OBC for tips

[Wzt9wj2]

Can you use purchased onboard credit certificates to pay for crew tips?

[Pitzel]

Daily service charges? Yes. Purchased OBC is considered "refundable" and can be used for DSCs.

If you want to add an additional gratuity at a specialty restaurant, you can add that to your check at the end of the meal and it will come out of the OBC.

If you want to tip anyone else (room steward, bartenders, main dining room servers, etc.), you will have to go to guest services and tell them the full name of the crew member that you would like to tip and the amount. Alternatively, you can ask to get the OBC refunded to you in cash and then use the cash to tip crew members.

[Wzt9wj2]

Thanks for the clarification, Pitzel.

[phillygwm]

Just curious why you'd do this.  DSC may be prepaid; bar and restaurant packages have tips built into the cost.  By using refundable OBC for "above and beyond" tips, NCL is an intermediary.  There are other threads on the topic and, essentially, nobody on here knows with 100% certainty how it works, but it seems that those tips go into the designated crew member's pocket indirectly, if at all.

 

Better to bring cash for the purpose.  

[TrumpyNor]

4 hours ago, phillygwm said:

Just curious why you'd do this.  DSC may be prepaid; bar and restaurant packages have tips built into the cost.  By using refundable OBC for "above and beyond" tips, NCL is an intermediary.  There are other threads on the topic and, essentially, nobody on here knows with 100% certainty how it works, but it seems that those tips go into the designated crew member's pocket indirectly, if at all.

 

Better to bring cash for the purpose.  

I was on a NCL cruise earlier this month, and as we were very content with both the meal and the waiter we had in Le Bistro, we booked a table there for a couple of other nights and asked to be seated at that waiters station. We like to pay extra tip in speciality restaurants if the service has been very good - and this time (because of all the threads on the topic here on CruiseCritic) I asked who would get the extra gratuities if I added them on the 0,00 bill at the end of the meal - I actually asked specifically if he would get it all or if it went in to some kind of "tipping pool" and shared with his collegues. And the smiling response was the same as I have received when asked a different waiter the same question on a different NCL ship some years ago: "It all goes to me, ma'am".

[MoCruiseFan]

15 hours ago, Wzt9wj2 said:

Can you use purchased onboard credit certificates to pay for crew tips?

 Are you asking about tips or thr dsc?  It all depends on if it is refundable obc or non-refundable.

[Firstin87]

9 hours ago, phillygwm said:

Just curious why you'd do this.  DSC may be prepaid; bar and restaurant packages have tips built into the cost.  By using refundable OBC for "above and beyond" tips, NCL is an intermediary.  There are other threads on the topic and, essentially, nobody on here knows with 100% certainty how it works, but it seems that those tips go into the designated crew member's pocket indirectly, if at all.

 

Better to bring cash for the purpose.  

One reason for pre-purchasing OBC and cashing it out the night before disembarkation is to lessen the amount of cash one would carry on the trip.  If it's a long cruise and cash is brought for tips used both onboard and in port, that may be more cash than someone is comfortable carrying.

[BirdTravels]

15 hours ago, Wzt9wj2 said:

Thanks for the clarification, Pitzel.

It's kinda like going to a restaurant. You add tip to your bill and the Restaurant gets the money. How much actually gets to your server.... you'll never know. Same is with adding a tip to your specialty dining or going to Guest Services and asking that tip go to someone specific. The Cruise Line gets the money and whether the money goes to that specific person or to a slush fund,,, you'll never know.

 

It is better to tip in cash. The intended recipient of the tip gets the money in their hands and feels appreciated. Whether they, in turn, put it in a "tip jar" to share is up to them. 

[Wzt9wj2]

Thanks for everyones input & insights.

 

As the original poster here’s my POV and the reason I asked: It’s a 17 day cruise, we have 14 speciality meals scheduled, we will have a butler & concierge. I wanted a way to ensure a set amount of $$ was for tipping for extra workers not included in  the prepaid gratuities. My thoughts were to bring cash only for port shopping purchases.

 

Now that I know I can use refundable OBC for personalized tipping, I can go to guest services to apply and also also get a receipt.  I plan to put the personalized tip receipt in small thank-you cards and hand deliver them to recipients.