NCL stop the 15% gratuity on drinks, please

[sjbdtz]

The OP seems to miss one significant point:

 

NCL doesn't pay these people. They work on commission. The 15% isn't a tip, it's a service charge.

 

Yes, they get an advance (draw) against commission...but they're required to earn that threshold or they don't get to stay very long.

 

 

 

.

[dockrocker]

It's an insult to tip in Italy in a restaurant or cafe (as the service charge is added to the bill) and in Japan if you leave money on a table the waiter is honour bound to return the money.:eek:

 

Well, not an insult in Italy. More and more Italians are tipping now, and while it's not expected of foreigners, no one looks askance at them for tipping.

 

In most of Japan, you're right; it's actually considered offensive. But there are exceptions to that as well.

[sparks1093]

It's an insult to tip in Italy in a restaurant or cafe (as the service charge is added to the bill) and in Japan if you leave money on a table the waiter is honour bound to return the money.:eek:

 

Which is why it is incumbent on all travelers to research the customs of the countries they will be visiting and to do their best to observe those customs. It would really cut against my grain not to tip anyone (used to work for them myself) but if I were in Italy I would, well, do what the Romans do;).

 

(Sorry, johnql, guess I was typing as you were posting.)

Edited February 14, 2011 by sparks1093

[ROSEBASKETS]

Sorry, but the cliche "When in Rome..." does apply and it certainly applies to cruising, too.

 

If you follow that logic surely on NCL you should pay your bill in Krone and pay $22 or a bottle of beer or $85 for a bottle of wine :confused: :D

[PleaseNo]

OP.. I say if you feel strongly about something, make a stand.. and when a company has enough of it's customers feeling that way, they will change to conform. However I do have two things I want to comment on what you posted. You said let them raise the basic cost of the beverage and only those who purchase it will be paying for it.. well.. that's who is paying it now. And the second thing is that the auto tip is included for a reason. With their pricing in place now it is expected that you will tip for certain services. They must have had a reason to place it as an auto tip rather than letting folks tip on their own. Could it be that they were getting "stiffed" all too often?

 

I am sure once the base of customers change to be a majority of non-Americans, you will stand a better chance of getting it removed. However, in the end, you will pay it one way or the other. As long as it is going to end up costing you the same, I don't understand why it is a big deal if you pay it in the cost of the item or as a tip. The same amount of money is out of your pocket and for me, that's what I look at.

 

Kind of covered the first part of your post in some previous answers. My problem i think is how i understand a tip to be, and also how the cruise was sold (by NCL staff at a convention and a TA).

 

Although i have not mentioned this earlier, i am in a S4 on the Epic. Now when i purchased my cruise from a TA (not looking to blame anyone, just stating the facts) it was sold to me as 'all inclusive' with pre paid gratuities. It was pretty much every penny we had saved.

 

Now in fairness to myself i thought that was it, that was my bottom line so to speak, add in the cost of a few drinks and i'm happy. And i still will be regardless of this all. Anyway i then start to read this forum and find out from various posts that i am 'expected' to pay a further $10 pppd to our butler, the same to the concierge and a similar amount to the kids staff.

 

Now just pause and see it from my eyes, i thought i had paid it all, indeed if it were not for this forum i would have blindly gone on the cruise thinking i had !!

 

So i am being 'assulted' from all angles for extra tips, greatly adding to the cost of our cruise that was not expected. All i want is the price to be upfront, then i am aware of what i am paying for. So back to the start, my understanding of a tip was for extra services above what was already expected.

 

BTW im not trying to be cheap, i thought i had already paid !

[dockrocker]

I hate to tose this out, but I have liked all the NCL employees/bar servers so much, have admired their efforts so much, enjoyed their conversations, their friendship, that I additionally give a buck or so for each round of drinks served. I just do it because I like to. I feel so fortunate to be able to sit there and pay $4 to $9 a drink and be sitting in a cruise ship while I do that. I didn't really do anything in my life to deserve that ability more than I'm sure these hard working folks serving me, except be fortunate in my birth, right time, right place. Just my reasons for not having a problem with it.

 

What a nice post. I love hearing from people who are humble enough to recognize that we don't get to where we are only through hard work (though it's almost impossible to succeed without it). In addition to our own efforts and dedication, luck of geography, timing, family and community have an effect on our circumstances. The world is full of people who work just as hard as I do but don't have the advantages I've enjoyed. Some of them are even serving me drinks on cruise ships.

[dockrocker]

If you follow that logic surely on NCL you should pay your bill in Krone and pay $22 or a bottle of beer or $85 for a bottle of wine :confused: :D

 

Ah, but it's Bahamas-registered, isn't it? ;)

[ROSEBASKETS]

Well, not an insult in Italy. More and more Italians are tipping now, and while it's not expected of foreigners, no one looks askance at them for tipping.

 

My Mama disagrees and she has a Florentine accent :p

[PleaseNo]

It's the same on every cruise line that primarily caters to passengers from North America. I don't understand why you're singling out NCL.

 

I can only single out NCL because that my only experience. It would not be fair to mention other lines i have no experience with.

[johnql]

If you follow that logic surely on NCL you should pay your bill in Krone and pay $22 or a bottle of beer or $85 for a bottle of wine :confused: :D

Umm...no. NCL may have "Norway" in its name but they are selling a product that is aimed primarily at Americans (ok, North Americans). Therefore, it's American customs that come into play.

[PleaseNo]

I just wanted to make sure we're all on the same page - it's not just NCL. It's all mainstream cruise lines that cater primarily to Americans. The why has already been covered by others but, to reiterate, it's a matter of culture and convention. I honestly don't know why certain service positions get tipped and others don't (for instance, fast food service people don't get tipped whereas cab drivers do) but that's how it has developed over the years. Convention dictates that you tip. Should it be changed? Perhaps, although, as others have pointed out, you'll end up paying the added cost of wages somehow.

 

Frankly, I think you're tilting at windmills here, with little or no positive outcome even if you win.

 

Actually in starting this i have begun to understand more the view from the other side.

 

Its all a learning curve. Tonight i am learning so it is positive.

Edited February 14, 2011 by PleaseNo

[ROSEBASKETS]

Ah, but it's Bahamas-registered, isn't it? ;)

 

Then the beer should be British, warm, and served in pint glasses and the price should be in £'s and with no 15% added :p:p:p;)

[dockrocker]

My Mama disagrees and she has a Florentine accent :p

 

Then we Italians promise never to tip your mama.

Edited February 14, 2011 by dockrocker

[sparks1093]

Although i have not mentioned this earlier, i am in a S4 on the Epic. Now when i purchased my cruise from a TA (not looking to blame anyone, just stating the facts) it was sold to me as 'all inclusive' with pre paid gratuities. It was pretty much every penny we had saved.

 

Sorry to hear that. I don't know if you have any legal remedies, but I would think maybe a call to the TA's supervisor may be in order (assuming of course the TA isn't an independent). Explain calmly and assertively what you were told and what you've found out and express how disappointer you were in not being presented with all of the facts. It could be that your TA really believed what he or she told you and needs some more training, or it could be that they withheld information because they were afraid it would change your mind. In any event the supervisor needs to know, at least to prevent this from happening to someone else (and maybe they'll throw some OBC your way to ease the pain).

Edited February 14, 2011 by sparks1093

[PleaseNo]

This is exactly why it is the obligation of any traveler to research one's travels properly and respectfully observe the customs of every country that he visits. Sorry, but the cliche "When in Rome..." does apply and it certainly applies to cruising, too.

 

So i guess my cruise in Europe will be dictated by european standards and not American customs. So no need for research, i live it already.:rolleyes:

[johnql]

Although i have not mentioned this earlier, i am in a S4 on the Epic. Now when i purchased my cruise from a TA (not looking to blame anyone, just stating the facts) it was sold to me as 'all inclusive' with pre paid gratuities. It was pretty much every penny we had saved.

Well, you should blame that TA for misleading you. Cruising has NEVER been all-inclusive, at least not on mainstream American cruise lines. They have always charged for certain items (varying in specific items), such as alcohol, excursions, surcharge restaurants, etc. Granted, there are probably more surcharges now than 20 years ago, but that's a marketing strategy that all the mainstream cruise lines have adopted in order to entice people with lower base fares.

 

I'm sorry you didn't do more research before booking your cruise. Learning more about cruising expenses might have dissuaded you from booking. Going into a cruise with a bad taste in one's mouth can only predispose you negatively, which is unfortunate.

[johnql]

So i guess my cruise in Europe will be dictated by european standards and not American customs. So no need for research, i live it already.:rolleyes:

Not necessarily. It depends on who the cruise is primarily marketed to. If it's NCL, American customs apply.

[dockrocker]

Well, you should blame that TA for misleading you.

 

I'm not sure we should assume the TA misled him. We've been over several points a number of times in this thread. There may just be an unwillingness or inability to take in unwelcome information going on here.

[PleaseNo]

The OP seems to miss one significant point:

 

NCL doesn't pay these people. They work on commission. The 15% isn't a tip, it's a service charge.

 

Yes, they get an advance (draw) against commission...but they're required to earn that threshold or they don't get to stay very long.

 

 

 

.

 

 

AHH Thank you. I do miss the point. I assumed (and we all now know what that means) that all the staff earn a normal wage.

 

That was easy, no need for anything more to be said.

 

Mods close it down, rip it up and shove it in the bin. I am enlightened.

 

All that remains is a BIG THANK YOU to all those that helped me in the error of my ways and especially to sjbdtz.:D

 

Good night, really need to sleep for work tomorrow (eek today)

[sparks1093]

Then the beer should be British, warm, and served in pint glasses and the price should be in £'s and with no 15% added :p:p:p;)

 

In this instance the ship is as sovereign as any country and the onboard customs apply regardless of whose flag she is flying, what port she calls home, or what ports she is visiting.

[ROSEBASKETS]

Then we Italians promise never to tip your mama.

 

You're up awfully late for an Italian it's 2.40am! :rolleyes:

[PleaseNo]

I'm not sure we should assume the TA misled him. We've been over several points a number of times in this thread. There may just be an unwillingness or inability to take in unwelcome information going on here.

 

Nope your wrong, as the above post proves.

[PleaseNo]

Not necessarily. It depends on who the cruise is primarily marketed to. If it's NCL, American customs apply.

 

 

Thank you johnql, and my apologies for coming across as an a...hole in my reply to you.

[Partyatsea]

We never even consider the auto grat in the price. If I sign slip and it says $7.19, that drink in that glass at that venue is $7.19. I make a note, and know what it costs. We keep an eye out for a good bartender, tip him/her a $1 per drink, they remember you and treat you good.

[ROSEBASKETS]

In this instance the ship is as sovereign as any country and the onboard customs apply regardless of whose flag she is flying, what port she calls home, or what ports she is visiting.

 

Yes, I was joking, hence the little :p's

I was referring to the Bahamas being part of the British Commonwealth :rolleyes:

 

I guess the irony was lost, sorry!