Nothing detailed on NCL website about gratuities and/or the service charge?

[lucywestie]

So I have searched their FAQ's, googled and then tried to follow links but every time I search I get taken to links about cruising to Cuba.

If you search under "Money Matters" under their FAQ's you can find whats included and it tells you what is not included but there does not seem to be a link to show you in more detail how much you pay per person etc.

 

Just wondering if this is a glitch in their website. I'm up in Canada but I doubt that would affect the search.

[ColinIllinois]

See if these links work for you:

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq#tipping

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq#service-charge

[www3traveler]

So I have searched their FAQ's, googled and then tried to follow links but every time I search I get taken to links about cruising to Cuba.

If you search under "Money Matters" under their FAQ's you can find whats included and it tells you what is not included but there does not seem to be a link to show you in more detail how much you pay per person etc.

 

Just wondering if this is a glitch in their website. I'm up in Canada but I doubt that would affect the search.

 

If you are looking for how much each staff member receives from the gratuities, that is an internal Corporate matter and is not made public.

[ColinIllinois]

What about Gratuities?

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, there is an 18% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 18% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 18% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining. Read more about the service charge.

[ColinIllinois]

What's the service charge?

Why is there a service charge?

The reason there's a fixed service charge is an important one: Our Crew (as are the crew from other lines) is encouraged to work together as a team. Staff members including complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports. How much is the charge? Onboard Service Charges are additional.

 

How much are the service charges?

 

 

- For bookings made prior to April 1st, 2017, regardless of the date of your cruise:

PREPAID service charges will be charged the CURRENT price of:

• $15.50 USD per person per day The Haven and Suites; $13.50 USD per person per day for Mini-Suites and below - FOR ALL SHIPS

 

(To pre-pay your service charges, Log In to My NCL or contact your travel professional)

 

- For bookings made on or after April 1, 2017:

All PREPAID service charges will be charged the NEW price of:

• $16.99 USD per person per day The Haven and Suites; $13.99 USD per person per day for Mini-Suites and below.

• Norwegian Sky - $21.99 USD per person per day for Suites; $18.99 USD per person per day for Mini-Suites and below.

 

- For sailings on or after April 1, 2017:

All service charges PAID ONBOARD, regardless of booking date will be charged the NEW price of:

• $16.99 USD per person per day The Haven and Suites; $13.99 USD per person per day for Mini-Suites and below.

• Norwegian Sky - $21.99 USD per person per day for Suites; $18.99 USD per person per day for Mini-Suites and below.

 

Guests sailing to Hawaii will be charged an additional 4.275% Pre Paid Service Charge GET Tax

 

Are service charges across the board for all guests?

All guests 3 years or older.

 

How do I prepay my service charges?

Contact your travel professional and request that it be added to your cruise reservation. If you have not made final payment this will be included in your final payment amount or if final payment has already been made we will require full payment at the time it is added.

 

At what point in the booking process can the prepaid charges be added?

They can be added at anytime up to 24 hours prior to sailing.

 

Why would I prepay my service charges?

The convenience of pre-paying the service charges allows you to plan your budget prior to your cruise giving you additional freedom while on board.

 

If I cancel my cruise are the service charges refundable?

Yes! The service charges are 100% refundable.

 

If there is a service issue can the service charges be adjusted on board?

Guest satisfaction is the highest priority at Norwegian Cruise Line. We have structured a guest satisfaction program designed to handle any concerns about service or on-board product quickly and efficiently. However, in the event a service issue should arise during your cruise please let our on-board guest services desk staff know right away, so that we can address these in a timely manner. It is our goal to reach a satisfactory solution to any issue when it happens and make sure our guests can focus on enjoying their cruise. Should your concerns not be met with satisfaction you can adjust the charges.

[Skubi]

See if these links work for you:

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq#tipping

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq#service-charge

 

Nope, takes the Canadian site to just a faq box. Looks like it's a glitch in the Canadian site.

 

LOL on a side note, I'm not even sure when we got our own site, my last cruise we always booked through the U.S. site. Silly me, when I was researching this cruise, I put the amount of my cabin in my spread sheet and converted it to Canadian dollars, so I had realistic prices to budget with, thought gosh the price went up quite a bit from my last cruise. I never even noticed it said CAD. Thank goodness for CC, I came across a thread that mentioned the "Canadian site". :D

[lucywestie]

Thanks for the responses, especially the one clarifying that Im not going insane and it is a problem with the Canuck site!

Just wanted to see how much we would be paying per day per person etc.

[Skubi]

Thanks for the responses, especially the one clarifying that Im not going insane and it is a problem with the Canuck site!

Just wanted to see how much we would be paying per day per person etc.

 

:D LOL well I can't really vouch for my sanity, since I am the one who tried to convert Canadian dollars to Canadian dollars using a U.S. exchange rate, not realizing NCL had now made a Canadian web site. :o. In my defence it was at 5am, so I probably wasn't totally awake :D

[vent1020]

Thanks for the responses, especially the one clarifying that Im not going insane and it is a problem with the Canuck site!

Just wanted to see how much we would be paying per day per person etc.

 

 

This is from a CC news article published March of this year............

 

Fees for standard cabins and mini-suites will jump from $13.50 to $13.99 per passenger, per day, while cruisers in suites will be charged $16.99 per person, per day, up from $15.50. That amounts to a respective per-person increase of $3.43 or $10.43 per seven-night sailing.

[Jopo1]

I have paid service charge for the drink package and dining package, for seven day cruise that is about $110 altogether p/p. Now the travel agency says that we still need to pay $14/day/person on board service charges. Can that be correct?

[SeaShark]

I have paid service charge for the drink package and dining package, for seven day cruise that is about $110 altogether p/p. Now the travel agency says that we still need to pay $14/day/person on board service charges. Can that be correct?

 

Yes, of course it is. The drink and/or dining charge is separate from the Daily Serivce Charge. This is all explained in detail on the website.

[Jopo1]

Yes, of course it is. The drink and/or dining charge is separate from the Daily Serivce Charge. This is all explained in detail on the website.

Thanks for this! I had impression that it's 14 p/p/day and that's all. I quess after that 14 there's no more to pay, anywhere..

[SeaShark]

Thanks for this! I had impression that it's 14 p/p/day and that's all. I quess after that 14 there's no more to pay, anywhere..

 

Your impression is absolutely correct. Once you pay the Daily Service Charge, there is nothing else that you have to pay...anywhere.

 

Now...the key phrase is "have to". You are not REQUIRED to pay anything additional, however, all cruise lines offer OPTIONAL items for sale on their ships...things that you only have to pay if you WANT TO.

 

Beverage packages and Dining packages fall under the umbrella of OPTIONAL items. Since you CHOOSE to have these items, you need to pay the additional associated charges.