Remind me: Service Charge = Gratuity?

[ihrtcruise]

Is the NCL service charge that we've opted to prepay the same as the daily gratuities? I searched the forum first but didn't come up with anything on the first page to clarify.

Thanks!

[yankees111]

Yes

 

 

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[Njkrewzer]

Yes, it's the Daily Service Charge, or DSC. You're good to go

[ColinIllinois]

If you look under "Money Matters" in the FAQ's on NCL.com it will explain it for you. The reason I point you there is that several people will come in here and get on their high horse about semantics. They just muddy the waters, so to speak.

[ihrtcruise]

Thank you! :) One less thing to worry about.

[PTC DAWG]

If you look under "Money Matters" in the FAQ's on NCL.com it will explain it for you. The reason I point you there is that several people will come in here and get on their high horse about semantics. They just muddy the waters, so to speak.

 

Count on that.

[davesgirl51]

Count on that.

 

Ditto.

[SeaShark]

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.

 

I agree. Paying the Service Charge is exactly the same as Gratuities. Just pay the Service Charge and it is just like paying Gratuities even though, according to NCL, "there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests".

 

Pay the Service Charge. Gratuities are not required or recommended. They are the same. Its semantics.

[BirdTravels]

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.

 

I agree. Paying the Service Charge is exactly the same as Gratuities. Just pay the Service Charge and it is just like paying Gratuities even though, according to NCL, "there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests".

 

Pay the Service Charge. Gratuities are not required or recommended. They are the same. Its semantics.

Mud.

[Froggitt]

Although an additional service charge will be levied on drinks and spa treatments, you should tip butler and concierge, and the kids crew aren't in the DSC.

[Gampy1967]

Although an additional service charge will be levied on drinks and spa treatments, you should tip butler and concierge, and the kids crew aren't in the DSC.

 

I have seen several threads on standard ranges for tipping Butlers and Concierge. What is a good, standard range for kids crew? We will be bringing our granddaughter on our cruise and can't really find anything about tipping for the workers at the kids area. Thanks.

[ray98]

It is just the marketing lingo NCL chose to go with. They lead the way in breaking the old mold where this wasn't an issue. You were assigned staff for the week and tipping was simple since you just took care of it on the last evening. NCL pushed a Freestyle way of cruising and the assigned staff was no more, a team of people took care of you for the week. There had to be a way to make it simple for passengers to still compensate the crew without having to tip at every interaction because you may not see that server again. So, programs like this were born, they are all the same thing as they have the passenger contribute the industry standard to those who serve them.

[Ox Fan Cruiser]

Mud.

... or bait & switch? NCL spends millions on advertising yet they throw all the good will away with crap like this.

[phillyguy31]

... or bait & switch? NCL spends millions on advertising yet they throw all the good will away with crap like this.

Where is this "bait and switch" they are just ensuring that their employees get tips. How many times have you heard about people not going to dinner the last night just to avoid tipping the staff? They also tell you upfront you don't have to spend another dime on tips if you don't want to. To be honest, if you add up what you probably would tip directly it just might be more than the DSC. Beside I don't like walking around with a lot of cash just for tips and with Free Style you would need to tip your waiters every time at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[gambit57]

Daily Service Charge = Gratuities = Tips. It's all semantics. Just pay it and don't think about it any more.

[NLH Arizona]

... or bait & switch? NCL spends millions on advertising yet they throw all the good will away with crap like this.

Please explain the bait and switch?

[Love my butler]

While I suspect your post is less than a sincere question, I will give you the accurate answer. There is no 'daily gratuity".

 

 

Completely inaccurate, aka false. The Discretionary Service Charge is indeed a tip charged to your account daily. It is referred to as such by NCL's own wording. The semantics and confusion are there to trick/guilt the average passenger into tipping twice or even three times. That daily tip charged to your account is fully adjustable, up or down, by simply visiting the customer service desk.

[Host Star]

Question asked and answered. Another tipping thread causing misinformation and confusion