Please explain tipping on Getaway to me

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

I have read many posts about tipping on NCL but it seems there have been so many recent changes that a lot of the info I have read is outdated, so here are my questions:

 

Who does the daily service charge cover? Can we add additional amounts for certain people (like our cabin attendant)? Is it better to just give them the extra amount in cash?

 

We were charged 18% gratuity for the unlimited dining plan - is it expected to tip additional amounts on top of that?

 

Do you tip at breakfast or lunch?

 

Do you tip at Illusionarium?

 

Is an auto gratuity added to bar purchases?

 

Is an auto gratuity added to spa purchases?

 

When free continental breakfast room service is delivered, can you sign a slip to add the tip to you account or do you have to tip in cash?

 

For room service that has the 7.95 delivery charge, do you tip on top of that? In cash or can it be added to the room?

 

I realize tipping is always a hot button topic, but I am just trying to figure out how it works on NCL so we can be prepared. Thanks for any responses!

[roger001]

The easy answer, you never have to tip another penny at all. The added on gratuities and service charge covers all of that. However, if you personally feel that someone has provided you exceptional service...or you just like them because they nice persons....you can certainly give tips to them individually. Strictly your choice. Nothing required or expected. Just relax and go with what you feel.

[cruzsnooze]

Since you have the specialty dinner package you are already paying 18% gratuity for dinner. I don't care to double tip so I will remove my auto tips and use cash for breakfast and lunch and the cabin steward. Nobody knows where all the gratuity goes but we suspect it's into NCL coffers. The crew loves the cash and I have met my obligation without the extra going into thin air.

 

Here's the statement on NCL site, just put tipping in the search box and here's what you get

 

"What about Tipping?

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile", and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals."

Edited July 24, 2015 by cruzsnooze

[NLH Arizona]

Why is there a service charge?

The reason there's a fixed service charge is an important one: Our Crew (as are the crew from other lines) is encouraged to work together as a team. Staff members including complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports. How much is the charge? Onboard Service Charges are additional.

 

What about Gratuities?

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, there is an 18% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 18% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 18% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining.

[sjbdtz]

I have read many posts about tipping on NCL but it seems there have been so many recent changes that a lot of the info I have read is outdated, so here are my questions:

 

Who does the daily service charge cover? Can we add additional amounts for certain people (like our cabin attendant)? Is it better to just give them the extra amount in cash? You can. You don't need to.

 

We were charged 18% gratuity for the unlimited dining plan - is it expected to tip additional amounts on top of that? No, it is not.

 

Do you tip at breakfast or lunch? Not required.

 

Do you tip at Illusionarium? No.

 

Is an auto gratuity added to bar purchases? Yes. There's a blank line for addt'l, I leave it blank because auto-grat is applied already.

 

Is an auto gratuity added to spa purchases? Same.

 

When free continental breakfast room service is delivered, can you sign a slip to add the tip to you account or do you have to tip in cash? This I don't know.

 

For room service that has the 7.95 delivery charge, do you tip on top of that? In cash or can it be added to the room? I don't believe a tip would be expected.

 

I realize tipping is always a hot button topic, but I am just trying to figure out how it works on NCL so we can be prepared. Thanks for any responses!

 

 

Pay (or pre-pay) the DSC, and everybody is covered by either it, or the auto-grats. as explained above.

 

 

Stephen

 

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[jackson bernard]

Since you have the specialty dinner package you are already paying 18% gratuity for dinner. I don't care to double tip so I will remove my auto tips and use cash for breakfast and lunch and the cabin steward. Nobody knows where all the gratuity goes but we suspect it's into NCL coffers. The crew loves the cash and I have met my obligation without the extra going into thin air.

 

Here's the statement on NCL site, just put tipping in the search box and here's what you get

 

"What about Tipping?

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile", and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals."

 

 

We do the same thing. At least we know the actual person giving us the service gets the money. If you leave it to the cruise line to distribute who knows where your money goes

[medley01]

Tipping works the same way on pretty much all the mainstream cruise lines now. They charge you a service fee, per cruiser, per day, automatically to your onboard account.

 

Then they try and get you to tip for bar drinks, specialty restaurants, spa services, etc.

 

Personally, we go to the guest services desk and have them remove all of the service charges from our account on day 2. I;m not cheap, but I am a huge proponent of tipping the person who provides the service. I would like to think that the service gratuities get split up accordingly to the room steward, waiter, bar staff, kids camp staff, etc, but its hard to say for certain that is the case. We tip out our room steward, as well as any dining room and kids camp staff in cash at the end of the cruise. During the cruise I tip out specialty dining servers and bartenders each visit, just as I would at home.

 

This ensures that the people who are providing me good service are taken care of.

[OneParticularHarbour 71]

Thanks for the replies!

 

Personally I don't like not knowing how much is going to a particular crew member. Most of our cruises over the past few years have been on Disney. They let you know how much of your auto tip is going to each crew member. You are able to adjust that amount as you see fit.

 

However, I also don't want to remove the service charge on NCL and tip individual crew members as then I would be afraid that someone behind the scenes that I was not aware was receiving part of the service charge would get left out.

 

I think I will leave them in place and then give an additional amount to those who we feel deserve it.

[SA71]

 

However, I also don't want to remove the service charge on NCL and tip individual crew members as then I would be afraid that someone behind the scenes that I was not aware was receiving part of the service charge would get left out.

.

 

Exactly! What about the guy sweeping the floor in the buffet or the ladies picking up dirty dishes or the guy wiping the food trays or the guy stocking the clean plates and cutlery or the many many many more behind the scenes staff! If you remove the dsc and tip just your waiter then the behind the scenes people get nothing. They may only be getting pennies of your dsc but with 2000 pax onboard it amounts to something.

[sjbdtz]

We do the same thing. At least we know the actual person giving us the service gets the money. If you leave it to the cruise line to distribute who knows where your money goes

 

Your money goes where the cruise line has decided it goes. Exactly the same way it would, if they would "just increase the base fares and PAY THEIR OWN STAFF!"

 

If they did that, you'd have no say in which staff member gets what. So why should you, just because the amount is separated out from the fare?

 

Taxes are separated out, and you have no say in where THEY go.

 

 

Those people you so generously tip in cash, either turn in the cash (so that the people you DIDN'T tip also get covered, according to the way the cruise line wants to - or if they claim they didn't get cash then they have to defend themselves because it looks like the service was poor and the guest was dissatisfied.

 

So the outcome of you giving cash tips is:

 

- They have to make an unexpected trip to Accounting to hand- in the cash you just gave

 

OR

 

- They have to make an unexpected trip to management to explain why they and ALL THE OTHER CREW were stiffed by this passenger.

 

 

Either way, you managed in one futile resistance against the system, to create more work for a bank (so you have the cash), yourself (so you can find the people to reward), and the crew themselves who now have the unexpected extra work you've created for them.

 

 

And you somehow think this makes sense. That's what baffles me.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

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[dcipjr]

I don't know why these topics get people so up in arms. I pay the DSC, no more, no less, because the cruise line tells me that it covers tips. Drinks and specialities are covered by the auto-gratuities. I love not having to think about it—that's one of the reasons I like cruising.

 

All automatic...we also give our steward a little extra at the end if we had good service. That's it.

[sjbdtz]

I don't know why these topics get people so up in arms. I pay the DSC, no more, no less, because the cruise line tells me that it covers tips. Drinks and specialities are covered by the auto-gratuities. I love not having to think about it—that's one of the reasons I like cruising.

 

All automatic...we also give our steward a little extra at the end if we had good service. That's it.

 

Me too. That's it, that's all (except for butler & concierge).

 

 

Stephen

 

.

[Donna_In_India]

Exactly! What about the guy sweeping the floor in the buffet or the ladies picking up dirty dishes or the guy wiping the food trays or the guy stocking the clean plates and cutlery or the many many many more behind the scenes staff! If you remove the dsc and tip just your waiter then the behind the scenes people get nothing. They may only be getting pennies of your dsc but with 2000 pax onboard it amounts to something.

 

I don't understand this at all. For DECADES (before gratuities were automatically added to everyone's accounts) we gave cash to the room attendant, waiter, assistant waiter, and head waiter (think that's all of them) at the end of the cruise. So please explain to me how the guy sweeping the floor got his share back then. I think the cruise lines have done a great job of convincing everyone that your tips are going to the behind-the-scenes people but personally I think it's a bunch of B.S.

 

And no, I don't remove my DSC.

[Donna_In_India]

I have read many posts about tipping on NCL but it seems there have been so many recent changes that a lot of the info I have read is outdated, so here are my questions:

 

Who does the daily service charge cover? Can we add additional amounts for certain people (like our cabin attendant)? Is it better to just give them the extra amount in cash? If you want to give extra, give cash

 

We were charged 18% gratuity for the unlimited dining plan - is it expected to tip additional amounts on top of that? No

 

Do you tip at breakfast or lunch? No

 

Do you tip at Illusionarium? No

 

Is an auto gratuity added to bar purchases?

 

Is an auto gratuity added to spa purchases?

 

When free continental breakfast room service is delivered, can you sign a slip to add the tip to you account or do you have to tip in cash? We never order room service but it seems people give $1-2. I think you should tip.

 

For room service that has the 7.95 delivery charge, do you tip on top of that? In cash or can it be added to the room? No sure if you can add the tip or not, but I'd give cash as I mentioned above.

 

I realize tipping is always a hot button topic, but I am just trying to figure out how it works on NCL so we can be prepared. Thanks for any responses!

 

Have a great cruise!

[sjbdtz]

I don't understand this at all. For DECADES (before gratuities were automatically added to everyone's accounts) we gave cash to the room attendant, waiter, assistant waiter, and head waiter (think that's all of them) at the end of the cruise. So please explain to me how the guy sweeping the floor got his share back then. I think the cruise lines have done a great job of convincing everyone that your tips are going to the behind-the-scenes people but personally I think it's a bunch of B.S.

 

And no, I don't remove my DSC.

 

That's a fair question. Back "in the day", there weren't 20+ dining venues which the staff could be rotated among. They aren't always working with the same 'small team' as they used to. Now they rely on a larger team working across many galleys throughout the ship.

 

Back in the day, the waiter would take their cash & partition it among those who helped him do his job.

 

This is the same way wait-staff in my restaurant (since closed) used to "tip-out" the back-of-house staff.

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=tip-out

 

 

Now tipping-out is automated because the waiter may work in 1 venue for 2 hours, and then be called to assist in another venue which is busier.

 

 

Stephen

 

.

[NLH Arizona]

That's a fair question. Back "in the day", there weren't 20+ dining venues which the staff could be rotated among. They aren't always working with the same 'small team' as they used to. Now they rely on a larger team working across many galleys throughout the ship.

 

Back in the day, the waiter would take their cash & partition it among those who helped him do his job.

 

This is the same way wait-staff in my restaurant (since closed) used to "tip-out" the back-of-house staff.

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=tip-out

 

 

Now tipping-out is automated because the waiter may work in 1 venue for 2 hours, and then be called to assist in another venue which is busier.

 

 

Stephen

 

.

Also, can't we go back and look at what the fares where when there was envelope tipping. I know for me, I'm paying less and/or the same now that I paid for my cruises almost 30 years ago. I would guess that the cruise line absorbed the salaries for the employees out of the fares, but then came up with a better system where their employees can be paid the majority of their salaries by the DSC and they could keep the fares down and possibly don't have to pay taxes on those dollars.

[Driverbish]

While I fully understand that NCL (and other cruise lines) go out of their way to extract every dollar possible; please take the time to get to know some of the folks serving you. I have met a number of dedicated cruise staff who are separated from love ones in order to support their families.

I would never "extra" tip anyone who gave poor service but I would encourage with a friendly word and contribution when someone goes the extra mile.

One person on this site said he gives a moderate tip at the beginning of the cruise; with promise of a greater amount at end of cruise if the service is exceptional. Works every time for him.

My dad did foreign service work and we lived overseas. Some of us have no idea of the challenges facing these workers. We use to call selfish countryman; ugly Americans.

Take time to read "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" about the food service industries abuse of workers in our country. Then double the pain & struggle. That sums up the challenge some of these folks face who come from three quarter world countries.

I'm proud to be an American (I volunteered to serve active duty during war time) but always thought we are at are best as a people and a nation when we are gracious. God has blessed America... we can share some of that benevolence.

Key folks on board the Getaway (in three weeks) will know my appreciation.

Edited July 28, 2015 by Driverbish
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