One more view of the DSC increase

[sjbdtz]

I don't remember reading this, in any of the many threads but could it be that the DSC uplifts are in preparation for a hiring drive?

 

They don't want to dilute the current earnings of their crew, but they want to staff-up to improve service and move in the direction FDR suggested - higher-end.

 

The primary way to do that would be:

 

- create specialty servers and remove them from the pool. Train them more in-depth, and make it a promotion position from other service areas

 

- increase the DSC so that everybody has a slightly higher wage - the cost of living does continue to rise.

 

- increase the DSC again once your staffing needs have been taken into account (or in response to the current crew reacting to a plan to share the prior pool over a larger crew base).

 

 

 

The reality is that if the 2nd uplift was in response to current crew feedback / resistance, there's very little change that is going to be the object of a press release or announcement. I could see it now:

 

 

" In response to complaints that there's not enough staff, we intend to hire more crew to share the DSC pool. Our current crew told us to jump off The Plank (on newer builds only), so for your convenience (and our safety) we're increasing the DSC again."

 

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[sparks1093]

This is what I've thought the increase was for. If you want to attract a better staff you have to pay them more.

[Demonyte]

One obivious flaw in this scenario is this (that many others have speculated too):

 

- increase the DSC so that everybody has a slightly higher wage - the cost of living does continue to rise.

 

People receiving crumbles from DSC are mostly from countries where their pay takes them very high on the list when comparing the regular worker income. So while cost of living does rise in first world/industrialized countries so that the salaries must be adjusted accordingly, one can still support a big family in third world/poorer countries without any adjustments.

[maywell]

I thought the DSC increases was 1) weeding out cruisers that won't pay more without having to technically having to say and 2) adding more service plus touches to those that remain and newcomers, by making NCL more attractive as envision by Sheenan/Del Rio/Stuart. I suspect there will another DSC increase soon to make hiring new employees much more easier - Passengers are technically paying those staff via DSC anyway, hey might as well make us pay more for the service/convenience. [emoji52]

 

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[jennmaybe]

 

People receiving crumbles from DSC are mostly from countries where their pay takes them very high on the list when comparing the regular worker income. So while cost of living does rise in first world/industrialized countries so that the salaries must be adjusted accordingly, one can still support a big family in third world/poorer countries without any adjustments.

 

This is a very good point. A few years ago on a Princess cruise, we were talking with the "barista" working at the specialty coffee & pastry area. We were asking her how long she works at one time on the ship & if she gets to go home when she's not working. During the conversation, she was telling us how poor her country was and that she sends most of her money to her family back home because she made more in 6 months that her family made in 2 years.

 

We, personally, do not have any issues with increases with DSC. We gladly pay them.

[LoveyHowell]

Lovely theory but NCL have not made any mention of an uplift in services at all, otherwise I might agree with your theory. Nor have they said that they are giving multiple raises to crew members.

 

But NCL sure do have to find ways to pay for a bunch of new megaliners and that is a fact.

[SwissLe]

Wages increases are required to maintain the current level of staffing within the cruise industry. The pools of staffing are developing, and working in the service/tourist industry is no longer considered a great honour.

 

I remember as a kid there would be three generations of stewards onboard and in the restaurant a father and son working together. Now if you ask the staff they are very keen on bettering their children with education and helping them avoid being away from home. There are no longer huge queues for recruitment days, with many staff looking in different industries with better prospects closer to home or in more desirable locations.

 

My last steward was putting his kid through med school and hoped the end result would be him retiring, letting the son take the financial pressure.

 

There is a finite amount of workers with the language skills required these days, wages will increase.

Edited July 22, 2015 by SwissLe

[RuthlessBoss]

Why not just raise the base cruise fare? With all the up and downs of the prices an increase of $2 a day (which is more than they increased the DSC now) would no one be able to notice.

 

Or drop those so called freebies that have driven the price up.;)

[laurabegorrah]

 

" In response to complaints that there's not enough staff, we intend to hire more crew to share the DSC pool. Our current crew told us to jump off The Plank (on newer builds only), so for your convenience (and our safety) we're increasing the DSC again."

 

.

 

That made my morning lol

[cruzsnooze]

When I asked on Celebrity where my DSC goes they gave me a printout. When I asked on RCCL they told me and it matched what Celebrity had printed out. When I asked NCL they didn't know exactly and couldn't get me the information.

[sparks1093]

When I asked on Celebrity where my DSC goes they gave me a printout. When I asked on RCCL they told me and it matched what Celebrity had printed out. When I asked NCL they didn't know exactly and couldn't get me the information.

 

I would be greatly surprised if the distribution was substantially different then the rest of the industry.

[maywell]

When I asked on Celebrity where my DSC goes they gave me a printout. When I asked on RCCL they told me and it matched what Celebrity had printed out. When I asked NCL they didn't know exactly and couldn't get me the information.

You're never going to get an exact figure of the breakdown of DSC on NCL because of the Freestyle setup /interchangeable nature - even the room stewards work as a team to get stuff done...

 

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[nbsjcruiser]

This is a very good point. A few years ago on a Princess cruise, we were talking with the "barista" working at the specialty coffee & pastry area. We were asking her how long she works at one time on the ship & if she gets to go home when she's not working. During the conversation, she was telling us how poor her country was and that she sends most of her money to her family back home because she made more in 6 months that her family made in 2 years.

 

We, personally, do not have any issues with increases with DSC. We gladly pay them.

 

People on these ships work long hours and are away from home for many many months. We gladly pay the tips and always single out one or two people who have done a fine job and tip then extra, on the side.

[cruzsnooze]

I would be greatly surprised if the distribution was substantially different then the rest of the industry.

I would be too. Here's what the distribution was stated in print for celebrity

 

$3.50 PP PD waiter

$2.50 PP PD ass't waiter

.50 cents to Matre D'

$3.50 PP PD cabin attendant.

 

That left very little over for their incentive programs since their dsc is $11.50 PP PD. Knowing or at least believing the DSC is going to the crew that serves me allows me to feel right about leaving the DSC intact on these cruise lines. I don't feel that way about NCL hence I remove them and pay what I stated above in cash as I go along.

With the advent of an these specialty restaurants with an 18% gratuity NCL figured out how to get passengers to double tip for dinner at least.

I don't worry who believes I stiff the staff VS that I do what I state because I know I tip so my conscience is clear.

[CPT Trips]

You're never going to get an exact figure of the breakdown of DSC on NCL because of the Freestyle setup /interchangeable nature - even the room stewards work as a team to get stuff done...

 

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I would be too. Here's what the distribution was stated in print for celebrity

 

$3.50 PP PD waiter

$2.50 PP PD ass't waiter

.50 cents to Matre D'

$3.50 PP PD cabin attendant.

 

That left very little over for their incentive programs since their dsc is $11.50 PP PD. Knowing or at least believing the DSC is going to the crew that serves me allows me to feel right about leaving the DSC intact on these cruise lines. I don't feel that way about NCL hence I remove them and pay what I stated above in cash as I go along.

With the advent of an these specialty restaurants with an 18% gratuity NCL figured out how to get passengers to double tip for dinner at least.

I don't worry who believes I stiff the staff VS that I do what I state because I know I tip so my conscience is clear.

 

How does the freestyle concept prevent NCL from providing this breakdown? They simply need to add more categories of employee.

[maywell]

How does the freestyle concept prevent NCL from providing this breakdown? They simply need to add more categories of employee.

Because 1) some passengers don't always get the same waiters at for dinner time 2) NCL waiters work in different places ie, one night at large MDR, next evening at Le Bistro, etc. 3) sometimes you get one waiter for an evening, another night a 3 of them, etc. If one genuinely want consistent you're going yo jabe to 1) say something to the Maitre'd who you want as your waiter and 2) make reservations / schedule your mealtimes to get them. Otherwise, freestyle makes its easy to not to have anything really 'accountable' on NCL's end in terms of calculating the staff pay for customers - it is what it is, some passengers just don't want to accept that.But then again, that's what other cruise lines are for....

 

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Edited July 22, 2015 by maywell

[LoveyHowell]

Because 1) some passengers don't always get the same waiters at for dinner time 2) NCL waiters work in different places ie, one night at large MDR, next evening at Le Bistro, etc. 3) sometimes you get one waiter for an evening, another night a 3 of them, etc. If one genuinely want consistent you're going yo jabe to 1) say something to the Maitre'd who you want as your waiter and 2) make reservations / schedule your mealtimes to get them. Otherwise, freestyle makes its easy to not to have anything really 'accountable' on NCL's end in terms of calculating the staff pay for customers - it is what it is, some passengers just don't want to accept that.But then again, that's what other cruise lines are for....

 

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That's not different than many other lines with Anytime dining.