18% Gratuities Concern

[sparks1093]

There is a big difference in asking how the 18%s are split up at a meet and greet and asking the Hotel Director to remove it from your account. It certainly sounds like you would walk the walk instead of just talking the talk, if you go on another NCL cruise, and I'm sure everyone would love to hear what happens.

 

As I said earlier in the thread- if he answered the question about the service charge he should have answered the one about the 18% gratuity. To not answer under those conditions and to give the answer he did can lead to the conclusion that NCL has something to hide. When you couple this with the reports that the bar staff now receives salaries in lieu of gratuities it can lead to the conclusion that NCL is keeping some of this gratuity for themselves. Before booking my most recent cruise I did check NCL but they don't have any cruises out for 11/2017. If I do end up on an NCL cruise between now and then I would certainly report what happens when you ask that the 18% be removed.

[NLH Arizona]

As I said earlier in the thread- if he answered the question about the service charge he should have answered the one about the 18% gratuity. To not answer under those conditions and to give the answer he did can lead to the conclusion that NCL has something to hide. When you couple this with the reports that the bar staff now receives salaries in lieu of gratuities it can lead to the conclusion that NCL is keeping some of this gratuity for themselves. Before booking my most recent cruise I did check NCL but they don't have any cruises out for 11/2017. If I do end up on an NCL cruise between now and then I would certainly report what happens when you ask that the 18% be removed.

His answer for both should have been....we don't discuss employee compensation with our passengers, as it is between NCL and the employees.

 

If the bar staff doesn't like getting a flat salary or it doesn't match their contracts, it is time for them to go to another cruise line. Just go on any cruise line's website and they are always looking for competent staff members.

[vicocala]

What a load of bovine feces. Many cruisers save up their pennies and bust their butts for years in mediocre jobs to take their families on a well deserved cruise. Many of us here are military retirees and veterans who busted our tails for low wages and were away from our families for even longer than the cruise workers have contracts for.

 

It really busts my gizzards when people act like cruise workers are some kind of slave labor who aren't capable of making adult decision about work and life.

 

That is what socialists do, they presume to be better and smarter than everyone else and in their guilt they try to make up for it by making everyone economically equal. It isn't really about the cruise workers it is their agenda for everyone. Yes, I said it.

[Mikiejag]

Does it really matter? I suppose most of this is being brought up over the semantics of the words gratuity vs service charge.

 

What if the cruise goes up 20% and no gratuity what then?

 

People that work the ships make a wage that is fair to them, from what I know most of the money goes home. Just because some people consider them slave wages doesn't actually mean when the dollars are translated to home currency it is still slave wages.

 

The ship is registered in the Bahamas, so assume that the workers are from there. The minimum wage is $4 in Bahamian dollars. (which trade at 1:1)

 

The average monthly salary is 7-8k and the average cost of living (from Nassau, most expensive) is about $1200 a month or $300 a week.

 

If it is a Filipinos or Indonesians the monthly pay is probably a *big* boost from the home country rates. Just looking at the Philippians, the cost of living is 56% less than in the US and the Average monthly pay after expenses is about $500USD, and the yearly salary is about $7500 USD

 

So just a quick little break out, are they really making a slave wage? I am not sure what that would constitute. Using a job board for cruise ships, your waitress or waiter will make about 1k, Engine workers are 3k.

 

The basic, basic, basic room cleaner will start at $800 a month and really only need basic 2nd language skills.

 

And also food and housing is provided. So will all of this taken with a grain of salt, these are actually very well paid positions for their countries. When compared to the average cruiser, it could be slave wages, but take into account everything is provided for them so their salary is nothing more than spending money or sent home.

[TruckerDave]

many that don't care at all and are just fine with the practice.

 

I think this line sums it up perfectly. ( Or maybe modify it to say "most" don't give a spit.) A tiny fraction of cruisers making an issue on a message board does not make this an issue.

[TruckerDave]

Is there any benefit (taxes, etc) to NCL taking a portion of the 18%, rather than, say, just raising drink prices?

 

 

Could you imagine the winning, crying and complaining on this massage board it they just raised the prices 18% instead. :eek: It just might crash the CC servers.

[sparks1093]

His answer for both should have been....we don't discuss employee compensation with our passengers, as it is between NCL and the employees.

 

If the bar staff doesn't like getting a flat salary or it doesn't match their contracts, it is time for them to go to another cruise line. Just go on any cruise line's website and they are always looking for competent staff members.

 

I agree that he should have answered neither question. It's not a question of whether or not the bar staff likes the salary or not, they should be getting the 18% gratuity that passengers pay (unless of course the salary is higher than the 18% gratuity but I highly doubt that is the case).

[sparks1093]

Does it really matter?

 

Yes, it does matter. If I leave a gratuity for a specific worker I want that worker to have it, not the business he or she works for. I would not be arguing this point if NCL said they charge an 18% service charge for bar services. By calling it a gratuity they are implying that the staff is getting all of it and that may not be the case (it looks like it is the case but I recognize that there isn't enough yet to support that). Yes, the staff makes a good living or they wouldn't be doing what they are doing. That doesn't mean they shouldn't get what's coming to them.

[sparks1093]

Could you imagine the winning, crying and complaining on this massage board it they just raised the prices 18% instead. :eek: It just might crash the CC servers.

 

I would rather they just change the terminology, it would be more forthright and honest.

[TruckerDave]

I would rather they just change the terminology, it would be more forthright and honest.

 

 

People get way to hung up on names. :rolleyes:

[sparks1093]

People get way to hung up on names. :rolleyes:

 

Whatever you say, TruckerJim;). What a business calls things does matter.

[SuiteCruiser]

People get way to hung up on names. :rolleyes:

 

They could just call it "extra revenue towards our bottom line" and then people would be annoyed.

 

It DOES matter where it goes, but then again I care more about the people than the huge corporation. I guess I'm in the minority.

Edited February 2, 2016 by SuiteCruiser

[TruckerDave]

Whatever you say, TruckerJim;). What a business calls things does matter.

 

 

I've been called worse by better people. :cool:

[TruckerDave]

They could just call it "extra revenue towards our bottom line" and then people would be annoyed.

 

It DOES matter where it goes, but then again I care more about the people than the huge corporation. I guess I'm in the minority.

 

 

No, in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter where it goes. It all ends up being part of the total you and I pay for a cruise. Whether this money goes to help pay the Chief Engineer on the ship or the person who empties the trash at the corporate headquarters doesn't really matter to me. (and I suspect most folks.)

[welove2cruise2014]

We recently dined at an upscale steakhouse in FL (2 of us) and there was a standard 12% gratuity added automatically. Now, we've been there before so knew they did this, but had pretty much "factored it in" to the cost of the meal (and the overall superb experience), and also added our own tip on top of that. It wouldn't even occur to me to ask the waiter, or maitre d', or manager, or anyone for that matter *how* the auto gratuity is divided up. The excellent reputation and high level of employee retention say enough, to me. My point is, how much does it truly, really, matter?????

[NLH Arizona]

Yes, it does matter. If I leave a gratuity for a specific worker I want that worker to have it, not the business he or she works for. I would not be arguing this point if NCL said they charge an 18% service charge for bar services. By calling it a gratuity they are implying that the staff is getting all of it and that may not be the case (it looks like it is the case but I recognize that there isn't enough yet to support that). Yes, the staff makes a good living or they wouldn't be doing what they are doing. That doesn't mean they shouldn't get what's coming to them.

Here is what they call the 18%s, they just don't call it a gratuity:

 

Additionally, there is an 18% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 18% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 18% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining.

[sjbdtz]

Whatever you say, TruckerJim;). What a business calls things does matter.

 

The company that created the software CC sits upon, calls it a Bulletin Board. Yet, there are no bulletins, and it's really a website.

 

It should be called a multi-threaded asynchronous semi-anonymous bi-directional messaging forum.

 

But really, what's in a name?

 

========================-

 

The truth is this:

 

In one form, or another, NCL will collect what it needs to survive & thrive PLUS what it needs to retain its employees.

 

Whether it collects this upfront, or post-cruise, or comps it out, or aligns it proportionately with spend (the people who use the bartenders the most, pay the most toward the bartender services), is absolutely moot to me.

 

The system of a la carte spending - if you use it, you pay for it....is appealing because the ship has many features & functions I have no interest in, and this lets me avoid paying for them.

 

If you want to tip somebody MORE than they would otherwise get, feel free. But getting upset over nomenclature is an exercise in futility.

 

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[sparks1093]

Here is what they call the 18%s, they just don't call it a gratuity:

 

Additionally, there is an 18% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 18% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 18% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining.

 

Yes, and I've already said their mixture of the two terms is not a good thing. It's one or the other (or they should break down what percentage represents gratuity and what percentage represents service charge).

[sparks1093]

The company that created the software CC sits upon, calls it a Bulletin Board. Yet, there are no bulletins, and it's really a website.

 

It should be called a multi-threaded asynchronous semi-anonymous bi-directional messaging forum.

 

But really, what's in a name?

 

========================-

 

The truth is this:

 

In one form, or another, NCL will collect what it needs to survive & thrive PLUS what it needs to retain its employees.

 

Whether it collects this upfront, or post-cruise, or comps it out, or aligns it proportionately with spend (the people who use the bartenders the most, pay the most toward the bartender services), is absolutely moot to me.

 

The system of a la carte spending - if you use it, you pay for it....is appealing because the ship has many features & functions I have no interest in, and this lets me avoid paying for them.

 

If you want to tip somebody MORE than they would otherwise get, feel free. But getting upset over nomenclature is an exercise in futility.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

 

I know in my state and in several states it is illegal for a company to take a portion of any gratuity left for an employee. The reason that it is illegal is because it's not the company's tip, it's the employee's. Yes, yes, yes, I know these aren't laws that NCL is subject too but I mention it to show that it does matter because laws have been passed about the practice.

 

It's either a gratuity or a service charge. If it's a gratuity it belongs to the staff. If it's a service charge then it's up to NCL how to distribute it.

[abe3]

Firstly reread my post I did NOT ask the question. And to others its a q&a

so as far as I'm concerned they should answer all questions.

 

I realize there are folks out there that don't give two hoots about the staff and that's your prerogative but I have different pinion on the situation and happen to care.

 

 

They don't need to answer all questions. Get real.

[kosweeps]

What does this imply/state?

 

From the NCL website:

 

"What about Gratuities?

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. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, there is an 18% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 18% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 18% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining."

 

They are suggesting that we tip the bar staff, spa staff, etc. in addition to the 18% GAS (ha! gratuity and service charge :) )

 

I also think it implies that staff in certain areas are receiving the "gratuity" part of the gratuity and service charge. However imo, it is very carefully worded. It states that they charge this, but stops short of saying how it is distributed (i.e. like the general overview used to explain DSC distribution).

 

If the gratuity part is in fact not a gratuities, just call it a service charge and be done.

[sfaaa]

For the service charges I agree. The 18% added graituity no, that belongs to the crew, not corporate..

 

Do you know this for a fact or is this just an assumption on your part?

[SuiteCruiser]

I know in my state and in several states it is illegal for a company to take a portion of any gratuity left for an employee. The reason that it is illegal is because it's not the company's tip, it's the employee's. Yes, yes, yes, I know these aren't laws that NCL is subject too but I mention it to show that it does matter because laws have been passed about the practice.

 

It's either a gratuity or a service charge. If it's a gratuity it belongs to the staff. If it's a service charge then it's up to NCL how to distribute it.

 

It's illegal in Ontario as well.

[broberts]

My money does not belong to the cruise line. If I want to know where that money is going, the cruise line either answers the question or I can take my business elsewhere.

 

Where our money goes is as much social responsibility as an economic event. While nowhere near the severity of "blood diamonds", there is nothing wrong with insisting that gratuities go to staff, not profit. A business can always refuse to provide answers. Just like I can refuse to give my money to those who mislead me or who do not provide their staff with what I consider a reasonable compensation package.

[LrgPizza]

The company that created the software CC sits upon, calls it a Bulletin Board. Yet, there are no bulletins, and it's really a website.

 

It should be called a multi-threaded asynchronous semi-anonymous bi-directional messaging forum.

 

But really, what's in a name?

 

========================-

 

The truth is this:

 

In one form, or another, NCL will collect what it needs to survive & thrive PLUS what it needs to retain its employees.

 

Whether it collects this upfront, or post-cruise, or comps it out, or aligns it proportionately with spend (the people who use the bartenders the most, pay the most toward the bartender services), is absolutely moot to me.

 

The system of a la carte spending - if you use it, you pay for it....is appealing because the ship has many features & functions I have no interest in, and this lets me avoid paying for them.

 

If you want to tip somebody MORE than they would otherwise get, feel free. But getting upset over nomenclature is an exercise in futility.

 

 

Stephen

 

I'm so happy you're here.