daily service charge

[Love my butler]

Those 'tips' should be handed in until it is verified whether the giver has removed auto-gratuities or not - if the SC is still in place then the staff will get the tip back. Thus you are not achieving your aim of only tipping the staff you interact with - all you are doing is making more work for you, the staff, Guest Services and accounting. (I am assuming you will tip the same amount as the Service Charge BTW).

 

Seems a bit pointless for a point of principle...just my two penn'orth (or $12 worth if you like:rolleyes:).

 

Completely false. The crew keeps all cash tips no matter if you adjust the Discretionary Service Charge or not.

[LMaxwell]

Completely false. The crew keeps all cash tips no matter if you adjust the Discretionary Service Charge or not.

I love the idea of those being tipped cash being able to keep all of it. Is there anything you can point me to that supports the statement? Not arguing you. This is a genuine question.

[cruzsnooze]

I'm not really sure what you mean, but the cost of the dining package doesn't include any tip at all. I think you have got confused somewhere.

 

To clarify, the service charge covers all wait staff, both in the free and speciality restaurants. When you pay for a speciality restaurant, either per meal or with the UDP you don't pay any tip.

 

No double dipping that I can see.

I know you're confused after reading Cruise Critic editors take on tipping at specialty restaurants

 

pasted

 

Welcome to Tipping Week at Cruise Critic. After reaching out to our readers, we received dozens of questions in the past few days regarding gratuities, and we’ll be answering a number of them in this space through Friday. Not surprisingly, one of the most common queries regarded alternative restaurants. Lileesa asked the question first on the Lido Deck blog: “How much is appropriate to tip at the pay specialty restaurant?” We’re glad you asked. So if you’re spending $30 for a porterhouse and some buttery asparagus at the alternative steakhouse, should you tip the customary 15 to 20 percent on top?

The answer is almost always no … unless you really want to.

According to spokespeople from Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line, tips for the alternative restaurant wait staff are drawn from the auto-gratuity pool (HAL charges $11 per person, per day; Norwegian charges $12.).

The surcharges for Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean specialty restaurants already include gratuities; a slight variation, but the same result: There’s no need to pay on top.

[KeithJenner]

I know you're confused after reading Cruise Critic editors take on tipping at specialty restaurants.

 

 

Well, I've read that twice now and I have no idea what you are talking about.

 

I'm certainly not confused. The facts in my post are all correct and seem to be confirmed by what you pasted.

Edited February 16, 2015 by KeithJenner

[NMLady]

Completely false. The crew keeps all cash tips no matter if you adjust the Discretionary Service Charge or not.

 

On what are you basing that statement?

On two different cruise lines, HAL and NCL, we have been told by various crew members that there is a list of those who remove DSC, including those who do it the last evening, and anyone receiving cash from those people must turn it in to be pooled. Not doing so can result in fines or even in loss of job.

[LoveyHowell]

On what are you basing that statement?

On two different cruise lines, HAL and NCL, we have been told by various crew members that there is a list of those who remove DSC, including those who do it the last evening, and anyone receiving cash from those people must turn it in to be pooled. Not doing so can result in fines or even in loss of job.

 

I had asked our steward on Epic about this. We wanted to tip more but wanted to make sure it went to him and not to a pool. He told us about the pooling but we asked how do his bosses know from whom the money came from (either people tipping on top of auto tips or people tipping cash instead of auto tips) and he said there is no way for the boss to know. That lead me to believe any cash they receive is, de facto, for them to keep as no one will know where it came from. It appears the policy might say one thing, but the real world situation is different.

[GoofyCrew]

Tips left on tables don't mean that people have removed the DSC. A lot of people leave extra on top of the auto charge.

 

Yes!!! Nothing wrong for rewarding above and beyond!

 

And no, you really can't get it removed unless there are issues. We probably would have tipped/or tipped more if this mandatory charge wasn't in place. I see why they do it though. For every passenger who would pay more there are two who wouldn't pay anything. Sad but true.

 

It DID irritate me that our children's mandatory gratuity was the same as ours. A plate of mac and cheese and a juice versus a surf/turf dinner with a couple of glasses of wine do NOT warrant and equal gratuity. That being said, it all washed in the end. We would have tipped more for ours, less for theirs.

[mjkacmom]

Yes!!! Nothing wrong for rewarding above and beyond!

 

And no, you really can't get it removed unless there are issues. We probably would have tipped/or tipped more if this mandatory charge wasn't in place. I see why they do it though. For every passenger who would pay more there are two who wouldn't pay anything. Sad but true.

 

It DID irritate me that our children's mandatory gratuity was the same as ours. A plate of mac and cheese and a juice versus a surf/turf dinner with a couple of glasses of wine do NOT warrant and equal gratuity. That being said, it all washed in the end. We would have tipped more for ours, less for theirs.

 

NCL made more money off of DH and I than our 5 kids combined, since most of the revenue comes from alcohol sales and casino profits. I'm surprised they don't charge more for the kids!

[Ewoodspark]

On two different cruise lines, HAL and NCL, we have been told by various crew members that there is a list of those who remove DSC, including those who do it the last evening.

So what effect would happen, if crew members discovered on the last night that certain passengers had adjusted or removed the Discretionary Service Charge?

[Beaver1975]

So what effect would happen, if crew members discovered on the last night that certain passengers had adjusted or removed the Discretionary Service Charge?

 

The crew members would have to turn in cash that they knowingly received from the people that removed their service charges. You know this already! But, then again these threads are just fun and games to you.

Edited February 16, 2015 by Beaver1975

[zqvol]

I just love people who take the DSC off and tip who they want. It just doesn't work on an NCL ship because half of the people that receive part of the DSC get nothing that way.

 

On most lines the servers are required to pay back of the house people a certain percentage, just like the stewards pay their helpers.

 

Removing the DSC means that these people get excluded for the pool on NCL.

[luddite]

So what effect would happen, if crew members discovered on the last night that certain passengers had adjusted or removed the Discretionary Service Charge?

 

Welllll, that's when they would discover that they have been taking care of some toads who won't pay their obligations.

[Chuck2810]

Briefly, yes it is personal choice. Some (Me) believe the DSC represents the floor for good service. I leave usually $10 a meal (we eat in Cagney's for breakfast and lunch (on sea days)) and at dinner. I typically don't tip extra for drinks, but I have usually had my own in the room. This next time I will try to partake in the UBP. Hope they don't mind me going to the nearest bar in my boxers.... Other service personnel (butlers, kids hosts, etc) also rely on tips for their income.

Not putting on pressure but sharing how I feel I am fair.

[cruzsnooze]

Well, I've read that twice now and I have no idea what you are talking about.

 

I'm certainly not confused. The facts in my post are all correct and seem to be confirmed by what you pasted.

You have already tipped at the specialty restaurants but you can double tip if you want to. It's false information to state specialty restaurants doesn't include the tip because it does.

[cruzsnooze]

On what are you basing that statement?

On two different cruise lines, HAL and NCL, we have been told by various crew members that there is a list of those who remove DSC, including those who do it the last evening, and anyone receiving cash from those people must turn it in to be pooled. Not doing so can result in fines or even in loss of job.

NCL only allows you to remove the daily auto tipping the last day so obviously there is no list.

[NMLady]

NCL only allows you to remove the daily auto tipping the last day so obviously there is no list.

 

NCL does not limit removal to last day. I've seen people remove it before last day. Also, as my post said, even if it is last day there IS a list.

Guest services makes the list. You can find that out by talking to crew members.

[KeithJenner]

You have already tipped at the specialty restaurants but you can double tip if you want to. It's false information to state specialty restaurants doesn't include the tip because it does.

 

 

Ok, I really do give up trying to understand what you are on about.

[Ewoodspark]

The crew members would have to turn in cash that they knowingly received from the people that removed their service charges. You know this already! But, then again these threads are just fun and games to you.

Thanks for your irrational comment. The threads are no more "fun and games" as you put it, than a large number of posts that make absolutely no sense at all. You appear to take umbridge with every post I make which I find very tiresome.

Edited February 17, 2015 by Ewoodspark

[Beaver1975]

Thanks for your irrational comment. The threads are no more "fun and games" as you put it, than a large number of posts that make absolutely no sense at all. You appear to take umbridge with every post I make which I find very tiresome.

 

The tiresome is quite mutual!

[ColinIllinois]

Edited February 17, 2015 by ColinIllinois

[swedish weave]

What is to be gained by all this misinformation and arguing on these boards?

 

Why not just do what you feel is right and keep quiet about it ?

[Ewoodspark]

The tiresome is quite mutual!

 

Tiresome and mutual are both adjectives !! :)

[LMaxwell]

What is to be gained by all this misinformation and arguing on these boards?

 

Why not just do what you feel is right and keep quiet about it ?

 

I know the terms that I agreed to with NCL and I'll operate within those terms. Anything on Cruise Critic that isn't published by NCL must be regarded as speculation at this point by me. I've determined people either refuse to answer honestly or interject their own opinion as fact more often than not.

[luddite]

What is to be gained by all this misinformation and arguing on these boards?

 

Why not just do what you feel is right and keep quiet about it ?

 

Because what someone who is wrong thinking that they are right is bad thing that will have a negative impact for those who are right and pay their obligations.

[LMaxwell]

Because what someone who is wrong thinking that they are right is bad thing that will have a negative impact for those who are right and pay their obligations.

If someone can't separate policy from opinion without noting the difference it really isn't beneficial to anyone.