Tips

[MrCruzdoggie]

Does Norwegian always charge for tips upfront? I was doing an online booking and it wouldn't let me take them off. I usually pay cash and more than the suggested.

[ColinIllinois]

Does Norwegian always charge for tips upfront? I was doing an online booking and it wouldn't let me take them off. I usually pay cash and more than the suggested.

 

 

Look under the "Money Matters" section in the Frequently Asked Questions section of NCL.com for information on the DSC/Tipping.

[garycarla]

Does Norwegian always charge for tips upfront? I was doing an online booking and it wouldn't let me take them off. I usually pay cash and more than the suggested.

 

And here we go again. Most debated topic on this forum.

 

Guessing the OP is from Europe as they are not billed upfront in the states , but added automatically each night.

 

And of course, some do not call them tips. For those that like to argue, can we just let it go?

[fshagan]

Does Norwegian always charge for tips upfront? I was doing an online booking and it wouldn't let me take them off. I usually pay cash and more than the suggested.

 

It depends on what you are referring to and where you are booking. Here is my understanding:

 

1) The daily service charge, at $13.99 per person per day if you are booking from the US or Canada. This can be prepaid, but that is entirely optional. It is usually added to your daily charges once on board. NCL has some provision for reducing or removing them while on board (last I heard you had to pay them, then request a refund via email, and wait for a refund check). This amount is included in the "all inclusive" fares being booked in the UK and is just part of the fare, and, since they are included in the fare and no longer exist as a separate line item, cannot be adjusted.

 

2) The 18% gratuity on the price of dining or drink packages, or the 18% gratuity based on the value of the package if you get it as a promo UNLESS you are in the UK, then the free drink or dining package does not have a gratuity. This is not adjustable and is indeed paid by final payment.

[sanger727]

The daily service charge is not required upfront. However, if you choose the beverage package or dining package a service charge for the gratuities is charged upfront and is required. If you purchased the beverage package you’d also be required to pay the gratuities upfront. That just goes along with getting the package.

 

 

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[ready2cruzagain]

No they never do (except on some of the packages). Tipping is 100% optional, it is not required but it is encouraged. There is the DSC which is NOT a tip. Read the FAQ pages on the NCL web site.

 

I don't get how you say it is not a tip...maybe I should call it a gratuity?

 

From NCL faqs:

 

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.

 

So what is the DSC if not a tip or gratuity for the complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind the scenes support staff?

[NMLady]

I don't get how you say it is not a tip...maybe I should call it a gratuity?

 

From NCL faqs:

 

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.

 

So what is the DSC if not a tip or gratuity for the complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind the scenes support staff?

 

I think most NCL cruisers would agree with you, but there are a few who post here who insist that that the DSC is not a tip or gratuity. Personally, I just ignore that opinion.

[RaiderDuck]

Bottom line is that the DSC (which we gladly pay except on cruises where we get "Free Prepaid Gratuities" as a perk) is what most people would consider a tip.

[deliver42]

CC should delete new threads about tipping. It's been argued to death.

[NMLady]

Bottom line is that the DSC (which we gladly pay except on cruises where we get "Free Prepaid Gratuities" as a perk) is what most people would consider a tip.

 

Yep. (y)

[ready2cruzagain]

CC should delete new threads about tipping. It's been argued to death.

Well, that wouldn't help new people with questions about tipping would it? If one does not like a thread, such as the rehashed tipping, then just skip over, why bother reading it? Then the new cruisers will get their answers.

[sanger727]

Yeah it all boils down to what I have often said, tip whomever you want, when you want, whatever amount you want. and don't worry about what others do or why.

 

CC should make the above an auto-response to any new threads started up about tipping! :)

 

 

 

Except you are the only one who looks at it this way

 

 

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[cb at sea]

If you pay more than what they request....do it. Leave the DSC on, and tip additionally. That way, everyone who is SUPPOSED to be tipped, will be.

[swedish weave]

Except it is not an opinion. Reading into that factual statement that the DSC is a tip is an opinion.

That is what NCL calls it, isn't it??

Their cruise line --- Their language --Right ???

[sanger727]

So you think we should all be handed a tipping guide as we board the ship with a dictated amount of what to tip an d to whom? Thanks for giving me a good chuckle tonight!

 

 

 

Didn’t say that. Just find your thought of cruise critic taking up your cause with an auto reply when you are the only one who posts it laughable. If you get tired of posting that response then stop. It’s not adding anything.

 

 

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[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

Except you are the only one who looks at it this way

 

 

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well maybe he has a point. when filling out my edocs, there was a section on there about the 'daily service charge'funds being put in a welfare pool for employees to help pay for programs for them.. what on earth is that all about?:confused:

[fshagan]

I don't get how you say it is not a tip...maybe I should call it a gratuity?

 

From NCL faqs:

 

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.

 

So what is the DSC if not a tip or gratuity for the complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind the scenes support staff?

 

Did you read the paragraph above that one that is titled 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.

 

The service charge language follows that, so read together they mean:

 

1. There is no recommended tipping or gratuity on NCL ships, but if you want to, you can hand out tips and the employees can keep them.

2. The service charge is assessed daily and helps support crew incentives.

 

It is a "service charge" and not a tip or a gratuity in NCL's universe.

[ray98]

 

It is a "service charge" and not a tip or a gratuity in NCL's universe.

 

 

In other words....same thing.....passenger funded crew compensation which lines up exactly with the rest of the industry.

[swedish weave]

In other words....same thing.....passenger funded crew compensation which lines up exactly with the rest of the industry.

 

That begs an answer to the next question.

If the DSC is used to compensate the crew, and if the cruise line is required to pay them a contracted salary, why do some on these boards try to lay a guilt trip on those who request the removal of the DSC.

 

The crew gets their salary plus cash tips they get to keep so they are better off if you replace the DSC money with cash tips to the crew members who serve you.

If they want to tip out to the "behind the scenes" crew members, that choice is theirs.

 

The cruise line must make up any shortage in the DSC pool to meet the salary requirements.

Some cruise lines may be,trying to plug this loophole by telling their crew they must turn their cash tips, but NCL hasn't done that.

[fshagan]

In other words....same thing.....passenger funded crew compensation which lines up exactly with the rest of the industry.

 

 

Not really. The different lines describe the charge differently, and some even breakdown how the money is distributed to individual departments.

 

Carnival: "Service Gratuities (Tips)" / specific amounts per department listed (Housekeeping Team: $4.05, Dining Team: $6.40, Alternative Services: $2.50)

HAL: "Hotel Service Charge (gratuity / tip)" / "The Hotel Service Charge is paid entirely to Holland America Line crew members, and represents an important part of their compensation." Adjustments can be made at the end of each segment or voyage.

NCL: "Service charge" / supports incentive programs. Adjustments can be requested before leaving ship. No breakdown offered.

Princess: "Gratuity" / shared amongst the service staff fleetwide. Adjustments can be requested before leaving ship.

RCL: "Gratuity" / specific amounts per department listed ($6.10 - Dining Services, $3.45 - Stateroom Attendant, $3.95 - Other Hotel Services). Adjustments can be requested before leaving ship.

 

NCL is more vague about their "service charge" and therefore invite the kind of questioning that goes on in this board. You rarely see tipping threads with the same kind of controversy in the other boards.

 

Those that object to NCL's treatment of it and want a specific breakdown should go with Carnival or RCL, and then they can adjust the daily charges based on which department they want to punish.

[NLH Arizona]

NCL: "Service charge" / supports incentive programs. Adjustments can be requested before leaving ship. No breakdown offered.

NCL, also says this about the DSC:

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.

I do agree with you that if somone doesn't like the way NCL handles their DSC, they might want to look into a cruise line that more fits their expectations as far as DSC/auto gratuities are concerned.

[ray98]

to the crew members who serve you.

 

 

How do you decide that? I see servers around all day making my experience a positive including the same wait staff from the dining rooms pulling duty in the other restaurants during the day. They get compensated for that work by the salary system the company uses since I'm certainly not leaving any cash on the table when I leave. Going a step farther with the Freestyle Dining process, I never have the same dinner wait staff so unless I want to carry around cash and tip after every meal the only proper way to do it is to follow the system already set up to accomplish that.

 

 

Why try and reinvent the wheel?

Edited October 30, 2017 by ray98

[Loonbeam]

Sigh.

 

Here's the deal. However you want to term it, crew gets a basic salary plus some incentives that come from the DSC pool. The exact wording is noted above. The salary is fixed and very small. I can't speak to NCL because I haven't seen their systems, but on other lines the variable comp can exceed the value of fixed comp by 200 percent for some positions (this includes handed tips and distributed hotel charges or whatever they call it). I have seen the software that handles this with my own eyes.

 

The reason many of these systems were put in place was with the introduction of Anytime/specialty dining and introduction of more casual dining, the staff was getting screwed over even more than they used to under the old system where an astounding number of people would suddenly dine at the buffet last night (wonder why?). The DSC (we shall use that term for convenience) was added to adjust this without affecting base salary (for several reasons - the key being that because it is technically optional there are advantages for ship, crew and passengers over just raising fares and salaries).

 

What it comes down to is, the vast majority of mass markets ships at sea operate on an American style hospitality gratuity system plus a distribution model because of the large back of house presence and the fact that other than stewards and traditional dining servers there is not a specific interaction for the whole trip).

 

This means:

 

Removing the DSC without hand tipping has the potential to negatively impact all staff

Removing the DSC and hand tipping without turning it in has the potential to negatively impact staff that served you other than the ones you hand tipped (AD servers, buffet staff, back of house, assistant stewards, etc) unless the line or ship has a policy they need to be turned in and redistributed)

This is because the incentive portion is large. At one point, P+O was outed for paying experienced wait staff $400 per month as base fare which works out to about $1.25 per hour and stewards were paid less.

 

Tipping is a personal call, based on budget or culture, but before you make a decision be aware how the system operates on board the ship you are on. You do not have to like it or agree with it, but you do have to understand the system in place and accept it is the one you are working with.

[swedish weave]

Sigh.

 

Here's the deal. However you want to term it, crew gets a basic salary plus some incentives that come from the DSC pool. The exact wording is noted above. The salary is fixed and very small. I can't speak to NCL because I haven't seen their systems, but on other lines the variable comp can exceed the value of fixed comp by 200 percent for some positions (this includes handed tips and distributed hotel charges or whatever they call it). I have seen the software that handles this with my own eyes.

 

The reason many of these systems were put in place was with the introduction of Anytime/specialty dining and introduction of more casual dining, the staff was getting screwed over even more than they used to under the old system where an astounding number of people would suddenly dine at the buffet last night (wonder why?). The DSC (we shall use that term for convenience) was added to adjust this without affecting base salary (for several reasons - the key being that because it is technically optional there are advantages for ship, crew and passengers over just raising fares and salaries).

 

What it comes down to is, the vast majority of mass markets ships at sea operate on an American style hospitality gratuity system plus a distribution model because of the large back of house presence and the fact that other than stewards and traditional dining servers there is not a specific interaction for the whole trip).

 

This means:

 

Removing the DSC without hand tipping has the potential to negatively impact all staff

Removing the DSC and hand tipping without turning it in has the potential to negatively impact staff that served you other than the ones you hand tipped (AD servers, buffet staff, back of house, assistant stewards, etc) unless the line or ship has a policy they need to be turned in and redistributed)

This is because the incentive portion is large. At one point, P+O was outed for paying experienced wait staff $400 per month as base fare which works out to about $1.25 per hour and stewards were paid less.

 

Tipping is a personal call, based on budget or culture, but before you make a decision be aware how the system operates on board the ship you are on. You do not have to like it or agree with it, but you do have to understand the system in place and accept it is the one you are working with.

 

The crew salaries are fixed and clearly outlined in their unions website.

The cruise lines use the DSC to pay their salaries as per the ILO guidelines and union agreements, so reducing the DSC has the potential to cause the cruise line to supplement the DSC funds to meet the contracted salaries.

Can anyone furnish figures to support the claims that reducing or removing the DSC causes the crew to receive lower salaries???

[swedish weave]

How do you decide that? I see servers around all day making my experience a positive including the same wait staff from the dining rooms pulling duty in the other restaurants during the day. They get compensated for that work by the salary system the company uses since I'm certainly not leaving any cash on the table when I leave. Going a step farther with the Freestyle Dining process, I never have the same dinner wait staff so unless I want to carry around cash and tip after every meal the only proper way to do it is to follow the system already set up to accomplish that.

 

 

Why try and reinvent the wheel?

To answer your question how I decide that, I tip those who serve me. That is not difficult for me.