NCL Service Charge - Can this be changed? waved?

[Guest Anorak33]

Call me cynical if you like but the OP had got you all arguing amongst yourselves now, must be very satisfying for him!

 

Obiously the majority of opinion is to leave the autotip on and tip extra if you want to.

 

But can we understand and accept and leave it alone?

 

Of course not!

We have to go round and round in circles causing bad feeling on this, an emotive subject.

 

Please give it a rest................

[cruisePRN]

I recently sailed on POH and found the service substandard. I went to the customer relations desk and asked the auto tips be removed and they did so without asking why. They couldn't care less.

[theshireshihtzu]

I recently sailed on POH and found the service substandard. I went to the customer relations desk and asked the auto tips be removed and they did so without asking why. They couldn't care less.

 

This is my opinion.....maybe the OP can do the same...and shame on you!

$10 a day???? Cheap Cheap Cheap! We always tip extra......so I guess it makes uo for you cheap skates!!!!!!!!!!!!! Walk in the staffs shoes....just once.

[JPS418]

It's my money and If I want to take the tip off I will.

No one tell me how to spend my money, It's not in bad taste to have your tips taken off.

 

I have never, but you people telling the person who posted the question, just what it was A QUESTIONS!!!

 

You spend your money the way you want. I work hard for mine so I will

[beachchick]

James, after several rounds of this discussion, I have to believe they do "understand" that.... they don't care. It seems that either they want to feel like Lord or Lady Bountiful and hand the "peons" whom they feel have actually met whatever their "standard" is for service cash tips, or they don't intend to tip at all.

 

To Slotaddict -- the staff IS permitted graciously to accept cash tips, and keep them... if the person giving them hasn't cancelled the tip pool/autotips. You can always tip above and beyond for excellent service.

 

:confused: This makes some sense, but how is the crew member supposed to know if a pax who tips them extra cash has cancelled the "auto tip"? I can't imagine the poor crew member having to say, "Thank you, and by the way, have you cancelled your auto tips?" or "I'll need to have your cabin number to verify that you haven't cancelled your auto tips." I guess I don't understand how it could reasonably be enforced. Just curious.

 

beachchick

[tommy]

To try an answer the original question yes you can have a tip or portion of the tip removed for the day.Just go to the desk an request it.If you want it everyday you will have to go to the desk everyday.

[wilson9112]

On the Dawn last year my room was not cleaned for 2 days. I didn't remove the tip but I called the supervisor. They came, checked it out, said the crew member would be reprimanded and a bottle of wine with an I'm sorry card was sent to my room. I complained and that's it:D

[wilson9112]

On the Dawn last year my room was not cleaned for 2 days. I didn't remove the tip but I called the supervisor. They came, checked it out, said the crew member would be reprimanded and a bottle of wine with an I'm sorry card was sent to my room. I complained and that's it:D

[ohioNCLcruiser]

It's my money and If I want to take the tip off I will.

No one tell me how to spend my money, It's not in bad taste to have your tips taken off.

 

l

 

But couldnt one argue also that when you get your cruise docs and "agree to the terms and conditions" that you are accepting the fact that there is a $10 per day per person charge?

[MrLee]

Wow are you people rough! I never said I wouldn't tip anything... please understand.... I want to control who I give what to. And yeah, yeah... I don't want another barrage of all those workers in the back who I wouldn't see.

 

As another passanger said... some people are better than others... and I don't necessarily want an even distribution of my service charge.

 

As for those who are "seen" and those who are not... I've spoken to enough crew to know that if you are a good worker... one gets promoted to the "seen" crew... who I will meet personally and be able to tip personally. Sorry... it doesn't sound fair... but that's life folks... there are the little people in the back... and if you work hard enough, you'll get promoted.

 

As for the crew having to hand in their cash tips... come on now, that may be ship policy, etc. etc... but we all know they don't. Have any of you really spoken to the crew one on one... in private? They don't.

 

Sorry if I sound rude or cheap to you all... but I still like to do these things in person, and give to whom I want to give.

 

Concerning discerning remarks about my desire... how do you know what I tip.. or how much... or can comment that I'm cheap and scold me for wanting to remove this?

 

Have you travelled with Europeans? Tipping is something that North America has elevated... for what purpose? to show off that one is rich?

 

Let's all get back to basics folks... if someone does something out of the ordinary and I get good service, I will tip. If things are mediocre.. I won't.

 

And besides, if you don't tip them in person there will be no reason for them to bow down and say "thank you massa". :rolleyes:

[HurricaneSally]

And besides, if you don't tip them in person there will be no reason for them to bow down and say "thank you massa". :rolleyes:

 

BINGO!!!!!

[tommy]

And besides, if you don't tip them in person there will be no reason for them to bow down and say "thank you massa". :rolleyes:

No but maybe you will at least meey them and get the service you used to get.and pay for.

[HurricaneSally]

No but maybe you will at least meey them and get the service you used to get.and pay for.

 

 

Just like every other business in the world, they try to get more work out of fewer employees, so, you will never get the service you used to get. It's the way of the world, I'm afraid those days are gone forever, since it seems they have half the staff doing twice the work.

[mbisson]

No but maybe you will at least meey them and get the service you used to get.and pay for.

 

Please see post #44

[cruisePRN]

To try an answer the original question yes you can have a tip or portion of the tip removed for the day.Just go to the desk an request it.If you want it everyday you will have to go to the desk everyday.

 

Absolutly not true. I went one time to the desk and removed the entire auto tip. That's the only way they will learn that staff must earn their tips because on POH the American staff was not up to the standards of other cruise lines.

[cruisePRN]

This is my opinion.....maybe the OP can do the same...and shame on you!

$10 a day???? Cheap Cheap Cheap! We always tip extra......so I guess it makes uo for you cheap skates!!!!!!!!!!!!! Walk in the staffs shoes....just once.

 

Shame on you for enabling the staff to get away with substandard service. if they know people will overtip them for shoddy service why improve!! You perpratrate poor service:eek:

[tommy]

Absolutly not true. I went one time to the desk and removed the entire auto tip. That's the only way they will learn that staff must earn their tips because on POH the American staff was not up to the standards of other cruise lines.

Opps,sorry but not totally untrue.My point was you can have the tips removed simply by going to the desk and asking.When we went on the Wind we had several problems and let them know they removed that days tips and told us if we had any more problem to let them know and they would do it again.The desk actually called us each day for the rest of the cruise an asked if the problems were taken care of.

[Thrifty]

I have not had the problem for forty five years, but now that my wife and I are cruising more, I anticipate that eventually I shall run into it again and I should greatly appreciate it if one of the "insider" contributors to this board could tell us all whether or not, under the NCL rules, there is any way to withhold part or all of the distribution to a particular staff member who one is convinced doesn't deserve it without unintentionally punishing all of those who more than deserve their full shares? Ideally, one should be able to make one's full contribution, designate a undeserving non-recipient and let the others' shares be slightly increased by the amount withheld from the undeserving one, but any procedure that would even approach that result would be far preferable to punishing the deserving along with the undeserving, which is how I gather the present complaint system works. (Supplementing everyone elses' tip but his or hers wouldn't do it because one would still have the feeling that "I was forced to tip that stinker!")

[cruisePRN]

I have not had the problem for forty five years, but now that my wife and I are cruising more, I anticipate that eventually I shall run into it again and I should greatly appreciate it if one of the "insider" contributors to this board could tell us all whether or not, under the NCL rules, there is any way to withhold part or all of the distribution to a particular staff member who one is convinced doesn't deserve it without unintentionally punishing all of those who more than deserve their full shares? Ideally, one should be able to make one's full contribution, designate a undeserving non-recipient and let the others' shares be slightly increased by the amount withheld from the undeserving one, but any procedure that would even approach that result would be far preferable to punishing the deserving along with the undeserving, which is how I gather the present complaint system works. (Supplementing everyone elses' tip but his or hers wouldn't do it because one would still have the feeling that "I was forced to tip that stinker!")

 

I don't know how could accomplish this unless you actually hand the deserving individual a cash tip.. You are not on a ship with an american crew, which have fewer complaints then the ships in Hawaii.

[Thrifty]

PRN: Doesn't that mean that the two and three star cruise experience will gradually deteriorate?

With traditional tipping, the incomes of surly employees were sure to be considerably lower than those of the gracious ones. Now that the incomes of the surly ones are assured at a level far closer to that of the gracious ones, they will be less inclined to leave the industry and the gracious ones, who have to share with them, will be more inclined to leave. Charles Darwin told us what will happen.

Most passengers are or were employees and would not report anyone to the cruise line either at the time of the offense or on the comment form for less than theft from their cabin, whereas a diminished tip is a private rebuke of little consequence unless other passengers do the same. Passengers know who the substandard employees are; the cruise line knows a lot less.

Which means that gradually three and four star cruising will become more like being on one of the better ferries and who would want to pay even bargain cruise ship fares for that? Cruising will be more and more limited to first timers, who don't know any better, and those who can afford a suite or a five star cruise. Since the change will be gradual, the cruise lines can adjust by building smaller ships and moving upscale, but for ordinary folk with a decade or more to cruise, the prospect is dismal, isn't it?.

[CC Help Michell]

I have not had the problem for forty five years, but now that my wife and I are cruising more, I anticipate that eventually I shall run into it again and I should greatly appreciate it if one of the "insider" contributors to this board could tell us all whether or not, under the NCL rules, there is any way to withhold part or all of the distribution to a particular staff member who one is convinced doesn't deserve it without unintentionally punishing all of those who more than deserve their full shares? Ideally, one should be able to make one's full contribution, designate a undeserving non-recipient and let the others' shares be slightly increased by the amount withheld from the undeserving one, but any procedure that would even approach that result would be far preferable to punishing the deserving along with the undeserving, which is how I gather the present complaint system works. (Supplementing everyone elses' tip but his or hers wouldn't do it because one would still have the feeling that "I was forced to tip that stinker!")

 

<not sure why I'm bothering to try, but I will since this has popped back up onto page one>

 

What makes a service professional on a cruise ship a "stinker?" Was it our cabin steward on the Pride of Hawaii this summer who didn't make up our cabin the first day because kids (the ship confirmed it via video) had changed a bunch of wheels on our corridor to "do not disturb?" Was it the waiter who brought me French salad dressing instead of the Thousand Island I asked for at dinner? Was it the general housekeeping employee (who would have received bupkis under "envelope" tipping, but whom I saw polishing brass railings at 2:00 AM on my way to a midnight snack on our Hawaii cruise -- I said "good morning" to her, spent a few minutes passing the time, and felt glad knowing that a portion of my tips would go to her)?

 

NCL's POLICY is that if you receive service you don't like, bring it to the attention of the ship so that it can be REMEDIED. Don't hoard it like a squirrel saving nuts, then stiff everyone in the tip pool because Hermes thought you said "no olives" and you said "four olives" on your salad.

 

As for trying to isolate one person not to receive their "share" of your tips (in NCL's tip pool situation), why not first look at who receives those tips? It's not just the face employees (any one of whom may have done something major, minor, OR insignificant (to a reasonable person) which happened to tick you off)? It's lots of employees who never received a share of tips under the "old" system. I LOVE the autotip system, which is so much more inclusive -- laundry employees, galley employees, buffet staff -- they all get a little "reward" for their efforts. The bottom line is that for your $10 per day, perhaps your steward who didn't give you the number of towels you wanted would receive $1.50 (yes, the per employee "share" is lower than under the old envelope system -- many more employees participate, but because the charge is automatically added, many more PASSENGERS do, too).

 

If the tradeoff for a system that rewards SO many people who made my cruise great, even if I never saw them, is that someone I did see who managed to tick me off receives an "extra" $7.00 -- I can deal with that. Is it really worth your precious vacation time to make a big hairy deal trying to remove it? Management on a ship knows exactly who pulls their weight and who doesn't. The whole purpose of asking you to report inferior service is to let them know that, plus give them a chance to make it right for you.

 

<shrug> How you spend your time is up to you, of course. Unless you follow your introduction to each staff member with a precise list of "here's what you have to do to earn my tips" basically what you are saying is that they have to hit an unknown target, or you'll withhold your largesse. They won't learn any "lesson" from your removing your base tip charge -- all that will happen is that any number of people who didn't do jack to tick you off will be stiffed.

 

I think using your greenbacks as a weapon to try to "teach" the staff to give "better service" is demeaning and patronizing. If someone isn't doing their best for you, let management know. If they agree, they will adjust your tips (or you choose instead to remove them entirely, and go home happy and smug in the knowledge that you showed "Andre" (and dozens of others who didn't let you "down") a thing or two). Fortunately for the ship staff, I believe there are a lot more people like me than those who want to spend their cruise trying to "teach lessons" about service to those who work far more hours than I do, for a lot less pay, doing jobs I would hate to do.

[mbisson]

<not sure why I'm bothering to try, but I will since this has popped back up onto page one>

 

I don't know why but about every time I see one of your posts, I end up nodding my head and thinking "you go girl"

(as opposed to reading a post where someone says "the service was so bad I had my tips removed"--I keep thinking "really, no one deserved a tip? I guess poverty will improve service!")

[HurricaneSally]

<not sure why I'm bothering to try, but I will since this has popped back up onto page one>

 

What makes a service professional on a cruise ship a "stinker?" Was it our cabin steward on the Pride of Hawaii this summer who didn't make up our cabin the first day because kids (the ship confirmed it via video) had changed a bunch of wheels on our corridor to "do not disturb?" Was it the waiter who brought me French salad dressing instead of the Thousand Island I asked for at dinner? Was it the general housekeeping employee (who would have received bupkis under "envelope" tipping, but whom I saw polishing brass railings at 2:00 AM on my way to a midnight snack on our Hawaii cruise -- I said "good morning" to her, spent a few minutes passing the time, and felt glad knowing that a portion of my tips would go to her)?

 

NCL's POLICY is that if you receive service you don't like, bring it to the attention of the ship so that it can be REMEDIED. Don't hoard it like a squirrel saving nuts, then stiff everyone in the tip pool because Hermes thought you said "no olives" and you said "four olives" on your salad.

 

As for trying to isolate one person not to receive their "share" of your tips (in NCL's tip pool situation), why not first look at who receives those tips? It's not just the face employees (any one of whom may have done something major, minor, OR insignificant (to a reasonable person) which happened to tick you off)? It's lots of employees who never received a share of tips under the "old" system. I LOVE the autotip system, which is so much more inclusive -- laundry employees, galley employees, buffet staff -- they all get a little "reward" for their efforts. The bottom line is that for your $10 per day, perhaps your steward who didn't give you the number of towels you wanted would receive $1.50 (yes, the per employee "share" is lower than under the old envelope system -- many more employees participate, but because the charge is automatically added, many more PASSENGERS do, too).

 

If the tradeoff for a system that rewards SO many people who made my cruise great, even if I never saw them, is that someone I did see who managed to tick me off receives an "extra" $7.00 -- I can deal with that. Is it really worth your precious vacation time to make a big hairy deal trying to remove it? Management on a ship knows exactly who pulls their weight and who doesn't. The whole purpose of asking you to report inferior service is to let them know that, plus give them a chance to make it right for you.

 

<shrug> How you spend your time is up to you, of course. Unless you follow your introduction to each staff member with a precise list of "here's what you have to do to earn my tips" basically what you are saying is that they have to hit an unknown target, or you'll withhold your largesse. They won't learn any "lesson" from your removing your base tip charge -- all that will happen is that any number of people who didn't do jack to tick you off will be stiffed.

 

I think using your greenbacks as a weapon to try to "teach" the staff to give "better service" is demeaning and patronizing. If someone isn't doing their best for you, let management know. If they agree, they will adjust your tips (or you choose instead to remove them entirely, and go home happy and smug in the knowledge that you showed "Andre" (and dozens of others who didn't let you "down") a thing or two). Fortunately for the ship staff, I believe there are a lot more people like me than those who want to spend their cruise trying to "teach lessons" about service to those who work far more hours than I do, for a lot less pay, doing jobs I would hate to do.

 

 

Michelle, I don't often agree with many people, but you hit the nail right on the head. I always leave the tips on, no matter what happens to me by certain individuals. They work their butts off almost 15 hours a day, they deserve whatever they earn. Good post.

[CC Help Michell]

I don't know why but about every time I see one of your posts, I end up nodding my head and thinking "you go girl"

(as opposed to reading a post where someone says "the service was so bad I had my tips removed"--I keep thinking "really, no one deserved a tip? I guess poverty will improve service!")

 

 

Monte, I feel the same about your posts. :) Thanks for the reinforcement. There would/will be disagreements here until the end of time... but now and then I just feel the urge to speak up, even so (and Sally, thanks for your input, as well - it makes me feel I didn't just 'waste' half an hour of my life! :) )

[zqvol]

I don't know why but about every time I see one of your posts, I end up nodding my head and thinking "you go girl"

(as opposed to reading a post where someone says "the service was so bad I had my tips removed"--I keep thinking "really, no one deserved a tip? I guess poverty will improve service!")

 

I was just thinking the same thing.