Tapatalk posting while sailing - not going to get bashed for "where's the photographic proof !!) unless someone wanted to voucher my satellite internet access, LOL. Got better things to do on a cruise and with those OBC since we aren't buying another FCR anytime soon - enough already.

 

Enjoy your cruise.....but please DO report back with any answers to all your, and my, questions!

 

Harriet

[hawkeyetlse]

Curious, if your key card is coded with UDP, why is a sticker necessary? I failed to see the need. The sticker says more to me that the card is not coded.

The card is coded, but I think the stickers help the servers know how to process the payment at the end. If no one has the package, and one person is paying for everyone, they can put all the cover charges on that person's card, and there is only one check to sign. If people have the UDP, each person gets an individual check to sign (with the cover charge recredited). That's how it has worked in my experience, anyway.