legion3

Great, that means only a small percentage of a small percent will be removing their DSC.

Which will change really nothing. What % do it now? Without Guessing?

Now if people find out they can be, basically anonymous, at least not in person, then this may actually encourage people who might be shamed or shy or feeling silly to get $ back they might not otherwise have.

Thanks to Google and Cruise Critic news its already out in the real world.

Don't worry about NCL they'll find another way to get $ from everyone.

Are they going to be putting this in every cabin or does one have to go to Guest Service to get a copy. If they have to go to Guest Services, I doubt those that have no intention of removing or reducing the DSC or those that have no service issue would ever know that this form exists. NCL would make a very stupid move if they put this form in all the cabins!!!

People know when they have poor service and will go to guest services to complain and the form will appear. CC vets will know to get one when the line is short and hold on to it in case it is needed, poor service or not.

Plenty of non CC'ers know how to get $ back.

Well, let's look at the FAQ: If there is a service issue can the service charges be adjusted on board? Guest satisfaction is the highest priority at Norwegian Cruise Line. We have structured a guest satisfaction program designed to handle any concerns about service or on-board product quickly and efficiently. However, in the event a service issue should arise during your cruise please let our on-board guest services desk staff know right away, so that we can address these in a timely manner. It is our goal to reach a satisfactory solution to any issue when it happens and make sure our guests can focus on enjoying their cruise. Should your concerns not be met with satisfaction you can adjust the charges.[/I]

 

I think that NCL thinks (or hopes), wrongly, that one would only remove or reduce the DSC because their service was not up to the passengers standards and could not be fixed. I have to admit that I never heard of folks removing the automatic gratuities that are on their onboard account, until I came on Cruise Critic and mostly on NCL's threads. I knew that folks skipped out on them, before the systems were changed, but had never heard anyone say that they removed them from their onboard account.

 

Well this form does state unhappy, so possibly a suggestion would be for them to make another form that says "We are sorry to hear that you would like to reduce or remove....."

Service charge or automatic gratuities?

Why is irrelevant. Happy or unhappy is subjective.

Actually, when I emailed the address provided to request the form, I received an automatic form reply email with a "case" number.

 

So there's no chance of claiming server error unless one doesn't receive that email, and in that case, they should just keep sending until they do!

Yeah that's what I suspected.

Outright punish? No. Making them wait 2 weeks or more? Yes, and I can see how that would come across as punishing in some people's eyes....

 

'Processed within 2 weeks of receipt" could mean, a person could had sent it out today, 9/15, NCL techincally didn't really received it until 9/22 to actually processed for whatever reason, then the employee doing the processing decides to take the full 2 weeks and you're not seeing the money until 10/5 or 6. And hopefully NCL will send out out a automatic email with a telephone number to call because there's none whatsoever on the actual form - and if there's no telephone number to the department that processing these forms, will the regular customer reps be able to answer questions? Some good questions to ask...

 

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Except emails don't take 7 days to arrive? Do they? I think not.

This is simply looking for a way to try to make this out to be a positive for NCL and a negative for those planning to remove DSC. An exercise in making one's own views mainstream. I'm sure the 800 # can connect me. No worries.

Thanks, sorry I missed that post. I seriously doubt if NCL is doing this to punish customers over this.

I know their not. It's a legal way to hopefully hassle people so they won't make the effort and they can keep more of the DSC. Many will forget or fail to be timely and some won't go to the effort. Some will.

They seem to be in need of cash, this is one way of hopefully getting it.

Considering the fares I see they have for upcoming cruises, its not the only way...

I will neither be dissatisfied nor punished. I will either get my $ back or I won't. Simple as that.

Umm, they take 4-6 weeks to mail out a check for refundable OBC and you don't see the potential for abuse they just did to the DSC-Removers? Well, we're find out by the end of September or October, if they actually process within 2 weeks at end of some people's trips.

 

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Abuse? No. You think oddly. They will abuse this by sending the money a few weeks later. OK I guess... most everyone will wait and then like a holiday card get $ in the mail when they don't expect it.

Delay is not a big deal, except in your mind. I still get my $ back.

It does keep track of the passengers name and the reason for the adjustment and that is all that NCL corporate needs to keep track. I would bet that NCL already has a computer program set up to track all of this.

With a large data base I hope.

After seeing the form - it doesn't really keep track of the abuse but it does make the person(s) removing it, jump through alot hoops to get their refund back due to the 3 sentences at the bottom. That means NCL can actually claim they didn't receive the form due to server issues or whatever until the 30 day deadline.They can slack off to the last day and then process it 2 weeks later - OUCH.....

 

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Call or follow up with an email afterwards and before the last week.

Within two weeks of receipt. - seems pretty straight forward. Heck NCL will likely send a confirm email that they got it automatically.

Not that I have any intention of doing this....this gives a person who wouldn't want to wait in line at guest services an option to decrease their DSC and not do it face to face. There are some people like here on CC who hide behind their PCs that would never talk the way they do on here in person I would bet. So I'm not so sure this is a good idea. Just my opinion. With just filling out a form and mailing it in it gives them some type of screen to hide behind. Time will tell

 

Geri

There is that too, don't have to wait in line and don't have to explain it face to face. Don't even have to name names of whom is giving the bad service. Mostly waiting in line is the big win, that line the last night could be brutal.

You're not understanding the sheer hilarity this new procedure has cause and that's okay - the people removing the DSC are never going to get the joke/ humor/irony, ever. Lol. [emoji11] [emoji4]

 

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As long as I get my money the joke, humor or irony is irrelevant.

I think most people can wait 2 weeks for money they don't have and probably don't need given the circumstances. NCL gets a short term loan and no interest at all. The crew still get their paychecks. win-win.

No wasting time in the guest service line the last night will make this program more attractive for removing the DSC.

NCL will not deny the refund, and really can't legally.

If I don't cancel the cruise all together, I intend to see if this new policy works and have DSC removed.

Never have before on previous cruises but will this time just on the principal of this change and the other changes since I have booked.

hopefully someone will post how this system works out before to long.

I'm not a big tipper, I'm standard. I use the amounts that RCL and Celebrity suggests because they state how much and to whom.

$3.50 PP PD to cabin attendant

$3.50 pp pd to dining staff

$2 PP PD assistant waiter

I don't the dining room so the head waiter doesn't apply to my tipping. I end up tipping about $11 - $12 per day which is standard, not big , not small.

My original plan was to reduce DSC to something in this range. Now... I may just try out this new policy and just reduce it all. Hmmm... hopefully someone else will post about the outcome of using this system.

From what I can recall the website always said that if there is a problem to please let them know and IF they can't resolve that problem THEN you may adjust your DSC.

 

Only new here is:

 

1. You can no longer do it at the GS Desk and must wait until cruise is over

 

2. You have to follow their rules and actually HAVE a problem before adjusting.

 

Harriet

They won't be able to resolve the problem. Trust me. :cool:

Why is there a service charge?

The reason there's a fixed service charge is an important one: Our Crew (as are the crew from other lines) is encouraged to work together as a team. Staff members including complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports.

Work as a team? Combination of salary and incentive programs?

That's between them and their crew. DSC appears to be not necessary.

And you have a contract with NCL, which mentions the DSC.

Which allows it to be removed at my discretion. They just made it more complicated perhaps.

Now I don't have to waste time in line the last night, so possibly it will be better.

Does NCL record the DSC payments as revenue on its books?

There is some financial bookkeeping reason they won't make it mandatory. Or consumer protection legalities.

Otherwise, given their need for cash, they have demonstrated, why not?

Yeah, for you - What about the other cheapskates? :p:D Hehe....

Not really relevant. But I suppose getting the $ is really the desired end result.

There is no double tipping since the DSC goes to the "complimentary" dining room servers, not to Specialty dining room servers and not to bar servers.

We prepay our DSC and if there is a service problem --which only happened once-- we take care of it onboard rather than penalize the rest of those in the DSC pool.

What if someone never eats in the complimentary dining rooms?

Has it been written anywhere that NCL staff are compensated less than staff on the other ships? Who knows, maybe their base pay is higher, maybe they get bonuses. NCL is not obligated to let me know how they compensate their employees.

 

I also tip my bartenders, room steward, and some servers.

Somebody is paying them enough that they are willing to do this work. And the wages must be enough to beat what they might make at home.

NCl has a contract with them, not me.

But the other lines tell you exactly how much of your money goes to whom. NCL treats DSC as revenue, CCL does not, it is staff gratuity.

 

The only people who benefit from the DSC are share holders. By paying it and not tipping in cash, you are stiffing the staff.

Then this $ is truly superfluous.

But yet you still you use behind-the-scene staff that room steward uses to make / clean up your cabin - Guess you have to bring your own bedsheets plus bath & beach towels to avoid paying them. Maybe not use the room steward at all too, since that involves paying them too. ;):p

 

 

Gotta love NCL for finally sticking a fork in it - lovely way to get back at cheapskates where it hurts them most. :D

No fork...just a delay.

The rest is irrelevant.

Like I said - Anything automatically added to your account or receipts is a service charge. Cruises lines use the word tips or gratuities instead of service charge because it sounds nicer and doesn't seem like it mandatory to pay for services (when it reality it is :rolleyes:, whatever puts people in a better / happy mood while paying*shrug*)

 

That list of amount that mjkacmom gave, are the service charges / tips for those lines. NCL just happen to have the highest one out of the all the mass / premium lines. That and they made it tougher for DSC-removers to just blatantly try to remove it - I'm sure one of the Carnival brand or Royal will come up with one that even more tougher than NCL's, lol.

This is inaccurate. Also unlikely.