Norwegian Cruise Line to Raise Gratuities

[Uhleashyuh]

I keep seeing people suggest it's a smaller amount like what you quoted above and I think maybe I'm missing something so I'll do the math to see if I'm looking at it incorrectly:

 

4 people X $13.99 PER PERSON PER DAY X 7 day cruise= $391.72

 

VERSUS NEW INCREASE OF

 

4 people X $16.99 PER PERSON PER DAY X 7 day cruise= $475.72

 

That's an $84 difference for a family of four. While $84 won't break the bank it is still a larger increase than .49 per day that you calculated above. Also, at an extra $500 per cruise, that completely changes the rate they quote when you book. That needs to be communicated at booking. When I took my first two cruises I was a student who got one as a gift and saved for the second. A potential $500 increase at that time would've been the difference of cruise or no cruise. I'm sure this isn't their last price increase so eventually it seems they'll make lots of people rethink the number of cruise vacations they take if they keep increasing.

 

Hopefully I'm wrong in my tallies above (#FingersCrossed) but can you explain your calculations and how you got $0.49?

 

BTW, I've seen several other posters on the threads agree with your tally. I'm not being combative or cantankerous, just curious. [emoji5]

 

Thanks

 

 

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You just jumped to many tiers... if you are in a mini suite or lower it was just raised .49pp per day. if you are in a suite and above i believe it went up 1.49pp per day.

 

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[Uhleashyuh]

You just jumped to many tiers... if you are in a mini suite or lower it was just raised .49pp per day. if you are in a suite and above i believe it went up 1.49pp per day.

 

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EXCEPT SKY 😉

 

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[WeAllLove2Travel]

Ok!! Thanks! That makes me feel much better! I can handle $0.49 [emoji6]

 

 

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[Sir_Randy]

Another spin on the subject, this $18.99 per day "discretionary daily service charge" equates to approximately 20% tip on a 4 day Sky cruise at $399 (someone can check my math if they like). We usually tip 20% when we go out to dinner, where a waiter waits on us, but not when we got to a buffet. If we are sitting at a bar and just order drinks, I usually throw the bartender a $1 for bring us a couple drinks, but it's not 20%. If you went to Golden Corral or the Golden China for a buffet dinner, and they automatically added a 20% tip, you would be ok with that when all they did is clear your plates and bring you water? If you eat at the specialty restaurants, you get charged another 18% gratuity, they are double dipping on the tipping! Not a fan of forced tipping, if they are going to automatically charge you $18.99 per day, just add it to the price of the cruise and call it a day! Just food for thought.

[LeesaB]

Another spin on the subject, this $18.99 per day "discretionary daily service charge" equates to approximately 20% tip on a 4 day Sky cruise at $399 (someone can check my math if they like). We usually tip 20% when we go out to dinner, where a waiter waits on us, but not when we got to a buffet. If we are sitting at a bar and just order drinks, I usually throw the bartender a $1 for bring us a couple drinks, but it's not 20%. If you went to Golden Corral or the Golden China for a buffet dinner, and they automatically added a 20% tip, you would be ok with that when all they did is clear your plates and bring you water? If you eat at the specialty restaurants, you get charged another 18% gratuity, they are double dipping on the tipping! Not a fan of forced tipping, if they are going to automatically charge you $18.99 per day, just add it to the price of the cruise and call it a day! Just food for thought.

Actually if you look at NCL's website re: tipping you'll find that the servers in the specialty restaurants are not part of the service charge group. That group is limited to stewards, complimentary restaurant personnel, and behind-the-scenes people. I may have missed someone, but I think that's right. It specifically mentions that bartenders, specialty restaurant servers, and other people (like bulters, concierge, and splash academy personnel) are not part of the DSC program.

[joyy7403]

I agree with Sir_Randy, why not add it to the cruise price? Why make people angry by making it a separate charge? I wonder why the don't/can't do that? Anyone from NCL like to answer?

[grapau27]

I agree with Sir_Randy, why not add it to the cruise price? Why make people angry by making it a separate charge? I wonder why the don't/can't do that? Anyone from NCL like to answer?

I agree too,then we can tip who we want and how much we want to people who give us excellent customer service which gives crew an incentive to go the extra mile.If everyone are starting on a good wage and know if they are excellent they will be individually well rewarded hopefully service will return to what it was like a few years ago.

 

love sailing with RCCL

[Sir_Randy]

So what does this actually mean:

"To better address the demands of the enormously successful all-inclusive product aboard Norwegian Sky"

Looks like the bartenders are needing to work harder since the drinks are free, therefore NCL is going to add an increase to the DSC to pay them for their extra work load? If that's the case, the $15-$20 per day that we normally tip bartenders is already being covered by the increase in the DSC?

[poona1]

I agree too that rather than give an arm and a leg for something worth the price of a single extra passenger for a family of 4, I rather tip my "vacation heros" personally....

 

when I was in the haven, I made sure to tip those that went out of their way to make my vacation memorable...

 

just curious, has anyone had any success in the refund if you mail them in....thanks

[uneamie]

if you do it online, you will have to pay for it

 

if you call up your TA, they just add it to your final amount due.

 

I prepaid ours a few days ago and it was charged to my credit card immediately. I think that is the only way that it would be considered "prepaid".

[grapau27]

I wonder why peopel get so upset over 49¢ a day! ;p

It is not the amount it is the continuous increase by all the cruise lines.I just hope the hard working crew they say get the tips actually do and the increase too.

 

love sailing with RCCL

[KeithJenner]

I prepaid ours a few days ago and it was charged to my credit card immediately. I think that is the only way that it would be considered "prepaid".

 

 

 

Absolutely not. If you add it to your final payment then that counts as prepaying.

[aggiesmom]

Make sure if you prepay for your gratuity charge online that you get an email confirmation. I prepaid online and even though I received a "thanks for your payment" after I hit the send button I never received an email confirmation and noticed a few days later that it was still showing as not paid on my account summary. After a call to NCL they confirmed it never went thru.

[shof515]

Absolutely not. If you add it to your final payment then that counts as prepaying.

whats the difference? between adding to final payment and doing it online?

 

I can log into myNCL account and prepaid it online:

 

why cant i do online at online and have to done over the phone (to add it final bill)

 

either if i pay now via credit card, or adding it to my final payment..it is still get paid somehow someway

[KeithJenner]

whats the difference? between adding to final payment and doing it online?

 

 

 

I can log into myNCL account and prepaid it online:

 

 

 

 

why cant i do online at online and have to done over the phone (to add it final bill)

 

 

 

either if i pay now via credit card, or adding it to my final payment..it is still get paid somehow someway

 

 

 

I have no idea why you can't add it to your final bill if you do it online. You'd have to ask NCL that.

 

You are absolutely correct that it still gets paid eventually, however you do it. I always get it added to final payment when I book (they always ask when booking in the UK), and that way I don't have to remember to do it later.

 

If you have a booking a long time in the future, and want to prepay the DSC then you have three options as I see it. You could do it online now, and potentially pay a year or so earlier than you need to, you could wait and remember to do it nearer the time, or you could call now and get it added to final payment. It's individual preference.

 

I wasn't stating a preference with my post you quoted, just correcting the previous post.

[aggiesmom]

I prepaid mine in advance because mentally I prefer to see a smalller bill at the end of my cruise. :p I've sailed Holland America more than NCL and their gratuities are built in the cabin price plus when you reserve excursions you have to pay at reservation time. Usually my final bill ends up being liquor charges and gift shop purchases.

[Griff61]

I prepaid mine in advance because mentally I prefer to see a smalller bill at the end of my cruise. :p I've sailed Holland America more than NCL and their gratuities are built in the cabin price plus when you reserve excursions you have to pay at reservation time. Usually my final bill ends up being liquor charges and gift shop purchases.

 

Not my experience with HA. Gratuity is always added to your onboard account same as NCL