Will you reduce DSC

[triptolemus]

The "pooling" of cash tips received by crew is a rumor promulgated by the guilt ridden DSC cheerleaders and has next to zero basis in either fact or functionality.

[cpl100]

Thank you for your help.

[ceomom703]

I don't understand how reducing the dsc offsets anything but your own pocketbook. The gratuities are for specialty dining. The dsc is for all other departments. So to cut out the dsc is hurting the rest of the staff that has nothing to do with the specialty restaurants in the first place.

 

I have been wondering the same thing.

[cruzsnooze]

With all of NCL's new fees for this and that will you be discounting or reducing your DSC on upcoming cruises.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

Absolutely I will. If more people become part of the solution instead of the problem maybe the cruise line will pay their staff and not put them at the mercy of the passengers. Next time I sail on NCL will tip as I go along to the people who actually serve me. I observed a lot of cash tipping on the dinner tables when I sailed last Dec. I don't know if it was extra ( which I doubt) but suspect it wasn't. I will tip in cash from now on. My money, my choice.

[SteelMagnolia9]

I'm booked on the Escape later this year and I won't be discounting or reducing my DSC.

[NLH Arizona]

I don't understand how reducing the dsc offsets anything but your own pocketbook. The gratuities are for specialty dining. The dsc is for all other departments. So to cut out the dsc is hurting the rest of the staff that has nothing to do with the specialty restaurants in the first place.

They don't care if it hurts anyone, because it is only about their money.

[1smudslide]

"I observed a lot of cash tipping on the dinner tables when I sailed last Dec. I don't know if it was extra ( which I doubt) but suspect it wasn't. I will tip in cash from now on. My money, my choice.

"

 

You shouldn't doubt. Many people leave extra tips for service at dinner. We always left $5-$10 for dinner. I'm sure many others did also. I also never touched the dsc. Always left it alone.

Edited April 3, 2015 by 1smudslide

[lizziez00]

Just because I am on a vacation does not somehow make me the ATM to over pay the NCL workers. I am a customer not their employer.

 

6&8

 

 

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

[pieshops]

Just because I am on a vacation does not somehow make me the ATM to over pay the NCL workers. I am a customer not their employer.

 

6&8

 

 

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

 

Oh good lets resurrect this thread again.

 

So when you go out to eat in a restaurant you do not tip the server? They are making 5 bucks an hour and their pay is their tips.

[lizziez00]

And I'll take Carnival because of everything else. :D

 

And I will be right there with ya!!

 

Doing the NCL Pearl to Alaska only cause it was "free" (Even though "free" cost me over $2500 for taxes and fees. ) Everything with NCL seems to be more $$

Edited May 20, 2015 by lizziez00

[pieshops]

any chance you are going to answer my question?

[lizziez00]

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

 

Oh good lets resurrect this thread again.

 

So when you go out to eat in a restaurant you do not tip the server? They are making 5 bucks an hour and their pay is their tips.

 

Depends on the service...like everyone else..

[pieshops]

Just because I am on a vacation does not somehow make me the ATM to over pay the NCL workers. I am a customer not their employer.

 

6&8

 

 

ABSOLUTELY!!!!!

 

Lets try this again.

 

You say above that you are not an atm for NCL workers, so does this mean you will remove the DSC and not tip them?

[lizziez00]

Depends on the service

[vicocala]

18% everywhere is just outrageous and I feel it is a cover for base rate hikes.

 

That said, my TA paid my DSC's and Norwegian paid for the tips on the UBP. The only tips I am responsible for are for my dinners in the specialties.

 

While I believe that the DSC is outrageous as long as I am not paying these charges I can't in good conscience drop them for my personal benefit.

 

That said, if my TA stops paying the DSCs I will either cut the charge to around 10% or stop cruising more than likely.

[Out to sea!]

And I will be right there with ya!!

 

Doing the NCL Pearl to Alaska only cause it was "free" (Even though "free" cost me over $2500 for taxes and fees. ) Everything with NCL seems to be more $$

 

Especially with the latest changes. I'm really looking forward to my Alaska cruise.....just wish it wasn't on NCL. Luckily my next 3 are on RCCL, Carnival, and Carnival. Really looking forward to my Vista cruise in 2017.

Edited May 21, 2015 by Out to sea!

[Level six]

If you get good service.......leave tip, if not, take it off or reduce it. Period. Why should it be any different than if you are on land. There are many service workers who are struggling just as much on land and if they give poor service, they don't get paid as well. The ones who are making good money are really working for it. I don't understand why it is just expected for us to leave a tip if we get horrible service. Plus, even if someone on the ship gives you outstanding, remarkable service, they have to share the tip with others who are not, how is that fair?? Tip the people who deserve it, like it used to be and the service will reflect that.

[pieshops]

So you are on the ship and get bad service in a restaurant one night, or your room steward is not doing what you feel needs to be done.

 

You then go and reduce or remove the DSC, so now you are punishing everyone else on the ship who you may not have ever had contact with such as back of house staff etc.

 

A better thing to do if service is not up to par is go to the particular officer In charge and complain immediately after it happens and see if it is remedied. Don't punish everyone else

[Level six]

So you are on the ship and get bad service in a restaurant one night, or your room steward is not doing what you feel needs to be done.

 

You then go and reduce or remove the DSC, so now you are punishing everyone else on the ship who you may not have ever had contact with such as back of house staff etc.

 

A better thing to do if service is not up to par is go to the particular officer In charge and complain immediately after it happens and see if it is remedied. Don't punish everyone else

 

I did that on my last cruise, talked to and wrote a note to head of hotel services, nothing was done. That is why it should be that you tip who you want to tip, then the ones who work hard get tipped, the others don't. It was like that on my first cruise, over 12 years ago, and the staff was GREAT, they all got more than if I had left a pre paid tip,(my cabin attendant alone probably got over a 30% tip) On my several cruises after that, the same thing, all great. They all made my trip so much fun, and they earned it. The last trip, 21 days on the Jade, worst service I have experienced on land or at sea. Why should I tip that, even after I had spoken to hotel manager? I did tip, but I was so mad about it, and still am.

Now, not going to do it. I am not going to be made to do something that I know is wrong anymore. If they earn the tip, fine. But it will not be automatic anymore.

I have a job, if I don't do my job to the best of my ability, I probably will not be rewarded with a bonus or raise in the future, or may even be fired. Why should it not be the same on a cruise ship?

Never write anything about this, but I am so tired of people telling others what to do. Everyone should do what they feel is the right thing.

[wvfrogg]

I like the DSC, I don't have to have envelopes and cash lying around for the tips. I had one complaint once, mentioned it to the head housekeeper and the problem was taken care of that afternoon. That said, I usually tip my room steward $40 on the first day, and then have a super week with a spotless room, done in a timely fashion. I often left an additional tip at the speciality restaurants if we had a good waiter/waitress. I usually didn't order room service, but do bring a few snack items down from the buffet for later. Will probably take a box of quart or pint size sealable plastic bags which then can be thrown away and not leaving dirty plates in the hall. Nothing that is happening is going to interfere with my normal, wonderful, NCL cruise. Wake up early, grab a chair or two at the pool, get a breakfast plate and eat it at my chair by the pool. (Then take the plate to the service station so the table is ready for the next cruiser,) I just hope they get all the bugs out of the new systems before my Dec 5 cruise!

[chloemonkey]

With all of NCL's new fees for this and that will you be discounting or reducing your DSC on upcoming cruises.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

I did not reduce them in April...and will not reduce them on our next cruise in a couple of months. On the contrary....I paid the NEW rates and added approx $800 in Gratuities for butler, concierge, cabin steward, etc...

 

NCL is still such a great buy that I would feel silly not rewarding the staff that make the trip! As the voyage is only as good as the service that you receive.....just my two cents!

[johnritt]

Got a lot of people cutting off their noses to spite their faces.

 

I am not going to not buy a drink because it now has an additional 30 cent tip. I am not going to skip room service because the fee is $3 more than I usually leave for meal delivery. And though I have rarely done the speciality dining, the 18% isn't much more than the 15% I have left before.

 

The attitude of NCL might keep me from booking them again (on Celebrity for the last and next cruise), but skipping crap that I enjoy on a vacation that I am already committed to to spite a corporation seems kind of stupid to me.

 

And screwing the crew is like going home and kicking your dog when you've had a bad day. It's just a low life thing to do.

Edited May 21, 2015 by johnritt

[GULDHAV]

Nope. The crew does a fantastic job! Changes will happen, sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. Would never let the crew down for things they can not influence on. Smile, look forward to a fantastic holiday, judge by the smiles and the service you get back from the crew[emoji2]

[legion3]

No, I probably wouldn't, I have never before done so. These new stupid edicts about food and fees for room service I don't like but its not the crew's doing.

 

I would reduce them only if I really got terrible service from everyone. In which case, if it was everyone, I might cancel them and hand tip those who deserve it.

[newmexicoNita]

With all of NCL's new fees for this and that will you be discounting or reducing your DSC on upcoming cruises.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Forums mobile app

 

What do the new fees have to do with the DSC? ok, so the gratuities for drinks have gone from 15% to 18%. the bar staff isn't involved in the DSC pool. So there is a 18% gratuity added to the specialty dining, the dining staff are not part of the DSC. There is a room service charge now, what does that have to do with the DSC? I dan't imagine anyone unless they want an excuse to reduce the charge even thinking about it!!!!!