Gratuities/service charges

[dingadong]

Wonder if anyone can help. first time on NCL. only ever cruised with Thomson All Inclusive. These include gratuities. We have all inclusive drinks package on this cruise. Have been advised that we can opt out of gratuities (£8.50 pppd) by advising reception on arrival, we would much rather tip staff we come into direct contact with. Is this the case? Also, is there an additional tax added onto alcholic drinks? Read something elsewhere that this is the case? Very confusing :eek::eek:.

[kerryincork]

Hi

 

The staff on the American cruise lines get paid a pittance and work 14 hours a day, 7 days a week, 6 months at a time. If you truly feel they don't deserve £8.50 a day. You can of course go to guess services, to reduce the daily tip or remove it if you want.

It's a part of American culture to tip everyone, American cruise lines know this so build this in how they pay there staff. I know this goes against the grain, but when you sail on American ships this is how it is unless you go for top of the range cruise lines , where you pay a lot more.

 

I think the procedure is different if you are from the UK. US guests can't remove the tips without filling in a form and sending it in to the main office.

 

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[KeithJenner]

There is an 18% gratuity added on to your bar purchases.

 

The service charge (which is actually around $13.50 per person per day) covers other staff like your room steward, wait staff in restaurants and other backroom staff.

 

The £8.50 per day rate only applies if you prepay it, and this makes sense if you are going to leave it intact due to the exchange rate.

 

As you are from the UK I believe that it is easier to remove the charge and the form isn't required. If you do intend to tip though (and I'm not going into the ethics of it here) then I really don't see the logic in creating work for yourself when a system exists to do it automatically, which all of the staff have signed up to when they took their employment.

[$hip$hape]

There is an 18% gratuity added on to your bar purchases.

 

The service charge (which is actually around $13.50 per person per day) covers other staff like your room steward, wait staff in restaurants and other backroom staff.

 

The £8.50 per day rate only applies if you prepay it, and this makes sense if you are going to leave it intact due to the exchange rate.

 

As you are from the UK I believe that it is easier to remove the charge and the form isn't required.

If you do intend to tip though (and I'm not going into the ethics of it here) then

I really don't see the logic in creating work for yourself when a system exists to do it automatically,

which all of the staff have signed up to when they took their employment.

Thank you for another well written reply.

[SeaShark]

Wonder if anyone can help. first time on NCL. only ever cruised with Thomson All Inclusive. These include gratuities. We have all inclusive drinks package on this cruise. Have been advised that we can opt out of gratuities (£8.50 pppd) by advising reception on arrival, we would much rather tip staff we come into direct contact with. Is this the case? Also, is there an additional tax added onto alcholic drinks? Read something elsewhere that this is the case? Very confusing :eek::eek:.

 

So when the the gratuities were included (in ALL of your prior cruise experiences) you had no problem. But now that they are a separate line item you would "much rather" tip directly? Why? If you simply pay the DSC that is added to your invoice, then they will be included just like on Thomson.

 

Why the change?

[BirdTravels]

Wonder if anyone can help. first time on NCL. only ever cruised with Thomson All Inclusive. These include gratuities. We have all inclusive drinks package on this cruise. Have been advised that we can opt out of gratuities (£8.50 pppd) by advising reception on arrival, we would much rather tip staff we come into direct contact with. Is this the case? Also, is there an additional tax added onto alcholic drinks? Read something elsewhere that this is the case? Very confusing :eek::eek:.

 

Don't be cheap. Just pay the £8.50 pppd as it goes to more than the person that is directly serving you. It is shared with all those who make your cruise experience wonderful. There may be an small tax charge whilst you are at your US embarkation port. After that, all drinks are tax free.

[cb at sea]

Just do the DSC...it covers EVERYONE who should be tipped.

[sanger727]

Other people have addressed the gratuities; agree its best just to leave those in place and all your tipping obligations are covered.

 

Will you have the ultimate beverage package? If you do there are no gratuities on the covered drinks and U.K. Customers don't pay the service charge that US customers pay. If you order drinks while in a US port, you will be charged sales tax on the value of the drink (somewhere in the realm of 7%, so $0.70 per $10 drink. Once you get into international waters this doesn't apply.

 

If you don't have the UBP, there will also be a 18% charge on every drink you order for the gratuities and that is not removeable. The taxes while in US ports will apply as well.

 

18% is added onto virtually every purchase on the ship outside of retail/internet.... so drinks, specialty dining, spa treatments, fitness classes...

 

 

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[easyboy]

As you are from the UK I believe that it is easier to remove the charge and the form isn't required. If you do intend to tip though (and I'm not going into the ethics of it here) then I really don't see the logic in creating work for yourself when a system exists to do it automatically, which all of the staff have signed up to when they took their employment.

Absolutely agree!

[dingadong]

Other people have addressed the gratuities; agree its best just to leave those in place and all your tipping obligations are covered.

 

Will you have the ultimate beverage package? If you do there are no gratuities on the covered drinks and U.K. Customers don't pay the service charge that US customers pay. If you order drinks while in a US port, you will be charged sales tax on the value of the drink (somewhere in the realm of 7%, so $0.70 per $10 drink. Once you get into international waters this doesn't apply.

 

If you don't have the UBP, there will also be a 18% charge on every drink you order for the gratuities and that is not removeable. The taxes while in US ports will apply as well.

 

18% is added onto virtually every purchase on the ship outside of retail/internet.... so drinks, specialty dining, spa treatments, fitness classes...

 

 

Thanks for this. Just for the record, I am in the UK and agree, your culture re tipping is very different from ours, and on booking from the UK, it would not appear that sales tax is included. On previous cruises, as I said we tip individually,and there is the option to contribute to the crew welfare fund, which we do and also participate in fund raising events for the crew during the course of the cruise. Our gratuities are included in the cost of the cruise, so forgive me for asking these questions, my intention is not to offend anyone. Many thanks to you those of you who have taken the time to explain the system.

 

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[dingadong]

Other people have addressed the gratuities; agree its best just to leave those in place and all your tipping obligations are covered.

 

Will you have the ultimate beverage package? If you do there are no gratuities on the covered drinks and U.K. Customers don't pay the service charge that US customers pay. If you order drinks while in a US port, you will be charged sales tax on the value of the drink (somewhere in the realm of 7%, so $0.70 per $10 drink. Once you get into international waters this doesn't apply.

 

If you don't have the UBP, there will also be a 18% charge on every drink you order for the gratuities and that is not removeable. The taxes while in US ports will apply as well.

 

18% is added onto virtually every purchase on the ship outside of retail/internet.... so drinks, specialty dining, spa treatments, fitness classes...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks for this. Just for the record, I am in the UK and agree, your culture re tipping is very different from ours, and on booking from the UK, it would not appear that sales tax is included. On previous cruises, as I said we tip individually,and there is the option to contribute to the crew welfare fund, which we do and also participate in fund raising events for the crew during the course of the cruise. Our gratuities are included in the cost of the cruise, so forgive me for asking these questions, my intention is not to offend anyone. Many thanks to you those of you who have taken the time to explain the system.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Starflyr3]

Just do the DSC...it covers EVERYONE who should be tipped.

 

Unless you're in a Suite or the Haven, or you use services that not everyone will use. Butler and concierge are not in the DSC pool, neither are bartenders or kids club staff.