Reducing OSC, gratuities or similar charges

[Menocchio]

2 minutes ago, ngrund said:

Also, that way the service charges would not be refunded if you have to cancel past final payment.

That's not a huge problem. It makes the bookkeeping a little more complicated, but nothing says they can't just collect it up front and give it back to you even if you cancel or are a no show. That's kind of how port fees work, right?

[LongIsland-Cruiser]

29 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

I wish they'd just raise the fares the same amount per night, drop the separate charge, explain that tips are not expected, and then continue to pay the crew more proportional to how full the ship is.

 

Because that's what this really is. It's not a tip, it's a part of their basic compensation that's (for marketing purposes) charged separately to the passengers. They waive it sometimes for other marketing purposes or to appease angry passengers (and I presume the ability to do that is part of the reason why they keep it separate), but it's not really optional the way a tip is supposed to be. 

This no doubt is part of it.  Also part of it is the chance of getting tips in the service industry is used as a carrot to make workers go above and beyond.  It's like any bonus system that any employer comes up with.....just instead of them paying it they make their customers pay it.

 

Ultimately, since I only encounter about 2% of the people who worked to make my vacation great, this is the only way I can contribute to those faceless workers who should be paid more but aren't, and are depending on me.

[Rick&Jeannie]

15 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

I'm considering a cruise in 2027 and was wondering if I could eliminate my future osc now and reserve loungers by the pool? Of course I'll be sharing my drink package with whomever doesn't have one. 

Lol 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 

Clownshow! 

Don't forget to pre-order your hash browns and cookies....

[Rick&Jeannie]

Duplicate....

Edited April 5 by Rick&Jeannie

[ngrund]

13 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

That's not a huge problem. It makes the bookkeeping a little more complicated, but nothing says they can't just collect it up front and give it back to you even if you cancel or are a no show. That's kind of how port fees work, right?

Yes, but then its "not included in the cruise fare" and would be a separate item and some people will still complain

[bkrickles1]

9 minutes ago, Rick&Jeannie said:

Don't forget to pre-order your hash browns and cookies....

Somebody on here is liable to kill me for this, but I don't get the hash brown love. I've had them and they're pretty good, but I also like the country potatoes if they're well done. 

Now, if they mess with my 7 layer chocolate cake at Cagney's (and maybe room service), blows will be thrown! Lol 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 

14 days till Getaway! 

[vacation44]

2 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

Somebody on here is liable to kill me for this, but I don't get the hash brown love. I've had them and they're pretty good, but I also like the country potatoes if they're well done. 

Now, if they mess with my 7 layer chocolate cake at Cagney's (and maybe room service), blows will be thrown! Lol 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 

14 days till Getaway! 

Looking forward to you reporting back about the 7 layer chocolate cake from room service if you do order it!

[DCGuy64]

Be careful what you wish for. In Europe, it is true that paying servers a higher wage (and no tips expected) sounds great. It is also true that sometimes you get crappy service because, what are you gonna do, NOT TIP? What do they care? Work both ways. No tipping means no consequences for bad service. Sure you want to go down this road?

[bkrickles1]

4 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

Looking forward to you reporting back about the 7 layer chocolate cake from room service if you do order it!

Oh, it's a done deal!

We will, 100%, be ordering room service on a 10 day sailing and we'll order a couple of pieces as my daughter loves it too. 

[Menocchio]

4 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Be careful what you wish for. In Europe, it is true that paying servers a higher wage (and no tips expected) sounds great. It is also true that sometimes you get crappy service because, what are you gonna do, NOT TIP? What do they care? Work both ways. No tipping means no consequences for bad service. Sure you want to go down this road?

I think this has more to do with American vs European customer service standards, or just general culture. I've found (to the extent the stereotype is true, which it isn't always) that this also applies to service jobs that don't get tips even in the US. Like flight attendants or retail employees. 

[Distinctive-Destinations]

9 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

Be careful what you wish for. In Europe, it is true that paying servers a higher wage (and no tips expected) sounds great. It is also true that sometimes you get crappy service because, what are you gonna do, NOT TIP? What do they care? Work both ways. No tipping means no consequences for bad service. Sure you want to go down this road?

I’ve found that I generally get just as good, if not better, service in Europe. 

[Capitan Obvious]

1 hour ago, Menocchio said:

I wish they'd just raise the fares the same amount per night, drop the separate charge, explain that tips are not expected, and then continue to pay the crew more proportional to how full the ship is.

 

Because that's what this really is. It's not a tip, it's a part of their basic compensation that's (for marketing purposes) charged separately to the passengers. They waive it sometimes for other marketing purposes or to appease angry passengers (and I presume the ability to do that is part of the reason why they keep it separate), but it's not really optional the way a tip is supposed to be. 

 

"not really optional the way a tip is supposed to be"? Have you considered that this is because it isn't a tip, but rather a service charge? A service charge, of course, doesn't act like a tip because they are not the same. 

 

FWIW, NCL says: "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." You want them to explain that tips are not expected, but they are already saying that there is no required or recommended tipping. Not sure how much more clear they could make it.

[Menocchio]

Just now, Capitan Obvious said:

 

"not really optional the way a tip is supposed to be"? Have you considered that this is because it isn't a tip, but rather a service charge? A service charge, of course, doesn't act like a tip because they are not the same. 

 

FWIW, NCL says: "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." You want them to explain that tips are not expected, but they are already saying that there is no required or recommended tipping. Not sure how much more clear they could make it.

They obviously aren't entirely successful because some people still want to treat the service charge as a tip, in that it's optional. 

[WickedRed]

I think this dude just trolled us.  Dropped this deuce knowing it would stir up the people and ran.

 

Personally, I can handle the lack of hash browns and cookies but if they ever did anything to the lava cake or raspberry brownie cheese cake...  OOooo.  I'm a fat redhead and it will be all bad things. 

[RocketMan275]

12 minutes ago, Menocchio said:

They obviously aren't entirely successful because some people still want to treat the service charge as a tip, in that it's optional. 

What difference does it make if I choose to treat it as a service charge or if I choose to treat it as a tip?

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

I’ve found that I generally get just as good, if not better, service in Europe. 

It very much depends where you go, how busy they are, what time of year, etc. (And often, whether you speak the local language or not.) Too many variables for me to make a blanket statement. My point was to say that if we get rid of tips onboard the ships, there might be unanticipated adverse consequences.

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, Capitan Obvious said:

FWIW, NCL says: "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." You want them to explain that tips are not expected, but they are already saying that there is no required or recommended tipping. Not sure how much more clear they could make it.

 

1 hour ago, Menocchio said:

They obviously aren't entirely successful because some people still want to treat the service charge as a tip, in that it's optional. 

 

1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

What difference does it make if I choose to treat it as a service charge or if I choose to treat it as a tip?

 

BINGO! 🎉 🎉 🎉

 

WE HAVE A WINNER!!! 
 

😎

[dmwnc1959]

1 hour ago, Menocchio said:

They obviously aren't entirely successful because some people still want to treat the service charge as a tip, in that it's optional. 

I think most of you probably already know my feelings on this subject 😉 based on the last lengthy ‘exciting conversation’ we had about this. In case anyone forgot:

 

In my view the OSC are my tips. And I will not be tipping extra. 

 

And If people are going to drive home the fact that the onboard service charge is nothing more than us supplementing their income, then I am all for removing it, and just start tipping the people we want to. 

 

 

[Capitan Obvious]

2 hours ago, Menocchio said:

They obviously aren't entirely successful because some people still want to treat the service charge as a tip, in that it's optional. 

 

Well, there nothing I can say about that that hasn't been covered by Ron White.

[dmwnc1959]

5 hours ago, wolft927 said:

If you cant afford the service charges do not go on a cruise!

 

3 hours ago, Menocchio said:

It's not a tip, it's a part of their basic compensation…

 

 

I can afford the tips. And I can afford to cruise. It’s absolutely nobody’s business how I spend my money.
 

My money. 

 

However, we should be able to choose not to supplement the entire crew’s wages based on some flimsy ‘onboard service charge’ that NCL are going to distribute to practically everybody.
 

It’s not my job to pay their wages. That’s on NCL. 

[DCGuy64]

4 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

 

 

 

I can afford the tips. And I can afford to cruise. It’s absolutely nobody’s business how I spend my money.
 

My money. 

 

However, we should be able to choose not to supplement the entire crew’s wages based on some flimsy ‘onboard service charge’ that NCL are going to distribute to practically everybody.
 

It’s not my job to pay their wages. That’s on NCL. 

Well said. Sometimes, it beggars belief that people cannot simply answer a question. The OP was only asking about how, and when, a passenger could ask about reducing, or eliminating, the daily service charge. But instead of answering, many people went off on tangents about whether it was the right thing to do, scolding/judging the OP for even asking the question, etc. Wow. Remind me never to ask people about what I should do in regard to tipping. As @dmwnc1959 said, it's my money. And how I spend my money is nobody's business but mine.

[Rick&Jeannie]

The topic of tipping has *always* been a hot button for many people....

[cassie55]

4 hours ago, dltvermont said:

 

My point is, when you "tip" anywhere else for a job well done, you are not giving tips to the back of the house, and rarely does the front of the house share with them.

 

To your point, as mentioned by another post, they should just absorb the service charges into the fares and be done with it instead of making people who dont believe in tipping everyone feel less because they remove them.

 

I believe that there are no service charges on european cruises because "tipping" isnt a thing over there? I think I read that? So are their workers just out of luck or are they paid more?

Not true about European cruises.  We've just prepaid £360 service charges for a cruise next month.   And (despite being European) we will also tip extra to the steward, concierge and butler.  

[DCGuy64]

16 minutes ago, cassie55 said:

Not true about European cruises.  We've just prepaid £360 service charges for a cruise next month.   And (despite being European) we will also tip extra to the steward, concierge and butler.  

That is very nice (and generous) of you to do that.

[dmwnc1959]

43 minutes ago, cassie55 said:

Not true about European cruises.  We've just prepaid £360 service charges for a cruise next month.   And (despite being European) we will also tip extra to the steward, concierge and butler.  

It is nice that you do that. And it’s obviously a personal choice. Like having a concierge and a butler is a personal choice.
 

But it’s all about personal choice. Unless tipping and the Onboard Service Charge become mandatory. 😉
 

😎

Edited April 5 by dmwnc1959