Norwegian Gratuities

[newmexicoNita]

How about $799 fare + tax + commission + tips. Then they can advertise that gratuties are included in the cost of the cruise with a blurb that any additional gratuties are optional.

 

It really isn't a big deal for me but it seems like a marketing tactic to make the cruise fare appear lower than it actually is.

 

Why does this make such a huge difference to you? You have been told the reasons, most of us are perfectly happy having the gratuities added daily, it comes out the same and for heaven's sake, you are allowed to pay them up front if you want. In fact agents now ask if you want to have them added to your pre sailing costs.

 

Nita

[newmexicoNita]

Hi

As a proud member of the "cheap or a knucklehead" society, or in other words, a not acostumed to tip persons for a job they are paid to do, or in other words, someone who has a different culture then yours, or manners (if you have some), I will allow myself to explain my view.

When I budget my family of 6 holidays, I try to look at the bottom line and add a few percentage for "unexpected".

Our tipping bill in a cruise of 7 nights, is 500 dollars. Its not a sum to disregard. It was definitely not a sum we calculated, because tipping someone $500 is not something I do on an everyday basis.

I dont get a tip in my job for a task well done. I get a monthly salary.

If I tipp someone, is because he did more than what was required by his job description. A waiter is supposed to bring me the food. A room maid is supposed to clean my room. If they just do that, fine by me. They get paid for it.

But if a waiter, does more than he was just paid for, I will tip him according to my judgement, with no limits.

The conception of tipping ahead, stand in contradiction to the tipping concept and its simply a way of the cruise lines to pay the wages of the employees.

 

Personally, I have no problem with that, because at the end of the day, it all adds up to the amount I am paying for my holiday.

The thing that bothers me, is that this cost is a hidden cost and does not form part of the formula.

 

That's it, I hope I was understood.

 

And if you choose to reply without coursing or offending, I promise I will tipp you generously

 

Regardless of the custom in what ever country you are from, you need to respect the custom of the cruise lines and get over it. Of course you do not get a tip for doing your job, but you get paid a hell of a lot more than crew members on ships. So you will now come back and say: well just pay them better..Ok, I will buy that, but then you will be paying more up front. What is so hard for some of you to understand about the tipping policy on ships and many other places as well. In fact there was a long article in the travel section of our local Sunday paper last week about this. Almost all countries now have tipping policy or a service charge policy (which is the same, only different name) Some of the resort areas in Fl and elsewhere automatically add 15 to 18% to everything you purchase as a means of tips. Why, because of poeple just like you that probably do not tip or rarely do.

 

Nita

[Don Haynes]

Many foreigners have a hard time understanding our state and local sales taxes too. Being used to a value added tax or another consumption tax included to the price of a product on the shelf, they find it diifficult to understand why Americans add the tax at the cash register instead of on the product...

 

There are different customs and ways of doing things throughout the world. Neither are necessarily more correct than the other...

 

Eventually in the end the customer pays the tax... Likewise, eventually customers pay for business's employee salaries as well...

[tjaker11]

prepay then you won't see it daily....just a thought

[newmexicoNita]

prepay then you won't see it daily....just a thought

 

my remarks as well. If you think it should be included in the cruise price, then pre-pay and forget it.

 

Nita

[sottovoce]

If I tipp someone, is because he did more than what was required by his job description. A waiter is supposed to bring me the food. A room maid is supposed to clean my room. If they just do that, fine by me. They get paid for it.

I dearly wish I could be in the restaurant when you walk out without leaving a tip. Frankly, both "cheap" and "knucklehead" apply to your situation.

[Starrgazer50]

my remarks as well. If you think it should be included in the cruise price, then pre-pay and forget it.

 

Nita

 

Exactly..that's the answer! :)

[Burpin04]

I don't think you understand how uncomfortable it makes you feel to give somebody a tip when you're not used to it. If you say its the custom and follow the custom, I find this wrong as well. We are off on a cruise to the Baltics and it is not a custom there. Its a custom because we're boarding an American owned ship. Thus the custom is American not European. It seems to Austalians that the crew get underpaid by the owners of the ship and have to make up the difference with tipping. Whereas in Australia there are minimum wages but its still a normal wage. A tip to us should be just that, 'tip for good service at your discretion, not tip because its mandatory'. Yes we pay our tipping when cruising, but do not hand out envelopes for extras. Even passing somebody $1 to carry your bag seems ridiculous to us. 'Its their job, they get paid.' We just dont have it. Sorry. But thats the difference between us. Honestly, its the most uncomfortable feeling to hand someone money in this way when you're not used to it.:confused:

[Don Haynes]

I don't think you understand how uncomfortable it makes you feel to give somebody a tip when you're not used to it. If you say its the custom and follow the custom, I find this wrong as well. We are off on a cruise to the Baltics and it is not a custom there. Its a custom because we're boarding an American owned ship. Thus the custom is American not European. It seems to Austalians that the crew get underpaid by the owners of the ship and have to make up the difference with tipping. Whereas in Australia there are minimum wages but its still a normal wage. A tip to us should be just that, 'tip for good service at your discretion, not tip because its mandatory'. Yes we pay our tipping when cruising, but do not hand out envelopes for extras. Even passing somebody $1 to carry your bag seems ridiculous to us. 'Its their job, they get paid.' We just dont have it. Sorry. But thats the difference between us. Honestly, its the most uncomfortable feeling to hand someone money in this way when you're not used to it.:confused:

 

But a British passenger line created this tipping system which has evolved to the daily surcharge. Samuel Cunard did so over a hundred and fifty years ago during the nineteenth century. If anyone watched the film Gosford Park, an Academy Award Best Picture, tipping was involved visiting a British country mansion. And the so called daily surcharges were instituted in Europe before being introduced to America. So tipping/gratuties DO go back to European roots. Australians, please don't wave a false flag...

[Burpin04]

But a British passenger line created this tipping system which has evolved to the daily surcharge. Samuel Cunard did over a hundred and fifty years ago during the nineteenth century. If anyone watched the film Gosford Park, an Academy Award Best Picture, tipping was involved visiting a British country mansion. And the so called daily surcharges were instituted in Europe before being introduced to America. So tipping/gratuties DO go back to European roots. Australians, please don't wave a false flag...

 

Sorry Don, But it might of been instituted back then, but is it mandatory to tip for every service in the UK? or Europe these days? Its not a fully adopted practice like the US in the UK or parts of Europe. Its just services provided to tourists that it has more so krept into. When in the US we tip, we know thats what they do. But like i said we're not in the US on a cruise ship this time. Put the tips on the initial price like all employers do to pay their employee wages.

[grams98]

in France, the service charge is already included in thr bill for the meal; i don't feel comfortable about that, because what if the service was terrible? but i get used to it; and i learn that people and their custons are different the world over; but the system of paying a daily service charge is pretty typical on all the world's ships, not just US ships; also, at least on most ships, you can insist that the daily tip be lowered and they will do that for you; in france, you have no choice; either pay the bill including the service charge, or face the consequences, which wouldn't be good-anyway, at leat we ar all fortunate enough to have this dilema to think about-very, very fortunate-grams98

[Don Haynes]

Sorry Don, But it might of been instituted back then, but is it mandatory to tip for every service in the UK? or Europe these days? Its not a fully adopted practice like the US in the UK or parts of Europe. Its just services provided to tourists that it has more so krept into. When in the US we tip, we know thats what they do. But like i said we're not in the US on a cruise ship this time. Put the tips on the initial price like all employers do to pay their employee wages.

 

Unfortunately American labor and tax laws are different than Australia's. Don't be so arrogant to suggest Australia's labor and tax laws are superior to America's. Twenty million plus Aussies have zero chance of changing American labor and tax laws of three hundred million plus Americans...

 

If you do not wish to cruise on American cruise lines for this reason, then don't. But don't expect American owned cruise lines to follow Australian tax and labor laws sailing from American home ports...

[Burpin04]

Unfortunately American labor and tax laws are different than Australia's. Don't be so arrogant to suggest Australia's labor and tax laws are superior to America's. Twenty million plus Aussies have zero chance of changing American labor and tax laws of three hundred million plus Americans...

 

If you do not wish to cruise on American cruise lines for this reason, then don't. But don't expect American owned cruise lines to follow Australian tax and labor laws sailing from American home ports...

 

GOD, get OFF your high horse. No-one ever suggested anything different. Just giving a different friendly view, so people understand why it feels so different for other nationalities to partake in mandatory tipping as opposed to voluntary tipping. YOU just dont get it that others could have a different opinion on the subject. I ONLY put the post in as most other posts on the subject appear to be from other American citizens. NOT a go at US Tax laws but an OPINION. GET IT!

[NMLady]

I'll have to check my last invoice, I thought I saw it itemized on there with a corresponding credit but it wouldn't be the first time I saw things that weren't there;).

 

We prepaid the DSC for our Sept/Oct cruises and there were no charges/credits on our bill for the Daily Service Charge.

[sjbdtz]

I don't think you understand how uncomfortable it makes you feel to give somebody a tip when you're not used to it. If you say its the custom and follow the custom, I find this wrong as well. We are off on a cruise to the Baltics and it is not a custom there. Its a custom because we're boarding an American owned ship. Thus the custom is American not European. It seems to Austalians that the crew get underpaid by the owners of the ship and have to make up the difference with tipping. Whereas in Australia there are minimum wages but its still a normal wage. A tip to us should be just that, 'tip for good service at your discretion, not tip because its mandatory'. Yes we pay our tipping when cruising, but do not hand out envelopes for extras. Even passing somebody $1 to carry your bag seems ridiculous to us. 'Its their job, they get paid.' We just dont have it. Sorry. But thats the difference between us. Honestly, its the most uncomfortable feeling to hand someone money in this way when you're not used to it.:confused:

 

When I travelled in Australia, I did not force people to take extra money. I abided by the custom of NOT tipping, and everyone was happy.

 

 

 

Sorry Don, But it might of been instituted back then, but is it mandatory to tip for every service in the UK? or Europe these days? Its not a fully adopted practice like the US in the UK or parts of Europe. Its just services provided to tourists that it has more so krept into. When in the US we tip, we know thats what they do. But like i said we're not in the US on a cruise ship this time. Put the tips on the initial price like all employers do to pay their employee wages.

 

Yes, tipping is mandatory in the UK and Europe. They call it a Service Charge. Most receipts will either say "With Service", "Service Included", or "Service Not Included".

 

There are many reasons, including saving EACH passenger money, by NOT including these fees into the base price. Commissions, taxes, and other implications arise. It is to your advantage that the crew's payroll is structured this way.

 

 

 

 

 

GOD, get OFF your high horse. No-one ever suggested anything different. Just giving a different friendly view, so people understand why it feels so different for other nationalities to partake in mandatory tipping as opposed to voluntary tipping. YOU just dont get it that others could have a different opinion on the subject. I ONLY put the post in as most other posts on the subject appear to be from other American citizens. NOT a go at US Tax laws but an OPINION. GET IT!

 

I'm not an American citizen, and I've travelled all over the world, with the exception of South America.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Don Haynes]

Americans are used to having to pay on top of the price of a new car, tax, title, inspection, and license fees by the state government... A $30k car can easily end up being a $33k car... $3k difference... A $12 per day or $84 per week per passenger service charge is nothing in comparison... And this by paying with cash, not with a loan... The $30k window sticker price isn't really the entire price...

[newmexicoNita]

I don't think you understand how uncomfortable it makes you feel to give somebody a tip when you're not used to it. If you say its the custom and follow the custom, I find this wrong as well. We are off on a cruise to the Baltics and it is not a custom there. Its a custom because we're boarding an American owned ship. Thus the custom is American not European. It seems to Austalians that the crew get underpaid by the owners of the ship and have to make up the difference with tipping. Whereas in Australia there are minimum wages but its still a normal wage. A tip to us should be just that, 'tip for good service at your discretion, not tip because its mandatory'. Yes we pay our tipping when cruising, but do not hand out envelopes for extras. Even passing somebody $1 to carry your bag seems ridiculous to us. 'Its their job, they get paid.' We just dont have it. Sorry. But thats the difference between us. Honestly, its the most uncomfortable feeling to hand someone money in this way when you're not used to it.:confused:

 

ok, it isn't the custom in Australia but from what I have heard, call it a tip or call it a service charge, most countries now have some form of payment above the cost of the product, be it a restaurant, bar or resort. If you are uncomfortable, then just add it to the cost of the cruise by pre-paying it. Yes, these people do get paid, but they get very little and depend on tips. I know, the old argument: just pay them more, but if companies do that, the cost will still be passed onto the consumer, so who cares? It makes no difference either way. You mention handing out envalopes: you won't be doing that with the auto tip.

 

Nita