Please explain daily service charge

[bromleypod]

hi

I haven't cruise before so not sure about the rules and conventions around the daily service charges. I have asked NCL about this as I want to tip personally the people that has really helped me on board and not have it automatically added to my account. They said I can ask guest relation to remove the charges by the end of the cruise and I can tip whoever I feel most deserve it. But in other posts I have read that the DSC is mandatory??

[ProfessorandtheGeek]

The DSC covers more than just the crew that may help you during your cruise. It affects all of the crew members as they are paid by the DSC and other incentives. If a service does not meet your expectations, you can adjust it, but I never have for the above reasons.

 

However, I always give "extra" during the cruise to those staff members that go above and beyond, which is allowed.

 

Hope this helps.

[Cruise or Lose!]

It's opt-out, in that it is automatically applied unless you specifically and explicitly request its removal. You will see a long line of people who embarked half an hour ago and have suddenly decided that their cruise is unbearable. Don't join that line.

 

 

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[zqvol]

Consider it as part of your cruise fare. Leave it alone, and if you wish to provide gratuities to people who you think help you give them extra. If you are in the US, you can request to remove the DSC after your cruise is over and eventually you will get a refund.

[cb at sea]

The DSC are the tips for your cabin attendant, waiters, ass't waiters and head waiter. Don't remove them. You pay them, and you're covered. Everyone who is supposed to be tipped, WILL be!

 

Drinks (or packages) have the tips for the bartenders added...so again...you're covered! No additional tips are needed.

[TheDougOut]

Btw, your butler and concierge are not covered by the DSC. It's expected (that's fair to say, right?) that you will tip them on top of the DSC.

[Moby0215]

Btw, your butler and concierge are not covered by the DSC. It's expected (that's fair to say, right?) that you will tip them on top of the DSC.

 

 

 

I think it's fair to say that the majority of people do not have butlers or concierges. What makes you assume that the OP is in a suite?

 

 

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[SuiteCruiser]

I think it's fair to say that the majority of people do not have butlers or concierges. What makes you assume that the OP is in a suite?

 

 

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Likely because they have another active thread about being in the DOS on Epic

[SuiteCruiser]

Off Topic, but OP, do you have family in Canada? My cousins are Bromley's. Not sure how common a name that is.

[BirdTravels]

hi

I haven't cruise before so not sure about the rules and conventions around the daily service charges. I have asked NCL about this as I want to tip personally the people that has really helped me on board and not have it automatically added to my account. They said I can ask guest relation to remove the charges by the end of the cruise and I can tip whoever I feel most deserve it. But in other posts I have read that the DSC is mandatory??

 

So the advice to the first time cruiser is to pay your DSC. Tip your butler $10-$15 USD per person per day. Tip your concierge $5-$10 USD per person per day ($10 x 2 people x 7 days). And in the DOS consider tipping your room steward a little extra ($5-$10 USD per person per day).

[fshagan]

The daily service charge is designed to make your life easier. I remember the days of the envelopes. I can't recall the exact formula, but the suggested tips went something like this:

 

Maitre d' - $1 per day per person

Head Waiter - $3.00 per day per person

Assistant Waiter - $1.50 per day per person

Bread Server - .25 per day per person

Drink Server - .50 per day per person

Assistant Drink Server - .25 per day per person

 

Cabin Steward - $2 per day per person

Assistant Cabin Steward - .50 per day per person

 

The only convenient thing was we could wait until the last night and add it all up and put the cash in an envelope for that person. I think I had more than 8 envelopes that last night.

 

It's just not workable with Freestyle, where you are with a different maitre'd, head waiter, assistant waiter, bread server, water server and assistant water server. They are not used to having tips from every diner, at every meal. It will be awkward, and take you too much time to ask to see the water server and assistant water server again at the end of your meal. And they will be embarrassed.

 

So the method now is to pay the DSC and if you want to, give extra. But you don't have to give any extra. That's the accepted practice now. It is the way it is done.

 

You can remove the DSC if you want, but I think it's terribly tacky.

[sanger727]

Dsc is applied automatically and the procedure for removing has changed; at one point for us customers if couldn't be done onboard and I don't know if that has changed or not. If you legitimately just want to make sure people who serve you are tipped, simply leave the DSC in place. That's how it's worked for the last few years and everyone knows that so no one will feel cheated if you aren't tipping in cash. People have reported that two things happen if you remove the DSC to tip in cash 1. The people you tip have to turn in the cash anyway to the tipping pool, and 2. It's a black mark on the server/steward because it's assumed you removed the DSC due to bad service.

 

Best advice is to leave the DSC in place, tip the butler/concierge if you have one, and if anyone else goes above and beyond for you give them an additional cash tip.

 

 

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[bromleypod]

Dsc is applied automatically and the procedure for removing has changed; at one point for us customers if couldn't be done onboard and I don't know if that has changed or not. If you legitimately just want to make sure people who serve you are tipped, simply leave the DSC in place. That's how it's worked for the last few years and everyone knows that so no one will feel cheated if you aren't tipping in cash. People have reported that two things happen if you remove the DSC to tip in cash 1. The people you tip have to turn in the cash anyway to the tipping pool, and 2. It's a black mark on the server/steward because it's assumed you removed the DSC due to bad service.

 

Best advice is to leave the DSC in place, tip the butler/concierge if you have one, and if anyone else goes above and beyond for you give them an additional cash tip.

 

 

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That's fair enough , I just want to make sure it goes to the right people

[bromleypod]

Off Topic, but OP, do you have family in Canada? My cousins are Bromley's. Not sure how common a name that is.

Hi

I have friends in Canada but no family, Bromley is actually the name of the town i live in in the U.K. ;)

[bromleypod]

The DSF/DSC and tips are different things. Tipping is optional and you do that as you please. Paying the DSC has nothing at all to do with you tipping the crew members you choose to tip.

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq#tipping

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq#service-charge

 

Tipping does NOT take the place of paying the DSC/DSF.

That's where I was confused , thanks for clearing that one up !

[WashyWashyHappyHappy95]

It's a little extra you pay that goes to help the people like the table cleaners/napkin replacers in the garden cafe or the mostly tipless MDR's...people that work longer and harder hours than any human trash who waits in line to get the charges removed.

[triptolemus]

It's a little extra you pay that goes to help the people like the table cleaners/napkin replacers in the garden cafe or the mostly tipless MDR's...people that work longer and harder hours than any human trash who waits in line to get the charges removed..

 

[Ddmc]

Well said washy!!

 

 

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[Cruise or Lose!]

*wild applause*

 

 

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[purpletequila]

I almost adjusted mine on my Escape cruise because the room attendant really didn't do a good job at all. I took pictures. Every night, the sheet wasn't tucked into the bed, it just hung over and for whatever weird reason, he would never change the empty toilet paper roll, he just left the roll on the shelf near the holder. lol And it wouldn't be cleaned until early afternoon even if we were gone all morning. Very strange. But on the 4th day or so, I actually met him while he was sweating like a lunatic frantically trying to make his way down the endless hallway of cabins and I felt bad for him and realized why everything seemed to be done half assed.

 

NCL really needs to consider increasing their staffing. This poor guy was seriously about to pass out.

[purpletequila]

It's a little extra you pay that goes to help the people like the table cleaners/napkin replacers in the garden cafe or the mostly tipless MDR's...people that work longer and harder hours than any human trash who waits in line to get the charges removed.

 

I'm not disagreeing but somewhere on these boards, I once saw the breakdown on those DSC's and something like a third or 2/3s go into a fund to pay for care if one of the crew members get sick? I'd have to look for it or I think the person said it is in the fine print.

 

Also, for anyone wondering, I spoke for a good while to a bar waitress on the Escape who said if anyone wants to tip extra, it is best to give cash directly to the person instead of adding it onto a receipt. She said she had been with NCL for years and although she would see people adding tips on the tip line for her, her check never changed once. From that point on, I gave cash to any waiter I wanted to and stopped adding it to checks. I think NCL is shady in this regard and totally believed the waitress.

[ColinIllinois]

There has been so many myths reported on this and other cruise forums that after a while people tend to believe them as fact. One person talked to an employee and got one version, another cruiser is in tight with some employees and says the complete opposite swearing it's the truth. Who is right? Which employees are lying to get tips for themselves...or do they share...or...or..or?

 

Personally I don't care about how much they make anymore than they care about my income and way of life, and yes, before it gets said..I have worked as hard as they do and have been away from my family for long periods of time.

 

If it works for NCL and the employees keep signing new contracts, so be it.

[JillL]

hi

I haven't cruise before so not sure about the rules and conventions around the daily service charges. I have asked NCL about this as I want to tip personally the people that has really helped me on board and not have it automatically added to my account. They said I can ask guest relation to remove the charges by the end of the cruise and I can tip whoever I feel most deserve it. But in other posts I have read that the DSC is mandatory??

 

You did not mention children, so this point may be moot. But the kids club staff is not included in the DSC's. We always give a tip to them on the last day.