How would you handle glacially slow MDR service

[triptolemus]

Not at all. Just an expectation of good service. Just another rude, uninformed, ignorant comment...

It's not really... you don't get to dictate how others respond to your request for their opinion. You can't just keep shooting down others until you get the response you prefer.

 

To elaborate on my "champagne taste" comment and "how I handle" service levels on board... I hate standing in line, I hate waiting to board, I hate the MDR, I hate the buffet, I hate cattle-calls. My solution: book a suite. Champagne taste with a champagne budget.

 

But I'm just rude, ignorant, and uninformed... :rolleyes: I'll just sit back and watch you wait until you get the answer you're obviously waiting for.

Edited February 2, 2014 by triptolemus

[vols_159]

First of I think you are asking to much , 60 minute for dinner is like fast food dining . I would not be happy with being that rushed .

 

To get the best service.

You will find the majority of servers to be from the Philippines ( it sez nationality on there name tags )

 

At little Basic filipino goes a long way .

 

Start with a greeting of =

 

Magandang gabi = good evening

Magandang umanga = good morning

Magandang tanghali = good afternoon

 

end with

Salamat = Thank you

 

I can guaranty you will get a little better service but dinner could take a little longer as you chat up a new friend. :)

J.M.H.O.

 

I just wanna get in eat get out .. Faster the better 30 45 minutes is great for yr mdr in my book anything over a hour I'm ready to leave

[j-9]

While I agree that the DSC is not the same as a tip, I would argue that there is a similar intent behind it, and that being service.

In a land based restaurant, I adjust what is essentially a service charge, based on the service I have received. In North America there is an expectation of a "tip" somewhere in the 10-25% range depending on type of restaurant, service received, and location. Servers wages are low, with the expectation that their wages are supplemented by the gratuity. This is similar to the situation on a cruise ship. Servers also "tip out", so when you reduce the tip you are impacting a goup of people.

If the service is lousy in a land based restaurant due to staffing issues caused by management, I don't care. I reduce the tip. I don't write a letter to head office about it.

I have never done so, but I personally think it is appropriate to adjust the DSC if the situation has been brought to managements attention and they do not have a resolution. This is probably an effective way to bring a systemic issue to managements attention.

[sparks1093]

Wow! I am shocked to learn that. I hope it is not true. I thought that the room stewards received between $3-$4 per person, per day, of the DSC. 25 cents is unconscionable and almost not believable. I am not saying you are lying or wrong, but I do hope that is NOT the case, at least I am reading it as you saying they get 25 cents and not 25% of the DSC (which seems more likely).

 

I think that is an exaggeration but the crew relies on the DSC for the vast majority of their salary (and it's not just the crew that you see and interact with), they get very little in the way of "salary" from the cruise line. I personally figure $2 or $3 goes to the MDR staff for the evening meal (just my own guess, mind you). Even if the service is cruddy for the entire week that's a max of $21. I'm not going to lose a lot of sleep over $21 especially if the service is caused by things outside the control of the staff.

[LoveyHowell]

It's not really... you don't get to dictate how others respond to your request for their opinion. You can't just keep shooting down others until you get the response you prefer.

 

To elaborate on my "champagne taste" comment and "how I handle" service levels on board... I hate standing in line, I hate waiting to board, I hate the MDR, I hate the buffet, I hate cattle-calls. My solution: book a suite. Champagne taste with a champagne budget.

 

But I'm just rude, ignorant, and uninformed... :rolleyes: I'll just sit back and watch you wait until you get the answer you're obviously waiting for.

 

I asked HOW people would handle a situation and you basically called me cheap. That is RUDE, IGNORANT, and UNINFORMED. I feel I typed out a detailed synopsis of the problem and the expectation. Your comment was not called for and doesn't fit. You added absolutely nothing of value. Expecting GOOD service for the price paid is NOT champagne tastes on a beer budget, not even close. I am not waiting for a particular answer, I am seeing input. You made a drive by pot shot. Great, you can afford a suite. Good for you. Cruise on...

[swedish weave]

Wow! I am shocked to learn that. I hope it is not true. I thought that the room stewards received between $3-$4 per person, per day, of the DSC. 25 cents is unconscionable and almost not believable. I am not saying you are lying or wrong, but I do hope that is NOT the case, at least I am reading it as you saying they get 25 cents and not 25% of the DSC (which seems more likely).

 

Lovey --- Don't believe the 25 cents a day nonsense. It is a gross exaggeration !!! The Stewards make enough money to keep many of them coming back for many contracts.

 

A little information about the service problems may help ease your concerns. Many factors can result in slow service. One is illness among the crew. They won't tell you, but the restaurant manager and HD have to juggle the available staff to try to accomodate the amount of business at each venue, and if several people are ill, or if the bosses are not good at moving people quickly, delay can result.

 

That is not an excuse for prolonged delays in service over several days, but it can affect the service on the entire ship. Realistically, the MDR and buffet are low priority in these situations.

 

Hope this helps.

[triptolemus]

I asked HOW people would handle a situation and you basically called me cheap.

I didn't call you cheap. I inferred that your expectations might be unrealistic.

[MCAT48]

This can has and will be argued over and over again (the dsc). Can't people just agree to disagree?

 

The main point of this thread is what to do with slow service most agree that removing the dsc is not right.

 

Thinking about it more I think the best thing to do is to write a letter to Miami outlining the issue. Lack of staff is not something that could be changed while on the ship. Sure, they could take a bar server from a bar to be a wAiter but that doesn't mean it would be very efficient and would not guarantee a faster dinning experience being that person may not know how the mdr operates.

[LoveyHowell]

I didn't call you cheap. I inferred that your expectations might be unrealistic.

 

Do you truly and honestly believe expecting dinner service in a main dining room taking under two hours is unrealistic? :confused: If so you and I have a fundamental disagreement.

[bobg529]

No. It is apparent that you do not understand how the system works.

 

 

Here is what NCL says about the DSC on their website:

 

What's the service charge?

Why is there a service charge?

The reason there's a fixed service charge is an important one: Our Crew (as are the crew from other lines) is encouraged to work together as a team. Staff members including restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind-the-scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports.

How much is the charge?

Onboard Service Charges are additional. A charge of $12 per person per day will automatically be added to your onboard account.

Are service charges across the board for all guests?

All guests 3 years or older.

How do I prepay my service charges?

Contact your travel professional and request that it be added to your cruise reservation. If you have not made final payment this will be included in your final payment amount or if final payment has already been made we will require full payment at the time it is added.

At what point in the booking process can the prepaid charges be added?

They can be added at anytime up to 24 hours prior to sailing.

Why would I prepay my service charges?

The convenience of pre-paying the service charges allows you to plan your budget prior to your cruise giving you additional freedom while on board.

If I cancel my cruise are the service charges refundable?

Yes! The service charges are 100% refundable.

If there is a service issue can the service charges be adjusted on board?

Guest satisfaction is the highest priority at Norwegian Cruise Line. We have structured a guest satisfaction program designed to handle any concerns about service or on-board product quickly and efficiently. However, in the event a service issue should arise during your cruise please let our on-board guest services desk staff know right away, so that we can address these in a timely manner. It is our goal to reach a satisfactory solution to any issue when it happens and make sure our guests can focus on enjoying their cruise. Should your concerns not be met with satisfaction you can adjust the charges.

 

Please note that it clearly states that staff is salaried and that their are incentive programs that are supported by the service charge. It also says you can adjust the charges. It seems to me that if a person has issues with a specific issue or individual then that would call for a passenger to adjust their DSC if they feel it's called for. If your issues are more general in nature then I would think it right to pay the DSC and deal with the powers that be more directly.

[jonbgd]

I just wanna get in ... get out .. Faster the better

 

Is this how you do everything;):p:D

[vols_159]

Is this how you do everything;):p:D

 

My wife is 25 weeks pregant so I have a track record of getting the job done

[swedish weave]

My wife is 25 weeks pregant so I have a track record of getting the job done

 

Your statement leaves some question in my mind !!! 25 weeks and you haven't finished the job but instead had to turn it over to your wife to finish.............lol

[luddite]

So then please explain it. I feel I understand it but you seem to feel I am completely wrong. I do not think anything I said is factually inaccurate. If it is, please tell me so. I am more than willing to listen to your point of view. NCL themselves say the D part of DSC is "Discretionary".

 

NCL doesn't call it a DSC, merely a SC. It IS a Daily Service Charge.

 

Some of the crew gets paid with the DSC. They get a tiny salary and a room and a job description. If the DSC isn't paid by a passenger-that passenger isn't pulling their weight.The DSC isn't a charge for 'Good' service, just service. And you got that.

 

Businesses do not pay employees nor do they pay taxes and fees. Customers pay all of that. The high percentage of people who do not understand that is simply appalling.

[jonbgd]

My wife is 25 weeks pregant so I have a track record of getting the job done

Congrats on the pregnancy, but your wife might have a different opinion of your performance:p

[vols_159]

Congrats on the pregnancy, but your wife might have a different opinion of your performance:p

 

Lol

[LMaxwell]

NCL doesn't call it a DSC, merely a SC. It IS a Daily Service Charge.

 

Some of the crew gets paid with the DSC. They get a tiny salary and a room and a job description. If the DSC isn't paid by a passenger-that passenger isn't pulling their weight.The DSC isn't a charge for 'Good' service, just service. And you got that.

 

Businesses do not pay employees nor do they pay taxes and fees. Customers pay all of that. The high percentage of people who do not understand that is simply appalling.

 

Mr.(Or Mrs.) Luddite, I submit you are wrong and giving the OP incorrect advice. The service charge IS discretionary according to NCL and I think anyone paying thousands of dollars for a vacation has a reasonable expectation of good service. That doesn't mean servers doing cartwheels and doing everything special, bowing down to you, but it does mean efficient, timely, friendly. Getting only friendly is not enough. There needs to be efficiency and things done in a timely fashion to constitute good.

 

I think the OP encountered poor service, tried to address it and basically got nowhere. Is removing DSC the only option? Of course not. But I don't blame the OP for asking because it seems like they made an attempt to rectify the situation while onboard and nothing was done.

 

Sorry, I don't know what the right answer is in this case, I suppose it comes down to personal preferences and whether you want to vote with your wallet or not.

 

I do not believe in rewarding, or otherwise happily accepting, bad service anywhere. Maybe it is NCL's ploy; bad service in MDR, to drive people to pay for other restaurants?

[mjkacmom]

[quote name=j-9;41533709

If the service is lousy in a land based restaurant due to staffing issues caused by management' date=' I don't care. I reduce the tip. I don't write a letter to head office about it..[/quote]

 

I agreed with your whole post, until I got to this. The minimum wage for servers in my state (VERY high COL) is $2.10. The only time I will lower the tip is when the server is at fault. If there aren't enough servers, or I don't like the food, I still tip well.

[vp1]

I'd like to try and answer the original question (without any discussion of the DSC...).

 

I've been on 20+ cruises, about 15 with NCL. A few years ago we were on the Jewel for a 2 week European cruise. On the first night, the service was very slow and inefficient - though certainly not 3 hours long. After dinner I politely asked to speak with the maitre d'. I explained that we had been on many cruises and, based on our experience, that evening's service was very poor and we were hoping that this would not be the case for the entire two weeks. The matire d' (who unfortunately has now moved on to DCL) apologized, gave us his card and personally saw to our dinner arrangements for the entire cruise. (We were certainly not VIPs- we were staying in an "average" balcony cabin, not a suite...). Three days after that cruise ended we boarded the Jade for another 2 week European cruise; the Jewel matire d' called ahead to be sure that we were well taken care of on that cruise as well.

I know that this is just our family's experience, but with more than 100 days of cruising with just NCL I can say that a 3 hour meal has very rarely been our experience - unless we are purposefully taking our time. I would tell you that this is not the "norm" for NCL and, if it were to happen in the future (which is really your question...) I would strongly recommend talking to the maitre d' directly; and, if the problem persisted a second time, go directly to the management. (There's a photo display of all the top management near the service desk and actually ask for the person you want to talk to by name.).

That's my two cents - though I would tip more on a cruise ship.... : )

~Bob

[luddite]

Mr.(Or Mrs.) Luddite, I submit you are wrong and giving the OP incorrect advice. The service charge IS discretionary according to NCL and I think anyone paying thousands of dollars for a vacation has a reasonable expectation of good service. That doesn't mean servers doing cartwheels and doing everything special, bowing down to you, but it does mean efficient, timely, friendly. Getting only friendly is not enough. There needs to be efficiency and things done in a timely fashion to constitute good.

 

I think the OP encountered poor service, tried to address it and basically got nowhere. Is removing DSC the only option? Of course not. But I don't blame the OP for asking because it seems like they made an attempt to rectify the situation while onboard and nothing was done.

 

Sorry, I don't know what the right answer is in this case, I suppose it comes down to personal preferences and whether you want to vote with your wallet or not.

 

I do not believe in rewarding, or otherwise happily accepting, bad service anywhere. Maybe it is NCL's ploy; bad service in MDR, to drive people to pay for other restaurants?

 

I am aware that NCL says it is discretionary. I am aware that it can be altered. I am also aware that it IS how the crew gets paid. Removing it because dinner was too slow will only serve (no pun intended) to stiff the rest of the crew that depends on the DSC for their pay. THAT is unconscionable.

 

It is likely there is more to OP's story.

I honestly doubt the 3 hour timeline. I also have ideas about attitude and expectations that will only inflame things, so......I'll not speculate there.

[SteveH2508]

It is interesting what different peoples' perspective of slow or acceptable times are for a dinner in the MDR. I must admit I do not put a watch on it but I have a 'rule-of-thumb' - DW and I almost always order a bottle of wine with dinner. We do not guzzle it down as we have usually had 2 or 3 martinis to 'kill-the -thirst' first (or aperitifs if you want to be posh)!:D

 

If we have wine left at the end (the usual scenario) we are happy - sitting there with an empty bottle and empty glasses means too slow in my book.

 

We have also found that breakfast can be more problematical for slow service than dinner.

[LMaxwell]

I agreed with your whole post, until I got to this. The minimum wage for servers in my state (VERY high COL) is $2.10. The only time I will lower the tip is when the server is at fault. If there aren't enough servers, or I don't like the food, I still tip well.

 

I do believe federal law mandates that if a server does not earn at least minimum wage in tips that the restaurant must make up the difference in wages. I know the reality is that a lot of land based restaurants rely on servers not knowing their rights and then the waiter or waitress gets ripped off by management. But the law does state otherwise.

[LoveyHowell]

 

It is likely there is more to OP's story.

I honestly doubt the 3 hour timeline. I also have ideas about attitude and expectations that will only inflame things, so......I'll not speculate there.

 

My expectation is MDR dinner service in 2 hour or less. There's no attitude, chip on shoulder, or greater expectation of personalized service. I don't require specialized meals, off menu meals, or make great demands of service staff. I do not think my expectation is unreasonable. There is no need to speculate about anything as I am willing to have a discussion and answer any questions. I don't care for the implication that my expectation is unreasonable or that somehow I am unreasonable and the cause of and therefore the reason for slow service.

[jonbgd]

I do believe federal law mandates that if a server does not earn at least minimum wage in tips that the restaurant must make up the difference in wages. I know the reality is that a lot of land based restaurants rely on servers not knowing their rights and then the waiter or waitress gets ripped off by management. But the law does state otherwise.

you are correct

 

In the the city of San Francisco minimum wage is $10.50an hr

Some restaurants actually add a dollar or 2 to make up for it

 

In other cities it is a lot lower.

If the waiter doesn't make enough tips they are suppose to be added to paycheck but also owner may fire employee for low performance

[ColinIllinois]

 

Businesses do not pay employees nor do they pay taxes and fees. Customers pay all of that. The high percentage of people who do not understand that is simply appalling.

 

 

Customers pay businesses. Businesses pay employees. I've never issued someones employee a pay statement or a W-2.