Tipping

[DarceyJK]

One more question of the day.. We prepaid our tips, but does that mean we dont tip at all or what??

[Zeno]

One more question of the day.. We prepaid our tips, but does that mean we dont tip at all or what??

 

By "tips" I assume you mean the service charge. Whether you choose to tip beyond that is entirely up to you. We generally end up giving our cabin steward a little something because we have always had excellent stewards. We don't usually tip the waitstaff extra except occasionally in the "pay extra" restaurants IF the service is outstanding. NO-ONE will expect tips. Oh and if we order room service, we usually give whoever delivers it a buck or two. It really is up to you and NOT expected.

[Planer's Edge]

One more question of the day.. We prepaid our tips, but does that mean we dont tip at all or what??

It is not necessary to tip in addition to your prepaid DSC, with the exception of tipping for drinks. This tip will be added automatically to each drink order and posted o your onboard account to be paid at the end of the cruise.

 

PE

[njhorseman]

In addition to the 15% added to the bill for drinks, an 18% gratuity is added to the bill for spa/beauty salon services.

 

Also, if you have a suite, the concierge and butler do not participate in the service charge pool and should be tipped separately. The same is true for kid's club staff, if you have children using those facilities.

[AlibearNS]

Quick question, is the drinks service charge actually included in the price shown on the drinks menu or does it get added to this on your bill? Thanks in advance,

[Sauer-kraut]

The last drink menu I saw didn't have any prices listed. The 18% will show up on the total of your reciept and yes, there is a line for you to attach another gratuity if you want to.

 

It all goes onto your key card, and you can get a statement as often as you wish to see what your totals are for the cruise.

[roger001]

There's a bunch of threads on this, but I do the following. First, no tipping is required because it's covered by the daily service charge or the 15% added to the bar bill. I have never seen an NCL employee ever act as though they are working for or expecting an additional tip. However, I have always admired and appreciated the hard work they do. Therefore, I tip a dollar for each round of drinks delivered to me and my wife by the server in one of the bars (usually up in the forward observation lounge is where we do our drinking). I tip $2 or $3 for either a breakfast or lunch meal at one of the sit down restaurants, and maybe $5 for the dinner meal at a sit down MDR or specialty restaurant. I've never used room service, but a dollar or two tip is custom when used. On the last night I leave a note and $30 to $40 total for our room attendant or attendants thanking them for their efforts. None of this is required or expected. Just something I like to do. So strictly up to you. You won't be wrong either way.

[AnnArbor_707]

I plan to tip $24/day for me and my girlfriend and not a penny more. I think if they FORCE you to tip $24/day and FORCE you to pay additional 18% on every drink it removes the whole reason for tipping - exceptional service. Plus, that's quite a bit of money... especially for someone like me who is laid back and will more than likely be one of the least demanding people on the ship.

 

Just to clarify, I'm not angry about NCL forcing me to tip, I just disagree with the policy. BUT, I understand that it's in place because of super cheaparse's that just straight up won't tip and I knew what the policy was before I booked and I'm ok with it. Also, I will probably end up feeling cheap and throw a few $1's around once I'm on board...... , but I guess time will tell.....

[johnql]

i plan to tip $24/day for me and my girlfriend and not a penny more. I think if they force you to tip $24/day and force you to pay additional 18% on every drink...

15%.

[sjbdtz]

I plan to tip $24/day for me and my girlfriend and not a penny more. I think if they FORCE you to tip $24/day and FORCE you to pay additional 18% on every drink it removes the whole reason for tipping - exceptional service. Plus, that's quite a bit of money... especially for someone like me who is laid back and will more than likely be one of the least demanding people on the ship.

 

Just to clarify, I'm not angry about NCL forcing me to tip, I just disagree with the policy. BUT, I understand that it's in place because of super cheaparse's that just straight up won't tip and I knew what the policy was before I booked and I'm ok with it. Also, I will probably end up feeling cheap and throw a few $1's around once I'm on board...... , but I guess time will tell.....

 

 

Don't feel cheap. There's NOTHING wrong with not tipping anything at all, beyond the DSC and the auto-drink-tips/spa tips.

 

It's the way the system is designed, and you will not be considered cheap / frugal, or anything else, if you simply go with the system.

 

Just like you know the system going in, so do the employees know the system and they are therefore able to judge it adequate for their needs.

 

Things get messy when passengers start messing about with the system....THEN it falls apart.

 

 

 

So enjoy your cruise. $24 / day for two, and 15% on drinks & 18% on spa... and not a penny more. :)

[Lyman713]

While I usually tip the server bringing us room service, I'm usually surprised how quickly they leave the room - I usually have to stop them before they are out the door to give them their tip. The point being - like the previous poster - I have never seen anyone on the ship act like they are expecting an extra tip.

 

Along those lines, how many people didn't realize there was an autotip on drinks on their first cruise? On my first, I was tipping on each drink for the first couple of days, until I looked at the receipt more closely, and saw the autotip. Friends of ours, on their first NCL cruise, did the same - was it just us, or have others not noticed the drink tip automatically added in right away?

[brfan]

I plan to tip $24/day for me and my girlfriend and not a penny more. I think if they FORCE you to tip $24/day and FORCE you to pay additional 18% on every drink it removes the whole reason for tipping - exceptional service. Plus, that's quite a bit of money... especially for someone like me who is laid back and will more than likely be one of the least demanding people on the ship.

 

Just to clarify, I'm not angry about NCL forcing me to tip, I just disagree with the policy. BUT, I understand that it's in place because of super cheaparse's that just straight up won't tip and I knew what the policy was before I booked and I'm ok with it. Also, I will probably end up feeling cheap and throw a few $1's around once I'm on board...... , but I guess time will tell.....

 

The $12 per person per day DSC goes to your room steward and wait staff, none of it goes to bar staff or spa staff. That is why there is a 15% service charge for drinks and 18% service charge for spa. As someone else has already said tipping above these amounts is not expected or required.

[sparks1093]

FWIW there are a couple of threads going on the RCI site regarding the newly announced increase in tips for RCI (soon to be $11.65 for non-suite guests).

[newmexicoNita]

One more question of the day.. We prepaid our tips, but does that mean we dont tip at all or what??

 

you may want to tip extra if you get unusually good service from anyone special. This holds true with the specialty dining rooms as well and you will see an additional tip automatically added to all drinks as the bar is not part of the tipping pool. Other than that, you are fine to go. Don't worry about additional tipping, no one should expect it nor should you feel obligated to add anything. We tip our cabin steward a little extra if he/she is really good and give something to the conciergne (spelling) if we use him/her for anything. If you have kids the kids councilors are not part of the pool either.

 

Hope this helps. Have a great cruise.

 

Nita

[BIG_Steve]

One more question of the day.. We prepaid our tips, but does that mean we dont tip at all or what??

 

Pre paid tips? NCL had a service charge, but that's rung up daily while on the ship.

 

Anyway, assuming you're talking about the service charge, you are good to go. Some will argue without end that a service charge is not a tip. But for all practical purposes, the service charge is the same thing.

 

 

You are certainly allowed to tip more, if it strikes you.

[DarceyJK]

Yes, I'm sorry, I should have said "service charge" instead of "tips". I think I understand it now. Thank you!

[bottomrung]

Have not sailed NCL and have not heard of a service charge on other cruise lines. Is the $12 service charge mandatory or optional???

[Planer's Edge]

Have not sailed NCL and have not heard of a service charge on other cruise lines. Is the $12 service charge mandatory or optional???

It is automatically charged to your onboard account everyday.

 

PE

[johnql]

Have not sailed NCL and have not heard of a service charge on other cruise lines. Is the $12 service charge mandatory or optional???

NCL's daily service charge (DSC) pretty much takes the place of most tipping. It will be automatically charged to your shipboard account. It can be reduced or removed but the policy is that you first have to give them a chance to rectify whatever situation prompted you to want to reduce/remove it. If you report a grievance and they fail to rectify it, you have every right to adjust the DSC to whatever degree you feel is fitting.

 

If you're asking whether you can remove it without having an actual complaint, the answer is still probably yes but I wouldn't recommend it. The staff works very hard and the DSC represents the bulk of their income. Going on the cruise with the intention of removing the DSC is not something I would ever do.

[newmexicoNita]

While I usually tip the server bringing us room service, I'm usually surprised how quickly they leave the room - I usually have to stop them before they are out the door to give them their tip. The point being - like the previous poster - I have never seen anyone on the ship act like they are expecting an extra tip.

 

Along those lines, how many people didn't realize there was an autotip on drinks on their first cruise? On my first, I was tipping on each drink for the first couple of days, until I looked at the receipt more closely, and saw the autotip. Friends of ours, on their first NCL cruise, did the same - was it just us, or have others not noticed the drink tip automatically added in right away?

 

us too, when they call to say they are on their way, we take our tip out so we can move as fast as they do...LOL

[hamrag]

Have not sailed NCL and have not heard of a service charge on other cruise lines. Is the $12 service charge mandatory or optional???

 

Most other cruiselines also have a similar charge. It is of course optional.

[Don Haynes]

Most other cruiselines also have a similar charge. It is of course optional.

 

Yes, its optional but if you option out of the DSC, you have stiffed the crew... That is if you don't traditionally tip using the envelopes as much as the DSC...

 

And why traditionally tip when NCL has made it so much easier with the DSC? You don't even have to lift a finger...

[Planer's Edge]

Yes, its optional but if you option out of the DSC, you have stiffed the crew... That is if you don't traditionally tip using the envelopes as much as the DSC...

 

And why traditionally tip when NCL has made it so much easier with the DSC? You don't even have to lift a finger...

 

...because typically the people that tout the "optionality" of the DSC would actually prefer to stiff rather than tip the crew. These are typically the same people that did not show up for dinner, the last night of the cruise, back in the days of traditional dining and envelope tipping.

 

PE

[BIG_Steve]

Have not sailed NCL and have not heard of a service charge on other cruise lines. Is the $12 service charge mandatory or optional???

 

As you now know, it's optional. Some prefer the old style of tipping. Jimmy the waiter gave us great service, so we'll just tip him, and not partake of the service charge. The service charge is shared. If Jimmy follows the rules and claims his cash tip, then he has to share it with everyone else anyway. So Jimmy isn't rewarded any more then he would have been if you used the service charge.

 

If the service charge is in place, and you tip Jimmy cash, then Jimmy can keep the extra cash. This is accepted here as fact, although I don't really know this first hand.

 

I do get a kick out of some cruisers: "NO-body is telling ME how to tip!!!!" LOL, who cares? I'm going to tip anyway, so envelope, service charge, so what??

[Lyman713]

If it hasn't been said already, regarding the daily service charge, it is my understanding that this is shared with more people than the pax have interaction with... By that, I mean if you cancel the service charge and decide to tip the room stewards for good service, you are short changing those behind the scenes that also work hard to keep your cabin clean. The same applies for the wait staff.

 

(of course, I have read of a policy of extra tips being pooled if a passenger removes the DSC, but I'm not sure how this can be monitored)

 

I have to echo many of the folks on this board and suggest leaving the service charge in place (absent some serious issues that they can't seem to resolve).