rgruenhaus

As another poster pointed out on another thread if any of it were kept for the company's profit then the passengers would not have the ability to adjust it or remove it.

Yeah you might be right, but companies know when the staff are in the dark about revenue and can claim that less came in than is reality. I used to work for Sears and they gave bonuses based upon coming in under budget and when they did come in under they found ways to show they went over budget by saying that any company truck damage added to the costs. These trucks were insured there were no added costs. No bonuses were paid that year and for several years because we could not prove or disprove the cost added to the budget. Just one example of companies working the numbers in their interest.

If you lived in the "real world" with the rest of us, you would understand that the use of robots is more about consistent manufacturing and quality control than in effort "to keep from paying wages and benefits".

 

You clearly have been drinking from the "corporations are evil" Koolaide pitcher. :rolleyes:

That's sure a different way to look at it and might be a good thing, but when something like that could be done here with that same idea of precision that would be great, but American labor might cost more than the slave labor there in Brazil. None of us knows for sure why they are doing it when it comes to daily service charges and room service charges, but it is more than what I feel is fair price unless unless it was only four hours that would out of the ordinary.

So you have never delivered food in your life. Pizza delivery drivers have to report all tips as income! It is taxed! Another indication that a person is not living in the workers world.

More like the abuse of ordering to much and not eating it from room service. Really didn't see it on NCL because that how good the complimentary places on the Breakaway are at the time room service was free, but I got to see the aftermath of abuse of in the hallways of the Carnival Splendor - mounds of uneaten food out in the open. And the room stewards not cleaning it up fast enough - Guess, the new CEO of NCL Holding saw it on one of the NCL's ship and was throughly disgust by it all (remember , he was the previous president of Oceania & Regent - 2 upscale lines).

 

Sure, they reverse the new policies somewhat - the no takeout from anywhere was rescinded and a extremely limited complimentary continental breakfast room service in the AM is now offered along with all-day $7.95 service. But now, if someone orders 'big' and don't eat it all then leaving it all out by the door any other time - it's basically on their dollar, not the cruise line per se for the clean up.

 

 

 

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The only time I don't finish food is when it isn't prepared the way I asked or it's just bad.

I was at a buffet once in a casino and the roast beef was leather and the cherry tomatoes when I sliced into them were rotten inside. In that case I told the manager, but on a ship how long would you wait for a correction or replacement food item. Maybe the food in the hall was delivered cold! During meal hours I can see a little charge as the ship staff would multitask, but after hours it should not be a problem or charged for.

I don't think that any of the changes by themselves would be a big revenue producer, but if they are all added up then you are probably looking at a significant revenue source. I am sure Del Rio et all is counting on the "captive audience", overall, to continue to order room service at near the same level as before the addition of the fee. I doubt that room service was so popular that they needed to add additional staff to deal with the orders.

You are exactly right! They, like so many industries, are trying to choke off the services they provide and thus need less staff to pay.

Ford went to an all robotic manufacturing in Brazil to keep from paying wages and benefits.

Again someone trots that old chestnut "living wages". What exactly are "living wages"? What they are where you live? What they are in a large city like New York or London? What they are in the city the corporate headquarters are in? What they are where the employee is from?

 

A lot of people use this term but never define what it is. I would argue that this term is much too vague to be of use. Instead, I would argue to use the term "acceptable wage". After all, the employees agree to the wages they earn, and come back again and again to receive them. I have met staff who have been doing this kind of work for a decade or longer. They must find it completely satisfactory in order to leave their families for months at a time.

 

Besides, there are severe tax advantages to the employees for agreeing to lower wages and relying on tips for the balance of their income. In most countries they come from, wages are taxed by their home government, and employment agency fees take a percentage from their wages. Tips are not taxed or agency fees collected on tip income as it is variable income and difficult to track. This system has been described in good detail by other posters on these boards who work in management positions in the cruise industry.

 

The system as it now stands is better for the employee because they are taxed on a much smaller portion of their total income. And after all, it is the employee we are concerned about here, isn't it? Or is it about saving money for ourselves by giving them as little as possible?

 

And call me gullible or overly trusting, but I have zero reason for believing that the company keeps some of the tips for "profit". I guess I am not as suspicious a person as you are.

Here's an example of why pushback can work.

VAUXHALL — Attention shoppers: If you are unhappy with how you are treated at a local supermarket, take your story to Facebook.

That's the lesson from 70-year-old Maplewood woman Marge Dooley, whose story apparently generated so much social media chatter that it solicited an apology from her local Whole Foods.

Then I read your reply/comment and I see that some choose not to live in the real world. They don't have any sense of what a "Living wage" is. Must be nice!

Most of us have to compare our income to what we need and if we don't have a living wage there isn't always enough to get these needs. That's not a living wage!

Yeah we just throw that term around despite our millions.

I hope those in the Haven that feel like you stay up there.

The employee compensation practices you mention here are industry wide, except perhaps on the upscale lines that charge far more than the lines that compete with NCL.

And they would do worse if they got no pushback.

Daily Service Charges, that's what NCL calls the automatically 'tips / gratuities" added to the onboard accounts that covers the room steward, waiters in the complimentary dining like the MDR, and behind the scenes staff. It used to cover specialty dining as well but NCL change that earlier this year when they raised the DSC the 1st time around and added a 18% auto tip / service charge to specialty restaurants.

Thank you.

Rob

I will not cruise NCL again - tired of being "nickel and dimed" to death. I just read this for the 3rd time this week.

 

We are late 40's - two daughters 26 and 11 years old. They always travel with us. We have been on 50+ cruises with all major lines. We have been on all types of ships from Carnival Imagination to RCCL Oasis and Allure. We always travel on a budget and are careful with our spending. I think all cruise lines have begun to charge additional amounts for items that used to be complimentary. We were recently on the Getaway and I know NCL started charging for room service. Other than that, I'm really confused about what NCL charges for that other lines do not???

 

Just for reference, I looked up a 1999, 6-night cruise we took on the imagination(16 years ago). It was $584 per person. A comparable cruise today for the same week is within a few dollars. Just my opinion, but I think cruising remains to be a tremendous value.

 

I rarely start new posts - but I'm just curious to see what people think.

The fares might appear to be the same, but some parts of the earlier fare might have all inclusive but the latest might have charges and fees not shown that would almost double the actual cost.

Personally, I honestly don't care because most of specialty restaurants cover charge comes under $5 a person a tip, less than what I normally tip. And when it goes to a la carte, the bill and tip for me will be alot less since I can't eat a full 3 course meal anymore (the food portions in the specialty restaurants on NCL are pretty big). There's still the specialty dining package (SDP) for X number of days, that will be the new cover charge for few of the restaurants that will switch to a la carte.

 

But other people on the NCL forum were complaining in regards that it was not communicated enough, that it was double-tipping, that the DSC was to high (at the time of the 1st raise), blah blah. Doesn't seem to stop alot people from sailing on NCL and eating in specialty restaurants, though. *shrug*

 

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Of course there is a difference between a cruise and buying other products like gasoline, but the gas prices on the pump includes big taxes which are not separated off to make the price look cheaper until you fill your tank and then say we added these other fees because they are not for the gasoline you bought! Take a look at your cable bill and you see how these fees are separated. Some affluent cruisers would never understand how any increase would be met with resistance as their funds allow them to appreciate any increase. I can hear it in their comments that all is good in the Haven.

I would hardly call answering the op's question "going to great lengths." But whatever....I can see the bashing of NCL offends you, so I'll try to be a little more kind. :)

If bashing a company gets them to listen to your complaint and change back or to something more agreeable then bash on! Many companies set pricing to see if they can make the base price attractive and then pile on these added fees and charges as required to subsidize their low wage practices. You think you are giving a tip when you are actually supplying the pay the company don't give to make it a living wage. I like giving a tip for someone doing a good job or better, not to pay a portion of what the company wants to save for profits.

Especially if a meal comes from a complimentary onboard food source. Let us have that freestyle and choose to tip when the comp meal arrives. NCL thinks freestyle means free to pay for what you choose to. You have a choice to not enjoy the cruise with what others can afford to pay for.

Remember, the specialty restaurants before this year, were part of the DSC on NCL - So people had a choice to tip more on top or leave nothing. Now that specialty restaurants are not part of DSC, and are paid the same way as bartenders - they get an automatic 18% tip/service charge for each person they serve that has signed off on the receipt.

What is DSC?

Yes, we low life passengers on Carnival do usually add to the the gratuity in the steakhouse even though the gratuity is part of the price.:rolleyes:

Wasn't this what started the low life statement? This person seems to have felt dis'd like someone was saying Carnival cruisers weren't tipping but the original point was that NCL was making the tipping mandatory and not about whether Carnival cruisers were not doing something. Am I right? Text messages can suck. They are not always as plain as we think.

With these drink cards couldn't/wouldn't you just pay the extra above the $8 limit to get the drink you want?

Free product, but no free taxes and gratuities. I paid about $500 taxes and service charges plus insurance on top of that for a "cruise offer" from the Horseshoe Casino Tunica. Love that I saved, but not a free cruise at all.

For everyone who gets the CAS offers, are you slot players or table games?

 

On a cruise I go to the casino every day but I am a table games person and I have never received any offers. I just may not be gambling "enough money" but time wise I am there.

 

I play a slot machine here and there but I like my card games ;)

 

 

 

 

Also do they give you anything if you already have a cruise booked?

Slot player here. Don't know why these comments aren't sorted by recent dates first and if they are, geeesh, 2011?

I got my cruise offer from the Horseshoe Casino in Tunica. About $600 with an ocean view upgrade for an extra $120. Rebooked when they offered UBP just paid taxes and service fees for that. I am entered for the slot tournament for a $20 entry fee. Boarding 01 Nov 15.

While I try not to control others, I too like to go to a specialty restaurant and dress business casual to a more formal dress. While at the daytime meals allowance for all the casual wear is to be expected. Bathing suits at a specialty dinning restaurant? NCL come on! And cruisers, come on! Relaxing does not mean disregard for others. There is room service! LOL

I was glad to see the suggestion about not being barefoot in certain areas. Yes, decks can hold intense heat and you may leave skin if it gets hot enough. On that point, I wondered what would be suggested footwear to and from the slides?

The charges add up quickly and while you think that your fare gives you an "all inclusive" trip, there are still expenditures you need to budget for.

Wow! So much great info! You answered so many of the questions I was thinking of and I certainly agree as an ex smoker I am very sensitive to smoke and prefer not to be around the inconsiderate smokers. They can kill themselves in an isolated area which won't affect my health. My eyes burn around cigarette smoke and don't get me started about cigars.

I selected a part of your review that I had a question about above. What charges did you see at the end that you maybe weren't expecting or were maybe added up to go beyond your budget and what amounts should we budget for?

Thank you, Rob

NCL says on their site that if there is any reason you believe your cruise was less than expected they allow service charges to be reduced.