pay cash tips or pay service gratuities?

[pghflyer]

I'm on vacation, so I am not going to worry about how NCL distributes my service charge funds - that is between them and the employees. I will continue to give extra cash gratuities where I feel I received extra service above what I expect at their 20% service charge fee.

[CruisingSince1982]

17 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

they're not lying, but they may not fully understand the nature of the employee compensation and incentive fund that NCL establishes through the onboard service charge and through gratuities. virtually none of it is passed through directly to employees as cash. the fund supports employee recreation and incentives, which could include a pizza party or an employee karaoke contest or painting the break room. NCL doesn't say what it does with the money, but some of it does wind up being disbursed as performance bonuses. 

 

or they could fully understand how it works and prefer to tell you that they don't get anything because they know you are more likely to tip them directly if they tell you they are being disadvantaged. in which case, yes, they are lying. i can't imagine that any of them are telling the truth.

 

as for the haven... the butler and the concierge do not participate in that employee rewards program and tipping directly is appropriate. (your cabin attendant does participate, but you can still tip him or her.)

If it benefits them, why would they want it removed? That makes no sense at all. 

[CelticWheels]

I may be wrong but I was under the impression that bar staff weren't included in the DSC as some customers didn't want their money going towards serving alcohol.

 

(For info I'm from the UK and the whole tipping thing drives me mad, just pay the staff properly and charge me accordingly.)

 

We leave DSC alone, pre pay it in fact. Tip for room steward depending on length of cruise, tip for wait staff if appropriate, and $1 per drinks order, extra tip at end of cruise to particular members of staff if we feel like it.

 

Would we save tax by paying DSC on board in cash to customer services?

[UKstages]

i'm not following the logic here.

 

there was no suggestion that NCL employees who benefit from the onboard service charge would want the service charge removed.

 

what i said was that some employees may pretend that they don't receive any benefit so as to engender sympathy from passengers who would then be more inclined to tip them directly. 

 

Edited Wednesday at 04:59 PM by UKstages

[pghflyer]

14 minutes ago, CelticWheels said:

I may be wrong but I was under the impression that bar staff weren't included in the DSC as some customers didn't want their money going towards serving alcohol.

 

(For info I'm from the UK and the whole tipping thing drives me mad, just pay the staff properly and charge me accordingly.)

Apologies from this American for our refusal to pay people a living wage and making people grovel for tips to survive.....and then spreading this terrible practice worldwide.  

 

DSC does NOT go to bar staff.....but if you bought a FAS/MAS package with alcohol included, then those large charges on your bill for that package were a 20% service charge for that service. 

[UKstages]

DSC is now known as "OSC" (onboard service charge).

 

we don't know if OSC goes to fund compensation for bartenders. just as we don't know if the gratuity we pay on the current drinks and meal packages and retail purchases of drinks and food go to compensate bartenders and servers exclusively,  NCL isn't talking, but they have dropped hints in both cases.

 

i suspect that gratuities as well as OSC goes into a general fund that NCL then uses to compensate and incentivize all employees, both front and back of house. the people you see as well as those you don't. as previously noted, not all of that is in the form of cash distributions. it could be days off, parties, competitions and contests and performance based bonuses. and it could in fact comprise a portion of their salary.

 

i think it's safe to assume that bartenders and servers are not getting anything close to 20% of the cost of the meal or the drink or the dining or drink package. and there is no direct correlation between the gratuity imposed by NCL and the server who brings your food or drink to your table or bar stool.

[CelticWheels]

37 minutes ago, pghflyer said:

Apologies from this American for our refusal to pay people a living wage and making people grovel for tips to survive.....and then spreading this terrible practice worldwide.  

 

DSC does NOT go to bar staff.....but if you bought a FAS/MAS package with alcohol included, then those large charges on your bill for that package were a 20% service charge for that service. 

No need to apologise, honest 😉

 

We don't get the option to remove alcohol from FAS/MAS, we get all 4  'choices'. Although I do remember having to choose only 2 when I booked our 1st cruise in 2019.

 

Service charges for drinks package are also included.

 

Next cruise, 21 days out of Seattle 29th Sept 2025, FAS £449 ($595) each and service charge £325.50 ($430) each.

 

Works out at £37 ($48) pppd and that's for the dinners and WiFi and excursion discount.

 

We have a balcony cabin, so I don't know if that makes a difference.

 

I'm guessing from other comments that prices vary by country and cabin type. I booked through NCL and am silver latitudes.

 

 

 

[graphicguy]

On 10/1/2024 at 1:26 PM, CruisingSince1982 said:

I have spoken to dozens of crew over the years, and they all tell the same story. They do not get any of that "pre-paid" money. Didn't matter if we were in a balcony cabin, or in the haven. The answer is consistent. I can't imagine they are all lying. 

Interestingly, while it's really not something I feel is my business, when listening to other guests  ask that same question while sitting at on board bars, the response is the opposite.  They have said the DSC is divided among all personnel who aren't management staff.

 

Further, they also share cash tips with bar backs and other bartenders.

 

I do think the room stewards keep the cash gratuities you offer, but they also share in the DSC.

 

OP...in answer to your original question, it's not an either/or proposition.  It's whether you tip extra cash above the DSC for those who have given you extraordinary service.  The DSC covers a lot of other crew that you don't see.  Some of it is for crew parties.  Some of it is for special recognition by the cruise management.  Some of it is monetary.

[pghflyer]

Lots of conjecture that none of us really know (and I am not taking the word of randos talking to randos on the ship).....it would be very easy to program allocating a flat or percentage amount to the person who charges your drink.  I know our bartender who we were with for 14 days on Star said that they do get "credit" (whatever that means) for our drinks so it does help if we go to the bartenders we like and not stop somewhere else......fwiw (I wouldn't believe me either ha ha)

[UKstages]

12 minutes ago, pghflyer said:

it would be very easy to program allocating a flat or percentage amount to the person who charges your drink.

 

yes, it would be. but why would they want to do that and exclude the person who fetched the case of beer from storage and brought it to the bar? and the person who removed all the trash and empty bottles? and the person who mops the floor? and the person who cleaned the bathroom? and the person who printed the daily newsletter that told you which hours the bar was open? and the security officer who removed the unruly guests who got into a physical altercation? there are many people responsible for you being able to enjoy that gin and tonic or jack and coke, not just the person who rings it up and brings it to you.

 

NCL operates their ships, as do most cruise lines, as a team effort. say what you will about individual team members and whether or not they are up to speed or up to snuff, but NCL has chosen to reward most team members by divvying up the OSC and the gratuities collected and distributing them via their employee incentive/bonus/compensation program. that's their choice. we can decide whether to participate by paying the OSC (most do) and/or by doling out additional tips on an individual basis. 

 

Edited Wednesday at 06:41 PM by UKstages

[pghflyer]

I hear you and don't know the answer but that is one logical way of approaching it. To be clear, I was more referring to the beverage package service charges, which may/may not be handled the same as OSC........all conjecture.

[luv2kroooz]

6 hours ago, New2cruise2022 said:

I’ve followed these threads for a long time and @dbrown84 has pointed this out everytime, and is correct every time — it says it right on the website. It can be nuanced by everyone’s interpretation and experience, but the equation to crew tips is a faulty one. 

...but it is no more or less faulty than NCL calling it a service charge yet making it discretionary and adjustable. A service charge isn't discretionary. A tip is discretionary. So, it feels like a tip in disguise. NCL can use contradictory definitions all day long on its website or it could be intentionally clear and put this matter to rest. Unless or until they do that, the debate rages on. To each their own ..call it want you want, treat it as a tip if you want or a service charge if you want.

[mjkacmom]

2 hours ago, CelticWheels said:

I may be wrong but I was under the impression that bar staff weren't included in the DSC as some customers didn't want their money going towards serving alcohol.

 

(For info I'm from the UK and the whole tipping thing drives me mad, just pay the staff properly and charge me accordingly.)

 

We leave DSC alone, pre pay it in fact. Tip for room steward depending on length of cruise, tip for wait staff if appropriate, and $1 per drinks order, extra tip at end of cruise to particular members of staff if we feel like it.

 

Would we save tax by paying DSC on board in cash to customer services?

I don’t think the DSC is taxed.

[CelticWheels]

19 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

I don’t think the DSC is taxed.

Cheers, I was just asking due to OP

[New2cruise2022]

17 hours ago, luv2kroooz said:

...but it is no more or less faulty than NCL calling it a service charge yet making it discretionary and adjustable. A service charge isn't discretionary. A tip is discretionary. So, it feels like a tip in disguise. NCL can use contradictory definitions all day long on its website or it could be intentionally clear and put this matter to rest. Unless or until they do that, the debate rages on. To each their own ..call it want you want, treat it as a tip if you want or a service charge if you want.

You are so right. The ambiguity is what makes this an everlasting topic on CC

[PartyPlannerLady]

On 9/30/2024 at 1:06 PM, eagles 2024 said:

what is the opinion on this topic?  Pay cash (No tax on tips) or pay the service gratuities 

 

Since the DSC is NOT a tip, this is a poor question.  We leave the DSC in place and er tip those whom we want to tip whatever amount we choose at any timr we choose.  DSC/tips is not an either/or issue.