Can someone explain Gratuities to me?

[Elimin8r]

First time cruiser leaving in 4 days on the Escape out of NYC to Bermuda.

 

We were directed to pay a $300 "service fee" that i was led to believe would cover the gratuities on the ship.

 

Is this true? Does this mean I dont pay the added gratuity on every purchase I make on the ship?

 

Sorry its just confusing to me.

 

Thanks.

Edited April 25, 2018 by Elimin8r

[kirsty_r]

First time cruiser leaving in 4 days on the Escape out of NYC to Bermuda.

 

We were directed to pay a $300 "service fee" that i was led to believe would cover the gratuities on the ship.

 

Is this true? Does this mean I dont pay the added gratuity on every purchase I make on the ship?

 

Sorry its just confusing to me.

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

The gratuities you paid probably are the daily service charge? And gratuity for any packages? You still have to pay for extra purchases I would have thought.

 

 

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[Victress2007]

There are two different extra fees you pay on NCL.

 

A Gratuity is added to food, beverage and spa services. This is 20% at this time. It is added at the point of sale. Therefore if you get the dining package or beverage package, even if free, you pay the added 20% gratuity.

 

The Daily Service Charge is added per person, per day. You can pay this ahead of time so you don't have to "worry" about it adding up during the cruise. It goes to the crew in various ways (although some believe the horrible, terrible corporation of NCL sticks it in their pockets and laughs maniacally at the poor, deserving, underpaid crew). Joke for those who can't recognize it.

 

Vic

[ColeThornton]

Check out the NCL FAQ's under "Money Matters". There are several things there as an NCL cruiser you should know about.

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq

[BNBR]

First time cruiser leaving in 4 days on the Escape out of NYC to Bermuda.

 

We were directed to pay a $300 "service fee" that i was led to believe would cover the gratuities on the ship.

 

Is this true? Does this mean I dont pay the added gratuity on every purchase I make on the ship?

 

Sorry its just confusing to me.

 

Thanks.

 

The service fee covers everything that is "included" with your cruise. Room cleaning, complimentary dining, etc. If you decide to buy something extra, like a drink, your prepaid gratuity would not cover the gratuity on these types of purchases.

[PTC DAWG]

I still tip the room steward and select bartenders extra...

[NLH Arizona]

Look at your cruise confirmation.

 

If you purchased or received as a perk, the Special Dining Package or Ultimate Drink Package, there should be 18 or 20 percent gratuity/service charge added to your confirmation, which you pay upfront. Now look to see if you have pre-paid service charge, which is the Daily Service Charge (separate line up from those charges above). If both are on your cruise confirmation, then the only thing you would need to pay on the ship is gratuities for any spa services and gratuities on any amount of drinks that are over the amount allowed ($15) on the UBP.

 

Hope this is not too confusing.

[fshagan]

All your tips and gratuities are added automatically. You almost never have to tip on board.

 

If you had a promo package they charged the 20% service fee on it to your final booking price. This applies to the beverage and dining promos. So if you have those, you paid the service charge and don't have to think about it.

 

If you don't have a beverage or dining plan, and you buy a drink at the bar or a meal in an extra charge restaurant, they will include the 20% gratuity automatically and add it to your bill. There is still a line on the slip you sign for an extra tip, so be careful. Remember, every tip is already added for drinks and meals. You don't have to think about it.

 

Spa services and that kind of extra charge item will have a tip already added too. You don't have to think about tips.

 

For the daily service charge, if you haven't prepaid it, it is added to your bill automatically each day. It covers all the other positions that traditionally had a tip during or at the end of your cruise. Instead of calculating how much to give each person NCL takes care of it. You don't have to think about tips.

 

No non-suite guest ever has to think about a tip on any NCL cruise with only one exception: if you want to tip the children's program counselors that is at your discretion. Many parents with kids in their programs do so. The counselors don't share in the daily service charge pool. If you don't have kids, you don't have to think about this!

 

Suite guests have a butler and concierge who are tipped separately. They have to think about tips for these two people. The rest of us do not.

 

Cruising used to be a pain with tips here, tips there, and formulas to figure out what to put in envelopes that you presented to the people at the end of the cruise. I got an email from my Disney travel agent with the recommended tips, per person, for a 7 night cruise: Server: $28; Assistant Server: $21; Head Server: $7; Stateroom Host: $28. That's crazy. I have to think about it. Luckily, they now follow NCLs lead and allow you to pay it all up front, so you don't have to worry about tips on Disney any longer. When I first sailed with them we had envelopes and cash, and had to multiply those totals by four for our family. I hated thinking about tips at the end of our cruise.

 

Now you don't have to think about them. You are on vacation. Have a blast!

[Elimin8r]

Check out the NCL FAQ's under "Money Matters". There are several things there as an NCL cruiser you should know about.

 

https://www.ncl.com/faq

 

Thank you for the info. IS there a difference between "Tipping" and "Gratuity"? I mean Ive always thought this to be the same thing? If they are the same thing then the following excerpt from the faq is almost laughable IMHO.

 

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 20% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 20% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 20% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining.

SO the way Im reading this is they say in the first sentence that there is no required tipping BUT you will be charged a 20% gratuity on pretty much anything you buy that you would normally tip for.

[Elimin8r]

Thank you all for the replies. I really appreciate the info.

 

So another question, We purchased the beverage package for my son. If he orders a soda - will we be charged a service fee on that soda?

 

Another question. The only perks we were given were 2 specialty dining packages and 2 $30 on board credits. What fees can we expect to see added onto our bill if we only eat at the included dining areas and drink only water every day. (im not saying this is going to happen but I just want to know)

[Two Wheels Only]

Try to not get wrapped up in the language or terms used. NCL uses them interchangeably at times. "It's a gratuity, not a tip.", "It's a service charge, not a gratuity.", "It's a tip, not a service charge." will just make your head spin....especially on Cruise Critic.

[vince_g]

Thank you all for the replies. I really appreciate the info.

 

So another question, We purchased the beverage package for my son. If he orders a soda - will we be charged a service fee on that soda?

 

Another question. The only perks we were given were 2 specialty dining packages and 2 $30 on board credits. What fees can we expect to see added onto our bill if we only eat at the included dining areas and drink only water every day. (im not saying this is going to happen but I just want to know)

 

No you won't be charged a service fee on that soda. You won't see any additional charges if you eat in the included dining areas. There won't be any charge for lemonade, flavored waters and lemonade at the buffet.

 

I am sailing to Bermuda this Friday on the Dawn. Enjoy your cruise.

[Elimin8r]

Thank you all for helping me with my questions. Looking forward to our first cruise!

[DZcreature]

Fshagan's explanation of the gratuities/daily service charge/tips is spot on. Back in the days before Maniacal cruised, you put tips in envelopes and passed them out on the last night of the cruise. The automatic daily service charge was invented so you didn't have to worry about running around the last night passing out your tip envelopes. You can tip any staff extra if you want, but it is not expected.

[littlelulu01]

Very easy. Gratuities are 100% optional other than on a few of the packages such as the UBP (drink package) and the SDP (dining package). Just tip who you want however much you want whenever you want.

 

The Service fee you are discussing is probably the DSC. What that is can be found in the FAQ on the NCL web site. Some people confuse that with a tip even though it is not. Others use it as an excuse not to tip when in all actuality no excuse is needed since tipping is optional.

 

Bottom line is no you do not NEED to tip. However if you feel that someone who has been helping you deserves a tip by all means do so.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

 

Curious - Do you have any upcoming cruises? If so hopefully you will receive the email I recently did and you can finally rest assured that the dsc IS the gratuity. Here it is just in case you missed it.

Norwegian Cruise Line is making a nominal adjustment to its daily service charges, effective April 1, 2018. Norwegian's discretionary daily service charges make it easy for guests to provide gratuities to the onboard staff dedicated to delivering superior guest service throughout the cruise.

The new rates are:

• $14.50 per person per day for any category up to a mini-suite stateroom
  
• $17.50 per person per day for any suite or The Haven category
  

Any guest that has made a booking by March 31, 2018 will have the option of prepaying their service charges at the current rate if done prior to sail date. Guests with existing cruise reservations who have already pre-paid their service charges at the current rate are not affected.

 

Service charges can be prepaid in the Vacation Summary section on My NCL.

 

Sincerely,

Norwegian Cruise Line®

 

[GenXGirl]

The 20% is service charge not a traditional gratuity. All of it will not go directly to the server. Think of all those service charges as increasing your base cruise fare.

 

However, you are NOT expected to “tip” on board beyond the mandatory service charges.

 

 

 

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[myra711]

Thank you all for the replies. I really appreciate the info.

 

So another question, We purchased the beverage package for my son. If he orders a soda - will we be charged a service fee on that soda?

 

Another question. The only perks we were given were 2 specialty dining packages and 2 $30 on board credits. What fees can we expect to see added onto our bill if we only eat at the included dining areas and drink only water every day. (im not saying this is going to happen but I just want to know)

 

Even if you don't eat at the specialty dining restaurants, I believe that you will still be obligated to pay for the service charge. (If I am wrong, I am sure that someone will correct me!) If you only want to eat at the included venues, simply do NOT accept the dining package and you won't have to pay the 20% gratuities/service charge.

[twruger]

"Gratuities" are the tips you are forced to pay for service that may or may not be adequate and which the cruise line likely keeps for themselves rather than pass on to the employees.

[JAMESCC]

"Gratuities" are the tips you are forced to pay for service that may or may not be adequate and which the cruise line likely keeps for themselves rather than pass on to the employees.

I hope that last part is not true. If it is that makes me very sad. There should be a law that any fee collected as "gratuities" has to go to the staff.

 

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[NLH Arizona]

"Gratuities" are the tips you are forced to pay for service that may or may not be adequate and which the cruise line likely keeps for themselves rather than pass on to the employees.

Could you please show proof that the cruise line likely keeps this for themself, rather than pass on to their employees?

[twruger]

Could you please show proof that the cruise line likely keeps this for themself, rather than pass on to their employees?

 

No. Could you please show proof that they pass on to employees?

[amscene1]

If you prepay tips on the drink or dining package at 20% then why is the overall tips for the cruise 13.50 a day, shouldn’t it be a flat 20%

 

 

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[KeithJenner]

No. Could you please show proof that they pass on to employees?

 

You are the one who made the claim, so it is down to you to prove it, not for someone else to disprove it.

 

Of course, if you are just speculating then that's fine. Just so long as we are clear.

[littlelulu01]

I asked bar servers that I got to know pretty well and felt they were no bs types. They said they do get tipped out from the ubp and alcohol sales depending on how many have it on the sailing and that the dining, room steward... gets tipped out from the dsc per sailing too. They say it does hurt them per sailing if a bunch take off the dsc. Re the extra tips, they prefer cash. They also receive the extra line tip (above the 20% on bar, speciality dinner ...) but it’s split out amongst staff and only given when the sailing makes a certain amount. They said they make a lot more $ on USA sailings because less are removing the Dsc and people are drinking more.

 

Ncl has a system. It’s really easy to follow. If the staff were not compensated properly for their jobs they would have a staff issue. I’ve yet to see this so I gotta believe them when they say they work hard, are compensated well by their employer, receive tips from the dsc and ubp and they like their job.

 

All the talk of the dsc not being a gratuity makes me wonder motive behind it. Ncl states that it is, staff tell me it is. Yet some posters on the internet continually debating that it’s some money grab scam.

[NLH Arizona]

No. Could you please show proof that they pass on to employees?

I don't need to show proof of anything, because I didn't claim anything. I just asked, because the majority of folks that claim this are the ones who don't pay the DSC and just thought you might have some real information to back up your statement.