travelswithfriends Posted March 28, 2017 #1 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me? TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boopsahoy Posted March 28, 2017 #2 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?TIA That is not true. You will still be charged the daily DSC. The drink and dining gratuities are in addition to the DSC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pieshops Posted March 28, 2017 #3 Share Posted March 28, 2017 she is wrong, the DSC which is 13.99 per day per person covers the cabin steward, non specialty restaurant servers and some back of the house staff is separate, totally different thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gottacruisemore Posted March 28, 2017 #4 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Your travel agent is wrong. Each person was charged a beverage service charge and maybe a service charge for the dining package (although I've never purchased that so I am not sure). You will still need to prepay your gratuities. And personally I would question why your agent didn't know the difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakman58 Posted March 28, 2017 #5 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?TIA WOW! You need to get a different travel agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare All-ready2cruise Posted March 28, 2017 #6 Share Posted March 28, 2017 OP, here's a thread regarding DSC and it's increase in cost: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2472524 If you look at post #9 in the link I included you'll see the letter NCL has sent out to some of us sailing soon. The DSC right now is $13.50/pp/pd and is increasing to $13.99. If you prepay the DSC online you'll pay the lower rate. Not sure where your TA is getting their info from but they're wrong and more confused than you. The DSC has nothing to do with gratuites being charged for UBP and SDP so I would do as you want. Can you log into your NCL account and pay them yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrumpyNor Posted March 28, 2017 #7 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?TIA Your TA probably is mixing gratuities with the Daily Service Charge. So maybe you should try again, this time by asking to prepay Service Charges? That is the wording used when I log in to MyNCL and look at my future cruises. You will also save a few dollars by pre-paying the service charges, as the price for them will increase a little from April 1, but as long as you pre-pay them before your cruise, you will be charged the rate that was valid when you booked your cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelswithfriends Posted March 28, 2017 Author #8 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Wow thank you all for the clarification, I'm going on line to pre pay today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beerman2 Posted March 28, 2017 #9 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Wow thank you all for the clarification, I'm going on line to pre pay today. And I would still call your TA and let them know the information they gave you is incorrect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelswithfriends Posted March 28, 2017 Author #10 Share Posted March 28, 2017 I will let her know for sure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crystalaziza Posted March 29, 2017 #11 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Yes !!!!!!!! Do it through the MY NCL page. It's right there for you to choose to pay early. Just scroll through the tabs. I believe it's under "My Vacation" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ella99 Posted March 29, 2017 #12 Share Posted March 29, 2017 OP, here's a thread regarding DSC and it's increase in cost:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2472524 If you look at post #9 in the link I included you'll see the letter NCL has sent out to some of us sailing soon. The DSC right now is $13.50/pp/pd and is increasing to $13.99. If you prepay the DSC online you'll pay the lower rate. Not sure where your TA is getting their info from but they're wrong and more confused than you. The DSC has nothing to do with gratuites being charged for UBP and SDP so I would do as you want. Can you log into your NCL account and pay them yourself? This is correct. Just booked a last minute cruise for mid April and we prepaid our DSC in order to avoid paying the increase. The gratuities for UBP and SDP are a separate charge. Not sure about this, but if the cruise was booked through a travel agent they would have to pay the gratuities through their agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmexicoNita Posted March 29, 2017 #13 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?TIA who am I to question your TA but I am 99% sure she is wrong. Yes, your tips were added for your drink package, but you still have to pay your regular gratuities and if you do not pay them by April 1st the price is going up. when I say the gratuities for the drinks are included that isn't completely right,, but it shows up on your invoice automatically. I certainly hope your TA sent your the invoice as soon as you booked. Yes, you can pay the rest of your gratuities directly without going through your agent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LrgPizza Posted March 29, 2017 #14 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I would strongly suggest you get a new travel agent. It must make you wonder what other blatantly wrong info you've been given. Chances are it's not just this. Wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newmexicoNita Posted March 29, 2017 #15 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I would strongly suggest you get a new travel agent. It must make you wonder what other blatantly wrong info you've been given. Chances are it's not just this. Wow. and this is what gives travel agents a bad name: too many of them are just order takers who have never even seen a cruise ship. The same with some res agents for airlines. :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asubaru Posted March 29, 2017 #16 Share Posted March 29, 2017 The problem might be the wording; you asked about prepaid gratuities. What you want to pay is the DSC (Daily Service Charge). You did already pay gratuities on the drink and dining package. I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuitiesshe said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare uneamie Posted March 29, 2017 #17 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Always good to double check what TA's tell you and always double check what you say to them and make sure they understand what you are saying. I went to prepay our gratuities a few weeks ago...our trip is not till Jan 2018. I told her I wanted to prepay them. She was pulling up our account, took my credit card number and it's a good thing she was talking to herself ...saying our cruise balance out loud. Then ask me if I want to pay the entire balance. Ugh! I never said I wanted to prepay the cruise balance. I said, "no mam, not the balance, the gratuities. She questioned that because we already paid the Drink Package gratuities. Had to tell her that there is a per day Service charge per person gratuity that is still owed. She took a moment then said....Oh yea, that's right. I have no confidence in customer service people...really don't. You have to make sure they get what you are saying. Some do not listen fully.....like my husband who hears the first 3 words out of my mouth and responds to what he "thinks" i said...ugh! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macanudo23 Posted March 29, 2017 #18 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Also you would have already gotten an email from NCL because the rate of the DSC is going up after April 1st so you you probably want to pay for them before April 1st before they go up and you pay more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjikids Posted March 29, 2017 #19 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Also you would have already gotten an email from NCL because the rate of the DSC is going up after April 1st so you you probably want to pay for them before April 1st before they go up and you pay more. they have to be paid by sail date not April 1. All bookings from April 1 on will be charged new rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted March 29, 2017 #20 Share Posted March 29, 2017 The DSC included EVERYONE who serves you from your cabin attendant, to ALL MEALS...not just dinner! If you eat in the "specialty" restaurants, those servers are covered by the fee you pay....their tip is included in that fee. So...you keep the DSC in place and if you use a specialty, there is no need to tip additionally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CasinoCruzGirl Posted March 29, 2017 #21 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I'm confused! We always prepay our gratuities and give extras at the end of every cruise. Our next cruise is in May 2017 with NCL and when I told my travel agent to add the prepaid gratuities she said not to because when we selected our 2 free at sea options, the drink package and the dining package we are charged gratuities in advance for the drinks and the dining already included the gratuities, and we only needed to tip our cabin steward. I thought if you don't prepay NCL will just add it to your account. Can someone please clarify this for me?TIA You need a new TA your clearly has no idea what they are talking about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLCoolDoc Posted April 2, 2017 #22 Share Posted April 2, 2017 I prepaid the Daily Service charge today online and it was still $13.50 per day! ;p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckles_51 Posted April 2, 2017 #23 Share Posted April 2, 2017 ......Not sure about this, but if the cruise was booked through a travel agent they would have to pay the gratuities through their agent...... Not so. I booked thru a TA and prepaid my DSC online :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now