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Prepaid gratuitiy confusion😬

travelswithfriends
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travelswithfriends

travelswithfriends

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I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?

TIA

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boopsahoy

boopsahoy

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I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?

TIA

 

 

That is not true. You will still be charged the daily DSC. The drink and dining gratuities are in addition to the DSC.

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gottacruisemore

gottacruisemore

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Your travel agent is wrong. Each person was charged a beverage service charge and maybe a service charge for the dining package (although I've never purchased that so I am not sure). You will still need to prepay your gratuities.

 

And personally I would question why your agent didn't know the difference.

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Oakman58

Oakman58

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I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?

TIA

 

 

WOW! You need to get a different travel agent.

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All-ready2cruise Holiday Sharing Rare

All-ready2cruise

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OP, here's a thread regarding DSC and it's increase in cost:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2472524

 

If you look at post #9 in the link I included you'll see the letter NCL has sent out to some of us sailing soon. The DSC right now is $13.50/pp/pd and is increasing to $13.99. If you prepay the DSC online you'll pay the lower rate.

 

Not sure where your TA is getting their info from but they're wrong and more confused than you. The DSC has nothing to do with gratuites being charged for UBP and SDP so I would do as you want. Can you log into your NCL account and pay them yourself?

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TrumpyNor

TrumpyNor

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I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?

TIA

 

Your TA probably is mixing gratuities with the Daily Service Charge. So maybe you should try again, this time by asking to prepay Service Charges? That is the wording used when I log in to MyNCL and look at my future cruises. You will also save a few dollars by pre-paying the service charges, as the price for them will increase a little from April 1, but as long as you pre-pay them before your cruise, you will be charged the rate that was valid when you booked your cruise.

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ella99

ella99

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OP, here's a thread regarding DSC and it's increase in cost:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2472524

 

If you look at post #9 in the link I included you'll see the letter NCL has sent out to some of us sailing soon. The DSC right now is $13.50/pp/pd and is increasing to $13.99. If you prepay the DSC online you'll pay the lower rate.

 

Not sure where your TA is getting their info from but they're wrong and more confused than you. The DSC has nothing to do with gratuites being charged for UBP and SDP so I would do as you want. Can you log into your NCL account and pay them yourself?

 

This is correct. Just booked a last minute cruise for mid April and we prepaid our DSC in order to avoid paying the increase. The gratuities for UBP and SDP are a separate charge.

Not sure about this, but if the cruise was booked through a travel agent they would have to pay the gratuities through their agent.

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newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

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I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?

TIA

who am I to question your TA but I am 99% sure she is wrong. Yes, your tips were added for your drink package, but you still have to pay your regular gratuities and if you do not pay them by April 1st the price is going up. when I say the gratuities for the drinks are included that isn't completely right,, but it shows up on your invoice automatically. I certainly hope your TA sent your the invoice as soon as you booked. Yes, you can pay the rest of your gratuities directly without going through your agent.

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newmexicoNita

newmexicoNita

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I would strongly suggest you get a new travel agent. It must make you wonder what other blatantly wrong info you've been given. Chances are it's not just this. Wow.

and this is what gives travel agents a bad name: too many of them are just order takers who have never even seen a cruise ship. The same with some res agents for airlines. :confused:

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asubaru

asubaru

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The problem might be the wording; you asked about prepaid gratuities. What you want to pay is the DSC (Daily Service Charge). You did already pay gratuities on the drink and dining package.

 

I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuitiesshe said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?

TIA

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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

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Always good to double check what TA's tell you and always double check what you say to them and make sure they understand what you are saying. I went to prepay our gratuities a few weeks ago...our trip is not till Jan 2018. I told her I wanted to prepay them. She was pulling up our account, took my credit card number and it's a good thing she was talking to herself ...saying our cruise balance out loud. Then ask me if I want to pay the entire balance. Ugh! I never said I wanted to prepay the cruise balance. I said, "no mam, not the balance, the gratuities. She questioned that because we already paid the Drink Package gratuities. Had to tell her that there is a per day Service charge per person gratuity that is still owed. She took a moment then said....Oh yea, that's right. I have no confidence in customer service people...really don't. You have to make sure they get what you are saying. Some do not listen fully.....like my husband who hears the first 3 words out of my mouth and responds to what he "thinks" i said...ugh! LOL

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jjikids

jjikids

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Also you would have already gotten an email from NCL because the rate of the DSC is going up after April 1st so you you probably want to pay for them before April 1st before they go up and you pay more.

they have to be paid by sail date not April 1. All bookings from April 1 on will be charged new rates.

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cb at sea

cb at sea

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The DSC included EVERYONE who serves you from your cabin attendant, to ALL MEALS...not just dinner! If you eat in the "specialty" restaurants, those servers are covered by the fee you pay....their tip is included in that fee.

 

So...you keep the DSC in place and if you use a specialty, there is no need to tip additionally.

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CasinoCruzGirl

CasinoCruzGirl

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I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?

TIA

 

You need a new TA your clearly has no idea what they are talking about

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