$10 per person per day activity fee???

[RWFrye5]

Those of us who have been around CC for a while already know - and those who are new to the boards will soon learn - the great TIP debate is going to go on forever!!!

 

We have been fortunate that on every NCL Cruise we've been on, or room stewards have been awesome - so in spite of the $10.00 per day, we have always given them extra.

 

I don't know why NCL doesn't just increase the price of the cruise by $10.00 per day - include it in your original price - and then claim a "No Tipping Required" policy. No one will know the difference.

[RWFrye5]

The bar staff get an automatic 15% with every order. People who have the unlimited coke stickers when ordering a coke do not have to sign for them and no tip is charged (although you DO pay the 15% when you buy the sticker). I found myself waving my card around several times and being overlooked by the bar staff - after all - what was more to their benefit - me with my free coke or the guy next to me with the bucket of beer? I learned about half way through the cruise while at the pool - when I got my first coke of the day, I gave the waiter a dollar. After that (and I don't mean this to be disrespectful - BUT) it was like seagulls at the board walk. As soon as my cup was down to just ice - I would have several staff coming to me asking if I needed a refill. Of course I didnt tip with every refill - otherwise, why bother with the card - but I did tip occasionally just to keep the interest!

[johnql]

The bar staff get an automatic 15% with every order.

Not true on NCLA ships - another reason why the two brands should be separated (to eliminate confusion). Bar tabs on NCLA ships leave the tip line blank and the passenger is expected to fill it in. The automatic 15% gratuity on bar tabs occurs on NCL ships.

[Captain Canuck]

this board had me confused so I went and read the ncl website. the gratuity section has been quoted. above that is the service charge section. there is a $10 a day service charge. that is the normal tip. However, its like Europe where they include the tip as a service charge. practise likely instituted by the French who have the worlds worst waiters...worst food too..they had to learn to cover it up with sauces to let people eat it...but that is beside the point...you can tip for special service but it is not expected...it also says that a 15% gratuity is expected on bar tabs...all mine on NCL in the past were already included..is this new on the prides?

[RWFrye5]

I'm sorry for the misinformation - when I cruised Hawaii, it was still NCL.

 

Hey Cruise Critic!!!!!! Can we get a seperate Link for NCLA and save those of us with simple minds a little confusion?

[LaRee1L]

In the past in my little pea brain, I thought the $10 a day charge was split among crew members for services rendered and if I thought I got exceptional service I could give an additional tip to individuals. Now I think I was wrong. I hope I don't confuse people with my interpretation (SP?) of the following. I copied and pasted the info below from the NCL site. The way I read it, the service charge "SUPPORTS incentive programs". I personally would like to know how the incentive programs work - it sounds like this is a program where crew members work to get a bigger piece of the pie (for example the little rating cards in the dining room - if a person receives more rating cards than another will they get more money? and if this is how it works where are the rating cards for the room stewards, front desk personnel, etc?) Just how much of this money actually goes to crew members - remember, it only SUPPORTS the incentive programs. Service charge and gratuities are two complete separate issues.

 

Next, according to this info, gratuities (tips) are not required or recommended by NCL, but that a passenger can recognize service by tipping an individual(s) at their discretion.

 

So, in my humble opinion it appears that any tips that crew members receive are the tips they receive from passengers unless they become eligible to receive some type of compensation from the Incentive programs.

 

Bottom line to me is - There is only the one $10 pd, pp, Service Charge. I guess I'd better better take "tip" money with me because I want to make sure that good service I receive is rewarded.

 

 

 

What about Tipping?

 

SERVICE CHARGE

A fixed service charge of $10 per person, per day will be added to your onboard account. For children ages 3-12, a $5 per person per day charge will be added to your onboard account; there is no charge for children under the age of three. Our crew is encouraged to work together as a service team and is compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that the service charge supports. It is our earnest wish that you enjoy your Freestyle Cruise experience and that our entire crew in all areas of the ship will provide you with the standard of service for which NCL is known. Therefore, if you have any concerns about the service you receive during your cruise, please bring them to the immediate attention of our reception desk staff on board so that we can address any issues in a timely manner before the cruise is over.

 

Both NCL and NCL America have a structured guest satisfaction program on board designed to handle any concerns raised by our guests relating to the service or on board product quickly and efficiently. In almost all cases we are able to come up with a satisfactory solution to any issues which are raised and make sure our guests can focus on enjoying their cruise vacation. In the unlikely event we cannot satisfactorily resolve the issue through our guest satisfaction program, guests will be able to adjust the service charge according to the level of inconvenience they feel they have experienced. Our clear priority is to have the opportunity of resolving the issue, when it happens, to everyone’s complete satisfaction.

 

GRATUITIES

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on NCL America or Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for service that is generally rendered to all guests.

 

However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile", and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.

 

Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.