Increase in DSC?

[spidybabe]

Question: we always pay service charge, and tip extra..... but who gets the extra tips ? Does it all go into one fund with the service charges, shared between everybody. I know the bar staff in the casino splits the tips, but we heard the ship takes the dealers tips to be used towards salary?? Anybody know?

[KeithJenner]

Question: we always pay service charge, and tip extra..... but who gets the extra tips ? Does it all go into one fund with the service charges, shared between everybody. I know the bar staff in the casino splits the tips, but we heard the ship takes the dealers tips to be used towards salary?? Anybody know?

 

 

Judging by previous responses, you will get a variety of conflicting answers to this question, with each person saying that they know their information to be true.

 

As far as I can tell, we don't know the answer for sure.

[Winston Wolf]

Before anyone considers adjusting the DSC back to what you "agreed" to when you booked the trip, I hope you consider that you're taking money away from the crew members who make your trip enjoyable.

[Winston Wolf]

Honestly to me it doesn't matter if the DSC increases before I book or after I book.

 

 

 

If certain people on board are still paying $12, I am going to adjust mine down to $12. The DSC is supposed to be a service charge, and there's no reason I should be paying more tips for the exact same service from the exact same crew, just because I booked 2 months later than someone else.

 

 

 

So if this increase really occurs, if my research shows that some on board will be locked into a $12 rate, then I will also adjust mine down to $12.

 

 

 

With that said, I am in the camp believing that this recent "increase" on certain sailings was just a glitch.

 

 

Really? Wow.

[Winston Wolf]

So it seems like it's going up $2 or 16% or $3(25%). Regardless, everyone on board works crazy hours and if it helps them all make a little better life for their families I am ok with that.

 

Decreasing your DSC is just...well....crazy and kinda selfish

 

 

+1

 

Listen, if you have terrible service on your trip, then I get it. Adjust away. But if you're reducing it because you don't think it's fair...sad.

Edited February 9, 2015 by Winston Wolf

[ARI421]

Regardless of whether people think you should adjust these charges Ncl ALLOWS you to lower or raise as you seem fit!! I am not allowed to lower or raise my cruise fares but these charges I am, so if you don't agree with a raise, just adjust them. It's your personal choice no one else's!

[warriorking]

I Prepaid on my upcoming 2016 Cruise and the rate was 12.00 per day per person, so I know I am locked in at that rate..

Should the price go up in the coming months I will factor that in on any new cruises..

At this point it does not effect me on my current booking...

[francina]

I was told Friday after making my final payment it was 12.00 a day....

 

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[NMLady]

So what if you prepay the DSC and then you have a horrible service experience onboard?

 

Can you remove it and get a refund?

 

If not, it's yet another reason not to prepay.

 

You should always leave yourself the option to reduce the DSC if you run into a staff that hasn't earned it.

 

If I had horrible service I would complain to the head of that dept instantly and get it corrected. I would not remove/reduce DSC because that would penalise other crew members who weren't at fault.

[conandrob240]

What should I expect to experience if I go to guest services to ask to have all DSCs removed? My reason would be that I prefer to hand cash tips to my cabin steward, dining room attendants, etc. What will they say to me and will I need to provide "proof" that I am giving out cash tips?

[QuiGonJohn]

What should I expect to experience if I go to guest services to ask to have all DSCs removed? My reason would be that I prefer to hand cash tips to my cabin steward, dining room attendants, etc. What will they say to me and will I need to provide "proof" that I am giving out cash tips?

They make you sign a form. They briefly reiterate what the charge is for and ask if you would be willing to leave it in place or just pay a reduced amount. But if you tell them no, I still want it removed, they will comply with no further difficulty. They do not ask for proof you are giving anyone cash tips.

[cruzsnooze]

What should I expect to experience if I go to guest services to ask to have all DSCs removed? My reason would be that I prefer to hand cash tips to my cabin steward, dining room attendants, etc. What will they say to me and will I need to provide "proof" that I am giving out cash tips?

They don't even ask why, they just have you sign a log book and you're done.

[jaja]

I usually prepay the DSC...and was going to do so now for our June cruise...BUT--I noticed they have a link to terms and conditions re: cancelation policy..I do remember asking here on CC about ability to have prepaid DSC refunded if cannot keep reservation..and was told no problem..would be refunded...has that changed?..(the link makes it confusing!!):confused:

[hawkeyetlse]

My reason would be that I prefer to hand cash tips to my cabin steward, dining room attendants, etc.

That's all you need to tell them. Do it right at the beginning of the cruise, that way it is clear that your decision has nothing to do with any service problems. Many people on these boards say that the crew are given a list of the people who remove the service charge. I have no idea if that is true, or what the crew would do with that information.

[FitchburgWIFamily]

Oh good...another tipping thread that has dissolved into a how to get out of DSC discussion.

 

One of the things I love about NCL is how friendly all of the staff is. I love how the stewards on my deck (not just my steward but all the stewards) learned that I was travelling with my mother on my first NCL cruise, and would ask where she was if I wasn't walking with her. I love how the washy washy lady makes it fun to go in the buffet every day. I love how I am greeted when I come back after a long day ashore with a cool wash cloth and glass of ice water. I love how the officers serve buffet at the pool one sea day. I love how when you are in a lounger, some walks by and offers fruit skewers or freezy pops. I love how every single staff member I come in contact with is polite, friendly, and seems to genuinely care how my cruise vacation is going.

 

Review after review of NCL cruises share the same theme: one of the things we all love about NCL is the staff.

 

Unless you are going to walk around each and every day with about 100.00 in tipping money…you are not going to be able to tip everyone who helps make your cruise the wonderful vacation it will be.. So those of you who want to just tip in cash remember that the DSC is divided not just amongst the staff that cleans your room or serves your dinner, it is shared with all the crew that allows the people who serve you to be successful.

 

Yes, they could just add the DSC to the cruise fare, but would the crew be as incented then to go above and beyond to make my day special?

 

All this quibbling over adding an additional 14.00 per person on a seven day cruise. What is that? What else are you going to do with that 14.00 that is possibly worth this much debate? What percentage of your vacation budget is $14.00? Look at it this way…are gas prices lower now than when you booked your cruise? The definitely are for me. I am saving more per fill up than the increase in DSC will cost me. I fill up 4 times between now and when I am billed the extra $14.00 per person and I am ahead, even if I am sailing with a party of four.

[pokerpro5]

Really? Wow.

 

Question: If someone booked when it was $12 but it's $15 once they actually step on the ship, do you think they should pay $12 or $15?

[pokerpro5]

Oh good...another tipping thread that has dissolved into a how to get out of DSC discussion.

 

One of the things I love about NCL is how friendly all of the staff is. I love how the stewards on my deck (not just my steward but all the stewards) learned that I was travelling with my mother on my first NCL cruise, and would ask where she was if I wasn't walking with her. I love how the washy washy lady makes it fun to go in the buffet every day. I love how I am greeted when I come back after a long day ashore with a cool wash cloth and glass of ice water. I love how the officers serve buffet at the pool one sea day. I love how when you are in a lounger, some walks by and offers fruit skewers or freezy pops. I love how every single staff member I come in contact with is polite, friendly, and seems to genuinely care how my cruise vacation is going.

 

Review after review of NCL cruises share the same theme: one of the things we all love about NCL is the staff.

 

Unless you are going to walk around each and every day with about 100.00 in tipping money…you are not going to be able to tip everyone who helps make your cruise the wonderful vacation it will be.. So those of you who want to just tip in cash remember that the DSC is divided not just amongst the staff that cleans your room or serves your dinner, it is shared with all the crew that allows the people who serve you to be successful.

 

Yes, they could just add the DSC to the cruise fare, but would the crew be as incented then to go above and beyond to make my day special?

 

All this quibbling over adding an additional 14.00 per person on a seven day cruise. What is that? What else are you going to do with that 14.00 that is possibly worth this much debate? What percentage of your vacation budget is $14.00? Look at it this way…are gas prices lower now than when you booked your cruise? The definitely are for me. I am saving more per fill up than the increase in DSC will cost me. I fill up 4 times between now and when I am billed the extra $14.00 per person and I am ahead, even if I am sailing with a party of four.

 

Based upon all of the above, you should have been adjusting your DSC upward on every cruise.

 

So instead of $12/day, you should have changed it to $14/day.

 

Did you do that? I bet you didn't.

 

So are you saying that people should only pay $14 DSC when NCL tells them to, but it's not necessary before that?

[hawkeyetlse]

Question: If someone booked when it was $12 but it's $15 once they actually step on the ship, do you think they should pay $12 or $15?

They should understand that both amounts are recommendations from NCL, decide for themselves how much the service received during the cruise was worth to them (and how much, if any, of this service was already covered in the basic cruise fare), and then pay whatever they feel comfortable paying. And then hopefully keep it to themselves. :cool: Edited February 10, 2015 by hawkeyetlse

[FitchburgWIFamily]

Based upon all of the above, you should have been adjusting your DSC upward on every cruise.

 

No, I let NCL do the math: they know how many people they are dividing the DSC amongst and how many they are collecting it from.

 

I "adjusted my DSC" by taking the time to fill out vacation hero cards on the staff I thought went above and beyond. It takes a few minutes, but I believe it goes into the math on how the DSC is distributed. I filled out 4 times as many hero cards on my second NCL cruise as I did on my first.

 

What I was trying to point out is that we are all quibbling over to $14.00 a week. And we are getting excited because so and so paid $14.00 a week less than such and such did, and that isn't fair! As with everything in travel, it is all about the timing. Two people won't pay the same for the same cabin because one booked 14 months out and one booked 5 months out. Two people won't pay the same for airfare on the way to the ship because they booked a few hours apart. Two people may pay different cab fares between the airport and the port because their cabby took a different route or got stuck in traffic.

 

You have the advantage of being a member of a great community of informed cruisers: if you are that concerned about it, then pay it ahead and be guaranteed that you get in at $12.00 a day.

 

I was trying to make the point that it seems to be a lot of angst over a pretty small percentage of your vacation budget....and a portion of your budget that is well deserved by the recipients.

 

I personally feel far better about paying the DSC than I do about paying the airline a baggage fee, an early boarding fee, a reserving my seat fee or a getting a seat with more than 6 inches of leg room fee.