Daily Service Charges

[mabones]

Does MSC Seaside have an option to prepay the Daily Service Charges like other cruise lines do?

[tallnthensome]

Does MSC Seaside have an option to prepay the Daily Service Charges like other cruise lines do?

I've also asked this question in the past. The answer was yes and only by calling customer service. It's not an option on their website ..... which in stupid and inconvenient.

[mabones]

I've also asked this question in the past. The answer was yes and only by calling customer service. It's not an option on their website ..... which in stupid and inconvenient.

 

Thank you. I'm finding that as well. What is the Daily Service Charge?

[Cruisergal1208]

Thank you. I'm finding that as well. What is the Daily Service Charge?

$12.50pp/pd

[sirvegetables]

$12.50pp/pd

 

 

 

I don't want to start a firestorm by asking this- but does anyone know if you can decline to pay the daily charges like you can on other cruise lines?

 

 

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[Cruisergal1208]

I don't want to start a firestorm by asking this- but does anyone know if you can decline to pay the daily charges like you can on other cruise lines?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Well you just lit the 🔥. I would ask, why would you?

[sirvegetables]

Well you just lit the [emoji91]. I would ask, why would you?

 

 

 

Good try but [emoji97][emoji97]

 

 

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[Cruisergal1208]

Good try but [emoji97][emoji97]

 

 

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:')

[ODECCIT]

I don't want to start a firestorm by asking this- but does anyone know if you can decline to pay the daily charges like you can on other cruise lines?

 

 

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You can reduce them or completely removed them by filling out the form at guest relation counter.

[mianmike]

Well you just lit the 🔥. I would ask, why would you?

I'll bite lol. There is a myth that removing the daily service charge hurts the crew. Cruise lines do nothing to stop this myth, they actually like the myth. In the olden days the DSC was divided among a set number of crew members and was easy to quantify. Cruise lines like the DSC as it increases revenue without raising prices. The cruise lines also like the DSC, because they can claim most of a crew's pay is from tips (DSC, which must be voluntary or it can't be coded as tips) which means should a crew member get hurt and go on workman's comp the cruise line only has to pay the salary and not the "tips." In many cases the cruise lines only are are on the hook for approx. $50 a month in workman's comp owed to a injured employee. There have been several lawsuits about this very issue.

 

Here's a copy of a Seafarers Agreement where the crew member will make less than $50 per month. https://www.lipcon.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Seafarers-Agreement-Carnival-Cruise-Lines.pdf

 

Accounting gimmicks allow cruise lines to claim that the majority of many crew member's pay is from gratuities. Nowadays the DSC is used as just another a fee just as hotels charge resort fees. Cruise lines have been gradually raising their DSC and gratuities and yet the crew has not seen a commensurate raises. That's because the crew's pay is not based on the fickle whims of whether people do, or do not remove their DSC. Crew pay is based on a complex incentive pay scale.

 

You want to help the crew? Write a glowing review about a crew member on a comment card.

 

I have never removed the DSC, because I look at it as the cost of the cruise, but if a cruise line seriously mistreated me I would not hesitate.

[cruiseguyinorl]

Not sure if it will expand to the Seaside, but the Divina has started something new. You have to get the form to reduce or remove gratuities from your room steward. That way you can look them in the eye to say you are sorry you are taking money away from them. :o

 

Bret

[ODECCIT]

Not sure if it will expand to the Seaside, but the Divina has started something new. You have to get the form to reduce or remove gratuities from your room steward. That way you can look them in the eye to say you are sorry you are taking money away from them. :o

 

Bret

 

When did it started? Back in January forms were available at guest service desk.

[tallnthensome]

I don't want to start a firestorm by asking this- but does anyone know if you can decline to pay the daily charges like you can on other cruise lines?

 

 

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Ha! They make it hard enough to PAY the service charges let alone find away to remove them easily! I'm guessing you could stand in line at the desk on board for an hour or two and do it. Hate to say it but with more people wanting to remove service charges for no reason, it might be THE reason that service on board is getting worse. I hate when people ask this question, no offense.

[amajaa]

If you don’t prepay your gratuities do they come off your on board account? Can I ask please what is the difference between prepaying and paying on board? Is it just you might lose or gain by the exchange rate difference or is there a set monetary difference?

[cmukid87]

If you don’t prepay your gratuities do they come off your on board account? Can I ask please what is the difference between prepaying and paying on board? Is it just you might lose or gain by the exchange rate difference or is there a set monetary difference?

There is no difference. If you wait until you are onboard it can come off of any accrued on board credit, though.

 

I will also add that the daily service charge is only $6.25/pp/pd for children over 2 years and is free for children under 2 years. This is saving us a big chunk over some other mainstream lines that charge full price for everyone, regardless of age.

[amajaa]

There is no difference. If you wait until you are onboard it can come off of any accrued on board credit, though.

 

I will also add that the daily service charge is only $6.25/pp/pd for children over 2 years and is free for children under 2 years. This is saving us a big chunk over some other mainstream lines that charge full price for everyone, regardless of age.

 

Thanks. We normally cruise with P & O they don’t charge for children at all until they are 12 and adults are only £6 pppn.

[omarchs]

There is no difference. If you wait until you are onboard it can come off of any accrued on board credit, though.

 

I will also add that the daily service charge is only $6.25/pp/pd for children over 2 years and is free for children under 2 years. This is saving us a big chunk over some other mainstream lines that charge full price for everyone, regardless of age.

 

 

Has anyone had experience where their onboard credit could be applied for the daily service charge? There have numerous conflicting comments about being able to use it. Some have even gone to the casino and cashed out their onboard since they indicated it couldn’t be applied.

 

Thanks!

[Cruisergal1208]

Has anyone had experience where their onboard credit could be applied for the daily service charge? There have numerous conflicting comments about being able to use it. Some have even gone to the casino and cashed out their onboard since they indicated it couldn’t be applied.

 

Thanks!

When we printed out our statement, all charges were being off set by any shipboard Credit. We had both agent and ship credit.

[korpo024]

I don't want to start a firestorm by asking this- but does anyone know if you can decline to pay the daily charges like you can on other cruise lines?

 

 

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YES you can! And I wonder why more people don't do that.....the whole cruise critic website is full of complaints against MSC, but the same people pay these tips....for us Europeans this is so stupid! If you get bad service, you do not tip!

Every discussion about this theme, people use all kinds of arguments only to let the world see how good they are in paying tips (although the service is bad..)...and nobody will ever know if they REALLY payed the service charge...the say they did on the web, but did they really? If you read the complaints from these people, you just cannot believe that they did....:confused::'):mad:;p

[JayceeP]

I have mixed feelings. No problem tipping but not sure why there should be this expectation that I have to and it's offensive to ask about it. Having said that, on our last cruise I gave all of our servers and our room cleaner $20 in addition to whatever few dollars they got out of the daily gratuity. Cruise fares should just be advertised as an all in price and people maybe won't feel like they are getting nickel and dimed with extra fees. $50/day for a family of 4 in 2 cabins to subsidize wages is a bit excessive IMO. It would be interesting to know what % of the daily gratuity goes to ship employees.

[Beamafar]

If you don’t prepay your gratuities do they come off your on board account? Can I ask please what is the difference between prepaying and paying on board? Is it just you might lose or gain by the exchange rate difference or is there a set monetary difference?

 

One of the benefits of paying onboard is that MSC awards points for onboard spend - 100 for every $/€150. While pre-paid items also qualify for points, you're splitting the 2 amounts - prepaid and onboard, so, if one falls short of a multiple of the 150 amount, you can't add it to the other to make it up.

[Beamafar]

Has anyone had experience where their onboard credit could be applied for the daily service charge? There have numerous conflicting comments about being able to use it. Some have even gone to the casino and cashed out their onboard since they indicated it couldn’t be applied.

 

OBC can certainly be offset against the daily service charge. The only discussion I've come across about OBC being cashed out in the casino was in relation to having any unused not being refunded by MSC.

[lcpagejr]

YES you can! And I wonder why more people don't do that.....the whole cruise critic website is full of complaints against MSC, but the same people pay these tips....for us Europeans this is so stupid! If you get bad service, you do not tip!

Every discussion about this theme, people use all kinds of arguments only to let the world see how good they are in paying tips (although the service is bad..)...and nobody will ever know if they REALLY payed the service charge...the say they did on the web, but did they really? If you read the complaints from these people, you just cannot believe that they did....:confused::'):mad:;p

 

Whats your definition of bad service?? Unless its consistently bad for the whole cruise...this shouldn't be an issue!! Also, don't forget....assuming you had a bad dining experience for the WHOLE cruise....but your room steward was fantastic... your taking $$ from him/her unless you make sure to pay them seperately.

[lcpagejr]

I have mixed feelings. No problem tipping but not sure why there should be this expectation that I have to and it's offensive to ask about it. Having said that, on our last cruise I gave all of our servers and our room cleaner $20 in addition to whatever few dollars they got out of the daily gratuity. Cruise fares should just be advertised as an all in price and people maybe won't feel like they are getting nickel and dimed with extra fees. $50/day for a family of 4 in 2 cabins to subsidize wages is a bit excessive IMO. It would be interesting to know what % of the daily gratuity goes to ship employees.

 

Lets be real here...EVERYONE knows daily gratuity/service charges are in addition to your cruise fare for ALL the mainline cruise companies. It amazes me how people play "dumb" on this topic!!

[JayceeP]

Lets be real here...EVERYONE knows daily gratuity/service charges are in addition to your cruise fare for ALL the mainline cruise companies. It amazes me how people play "dumb" on this topic!!

Playing dumb? No one is playing dumb. I am simply stating that some people get frustrated paying their vacation, in full, months in advance only to find hundreds of dollars of additional charges during the trip. Also, in reference to your comment about playing dumb, MSC is not particularly clear about daily gratuities. If you are a new cruiser and simply go on the website, it is not exactly easy to find out about additional fees and many new cruisers would likely expect that once their booking is paid for, that's it. There is no mention of additional gratuities during the booking process nor is it easy to find this information on the website. It is there. I know it is. But, you have to search and dig for it before you can find it. Again, for the awesome perfect cruise people on this website. No problem. For someone who is new, how can you just say "oh, you're playing dumb." Go and search "daily gratuity" on the MSC website and tell me how many search results you get? Here, I'll make it simple: ZERO. Try "daily service fee." I'll make it simple again. ZERO results when searching on the MSC website.

 

You can't say this isn't by design. Why wouldn't a cruise line want to talk about all the extra fees like daily gratuities, drinks (no menu prices on the website), specialty food etc that is not included during the booking process? Because all this stuff adds about $1000 to the cost of your vacation, that's why. This information is all segmented so it's therefore harder to get an aggregate number on costs.