If I prepay my gratuities before the cruise...

[Wendy&Grumpy]

You are correct, the crew also gets a base pay, which has been reported to be $50 to $100 a month. The rest of their income comes from the DSC.

 

If you look at any of the websites that speak about crew salaries. Those involved in the DSC, always say "depending on gratuities from passengers". If a room steward has 10 cabins (I know they have more) and gets $7 per day in tips based on two per cabin from each cabin, that would equal to $1,960 a month. But then we know, this is not a correct amount, because there are those that will remove or reduce their DSC.

 

Housekeeping (Room) Steward / Stewardess / Stateroom Attendant (daily cleaning of passenger cabins) - previous experience in this role in a hotel/resort is required. Fair command of English. Salary range: $1800-2200 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Head Room Steward.

 

You've completely missed the point.

 

NCL makes it clear - via both Contract and FAQ's - that DSC's are NOT gratuities:

 

And further states "crew are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that are funded in part by the service charge paid by each Guest"

 

Nowhere does NCL say that crew salary is funded by gratuities in any way, shape, or form. In fact, NCL's position on gratuities is this "Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests."

 

This thread is about NCL. How other cruise lines handle crew compensation/gratuities has absolutely zero relevance.

Edited April 26, 2015 by Wendy&Grumpy

[hpecorari]

You've completely missed the point.

 

NCL makes it clear - via both Contract and FAQ's - that DSC's are NOT gratuities:

 

 

I really hate to disagree with you. I thought the same way you did up until the new promos came out a few months back.

 

It clearly states, "FREE GRATUITIES". So, in my eyes, NCL is calling the DSC gratuities. They're not paying the DSC. We're not paying the DSC. However, they are paying the gratuities.

 

Had the promo stated, "Free DSC" I wouldn't have changed my mind.

 

Harriet

[NLH Arizona]

You've completely missed the point.

 

NCL makes it clear - via both Contract and FAQ's - that DSC's are NOT gratuities:

 

"crew are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that are funded in part by the service charge paid by each Guest"

 

Nowhere does NCL say that crew salary is funded by gratuities in any way, shape, or form. In fact, NCL's position on gratuities is this "Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests."

 

This thread is about NCL. How other cruise lines handle crew compensation/gratuities has absolutely zero relevance.

Different cruise companies call tips different things. Many call it automatic gratuities, while NCL calls it a DSC and Costa calls it Hotel Service Charge. All are around the $12 to $14 range, no matter what they call it. It is all semantics, the DSC has replaced the word tips on NCL. But if someone doesn't want to believe it, then they should do what they want to do, but I believe that 99 percent of NCL's passengers understand that the DSC was put in place to replace the tips (and I think the 1 percent would remove it no matter what it is called) and I guess for some, they probably should have called it automatic gratuities. And the website is correct, since they are assuming that most would want to pay the DSC to incentivize their crew, there are no additional gratuities required.

 

BTW, the part of the salary that is not funded by the DSC, is the crew members base salary which range from $50 to $100 a month.

Edited April 26, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[Wendy&Grumpy]

It clearly states, "FREE GRATUITIES". So, in my eyes, NCL is calling the DSC gratuities.

 

Yup, marketing is anyway.

 

That right hand really should be paying attention to the left! ;)

[NLH Arizona]

You do know that the room steward is the 1st to find out about who prepay and didn't, right? Who do you think brings the stuff you order from MyNCL or travel agent like wine orders, shore excursion, etc... Whatever is missing, one heads down to Guest Service and they call up the room steward to find out what happen. You think a room steward is going to get penalize for not cleaning up a DSC-remove room after being told by Guest Services?

Many have said that the DSC is not tips....this is right from Cruise Critic:

 

It is only somewhat recently that cruise lines began placing automatic service charges on shipboard accounts. They did this for two reasons. The first reason was the rising number of Europeans traveling on cruise ships. Europeans are accustomed to having a service charge added to their bills at first-class hotels. It is not in their culture to tip further. Likewise, it is not the custom in Japan to tip at all. As cruise lines attracted passengers from countries where tipping is not customary, they added service charges to guarantee their employees' compensation.

[maywell]

Many have said that the DSC is not tips....this is right from Cruise Critic:

 

It is only somewhat recently that cruise lines began placing automatic service charges on shipboard accounts. They did this for two reasons. The first reason was the rising number of Europeans traveling on cruise ships. Europeans are accustomed to having a service charge added to their bills at first-class hotels. It is not in their culture to tip further. Likewise, it is not the custom in Japan to tip at all. As cruise lines attracted passengers from countries where tipping is not customary, they added service charges to guarantee their employees' compensation.

 

 

If the room steward(s) feel they are not going to be compensated by DSC-remover - I don not blame them for not cleaning that room up. Yes, I agree the DSC is not tips, they are service charges and IMO, low amount to pay for the service one gets through the ship for x number of days.

[NLH Arizona]

If the room steward(s) feel they are not going to be compensated by DSC-remover - I don not blame them for not cleaning that room up. Yes, I agree the DSC is not tips, they are service charges and IMO, low amount to pay for the service one gets through the ship for x number of days.

I really don't think that any Room Stewards I've had on NCL (or any other cruise line) would go to these lengths. Not to mention, that everyone tells folks to go down the last day to remove or reduce their DSC, and if the Room Steward gets a list on that day, it might only be for turndown service on the last night.

 

But I will say that in the olden days of cash tipping, the Room Stewards let you know their feelings. On my first cruise, I thought you gave the tip to the Room Steward the morning you disembarked the ship, so I had my envelope ready. When I got back to my cabin after dinner, I had no towels at all...the Room Steward's way of getting back to me I guess. Well it did teach me a lesson, but hopefully I taught the Room Steward a lesson, because I left this note: I was going to give you your tip this morning, as I thought we passed them out the last morning, but since you didn't give me 1 towel, I decided to keep it and not give it to you. Thank you. Hopefully we both learned a lesson, I know I did and always left the tip in my cabin when I went down to dinner on the last evening LOL!

[maywell]

I really don't think that any Room Stewards I've had on NCL (or any other cruise line) would go to these lengths. Not to mention, that everyone tells folks to go down the last day to remove or reduce their DSC, and if the Room Steward gets a list on that day, it might only be for turndown service on the last night.

 

But I will say that in the olden days of cash tipping, the Room Stewards let you know their feelings. On my first cruise, I thought you gave the tip to the Room Steward the morning you disembarked the ship, so I had my envelope ready. When I got back to my cabin after dinner, I had no towels at all...the Room Steward's way of getting back to me I guess. Well it did teach me a lesson, but hopefully I taught the Room Steward a lesson, because I left this note: I was going to give you your tip this morning, as I thought we passed them out the last morning, but since you didn't give me 1 towel, I decided to keep it and not give it to you. Thank you. Hopefully we both learned a lesson, I know I did and always left the tip in my cabin when I went down to dinner on the last evening LOL!

 

I normally tip $2-3 per day since I use towels as rugs - I know that's a drag for the room steward / maid to get replacement towels for me, so I don't mind giving extra to the person. I'm grateful to know about the DSC / tipping policy before 1st cruise via previous hotel trips - its not a big deal to me tipping on top or more.

 

 

I can understand the removal / reduction of DSC if it was a complete service failure from waiter staff, room steward, sundeck, and buffet all week along. But if it was just in one area like say the room steward - a simple note or complaint card stating what happen will fix that manner, how the company wishes to dole out the punishment is up to them. I'm not going to penalize the entire staff over one person /area especially when they be good or excellent. Personally, people who remove / reduce the DSC without a really good reason, I find to be...well, let me not go there - if one can't pay because they don't want to because of the cruise line's policy, they should go elsewhere for vacation that not that cruise line.

[JVilleGal]

You all realize the OP posted yesterday, got their answer and has not been back ;) just sayin!

[luddite]

If someone states something so factually, I'd like to know where these facts are coming from. I can only interpret public documents released by NCL, and everything I have read

states that the DSC is only part of a staff members compensation. I'm simply asking for the other poster to elaborate. No need to be snippy.

 

I was not being out of line. That poster seems quite confident the DSC is the only compensation for some staff. Which staff are they referring to, and what documentation can they reference to back that statement up? My comments on policy are based on documentation, I would think the same of others.

 

Wait.

What?

You don't actually understand how the crew gets paid?

Yikes.

[AEckhardt]

Wait.

 

What?

 

You don't actually understand how the crew gets paid?

 

Yikes.

 

 

I understand they receive a salary AND some staff also receive a portion of the daily service charges. I believe it was you who said some where paid soley by DSC. I'd like to you what positions, exactly, you were referring to that were paid only by the DSC.

[NLH Arizona]

I understand they receive a salary AND some staff also receive a portion of the daily service charges. I believe it was you who said some where paid soley by DSC. I'd like to you what positions, exactly, you were referring to that were paid only by the DSC.

Here is just one example from the web (a law firm who works with cruise ship crews), that states that the crew that participates in the DSC has a very low base pay, with the majority of their wages coming from DSC or automatic gratuities or Hotel Service Charge, what ever the cruise line wants to call it.

 

There are many very important legal issues which concern a crewmember’s tips. As most cruise ship crewmembers know, tips or gratuities comprise the bulk of salary for many cruise ship crew positions. For example, a cruise ship cabin steward may regularly earn Four Thousand Dollars monthly, but only receive a base salary of Fifty Dollars; the remainder of their compensation being paid by tips. While these tips are ‘optional’ payments made by passengers, the cruise lines often automatically charge the passengers a daily gratuity which is then supposed to be divided among the tip earning crew members. A gratuity is also automatically charged to the passenger when a bar drink is purchased; with those tipsbeing distributed to the bar waiters and bartenders.

[AEckhardt]

Here is just one example from the web (a law firm who works with cruise ship crews), that states that the crew that participates in the DSC has a very low base pay, with the majority of their wages coming from DSC or automatic gratuities or Hotel Service Charge, what ever the cruise line wants to call it.

 

There are many very important legal issues which concern a crewmember’s tips. As most cruise ship crewmembers know, tips or gratuities comprise the bulk of salary for many cruise ship crew positions. For example, a cruise ship cabin steward may regularly earn Four Thousand Dollars monthly, but only receive a base salary of Fifty Dollars; the remainder of their compensation being paid by tips. While these tips are ‘optional’ payments made by passengers, the cruise lines often automatically charge the passengers a daily gratuity which is then supposed to be divided among the tip earning crew members. A gratuity is also automatically charged to the passenger when a bar drink is purchased; with those tipsbeing distributed to the bar waiters and bartenders.

 

Although I appreciate this info, I'm coming from a more literal stance. Even if their base pay is small, there are still no examples of staff being paid by ONLY DSC. That was my point.

 

 

 

And just to be clear, I have always been in the Pro-DSC camp. I consider it a part of my expected expenses. I was just contesting the statement.

[NLH Arizona]

Although I appreciate this info, I'm coming from a more literal stance. Even if their base pay is small, there are still no examples of staff being paid by ONLY DSC. That was my point.

 

 

 

And just to be clear, I have always been in the Pro-DSC camp. I consider it a part of my expected expenses. I was just contesting the statement.

No staff members, as far as I know, are paid solely by the DSC, however those in the DSC program do get the majority of their pay from the DSC. They all get a small salary, usually between $50 and $100 which is on top of the DSC. You could probably do the math, if you take $50 a month and subtract it from the average monthly salary of a room steward (which can be found on various websites), you can see the percentage that comes from the DSC. Edited April 26, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[AEckhardt]

I'd like to know how it's legal to pay someone a base pay of $50 per month.

Edited April 26, 2015 by AEckhardt

[NLH Arizona]

I'd like to know how it's legal to pay someone a base pay of $50 per month. If this after they deduct food and lodging in some way?

Their food and lodging is free to the crew.

 

Totally legal. Here is something that was not legal and the case was won by the law firm that I quoted earlier.

CREWMEMBERS CANNOT BE FORCED TO SHARE THEIR TIPS BY THEIR EMPLOYER

 

Our law firm recently won a case against Norwegian Cruise Lines concerning cabin stewards effectively being forced to share their tips with other employees, by paying helpers out of their own pockets for work that was required to be done by the cabin stewards, yet impossible for them to do by themselves. The case sets a new precedent by attacking a scheme utilized by several cruise lines to give crewmembers more work than they could possibly do and make them responsible for finding a way to get it done – by paying part of their salaries (read: tips) to other off-duty crew to help them. We are currently handling a similar case against Royal Caribbean Cruises which involves another scheme to force some of its cabin stewards to clean crew cabins (where they earn no tips) on a rotating basis in order to obviate the need for the cruise line to hire and pay non-tip earning wages to other crew to do the job.

Edited April 26, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[Wendy&Grumpy]

I'd like to know how it's legal to pay someone a base pay of $50 per month.

 

I seriously doubt it's legal just as much as I doubt it's done.

 

We've seen those claims so. many. times. but never any documentation to back them up.

[NLH Arizona]

I don't know how, exactly, compensation is doled out, but I am legitimately interested. I prefer facts over opinions. I would think if the crew were unhappy, they would take action ( such as the referenced law suit) and/or move on. I know I've come across a lot of staff that seem genuinely happy to be working for NCL and those staff members always make my day that much brighter while cruising. I am not upset about a DSC and I believe the staff deserve it.

 

If it bothers you to share information, or gives you a headache, you have no obligation to do so. I'm not one of the dense ones, banging my head against the wall, blinded by ignorance, although I understand how mind numbingly frustrating they can be.....

My comment was not directed at you, you were simply asking questions and that is how we find out things.

 

The systems has been in place for years and, from what I see on the ships, the crew does seem quite happy with this system and, as a matter of fact, there are cabin stewards and waiters who have been with cruise lines for many, many years and love working for the cruise lines.

 

The headache comment was a joke (and if you noticed on another thread, I gave him back a similar comment), I actually enjoy sharing information, even if some don't believe it, but that is their prerogative, isn't it. I've never banged my head against a wall or ever been called dense or blinded by ignorance either, so it looks like we are in the same boat (pun intended) and yes, they can be numbingly frustrating!!!!

Edited April 27, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[maywell]

Yes, the cruise lines have had the same system for paying their crew for years and now people think it is either illegal or doesn't exist. Go figure!

 

The information has been on the internet since 2004 aka since Cruise Critic has existed. A simple google search would had found that info easily but then again one of them did said "I want it from a reputable place", Me - "How more reputable does Cruise Law and Cruise Critic news articles have to be!?!"