Opting out of paying Daily Service Charge

[joejoe 59]

On 6/9/2019 at 1:13 AM, mjkacmom said:

You can prepay them. Can’t our friends in the UK do basic math?

How rude are you!!

Australians  obviously can't  do basic math either.

[tjt87]

13 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 

Are you certain it’s the “baby boomers” (non-Americans) that don’t get the tipping culture in the U.S.A.?   Having never sailed with NCL,  do “baby boomers” make up  the majority of the NCL cruising demographic?

.

OK add generation X to the mix (Plus some younger) and they are the ones from UK that I think don't get the tipping culture so much.

You can also add those who are just to tight to pay up, and it's not just the Brits and Europeans. Have you ever seen the line for guest services on Carnival for those not wanting to pay.

[ECCruise]

10 hours ago, joejoe 59 said:

Hello in Australia  as in the UK it isn't  the norm to pay gratuity. If cruising on a line the doesn't have  tipping included we always opt out. Not cheap at all just feel we already pay enough to cruise.

By that incredibly convoluted logic, you wouldn't say, pay property taxes because you already pay enough income tax.

The fare you pay, and the compensation for the crew, are mutually exclusive.  Just because it isn't the norm in UK or OZ does not change the situation.  You are not IN the UK or OZ.

You are stiffing hard working crew.  Although you are identified to the crew as to who stiffed them, obviously it has not affected your level of service or you wouldn't keep doing it.  That speaks volumes.  

[Kingofcool1947]

7 hours ago, tjt87 said:

OK add generation X to the mix (Plus some younger) and they are the ones from UK that I think don't get the tipping culture so much.

You can also add those who are just to tight to pay up, and it's not just the Brits and Europeans. Have you ever seen the line for guest services on Carnival for those not wanting to pay.

 

Sorry, I don’t sail on Carnival.   👎

 

Oceania, Princess, and Celebrity are my cruise lines of choice.   I always leave the auto gratuities on.    Easy, and a no brainer for me.   I don’t care or want to know who gets the gratuities.   It’s really not my concern, and I don’t search or find excuses to pull the gratuities..   The service staff (many I never see) are hard at work to make my cruise experience enjoyable.  That,  I appreciate.   And that is why I leave auto gratuities on.👍

 

Just thinking of the demographics of those who can afford cruising.  Usually it’s mid to older folks.  Especially PAXs on longer sailings where grats can be a very high expense added to their cruise.    Just one rationale, of many, to pull their gratuities?

JMO.

 

Enjoy your cruise.     I do.  😀

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[Barb Nahoumi]

On 6/17/2019 at 9:47 AM, ColeThornton said:

 

 

Do you tip your dry cleaner at home?  Do you tip the guy that cleans up the bar after closing time at home?  Do you tip the dishwasher at the local Red Lobster restaurant?

 

I don't understand why people worry about this on cruise ships.  I don't believe that cruise guests are responsible for worrying about what the ship workers get paid.

I don't worry about it.  We pay the DSC because we have to.  Many years ago, passengers were handed envelopes for tips to cabin stewards, dining room waiters, and the maitre d'.  You could either pay the suggested amount, or an amount that you thought was adequate.  Back then, how were the dishwashers and laundry people compensated?  Were their salaries higher?

 

 

[purplecow15]

21 hours ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

 I always leave the auto gratuities on.    Easy, and a no brainer for me.   I don’t care or want to know who gets the gratuities.   It’s really not my concern, and I don’t search or find excuses to pull the gratuities..   The service staff (many I never see) are hard at work to make my cruise experience enjoyable.  That,  I appreciate.   And that is why I leave auto gratuities on.👍

 

Exactly how we feel.

[fshagan]

On 6/17/2019 at 11:18 PM, rkelly21 said:

You are wrong my friend as Americans are very generous tippers for GOOD service. They however do not tip out of necessity which should be covered under USA accounting overhead regulations. That's why ships use foreign flags.

 

They use foreign flags because such vessels are exempt from any federal income tax on shipboard operations. All of the profits each foreign flagged ship earns are tax free as far as US taxes go. It doesn't matter if the income is from fares, alcohol, food or if the expenses are as wages or gratuities. They pay no tax to the IRS.

[JOHNHOWARTH2]

On 6/8/2019 at 12:27 PM, JOHNHOWARTH2 said:

 This is not an attempt to not pay the harworking staff, but all I am trying to establish is if this practice actually works and if anybody has successfully had the discretionary DSC waived from their account. Any help would be appreciated

Quite amazing.8149 views and 209 replies but has anybody actually answered the question? Only a total of THREE!

[PTC DAWG]

6 hours ago, JOHNHOWARTH2 said:

Quite amazing.8149 views and 209 replies but has anybody actually answered the question? Only a total of THREE!

All these threads go the same.  Most folks leave the DSC in place, and cannot understand why anyone would want to remove it.  Not sure what the OP expected.  

[graphicguy]

10 hours ago, fshagan said:

 

They use foreign flags because such vessels are exempt from any federal income tax on shipboard operations. All of the profits each foreign flagged ship earns are tax free as far as US taxes go. It doesn't matter if the income is from fares, alcohol, food or if the expenses are as wages or gratuities. They pay no tax to the IRS.

In addition, any crew earnings are U.S. tax free, too.

[graphicguy]

44 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

All these threads go the same.  Most folks leave the DSC in place, and cannot understand why anyone would want to remove it.  Not sure what the OP expected.  

Yeah....kind goes in a big circle.  "Anyone removed the DSC/Tips?" 

 

Usually the same one or two people chime in, with the accompanying same excuses why they should not pay the DSC/Tips (from another country, hand out tips in cash, etc).  But, the vast majority do not remove them.  

 

So, with tepid support for their positions, they become defensive.

 

In direct response to the OP, it's pretty clear that perhaps some do remove the DSC/Tips (as you say you did).  The vast majority don't.  There's your answer.

 

 

[StolidCruiser]

7 hours ago, JOHNHOWARTH2 said:

Quite amazing.8149 views and 209 replies but has anybody actually answered the question? Only a total of THREE!

 

You should feel quite proud of yourself (in more ways than 1).

[JOHNHOWARTH2]

19 minutes ago, StolidCruiser said:

 

You should feel quite proud of yourself (in more ways than 1).

Proud for what reason please?? I do not follow your thinking. Is that an Americanism?

[Newleno]

On 6/17/2019 at 9:47 AM, ColeThornton said:

 

 

Do you tip your dry cleaner at home?  Do you tip the guy that cleans up the bar after closing time at home?  Do you tip the dishwasher at the local Red Lobster restaurant?

 

I don't understand why people worry about this on cruise ships.  I don't believe that cruise guests are responsible for worrying about what the ship workers get paid.

Well can we agree that Red Lobster is very overrated with inflated prices, food is not all that great either, some joker occasionally will send us a gift card (very nice gesture) to this joint, then we look for a coupon and go eat the mediocre food.  Yes I concur.

[mugtech]

On 6/21/2019 at 10:02 AM, graphicguy said:

In addition, any crew earnings are U.S. tax free, too.

Unless they are US citizens..

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, mugtech said:

Unless they are US citizens..

True!

[fshagan]

On 6/21/2019 at 7:02 AM, graphicguy said:

In addition, any crew earnings are U.S. tax free, too.

 

Sort of. US residents pay income tax on all their earnings. NCLH uses payroll deductions just like any shore based company to collect the taxes. The crew have to file income taxes just like any US resident does.

 

You may be thinking of Payroll taxes, the tax that supports Social Security and Medicare with about 7.5% of the employees wages taxed and a matching amount collected from the employer. The crew doesn't pay those taxes, and the company doesn't do the matching. So NCLH and all other cruise lines skip paying those payroll taxes too.

[pcakes122]

32 minutes ago, fshagan said:

You may be thinking of Payroll taxes, the tax that supports Social Security and Medicare with about 7.5% of the employees wages taxed and a matching amount collected from the employer. The crew doesn't pay those taxes, and the company doesn't do the matching. So NCLH and all other cruise lines skip paying those payroll taxes too.

Where did you get this info?  My sister is a U.S. citizen and worked on NCL ships and had Social Security, etc. deducted from her pay.

[mugtech]

15 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

Where did you get this info?  My sister is a U.S. citizen and worked on NCL ships and had Social Security, etc. deducted from her pay.

Good thing this DSC thread has turned into a tax thread. Hope she is not counting on SSA in retirement.  Does NCL have a retirement program?  Does she put money in a traditional or Roth IRA?

[ollienbertsmum]

On 6/20/2019 at 2:59 PM, Barb Nahoumi said:

don't worry about it.  We pay the DSC because we have to.  Many years ago, passengers were handed envelopes for tips to cabin stewards, dining room waiters, and the maitre d'. 

 

I just pay what I am told too.   Those envelopes were the worst part of the cruise for us.  We live in Europe and we do tip.   I just hated having to work out what to give.  

[mugtech]

1 minute ago, ollienbertsmum said:

 

I just pay what I am told too.   Those envelopes were the worst part of the cruise for us.  We live in Europe and we do tip.   I just hated having to work out what to give.  

And just think of how many trees have been saved by eliminating the envelopes.

[fshagan]

On 6/22/2019 at 12:32 PM, pcakes122 said:

Where did you get this info?  My sister is a U.S. citizen and worked on NCL ships and had Social Security, etc. deducted from her pay.

 

I got it from a worker's mother here on CC concerned because payroll taxes were not deducted from her daughters pay; I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this point, though. I'll try to find the thread. The only thing I can find now is that sometimes the foreign income exclusion comes into play depending on the individual circumstances (which I assume would be time out of the country, etc., that wouldn't apply to most cruise workers).

[pcakes122]

3 hours ago, fshagan said:

 

I got it from a worker's mother here on CC concerned because payroll taxes were not deducted from her daughters pay; I'd be happy to be proven wrong on this point, though. I'll try to find the thread. The only thing I can find now is that sometimes the foreign income exclusion comes into play depending on the individual circumstances (which I assume would be time out of the country, etc., that wouldn't apply to most cruise workers).

My sister worked for NCL many years ago, so maybe processes or laws have changed?  Also, her time at NCL was before the ships were re-flagged to the Bahamas from Norway (not sure if that makes a difference.)

[Fartlek]

Tipping in Canada is getting crazy.  In many provinces the waiters and waitresses are getting paid $15/hr and they expect another 15%-25% tip.   Many articles have shown that some are making in excess of $100K with tips.  Why is it only waitresses expect a tip and not other minimum salary employees like people that work in grocery stores/hardware, etc.    Some self-serve stores (like liquor stores) now ask if you want to leave a tip on the debit machine.  There was no help or assistance and they are asking for a tip - forget it.  

 

I don't mind the gratuity on a cruise ship but I wish they would just put it in the upfront cost of the cruise.   My preference would be to pay the employees a decent salary and charge me accordingly up front.   For me, the service would have to be outstanding for  me to tip beyond the ship gratuity.   

[Trimone]

The moral of the story....only tip good service !! Looks like DSC isn’t included in price anymore, has the price gone down? No