Creating NO Onboard Account. Possible?

[txagfan]

Nevermind...not going to argue basic economics and pricing with people on the internet.

[B+S]

What cruise lines have you been on before that don't charge a DSC? And btw, you can't pay cash for excursions you book onboard. They are charged to your room account... The account you are wanting to refuse setting up.

 

Robert, neither Royal Caribbean nor Princess charge that fee. They (at least when I've sailed on them) have an automatic gratuity fee option, which is actually very different situation. Perhaps things have changed - someone will chime in and clear this up.

[bam1957]

Most ALL hotels that have a restaurant or gift shop inside the hotel allow you to make charges to your room the exact same way cruises do charges to your room. A lot of hotels, especially large resorts, are going to cashless systems like this as well as their preferred payment method while on property.

 

I travel for work every week and I have to give a credit card when I check into the hotel. No credit card, no stay. You're not even allowed to give cash so for cruise lines to accept that is amazing to me. I'm just not sure what the issue really is.

[sanger727]

Robert, neither Royal Caribbean nor Princess charge that fee. They (at least when I've sailed on them) have an automatic gratuity fee option, which is actually very different situation. Perhaps things have changed - someone will chime in and clear this up.

 

 

 

Both state in their FAQs that they charge a daily gratuity to your onboard account - don’t see how it’s any different

 

 

 

 

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[B+S]

How did the other cruise lines handle service charges for you? Were you not required to set up an onboard account?

 

Jack, on my last sailing with RC this March they had in place an auto tipping feature. It is different in at least two important ways.

 

 

1. It goes to the crew, not to an incentive plan, not to the corporate office, and not to welfare programs as the NCL DSC fee does.

 

2. You can remove or adjust it at any time during the cruise.

 

 

People saying "Everybody has a Daily Service Charge!" must not cruise the other lines. My last sailing on Princess, a further while back was, as I recollect, about the same.

[jackcat16]

Jack, on my last sailing with RC this March they had in place an auto tipping feature. It is different in at least two important ways.

 

 

1. It goes to the crew, not to an incentive plan, not to the corporate office, and not to welfare programs as the NCL DSC fee does.

 

2. You can remove or adjust it at any time during the cruise.

 

 

People saying "Everybody has a Daily Service Charge!" must not cruise the other lines. My last sailing on Princess, a further while back was, as I recollect, about the same.

Sorry but they all seem to be the same thing. You lost me.

[B+S]

Both state in their FAQs that they charge a daily gratuity to your onboard account - don’t see how it’s any different

 

 

 

 

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You don't see how an automatic gratuity program is different than a "Daily Service Charge"? Way different!! Say's right there - it goes to the crew that serves you. Not to corporate, not to an incentive plan, not to a welfare program,and it's cancel-able should you prefer to pay people in cash as I do.

[B+S]

So you would be OK if the cruise was several hundred dollars higher (perhaps even more) so you get charged for everything on board whether you use it or not rather than have a reasonable fare and then only pay for what you actually use?

As far as the DSC goes I guess you would be OK if the fare was $13.99 a day higher per person and they got rid of the DSC? The use of a DSC is merely an accounting issue to segregate and isolate funds for crew welfare. It is 100% irrelevant if it is paid as part of a higher daily fare or separately in the form of the DSC. There is no difference at all between paying a cruise fare of $100 a day plus a $13 a day DSC -or- paying a cruise fare of $113 per day and no DSC. Your point does not hold water.

No, no, and no! And stop the straw man arguments. No one is advocating anything you suggest, especially me, the OP.

 

This issue has already been effectively argued in US Air Fare Industry and the way fares are legally published, because airlines (of course) preferred to publish fares without taxes and fees and hide the true cost of the tickets. They lost - now they have to include ALL the fees - so customers can compare apples to apples.

 

Do you really think they would prefer to not advertise the entire cost of the cruise simply as an accounting measure? Why should the cruise industry be allowed to continue to divide and obfuscate the true costs of a cruise? Cruise lines are not merely segregating this as an accounting measure. They do not isolate the funds for the crew welfare either. Read up on where it goes - follow the money all the way to the corporate office in incentive plans, etc.

 

 

Bottom line: It's not handled the same as a tipping plan, or especially as I intend when I hand a steward a few dollars every day in person. No, NOT AT ALL.

[B+S]

There is no "auto tipping" other than what is added to some of the packages, all tips (other than those) are 100% optional and up to the passenger to give to whomever they want to tip in whatever amount they want to tip. The DSC is a separate issue and it is mandatory that it be paid be it can be adjusted (up OR down) by getting a form on the ship. NCL does request that you give them a chance to address whatever issue you are having before you decrease the DSC though. BTW unless you have inside information you have no idea at all who the DSC goes to and how no idea how it is allocated. Also a lot more people serve you than those you have direct contact with.

 

You're absolutely right. Auto tipping (R/C, Princess, Carnival, etc) and Norwegian's DSC are different. Way different. My reference to auto tipping was related to my prior experiences on other major brands. There is actually a considerable body of evidence where the DSC goes - but for my purpose, all I was saying is that it does not go to my steward or table waitress in the same fashion as auto tipping does on other lines.

[xriva]

You're absolutely right. Auto tipping (R/C, Princess, Carnival, etc) and Norwegian's DSC are different. Way different. My reference to auto tipping was related to my prior experiences on other major brands. There is actually a considerable body of evidence where the DSC goes - but for my purpose, all I was saying is that it does not go to my steward or table waitress in the same fashion as auto tipping does on other lines.

 

 

At this point, this is just another “I don’t want to pay the DSC” conspiracy theory thread.

 

 

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[jackcat16]

Pointless. Done with this thread.

[gambit57]

Norwegian's method is scummier, but it's still the same basic thing. Crew gets a super low base. It's supplemented by the "gratuity" or "service charge". You, the passenger, can adjust that "gratuity" or "service charge". If you couldn't, it would actually be a fee. But you can, and it constitutes a big part of the crew member's wage. So, potatoh patahtoh. Same basic thing to me. Industry uses the terms interchangeably.

[gambit57]

At this point, this is just another “I don’t want to pay the DSC” conspiracy theory thread.

 

 

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Pretty much.

[B+S]

At this point, this is just another “I don’t want to pay the DSC” conspiracy theory thread.

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Well, you're entitled to your opinion. But the thread didn't start out that way, or even mention the DSC. I wasn't the one to bring it up. Furthermore, that "this is just another thread about x,y or z." to you is brand new to me as a first time NCL cruiser. You might keep that in mind when answering new people's honest questions.

[fshagan]

You can (obviously) think what you want, but as I've (repeatedly) stated, it's more with the requirement of creating a shipboard account by either handing over either the card or $450, and being unfamiliar with Norwegians "required" daily service fee.

 

Is there a cruise line that doesn't have an on-board account?

 

I know some are all-inclusive so the daily service charge (or it's equivalent) is in the fare price, and in fact NCL does that in the UK by popular demand of the folks there. I understand some of the higher tier cruise lines like Oceania and Azamara have an all-inclusive rate. But NCL's set up for the US is virtually indistinguishable from Carnival, RCCL, Celebrity, Princess, HAL, Disney, etc.

 

You claim to have cruised before; can you tell us which lines?

[xriva]

Well, you're entitled to your opinion. But the thread didn't start out that way, or even mention the DSC. I wasn't the one to bring it up. Furthermore, that "this is just another thread about x,y or z." to you is brand new to me as a first time NCL cruiser. You might keep that in mind when answering new people's honest questions.

 

 

As time went on, it became apparent the DSC was your real issue, especially when you claimed it wasn’t in the cruise contract.

 

The interminable DSC threads may be new to you, but all you have to do is search, and you can find many kindred spirits whining about their money not being spent their way, and cruel corporate taking their money away, and never rewarding the crew.

 

If you board your ship, and there is no crew to be found, they were underpaid. Otherwise, they are paid enough to accept the job. So, relax.

 

Pay the service charge. Tip the really good staff. Have a drink.

 

If you want truly all-inclusive, book the cruise in the U.K. (I think). Try a more upscale cruise line. Go on a river cruise. Otherwise, there is no such thing as an all-inclusive cruise.

 

 

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[sanger727]

You don't see how an automatic gratuity program is different than a "Daily Service Charge"? Way different!! Say's right there - it goes to the crew that serves you. Not to corporate, not to an incentive plan, not to a welfare program,and it's cancel-able should you prefer to pay people in cash as I do.

 

 

 

But as far as the creation of an onboard account, the mechanics are the same. You can pre-pay or else they charge your onboard account daily. You can adjust or remove the charges at guest services (believe NCL is the same). But won’t stop the cruise line from making you set up an account for them to charge.

 

 

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[fshagan]

As time went on, it became apparent the DSC was your real issue, especially when you claimed it wasn’t in the cruise contract.

 

Funny that even if you put a fur coat on a pig, it's still a pig, isn't it?

[Oceans16]

They won't allow you to disembark

 

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[Cafedumonde]

You state that you prepay gratuities, which the OP isn’t doing, so there is a quite significant difference between your situations.

 

 

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Yes, you are right. But from my experience, I guess in theory it is possible not to have an onboard account. I am not sure how easy it is to get gratuities taken off with ncl though.

[boo214]

You don't see how an automatic gratuity program is different than a "Daily Service Charge"? Way different!! Say's right there - it goes to the crew that serves you. Not to corporate, not to an incentive plan, not to a welfare program,and it's cancel-able should you prefer to pay people in cash as I do.

 

NCL.com frequently asked questions

 

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 arethe crew from other lines) is encouraged to work together as a team. Staffmembers including complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards andbehind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary andincentive programs that your service charge supports. How much is the charge?Onboard Service Charges are additional.

 

 

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.

 

 

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

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

doesn't seem too different to me. yes they call it a service charge, but either way its the same thing, the crews salary

[rtkenmore]

Robert, neither Royal Caribbean nor Princess charge that fee. They (at least when I've sailed on them) have an automatic gratuity fee option, which is actually very different situation. Perhaps things have changed - someone will chime in and clear this up.

 

RCCL most certainly charges a DSC charge of $14.50/day and $17.50/day for suite guest. As does Princess ($12.95/day effective January 2016).

[DonTheRadioGuy]

I don't see how anyone could enjoy a cruise trying to avoid spending anything more than the basic cruise fare. Constantly trying to cheap out is exhausting.

[DMH15]

You've exactly pinpointed my confusion with this one post. I'm not new to cruising but am new to Norwegian. I really was not aware of the difference between the "Mandatory" service charge and auto tipping and/or tipping people myself as I have most often done while cruising. I actually bring a stack of 100 One's and start from there. Of course I would bring cash for shore excursions and so forth, so the question was primarily of a forced prepaid shipboard account.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure the boards are filled with people bemused, like me, with the concept of a little advertised "daily service charge" that does not even go (directly) to the people that serve me - the validity of that charge is not the question here as some have mistaken it to be, it's the idea of a requirement for handing either over a credit card or the $450.00 cash they say in the FAQ's is expected for 7-14 day cruises. It reminds me of when air lines were forced to include the government fees in ticket prices. I know... that discussion is for another board. Thanks for being polite, not all have been.

 

 

 

Is the $100 in ones for 2 pax? $50 each?

 

As opposed to the $140 per person each the DSC would have been?

 

I am sure the crew will be thrilled.

 

 

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[karoo]

Still don’t understand why the OP wants to go to all this trouble just to avoid the daily service charge. Yes I give them my Credit Card, but then it is up to me how much I spend. I’ve even had cruises where I’ve had credit back due to mechanical issues and change of itinerary etc. Why fight the system- bigger things to stress about in life. I just go with what each cruiseline requests. I’ve never done a cruise though where you don’t set up an account. Maybe if I had an uncontrollable gambling problem, but I can control what I spend and never visit the casinos onboard as I’m used to smoke free casinos in my country. Maybe an overspending SO, but I think I would have left him. So I see no reason not to set up an account.

 

 

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Edited January 17, 2018 by karoo