Understanding Service Charges

[RebelAthena]

I work in the legal world and am accustom to understanding the fine print, but I’m having a hard time understanding the service charges on NCL.

 

We are traveling in the Haven, and we have pre-paid service charges. Now I’m reading that there will be additional service charges when we dine at the Haven restaurant? The bottom of the menu reads, “A 20% gratuity and beverage service charge will be added to your bill.”

 

 

I understand about tipping vs. service charges, but i’m really confused: we pre-paid service charges with the booking, and we pre-paid service charges for the dining/drink plan. Am I correct to understand that, in addition to all manner of pre-paid service charges, we will incur additional expense when we dine?

[shof515]

if you have the dining/drink plan, you should of paid the gratuity for the drinks and dinning package and that should be pre-paid. check your invoices to make sure. you do not have to pay anything extra for drinks at the bar

 

the only additional expense is the butler and concierge in the haven as they are not in the daily service charge group.

[BirdTravels]

I work in the legal world and am accustom to understanding the fine print, but I’m having a hard time understanding the service charges on NCL. We are traveling in the Haven, and we have pre-paid service charges. Now I’m reading that there will be additional service charges when we dine at the Haven restaurant? The bottom of the menu reads, “A 20% gratuity and beverage service charge will be added to your bill.” I understand about tipping vs. service charges, but i’m really confused: we pre-paid service charges with the booking, and we pre-paid service charges for the dining/drink plan. Am I correct to understand that, in addition to all manner of pre-paid service charges, we will incur additional expense when we dine?

 

You have pre-paid your Daily Service Charge (DSC) which covers all of the staff that provide service front of house and back of house. Examples: Room Steward, complimentary restaurant servers, guest services personnel, etc.

 

The Havens Restaurant is a complimentary restaurant and covered by your pre-paid DSC.

 

If you accepted the Ultimate Beverage Package, you are pre-charged for the gratuity on the retail price of that package.

 

If you accepted the Specialty Dining Package, you are pre-charged for the gratuity on the retail price of that package.

 

You have additional gratuity if you eat at anything not covered by your packages (E,g., eating more meals at specialty dining rooms than covered by your package, ordering drinks that exceed the $15 covered by the beverage package (you pay the different + gratuity on the difference), if you order a specialty coffee drink, if you purchase an ice cream dish with an upcharge, if you purchase a bakery item, if you order a bottle of wine, if you purchase a bar item not covered by the package (water, energy drinks, specific ultra-premium alcohol), etc.)

 

Your Butler and Concierge are NOT covered by your DSC and you are expected to provide gratuity to them separately.

[RebelAthena]

You have pre-paid your Daily Service Charge (DSC) which covers all of the staff that provide service front of house and back of house. Examples: Room Steward, complimentary restaurant servers, guest services personnel, etc.

 

The Havens Restaurant is a complimentary restaurant and covered by your pre-paid DSC.

 

If you accepted the Ultimate Beverage Package, you are pre-charged for the gratuity on the retail price of that package.

 

If you accepted the Specialty Dining Package, you are pre-charged for the gratuity on the retail price of that package.

 

You have additional gratuity if you eat at anything not covered by your packages (E,g., eating more meals at specialty dining rooms than covered by your package, ordering drinks that exceed the $15 covered by the beverage package (you pay the different + gratuity on the difference), if you order a specialty coffee drink, if you purchase an ice cream dish with an upcharge, if you purchase a bakery item, if you order a bottle of wine, etc.)

 

Your Butler and Concierge are NOT covered by your DSC and you are expected to provide gratuity to them separately.

 

Thank you. So, Iunderstand now that, when we dine at a complimentary restaurant or use our dining plan, we are not charged additional service charges. (I was already aware to tip Butler/Concierge separately).

 

Also, now I want ice cream :)

[zqvol]

I work in the legal world and am accustom to understanding the fine print, but I’m having a hard time understanding the service charges on NCL.

 

We are traveling in the Haven, and we have pre-paid service charges. Now I’m reading that there will be additional service charges when we dine at the Haven restaurant? The bottom of the menu reads, “A 20% gratuity and beverage service charge will be added to your bill.”

 

 

I understand about tipping vs. service charges, but i’m really confused: we pre-paid service charges with the booking, and we pre-paid service charges for the dining/drink plan. Am I correct to understand that, in addition to all manner of pre-paid service charges, we will incur additional expense when we dine?

 

 

I would be nice to see the menu that you are referencing, but the situation is probably like this:

 

The menu language is only referring to beverages that you pay for. If you have the UBP any beverage $15 and under is included, so there is no service charge because 20% of zero is still zero. If you have the UBP and your drink is more than $15 you pay the drink price minus the $15 that is covered by the UBP, plus 20% of that amount, so if your drink was $18 you would pay $3.60.

 

 

If you don't have the UBP you pay for the drink plus a 20% service charge.

 

As far as meals, it works the same way. If you pay for a meal you pay the service charge. If the meal is part of a package or in one of the included restaurants there is no additional service charge.

[fshagan]

Thank you. So, Iunderstand now that, when we dine at a complimentary restaurant or use our dining plan, we are not charged additional service charges. (I was already aware to tip Butler/Concierge separately).

 

Also, now I want ice cream :)

 

NCL is diabolical ... .they have a soft serve machine in the buffet that is open most of the time (and then hand scooped ice cream at a station in the buffet that is open during meal hours.) These are free. And they always have ice cream available as a dessert for lunch and dinner. I eat far too much ice cream on a cruise.

 

Oh, and at least one MDR is open for lunch on embarkation day.

[karoo]

NCL is diabolical ... .they have a soft serve machine in the buffet that is open most of the time (and then hand scooped ice cream at a station in the buffet that is open during meal hours.) These are free. And they always have ice cream available as a dessert for lunch and dinner. I eat far too much ice cream on a cruise.

 

 

 

Oh, and at least one MDR is open for lunch on embarkation day.

 

 

 

Yes I always thought the ice cream (both hard and soft) was complimentary or it was on the cruise I went on last November.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[BirdTravels]

Thank you. So, Iunderstand now that, when we dine at a complimentary restaurant or use our dining plan, we are not charged additional service charges. (I was already aware to tip Butler/Concierge separately).

 

Also, now I want ice cream :)

 

You can get complimentary ice cream in all complimentary restaurants (Havens, Garden Café Buffet (soft serve and scooped), Tropicana Room, Taste, Savor). No cost. No gratuity.

 

Ice cream at specialty a la carte restaurants are charged against your SDP or a la carte price.

 

There is some [not so special] gelato at the gelato stand for a fee. And some [not so special] ice cream dishes at O'Shehans for a fee.

 

Enjoy the Getaway! We've sailed on her 3 times and enjoyed every minute.

[adam_s_allen]

Just so you know it is HAVEN not HAVENS. Also gratuities are optional, not required but greatly appreciated by all servers.

 

Tell that to the people that order drinks or specialty restaurant orders without UBP or Dining Package.

[zqvol]

. . . Having never sailed the haven I am not sure what additional charges exists, but having dined in the Haven restaurant I can tell you that any charges are certainly worth paying to get the quality of food and service that is given there! . . .

 

How do you know that the food and/or service are any better than anywhere else on the ship if you haven't been there?

[zqvol]

Tell that to the people that order drinks or specialty restaurant orders without UBP or Dining Package.

 

The 20% i not a gratuity. It is a service charge that goes to NCL. Gratuities that go to a specific server are over and above the 20% and rumor has it that even those are pooled.

[cb at sea]

Rumors.....everyone who is supposed to be tipped will get the proper tips...no worries.

[RebelAthena]

I would be nice to see the menu that you are referencing, but the situation is probably like this:

 

The menu language is only referring to beverages that you pay for. If you have the UBP any beverage $15 and under is included, so there is no service charge because 20% of zero is still zero. If you have the UBP and your drink is more than $15 you pay the drink price minus the $15 that is covered by the UBP, plus 20% of that amount, so if your drink was $18 you would pay $3.60.

 

 

If you don't have the UBP you pay for the drink plus a 20% service charge.

 

As far as meals, it works the same way. If you pay for a meal you pay the service charge. If the meal is part of a package or in one of the included restaurants there is no additional service charge.

 

This PDF was posted yesterday in a separate “live thread” from the Getaway.

 

https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/06495b3e-28d6-4573-ac7c-0a1d40ad5eb8

[jjikids]

This PDF was posted yesterday in a separate “live thread” from the Getaway.

 

https://files.acrobat.com/a/preview/06495b3e-28d6-4573-ac7c-0a1d40ad5eb8

The menu has had that for awhile. There are no extra charges ( at least at this time). Who knows what NCL plans for the future.

[Two Wheels Only]

The menu has had that for awhile. There are no extra charges ( at least at this time). Who knows what NCL plans for the future.

For several years, the Haven menu has had "prices" and notes about "charges" but so far, nothing has come of it.

[BirdTravels]

Just so you know it is HAVEN not HAVENS. Also gratuities are optional, not required but greatly appreciated by all servers.

 

 

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