NCL Service Charge - Can this be changed? waved?

[johnnyboz]

I paid for my cruise. No One ever said there was to be a mandatory $10 pp per day added on when I bought the cruise. These people work for the cruise line. Let them pay them appropriately. Im taking the money off immediately. These thieves rip you off every chance they get. The tours are ridiculously overrpriced as is any other service you want provided on the ship.

[El-Bac]

I will start off by saying I'm perfectly fine with the auto-tipping.

 

I did one cruise on RCCL and did not liek the whole 'envelope' thing. It kinda annoyed me that I was expected to hand an envelope to the head waiter as he did pretty much not a danged thing the whole week.

 

Meanwhile, I would suggest a small change to the NCL way of doing things: prorate the $10 pp/pd based on cabin class.

 

Class M lower deck interior stateroom that payed $499 pp for the cruise: They pay say $8 per person per day for the auto gratuity.

 

high-class balcony cabin that paid $1099 pp for the cruise: They pay $25 per person per day for the auto gratuity.

 

As it is now I feel it's unfair. Lower class cabins pay a higher percentage of what they for the cruise compared to the percentage paid by the upper-class cabins.

 

Look at it this way: You're in a restaurant (not on a cruise) and you order soup and salad. Should you pay the same gratuity as someone else in the same restaurant that had a two pound steak and a bottle of wine?

[98Charlie]

I paid for my cruise. No One ever said there was to be a mandatory $10 pp per day added on when I bought the cruise. These people work for the cruise line. Let them pay them appropriately. Im taking the money off immediately. These thieves rip you off every chance they get. The tours are ridiculously overrpriced as is any other service you want provided on the ship.

Please check your smoke alarm. I think I smell approaching flames.

 

All kidding aside, what have you done on past cruises? Most or all of the mass cruise lines now have auto-tipping. There have been many discussions about it on the boards.

 

By all means, if you feel that strongly about it, go to the purser and ask to have it removed. Let us know how it goes.

 

Charlie

[Leafpeeper]

Greetings everyone,

We've sailed on Princess and Carnival.

Can someone tell me if the Service Charge is mandatory? Meaning - I realize that tipping is optional in addition to the service charge.... but I prefer doing all this sort of thing on my own and in person.

 

Do I have the right on NCL to ask to have the service charges removed from my account?

 

I'd like to hear of the experience of others. Princess and Carnival allow me to have the entire amount removed.

 

You do have the right to have these fees removed and you can tip in cash. It is much easier for most people to have the fees charged to their onboard account rather than handing out tips. You can always do both if you want to give extra to a waiter or cabin steward. It is your decision. You must go to the pursers desk before the end of the cruise to have your account adjusted. Don't forget that NCL is a freestyle cruiseline so you don't have the same waiter every day unless you request the same table and same waiter in the main dining room. The advantage of freestyle is eating at different restaurants. We found the service was superior on NCL Pearl last week. Only problem we had was people smoking outdoors on both sides of the ship on deck 7 and upper deck bar.

[CC Help Michell]

I paid for my cruise. No One ever said there was to be a mandatory $10 pp per day added on when I bought the cruise. These people work for the cruise line. Let them pay them appropriately. Im taking the money off immediately. These thieves rip you off every chance they get. The tours are ridiculously overrpriced as is any other service you want provided on the ship.

 

 

Hm... I give it a 6 for hitting most of the "hot buttons," a 8 for "inclusion of irrelevancies," but I'm afraid I can only give it a 5 overall because at post number 200, it's way too late in this overblown thread for maximum impact/flame-ignition.

[petesweet]

I will start off by saying I'm perfectly fine with the auto-tipping.

 

I did one cruise on RCCL and did not liek the whole 'envelope' thing. It kinda annoyed me that I was expected to hand an envelope to the head waiter as he did pretty much not a danged thing the whole week.

 

Meanwhile, I would suggest a small change to the NCL way of doing things: prorate the $10 pp/pd based on cabin class.

 

Class M lower deck interior stateroom that payed $499 pp for the cruise: They pay say $8 per person per day for the auto gratuity.

 

high-class balcony cabin that paid $1099 pp for the cruise: They pay $25 per person per day for the auto gratuity.

 

As it is now I feel it's unfair. Lower class cabins pay a higher percentage of what they for the cruise compared to the percentage paid by the upper-class cabins.

 

Look at it this way: You're in a restaurant (not on a cruise) and you order soup and salad. Should you pay the same gratuity as someone else in the same restaurant that had a two pound steak and a bottle of wine?

 

Nice thought, but I really don't think that would be an equitable solution. Being an "inside person" myself, I would enjoy the lower price, but since I would be receiving the same good service in the dining room and the same wonderful care by my cabin steward, I couldn't justify paying less in tips.

[hawaiilvr]

I paid for my cruise. No One ever said there was to be a mandatory $10 pp per day added on when I bought the cruise. These people work for the cruise line. Let them pay them appropriately. Im taking the money off immediately. These thieves rip you off every chance they get. The tours are ridiculously overrpriced as is any other service you want provided on the ship.

 

I guess you didn't read your cruise documents. It isn't hidden that there is a $10 pp per day addition for tipping. I guess when you go to a restaurant in town you don't tip either? No one you know has ever worked in the service industry, I guess.

 

If you think cruise companies are "thieves" then DON'T CRUISE! Sheesh!

[El-Bac]

I guess you didn't read your cruise documents. It isn't hidden that there is a $10 pp per day addition for tipping. I guess when you go to a restaurant in town you don't tip either? No one you know has ever worked in the service industry, I guess.

 

If you think cruise companies are "thieves" then DON'T CRUISE! Sheesh!

 

You are saying 'read your cruise docs' to this person, yet you don't get those until 30 days prior to sailing... often long after final payment is made.

[hawaiilvr]

You are saying 'read your cruise docs' to this person, yet you don't get those until 30 days prior to sailing... often long after final payment is made.

 

Read the brochure - Norwegian Cruise Line Freestyle Cruising 2007-2008, page 95 in the FAQ section, While You Cruise section - "Is There a Service Charge?" I read this FAQ section before I booked a cruise. If you don't research before you pay, then the problem is yours and you have no one to blame but yourself. Also, if your travel agent doesn't tell you about the auto-tipping (service charge) they are doing you a terrible disservice.

 

I found the auto-tipping an easy way to tip. Since I never had the same waiter twice, it would have been next to impossible to tip appropriately. When I cruised the first time, I paid the people directly, and paid approximately the same amount for the same service. I don't feel ripped off at all!

[Wilba]

Hm... I give it a 6 for hitting most of the "hot buttons," a 8 for "inclusion of irrelevancies," but I'm afraid I can only give it a 5 overall because at post number 200, it's way too late in this overblown thread for maximum impact/flame-ignition.

 

 

I fail to see why It's too late to change. This post was to as & why The Brits remove/change autotips not about the pro's & con's of tipping. El-Bac does have a fair point though, relate it to normal life, does a window cleaner pay the same IR as the Chairman of Rolls Royce.

Back to my post 200, most of you say this argument will go round & round. I disagree. The issue will grow bigger as time goes on. 35 years ago on my first visit to the US, tipping was regarded as 8-10%........then10% became the norm & 15% for 'Good' service. Then It's 15% the norm & 20% for 'Good' service, & so the figures go on 20/25/30%. Where do you draw the line, If there is one to be drawn? I think I speak for the majority of Brits here, they have already drawn the line on how far they are prepared to go, see UKCHRIS's last post.

As for the 'Gap' widening, your tipping percentage is growing with time, whereas I feel the New Younger UK Generation will fail to tip at all whichever country they are visiting, as it becoming less & less a part of British custom. If there are any UK cab drivers out there maybe they could comment on how the younger generation tip.

 

Of course I missed the most important point of all! If cruise lines hide their 'charges' in the original cost, & everybody's happy, what the Hell are we going to find to argue about? ...............Flower Arranging?

[ohioNCLcruiser]

having the auto tip service = 7 day cruise $599

 

no tips with cruise line paying full salary to all crew = 7 day cruise $2500.

 

 

I think everyone should be a waiter for a month, heck even a week! People don't realize how hard it is and your tips can mean the difference between making rent or not.

[Wilba]

having the auto tip service = 7 day cruise $599

 

no tips with cruise line paying full salary to all crew = 7 day cruise $2500.

 

Who made the point of paying a Full Salary?

All the cruise lines are asking for is about $10 a day & then everything will be hunky dory.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Some people said they shouldn't have to pay the workers the bulk of their salary (with the auto tip), but if that became true the cruise lines would still pass the costs onto them with higher cruise prices.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

double post

[ohioNCLcruiser]

I paid for my cruise. No One ever said there was to be a mandatory $10 pp per day added on when I bought the cruise. These people work for the cruise line. Let them pay them appropriately. Im taking the money off immediately. These thieves rip you off every chance they get. The tours are ridiculously overrpriced as is any other service you want provided on the ship.

 

This doesnt mean anything to the actual Company, all it will do is rip off the crew.

[huh]

I have no problem with the automatic tip/service charge. It's an easy way to deal with it and I avoid spending the last night of the cruise gathering up small bills and stuffing them into various envelopes. Let's face it, $10.00 a day isn't bad. I can easily tip that much for a dinner alone.

 

That being said, if you want to remover the auto tip, knock yourself out.

But as you wander around the ship, be sure you take some cash for tipping and/or a notebook to write down the name of staff members who you think desreve a tip.

[salty dingo]

I paid for my cruise. No One ever said there was to be a mandatory $10 pp per day added on when I bought the cruise. These people work for the cruise line. Let them pay them appropriately. Im taking the money off immediately. These thieves rip you off every chance they get. The tours are ridiculously overrpriced as is any other service you want provided on the ship.

 

:rolleyes: some people just do not belong on a cruise ship!

[johnnyboz]

Before you start saying how much cruises would go up I would ask you to google these cruise lines and see how much they make each year. Theres a reason why ships keep coming out each year they are making billions of dollars. They should be paying their employees. Holland America have competitive rates with all other cruise lines. How are they able to include tipping in their rates?

[cruise4kicks]

Before you start saying how much cruises would go up I would ask you to google these cruise lines and see how much they make each year. Theres a reason why ships keep coming out each year they are making billions of dollars. They should be paying their employees. Holland America have competitive rates with all other cruise lines. How are they able to include tipping in their rates?

They do not. They charge a "Hotel Service Charge" of $10/pax/day.

http://www.hollandamerica.com/guests/category.do?category=money&topic=tipping

"To ensure that the efforts of all of our crewmembers are recognized and rewarded, a Hotel Service Charge of $10 per passenger is automatically added to each guest's shipboard account on a daily basis. If our service exceeds or fails to meet your expectations, you are free to adjust this amount at the end of the cruise. The Hotel Service Charge is paid entirely to Holland America Line crewmembers, and represents an important part of their compensation. "

 

Guess you won't be cruising HAL anytime soon, either?

[MrLee]

Before you start saying how much cruises would go up I would ask you to google these cruise lines and see how much they make each year.

 

Okay.

 

NCL Corporation Reports Third Quarter Results for 2007

 

 

MIAMI

NCL Corporation Ltd. (“NCL” or the “Company”) reported a net loss of

$8.6 million on total revenues of $631.4 million for its third quarter

ended September 30, 2007. This compares to net income of $49.0 million

on total revenues of $597.5 million for the third quarter of 2006. Net

loss for the third quarter of 2007 included a non-cash foreign

exchange translation loss of $42.9 million primarily related to

marking-to-market of the Company’s Euro-denominated debt. Net income

for the third quarter of 2006 included $7.3 million in connection with

a settlement agreement for the remaining portion of our claims against

the builder of Pride of America, as well as a $2.5 million non-cash

foreign exchange translation gain primarily related to the

marking-to-market of the Company’s Euro-denominated debt.

 

 

Revenues for the third quarter of 2007 increased 5.7% compared to the

third quarter of 2006, driven primarily by a 6.3% increase in Net

Yields and a 2.8% increase in Capacity Days. Net Yields improved

primarily as result of an increase in passenger ticket prices due to

an increase in consumer demand. Gross Yields increased 2.8% from the

third quarter of 2006.

 

 

“Pricing in the Caribbean has stabilized and is improving,” said Colin

Veitch, president and chief executive officer of NCL Corporation Ltd.

“We are also encouraged that the measures we have taken with respect

to our Hawaii operations seem to be having a positive impact. These

improvements have contributed to our overall fourth quarter booking

levels and ticket prices being up versus levels achieved at the same

time last year. As a result, we expect that the change in net yields

for the full year 2007 will be positive.”

 

 

Net Cruise Costs per Capacity Day for the third quarter of 2007

increased 6.6% compared to the same period in the prior year. The

increase was primarily attributable to higher other operating expenses

(due primarily to the timing of maintenance and repairs expenses), and

higher marketing, general and administrative expenses mainly due to

additional professional fees primarily in connection with information

technology projects. Gross Cruise Costs per Capacity Day increased

2.3% from the third quarter of 2006.

 

 

In addition, average fuel prices for the third quarter, including the

impact of fuel hedges, increased 10% to $405 per metric ton from $368

per metric ton in the third quarter of 2006. This increase in price

contributed to a year-over-year increase in fuel costs of $3.5

million.

 

 

As a result of an increase in average outstanding borrowings, interest

expense (net of interest income) increased approximately 25.1% to

$42.6 million in the third quarter of 2007 from $34.0 million in the

third quarter of 2006.

 

 

The Company took delivery of Norwegian Gem, a 2,400-berth ship, on

October 1, 2007. After a series of voyages in the Mediterranean, the

ship will sail to the Bahamas from its homeport of New York City. On

November 5, 2007, Norwegian Crown, a 1,080-berth ship built in 1988

that was on charter to NCL, left the NCL fleet and was delivered to

its owner.

 

 

“With the delivery of Norwegian Gem and the return of Norwegian Crown,

NCL now has the youngest fleet of the major operators in the

industry,” said Veitch. “In addition, as our next ships are delivered,

the F3 One and F3 Two, we not only strengthen this distinction, but

expand on the highly successful “Freestyle Cruising” concept that is

unique to NCL. We look forward to the completion of the previously

announced $1 billion equity investment from Apollo, which we believe

will take place this quarter, allowing us to continue with this

exciting growth program.”

 

:rolleyes:

[rsinj]

I think everyone should be a waiter for a month, heck even a week! People don't realize how hard it is and your tips can mean the difference between making rent or not.

 

I think everyone who goes into a career where they depend on the bulk of their pay coming from guests giving a subjective gratuity first read and sign a document which states that, and that if they want to go around carrying a chip on their shoulder thinking that the customers are screwing the crew, then maybe such a career really isn't for them.

 

I really couldn't care if making rent is a problem for you or anyone else - that is not my problem. You have a gripe with the amount of money you make, take that up with your employer. I am the customer, not your employer.

 

Howard

[rsinj]

having the auto tip service = 7 day cruise $599

 

no tips with cruise line paying full salary to all crew = 7 day cruise $2500.

 

Full salary to all crew? Exactly how much is that? If you want to come crying and moaning that I'm not paying you enough, then how about you show me how much you all make so I can make a fair judgement on what a reasonable salary is for you? Also, let's not forget to include the free room, board and travel you're getting - what's that worth, maybe $1000 or $1500 a month tax free? Oh yes, and, how much exactly are you paying in income taxes on your salary and tips?

 

The bottom line - I really don't care how much you make, nor should I be concerned with it. I pay for my cruise, I give a reasonable gratuity based on what I value the services at, and that's the end of it. If the cruiselines want to collect auto-tips, fine, let them, less work for me.

 

Howard

[rsinj]

having the auto tip service = 7 day cruise $599

 

no tips with cruise line paying full salary to all crew = 7 day cruise $2500.

 

That is so silly - could dream up some more numbers James?

 

Seriously - $1900/week if the cruise line paid the "full salary" with no tips? Exactly how did you come up with that James? If people are "only" being hit up for $10/person/day ($70 for 7 days) how are you coming up with $1900 without that?

 

Howard

[ohioNCLcruiser]

That is so silly - could dream up some more numbers James?

 

Seriously - $1900/week if the cruise line paid the "full salary" with no tips? Exactly how did you come up with that James? If people are "only" being hit up for $10/person/day ($70 for 7 days) how are you coming up with $1900 without that?

 

Howard

 

Just look up the prices of some sailings from cruise lines where its included.

 

And from your other comment, I also don't care if you care if someone can make rent money or not but when people book a cruise on NCL they agree to the terms and conditions and one of those is the auto tip so I do feel that when people agree to this then take it off within 5 min of boarding the ship are taking away from the crew.

 

This is just my views on it and I honestly don't really care about tips, I do this job because I like the job and I love working on a cruise ship but most people here are here because of the money.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

That is so silly - could dream up some more numbers James?

 

Seriously - $1900/week if the cruise line paid the "full salary" with no tips? Exactly how did you come up with that James? If people are "only" being hit up for $10/person/day ($70 for 7 days) how are you coming up with $1900 without that?

 

Howard

 

If you take housekeepers and waiters who can make as little as $50 a week (before tips) and then change it to pay them $10 an hour, plus $15/hr over 40 hours thats going from $50 a week to $400 regular, $600 in overtime thats costing cruise lines an extra $1,150 more a week per crew and then times that the amount of hundreds of waiters and housekeepers. It all adds up.