NCL Cruise Service Charge Refund

[NLH Arizona]

We are talking $203 dollars here for our upcoming cruise. That is how much we are paying for the prepaid service charges. From the way this thread is going, it sounds as if are talking about a fortune! If left to our own devices, we would probably tip that much anyway over the course of a week. For me it is convenient to know that my tips are taken care of. It is a convenience.

 

I went and read about the service charges. The website says that certain staff who provide individual services to passengers are not included in the tip pool. These include butlers, concierge, youth staff and beverage service. I knew about the first three, but what beverage service staff are not included? I thought bartenders were included?

No, bartenders are not included in the DSC, they are only included in the 20% gratuity for drinks and/or UBP.

[Seminole1975]

No, bartenders are not included in the DSC, they are only included in the 20% gratuity for drinks and/or UBP.

 

Thanks. I knew they were included somewhere. We get the UBP.

[RDC1]

Let me see - his share of the DSC or a $20 in hand? Which would YOU prefer?

 

Not sure about NCL, but on the RCL and CCL owned cruise lines workers have to turn in any money directly received, if auto tips are removed. They get to keep amounts about and beyond.

 

You have future assignments, promotions and other benefits determined by ratings. I would expect that I would prefer auto tips to remain in place, instead of having a record of having auto tips removed and having to turn in the cash tip anyway.

 

As long as their percentage of tips removed is not higher than average, removing them might not be considered to be a negative, however, I would expect that if they ran a higher percentage of removals than average might raise some questions by their supervisors and HR.

[RDC1]

I had not actually considered that they might be moving your gratuity to another ship. Although money is fungible anyway. I had only considered that they might be paying my gratuity money to people on the ship who should be salaried. The idea of moving gratuity to other ships actually makes me more disgusted. Basically you are suggesting that Americans are subsidizing the rest of the world. Again. I am over that.

 

On the other hand the cruise you happen to be on, might be the one coming in low and those is a recipient of a transfer. Keep in mind that the money being moved in the pool is going to be a relatively small percentage. The figure I recall from a conversation from a financial employee from corporate (he was vacationing with his extended family on a vacation) on a different line was a max of 5%.

[RDC1]

LOL. Keep donating to the billion dollar company so it can pay its employees on ships you are not even on.

 

While you are at it, why dont you send a check to a competing cruise line to help defray the cost of salaries to those pesky employees?

 

I for one couldn’t care less about the employees on the other ships, nor should I.

 

What about the time when you might be on one of the routes that comes in low. Would you rather have low morale employees, disgruntled over the demographics of the passengers. Or would you rather have them know that they are protected from individuals and benefit by continuing to deliver high performance.

[RDC1]

Wondering if this is as much of an issue now that they have started including the DSC from ships leaving from some of the countries where tipping culture is not standard. I remember reading a post where the poster said her child worked for NCL and that the crew hated cruising out of the UK, because so many passengers removed the DSC.

 

Have not been on an NCL cruise from UK or Australia so not sure of their practices there. I do know that on CCL owned lines they only do that on ships operating under the local subsidiary (P&O UK, CCL Australia, etc.) and therefore have some isolation from the US financial reporting issues compared to those ships operating under the main companies.

[erdoran]

What about the time when you might be on one of the routes that comes in low. Would you rather have low morale employees, disgruntled over the demographics of the passengers. Or would you rather have them know that they are protected from individuals and benefit by continuing to deliver high performance.

There goes the reason for the right thing. Ncl pays a fair salary and raises fares to compensate. No more dsc and being dependent on pax for their paycheck.

[Seminole1975]

There goes the reason for the right thing. Ncl pays a fair salary and raises fares to compensate. No more dsc and being dependent on pax for their paycheck.

 

6 of one, half dozen of another. Then everyone would be yelling about fare increases and threatening to go to another cruise line.

[NLH Arizona]

Have not been on an NCL cruise from UK or Australia so not sure of their practices there. I do know that on CCL owned lines they only do that on ships operating under the local subsidiary (P&O UK, CCL Australia, etc.) and therefore have some isolation from the US financial reporting issues compared to those ships operating under the main companies.

I might be incorrect, I don't think it is only ship leaving UK, but I believe it is NCL cruises booked in the UK. This change (which included DSC, UBP/SDP perks gratuities are now included in the fare), wasn't that long ago and a lot of complaints on how the price was raised because of it.

[RDC1]

There goes the reason for the right thing. Ncl pays a fair salary and raises fares to compensate. No more dsc and being dependent on pax for their paycheck.

 

Not going to see such a change, as long as their competition does not. Even some of the European lines do the same practice. So nope not going to happen.

[erdoran]

6 of one, half dozen of another. Then everyone would be yelling about fare increases and threatening to go to another cruise line.

Vote with your wallet. In the end it’s all about the number on the check. Whether you up my fare $200 and don’t make me responsible for payroll or you play games and charge me dsc in the end the total is the same

[erdoran]

I might be incorrect, I don't think it is only ship leaving UK, but I believe it is NCL cruises booked in the UK. This change (which included DSC, UBP/SDP perks gratuities are now included in the fare), wasn't that long ago and a lot of complaints on how the price was raised because of it.

Is it really any different than us fare plus dsc?

[RDC1]

I might be incorrect, I don't think it is only ship leaving UK, but I believe it is NCL cruises booked in the UK. This change (including DSC, UBP/SDP perks gratuities in the fare), wasn't that long ago and a lot of complaints on how the price was raised because of it.

 

I wonder how many folks shifted to using a US TA to get around the increased rates, so they could continue to remove the DSC. Making it non-removable in the UK would have run into the full price rules, so it would make sense that they would just roll it in.

 

Will have to see what I can find out about how they handle the UK fares vs US fares from an accounting perspective.

[KeithJenner]

Have not been on an NCL cruise from UK or Australia so not sure of their practices there. I do know that on CCL owned lines they only do that on ships operating under the local subsidiary (P&O UK, CCL Australia, etc.) and therefore have some isolation from the US financial reporting issues compared to those ships operating under the main companies.

 

 

It isn’t where the cruise sails from, but where you book it.

 

I am getting on the Pride of America today and don’t get charged the DSC, as we booked in the U.K. We have totally different pricing structures.

 

 

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[NLH Arizona]

I wonder how many folks shifted to using a US TA to get around the increased rates, so they could continue to remove the DSC.

A number of posters have said they now book through US TAs, so they don't have to pay the DSC. Funny, when NCL did what they wanted, include the DSC in the fare, the issue becomes the prices are too high. It seems to be a no win situation for NCL.

[kirsty_r]

I actually got a better deal on my last cruise booking in UK than at us prices... it just depends on what cruises the UK are wanting to sell and the offers they put out there. (To the extent I cancelled a booking I made with a us ta)

 

We do still have sailaway rates on some cruises so can choose to not have the extras added on...

 

Remember we don’t pay the gratuities on drinks either so it does work out about the same on some itineraries. (Admittedly more expensive on some too!)

 

 

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[Barb Nahoumi]

If people keep removing their DSC, will NCL eventually put them on their NO Cruise List? Just a thought

[Something fun!]

I wish the DSC was included in the fare price. My total cost could decrease since I wouldn't be subsidizing cheapskates that remove their DSC. And if they think the total fare is too high...well, I guess there will be less cheapskates on my cruise.

[Jana60]

If people keep removing their DSC, will NCL eventually put them on their NO Cruise List? Just a thought

 

 

You may wish that were the case but I suspect if someone is paying them $5000 per person for their cruise they will probably forgive them for removing their DSC! I’m sure they will think the person is an ass but they’ll still let them cruise!

 

 

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[stuufy1]

Cheap people disgust me.

And ignorance disgusts me. If the service you receive isn't up to par why tip.

[Love my butler]

And ignorance disgusts me. If the service you receive isn't up to par why tip.

 

Entitlement mentality. Purely entitlement.

[erdoran]

Entitlement mentality. Purely entitlement.

Who? From the passenger “I don’t have to tip, I paid for my cruise already and i need at least adequate service to pay more” or from the employee “I’m entitled to a tip even if I do the minimum”?

[newmexicoNita]

Entitlement mentality. Purely entitlement.

Probably the first time I have ever agreed with you. Yep, they are cheap for the most part!!!

I think the word "entitlement" is perfect.

[sanger727]

And ignorance disgusts me. If the service you receive isn't up to par why tip.

 

 

 

Because there are jobs that exist in the world where there is little compensation outside of the tip. I used to waitress and we made about $2 an hour. I also was required to tip out the bartenders and bussers based on my sales, not my tips. So I had tables where I lost money when they didn’t tip enough to cover the amount I had to tip out on them. A person who is providing some service for you deserves some compensation for that. How would you feel if your annual review came up and your manager said that your performance needed improvement so you weren’t getting paid.

 

 

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[Sam Ting]

Because there are jobs that exist in the world where there is little compensation outside of the tip. I used to waitress and we made about $2 an hour. I also was required to tip out the bartenders and bussers based on my sales, not my tips. So I had tables where I lost money when they didn’t tip enough to cover the amount I had to tip out on them. A person who is providing some service for you deserves some compensation for that. How would you feel if your annual review came up and your manager said that your performance needed improvement so you weren’t getting paid.

 

 

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That’s why we remove the DSC and tip cash in hand. Better going to the people who made our cruise special rather than to some other employees not even working on the same ship.