Tipping at Lounges & Bars on NCL

[JoanieBlon]

According to NCL information provided prior to our recent cruise ~

 

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on NCL America or Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for service that is generally rendered to all guests.

However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile", and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent.

After reading this information in several different places, we were startled to find a MANDATORY 15% tip added to all alcohol puchases. We generally would be prepared to tip greater than 15%, but were so put off by this practice on the part of NCL, that we just left the tip at that (except for one bartender in the Sports Bar whom we really developed a rapport with).

 

Am I reading this information WRONG? Are the servers involved actually getting the 15% tip collected by NCL? This one particular point on our cruise REALLY rubbed us the wrong way. :mad: I understand that "tipping" is not a part of various cultures, but when it said "suggested" I read it exactly as that ~ not that we would be assessed 15% and that we could "voluntarily" tip ON TOP of that. This, of course, is in addition to the $10 per person per day that is automatically added to your bill.

[newmexicoNita]

According to NCL information provided prior to our recent cruise ~

 

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on NCL America or Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for service that is generally rendered to all guests.

However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile", and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent.

After reading this information in several different places, we were startled to find a MANDATORY 15% tip added to all alcohol puchases. We generally would be prepared to tip greater than 15%, but were so put off by this practice on the part of NCL, that we just left the tip at that (except for one bartender in the Sports Bar whom we really developed a rapport with).

 

Am I reading this information WRONG? Are the servers involved actually getting the 15% tip collected by NCL? This one particular point on our cruise REALLY rubbed us the wrong way. :mad: I understand that "tipping" is not a part of various cultures, but when it said "suggested" I read it exactly as that ~ not that we would be assessed 15% and that we could "voluntarily" tip ON TOP of that. This, of course, is in addition to the $10 per person per day that is automatically added to your bill.

Your confusion is easily understood. Last spring NCL replaced the term Gratuity with service charge. This is much like most Europian countries and the Asia Pacific area handle the tipping question. Thus there is a $10 service charge and it is luia (spelling)of tips. Many of us do leave a little extra to those who go above and beyond, but it isn't expected. As for the 15% added to all beverages, this, again is in line with almost all today's resorts. Restaurants in resort hotels normally do not have a required tip amount except for large parties, but they do add the 15% to the bar bill in many cases. As for do the bar people and the crew get the tips and service charges, the answer, as near as anyone knows: yes! NMNita

[Wendolyn]

I am used to having the gratuity added in on my dining bills, and I almost always add on at least another 5% to the 15-20% they've assessed. Still, it's annoying. Here in the States I blame it on the practice of taxing on presumed tips, which I very much disagree with. It turns a tip into an obligation, rather than a reward for great service. I'm well aware of why the taxes were instituted, but the fact remains that not all people tip appropriately, so some businesses include the tip in the final bill to ensure that their employees do not end up on the losing end after taxes. Sadly, this practice has now become the norm- assessing automatic gratuities, then letting it be known that additional tips are welcome. One feels obligated to tip even more, just to make sure that their server knows they value them, and to ensure that the server receives some money directly. It was my impression that the drink gratuity (surcharge) was directly credited to the server, which accounts for the aggressiveness of the drink waitpersons, but I could be mistaken.

 

At any rate, I usually tacked on another $1.00 per drink. I 've read alot of complaints about drink costs here on the boards, but they seem very reasonable to me, so I felt the additional tip was affordable and warranted.

[ejnsb]

We just returned from Pride of America. There were no tips automatically included on drinks but a line to add them in. If you add a tip to the bill by writing it on the check, it is split among the servers working that lounge on that shift. An alternative is to add cash - a buck per drink was our rule of thumb- then that particular server got it all. Obviously if their service wasn't good or was indifferent, forget the tip.

[Welove2cruise2]

In speaking with bar servers on our last couple of cruises, it's our understanding that the servers receive 10% of that tip, and the bartender gets 5%.

[newmexicoNita]

In speaking with bar servers on our last couple of cruises, it's our understanding that the servers receive 10% of that tip, and the bartender gets 5%.

that certainly sounds reasonable. NMNita

[beebee2]

i always, always tip more to the bar staff. a buck or two is very appreciated, and they will be back to see if you are needing anything more often!

[negc]

The problem seems to be one of semantics and NCL certainly likes to play with words. They changed the term gratuity to resort fee and tried to make it so that passengers could not have it reduced or removed if service was sub-par and now they seem to claim that on one hand, there is no mandatory tip added to bar bills, while at the same time adding 15% to the tab. All of this is done of course, for OUR convenience.:mad:

[newmexicoNita]

The problem seems to be one of semantics and NCL certainly likes to play with words. They changed the term gratuity to resort fee and tried to make it so that passengers could not have it reduced or removed if service was sub-par and now they seem to claim that on one hand, there is no mandatory tip added to bar bills, while at the same time adding 15% to the tab. All of this is done of course, for OUR convenience.:mad:

I don't remember ever hearing it could not be removed: I do know it is suggested (i am talking about the $10 a day now) that if sevice is below par you should first speak with someone in charge, cabin not clean enough, speak with the head housekeeper, etc. If you still are not satisfied then you go to the purser and ask for someone in top management. Again, this doesn't mean your bed had a wrinkle in it or your steak was med rare instead of rare. We are talking about down right poor service!!! NMnita

[negc]

I don't remember ever hearing it could not be removed: I do know it is suggested (i am talking about the $10 a day now) that if sevice is below par you should first speak with someone in charge, cabin not clean enough, speak with the head housekeeper, etc. If you still are not satisfied then you go to the purser and ask for someone in top management. Again, this doesn't mean your bed had a wrinkle in it or your steak was med rare instead of rare. We are talking about down right poor service!!! NMnita

Their original position was that it could not be removed. Only after a raft of bad publicity, did they apparently change their policy. Of course with freestyle dining an automatic gratuity system only makes sense, but I still think that it would be better if the option were left to the guests. I don't believe that most cruise passengers would intentionally "stiff" the staff.

[shoreguy]

I don't believe that most cruise passengers would intentionally "stiff" the staff.

 

 

Maybe not most but I think we would both be surprised how many would (and were) especially with freestyle and no last night embarresment with the traditional dining staff.

[newmexicoNita]

Their original position was that it could not be removed. Only after a raft of bad publicity, did they apparently change their policy. Of course with freestyle dining an automatic gratuity system only makes sense, but I still think that it would be better if the option were left to the guests. I don't believe that most cruise passengers would intentionally "stiff" the staff.

I think you are right about the original position, but even then I believe you would have been able to argue your point if service was far below par. Of course far below would be a very unusual situation. BTW, I do think a number of passengers would stiff or do stiff the crew. Certainly if not stiff, short tip them. We have very good friends, I have grown up with the wife and her DH is a doll, but when it comes to tipping he just can't bring himself to do it. We were in NV together about 6 months ago. After watching us tip for 3 days he did tip for breakfast one morning: Bill $30, Tip $1.00. He isn't cheap in other ways. Everytime he would win he would want to take us out or give us money to gamble with or buy us a drink. He just can't bring himself to tip. NMnita