Explore 4 and Hotel Service Charge question

[Torquer]

We just finished a great cruise. There were 4 of us staying in the Pinnacle Suite, my wife, myself, and our 2 nearly-adult sons. We had the Explore 4 package for my wife and I which includes the $13.50 per day hotel service charge. Of course, we understood we would have to pay $13.50 per day for each of our sons.

 

Now the strange thing was how this appeared on the final itemized bill for the cruise. For each day of the cruise, there were only three hotel service charges on the bill, not four as I would have expected. One of these three also had a $13.50 credit for the Explore 4; the other two were for $13.50 we would have to pay.

 

So the amount of money we are being billed for out of pocket is correct: $13.50 times 2 times the number of days. However, I am concerned that HAL is not giving one service charge per day to the the crew, like it should. The crew should be getting $13.50 times 4 times the number of days, although we are only paying for 2 and HAL should be paying the other 2 to the crew.

 

We questioned the concierge in the Neptune Lounge and they said this is how accounting does it. Still it seems strange. Has anyone else seen this before?

[RocketMan275]

The bill you received is merely an explanation of the charges to your account. It has nothing to do with how Holland pays the crew. Suppose Holland showed four service charges and two credits. How would this assure you that the crew was being properly paid?

[Vict0riann]

I think the same thing happened to us on Prinsendam in November. Just one HSC charge per day, and then it was deducted. I'm afraid we never questioned it, just took it for granted that this was how they were accounting for the "pre-paid service charges". It did seem strange, and a couple of times I asked at the front dest if they had really united our accounts, but they assured me they had.

[Torquer]

The bill you received is merely an explanation of the charges to your account. It has nothing to do with how Holland pays the crew. Suppose Holland showed four service charges and two credits. How would this assure you that the crew was being properly paid?

 

Well it would not. However, the way it is on the bill suggests there is a mistake and the crew is not being compensated properly. Just wanted to know if anyone has seen this before.

 

BTW, if I ever heard that HAL, or any cruise line, was not giving the crew 100% of hotel service charges, I would not cruise with that line again. I am sure many others feel the same way.

[RocketMan275]

Well it would not. However, the way it is on the bill suggests there is a mistake and the crew is not being compensated properly. Just wanted to know if anyone has seen this before.

 

BTW, if I ever heard that HAL, or any cruise line, was not giving the crew 100% of hotel service charges, I would not cruise with that line again. I am sure many others feel the same way.

 

The only thing that would suggest that Holland was short changing the crew would be the credits and debits in the account used to pay the crew.

[cb at sea]

The crew was getting what was due them...no worries!

[cbr663]

OP, that is very strange indeed. It would certainly lead me to believe that the crew was being short changed also. How else would it be captured?

 

As can be expected, your question on the discrepancy wasn't really answered.

[RocketMan275]

OP, that is very strange indeed. It would certainly lead me to believe that the crew was being short changed also. How else would it be captured?

 

As can be expected, your question on the discrepancy wasn't really answered.

 

How is this handled when there are only two persons in the cabin and both have complimentary gratuities? Are there debits and credits on the account?

[RuthC]

BTW, if I ever heard that HAL, or any cruise line, was not giving the crew 100% of hotel service charges, I would not cruise with that line again.

I'm willing to bet that if the crew weren't getting the HSC they earned, the union that agreed to this system in the first place would be all over it.

 

Something this big, the inclusion in Explore 4 and how it's reflected in passenger bills, would be noticed pretty quickly.

[oceanmom]

How is this handled when there are only two persons in the cabin and both have complimentary gratuities? Are there debits and credits on the account?

 

Yes, each day the gratuity charge shows up on your statement and then a matching credit. The same thing happened with the free internet--we were told to sign up for the unlimited, were charged for it, and had a matching credit.

[RBB]

I'm willing to bet that if the crew weren't getting the HSC they earned, the union that agreed to this system in the first place would be all over it.

 

Something this big, the inclusion in Explore 4 and how it's reflected in passenger bills, would be noticed pretty quickly.

 

HAL crew have a union? Cruise companies like HAL are not subject to US labor laws (so decided by the Supreme Court some 50 years ago), so I would be very surprised if they had a union. If they did have a union they would probably be earning more, with better conditions, than they do.

[IndyDenise]

Wouldn't this also affect the additional days credit ( 1 day for $300.00) ?

 

While only the first two passengers are eligible the credit is based on the total spending per cabin, gratuity included.

 

 

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[RuthC]

HAL crew have a union? Cruise companies like HAL are not subject to US labor laws (so decided by the Supreme Court some 50 years ago), so I would be very surprised if they had a union.

Believe what you like. Unions are not limited to the United States, nor do they all follow the same model.

 

The various steward groups aboard HAL ships had representation when the HSC was introduced and "Tipping not required" was no longer the rule.

Hard to believe that it's been as long as it has been. We've all become very used to it.

[RBB]

Believe what you like. Unions are not limited to the United States, nor do they all follow the same model.

 

The various steward groups aboard HAL ships had representation when the HSC was introduced and "Tipping not required" was no longer the rule.

Hard to believe that it's been as long as it has been. We've all become very used to it.

 

If so, I'm glad to hear it. Surprised, but glad.

[cbr663]

If so, I'm glad to hear it. Surprised, but glad.

 

Please understand that term "union" when describing cruise ships in no way resembles any understanding of the North American organized labour movement.

 

In 2012 P&O Cruise lines (owned by Carnival Corp) fired 150 wait staff who protested over low pay and the with holding of tips. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/jul/01/arcadia-cruise-ship-indian-crew?newsfeed=true

 

A well written research project "Vacation In No Mans Sea" has a wonderful section on the abuse of cruise ship crew entitled "Sweatshops On the High Seas". A read of it will help demonstrate how superfluous the term "union" is for cruise ship crew. You can find it at this link: http://huelladigital.univisionnoticias.com/cruceros-vacaciones-en-aguas-de-nadie/trabajo/?lang=en.