Proof of 18% gratuity on specialty restaurants

[cruizinwithkids]

I think you hit the nail on the head! And that is the same reason an automatic gratuity was implemented to beverage service and the DSC. It was real easy in the olden days for folks not to give any gratuity and that is why some are added automatically.

 

I've seen a number of posts where people have commented on the gratuity being added to beverage service. I don't know when this was implemented but I do know it was in place in 1988 when my husband's MANY, MANY, MANY slips were for a $1.50 beer with a 15% gratuity of 23cents added. I remember sitting saying, "Oh look here's another one for $1.73" "Oh, another one for $1.73" and another and another. It was great fun.

 

And yes, even after my harassment, we are still married. :D

[pizzalady1]

Sorry, I do not believe you are going to be able to remove the 18% if you were not part of the complimentary UDP promo..

Jancruz1

 

Several previous posters on some of the many threads on this topic have said that you can tell the manager you do not wish to pay the service fee, or you can just cross it off the bill and put the corrected total on the bottom of the tab.

[Jancruz]

Several previous posters on some of the many threads on this topic have said that you can tell the manager you do not wish to pay the service fee, or you can just cross it off the bill and put the corrected total on the bottom of the tab.

 

I did ask that question and did get that answer from some posters but after all my years traveling and cruising and understanding how cruise lines work I do not believe it will happen..so all we can wait and see...time will tell..

Jancruz1

[Fergus29]

Reducing the pool from the dsc should not require an increase. Removing the specialty staff automatically increase pay to all left in the pool. This is just the line NCL has to say to justify this move. Frankly Ncl would need extra accounting to calculate who would get that extra 18% as I am sure specialty waitstaff don't just work at dinnertime. Meaning they still get a cut from the dsc for working the buffet or osheehans.

 

This is a money grab by Ncl as it sees all those cash tips they can't get their hands on before. Now they would have complete control and whether they distributed to the specialty waitstaff or not is anyone's guess. I can't help but think they are keeping some portion of it. The only winner in the short run is NCL. Passengers paying more, the crew not necessarily getting more but NCL is for certain.

 

We have been informed by a number of staff, over a number of ships, that the amount of money that they receive from the DSC is absolutely abysmal. Practically nil... Nothing like the total amount that NCL charge, and therefore, much of it goes directly to NCL's coffers :mad:

[backsbanny]

Yep thats what i am afraid of that all these years i was paying the dsc just for increasing revenue of ncl if i find out thats truth then i will no longer pay the dsc either

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[backsbanny]

Jancruz last year i saw a couple removing the tip on a bar bill aboard the epic...two years ago i was on the pearl and i encountered a very rude bartender who took him approx 25 minutes to bring me my drink and when he did he told me come in man **** happens!!!i told him yes you are right just remove now the tip on my bill...and thats what he did.ive only used this once but i know that you can do it for whatever reason you believe is appropriate..so if anything like this happens on me again then i will remove the tip again

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[marvholly]

Boycotts work. There is an easy way to get the added/increased gratuity rescinded. STOP ordering drinks and do NOT go to the specialty restaurants. After a few months of WAAAY reduced bar bills and/or empty specialties NCL will most likely change things.

[KeithJenner]

Boycotts work. There is an easy way to get the added/increased gratuity rescinded. STOP ordering drinks and do NOT go to the specialty restaurants. After a few months of WAAAY reduced bar bills and/or empty specialties NCL will most likely change things.

 

 

I'm doubt you will find all that many people willing to spend their entire holiday not drinking in order to try to put pressure on NCL.

 

I'd imagine it is more likely that people will cancel their cruises and go elsewhere than to spend all that money on a cruise and then not bother having a drink. Those who are willing to forego drinking for the week probably aren't people who would spend much money at the bar anyway.

[Solararc]

I'm doubt you will find all that many people willing to spend their entire holiday not drinking in order to try to put pressure on NCL.

 

I'd imagine it is more likely that people will cancel their cruises and go elsewhere than to spend all that money on a cruise and then not bother having a drink. Those who are willing to forego drinking for the week probably aren't people who would spend much money at the bar anyway.

 

 

Agreed Keith, plus all the uninformed general public and first time cruisers who will either not care or think that this was the normal fees. A general boycott will not work. And honestly what's 18% of a drink, you prolly tip better in cash anyway

 

 

*Living large one week at a time*

[Fergus29]

The land-based restaurants near me don't charge a DSC in addition to an expectation of %-based gratuities.

 

I'm also quite displeased with this. Instead of eating at 7 specialities, we'll stick to the included Haven restaurant. That's $280 minimum out of NCL's pocket.

 

Not the smartest business decision. Mr. Del Rio, now you have to find an extra $330 instead of $50.

 

 

And, frankly, I'm also going to start exploring alternate cruise-lines. The Escape could be our last NCL.

 

 

Stephen

 

.

 

Hear hear!!!

 

Good idea. Hitting them (or Mr Del Rio), in the hip pocket - or bottom line - is the most effective way of getting a point across. You have offered up a very simple means of responding to this Stephen. Hopefully the sight of empty tables at the specialty restaurants will get a point across.

 

We have no problem with using other restaurants on board. I refuse to be railroaded into paying gratuities (at a rate NCL dictates, taking the decision out of my hands), over and above what is already being charged.

[waxing witch]

tl;dr at 22 pages, so i don't know if anyone mentioned when disney did this to one of their florida resident/passholder dining options. when i dine in a restaurant, i only tip 18% when i get mediocre/poor service. i generally tip over 20%. when this happened at disney, i did not tip over the auto 18% - it's the principle.

 

like others, i'm concerned about the idea of double dipping. if the staff at the specialty restaurants are not part of the DSC, that means that the other staff are getting a bit more money per day - i'm okay with that. i'm not okay with the shady way the auto grats were implemented and the lack of clarity of where the DSC is going.

[NLH Arizona]

We have been informed by a number of staff, over a number of ships, that the amount of money that they receive from the DSC is absolutely abysmal. Practically nil... Nothing like the total amount that NCL charge, and therefore, much of it goes directly to NCL's coffers :mad:

Hmmmmm! And I bet you gave them an additional tip - operation get more tips, successful!!! Edited March 23, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[Fergus29]

Hmmmmm! And I bet you gave them an additional tip - operation get more tips, successful!!!

 

What a cynical way to see it. It doesn't change our wish to tip extra, or influence the amount that we would usually give. So to answer your comment, operation fail!

 

Don't we all offer them additional tips anyway? Certainly from some other comments in this thread that seems to be the case. Our room stewards, staff in restaurants, at spas etc. We actually want to independently tip those who we feel a connection with during the course of a cruise. No different to other posters on here.

 

My point is that we should be suspicious of NCL's statements about how and to whom the DSC is disbursed.

[UPNYGuy]

I think this is a fabulous idea! I can easily give an extra 18% to dine in the specialty restaurants. DW and I always do the UDP, and it is included up front when it is pre-booked. IMHO the increase of the DSC, and the addition of the 18% gratuity will only mean happier employees on the ship. Those of you that are complaining about this, go take a look at Holland America, and the nasty cutbacks that they have implemented with staff. I personally prefer to have an additional gratuity and keep staff count high :).

 

The other option would have been to cut staff out of the ships

[KateQ22003]

I think this is a fabulous idea! I can easily give an extra 18% to dine in the specialty restaurants. DW and I always do the UDP, and it is included up front when it is pre-booked. IMHO the increase of the DSC, and the addition of the 18% gratuity will only mean happier employees on the ship. Those of you that are complaining about this, go take a look at Holland America, and the nasty cutbacks that they have implemented with staff. I personally prefer to have an additional gratuity and keep staff count high :).

 

The other option would have been to cut staff out of the ships

 

If you can show me that the additional DSC as well as the gratuity in the specialty restaurants is going directly to the staff, I will be happy as a clam.

[NLH Arizona]

What a cynical way to see it. It doesn't change our wish to tip extra, or influence the amount that we would usually give. So to answer your comment, operation fail!

 

Don't we all offer them additional tips anyway? Certainly from some other comments in this thread that seems to be the case. Our room stewards, staff in restaurants, at spas etc. We actually want to independently tip those who we feel a connection with during the course of a cruise. No different to other posters on here.

 

My point is that we should be suspicious of NCL's statements about how and to whom the DSC is disbursed.

Yes, most of us (but certainly not all) leave additional tips, but I would be very suspicious of any crew member that talks how they get their wages, especially if they said what they said to you.

[sundercruiser]

I think this is a fabulous idea! I can easily give an extra 18% to dine in the specialty restaurants. DW and I always do the UDP, and it is included up front when it is pre-booked. IMHO the increase of the DSC, and the addition of the 18% gratuity will only mean happier employees on the ship. Those of you that are complaining about this, go take a look at Holland America, and the nasty cutbacks that they have implemented with staff. I personally prefer to have an additional gratuity and keep staff count high :).

 

The other option would have been to cut staff out of the ships

 

Or they could have cut some office staff.

 

Oh, wait....

[oracer]

OK, if we were given the UDP as part of our signup package (Free), are we going to be charged the 18% or is the 18% ONLY to those who actually go to a specialty restaurant. We plan on only going to Specialty restaurants during our 7 day cruise, but not go to Ocean Blue.

[punkincc]

OK, if we were given the UDP as part of our signup package (Free), are we going to be charged the 18% or is the 18% ONLY to those who actually go to a specialty restaurant. We plan on only going to Specialty restaurants during our 7 day cruise, but not go to Ocean Blue.

 

Free UDPs will not be charged the additional 18% at the time of service. Those who purchase the package or book a specialty after the 18% implementation date will pay the cover charge plus 18% at the time of purchase. If purchased before the implementation date, no 18% added.

[Jancruz]

Jancruz last year i saw a couple removing the tip on a bar bill aboard the epic...two years ago i was on the pearl and i encountered a very rude bartender who took him approx 25 minutes to bring me my drink and when he did he told me come in man **** happens!!!i told him yes you are right just remove now the tip on my bill...and thats what he did.ive only used this once but i know that you can do it for whatever reason you believe is appropriate..so if anything like this happens on me again then i will remove the tip again

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

That is no longer the case..can no longer happen..but I hope with the new ownership bad service will not happen to you again..

Jancruz1

[swedish weave]

Has anyone considered the possibility of not being able to get reservations in the specialty restaurants due to the dramatic increase in the number of cruisers who booked with the UDP included in their fare ?

 

It happened to us on the Getaway before this recent promotion. We were unable to get into the Le Bistro with our platinum perk because it was booked solid for the entire cruise the first day.

[Jancruz]

Agreed Keith, plus all the uninformed general public and first time cruisers who will either not care or think that this was the normal fees. A general boycott will not work. And honestly what's 18% of a drink, you prolly tip better in cash anyway

 

 

*Living large one week at a time*

 

Plus 1..the sound of reason!!

Jancruz1

[Demonyte]

That is no longer the case..can no longer happen..

 

Based on what? You have repeatedly stated that "you think" that this is not possible even with several people telling you from their personal experience or observations that it is possible. Companies can not force customers to pay gratuities against their will.

Edited March 23, 2015 by Demonyte

[mbisson]

I had thought it could be difficult...didn't realize it had reached this point though Swedish! We sail in a few weeks so now I guess I'll start working on LeBistro (plat perk) shortly after we board & 'hope'...sort of hate to do that-I've always liked to see the MDR menu and decide each day if it's a good day for specialty dining or if we like the mdr menu :(

 

Oh, BTW-'Hi'

 

Has anyone considered the possibility of not being able to get reservations in the specialty restaurants due to the dramatic increase in the number of cruisers who booked with the UDP included in their fare ?

 

It happened to us on the Getaway before this recent promotion. We were unable to get into the Le Bistro with our platinum perk because it was booked solid for the entire cruise the first day.

Edited March 23, 2015 by mbisson

[Jancruz]

Based on what? You have repeatedly stated that "you think" that this is not possible even with several people telling you from their personal experience or observations that it is possible. Companies can not force customers to pay gratuities against their will.

 

Sorry not at liberty to tell you who I spoke to about this..but it was just yesterday..my last word on this matter..I have only been posting here becuse I feel badly that people are so upset about the changes but in the long run I hope (and believe) the product will be so much better that people will forget all about their anger..

Jancruz1