Another newbie on NCL

[pepelapew]

This will be a 1st time cruise to Alaska and 1st time cruising with NCL on the Pearl. The $12.00 per day they charge for your tips, when is that paid? What restuarants would you recommed for a DH that's only a meat and potato kind of guy. (I eat anything 'cept sushi) Thanks for the help.

Angel Hugs, Debbie

[terrymtex01]

This will be a 1st time cruise to Alaska and 1st time cruising with NCL on the Pearl. The $12.00 per day they charge for your tips, when is that paid? What restuarants would you recommed for a DH that's only a meat and potato kind of guy. (I eat anything 'cept sushi) Thanks for the help.

Angel Hugs, Debbie

 

Debbie.. Welcome to NCL.. Hope you love it as much as most of us here on the boards do. The $12.00 per person per day Daily Service Charge is applied to your onboard account daily. So at the end of your cruise if you look at your onboard statement you will see where they charged it to your account daily and will be applied to the credit card you put up for desposit when you check in at the terminal.

 

As far as where to eat on the Pearl, just from what you have posted, you can't go wrong with the MDR (Main Dining Rooms) or Cagneys. MDR's are included in your fare with NCL and Cagneys will charge you, I believe, $25.00 per person, but well worth it if you are a meat and potato kind of person. We loved Lotus Garden specifically on the Pearl. LeBistro is also always a good choice and I believe it also has steaks your husband could choose and it is $15.00 per person.

 

Please come back and tell us all about your first cruise on NCL.. ok??

 

T

[centsable]

You have to pay for a soda card 7.95 a day * number of days on ship. Any restaurants besides the main dining room and cafe for breakfast have an upcharge of any where from $10- $25 per person, and of course the $12 service charge. We just got back off the NCL Star sailing Mexican Reveara. It was the worst cruise we had to endure. I hope the pearl will be better. Read some member's reviews to give you an idea:eek:

[martinchem]

The $12 mandatory tip fee will be added to your shipboard account before embarkment. I hope the service deserves the tips NCL requires of you.

[garycarla]

Good advice above. Since you are headed to Alaska, make sure you visit the PORTS OF CALL message boards, then click on ALASKA. Tons of great advice there. Hit the ROLL CALL as well.

[Arwenmark]

You have to pay for a soda card 7.95 a day * number of days on ship. Any restaurants besides the main dining room and cafe for breakfast have an upcharge of any where from $10- $25 per person, and of course the $12 service charge. We just got back off the NCL Star sailing Mexican Reveara. It was the worst cruise we had to endure. I hope the pearl will be better. Read some member's reviews to give you an idea:eek:

 

You most certainly DO NOT HAVE to pay for a soda card, you CAN purchase one if you want but you can certainly just buy a soda when you want one or not, as well.

 

The dining room and buffet and limited room service are the only options for breakfast, [unless you are in a suite] and none of them charge for that.

 

The $12 is split among many people and the employee support programs and is little enough for the amount of work those that get it DO for it.

[Arwenmark]

The $12 mandatory tip fee will be added to your shipboard account before embarkment. I hope the service deserves the tips NCL requires of you.

 

This is also completely wrong the charge is added to your on board account daily. If you have a problem you go to the front desk and report the problem and give them the chance to fix it, what you don't do is say nothing then gripe about it on these boards.

[pepelapew]

Thanks all for the information. I love these boards. I have found beautiful photos of Alaska in a couple of threads & alot of info on the ports we'll be visiting.

Hugs, Debbie

[cruisetarp]

Please don't jump down my throat as I tip over and above the recommended amount. Can you have the charges removed from your account and pay the whole tip in cash at the end of the cruise like I always did in the past. I still prefer to do it that way

[Hockey19]

You can have the charge removed (if you work hard at it) but please remember that tip is spread out beyond your room attendants. Since you do not have regular dining/wait staff they will also receive a percentage of the daily $12. It sounds like you are one who appreciates and rewards good service. My humble rec would be to leave the $12 and tip extra those specific individuals whom you feel deserve it.

Alaska is great, the Pearl is great and both Cagney's and Le Bistro (up charges apply) serve excellent steaks.

[cruisetarp]

Hockey19 - thanks for your quick reply. This is my first venture into Freestyle cruising and I hadn't considered the different waiters. Even on RC with Anytime dining I had the same table/waiter each night just at a different time.

 

I haven't sailed on Norwegian since the early 90's and they had traditional dining at that time.

[BIG_Steve]

Please don't jump down my throat as I tip over and above the recommended amount. Can you have the charges removed from your account and pay the whole tip in cash at the end of the cruise like I always did in the past. I still prefer to do it that way

 

Based on what a frequent poster, who knows what she's talking about has to say.......

 

It's not a good choice for the crew. If you remove the service charge, and tip as you go, the servers have to turn the tip in and share it with the pool anyway. So, if Jimmie gives you lousy service, and you don't tip, and then leave a great tip for Johnny the next night, Johnny has to throw it into the pool, and Jimmie gets some of Johnnie's great tip anyway.

 

If you leave the service charge in place, and tip Johnny above and beyond, he gets to keep the extra without sharing it.

 

I don't like it, because it rewards the employees who are only doing "just enough" so that they don't get fired. But I imagine they do this because so many cruisers just stiffed the staff and left on the last day. We just consider it in as a cost, like plane tickets and excursions and forget it. It's easier to do it the way NCL set up, then to fight and fret over while on board with my precious vacation time.

 

Some folks swear it's difficult to remove the service charge, and some say it's easy. I wouldn't know, except that it means it's possible.

[hamrag]

Please don't jump down my throat as I tip over and above the recommended amount. Can you have the charges removed from your account and pay the whole tip in cash at the end of the cruise like I always did in the past. I still prefer to do it that way

 

To answer your specific question - yes!!

[Giantfan13]

When are you cruising on the Pearl. Go over to the Roll Call Forum and sign in for your particular cruise..

 

NCL just made the tipping so much easier, at least for us. We don't like to travel with a lot of cash, so having it charged to our on board account is much easier. If you want to give some extra money to anyone who you feel made your cruise that much nicer, you are more than able to do that.

I ahve found that at the end of other cruises, people are all scurrying around looking for change to divide up envelops a certain way. This way is just so much easier.

 

Enjoy NCL and Alaska. We are on the Pearl Aug 22.

 

Len

[can'twaittogoagain]

You have to pay for a soda card 7.95 a day * number of days on ship. Any restaurants besides the main dining room and cafe for breakfast have an upcharge of any where from $10- $25 per person, and of course the $12 service charge. We just got back off the NCL Star sailing Mexican Reveara. It was the worst cruise we had to endure. I hope the pearl will be better. Read some member's reviews to give you an idea:eek:

 

The Blue Lagoon restaurant has no service charge and also serves breakfast. You will find good hot wings there. Also good fish and chips. And I love their tomato soup. Actually, I just love the Blue Lagoon.

[pengu1n]

Correct me if I'm wrong (I know you will;)) -- the service charge is posted on your account daily, but technically, if you use a credit card, you don't pay it until the last day when they ring up your account in one lump sum. That may be different for debit cards or cash, as I've never used them, but you only have one charge for the whole cruise on your credit card. (Actually, I guess it's not paid until you pay off your credit card when you get home!)

[dznymom]

This will be a 1st time cruise to Alaska and 1st time cruising with NCL on the Pearl. The $12.00 per day they charge for your tips, when is that paid? What restuarants would you recommed for a DH that's only a meat and potato kind of guy. (I eat anything 'cept sushi) Thanks for the help.

Angel Hugs, Debbie

 

Hi Debbie, Welcome to the NCL boards and I just wanted to pipe in that the best steak I ever had at sea was in Le Bistro, and I believe it's still a lower cover charge than Cagney's (which is also quite excellent). Alaska is fabulous!