No kids gratuity?

[LMaxwell]

Please consider NOT removing the DSC for kids. From my own family's experience kids create a lot more mess while they eat in the dining room or buffet. All the people cleaning and bussing tables for your children wouldn't recive a penny for their services to your three.

 

I'm guessing you are a first time cruiser. We all were at some point and you can guess we love it as we keep coming back for more. The DSC is a surprise to new cruisers. I believe that each cruise line is afraid to include this as part of the pricing as that particular cruise line would look at a higher upfront price than the others.

 

Finally, the freedom of having freestyle, with no set table at a specific time means that the decades old way of tipping your dining attendants one the last night is meaningless.

 

Was this response aimed at me? :confused:

[UandMe4Ever]

If this is a policy it is new to most of us: yes, you pay gratuities for everyone in the cabin. do remember the kids club is not included in the tip pool, so you will want to tip the workers there.

 

OBC from NCL CANNOT be used for gratuities!!! OBC from your T/A can. Not sure about tipping for children. I think they are charged regular rate. Please check that out

[newmexicoNita]

Please consider NOT removing the DSC for kids. From my own family's experience kids create a lot more mess while they eat in the dining room or buffet. All the people cleaning and bussing tables for your children wouldn't recive a penny for their services to your three.

 

I'm guessing you are a first time cruiser. We all were at some point and you can guess we love it as we keep coming back for more. The DSC is a surprise to new cruisers. I believe that each cruise line is afraid to include this as part of the pricing as that particular cruise line would look at a higher upfront price than the others.

 

Finally, the freedom of having freestyle, with no set table at a specific time means that the decades old way of tipping your dining attendants one the last night is meaningless.

 

llI totally agree with you: kids can create a bigger mess for those involved than adults. I do not mean this as a slam to kids, I love kids and enjoy cruising with them most of the time, but they are still kids. I really can't see any reason to ever remove the DSC period. Even if part of the service is sub standard, which is rare, think of all the others who depend on the pool for much of their salary.

[LMaxwell]

llI totally agree with you: kids can create a bigger mess for those involved than adults. I do not mean this as a slam to kids, I love kids and enjoy cruising with them most of the time, but they are still kids. I really can't see any reason to ever remove the DSC period. Even if part of the service is sub standard, which is rare, think of all the others who depend on the pool for much of their salary.

 

Poor service is the only reason I'd remove DSC, or whatever you want to call it. I'd of course bring it to management attention first and give them an opportunity to fix the problem. When management knows of an issue they have the opportunity to fix it. Happy guest. Happy crew. Win, win.

 

But also as noted, I am not removing the DSC for the baby; NCL isn't even charging it to begin with. I'll handle tipping out for the baby with cash to those who provide services, namely room steward and youth staff.

 

I hate to sound uncaring, but NCL (and all lines) should pay their behind the scenes workers properly and not rely on tips from guests with which they have no interaction or influence to earn a living. Back before automatic gratuities when cruise lines supplied a breakdown of suggestions for who to tip, and how much, it never included an amount for behind the scenes workers that were not guest facing. How is it fair to a laundry worker that they have to rely on a room steward providing good service in order for them to earn their pay? How is it fair to the room steward to effectively be forced to "tip out" the laundry crew when they don't provide a service to the guest?

 

As long as service as good I have no qualms paying for those services. I have no problems how others choose to handle their business either. I think all of these cruise lines exploit their workers and exploit the guilt of guests to pay their workers though. I wouldn't penalize a worker because of their employers policies, but the policies are junk.

[luvtheships]

Does everyone realize that had the op simply said his child was 2 in the original post...

 

That the second post would have been...

 

Ncl is absolutely correct and you heard them right.... No tip/dsc charged for ages 2 and under...

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[luvtheships]

Everyone....listen up....his kid is 2 and Ncl does NOT impose dsc on that age.....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[LMaxwell]

Does everyone realize that had the op simply said his child was 2 in the original post...

 

That the second post would have been...

 

Ncl is absolutely correct and you heard them right.... No tip/dsc charged for ages 2 and under...

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

My original post was made mobile. Sometimes searching on mobile is difficult at best. Therefore the correct response would have been for someone to post the NCL policy, not to speculate.

 

This thread is now thoroughly off the rails though. :D

[zqvol]

So, if I buy OBC through NCL, I can't use it to pay gratuities? Bummer! Guess I better prepay then. Thanks for the heads-up :)

 

 

Sent from my iPad. Typos are inevitable.

 

 

That is incorrect. If you paid for your OBC you can use it for anything, if it is free OBC maybe not.

 

Paid OBC is nothing more than you giving NCL cash to hold for you.

[NYteacher]

Was this response aimed at me? :confused:

 

 

Nope. I can't figure out how to double post, but there was another poster who is traveling with three kids and was considering removing the three children's service charges.

[luvtheships]

My original post was made mobile. Sometimes searching on mobile is difficult at best. Therefore the correct response would have been for someone to post the NCL policy, not to speculate.

 

This thread is now thoroughly off the rails though. :D

 

If you had mentioned the child's age it would have helped too😊

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[russianmom]

 

But also as noted, I am not removing the DSC for the baby; NCL isn't even charging it to begin with. I'll handle tipping out for the baby with cash to those who provide services, namely room steward and youth staff.

 

Off the topic of tipping/DSC.... I just want to let you know, in case you were not aware, that a 2 year old can only participate in the Guppies group and it is a parent/child program not a drop off program.

 

SPLASH ACADEMY

Guppies: 6 months – 3 years (daily activities are offered for babies with their parents)

 

Although Guppies are part of Splash Academy and hosted by the Early Years Coordinator, the program requires a parent to be in attendance. Guppies does not offer a drop off option.

 

The minimum age eligible for Splash Academy is 3 years old at the time of sailing, based on the child's date of birth, according to their birth certificate or passport reflected on the ships manifest.

[LMaxwell]

I believe that info for Guppies is for current ships. Escape has been advertised as having nursery services included for 6mos-3years old and the first ship to do so. The PCC said there will be childcare services for free at night time so we can go out. In fact, this was a MAJOR reason I even considered NCL to start with.

 

"Youth Programming

In a first for the line, as part of the Guppies program, Norwegian Escape will offer childcare services for children ages six months to three years. The nursery will include an active area for play time and age-appropriate activities and a separate space for napping. In addition to the nursery services, Norwegian Escape's Guppies program will offer a dedicated open play area for parents and babies to play together, featuring sensory-based games, interactive media and themed activities hosted by an early years coordinator. "

[jackson bernard]

Please consider NOT removing the DSC for kids. From my own family's experience kids create a lot more mess while they eat in the dining room or buffet. All the people cleaning and bussing tables for your children wouldn't recive a penny for their services to your three.

 

I'm guessing you are a first time cruiser. We all were at some point and you can guess we love it as we keep coming back for more. The DSC is a surprise to new cruisers. I believe that each cruise line is afraid to include this as part of the pricing as that particular cruise line would look at a higher upfront price than the others.

 

Finally, the freedom of having freestyle, with no set table at a specific time means that the decades old way of tipping your dining attendants one the last night is meaningless.

 

Why don't you double your tips next time to make up for people who remove the dsc for kids? Please consider that.

[russianmom]

I believe that info for Guppies is for current ships. Escape has been advertised as having nursery services included for 6mos-3years old and the first ship to do so. The PCC said there will be childcare services for free at night time so we can go out. In fact, this was a MAJOR reason I even considered NCL to start with.

 

"Youth Programming

In a first for the line, as part of the Guppies program, Norwegian Escape will offer childcare services for children ages six months to three years. The nursery will include an active area for play time and age-appropriate activities and a separate space for napping. In addition to the nursery services, Norwegian Escape's Guppies program will offer a dedicated open play area for parents and babies to play together, featuring sensory-based games, interactive media and themed activities hosted by an early years coordinator. "

 

That's awesome. I know NCL has talked about it for a while but none of the current ships have actually followed thru with and enacted it.

[NYteacher]

Why don't you double your tips next time to make up for people who remove the dsc for kids? Please consider that.

 

Pretty snide. Nothing in my post was mean spirited.

 

I almost always tip in addition to leaving the DSC in place, but I suspect that really isn't the point of your post.

[csaeroach]

We were in the Breakaway in October and had NCL OBC (non refundable) along with Travel Agency OBC (refundable as it was purchased with travel agency Amex) and was told that no OBC was allowed anymore for the services charges and it seemed that OBC was in a separate account and would not go towards daily service charges, so we used it to purchase a future cruise certificate which automatically used the OBC. We have sailed NCL before and used OBC to help pay daily service charges but was told by guest relations this was no longer the case. All daily service charges were to be charged to your credit card on file at check in.

[njhorseman]

We were in the Breakaway in October and had NCL OBC (non refundable) along with Travel Agency OBC (refundable as it was purchased with travel agency Amex) and was told that no OBC was allowed anymore for the services charges and it seemed that OBC was in a separate account and would not go towards daily service charges, so we used it to purchase a future cruise certificate which automatically used the OBC. We have sailed NCL before and used OBC to help pay daily service charges but was told by guest relations this was no longer the case. All daily service charges were to be charged to your credit card on file at check in.

 

Refundable OBC absolutely can be used to pay service charges. I can assure you we had travel agency provided refundable OBC that was used to pay our service charges on our most recent cruise in December.

 

Not all travel agency provided OBC is refundable OBC and that may have been what the issue was in your case.

[CruisingAmazona]

What category does OBC from a travel agent fall into?

 

If it's a TA OBC, it is non-refundable and can be used towards your gratuities. In 40+ cruises, I have never been told any OBC cannot be used towards gratuities.

[njhorseman]

If it's a TA OBC, it is non-refundable and can be used towards your gratuities. In 40+ cruises, I have never been told any OBC cannot be used towards gratuities.

 

I think you meant to say "If it's a TA OBC it is refundable and can be used towards your gratuities."

 

I don't know how many of your previous cruises were on NCL, but it is probably the mass market cruise line with the most restrictions on use of OBC for payment of service charges. Also you may be confusing service charges with gratuities. On NCL non-refundable OBC can't be used to pay the $12 per day service charge, but can be used to pay additional gratuities you may wish to offer.

 

I'm speaking from my experience as both a frequent cruiser and former travel agency owner.

Edited February 6, 2015 by njhorseman