Raising gratuities again!

[maywell]

The orchestra leader has to follow the written music and only has a little latitude to stray from what is written. Thus it is for Andy Stewart. Del Rio is the one that has the vision being implemented and I am not going to blame someone lower on the food chain just because they are the ones actually implementing the changes.

 

 

Here, proof that Stuart has always been a numbers man even under Sheehan-

[LMaxwell]

The closest example to compare NCL is an exclusive club membership - where you get the basic membership (base fare) and if you want particular perks to be added to the membership, you have to pay extra separately/ on top (i.e. drinks, dining, spa, etc). Can't really compare to Walmart because they stay keeping they're prices low that ANYONE can buy; while on NCL only people that don't get sticker shock from the both the base fare AND extras (DSC, drinks, a la carte dining, room service, etc) still travel with them - Big Difference.

 

When I go into a Costco the prices are clearly labeled and don't change as I shop. When I get to the register there are no unexplained fees. But...so what? Why discuss retailers? They aren't cruise lines and cruise lines aren't retail shopping stores. Compare cruise lines to cruise lines.

[hypercafe]

They get their pay and what else? As per NCL there are incentive programs however that does not say your room attendant will get any nor any portion of the DSC. As per NCL tips are not required however if you want to reward good work you may tip. If my room attendant did a nice job the only way to reward them is to tip them.

[sparks1093]

Here, proof that Stuart has always been a numbers man even under Sheehan-

 

And your point is what? Del Rio is the one that is the reason for the change and he's the one that is calling the tune that Andy is dancing to.

Edited October 31, 2015 by sparks1093

[maywell]

When I go into a Costco the prices are clearly labeled and don't change as I shop. When I get to the register there are no unexplained fees. But...so what? Why discuss retailers? They aren't cruise lines and cruise lines aren't retail shopping stores. Compare cruise lines to cruise lines.

 

Club Memberships can also be hotels, airlines restaurants, theme parks, etc...:rolleyes:

[sparks1093]

They get their pay and what else? As per NCL there are incentive programs however that does not say your room attendant will get any nor any portion of the DSC. As per NCL tips are not required however if you want to reward good work you may tip. If my room attendant did a nice job the only way to reward them is to tip them.

 

No they don't specify who gets what but they did make it clear when the service charges were implemented that the traditionally tipped and tipped out staff were the recepients of it.

[swedish weave]

Yes, well what you said earlier is wrong and your repeating it doesn't make it right.

 

The facts are just as I stated them:

 

(1) Per NCL's FAQs, the service charge and gratuities are different.

 

(2) Per the guest ticket contract, the per diem charge that is added to your on board account is a service charge. The contract never calls it a gratuity or tip.

 

(3) The promotion's wording stunk. It a service charge promotion, not a tip promotion. You weren't charged the service charge because that is what the promotion was providing. The promotion never paid your tips because tips aren't charged to your on board account. Tips are cash you provide directly to the crew member.

 

Please present your argument to NCL. I know what the promo said, and I know what I didn't have to pay. The promo said GRATUITIES !!! Got it ???

[LMaxwell]

Club Memberships can also be hotels, airlines restaurants, theme parks, etc...:rolleyes:

 

The business model of a hotel, airline, restaurant on land, theme park, etc., is completely different to a cruise line. Trying to make a direct comparison won't work.

 

Let's compare apples to apples, which means comparing within the segment of cruise lines.

[electro]

Ugh! What ship and sailing? I am on the Pearl in 4 days and booked my spa pass on October 3 and was charged no gratuity/tip/service charge/devil's cut/whatever-you-want-to-call-it. I may have thought twice if I had been charged an additional fee on top of the pass, so want to be prepared for future cruises. Thanks!

 

On the Breakaway, Jan 31 2016. 14 day cruise the cost of the spa pass if booked on line is $299 + 18% gratuity for a total of $352.82. I don't know if this if fleet wide, or it will become so.

My DH always gets a spa pass but he will not this cruise. Just too expensive.

 

Lois

[LMaxwell]

So in actuality you do want to short the service people? You certainly aren't going to hurt NCL, just the working folks that will lose the money. You can save the 55 cents per day by paying the DSC before or at final payment. As noted, there is no contract price for DSC, it is subject to change at any time per the T&C's.

 

If you can pre pay at the old rate, per the company offering, or post pay at the same rate, per the company offering, no one is being shorted anything.

[swedish weave]

No they don't specify who gets what but they did make it clear when the service charges were implemented that the traditionally tipped and tipped out staff were the recepients of it.

 

There must have been some changes, because now NCL says the funds are distributed based on performance evaluation by management. This may not be the exact wording, but the message is clear.

 

The funds are also distributed fleetwide, so nobody knows what NCL is doing with the funds.

Edited October 31, 2015 by swedish weave

[LMaxwell]

There must have been some changes, because now NCL says the funds are distributed based on performance evaluation by management. This may not be the exact wording, but the message is clear.

 

That's right.

 

And if your room steward turns your room over in 5 minutes but didn't give you a towel animal, fresh new roll of toilet paper, or turn on the nighttime lamps, but the room steward down the hall took 8 minutes to turn a room but did all those things, most management by metrics sees the steward who did the half-job in 5 minutes as the better performer, hence they are rewarded for saving time and resources, not for spending the time to do the job fully and correctly. Any time there is management driven metrics it is at odds with customer service because great customer service is a time sink. Want to make money in the industry? Hit your metrics regardless of the actual service rendered. If usually means lesser service and corners cut.

[Jane Don]

That's right.

 

And if your room steward turns your room over in 5 minutes but didn't give you a towel animal, fresh new roll of toilet paper, or turn on the nighttime lamps, but the room steward down the hall took 8 minutes to turn a room but did all those things, most management by metrics sees the steward who did the half-job in 5 minutes as the better performer, hence they are rewarded for saving time and resources, not for spending the time to do the job fully and correctly. Any time there is management driven metrics it is at odds with customer service because great customer service is a time sink. Want to make money in the industry? Hit your metrics regardless of the actual service rendered. If usually means lesser service and corners cut.

This explains perfectly why I prefer to tip generously, in cash for excellent service. I should get to set my own metric for good service.

[NLH Arizona]

That's right.

 

And if your room steward turns your room over in 5 minutes but didn't give you a towel animal, fresh new roll of toilet paper, or turn on the nighttime lamps, but the room steward down the hall took 8 minutes to turn a room but did all those things, most management by metrics sees the steward who did the half-job in 5 minutes as the better performer, hence they are rewarded for saving time and resources, not for spending the time to do the job fully and correctly. Any time there is management driven metrics it is at odds with customer service because great customer service is a time sink. Want to make money in the industry? Hit your metrics regardless of the actual service rendered. If usually means lesser service and corners cut.

I would think your speculation of how they might be paid, works for land based companies, but do you know this is how NCL would rewards their Cabin Stewards? Couldn't it be that they are rewarded based on a combination of if they get their job done (based on their supervisors checking the cabins, which BTW they do), how many hero cards are written to them, how well they work with other crew members, etc. and rewards taken away because of complaints, tardiness, not working with other crew members, etc. Just as you said to Maywell, we need to compare apples to apples, I don't think how the cruise lines pay their employees is anything like any land based company. Just saying.

[swedish weave]

While we are on the subject of gratuities, does anyone realize that the 18 percent "gratuity" that is tacked onto the drink package actually pays all the expenses NCL incurs for the drinks and the cost of the package itself is pure profit ??

 

Do the math before you dispute this.

[sparks1093]

While we are on the subject of gratuities, does anyone realize that the 18 percent "gratuity" that is tacked onto the drink package actually pays all the expenses NCL incurs for the drinks and the cost of the package itself is pure profit ??

 

Do the math before you dispute this.

 

Only if NCL pockets it and doesn't pay it to the staff. I know that if I was a bartender on one of their ships I wouldn't put up with them charging 18% and not paying it out.

[fshagan]

I am booked on a cruise for April of 2016. When i sign into my account on NCL's website and go to "pre-pay service charges", I am still being charged only $12 per person per day. Maybe I should prepay those now.

 

 

How does pre-paying service charges work with NCL?

 

You can lock in the $12 per day rate by prepaying. When we did it online, our card was charged immediately (you get a full refund of these charges if you have to cancel, no matter when you cancel, because it isn't subject to the cancellation fees).

 

Others have said they called NCL and had them add the pre-paid charges to their bill, due at the same time final payment is due, and locked in the $12 per day rate. So you might try calling them first to see if you can lock it in and pay at the final payment date.

 

You would save $1.50 per day per person by prepaying ($21 per week for a couple). It's not a big savings in any case, but it is a savings.

[Demonyte]

Please present your argument to NCL. I know what the promo said, and I know what I didn't have to pay. The promo said GRATUITIES !!! Got it ???

 

It does not matter what the promo says, contract clearly states that it overrides any previous marketing communications. Only the wording in the contract matters.

Edited October 31, 2015 by Demonyte

[SteveH2508]

I would think your speculation of how they might be paid, works for land based companies, but do you know this is how NCL would rewards their Cabin Stewards? Couldn't it be that they are rewarded based on a combination of if they get their job done (based on their supervisors checking the cabins, which BTW they do), how many hero cards are written to them, how well they work with other crew members, etc. and rewards taken away because of complaints, tardiness, not working with other crew members, etc. Just as you said to Maywell, we need to compare apples to apples, I don't think how the cruise lines pay their employees is anything like any land based company. Just saying.

 

Stewarding hotel rooms is basically the same on land or sea - the management metrics will be very similar (time taken, cleanliness, towels, bog rolls, feedback, teamwork, etc..)

 

The remuneration of staff may well be different due to the 'flag of convenience' of the cruise line - however -the incentive part of their remuneration is going to be quite similar due to the similar management metrics being used.

[abe3]

While we are on the subject of gratuities, does anyone realize that the 18 percent "gratuity" that is tacked onto the drink package actually pays all the expenses NCL incurs for the drinks and the cost of the package itself is pure profit ??

 

 

 

Do the math before you dispute this.

 

 

So NCL is not allowed to make a profit according to you? Maybe they should call it NCL.org

[fstuff1]

While we are on the subject of gratuities, does anyone realize that the 18 percent "gratuity" that is tacked onto the drink package actually pays all the expenses NCL incurs for the drinks and the cost of the package itself is pure profit ??

 

Do the math before you dispute this.

 

huh? 100% of the gratuities goes to crew according to ncl.com.

thus I don't need to do math.

no way can the cost of the package be PURE profit. someone has to pay for the alcohol used.

unless your saying ncl gets their alcohol free?

Edited October 31, 2015 by fstuff1

[LMaxwell]

huh? 100% of the gratuities goes to crew according to ncl.com.

 

Are we reading two different ncl.com sites because what I read doesn't say that.

[sparks1093]

Are we reading two different ncl.com sites because what I read doesn't say that.

 

Who does the 18% gratuity for bar service go to if not the bar staff? As I said earlier the bar staff knows what the customer is paying for gratuities, I doubt they would just sit by if they weren't receiving it.

[NLH Arizona]

Who does the 18% gratuity for bar service go to if not the bar staff? As I said earlier the bar staff knows what the customer is paying for gratuities, I doubt they would just sit by if they weren't receiving it.

You are so right. All the crew members involved in the DSC/gratuities know what the passengers are paying, don't you think if they were no getting it that information would be all over the web. Nothing is a secret anymore, because of the web.

[njhorseman]

Please present your argument to NCL. I know what the promo said, and I know what I didn't have to pay. The promo said GRATUITIES !!! Got it ???

 

I know what the promo ads said...apparently you don't understand that the word used in the promo ad was incorrect. NCL doesn't add an amount daily to your account for gratuities...it adds a service charge. The promotion paid for your service charges.

 

I suggest you read the guest ticket contract and website FAQs. But I doubt you will because they will debunk your fallacious argument.

Edited November 1, 2015 by njhorseman