NCL stirs up the gratuity game

[cantwaitt]

This is yet another example of NCL's arrogance. This is why more people call them "Fee Style," not "Free Style."

 

They just keep giving me more and more and more reasons not to sail on their ships. But, I have no problem with all of the rest of the cruise lines.

[Underwatr]

Neither are valid reasons.

 

Corporations are taxed on profits. If they take in $10 in service charges and pay out $10 in wages from the service charges no profit results and no taxes are due. Nor are payroll taxes an issue. Virtually all cruise ships fly a flag of convenience, employ almost no US citizens or residents in the "tipped" crew positions, and operate in international waters, so payroll taxes are not due to the federal and state governments.

 

The cruise lines can simply include the service charge in the non-commissionable fare (NCF) and pay no commission on it.

I think the reference is to taxes paid by the crew members to their home countries. Wage and tip incomes are treated differently with favorable treatment given to tip income.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Underwatr

[maywell]

The funny part about NCL's new DSC procedure - Its completely turns it upside to the cheapskates by using the cruise contract against them, just as the cheapskates took advantage of the contract's language against NCL. Sadly its states its by passenger's discretion how hey wish to lower or raise it (this where the cheapskates took advantage) BUT (this where NCL turn the tables) it never stated when or where you can lower.

 

 

Now the procedure is - You get a form from Guest Services that you have to send after the trip is over and within 30 days, that you have to scan / photo email to NCL and within 2 weeks, they supposedly will refund you. (No one knows yet because supposedly this started technically over 2-3 weeks ago and no one hasn't verified if they received their DSC/money back).

 

When one thinks about it - if the picking up of the form and submitting it at the end of the trip doesn't make a cheapskate not want to sail with NCL anymore, that 2-6 week processing wait definitely will! Then there's matter of the credit card and disputing it, which brings up its own problems. So, no matter which way one diced it - Its so evil, its brilliant!:eek:

Edited September 16, 2015 by maywell

[PTMary]

Why call them cheapskates ? If they tip in cash, at least they know where their money is going, and NCL is purposely vague about how the DSC is distributed.

 

The people you are calling cheapskates may give much more in cash than the DSC

 

BTW -- Name calling is not acceptable on CC per Laura.

 

Seriously???? No one called anyone on this tread any names, so none of the rules you routinely trot out when you disagree with someone were broken. They called people who remove tips and either give nothing or give less a name. No one here was personally offended by name. Or maybe the "cheapskate" comment DOES apply to you, and you are angry about by being "outed"?

 

Try to keep your comments at least semi realistic.

 

It is very well known that you seem to have a hatred for that poster and ALWAYS have some complaint about anything he posts. It is also well known that you have had quite a few of your posts removed for being offensive. You might want to learn to be more civil in the future. Your habitually abusive method of communicating still is not working.

Edited September 16, 2015 by PTMary

[GUT2407]

I think the reference is to taxes paid by the crew members to their home countries. Wage and tip incomes are treated differently with favorable treatment given to tip income.

 

 

I thought every country had different tax systems.

 

Tips are certainly taxed n the USA.

 

Can you name what country they aren't taxed in.

[dorisis]

I hope they take the next step and roll it into the price of the cruise.

Fare - $xxxx

Port fees - $xxx

Taxes - $xxx

DSC - $xxx

_____

Total due - $xxxx

 

That is also my thinking.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In a way I like NCL's idea of waiting until you get home to either remove or adjust the tips. Some people will forget to do it.

BUT -- including the tips in the cruise fare is a much better idea.

[DirtyDawg]

I thought every country had different tax systems.

 

Tips are certainly taxed n the USA.

 

Can you name what country they aren't taxed in.

 

Greece!

 

Well, technically tips might be taxed in Greece buy those taxes are rarely paid.;)

 

As for the U.S. and here in Canada, tips reported to the tax authorities are taxed. Sometimes people 'forget' to report some of those cash tips. :eek:

 

As for NCL's new policy, I like it. It keeps the option open to remove the DSC, but it throws up some roadblocks to discourage some people from doing so.

[Aquahound]

I am not an NCL fan, but for this I think they have done the right thing. All cruise lines should take this approach. Then the cheapskates will have to make that extra effort to stiff the crew.

 

I'm sure there is a fair number of cheapskates who remove the tips but on the other hand, this is NCL we're talking about. Poor service and NCL is kinda synonymous with one another, so there's probably also a fair number of people removing them for that reason. With regard to the cheapskates, this is a good idea, but with regard to poor service, I don't like that NCL is taking away the face-to-face interaction.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Aquahound

[cantwaitt]

How would people feel if every restaurant they went to automatically added 20% to the bill but told people to fill out a form, mail it in and they will get back to them with their adjustment in 4-6 weeks if they are unhappy with the service?

 

NCL's policy is yet another attempt to make something "voluntary" based on the individual's satisfaction of service "mandatory."

 

NCL is partly doing this because they know that those who don't go to their pay-extra restaurants and instead choose to eat in the dining rooms that are included in the fare frequently wait up to 45 minutes for a table, get upset and maybe even hold someone accountable for this horrible service. Or maybe they are upset when they realize the waiter service is much inferior on NCL because the tips are not able to be contested.

 

It is not surprising that the one cruise line owned by a private equity firm founded by former Drexel Burnham people is also the most arrogant cruise line.

 

I'm done with Fee Style, I mean Free Style NCL.

[maywell]

How hard is it to sail other lines like Royal or Carnival, instead if you don't want to deal the DSC-refund dilemma? Here's the funny thing about former difference between NCL and the other lines' Anytime dining - you had to mandatory prepay the DSC to the cruise lines if wanted to use Anytime dining, while on NCL you had option of prepaying before or during the trip to pay since there's no assigned dining anywhere on any of their ships. So what NCL did now was pretty much making Freestyle DSC-paying sorta similar to the other cruise lines' Anytime dining DSC paying of 'Shut up or put up' - that's all.

 

Remember still got to eat breakfast and/or lunch and if you're not buying it from the $7.95 plus tips room service, specialty restaurant(s) that's open during that time or bringing your own prepackaged food from port(s) - still gotta pay DSC for it. Them the breaks.....

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

[LHT28]

How would people feel if every restaurant they went to automatically added 20% to the bill

In Europe a lot of restaurants build the SC or gratuity into the prices on the menu

 

I think the cruise lines could find a way to do it

[Aquahound]

Here's the funny thing about former difference between NCL and the other lines' Anytime dining - you had to mandatory prepay the DSC to the cruise lines if wanted to use Anytime dining, while on NCL you had option of prepaying before or during the trip to pay since there's no assigned dining anywhere on any of their ships. So what NCL did now was pretty much making Freestyle DSC-paying sorta similar to the other cruise lines' Anytime dining DSC paying of 'Shut up or put up' - that's all.

 

I think you're a little confused on your facts. I only know of 1 cruise line that required the pre-payment of DSC with anytime dining, and they have since canceled that mandate, so I don't see how this change is making NCL similar to the other lines at all.

Edited September 16, 2015 by Aquahound

[declansdad]

In Europe a lot of restaurants build the SC or gratuity into the prices on the menu

 

I think the cruise lines could find a way to do it

 

 

Sure they could, just don't call it a tip or gratuity because it not that at all. It truly is a service charge.

[mafig]

I think you're a little confused on your facts. I only know of 1 cruise line that required the pre-payment of DSC with anytime dining, and they have since canceled that mandate, so I don't see how this change is making NCL similar to the other lines at all.

 

You're not speaking of Celebrity, are you? Because they have not canceled that mandate. You still have to prepay your tips if you select "Select."

[Husky61]

. It keeps the option open to remove the DSC, but it throws up some roadblocks to discourage some people from doing so.

 

So why would a company make it difficult for a customer to get a return of their own money?:confused:

[mafig]

So why would a company make it difficult for a customer to get a return of their own money?:confused:

 

I guess they're making it more difficult for the customer to take away the crew's wages.;)

[maywell]

I guess they're making it more difficult for the customer to take away the crew's wages.;)

Case of "Don't like that your .50 cents out of $13.50 per day is paying for crew that you don't see in front of you every day on the trip, then don't sail a line where the DSC is completely separate fee/bill from the fare but still part of the cost of traveling on that line...." Its basic common sense.....(Yes, Yes, I know its not so common but still....)

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

[mafig]

Any of you ever go to Las Vegas where the quoted room rate doesn't include the added Resort Fee? That cannot be removed (in most cases unless you're a big gambler).

 

Maywell, hope your post wasn't directed at me. I'm in favor of what NCL is doing. I'd want them to do even more.

Edited September 16, 2015 by mafig

[LHT28]

So why would a company make it difficult for a customer to get a return of their own money?:confused:

Why would anyone want to remove the DSC in the first place

It would have to be a really bad cruise for someone to remove all of the SC

 

I looked at the form & the way I read it was if you contacted their customer service about a problem & the ship was unable to fix the problem then you can remove or adjust your SC

The new program just makes people make the request in writing after the cruise

 

ymmv

 

I have no dog in the fight ..if I have a problem I speak to someone on the ship at the time of the problem & usually it is fixed

no worries

 

people will do what ever they want

 

 

[JawjaFatBoy]

Let's see...

 

Comfy seat....check

Cold drink......check

Popcorn. .......check

 

Ok, I'm ready for the rest of the thread! :rolleyes:

 

Seriously, I've never had a reason to remove tips and hope I never do because it would have to be a really bad cruise for me to stiff all of the behind the scenes crew.

[navybankerteacher]

So why would a company make it difficult for a customer to get a return of their own money?:confused:

 

If you make it easy for a cheapskate to be cheap you effectively guarantee that he will be cheap. Simply showing up at the services desk to request that the service charge be removed - and not have to give any real reason probably resulted in a lot of people doing just that. Now, having to go on record and state a reason and go to some effort will at least make some of the cheapskates think twice.

 

In any event, it is not "their own money" -- it is money which is due to go to the crew unless those people claiming it can justify their claim.

[swedish weave]

Looks like njhorseman already wrote what I was about to write. So I won't.

 

Different countries have different rules on this subject. USA rules are not always applicable.

[swedish weave]

Neither are valid reasons.

 

Corporations are taxed on profits. If they take in $10 in service charges and pay out $10 in wages from the service charges no profit results and no taxes are due. Nor are payroll taxes an issue. Virtually all cruise ships fly a flag of convenience, employ almost no US citizens or residents in the "tipped" crew positions, and operate in international waters, so payroll taxes are not due to the federal and state governments.

 

The cruise lines can simply include the service charge in the non-commissionable fare (NCF) and pay no commission on it.

 

Many countries havde different rules than the USA does regarding taxes and commissions.

[CPT Trips]

How would people feel if every restaurant they went to automatically added 20% to the bill . . .

 

Most restaurants in Europe include a service charge in the price you pay. I see "xx% gratuity added for parties of x or more" on a lot of menses in the states.