Gratuities/Daily Service Charges increasing!!

[shof515]

Starting January 1 2023 the gratuities/daily service charges will be increasing to:

Haven and Suite = 25 dollars per day

Club Balcony and all other cabins = 20 dollars per day 

 

as per the ncl website: https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-faq/what-is-onboard-service-charge

 

[phillygwm]

Glad I prepaid!  Thanks for bring it to our attention.  I would have missed it.

[Schoifmom]

For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay their service charges before their sail date:

• $20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;
• $16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

 

Good to know!  So, as long as I prepay prior to my sail date in 2024, I should still be granted the $16pp per day rate.

[ChiefMateJRK]

29 minutes ago, Schoifmom said:

For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay their service charges before their sail date:

• $20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;
• $16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

 

Good to know!  So, as long as I prepay prior to my sail date in 2024, I should still be granted the $16pp per day rate.

Yep.  $40 pp for a ten day cruise will likely encourage me to prepay two days prior.

[fox02554]

Thank you , was going to wait until closer to 02/23 cruise date 😲 guess I'll do that now 😄

 

[Captain-John]

To be expected. I wonder if they monitor the opt-out rate after each increase?

[fstuff1]

1 hour ago, shof515 said:

Starting January 1 2023 the gratuities/daily service charges will be increasing to:

Haven and Suite = 25 dollars per day

Club Balcony and all other cabins = 20 dollars per day 

 

as per the ncl website: https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/cruise-faq/what-is-onboard-service-charge

 

 

has the minimum pay for cabin stewards/restaurant workers been raised for 2023 by a lot?

 

hence the need for ncl to raise our cabin tip rate? 

(i'm assuming our cabin tips bring non-officer salaries up to the minimum by the general union contract covering all cruise lines)

 

Edited December 6, 2022 by fstuff1

[Captain-John]

1 minute ago, fstuff1 said:

(i'm assuming our cabin tips bring non-officer salaries up to the minimum by the general union contract covering all cruise lines)

 

If that is the case, and no-one pays (or less than required to meet the minimum) - the cruise line is obligated to make up the difference I imagine?

[cruiseny4life]

27 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Yep.  $40 pp for a ten day cruise will likely encourage me to prepay two days prior.

I just encouraged a few people to pre-pay. They already have just to be sure NCL doesn't screw them and end the pre-pay discount on January 1st. Not saying they would...but saying they could. 

[RocketMan275]

Can someone explain this for me?

What's the difference between these two bookings?

Looks like they're saying the same thing.

 

For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay their service charges before their sail date:

$20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;

$18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;

$16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

 

For bookings made on or after April 1, 2022, that prepay their service charges before their sail date:

$20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;

$18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;

$16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

[cruiseny4life]

2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Can someone explain this for me?

What's the difference between these two bookings?

Looks like they're saying the same thing.

 

For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay their service charges before their sail date:

$20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;

$18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;

$16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

 

For bookings made on or after April 1, 2022, that prepay their service charges before their sail date:

$20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;

$18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;

$16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

April 1st, 22 and January 1st, 23 is the difference.

[Schoifmom]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

Can someone explain this for me?

What's the difference between these two bookings?

Looks like they're saying the same thing.

 

For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay their service charges before their sail date:

$20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;

$18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;

$16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

 

For bookings made on or after April 1, 2022, that prepay their service charges before their sail date:

$20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;

$18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;

$16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

It looks like there was an increase effective 4/1 and this price will end 1/1.  I bolded the critical language.

[prmssk]

6 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Can someone explain this for me?

What's the difference between these two bookings?

Looks like they're saying the same thing.

 

For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay their service charges before their sail date:

$20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;

$18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;

$16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

 

For bookings made on or after April 1, 2022, that prepay their service charges before their sail date:

$20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;

$18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;

$16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

It's just a bit wordy the way they repeated it like that but essentially they are saying anyone who books between April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 (before January 1) can pre-pay at those rates.

 

I looked back at when we booked and what we pre-paid already and it appears this will be at least the third gratuities rate hike since we booked.  If I understand correctly, anyone who booked before April 1, 2022 that hasn't sailed yet can pre-pay at an even older rate.  Those that booked after April 1, 2022 but before January 1, 2023, can pre-pay at the current rate.

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, prmssk said:

It's just a bit wordy the way they repeated it like that but essentially they are saying anyone who books between April 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 (before January 1) can pre-pay at those rates.

 

I looked back at when we booked and what we pre-paid already and it appears this will be at least the third gratuities rate hike since we booked.  If I understand correctly, anyone who booked before April 1, 2022 that hasn't sailed yet can pre-pay at an even older rate.  Those that booked after April 1, 2022 but before January 1, 2023, can pre-pay at the current rate.

That's it.  Very clumsy wording.  

As I  understand it, I can pay the April 1, 2022 rate as long as I prepay prior to departure.  I've made notes in my calendar to do so since I have two cruise that fall into that situation.

[Two Wheels Only]

17 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Can someone explain this for me?

What's the difference between these two bookings?

Looks like they're saying the same thing.

 

Because of the increases, there are different "windows" under which people booked and the pre-pay rate can be different for different people.  

 

For example...

 

Someone who booked in Feb. 2021 for a cruise in July 2023 can pre-pay only $18.50/$18.00/$15.50.

 

Someone who booked in July 2022 for a cruise in July 2023 can pre-pay $20.00/$18.00/$16.00.

 

Someone who booked today for a cruise in July 2023 can pre-pay $20.00/$18.00/$16.00.

 

Someone who books after Jan 2023 for a cruise in July 2023 will pay the $25.00/$20.00 no matter when they pay. 

Edited December 6, 2022 by Two Wheels Only

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

Because of the increases, there are different "windows" under which people booked and the pre-pay rate can be different for different people.  

 

For example...

 

Someone who booked in Feb. 2021 for a cruise in July 2023 can pre-pay only $18.50/$18.00/$15.50.

 

Someone who booked in July 2022 for a cruise in July 2023 can pre-pay $20.00/$18.00/$16.00.

 

Someone who booked today for a July 2023 can pre-pay $20.00/$18.00/$16.00.

 

Someone who books after Jan 2023 for a July 2023 will pay the $25.00/$20.00 no matter when they pay. 

I have a March 2023 and a Feb 2024 booked.

The way I read that i can prepay both prior to sailing and still pay the $20 Haven rate.

[Two Wheels Only]

Just now, RocketMan275 said:

I have a March 2023 and a Feb 2024 booked.

The way I read that i can prepay both prior to sailing and still pay the $20 Haven rate.

 

It would depend on when you booked them. 

[ngrund]

This is why I just always have the grats added to the booking when i make it

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

It would depend on when you booked them. 

Both were booked prior to 1 April 2022.

[prmssk]

Just now, ngrund said:

This is why I just always have the grats added to the booking when i make it

That's usually how we do it as well.  And if we forget, the first rate increase is a great reminder to go in and add them right away so we don't have to think about it anymore.

[Two Wheels Only]

3 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Both were booked prior to 1 April 2022.

 

You should be good for the $18.50 Haven rate if you pre-pay.

Edited December 6, 2022 by Two Wheels Only

[prmssk]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

Both were booked prior to 1 April 2022.

Then you should be grandfathered in (if you pre-pay) to whatever they were before April 1, 2022.  (I don't have those rates handy.)

[Two Wheels Only]

2 minutes ago, prmssk said:

(I don't have those rates handy.)

 

For bookings made on or after January 1, 2023:

• $25.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $20.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite and below;

 

For bookings made before January 1, 2023, that pre-pay their service charges before their sail date:

• $20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;
• $16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

 

For bookings made on or after April 1, 2022, that prepay their service charges before their sail date:

• $20.00 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;
• $16.00 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

 

For bookings made on or after April 1, 2020, that prepay their service charges before their sail date:

• $18.50 USD per person per day for The Haven and Suites;
• $18.00 USD per person per day for Club Balcony Suite;
• $15.50 USD per person per day for all other stateroom types

[RocketMan275]

5 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

You should be good for the $18.50 Haven rate. 

that's what I thought.  $90.5 total for seven day cruise (twice)

Edited December 6, 2022 by RocketMan275

[julig22]

4 minutes ago, prmssk said:

Then you should be grandfathered in (if you pre-pay) to whatever they were before April 1, 2022.  (I don't have those rates handy.)

True.  I have a cruise booked for 2024 and grandfathered at $15.50 (OV) as long as I pay ahead.  You can go to your reservation and under the summary there is a section for paying the DSC, it will tell you the amount.