Will you reduce DSC

[sjbdtz]

They never said why they raised it and have never said how many people alter it. You're just making assumptions about it.

 

If they make it mandatory and you get bad service from someone, then what?

 

Then you do the exact same thing you'd do at your local brake shop, or muffler shop, or retail outlet, or restaurant, or hotel, or...well.... EVERY OTHER TYPE OF BUSINESS!

 

You'd complain, and they'd either offer you compensation, or risk losing your business (which may be acceptable to them).

 

That's how capitalism works.

 

 

The ONLY difference here, is that the crew pay is visible, when in most cases it isn't.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[swedish weave]

Don't know nor really care. How NCL runs their business behind the scenes is none of my concern.

 

I will add a little comment to your statement.

 

It is also not your concern what other cruisers do with their DSC. This should make life much easier for you.

Edited July 26, 2015 by swedish weave

[pieshops]

Not at all, but do you really believe NCL gave contracted employees two raises in 4 months?

 

If the higher DSC were to compensate employees they wouldn't let you prepay for a discount.

 

And do I need to refer you to the contract which supercedes the FAQ?

 

And do YOU really believe that if the workers were not getting any increase with all this publicity over it that there would not be news about that?

[swedish weave]

If NCL can offer to pay the DSC as a booking incentive, they can surely kick in the extra money to make up for those who prepay at the lower rate, can't they ??

[pokerpro5]

A service charge is mandatory.

 

A tip isn't.

 

They have called it a service charge, but it isn't one. It's a communal tip, and it's there in place of what used to be an individual tipping system.

Edited July 27, 2015 by pokerpro5

[pokerpro5]

And do YOU really believe that if the workers were not getting any increase with all this publicity over it that there would not be news about that?

 

The workers might get an increase, but I guarantee it's not proportionate to the extra amount NCL is collecting (both from the higher DSC and the removal of specialty restaurant employees from the pool).

 

And if the workers complain that it's not proportionate, I'm sure they'll get the "people opted out" excuse.

 

This isn't a land-based office with a strong union. These are mostly temporary employees from different nations around the world, who are happy to be working while getting free room and board. You'd be surprised how little you "hear about" from unhappy workers in these situations.

 

When these workers get a 5% higher paycheck, they think, "Cool! More money for the same job I did last year!", not, "Hmmm... I got 5%, but I calculated from changes in DSC policy, it should be 10%..."

Edited July 27, 2015 by pokerpro5

[jb456]

Actually, at least on NCL, it hasn't been a tip for quit a while. It is a Service Charge (hence DSC, Daily Service Charge). So therefore making the DSC mandatory would not be making a tip mandatory, it would be making the service charge mandatory like most service charges are.

 

Okay, so you picked the one thing you could adjust for bad service. What do you do for bad service at the DMV, Walmart, and all of the other places that provide a service but you don't tip at?

 

So why does their term and conditions say that it's actually prepaid gratuities but "referred" as a service charge?

 

[maywell]

So why does their term and conditions say that it's actually prepaid gratuities but "referred" as a service charge?

 

 

Did it ever occurred to you, that to NCL that's it both one and same to them? To NCL its interchangeable with each other - You may not like that how they view it but then again there's always going to another cruise line that see them as two separate things.

[sjbdtz]

The workers might get an increase, but I guarantee it's not proportionate to the extra amount NCL is collecting (both from the higher DSC and the removal of specialty restaurant employees from the pool).

 

And if the workers complain that it's not proportionate, I'm sure they'll get the "people opted out" excuse.

 

This isn't a land-based office with a strong union. These are mostly temporary employees from different nations around the world, who are happy to be working while getting free room and board. You'd be surprised how little you "hear about" from unhappy workers in these situations.

 

When these workers get a 5% higher paycheck, they think, "Cool! More money for the same job I did last year!", not, "Hmmm... I got 5%, but I calculated from changes in DSC policy, it should be 10%..."

 

 

You "guarantee" it? So then, you KNOW?

 

Free room & board isn't all that helpful when you still have to pay for housing for your family, even though you don't get to partake in it.

 

I travel for work, and they pay for my hotel rooms. That's not free room for me....I still have to maintain a home to put my stuff in...I just don't get to enjoy it as often.

 

 

:confused:

 

 

Stephen

 

.

[Out to sea!]

So why does their term and conditions say that it's actually prepaid gratuities but "referred" as a service charge?

 

 

It's interesting to note that what you posted didn't even come from the NCL website and most likely hasn't been updated in years. What I have posted below is directly from the NCL contract and supersedes any FAQs. And if they removed the words I highlighted in red, probably one quarter of all of the posts in the NCL forums would become null and void. ;)

 

© Service Charges: Certain members of Carrier’s crew are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that are funded in part by the service charge paid by each Guest. The charge, which is automatically added to your onboard account and subject to adjustment at your discretion, is intended to reward service provided in all departments and job categories and is distributed to employees according to Carrier's evaluation of job performance. A portion of the service charge collected by Carrier is also used for fleet-wide crew welfare programs.

 

http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Guest_Ticket_Contract_03_2014.pdf

Edited July 27, 2015 by Out to sea!

[jb456]

It's interesting to note that what you posted didn't even come from the NCL website and most likely hasn't been updated in years. What I have posted below is directly from the NCL contract and supersedes any FAQs. And if they removed the words I highlighted in red, probably one quarter of all of the posts in the NCL forums would become null and void. ;)

 

© Service Charges: Certain members of Carrier’s crew are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that are funded in part by the service charge paid by each Guest. The charge, which is automatically added to your onboard account and subject to adjustment at your discretion, is intended to reward service provided in all departments and job categories and is distributed to employees according to Carrier's evaluation of job performance. A portion of the service charge collected by Carrier is also used for fleet-wide crew welfare programs.

 

http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Guest_Ticket_Contract_03_2014.pdf

 

So http://www.ncl.com/terms is not their website?

 

How is it any consumers problem if it has not been updated in years? (Which my personal opinion is that is far from the truth) More like sneaky legal and marketing work to word it in a particular way, stretch the true as far as they could go to keep it legal. Fancy wording to make one believe it's a service charge and gratuities not required but still have to put in somewhere it's actually prepaid gratuities. Since the guest contract also says consumer agrees to all terms and conditions they are blindly agreeing to "prepaid gratuities that are "referred" as a service charge.

 

 

Quit making excuses for them!

[jb456]

It's interesting to note that what you posted didn't even come from the NCL website and most likely hasn't been updated in years. What I have posted below is directly from the NCL contract and supersedes any FAQs. And if they removed the words I highlighted in red, probably one quarter of all of the posts in the NCL forums would become null and void. ;)

 

© Service Charges: Certain members of Carrier’s crew are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that are funded in part by the service charge paid by each Guest. The charge, which is automatically added to your onboard account and subject to adjustment at your discretion, is intended to reward service provided in all departments and job categories and is distributed to employees according to Carrier's evaluation of job performance. A portion of the service charge collected by Carrier is also used for fleet-wide crew welfare programs.

 

http://www.ncl.com/sites/default/files/Guest_Ticket_Contract_03_2014.pdf

 

So http://www.ncl.com/terms is not their website?

 

How is it any consumers problem if it has not been updated in years? (Which my personal opinion is that is far from the truth) More like sneaky legal and marketing work to word it in a particular way, stretch the true as far as they could go to keep it legal. Fancy wording to make one believe it's a service charge and gratuities not required but still have to put in somewhere it's actually prepaid gratuities. Since the guest contract also says consumer agrees to all terms and conditions they are blindly agreeing to "prepaid gratuities that are "referred" as a service charge." Which is likely why under service charge in guest contract that you posted they had to slide in " subject to adjustment at your discretion" to cover themselves!!

 

 

Quit making excuses for them!

Edited July 27, 2015 by jb456

[Out to sea!]

So http://www.ncl.com/terms is not their website?

 

How is it any consumers problem if it has not been updated in years? (Which my personal opinion is that is far from the truth) More like sneaky legal and marketing work to word it in a particular way, stretch the true as far as they could go to keep it legal. Fancy wording to make one believe it's a service charge and gratuities not required but still have to put in somewhere it's actually prepaid gratuities. Since the guest contract also says consumer agrees to all terms and conditions they are blindly agreeing to "prepaid gratuities that are "referred" as a service charge." Which is likely why under service charge in guest contract that you posted they had to slide in " subject to adjustment at your discretion" to cover themselves!!

 

 

Quit making excuses for them!

 

The website of the post in question starts as "http://s12.postimg.org".

 

I don't make excuses for NCL but I also know what a service charge is. Yes, the service charge is adjustable and in my opinion should not be but I don't run NCL. Either way, adjustable or not, it is a service charge as stated by the contract which I posted.

[jb456]

The website of the post in question starts as "http://s12.postimg.org".

 

Postimg is a hosting site for pictures where I uploaded the screen shot of ncl website lol.. the site has nothing to do with it but hosting the screen shot I took to add it to this post.

 

The screen shot I took was from http://www.ncl.com/terms - go to that link which is NCL website, scroll down to "service charges" you will see it!!

[jb456]

.

 

I don't make excuses for NCL but I also know what a service charge is. Yes, the service charge is adjustable and in my opinion should not be but I don't run NCL. Either way, adjustable or not, it is a service charge as stated by the contract which I posted.

 

Now I hope you understand postimg is a hosting site for pics/screen shots and we can move on from that.

 

So my question again is why does their terms and conditions say it's a prepaid gratuity?

 

Two responses so far are excuses - one poster said "it's one in the same and interchangeable" which is far from the truth as a gratuity is completely different then a service charge.

 

Other is "they probably did not update their site in years"

 

 

Everyone saying its a "service charge" NCLs FAQ says it to, but why does their terms and conditions say "Prepaid gratuities referred to as a "Service Charge"????????????

Edited July 27, 2015 by jb456

[maywell]

The website of the post in question starts as "http://s12.postimg.org".

 

I don't make excuses for NCL but I also know what a service charge is. Yes, the service charge is adjustable and in my opinion should not be but I don't run NCL. Either way, adjustable or not, it is a service charge as stated by the contract which I posted.

You actually going to continue arguing with a person who clearly fail vocabulary since he posted something that 1) not even from NCL and 2) mentions both 'gratuities' and 'services charges' as the same thing because that's what 'referred' means - to direct the attention or for consideration; synonyms of belong, point out, specify, notice.

 

You got better chance telling 7 different brick walls to come down and smoke a cigarette than telling someone who can't grasp that NCL see both terms are pretty much the same because some customers don't like to hear/see 'service charges'. Even though anything automatically tacked on is a 'service charge' on a cruise ship but those people prefer seeing 'tips' or ''gratuities' with auto in front - like that going to really change anything but it is what it is. *shrug*

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

[jb456]

You actually going to continue arguing with a person who clearly fail vocabulary since he posted something that 1) not even from NCL and 2) mentions both 'gratuities' and 'services charges' as the same thing because that's what 'referred' means - to direct the attention or for consideration; synonyms of belong, point out, specify, notice.

 

You got better chance telling 7 different brick walls to come down and smoke a cigarette than telling someone who can't grasp that NCL see both terms are pretty much the same because some customers don't like to hear/see 'service charges'. Even though anything automatically tacked on is a 'service charge' on a cruise ship but those people prefer seeing 'tips' or ''gratuities' with auto in front - like that going to really change anything but it is what it is. *shrug*

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

 

1- Brush up on your computer skills and understand that the website is only hosting the screen shot I took from ncl.com/terms

 

2- Gratuities and Service Charge is NOT THE SAME.

 

If I want to give a gratuity its at my discretion for the amount I choose and to whom I choose to give it to. Service charge is not a tip that is paid to the employee and some employers keep a portion to offer other things to employees (incentives, events, etc)

 

Two completely different things. So again why does the terms say prepaid gratuities referred to as a service charge?

 

How can you not grasp that a gratuity and service charge are NOT one in the same?

[maywell]

A few times now I said where to find it.

 

www.ncl.com/terms scroll down to "Service Charges" it says it there.

 

My only question which everyone can't seem to answer is a prepaid gratuity and service charge are two completely different things. So why are they saying the service charge is really a prepaid gratuity?

 

Again a prepaid gratuity is one thing, a service charge is another. They say it's the same but it can't be the same. It's either 1 or the other!

Again, what you have in your post is not what's showing on NCL, both in Explorer and Chrome. So link it it then.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

Edited July 27, 2015 by maywell

[LMaxwell]

Again, what you have in your post is not what's showing on NCL, both in Explorer and Chrome. So link it it then.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

Works for me in chrome

[bjlaac]

A service charge is mandatory.

 

A tip isn't.

 

They have called it a service charge, but it isn't one. It's a communal tip, and it's there in place of what used to be an individual tipping system.

 

You can argue with the cheerleaders all you want, they will not, and cannot, grasp the fact that the service charge/gratuities was implemented to replace the individual tipping system. They have fallen for the company line that we must tip not only the room stewards and waiters, but the laundry, chefs, maintenance worker, repair staff or anyone else they choose to underpay or claim the customer must pay solely because they (NCL) says so.

 

In 30 years of cruising we have adjusted the service charge once because 12 days of bringing the problem to the attention of customer service and the hotel manager failed to correct a serious issue that all of these "behind the scenes people" should have resolved.

 

Before anyone gets bent out of shape we tipped the stewards and waitors their shares in cash which is the way I prefer it. If the daily gratuities were mandatory, we would have no recourse at all.

 

A tip has to be earned and that's the way it should always be.

[jb456]

Again, what you have in your post is not what's showing on NCL, both in Explorer and Chrome. So link it it then.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

 

Alright try this link

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPagesPopup.html?pageId=wave15terms&stop_mobi=yes&cid=DM_MKD_NA_PRO_NA_TAC_NA_WAVE15M_22935_NA_22935

 

"Free Pre-Paid Gratuities

*Available for Ocean View and above categories only

Prepaid gratuities, otherwise referred to as "Service Charges," applicable to the 1st and 2nd guest in the stateroom 3 years of age and up.

Offer not applicable to guests 3-8.

Guests are responsible for onboard gratuities applicable to all other shipboard purchases.

Offer has no cash value and cannot be disputed."

 

or this link

 

http://partners.ncl.com/destroot/norwegian/files/download/pieces/60014/terms/FreeStyleChoiceAugust2015_Terms.html

 

"Service Charges:

Prepaid gratuities, otherwise referred to as "Service Charges," applicable to the 1st and 2nd guest in the stateroom 3 years of age and up.

Applicable to guests 1-2 on the reservation.

If guests choose this option and have 3-8 guests in the reservation, the 3-8 guests must pay their gratuities once on board

Guests are responsible for on board gratuities applicable to all other shipboard purchases.

Offer has no cash value and cannot be disputed. "

[maywell]

You can argue with the cheerleaders all you want, they will not, and cannot, grasp the fact that the service charge/gratuities was implemented to replace the individual tipping system. They have fallen for the company line that we must tip not only the room stewards and waiters, but the laundry, chefs, maintenance worker, repair staff or anyone else they choose to underpay or claim the customer must pay solely because they (NCL) says so.

 

In 30 years of cruising we have adjusted the service charge once because 12 days of bringing the problem to the attention of customer service and the hotel manager failed to correct a serious issue that all of these "behind the scenes people" should have resolved.

 

Before anyone gets bent out of shape we tipped the stewards and waitors their shares in cash which is the way I prefer it. If the daily gratuities were mandatory, we would have no recourse at all.

 

A tip has to be earned and that's the way it should always be.

And you pretty much prove the point why NCL uses both words like its the same...[emoji57]

 

Before you say anything - remember, NCP probably would not removed it completely if you haven't tip those workers in cash and probably trace the money trail by what you said and/or sail card.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

Edited July 27, 2015 by maywell

[swedish weave]

And you pretty much prove the point why NCL uses both words like its the same...[emoji57]

 

Before you say anything - remember, NCP probably would not removed it completely if you haven't tip those workers in cash and probably trace the money trail by what you said and/or sail card.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

 

If NCL calls it a gratuity, they must remove it if you insist.

 

They have no possible way to trace cash tips unless you choose to tell them. If I want the steward to have money, and give it to my neighbor who hasn't removed the DSC, NCL cannot make the steward turn it in.

 

these arguments are silly and not at all valid.

[pokerpro5]

You "guarantee" it? So then, you KNOW?

 

Free room & board isn't all that helpful when you still have to pay for housing for your family, even though you don't get to partake in it.

 

I travel for work, and they pay for my hotel rooms. That's not free room for me....I still have to maintain a home to put my stuff in...I just don't get to enjoy it as often.

 

 

:confused:

 

 

Stephen

 

.

 

Do you respond to my messages just to troll, or what? Sometimes it seems like it.

 

I addressd your logical fallacy that NCL cruise patrons shouldn't be able to withhold tips because "you don't do that on land, such as ... at restaurants", according to you (LOL).

 

You come back completely ignoring that point, and instead mock my word "guarantee" regarding the crew's pay.

 

And yes, I do guarantee that the recent changes to the DSC amount and structure are not 100% going to benefit the crew. Why would NCL risk alienating so many of their customers via three SEPARATE policy changes within a few months, just to increase the pay for already highly-coveted positions on their ships?

 

Do you honestly believe all of these changes solely benefit the crew, and NCL doesn't pocket any of it?

Edited July 28, 2015 by pokerpro5

[jb456]

Do you respond to my messages just to troll, or what? Sometimes it seems like it.

 

I addressd your logical fallacy that NCL cruise patrons shouldn't be able to withhold tips because "you don't do that on land, such as ... at restaurants", according to you (LOL).

 

You come back completely ignoring that point, and instead mock my word "guarantee" regarding the crew's pay.

 

And yes, I do guarantee that the recent changes to the DSC amount and structure are not 100% going to benefit the crew. Why would NCL risk alienating so many of their customers via three SEPARATE policy changes within a few months, just to increase the pay for already highly-coveted positions on their ships?

 

Do you honestly believe all of these changes solely benefit the crew, and NCL doesn't pocket any of it?

 

There are a few posters that "brush off/ignore" points and turn around to mock the poster further in a condescending tone.

 

I am in agreement with you that all these changes will not just benefit the crew. In my opinion has it ever?

 

New ships being built, Cuba opening up, they need interest free money to invest..

Edited July 28, 2015 by jb456