Norwegian Cruise Line Changes Service Charge Policy

[njhorseman]

^^^^ 100% THIS!!

 

It is so obvious to me in so many ways that DSC does not go to the crew.

 

It goes to NCL, who keeps it to reimburse themselves for paying crew salaries.

 

The whole thing is a sneaky way to guilt people away from removing it.

 

And if you go into the supermarket to buy a dozen eggs you're reimbursing that company for the salary they pay to the cashier at the checkout and the stockroom person who put the carton of eggs on the shelf. The only difference is that the portion of the price you pay for the eggs that reimburses the salary isn't broken out separately, it's hidden in the price of the eggs.

 

Do you also object to paying the cashier and stock clerk in the supermarket?

 

If cruise lines just included this in the base fare you'd pay it and wouldn't have any choice in the matter.

 

Corporations never pay their employees' salary. The ultimate consumer of the corporation's products or services pay the salary.

[abe3]

trying to avoid paying the Service Charge on the grounds of 'don't wanta' wouldn't pass as a fraudulent charge.

 

Absolutely right!

[cruzsnooze]

Will you tip the dishwashers and the laundry people with cash?

 

Absoluty not, that's NCL's place to do. Do you go into the kitchen in a land based restaurant and start handing out money? Our cruise fare is supposed to pay for most of this.

[aubreyc1988]

And if you go into the supermarket to buy a dozen eggs you're reimbursing that company for the salary they pay to the cashier at the checkout and the stockroom person who put the carton of eggs on the shelf. The only difference is that the portion of the price you pay for the eggs that reimburses the salary isn't broken out separately, it's hidden in the price of the eggs.

 

Do you also object to paying the cashier and stock clerk in the supermarket?

 

If cruise lines just included this in the base fare you'd pay it and wouldn't have any choice in the matter.

 

Corporations never pay their employees' salary. The ultimate consumer of the corporation's products or services pay the salary.

 

spot on.

[maywell]

Absoluty not, that's NCL's place to do. Do you go into the kitchen in a land based restaurant and start handing out money? Our cruise fare is supposed to pay for most of this.

Sigh....The cruise fare doesn't cover service, its even says so in the contract. That's what the DSC is for.

 

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[maywell]

And if you go into the supermarket to buy a dozen eggs you're reimbursing that company for the salary they pay to the cashier at the checkout and the stockroom person who put the carton of eggs on the shelf. The only difference is that the portion of the price you pay for the eggs that reimburses the salary isn't broken out separately, it's hidden in the price of the eggs.

 

Do you also object to paying the cashier and stock clerk in the supermarket?

 

If cruise lines just included this in the base fare you'd pay it and wouldn't have any choice in the matter.

 

Corporations never pay their employees' salary. The ultimate consumer of the corporation's products or services pay the salary.

You're absolutely right but some people will never get it because don't want to believe that all costs are pass on to them in pretty much every aspects of life.....even funerals.

 

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[sparks1093]

^^^^ 100% THIS!!

 

It is so obvious to me in so many ways that DSC does not go to the crew.

 

It goes to NCL, who keeps it to reimburse themselves for paying crew salaries.

 

The whole thing is a sneaky way to guilt people away from removing it.

 

I don't think it's a way to guilt people but to put roadblocks in the way to slow down the removal of the service charge.

[abe3]

And if you go into the supermarket to buy a dozen eggs you're reimbursing that company for the salary they pay to the cashier at the checkout and the stockroom person who put the carton of eggs on the shelf. The only difference is that the portion of the price you pay for the eggs that reimburses the salary isn't broken out separately, it's hidden in the price of the eggs.

 

Do you also object to paying the cashier and stock clerk in the supermarket?

 

If cruise lines just included this in the base fare you'd pay it and wouldn't have any choice in the matter.

 

Corporations never pay their employees' salary. The ultimate consumer of the corporation's products or services pay the salary.

NJHORSEMAN speaks the truth!

[abe3]

Absoluty not, that's NCL's place to do. Do you go into the kitchen in a land based restaurant and start handing out money? Our cruise fare is supposed to pay for most of this.

 

Most don't have service fees and if they did then yes I would pay those fees and if I don't want to pay the fee then I won't go to that restaurant or resort.

 

When I book a vacation and most probably do the same as I do you look at everything that you might get charged while on a cruise, resort, or hotels. I know going in to booking a cruise with NCL that there is a service fee or in my opinion a gratuity to all the staff that is covered under the DSC. I build that into my budget and any other tips like the butler, kids staff, or any others I feel I would like to tip extra throughout the cruise I will add to my final bill or just give them cash. If I had to carry cash around with me all day handing out bills I would feel like I am at a strip club. Also I don't want to be digging into my pockets handing out bills left and right. I am on vacation and I don't want the hassle of worrying who or how i am going to tip everyone.

 

That is why the DSC is so great it frees everyone from needing to carry cash or feeling guilty of missing someone that you need to tip. What NCL does with the DSC after I give it to them is their business which is between them and their employees. You can only take their word from their website what they do with it and if you don't believe NCL is not using it to help compensate the staff well that's your opinion. If you have a trust issue with NCL then why cruise with them? I wouldn't want to give my hard earned money to someone I don't trust. I know I will probably be bashed over this and called a cheerleader, but I have been on about 10 cruises with NCL and have never once had any issues whatsoever and if I did have a issue I have complete faith NCL will make it right to fix the issue as best as they can.

[LoveyHowell]

Sigh....The cruise fare doesn't cover service, its even says so in the contract. That's what the DSC is for.

 

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But being charged for it is OPTIONAL.

 

Scream and yell and threaten and make up whatever you want to make up. None of it changes any facts.

[montecarloss]

Yes. What abe3 said.:)

[NLH Arizona]

trying to avoid paying the Service Charge on the grounds of 'don't wanta' wouldn't pass as a fraudulent charge.

You bring up an interesting observation. What will a credit card company do, if someone disputes a charge with the reason that they just don't want to pay it? Also, if they tell the credit card company something different from what they told NCL and NCL shows a copy where they said they didn't want to pay it, what then? Edited September 17, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[SuiteCruiser]

You bring up an interesting observation. What will a credit card company do, if someone disputes a charge with the reason that they just don't want to pay it? Also, if they tell the credit card company something different from what they told NCL and NCL shows a copy where they said they didn't want to pay it, what then?

 

All the person needs to do is show that NCL considers it discretionary, and they'll have to refund it.

 

I'm all for cruiselines making it mandatory, but until then, anyone who wants to remove it has every right to do that. I would never do it in a million years, but the policy has not changed, only the mechanism has.

Edited September 17, 2015 by SuiteCruiser

[maywell]

Most don't have service fees and if they did then yes I would pay those fees and if I don't want to pay the fee then I won't go to that restaurant or resort.

 

When I book a vacation and most probably do the same as I do you look at everything that you might get charged while on a cruise, resort, or hotels. I know going in to booking a cruise with NCL that there is a service fee or in my opinion a gratuity to all the staff that is covered under the DSC. I build that into my budget and any other tips like the butler, kids staff, or any others I feel I would like to tip extra throughout the cruise I will add to my final bill or just give them cash. If I had to carry cash around with me all day handing out bills I would feel like I am at a strip club. Also I don't want to be digging into my pockets handing out bills left and right. I am on vacation and I don't want the hassle of worrying who or how i am going to tip everyone.

 

That is why the DSC is so great it frees everyone from needing to carry cash or feeling guilty of missing someone that you need to tip. What NCL does with the DSC after I give it to them is their business which is between them and their employees. You can only take their word from their website what they do with it and if you don't believe NCL is not using it to help compensate the staff well that's your opinion. If you have a trust issue with NCL then why cruise with them? I wouldn't want to give my hard earned money to someone I don't trust. I know I will probably be bashed over this and called a cheerleader, but I have been on about 10 cruises with NCL and have never once had any issues whatsoever and if I did have a issue I have complete faith NCL will make it right to fix the issue as best as they can.

 

You know, this sums up what's great about cruising in general - it eliminates having to bring wads of cash just to tip. I don't bring wads of cash to work / play / running errands / dining out in NYC; the heck would I want to, on a cruise ship with my meals included? Just pay the DSC and done - Do I care how NCL pays out their employees? No, just as NCL (or any cruise line, as well hotels, airlines, resorts, etc) doesn't care how much I'm earning from my employer or what my job it; only that get their money for the fare and DSC or whatever, that's all.

 

I look at DSC as a service charge for services done while onboard and cost of doing business with a cruise line that has the DSC & fare as two separate things expecting payment for both. If I can't afford neither thing, there's no point in me going on the trip - I got too much pride and dignity asking for insignificant pocket change back, which is exactly what the DSC is; when I should be asking for my cruise fare back which is the thousands especially if a company did me so wrongly before the trip even started! :cool:

Edited September 17, 2015 by maywell

[Nolesfan]

There is a simple solution for this. If you want the auto DSC removed you do so prior to your cruise. When you show up for embarkation they present you with your special bright yellow room cards, that way all the staff will immediately see that obviously you are not going to be a sucker and pay auto gratuity that obviously goes straight to the cruise line. The staff will certainly bend over backwards to provide you with excellent service knowing that you will reward them with cash...... Or maybe they will think that the person really is not so into tipping and they will concentrate their time on guest with different colored cards.

 

I'm guessing that overtime if all the people here who insist they are not cheap and give cash tips are being honest then they should find they get excellent service and be happy they are not being required to tip without controlling who gets those tips.

 

Who knows maybe the yellow cards will be so successful that the cruise line will decide to conveniently provide envelopes for the people with yellow cards so the can easily and discretely distribute their generous tips......wait that sounds familiar.

Edited September 17, 2015 by Nolesfan

[LoveyHowell]

insignificant pocket change

 

Insignificant yet you carry on about it daily for months on end. Hmm

[luddite]

Absoluty not, that's NCL's place to do. Do you go into the kitchen in a land based restaurant and start handing out money? Our cruise fare is supposed to pay for most of this.

 

Well, it doesn't. And you know it.

[luddite]

You bring up an interesting observation. What will a credit card company do, if someone disputes a charge with the reason that they just don't want to pay it? Also, if they tell the credit card company something different from what they told NCL and NCL shows a copy where they said they didn't want to pay it, what then?

 

Well, it won't affect me. I pay my obligations.

[luddite]

You're absolutely right but some people will never get it because don't want to believe that all costs are pass on to them in pretty much every aspects of life.....even funerals.

 

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It is simply amazing to realize just how many people do not understand that customers pay ALL of the bills that a company generates. Then, it's easy to understand why the country is in it's present state.

[Ctrinh225]

It's funny how all the DSC removers somehow hate the way NCL does business but yet still cruise with this company. Most of them will say "Oh, I had a wonderful time on the NCL (ship), the service crew was absolutely nice and went way above exceptional service, the food in the MDRs were okay but the specialties were to die for. They ended up buying 4 future cruise vouchers so they can get their OBC........BUT (wait for it) I'm gonna remove my DSC anyways. Yes, I get it...because you CAN remove it. You cheat the system. You're not hurting NCL....YOU are hurting the workers.

I'm not a shareholder. I'm not an NCL cheerleader. But yeah I'm a cheerleader for ALL cruise workers. Now, if you really have a "legit" service issue then by all means send in that form. Just don't do it cause you CAN.....it's a cheap sickness.

 

 

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[NLH Arizona]

Well, it won't affect me. I pay my obligations.

I have a question, don't know if you know the answer, but someone might.

 

When I was in London, we went to a restaurant who added a service charge of, I think 13%, to our bill. Does anyone know where that money goes? Does it go directly to the company? I planning a trip to England next year and wonder if I can tell them to take that off my bill?

[Ctrinh225]

I have a question, don't know if you know the answer, but someone might.

 

 

 

When I was in London, we went to a restaurant who added a service charge of, I think 13%, to our bill. Does anyone know where that money goes? Does it go directly to the company? I planning a trip to England next year and wonder if I can tell them to take that off my bill?

 

 

Haha....there's a 20% fee to take off that 13%!

 

 

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[NLH Arizona]

So when someone has a legitimate service issue and should remove the DSC. What happens with the workers who work in a different service area. What do you think will they get "punished" by the lesser DSC or not.

If they are the system is already unfair as there is no way for them to fix the issue. If they are not punished because the cruise line treats them fairly we can assume that no one gets punished when the DSC is removed just because someone can and no service issue at all has been written down.

 

So either NCL punishes the workers for issues not in their area of responsibility or those that remove the DSC for no real reason do indeed just punish the cruise line.

My guess is that they have a system set up for the incentive program (which they clearly state is funded by the DSC) and if a crew member gives bad service and it is reported, it is probably notated on their file and is taken into consideration when the incentive program is paid. I would also bet that those crew members that get accolades from passengers for their great service, probably gets a larger percentage of the incentive program. With regard to those that remove the DSC for no reason other than they don't want to pay, it affects everyone since the incentive pool is reduced by that amount.

[luddite]

I have a question, don't know if you know the answer, but someone might.

 

When I was in London, we went to a restaurant who added a service charge of, I think 13%, to our bill. Does anyone know where that money goes? Does it go directly to the company? I planning a trip to England next year and wonder if I can tell them to take that off my bill?

 

:)You didn't ask if I care. I don't care what they do with the money.

[NLH Arizona]

Makes sense but would be quite easy for NCL to just publish it to stop speculating.

When this is true even more reason to remove the DSC as incentive programs are the worst idea ever. We had those as well and they are never fair. And especially not in favor of the customers as they reward behavior that benefits the company and their revenue which is very much different from what I as a customer would want to see rewarded.

The last 16 years of my career, I was in a management position where there was an incentive program and it was fantastic. Ours was based on the overall company goals, plus our participation in those goals. The company that I worked for did not publish our incentive program details to our customers, as they felt it was none of their business and I really don't think that NCL's is any of my business. Not sure why you feel that they are rewarded for their behavior that benefits the company and their revenue and not in favor of the customer. I believe that the employees receive incentives based on how they treat the customer and the feedback from those customers, thus it is to the employees benefit to give great service to the customers - something that I've always gotten on NCL. I'm sure that everyone would have a different way of running a company, but since NCL makes the decisions, it is their choice how they run their company. Edited September 17, 2015 by NLH Arizona