"Free" Freestyle

[wallygator]

Chuck & Phyllis and Traveler39.

What did I say that is wrong? Look below and you will see where people complaind about $10.00 PP PD was mentioned. How many of the bills you recieve like phone, energy have a surcharge attached? When you fly you pay a security fee. Is it right? Do I aggree with them? Its a fact of life. I go I pay and I thank God I can afford to. Smiles to you all. :)



[QUOTE]Originally Posted by wallygator
I have to add my two cents. I've been a few cruises and our service was always better than excellent. To suggest $10.00 a day per person is too much is sad. Pay and be happy that WE can cruise and enjoy new places and meet new people.

Then we go home and we are with our family and friends.

Some people will complain even if hung with a new rope. Think about it.

Cruise and be Happy. Smiles to you all

Where in this thread do YOU read that $10 pp per day is too much? I would support $20 PP per day if I knew it was being paid to the waiter, busboy, and steward.
__________________
Chuck & Phyllis







[quote name='seahorse']Read a comment on the board that "Freestyle isn`t free anymore" Huh?
This was pertaining to the new $10.00 resort fee.
As we all know, "Freestyle" means doing what we please, when we please in regard to our actions aboard the ship :D

[B][SIZE=4]When it came to the tipping suggestion of $10.00pp per day because of no set waiter etc. people complained that they "Will not get good service anymore". [/SIZE] [/B]
I found this not to be so, BUT this gave some people the FREEDOM to stiff the staff. I have seen this time and time again. Case in point, I was at the desk on the last morning on the Dawn and a man before me was asking that half of his tip be removed. The rep asked "Why Sir, did you not get good service?" He casually said "Everything was great. I just don`t want tp tip that much".:eek:

Now we have the freedom to tip, so to the complainers and whiners have a choice, and by golly, now they will get good service:rolleyes:
Now the staff will at least get something.

We all have choices in life and there are many cruise lines out there. Please move on people, stop complaining. If you don`t like NCL`s policies go to another line. This is not a harsh statement. This is reality. Beating a dead horse only gets you tired and frustrated.[/QUOTE]

[seahorse]

As I understand this fee [color=black]It is a service charge and you do not have to tip extra if you don`t want to. Where does it say that it is going to pay for anything else?

IF YOU DO NOT LIKE IT GO SOMEWHERE ELSE--THE HORSE IS DEAD.:p

The analogies you gave were not pertinent. No need to get hysterical over this.

We should all move on, what is what is. A company changed their policy, if you don`t like it don`t support them. Plain and simple.

Holy Horrors:eek: A company making a profit? What will become of us?

Wally,
You said nothing wrong. I think you were misinterpreted. That goes on a lot on this board:rolleyes:
[/color]

[Chuck & Phyllis]

Wally,

That was the thread originator's assumption you copied as people complaining. Sure, there are stiffs out there and they are lice as far as I'm concerned. This isn't about paying gratuities. It's about surcharges for NCL to pay their employees, without it being considered gratuities. It's not a security, fuel, or government surcharge. It's a corporate expense being passed on to customers as a surcharge that's not in sinc with normal accounting principles (which might very well cause NCL problems down the road). A good example was somewhat mentioned already about when we shop at a food store. A service charge for the service the check out person supplies ringing up our order? Sound reasonable? All NCL has to do is state that gratuities are included with this charge and no problem. Complain? Hell no, I fight. Be damned if I'll be a sheep. If I didn't like NCL, wouldn't be bothered, can go elsewhere (do anyway), but don't want to leave for good without making sure the horse is really dead. Can you imagine what it would be like if nobody ever challenged the actions of corporations or government? Think about it. Not flaming you BTW, just like you to view this in all ways, and have an open mind on this. Infighting does nothing good. If you really believe that this isn't an issue to you, I respect that but please don't arbitrarilly consider this as just rantings of complainers. This whole thing isn't about money, I pi$$ that away. It's about principle. Smiles to you too, BTW, really.

Chuck

[wallygator]

[quote name='Chuck & Phyllis']Wally,

That was the thread originator's assumption you copied as people complaining. Sure, there are stiffs out there and they are lice as far as I'm concerned. This isn't about paying gratuities. It's about surcharges for NCL to pay their employees, without it being considered gratuities. It's not a security, fuel, or government surcharge. It's a corporate expense being passed on to customers as a surcharge that's not in sinc with normal accounting principles (which might very well cause NCL problems down the road). A good example was somewhat mentioned already about when we shop at a food store. A service charge for the service the check out person supplies ringing up our order? Sound reasonable? All NCL has to do is state that gratuities are included with this charge and no problem. Complain? Hell no, I fight. Be damned if I'll be a sheep. If I didn't like NCL, wouldn't be bothered, can go elsewhere (do anyway), but don't want to leave for good without making sure the horse is really dead. Can you imagine what it would be like if nobody ever challenged the actions of corporations or government? Think about it. Not flaming you BTW, just like you to view this in all ways, and have an open mind on this. Infighting does nothing good. If you really believe that this isn't an issue to you, I respect that but please don't arbitrarilly consider this as just rantings of complainers. This whole thing isn't about money, I pi$$ that away. It's about principle. Smiles to you too, BTW, really.

Chuck[/QUOTE]


[SIZE=4]I'm confused Is this what you are refering to?[/SIZE]By Gene Sloan, USA TODAYCruise line's service fee non-negotiable

Lousy service? You'll still pay.
Although many cruise lines add a service charge to passenger bills, it has always been optional. Passengers unhappy with the service could have the charge removed or changed. But not anymore — at least with one company. Norwegian Cruise Line quietly has begun making its $10-per-person-per-day service charge mandatory. The Pride of Aloha is the first ship where service charges are non-negotiable. Norwegian says the policy will go fleetwide by next May.

Norwegian spokeswoman Susan Robinson downplays the shift, noting that the new policy is no different from what some resorts do. So what to do if the service stinks? "We want to hear (preferably on board) about any service inadequencies that a passenger may be experiencing," Robinson says.

Bottom line for vacationers: Expect to pay $70 a person more for a one-week cruise than the "lead price" seen in advertisements.

[COLOR=Red][B][SIZE=4]If so the only thing that changed is we now have no choice but to pay the $10.00 PP PD. Please help me understand this major change in policy
__________________[/SIZE][/B][/COLOR]

[Chuck & Phyllis]

I only refer to what I wrote. I didn't read nor do I care about what was written in USA Today. Please keep your response in answer to what was written. Smiles again.

Chuck

[DocJohnB]

OK, we all have our opinions on this subject, here is mine.

If, as has been quoted above, NCL truly believes their own hype that "[I]This is a fixed service charge and is not a gratuity and therefore is not adjustable. .... Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on Norwegian Cruise Line and NCL America ships. Our staff are paid salaries. ....*[/I], I would have no problem with this policy. I just don't believe that in their corporate minds, they truly believe this. In fact, I believe that within a year or two of fully instituting this policy on their ships, they will start talking, once again, about "recommended tipping".

Why not make it easy on all of us. Include this charge in the base price of the cruise and insert a statement such as the following on all documentation (tickets, documents, whatever).

[B]"The charge for your cruise is $1,000 per person. This price includes the cruise, port charges, taxes, and (a service fee of $70 per person). As our staff are paid an excellent salary, gratuities are neither desired nor expected"[/B]

I think this so called service fee is cr**. While I am not naive enough to believe that no passenger ever 'stiffed' a crewmember, I believe the 'stiffing' theory is much exaggerated. I think NCL is the epitome of a [B]greedy corporation [/B] that treats it customers with a total lack of respect. They want us to believe that the "service fee" is not tied into/or the same as a gratuity. Pure BS. Under the old system, the recommended gratuity was $10 p/p, p/d. This fee was automatically added to your onboard account and you could adjust it. The new "service fee" is $10 p/p, p/d and is automatically added to your onboard account - but this fee is non-negotiable and cannot be removed, even if your service is unacceptable. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm.!!