Interesting Article From a Former Cruise Insider

[pokerpro5]

Well, as I've posted in the past, since the Manila Labor Convention of 2006 came into effect, the minimum wage and hours of work/rest for all seafarers, including everyone employed by anyone onboard a cruise ship is regulated. The minimum pay for a month is $614. This is supposed to be for a 48 hour work week, but there is a clause that allows for "consolidated" wages (meaning salary, not hourly wages). Now, the cruise line can make this consolidated wage from a combination of salary and DSC, and so long as the total equals $614, all is good. When folks start to reduce their DSC, the crew's wages start to drop, but again, if the total is still above $614, then it doesn't cost the cruise line anything. It is only if the base salary is so low, and the DSC amount removed is so great, that the total falls below $614, then the cruise line has to pony up the difference. Without going into the whole tipping/not tipping or tipping/DSC debate, I can say that the DSC does in fact go to the crew, and the cruise line uses it as a "motivational" tool by forcing a team attitude (one bad performer affects all our pay), and without the cruise line itself being the bad guy (we didn't reduce your pay, it was the passengers).

 

Before the DSC cheerleaders jump on the above as any sort of "proof" that the DSC goes to the staff, understand that this poster started off with something true and then jumped to a completely false conclusion based upon his first statement.

 

First off, I believe he is referring to the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006, not the Manila Labor Convention of 2006. But let's put this aside and dissect his statements.

 

It is true that, among the standards set, there is a $614 minimum wage (per month) for crewmembers. This $614 wage was just established in 2016. It was $592 in 2015, $585 in 2014, and lower in prior years.

 

It is also true that this can be a CONSOLIDATED wage. This means that it's okay to pay an employee less than $614 if his tips plus salary still add up to $614 or more. This is already important to note, as this means tipping is already subsidizing the cruise line, and allowing them to use your tips directly for salary instead of paying minimum wage!

 

Up until this point of his explanation, I agree with chengkp95.

 

However, he then jumps into the DSC reduction affecting staff pay, which has nothing to do with any of the above.

 

NCL gives all employees fixed pay (aside from cash tips added onto the mandatory service charge).

 

The fixed pay includes both fixed salary and fixed "tips", which in reality are not tips, as it is just a second fixed sum added upon the salary.

 

Your DSC does not affect it, nor does the 18% "gratuity" added to the UBP and specialty dining.

 

For example, if I choose the UBP as my "free at sea" and pay the 18% mandatory "gratuity" attached to it, the crew does not make one penny more than if I had chosen a non-gratuity perk, such as free Wifi.

 

The TWO recent DSC increases (within a 4 month period in 2015) along with the addition of the mandatory 18% service charge for specialty dining and drinks have NOT increased staff pay.

 

Still don't believe me?

 

Ask yourself this.

 

NCL is a publicly traded company. Their obligation is to the shareholders, not the crew. They need to make the crew happy to the point where they can staff properly and motivate them to perform their job, but not beyond that. They are not a charity.

 

NCL raised the DSC twice in a 4-month period and tacked on 18% service charges to popular ship perks such as specialty dining and drinks. This all happened within a very short period of time in 2015. Ask yourself this: Why would NCL have raised service charges so sharply, in such a short period of time, if it's all going to the crew? Why would they either alienate customers or cut into the budget of what they otherwise would have spent onboard, simply to raise crew pay at a pace FAR outpacing inflation?

 

I look forward to the answer to the above.

 

I realize that it feels much better to believe that your DSC and 18% service charges are "tipping" the hardworking employees.

 

I honestly like most of the NCL crewmembers I encounter. I respect that many of them work very hard, and in many cases are spending most of the year away from my family in order to send money home to them.

 

However, I don't delude myself into believing I am tipping them via the mandatory service charges. I am not. If I want to feel good about tipping, I actually hand them cash and tip them. That's the only way you can really do it.

 

First-world travelers, especially ones from the US, have a defense mechanism which allows them to enjoy their cruise vacation while ignoring the lifestyle/class difference between them and the help. By believing they are tipping these employees, they feel good, and therefore intentionally avoid seeing what these service charges actually are -- additional profit for the cruise ilne.

 

Sorry, but that's the harsh reality.

 

Also, even if you believe that the DSC goes entirely to the crew in order to foster a "team environment" (as chengkp95 contends), that model would fail because there are simply too many crew members dividing it. For each person removing the DSC on a typical NCL ship with 1150 crewmembers, it would cost each crewmember 8 cents. Seriously. Do the math yourself.

 

But don't worry. NCL doesn't deduct the 8 cents from the crew when you remove the DSC. In fact, they can't, because US-based passengers (the vast majority of NCL cruisers) cannot remove the DSC onboard, and must engage in a slow process back on land, which refunds the DSC over a month later. So how could this even be done? By the time the DSC is removed, some crew might not even be working for NCL anymore, and some new crew might be there who weren't even employed by NCL when that DSC remover's cruise took place. What does NCL do? Do you think they go back and demand the 8 cents back from the crew after-the-fact?

 

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here, though.

 

I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why NCL increased so many service charges last year (thus cutting into each cruiser's vacation budget, and becoming a less competitive product overall), if it's simply to increase crew play.

Edited September 20, 2016 by pokerpro5

[rochelle_s]

They pony it up from the profits.

 

 

 

Thank you this is very good to know.

 

 

Rochelle

[pokerpro5]

They pony it up from the profits.

 

Thank you this is very good to know.

 

Read my long explanation above.

 

That's not what really happens. The DSC and service charges go directly into the coffers of NCL, of which a certain percentage is used to pay the FIXED salary and "tips" of crewmembers.

 

There is no "ponying it up from the profits", nor would this ever occur anyway, given that the average NCL ship sees only about 1% removal of the DSC.

 

I guarantee that if you could see internal NCL documents accurately describing crew pay and where the DSC/service charge money goes, you would be quite unhappy.

 

To be fair to NCL, this is an industry-wide practice, and not unique to them. All major lines do this.

[pokerpro5]

I should also note that, while I know nothing of chengkp95's life, he is from Maine and has almost 9,000 posts here.

 

Therefore, you are not getting inside info from a crewmember. You are reading inaccurate conclusions drawn by a poster here who apparently has no actual connection to any crewmembers. (On the flip side, I actually have direct contact with several former and current crewmembers of several major cruise lines.)

[sparks1093]

I should also note that, while I know nothing of chengkp95's life, he is from Maine and has almost 9,000 posts here.

 

Therefore, you are not getting inside info from a crewmember. You are reading inaccurate conclusions drawn by a poster here who apparently has no actual connection to any crewmembers. (On the flip side, I actually have direct contact with several former and current crewmembers of several major cruise lines.)

 

He is a maritime Chief Engineer and his stints include time onboard cruise ships, including on NCL.

Edited September 20, 2016 by sparks1093

[chengkp75]

 

First off, I believe he is referring to the Maritime Labor Convention of 2006, not the Manila Labor Convention of 2006. But let's put this aside and dissect his statements.

 

You are correct, but it is commonly referred to as the Manila convention

 

It is true that, among the standards set, there is a $614 minimum wage (per month) for crewmembers. This $614 wage was just established in 2016. It was $592 in 2015, $585 in 2014, and lower in prior years.

 

It is also true that this can be a CONSOLIDATED wage. This means that it's okay to pay an employee less than $614 if his tips plus salary still add up to $614 or more. This is already important to note, as this means tipping is already subsidizing the cruise line, and allowing them to use your tips directly for salary instead of paying minimum wage!

 

Up until this point of his explanation, I agree with chengkp95.

 

However, he then jumps into the DSC reduction affecting staff pay, which has nothing to do with any of the above.

 

NCL gives all employees fixed pay (aside from cash tips added onto the mandatory service charge).

 

And you know this how?

 

The TWO recent DSC increases (within a 4 month period in 2015) along with the addition of the mandatory 18% service charge for specialty dining and drinks have NOT increased staff pay.

 

Still don't believe me?

 

Ask yourself this.

 

NCL is a publicly traded company. Their obligation is to the shareholders, not the crew. They need to make the crew happy to the point where they can staff properly and motivate them to perform their job, but not beyond that. They are not a charity.

 

NCL raised the DSC twice in a 4-month period and tacked on 18% service charges to popular ship perks such as specialty dining and drinks. This all happened within a very short period of time in 2015. Ask yourself this: Why would NCL have raised service charges so sharply, in such a short period of time, if it's all going to the crew? Why would they either alienate customers or cut into the budget of what they otherwise would have spent onboard, simply to raise crew pay at a pace FAR outpacing inflation?

 

I look forward to the answer to the above.

 

I realize that it feels much better to believe that your DSC and 18% service charges are "tipping" the hardworking employees.

 

I honestly like most of the NCL crewmembers I encounter. I respect that many of them work very hard, and in many cases are spending most of the year away from my family in order to send money home to them.

 

However, I don't delude myself into believing I am tipping them via the mandatory service charges. I am not. If I want to feel good about tipping, I actually hand them cash and tip them. That's the only way you can really do it.

 

First-world travelers, especially ones from the US, have a defense mechanism which allows them to enjoy their cruise vacation while ignoring the lifestyle/class difference between them and the help. By believing they are tipping these employees, they feel good, and therefore intentionally avoid seeing what these service charges actually are -- additional profit for the cruise ilne.

 

Sorry, but that's the harsh reality.

 

Also, even if you believe that the DSC goes entirely to the crew in order to foster a "team environment" (as chengkp95 contends), that model would fail because there are simply too many crew members dividing it. For each person removing the DSC on a typical NCL ship with 1150 crewmembers, it would cost each crewmember 8 cents. Seriously. Do the math yourself.

 

First off, I don't believe that I ever said that the entire DSC goes to the crews' salary. I know that a portion of it doesn't, it used to go to the crew welfare fund, but in the last few years, I can't say what the exact breakdown is. Secondly, not the entire crew is in the DSC pool. The cabin stewards, the wait staff, some back of house (laundry used to be in), and that's about it. Not everyone signs the same employment contract. Some positions are DSC based, and most are not.

 

But don't worry. NCL doesn't deduct the 8 cents from the crew when you remove the DSC. In fact, they can't, because US-based passengers (the vast majority of NCL cruisers) cannot remove the DSC onboard, and must engage in a slow process back on land, which refunds the DSC over a month later. So how could this even be done? By the time the DSC is removed, some crew might not even be working for NCL anymore, and some new crew might be there who weren't even employed by NCL when that DSC remover's cruise took place. What does NCL do? Do you think they go back and demand the 8 cents back from the crew after-the-fact?

 

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves here, though.

 

I'm still waiting for an explanation as to why NCL increased so many service charges last year (thus cutting into each cruiser's vacation budget, and becoming a less competitive product overall), if it's simply to increase crew play.

 

But I will not get into a tipping thread debate, I am just telling my experience working for NCL.

Edited September 20, 2016 by chengkp75

[pokerpro5]

He is a Chief Engineer and his stints include time onboard cruise ships, including on NCL.

 

A position like that wouldn't be compensated by the DSC, and thus he is probably unaware of the actual payment model.

 

As I said, he is correct about the minimum monthly pay and how tips can allow the cruise line to actually pay them less than that minimum, but that actually strengthens my point, rather than weaken it.

 

I am still waiting for someone to explain why there were so many sharp raises in service charges in 2015, if it's all simply being forwarded to the crew.

 

Does NCL not care about making money?

[Annmeat]

When were these books written? Since the common utilization of the DSC?

 

I would be very surprised if any former cruise employees claimed that the DSC was equivalent to tips, as even NCL carefully avoids saying that on their own webpage.

 

Besides, that article is full of other laughably fictitious anecdotes, such as the "NY Seafood Magnate" gambler who tried to make a woman cry because he lost a whopping $300.

 

I no longer have the books, don't care when they were written and the DSC is of no interest to me. I was commenting on the similarities between the short article and the much longer books.

 

I also have zero interest in how the DSC is , if it even is, divvied up.

I have seen wealthy, arrogant jerks try to humiliate others over much less than $300.

 

Have a dandy day!

[chengkp75]

A position like that wouldn't be compensated by the DSC, and thus he is probably unaware of the actual payment model.

 

As I said, he is correct about the minimum monthly pay and how tips can allow the cruise line to actually pay them less than that minimum, but that actually strengthens my point, rather than weaken it.

 

I am still waiting for someone to explain why there were so many sharp raises in service charges in 2015, if it's all simply being forwarded to the crew.

 

Does NCL not care about making money?

 

Ah, but according to you, I would be one of the 1150 crew divvying up the DSC down to 8 cents. I've never said I was in the DSC pool, but as I've said before (other current thread, I think), the DSC and its effect on crew salary was a weekly discussion at the revenue meeting attended by all department heads, and my department could come in for serious pressure if the housekeeping staff were losing DSC because of mechanical problems.

[pokerpro5]

I don't believe that I ever said that the entire DSC goes to the crews' salary. I know that a portion of it doesn't, it used to go to the crew welfare fund, but in the last few years, I can't say what the exact breakdown is. Secondly, not the entire crew is in the DSC pool. The cabin stewards, the wait staff, some back of house (laundry used to be in), and that's about it. Not everyone signs the same employment contract. Some positions are DSC based, and most are not.

 

I guess you never said the entire DSC goes to the crew's fund, but your post implied it (even if not intentionally), which already excited several people here who wanted to believe the DSC was equivalent to tipping.

 

"Crew welfare fund" is just a fancy way of shifting numbers in the NCL books. Originally these expenses came from the NCL operations budget, but now the DSC "funds" it instead. It's a big shell game. The simplest way to look at it is that NCL is keeping the money, and then earmarking that money for expenses incurred by employees.

 

You are correct that not all positions are DSC based, but again this is just a shell game regarding how NCL claims on paper that the money was spent.

 

The bottom line is that it is strongly implied to passengers that the DSC falls into a big pool and is divided fairly among crew members, and that it's equivalent to the old tipping model (but more equitable). This is false. In reality, the DSC is just a fund to reimburse NCL for expenses it would have paid anyway. That's why they raised the DSC and other service charges so sharply last year. They wanted more "reimbursement"! It was just a backdoor fare increase without showing up in the price search tools.

 

Again, I am not bashing NCL here. It is an industry-wide practice at this point.

 

 

But I will not get into a tipping thread debate, I am just telling my experience working for NCL.

 

I am about to go out and do other things, and don't have time to debate this further, so that's good.

 

However, I would like to hear of your experience working for NCL. Your position was not part of the DSC, right? Did you personally know crewmembers who found their "tips" portion of the paycheck reduced due to DSC removals? And how much were these reductions?

Edited September 20, 2016 by pokerpro5

[sparks1093]

A position like that wouldn't be compensated by the DSC, and thus he is probably unaware of the actual payment model.

 

As I said, he is correct about the minimum monthly pay and how tips can allow the cruise line to actually pay them less than that minimum, but that actually strengthens my point, rather than weaken it.

 

I am still waiting for someone to explain why there were so many sharp raises in service charges in 2015, if it's all simply being forwarded to the crew.

 

Does NCL not care about making money?

 

He's a member of management and would know how the crew is getting paid. The strongest argument against what you are saying is still the simplest- if the service charges represents revenue to NCL then there would be no way for passengers to adjust it. As for a minimum monthly amount I think it's similar to tipped staff at land based establishments- they receive a lower minimum wage and their tips; as long as the two equal or exceed full minimum wage the employer need not do anything. If they total less than the minimum wage then the employer has to make up the difference.

[suesings]

It is true that, among the standards set, there is a $614 minimum wage (per month) for crewmembers. This $614 wage was just established in 2016. It was $592 in 2015, $585 in 2014, and lower in prior years.

 

It is also true that this can be a CONSOLIDATED wage. This means that it's okay to pay an employee less than $614 if his tips plus salary still add up to $614 or more. This is already important to note, as this means tipping is already subsidizing the cruise line, and allowing them to use your tips directly for salary instead of paying minimum wage!

 

$614 a MONTH or less (if they get tips)!!?? Is this for all staff on the ship or just the room stewards, laundry people, lower jobs? Jeez.... to live in the bottom of a boat for 6 months away from their children and family and cater to some people (not all of course) who don't even think they deserve tips or respect? Now I know why you never see Americans working on cruise ships (unless they are part of the entertainment or higher ups).

[pokerpro5]

Ah, but according to you, I would be one of the 1150 crew divvying up the DSC down to 8 cents. I've never said I was in the DSC pool, but as I've said before (other current thread, I think), the DSC and its effect on crew salary was a weekly discussion at the revenue meeting attended by all department heads, and my department could come in for serious pressure if the housekeeping staff were losing DSC because of mechanical problems.

 

How do you know you weren't just being snowed by management, attempting to make you believe that housekeeping would be punished if mechanical problems caused them to lose DSC?

 

Also, as has been noted many times, Europeans are much more likely to remove DSC, due to both a lack of tipping culture and their ease of doing so onboard.

 

Did you hear from any crew saying that they got paid significantly less on European-based ships for this reason? I bet you didn't.

[suesings]

But I will not get into a tipping thread debate, I am just telling my experience working for NCL.

 

Thank you. I, for one, appreciate your knowledge.

[pokerpro5]

He's a member of management and would know how the crew is getting paid. The strongest argument against what you are saying is still the simplest- if the service charges represents revenue to NCL then there would be no way for passengers to adjust it. As for a minimum monthly amount I think it's similar to tipped staff at land based establishments- they receive a lower minimum wage and their tips; as long as the two equal or exceed full minimum wage the employer need not do anything. If they total less than the minimum wage then the employer has to make up the difference.

 

There are many reasons that one would be allowed to adjust the service charge, including legal ones. The ability to adjust it does not mean that the service charges are being distributed directly to crew.

 

Even chengkp95 has already acknowledged that portions of the DSC are taken out for a "welfare fund" for the crew (meaning they are using it to pay operational expenses.)

 

Why are you ignoring the sharp increases in DSC/service charges in 2015? Can you explain why NCL would have done this if it's all going to the crew?

 

Convenient how everyone wanting to believe DSC are gratuities are ignoring that inconvenient fact.

[Annmeat]

Thank you. I, for one, appreciate your knowledge.

 

As do I. Many thanks, Chengkp

Edited September 20, 2016 by Annmeat

[pokerpro5]

$614 a MONTH or less (if they get tips)!!?? Is this for all staff on the ship or just the room stewards, laundry people, lower jobs? Jeez.... to live in the bottom of a boat for 6 months away from their children and family and cater to some people (not all of course) who don't even think they deserve tips or respect? Now I know why you never see Americans working on cruise ships (unless they are part of the entertainment or higher ups).

 

Correct. This wage is the reason first-world citizens usually do not work on cruise ships.

 

However, $614 per month (with no room and board expenses) is good money to people from developing countries. Some send the money home to their families, and the single ones just bank it, and can accumulate a nice chunk of change (by their country's standards) after some years of service.

 

Cruise ship employees are actually far better off than most citizens of their home countries, as difficult as that might be to believe.

 

Still, if you have a crewmember who does an exceptional job, you should throw them a cash tip, as it would really mean a lot to them. I have done this before, and will continue to do it because I know that the DSC and services charges are not tipping anyone.

[chengkp75]

$614 a MONTH or less (if they get tips)!!?? Is this for all staff on the ship or just the room stewards, laundry people, lower jobs? Jeez.... to live in the bottom of a boat for 6 months away from their children and family and cater to some people (not all of course) who don't even think they deserve tips or respect? Now I know why you never see Americans working on cruise ships (unless they are part of the entertainment or higher ups).

 

That is the minimum wage. Folks like the engineering staff get paid better (they have a collective bargaining agreement), but lets just say that the "engine boys" (entry level engineers, or "wipers" in the US) made $1.25/hour as their overtime rate in 2004. Entry level in the hotel side was worse (pot washers, sanitation crew, hotel utilities), and most of these are not in the DSC pool.

 

As stated in the other thread, an example would be a salary of $700/month, of which $450 is salary, and $250 is DSC. So, if all DSC was removed (every passenger, not likely), then the cruise line would have to make up the difference between $450 and $614.

[chengkp75]

How do you know you weren't just being snowed by management, attempting to make you believe that housekeeping would be punished if mechanical problems caused them to lose DSC?

 

Also, as has been noted many times, Europeans are much more likely to remove DSC, due to both a lack of tipping culture and their ease of doing so onboard.

 

Did you hear from any crew saying that they got paid significantly less on European-based ships for this reason? I bet you didn't.

 

Because as Chief, I was part of ship's management. There were 5 senior officers onboard who managed the ship: Captain, Staff Captain, Chief Engineer, Staff Chief Engineer, and Hotel Director. All equal except the Captain. All were friends, so there was no snowing going on, and guess what, the payroll is done onboard, and the revenue statements are sent to the home office onboard, so we see the financials on a week to week basis.

 

And yes I have seen where crew suddenly decides to not re-up their contracts en masse when a ship is repositioned to Europe or Oz, because of the tipping culture. Also, it was a weekly topic of passenger demographics as to how many Europeans or Australians were onboard. If I remember right, there was a mechanism for when the demographics exceeded a certain number, or the DSC was reduced for "no reason noted" by people from these demographics to keep the crew satisfied.

 

I believe you are seeing the same thing with the Joy, where the crew is resisting going to that ship because of the Chinese tipping culture.

[chengkp75]

There are many reasons that one would be allowed to adjust the service charge, including legal ones. The ability to adjust it does not mean that the service charges are being distributed directly to crew.

 

Even chengkp95 has already acknowledged that portions of the DSC are taken out for a "welfare fund" for the crew (meaning they are using it to pay operational expenses.)

 

Why are you ignoring the sharp increases in DSC/service charges in 2015? Can you explain why NCL would have done this if it's all going to the crew?

 

Convenient how everyone wanting to believe DSC are gratuities are ignoring that inconvenient fact.

 

Well, the crew welfare fund is not an operational expense. The company does provide a certain level of entertainment for the crew (gym equipment, computers), but if the crew want to spruce up the crew rec room, or have a party, or do something to raise morale, that is not, and never has been a company expense. For a party to celebrate the birth of a child for one of my engine crew, as one example of our parties, the engineering officers had to kick in to pay F&B for the food.

 

How about this for a possible explanation of the DSC increases? The company is finding itself losing trained staff as newer and bigger (more staff) ships come on line, so they are increasing salaries, and using the DSC as the motive force. Not the best way to do it, but in this industry, pretty common.

[NLH Arizona]

Yes, we saw the figures for DSC collected, the amount opted out, and the amount given to crew.

 

Why can't I give accurate numbers? Let's see, this was 8 years ago, and can you give me accurate figures for your previous employer's income from 8 years ago?

God bless you, you have the patience of a saint.

[chengkp75]

That would be a massive raise, and no corporation gives such massive raises when there is already high demand for the positions in question.

 

Here is the real answer:

 

Most of the DSC goes into NCL's coffers. Even if you ignore all of my messages and completely believe chengkp95's account of things, it's still clear that most of the DSC is used to allow NCL to pay a base salary far less than minimum wage, because tips "make up" for it.

 

Basic math means that NCL is confiscating most of these "gratuities" for itself. You cool with that?

 

The funny thing is that chengkp95 and I mostly agree, if you really think about it. The only place we differ is that I am claiming removing the DSC does not directly come out of crew salaries, unless it's done en masse for a specific reason (such as a large number of people removing it due to poor housekeeping). chengkp95 is claiming that each DSC removal does decrease staff pay by a small amount for each passenger doing it.

 

But we both agree that most of the DSC is confiscated for payment of minimum wage salaries and basic employee expenses. That is not a tip.

 

I've never said the DSC was a tip, and if you've followed my postings on the topic over the years, I refuse to call it a tip or a gratuity. It isn't, it is a service charge, that is used to make up crew pay. Pure and simple. And I wouldn't say it was "confiscated".

 

And what happens when a DSC was reduced (and this was when it could be done onboard, but you still put the reduction in motion within a week), if it was a housekeeping problem, the group of stewards where that cabin was (maybe 10-20 stewards) would be affected, not the remainder of the DSC pool. This was and is why they ask for the reason for the DSC reduction.

 

Secondly, based on talks with friends still in the industry, the demand for jobs is not that great anymore, which is why there is the constant increase in complaints about poorer service "than in the old days" as less capable and less motivated crew are hired.

[chengkp75]

Okay, give us the 2008 numbers.

 

You claim you saw the DSC collected in 2008 and the amount distributed to the crew.

 

What percentage of the DSC in 2008 did you see make it to crew paychecks?

 

And what percentage of that was simply making up for minimum wage which would have been paid by NCL anyway?

 

Not looking for exact numbers, but it should be memorable regarding the approximate percentages you saw.

 

Okay, last post here.

 

In those days, there wasn't a minimum wage, so DSC made up about 75-80% of the salary for DSC pool crew. So, you could say that 100% of it was "making up for minimum wage". I believe that at that time, the welfare fund took about 6% of DSC, with the remainder going to crew salary.

 

You got some rough income figures for your boss from 2008?

[suesings]

Correct. This wage is the reason first-world citizens usually do not work on cruise ships.

 

However, $614 per month (with no room and board expenses) is good money to people from developing countries. Some send the money home to their families, and the single ones just bank it, and can accumulate a nice chunk of change (by their country's standards) after some years of service.

 

Cruise ship employees are actually far better off than most citizens of their home countries, as difficult as that might be to believe.

 

Still, if you have a crewmember who does an exceptional job, you should throw them a cash tip, as it would really mean a lot to them. I have done this before, and will continue to do it because I know that the DSC and services charges are not tipping anyone.

 

I do believe that a cruise member is usually better off than most citizens of their home country (depending on the country of course) but that still doesn't make me think living on a ship for 6 months away from my children and family for $614 is an easy, ideal job. I could not deal with some of the uppity, disrespectful passengers who think they are better and owed just because they weren't born in a 3rd world country (I know not everyone is like this). I will continue to be grateful for their service to me and be kind and respectful (hopefully giving them a pleasant week to make up for some of the bozos I have seen onboard cruise ships.

[suesings]

Are you sure insurance is taken out of the DSC?

 

I had read that it went for crew health insurance. But maybe not??