DSC for happy cruisers

[Alaska Lily]

If your stateroom steward is great (which I hear so many are) and really enhances your vacation, I am curious as to how much "extra" gratuity guests leave. I say extra because according to ncl the service charges are shared with the room steward. I know this is a very personal decision but as a novice cruiser I'd like to know what other "happy" cruisers do. I'm sure this has been discussed before but I searched the threads and could not find it.

[triptolemus]

For dw and I - $40 to the stew.

[Sissaaaaaa]

We usually leave $40 as well.

[Zippeedee]

$20 when I first meet them if they take the time to introduce themselves and another $20 when I leave. I had an excellent steward on the Gem in August.

[phoenix1181]

$40 seems to be the magic number! We give our steward $40 as well for the two of us on a 7 day cruise.

[Alaska Lily]

Thanks everyone for the quick reply! I'll check that off my "questions" list. I'll probably have more..only 17 days! :)

[luddite]

$ 14,000.85

[Sauer-kraut]

$ 14,000.85

 

[momoftwinteens]

We gave our steward $50 on our last cruise but, we were three grown women and our steward was very good.

[TheDougOut]

$40 here as well. And I gotta say - it looks like one tough job. I'm one of those that straightens up the room before leaving, just to make it easier on what they have to do. Can u imagine some of the rooms they walk into, again and again and again?

[BirdTravels]

$40 for a regular room. Up to $100 for a larger suite.

Edited May 5, 2016 by BirdTravels

[Ontario cruise duo]

We've given anywhere from nothing to $40.00 and even $100.00 once depending on the service received and the communication between us over the course of a 7 to 10 day cruise!

[DMH15]

For a 7 day cruise with 2 pax from $20 to $140. I don't believe I have ever not given an extra tip. We have been lucky with stewards.

 

We had one on the Carnival Magic 2.5 years ago that we keep in touch with to this day.

[Carolina Girl 99]

We took our first ever cruise last June on the Getaway and I loved our room steward so much that I gave him $140 on the last night. We're sailing again in October and hoping he is still there so we can say hello :)

[Alaska Lily]

$ 14,000.85

 

Definitely will consider this if I win in the casino!:D

[don't-use-real-name]

Not to seem to be cheap - remember that cabin stewards are part of the DSC

and are provided a wage from NCL and a share of the DSC.

So in addition to this stipend I have always gone by my minimum of $5 a day

with a token more for any extra attention.

 

Now as for the Butler and the Concierge who are not part of the DSC program -

basic starting point is $10 a day for the Butler and more for other times.

For the Concierge $50 for being at beck and call and if used more for say

restaurant reservations or priority escorted boarding tendering theatre shows

then a token more - this all paid at the end of the cruise except when a request

needs to be urgently expedited.

 

So with all this some tipping more and some less it must average out for

these crew members especially for those who are go-getters

 

Don't be wild crazy - Cabin Stewards usually have 30-40 cabins to service

Butlers 6-10 and these cabins are serviced by a cabin steward.

The Concierge covers the whole ship and I have only been on the smaller

ships and there is only one Concierge - the larger -away class ships may have

more than one or more assistants - reader comments ?

I can't image a ship with a capacity of 4000 +/- and have only ONE Concierge !

[SteveH2508]

 

How much did you tip your porter to get that lot aboard?:eek:

[pokerpro5]

I have determined from various forms of research that the DSC does not go to the crew.

 

It goes to NCL to reimburse them for crew salary.

 

That is, the crew is guaranteed a salary, and that's what they're paid.

 

Your DSC goes into NCL's pocket to help offset the cost of paying these people.

 

So don't believe you are actually "tipping" anyone just because you paid the DSC.

 

With that said, the salary established for NCL crew is higher than it used to be. Prior to the DSC, they were paid less, and it was assumed that tips would make up the remainder of their pay. Now they are just paid a higher flat salary, so it breaks out the same way as before.

 

When the DSC is removed, the crew does not lose money. You are taking from NCL when you do this, not the crew. However, NCL wants to know the cause for you removing the DSC, so they can clamp down on the "problem" employees who made you want to remove it, and possibly get rid of them.

 

So the DSC also serves as kind of a customer feedback system regarding employees, too.

 

This used to be done at the local ship level, but it changed in the middle of 2015, as the central office in Miami decided it wanted to oversee the process (and have more visibility into the causes of DSC removals).

 

NCL also increased revenue by adding additional "gratuities" to the specialty restaurants, which again are not actually tips. It's again a way NCL just reimburses itself for crew salaries.

 

Bottom line is that, yes, you should tip individual employees who provide exceptional service. NEVER raise the DSC, as you're just handing extra $ to NCL. Do not feel guilty about REMOVING the DSC, though it's a pain in the butt to do nowadays. However, if you do it, you aren't costing the crew anything. I have never removed the DSC, for those who are wondering.

[Burgmeister]

$40 here as well. And I gotta say - it looks like one tough job. I'm one of those that straightens up the room before leaving, just to make it easier on what they have to do. Can u imagine some of the rooms they walk into, again and again and again?

Imagine them? I stay in them!

[DMH15]

I have determined from various forms of research that the DSC does not go to the crew.

 

 

 

It goes to NCL to reimburse them for crew salary.

 

 

 

That is, the crew is guaranteed a salary, and that's what they're paid.

 

 

 

Your DSC goes into NCL's pocket to help offset the cost of paying these people.

 

 

 

So don't believe you are actually "tipping" anyone just because you paid the DSC.

 

 

 

With that said, the salary established for NCL crew is higher than it used to be. Prior to the DSC, they were paid less, and it was assumed that tips would make up the remainder of their pay. Now they are just paid a higher flat salary, so it breaks out the same way as before.

 

 

 

When the DSC is removed, the crew does not lose money. You are taking from NCL when you do this, not the crew. However, NCL wants to know the cause for you removing the DSC, so they can clamp down on the "problem" employees who made you want to remove it, and possibly get rid of them.

 

 

 

So the DSC also serves as kind of a customer feedback system regarding employees, too.

 

 

 

This used to be done at the local ship level, but it changed in the middle of 2015, as the central office in Miami decided it wanted to oversee the process (and have more visibility into the causes of DSC removals).

 

 

 

NCL also increased revenue by adding additional "gratuities" to the specialty restaurants, which again are not actually tips. It's again a way NCL just reimburses itself for crew salaries.

 

 

 

Bottom line is that, yes, you should tip individual employees who provide exceptional service. NEVER raise the DSC, as you're just handing extra $ to NCL. Do not feel guilty about REMOVING the DSC, though it's a pain in the butt to do nowadays. However, if you do it, you aren't costing the crew anything. I have never removed the DSC, for those who are wondering.

 

 

You state DSC does not go to crew. Directly. But those funds are indirectly going to the crew. I am sure NCL budgets for a percentage to be removed. If that percentage is exceeded regularly NCL will make it up somewhere from us. Not out of their profits. And we all know some pax remove them for reasons other than service issues related to crew covered by DSC.

[ColinIllinois]

Just curious what people consider going "above and beyond" for a room steward. I've never had a steward who has done anything more than the expected clean the room and change the towels.

 

Thanks.

[janpo]

Just curious what people consider going "above and beyond" for a room steward. I've never had a steward who has done anything more than the expected clean the room and change the towels.

 

Thanks.

 

 

Same here.

 

The last couple of cruises, I didn't really even see our steward.

[sparks1093]

Just curious what people consider going "above and beyond" for a room steward. I've never had a steward who has done anything more than the expected clean the room and change the towels.

 

Thanks.

 

My personal definition is if I make special requests that the steward does. Locking or emptying the mini-fridge, providing ice more frequently than normal, etc. or if we've been messier than normal (such as my teenager's cabin:eek:). I usually don't make a lot of special requests but if I do than it will result in an additional gratuity.

[ColinIllinois]

My personal definition is if I make special requests that the steward does. Locking or emptying the mini-fridge, providing ice more frequently than normal, etc. or if we've been messier than normal (such as my teenager's cabin:eek:). I usually don't make a lot of special requests but if I do than it will result in an additional gratuity.

 

 

Ah, gotcha. I forgot how messy kids especially teens can get. Thanks Sparks.

[TheDougOut]

I'm a sucker for personal connections. Greeting everyone in our party by name each and every time, taking the time to start up a conversation with the kids about their activities, etc.