Reducing OSC, gratuities or similar charges

[RocketMan275]

40 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Service fees are not “part of the cost”. It’s an additional cost. If the Onboard Service Charge was part of the cost it would be added into the cost of the actual cruise along with the port charges and taxes. The OSC is no more part of the cost than if I buy a water package or a dining package or a shore excursion. Those all have to be added by the passenger (when pre-paid) to the cost of the actual cruise costs when you’re paying off the balance. 

Service fees are most definitely part of the cost of the cruise.  You're only playing with words to justify stiffing the crew.

[BirdTravels]

On 4/5/2024 at 10:29 AM, mmt44 said:

When is the time to get the auto charges reduced or eliminated?  The day before debarking?

 

Does NCL allow you to tell customer service desk the amount you want to pay or do you have to totally eliminate all the charges?

 

 

It is never a good time to try and stuff the hard working crew who work 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. Pay your daily service charge and tip more. That’s what most people do. 

[Mike07]

2 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

It is never a good time to try and stuff the hard working crew who work 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. Pay your daily service charge and tip more. That’s what most people do. 

 

 

To be fair, the 7-days a week, 10-12 hours/day comment falls on deaf ears to me. Naval vessels underway or deployed work similar (and longer) hours without tips. If alcohol is found on-board, it's usually straight to the Captain's mast.

 

The USN is partly why shipping lanes are free and why it's safe(r) for cruise ships to sail.

[dmwnc1959]

8 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

So,  you're too ashamed of removing the service charge to explain to those affected what/why you've done so?

Shame has absolutely nothing to do with it. And you have absolutely no idea the reason why someone may want to remove the service charges. NONE. 
 

But the fact that you brought it up in such a manner is shameful in itself.

 

AS I HAVE REPEATEDLY SAID MYSELF…

 

(pay close attention to this next paragraph) 

 

I personally have zero intention of removing the Onboard Service Charge. ZERO. As a matter of fact, it will be prepaid by the end of this month. Fact.  I hope that’s clear enough for you.
 

That being said, I will defend the right of someone who chooses to remove the onboard service charge if they choose to do so. It’s their choice, not yours or mine. And no should be shamed into a choice based on our principles.
 

😎 

[Mike07]

1 minute ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Shame has absolutely nothing to do with it. And you have absolutely no idea the reason why someone may want to remove the service charges. NONE. 
 

But the fact that you brought it up in such a manner is shameful in itself.

 

AS I HAVE REPEATEDLY SAID MYSELF…

 

(pay close attention to this next paragraph) 

 

I personally have zero intention of removing the Onboard Service Charge. ZERO. As a matter of fact, it will be prepaid by the end of this month. Fact.  I hope that’s clear enough for you.
 

That being said, I will defend the right of someone who chooses to remove the onboard service charge if they choose to do so. It’s their choice, not yours or mine. And no should be shamed into a choice based on our principles.
 

😎

 

 

Some of us understood your point. Like I said above, I don't necessarily like your point, but I do agree with what you're saying.

[dmwnc1959]

11 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

It is never a good time to try and stuff the hard working crew who work 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day. Pay your daily service charge and tip more. That’s what most people do. 

 

 

7 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

To be fair, the 7-days a week, 10-12 hours/day comment falls on deaf ears to me. Naval vessels underway or deployed work similar (and longer) hours without tips. If alcohol is found on-board, it's usually straight to the Captain's mast.

 

The USN is partly why shipping lanes are free and why it's safe(r) for cruise ships to sail.

Well, it certainly is falling on the deaf ears of NCL.
 

As someone who proudly served in the US Navy on various surface ships and submarines, who defended the shipping lanes (and as a lot of you like to say defended your freedom), and as a veteran who knows what it’s like to work seven days a week with 18-hour working days and got paid a meager salary, absolutely no one here is going to tell me what I should do. I have earned that right. 

[Distinctive-Destinations]

4 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

 

 

Well, it certainly is falling on the deaf ears of NCL.
 

As someone who proudly served in the US Navy on various surface ships and submarines, who defended the shipping lanes (and as a lot of you like to say defended your freedom), and as a veteran who knows what it’s like to work seven days a week with 18-hour working days and got paid a meager salary, absolutely no one here is going to tell me what I should do. I have earned that right. 

Unless you were drafted, this was all your choice.

[dmwnc1959]

11 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

Some of us understood your point. Like I said above, I don't necessarily like your point, but I do agree with what you're saying.

Heck, I don’t like my point either. 
 

But I will defend those who make that choice - for reasons we have no idea, have no right to speculate, and have absolutely no right to berate or belittle - to make that choice. Those that do engage in those practices are the ones that should be ashamed of themselves.

[bkrickles1]

Deja Vu 

[Mike07]

4 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

Unless you were drafted, this was all your choice.

 

 

As it is with the people accepting cruise line contracts. It's rare I meet an employee on their first or even second contract.

[dmwnc1959]

1 minute ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

Unless you were drafted, this was all your choice.

Excellent point, just like it’s the choice of the crew to join the ship. I’m sure they were not drafted as well.
 

Circumstances aside, no one is making them join, just like no one made me volunteer. However, no one padded my salary with extra tips for my hard work, service, and dedication to my country. My paycheck for the entirety of the first five years was a total sum of $31,050. With free room and board I managed to live off of that. 

I don’t know how much the crew makes, and I don’t care. 

[dmwnc1959]

38 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Service fees are most definitely part of the cost of the cruise.  You're only playing with words to justify stiffing the crew.

Wrong again. It’s not part of the ‘cost of the cruise’, it’s part of the total sum when combining the total cost of the parts with the additions to the cruise. No where in this summary does it include Onboard Service Charge. You know why? Because I have to add it in there. 
 

[RocketMan275]

34 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Shame has absolutely nothing to do with it. And you have absolutely no idea the reason why someone may want to remove the service charges. NONE. 

 

😎

Anyone, such as OP,  who decides to remove the service charge prior to even boarding the ship, should have the courage to face the crew and justify their shameful decision.  

 

I cannot understand why anyone would attemp to defend that decision.

[dmwnc1959]

2 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Anyone, such as OP,  who decides to remove the service charge prior to even boarding the ship, should have the courage to face the crew and justify their shameful decision.  

 

I cannot understand why anyone would attemp to defend that decision.

Quit putting words into peoples mouths. OP didn’t say that. You did.

 

Let me refresh your memory…

 

PER THE OP:

 

“When is the time to get the auto charges reduced or eliminated? The day before debarking?”

 

I’m sure you’ve cruised enough to know that you don’t debark a ship before you even board it. 🙄

[dmwnc1959]

41 minutes ago, Distinctive-Destinations said:

Unless you were drafted, this was all your choice.

Thank you for your patriotism. 🦅 🇺🇸

[RocketMan275]

Just now, dmwnc1959 said:

Quit putting words into peoples mouths. OP didn’t say that. You did.

 

Let me refresh your memory…

 

PER THE OP:

 

“When is the time to get the auto charges reduced or eliminated? The day before debarking?”

 

I’m sure you’ve cruised enough to know that you don’t debark a ship before you even board it. 🙄

It should be obvious that OP hasn't boarded the ship, can't possibly have experienced any issues that would justify reducing/eliminating the service charge.  Yet OP wants to know how/when OP can reduce/eliminate the service charge.  And, now, you're playing word games in an attempt to justify OP's shameful actions.

[dmwnc1959]

23 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

It should be obvious that OP hasn't boarded the ship, can't possibly have experienced any issues that would justify reducing/eliminating the service charge.  Yet OP wants to know how/when OP can reduce/eliminate the service charge.  And, now, you're playing word games in an attempt to justify OP's shameful actions.

 

You are quite obviously responding without even reading. Here, let me detail it a bit for you: 

 

Let’s say someone is not sure why they are paying $20 a day for the OSC. Maybe, for reasons you have no right to know, they feel like that’s a bit much and it should be $15 or $10. They are fine with that amount. Again, it’s none of your business. Maybe they also tip the steward personally. You know, they can tip whom they choose. Maybe they want to tip as they go.
 

And they don’t have to have any reasons, excuses, justifications, or problems to justify why they want to reduce or remove the service charges. Period. 
 

Now, maybe they are unsure what to do and want to ask advice ahead of time before they get to the ship - you know, because they have never cruised with NCL - when is a good time to ask the customer service desk. Before debarking, OP asked? 
 

When you’re wrong, you’re really wrong. Just because all of this is done premeditated doesn’t justify you saying it’s shameful. You keep throwing the word shame in there like it’s something you’re proud of. 
 

😎

Edited April 6 by dmwnc1959

[Distinctive-Destinations]

41 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Thank you for your patriotism. 🦅 🇺🇸

My comment, to which you have now replied twice to, was in regards to you complaining about your low pay.

 

And before you respond (yet again), I’m all in favor of paying members of the military more. 

[dmwnc1959]

Just now, Distinctive-Destinations said:

My comment, to which you have now replied twice to, was in regards to you complaining about your low pay.

 

And before you respond (yet again), I’m all in favor of paying members of the military more. 

I wasn’t complaining about it, I was stating a fact. And, like I said, I managed to survive off of that, at the time quite comfortably when living aboard ship and having my food supplied. You know, sort of like the cruise crew have their room and board provided for free.  

And I too am all in favor of paying the military more. Just like I’m all in favor of paying the cruise staff more for their base salaries.
 

Blame the cruise line. Pretty much everyone here has said they would pay more for their cruise if the cost of the onboard service charge was included in our base fare. 

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, dmwnc1959 said:

 

When you’re wrong, you’re really wrong. Just because all of this is done premeditated doesn’t justify you saying it’s shameful. You keep throwing the word shame in there like it’s something you’re proud of. 

If someone wants to know how to reduce/eliminate the service charge prior to even boarding the ship, prior to even knowing what service they will receive, that is indeed premeditated and shamefull.  

Amazing the lengths you go to in order to justify something as shameful as stiffing the crew.  

[dmwnc1959]

Just now, RocketMan275 said:

If someone wants to know how to reduce/eliminate the service charge prior to even boarding the ship, prior to even knowing what service they will receive, that is indeed premeditated and shamefull.  

Amazing the lengths you go to in order to justify something as shameful as stiffing the crew.  

This makes me laugh. 🤣🤣🤣 I’m sure you could have squeezed the word ‘shameful’ in there a few more times if you tried really hard. 🤣

 

Inquiring isn’t intent. But in case you missed the second half of his inquiry:

 

“Does NCL allow you to tell customer service desk the amount you want to pay or do you have to totally eliminate all the charges?”

 

Can I reduce it first, or do I have to totally remove it all (and then - insert second option for how to pay the desired amount I want to pay). 
 

So shameful. 🤣🤣🤣

[RocketMan275]

2 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

This makes me laugh. 🤣🤣🤣 I’m sure you could have squeezed the word ‘shameful’ in there a few more times if you tried really hard. 🤣

 

Inquiring isn’t intent. But in case you missed the second half of his inquiry:

 

“Does NCL allow you to tell customer service desk the amount you want to pay or do you have to totally eliminate all the charges?”

 

Can I reduce it first, or do I have to totally remove it all (and then - insert second option for how to pay the desired amount I want to pay). 
 

So shameful. 🤣🤣🤣

Premeditated = Shameful.

[dmwnc1959]

5 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Premeditated = Shameful.

Didn’t even read it did you? 🤣🤣🤣 It’s like listening to respond vs listening to understand. 🤣🤣🤣

[RocketMan275]

2 minutes ago, dmwnc1959 said:

Didn’t even read it did you? 🤣🤣🤣 It’s like listening to respond vs listening to understand. 🤣🤣🤣

I read it and found nothing to convince me to change my mind.

Premeditated = Shamefull.

I see no reason to continue this conversation.  

[dmwnc1959]

8 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

I read it and found nothing to convince me to change my mind.

Premeditated = Shamefull.

I see no reason to continue this conversation.  

Shameful. 🤣 

 

I’ll remember that the next time a tipping thread shows up and we all have a ‘conversation’ for four pages of OPINIONS and PERSONAL VIEWPOINTS.
 

Which apparently is shameful to have. 🤣

 

😎

 

 

Edited April 6 by dmwnc1959