The things people complain about!? Sheesh

[taymiss2]

"and then the kids camp asked for more $ because they weren't included in the automatic gratuity i was very upset about that considering that's where he spent 90% of his time"

 

Above is a quote from a review I just read. Huh? Your kid spent 90% of his time at the kids club and you are mad that you had to give them a gratuity? Really?

[jtdlmc]

"and then the kids camp asked for more $ because they weren't included in the automatic gratuity i was very upset about that considering that's where he spent 90% of his time"

 

Above is a quote from a review I just read. Huh? Your kid spent 90% of his time at the kids club and you are mad that you had to give them a gratuity? Really?

 

I've never heard of anyone asking for a gratuity! Pretty rude I would say. Yes, if my kids were in the kids club and enjoyed themselves, I would tip the counsellors, but I would be floored if they came out and requested one!

[SeaShark]

Interesting...used to be that a family vacation meant that parents spent time with their children. Now it seems to mean that you stick your kids into a daycare center for 90% of their time. So much for "family".

[TPEINC1958]

I've never heard of anyone asking for a gratuity! Pretty rude I would say. Yes, if my kids were in the kids club and enjoyed themselves, I would tip the counsellors, but I would be floored if they came out and requested one!

 

I think we can safely assume that the counselors did not ask for more, or any, money. The person writing said review, was probably upset that the kids camp counselors were not part of the service charge pool. We cannot really know without reading the whole review. People have been known to make some outlandish statements in their reviews. :eek:

[cruiser1955a]

Interesting...used to be that a family vacation meant that parents spent time with their children. Now it seems to mean that you stick your kids into a daycare center for 90% of their time. So much for "family".

 

And they were probably upset that their kids couldn't sleep overnight in the kids club. Then they could have gotten rid of the kids 100% of the cruise. :rolleyes:

[weltek]

"Asking" for a tip simply could've meant there is a space for a gratuity on the card swipe receipt, and the staff pointed out they are not part of the Daily Service Charge tip pool, so "there's a line for gratuity to be added if you choose" as they hand you that slip. I had a bar server explain this a long time ago to me on our first cruise, in a polite manner.

[TPEINC1958]

"Asking" for a tip simply could've meant there is a space for a gratuity on the card swipe receipt, and the staff pointed out they are not part of the Daily Service Charge tip pool, so "there's a line for gratuity to be added if you choose" as they hand you that slip. I had a bar server explain this a long time ago to me on our first cruise, in a polite manner.

 

What would you have to sign for at the Kids Club? :confused:

[cruisemainiac]

What would you have to sign for at the Kids Club? :confused:

After 10:30pm (it might be 10pm) there is a per hour baby sitting charge.

[smeyer418]

wow. The kids crew deserved a tip for such a kid and they left nothing. and posted to complain about it!

[TPEINC1958]

After 10:30pm (it might be 10pm) there is a per hour baby sitting charge.

 

Thank you. Since I don't have children I know very little about the Kids Club.

[Seanote]

I too agree with the OP that some of the reviews have some real doosie complaints.

 

However, this thread is a complaint about complaints. A bit ironic?

[smeyer418]

BTW when the tip/dsc went from $5 to 12 for age 3-12(I am not sure what the upper limit was)- the same as adults about 2 years ago, I suggested to NCL that a portion of the increase be set aside for the kids crew. It does seem to me that since it increase so much and for the most part(not always) the kids are the third or forth in the room, it makes sense for a small amount of the $12 to be included for the kids crew. The Kids crew is paid a better base then the traditional service crew(waiter/room stewards) but it is barely a living wage. I was told it would be studied. I also have suggested that the hold a DSC meeting to explain how it works for new cruisers(and run it on the TV like they do port shopping) and that was being studied too. I even volunteered to write the script...

 

BTW if the person who wrote the review had bothered to read cruise critics suggested tip for the kids crew, they might have had apoplexy...

 

"Kids' Club Counselors

Expect to tip in the neighborhood of $15 per child, per day to the kids' club team, assuming that your children will be spending a large chunk of time participating. That works out to about $100 per child for a weeklong cruise.

 

Editor's note: As the author Greg Straub has no children and has not personally tipped youth staff, we checked his advice with family travel expert Christine Koubek. She responds, "$15 per day seems excessive; however, if I had a colicky baby in the nursery, it would definitely be worth a $15 tip per day for that break and knowledge that someone else was taking good care of the baby." ...

 

We have taken the two above on cruises. On the first one with only the older one who went everyday(for seven) I tipped $50. For the second cruise, I didn't think the kid's crew was very good. The older one only went on two days(it was way to noisy for him...he is the quiet type) and the younger one hardly went at all. I personally think 5-7 per day is a good tip for them...and so does the kids crew staff.

[Vyhanek]

The Kids Crew Counselors are salaried employees. Like the Excursion Desk people or the Port Lecturer or the Assistant Purser. Not in any way a part of the tip pool.

 

Being a salaried employee means NCL pays them already a fair wage. Tips are just that. Extra.

 

I've asked the Kids Crew what they make. Many have ECE or Elem. Ed. degrees and they make about as much as a first year teacher in a public school. That's more than ANY ECE would make.

 

I think $100 per child per week is outrageous. I can't imagine there is anyone tipping like that. I always give about $20 per kid per week and they seem to be very appreciative. I tip on the last evening at the normal pick up time with the majority of the other parents. Usually there are 3 or 4 other families tipping and that's it. I very highly doubt they get many $100 dollar tips per kid.

[mpk218]

I think we can safely assume that the counselors did not ask for more, or any, money. The person writing said review, was probably upset that the kids camp counselors were not part of the service charge pool. We cannot really know without reading the whole review. People have been known to make some outlandish statements in their reviews. :eek:

 

I totaly agree ; she's not complaining about tipping the kids crew counslors she's upset that the counslers are not part of the pool and feels they are being left out .

 

Thats my read anyway ;)

[taymiss2]

I totaly agree ; she's not complaining about tipping the kids crew counslors she's upset that the counslers are not part of the pool and feels they are being left out .

 

Thats my read anyway ;)

 

I guess I needed to add in more of the review. If she really did think they should be included in the tip pool that is one thing. But I took it that she was mad that she should have to tip over and above the outrageous $12 per day. Below is the sentance that came before her kids club statement. (I am not adding this because I need to be right, just a clairification about what made my jaw drop open when I read it) Maybe she did mean: he spent most of his day there so his $12 should go to them? Whatever, I am over it now, lol.

 

"the gratuity was outrageous $12 a day per person plus 15% every time you order anything extra like sodas or alcohol and then the kids camp asked for more $ because they weren't included in the automatic gratuity i was very upset about that considering that's where he spent 90% of his time"

[jtdlmc]

I guess I needed to add in more of the review. If she really did think they should be included in the tip pool that is one thing. But I took it that she was mad that she should have to tip over and above the outrageous $12 per day. Below is the sentance that came before her kids club statement. (I am not adding this because I need to be right, just a clairification about what made my jaw drop open when I read it) Maybe she did mean: he spent most of his day there so his $12 should go to them? Whatever, I am over it now, lol.

 

"the gratuity was outrageous $12 a day per person plus 15% every time you order anything extra like sodas or alcohol and then the kids camp asked for more $ because they weren't included in the automatic gratuity i was very upset about that considering that's where he spent 90% of his time"

 

Okay, I do think she is stating she was angry because the kids club personnel were not included in the $12/person/day gratuity, but it still sounds as though someone somehow, whether directly or indirectly, did ask for tips to be supplied. I had not seen official mention of extra tipping anywhere in the kids club or even the cruiseline kids club faq on the website for our previous cruise. I have seen lots of mention on these boards where people tip the staff if their kids spent a lot of time in the kids club, but nothing official from the cruise line. As a previous poster mentioned, the kids club staff are salaried employees, similar to cruise directors, maitre d', etc., so I don't really think tips are necessary, although I probably would have if my son had spent any time there, but certainly not $100 for the week!

[njhorseman]

I totaly agree ; she's not complaining about tipping the kids crew counslors she's upset that the counslers are not part of the pool and feels they are being left out .

 

Thats my read anyway ;)

 

I think there needs to be a better "smiley" than ;) to indicate when a tongue is embedded as far in one's cheek as yours is in this post. :p

[vols_159]

both of my cruises at the farewell show normally the CD explains who is not part of the tip pool and if you want you can tip extra.. I doubt the kids staff was beggin for tips like cab drivers and shore excursion in forign ports do

[mpk218]

I think there needs to be a better "smiley" than ;) to indicate when a tongue is embedded as far in one's cheek as yours is in this post. :p

 

 

No tongue intented . But after reading the full paragraph above , yes now I think she's a whiner.

Particularly since her child did spend "most" of his cruise in the kids club. Oh well not worth anymore cell function.

[Laszlo]

Why even take the kid is their spending 90% of the time there.:rolleyes:

 

We saw lots of parents like her on our Bermuda run. Kids were in "Daycare" most of the day and evening while the parents were sitting around the pool drinking. We also saw a fair amount of people who did the same thing while we were in port. My wife and I spent the day together with another couple at the beach, only to find out when we went back their kid, 7 years old spent the day on the ship at the kids club. The woman told my wife her daughter is very cranky and does not like the sand. OK I guess

[swedish weave]

And they were probably upset that their kids couldn't sleep overnight in the kids club. Then they could have gotten rid of the kids 100% of the cruise. :rolleyes:

 

If my calculations are close to being right, the kid spent 21 hours and 36 minutes a day in the kids club (90 percent of 24) and 2 hours and 24 minutes each day with the parents.

 

If the post was not an exaggeration, then the parent(s) should have been billed a child care charge. Maybe that is what they were being asked to pay ?????

 

I certainly would not want any part of my 12 dollars per day used to take care of somebody's kid --especially the babysitting !!

[macruise]

A colicky baby in the nursery? Not on NCL. Most collicky babies are far less than 2-years old and aren't eligible to be in the program.

 

Editor's note: As the author Greg Straub has no children and has not personally tipped youth staff, we checked his advice with family travel expert Christine Koubek. She responds, "$15 per day seems excessive; however, if I had a colicky baby in the nursery, it would definitely be worth a $15 tip per day for that break and knowledge that someone else was taking good care of the baby." ...

 

[rvsullivan]

For the many posts I see on the NCL boards that mention they never saw their kids because they loved the Kids Club so much they never wanted to leave, I would think that $5 per day per child would be a minimum tip. How much does someone tip that take care of and entertain their children?

Of course you can say they are getting paid to perform, however, so is your waitress/waiter, your hairdresser and many others on land, and most tip them.

Some folks are always looking for a way to avoid paying for services. If you can't afford it or don't want to afford it, I think you should stay home and babysit your own kids.:rolleyes:

[Sauer-kraut]

A colicky baby in the nursery? Not on NCL. Most collicky babies are far less than 2-years old and aren't eligible to be in the program.

 

ACK!! I hope that baby isn't next door to me!:rolleyes::eek:

[Davechipp74]

on my last cruise (EPIC nov.'10)

at the poolside bar i had a lady almost cry to me for 30 min. about how she went out of her way to leave sunglasses and hats all about her room, in hopes of finding a towel animal when she returned. it was about the 4th day of a 7 day cruise and she never got one.

i had to laugh to myself as she went on talking about sending e-mails to the higher ups and complaining at the front desk.

 

 

 

some people :rolleyes: