Extra charges on board

We are 1st time cruisers embarking on an all-inclusive cruise to the Canaries in December on Norwegian Epic. We are concerned about the potential extra costs that may be involved.

There is an automatic daily service charge-I understand this but would rather tip according to quality of service received. Is this possible?

There are surcharges for some entertainment such as Cirque but what about venues such as the jazz room, the tribute acts and the discos?

I have read that the shore excursions are very expensive. We are not ones for organised trips but would possibly like to explore the ports we are visiting. I presume the organised tours are not compulsory?

We have a balcony cabin and the cruise departs from Barcelona to Morocco and then the Canaries. Are there any tips for the best positioned cabins?

Any tips and general advice would be much appreciated.

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We are 1st time cruisers embarking on an all-inclusive cruise to the Canaries in December on Norwegian Epic. We are concerned about the potential extra costs that may be involved.

There is an automatic daily service charge-I understand this but would rather tip according to quality of service received. Is this possible?

There are surcharges for some entertainment such as Cirque but what about venues such as the jazz room, the tribute acts and the discos?

I have read that the shore excursions are very expensive. We are not ones for organised trips but would possibly like to explore the ports we are visiting. I presume the organised tours are not compulsory?

We have a balcony cabin and the cruise departs from Barcelona to Morocco and then the Canaries. Are there any tips for the best positioned cabins?

Any tips and general advice would be much appreciated.

I'll try to help as much as I can. You're going on what is widely known as the Nickel and dime Cruise Line. Cruises on the major lines, especially NCL, are not all-inclusive.

The daily service charge is mandatory...at least, it could be considered that way. On NCL, you cannot alter or remove the service charge. That can only be done after the cruise by writing the head office. This is a brand new NCL policy.

I believe the extra venues you listed are free.

You do not have to partake in excursions. You can go it on your own in each port.

Another fee you should be aware of that's unique to NCL is the 24/7 room service charge. This is normally free on cruises, but NCL charges $7.95 per order.

NCL also has numerous specialty restaurants that come with various charges, but they are not mandatory to book.

We are 1st time cruisers embarking on an all-inclusive cruise to the Canaries in December on Norwegian Epic. We are concerned about the potential extra costs that may be involved.

There is an automatic daily service charge-I understand this but would rather tip according to quality of service received. Is this possible?

Possible, theoretically, but not practical. In order to have the daily service charges removed you will have to attend at Guest Services and justify the request. It's hard to adequately compensate everyone that should be in your "tip pool" directly. In general, the small daily fee is the most efficient and cost-effective way to go.

There are surcharges for some entertainment such as Cirque but what about venues such as the jazz room, the tribute acts and the discos?

No charge for any entertainment except the Cirque dinner show.

I have read that the shore excursions are very expensive. We are not ones for organised trips but would possibly like to explore the ports we are visiting. I presume the organised tours are not compulsory?

You are free to make your own arrangements in port. It's often (but not always) less expensive. Check your roll-call or the Ports of Call boards for recommendations.

We have a balcony cabin and the cruise departs from Barcelona to Morocco and then the Canaries. Are there any tips for the best positioned cabins?

Haven't you already chosen your cabin? If you've booked a Guarantee, you will not have any say in where it's located. Also, cabin location is pretty subjective. If this is your first cruise you'll need to decide for yourself what priorities you have in this regard.

Any tips and general advice would be much appreciated.

See my comments in red. My #1 piece of advice to any first time cruiser is not to over-plan, or get your heart set on duplicating an experience you've read about on CruiseCritic. Things change fast and everybody's perception is different. Be prepared to see how it goes for you and keep you expectations reasonable. Have a great trip!

..... In order to have the daily service charges removed you will have to attend at Guest Services and justify the request.......

That is no longer the case on NCL. As mentioned in an earlier post on this thread, and I quote poster Aquahound who describes it well: "The daily service charge is mandatory...at least, it could be considered that way. On NCL, you cannot alter or remove the service charge. That can only be done after the cruise by writing the head office. This is a brand new NCL policy.

We are 1st time cruisers embarking on an all-inclusive cruise to the Canaries in December on Norwegian Epic. We are concerned about the potential extra costs that may be involved.

There is an automatic daily service charge-I understand this but would rather tip according to quality of service received. Is this possible? do yourself a favor and leave it as is and just tip extra to those who deserve it.

There are surcharges for some entertainment such as Cirque but what about venues such as the jazz room, the tribute acts and the discos? anything that incurs an extra charge will be clearly marked as having one.

I have read that the shore excursions are very expensive. We are not ones for organised trips but would possibly like to explore the ports we are visiting. I presume the organised tours are not compulsory? not for most ports. a few you would be much better off going through the ship.

We have a balcony cabin and the cruise departs from Barcelona to Morocco and then the Canaries. Are there any tips for the best positioned cabins? a cabin is a cabin is a cabin. do you want easy access to the gym>? the buffet? public areas? do you want the best chance of quiet above? then choose a cabin with cabins on the next deck as opposed to the pool deck

Any tips and general advice would be much appreciated.

alcohol soda and specialty coffee is NOT included and will also have a 15-18% surcharge added automatically. specialty dining is also extra prices will be easily available.

Everyone should research their vacations BEFORE they book, to know what they're dealing with! Tips are the norm on ALL cruise lines....and the other charges are pretty much the same throughout the cruise industry....

Most 1st timers spend about 1/2 the cost of the cruise in "extras".

One word of caution about NCL. Since the recent management change, they have a tendency to make changes without notifying the booked guests, so a few surprises have greeted some who booked expecting one thing and experiencing another after boarding.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I too would highly recommend visiting the NCL Board.

Keith

thanks very much for that info.

Thank you for your reply. We wanted more info before we booked but we are going ahead now.

Thank you.I will check the ship lay out for the most suitable cabin.

Just remember, with the exception of gratuities, you do not have to buy into anything that costs extra, unless you want to. We are very frugal cruisers, and we always have a very enjoyable experience with all the plentiful "included" options.

Although we all need to watch our spending on board, don't spoil your holiday (for which you have paid a lot) be begrudging yourself a few little luxuries.

On a recent cruise we were talking to a couple who admitted they loved liquor coffees at the end of the meal but hadn't indulged this cruise. As a percentage of holiday costs surely they should have had a few.

Have a great cruise!

Although we all need to watch our spending on board, don't spoil your holiday (for which you have paid a lot) be begrudging yourself a few little luxuries.

 

On a recent cruise we were talking to a couple who admitted they loved liquor coffees at the end of the meal but hadn't indulged this cruise. As a percentage of holiday costs surely they should have had a few.

 

Have a great cruise!

That is where rum runners with a little Bailey's come into play !!!

On a recent cruise we were talking to a couple who admitted they loved liquor coffees at the end of the meal but hadn't indulged this cruise. As a percentage of holiday costs surely they should have had a few.

There are plenty of things that I enjoy but won't pay for. I'm not exactly frugal since I do like to splurge on some things (like good food) but I will not do it on drinks. Alcohol is so over priced and so is soda. So you'll most of the time find me drinking boring water, which is healthier anyway. :)

That is no longer the case on NCL. As mentioned in an earlier post on this thread, and I quote poster Aquahound who describes it well: "The daily service charge is mandatory...at least, it could be considered that way. On NCL, you cannot alter or remove the service charge. That can only be done after the cruise by writing the head office. This is a brand new NCL policy.

Honestly, it's about time. I wish they'd even take it one step farther - add it to the fare and not even bother differentiating that it's a service charge or gratuity.

Honestly, it's about time. I wish they'd even take it one step farther - add it to the fare and not even bother differentiating that it's a service charge or gratuity.

There is a poster who occasionally posts here who has been involved with the cruise industry for quite some time. He detailed the main reason why most cruise lines do not roll up the gratuities into the fare. The gist of the explanation is about the taxes paid by the crew members in their home countries, and the fees paid to the agency that handles their employment applications.

If the fare was included, and the crew was paid a "living wage" (whatever that means), they would be taxed on their entire income earnings. Tips are typically not taxed in their home countries, especially countries that do not have a tipping culture. If a crew member makes $500 a month in wages, and $2,000 a month in tips, they only pay taxes on the $500. The $2,000 in tips is not taxed.

The same goes with agency fees. The fees are based on guaranteed earnings, their monthly wages, and not on variable income such as tips.

If gratuities were rolled into the fare, the large majority of their income would then be salary, and they now would have to pay taxes and agency fees on it all.

The way the system is structured today allows the crew to retain more of their income by reporting a lower guaranteed income, with fewer taxes and fees, which is a major benefit for them.

There is a poster who occasionally posts here who has been involved with the cruise industry for quite some time. He detailed the main reason why most cruise lines do not roll up the gratuities into the fare. The gist of the explanation is about the taxes paid by the crew members in their home countries, and the fees paid to the agency that handles their employment applications.

 

If the fare was included, and the crew was paid a "living wage" (whatever that means), they would be taxed on their entire income earnings. Tips are typically not taxed in their home countries, especially countries that do not have a tipping culture. If a crew member makes $500 a month in wages, and $2,000 a month in tips, they only pay taxes on the $500. The $2,000 in tips is not taxed.

 

The same goes with agency fees. The fees are based on guaranteed earnings, their monthly wages, and not on variable income such as tips.

 

If gratuities were rolled into the fare, the large majority of their income would then be salary, and they now would have to pay taxes and agency fees on it all.

 

The way the system is structured today allows the crew to retain more of their income by reporting a lower guaranteed income, with fewer taxes and fees, which is a major benefit for them.

great post! very informative!

There is a poster who occasionally posts here who has been involved with the cruise industry for quite some time. He detailed the main reason why most cruise lines do not roll up the gratuities into the fare. The gist of the explanation is about the taxes paid by the crew members in their home countries, and the fees paid to the agency that handles their employment applications.

 

If the fare was included, and the crew was paid a "living wage" (whatever that means), they would be taxed on their entire income earnings. Tips are typically not taxed in their home countries, especially countries that do not have a tipping culture. If a crew member makes $500 a month in wages, and $2,000 a month in tips, they only pay taxes on the $500. The $2,000 in tips is not taxed.

 

The same goes with agency fees. The fees are based on guaranteed earnings, their monthly wages, and not on variable income such as tips.

 

If gratuities were rolled into the fare, the large majority of their income would then be salary, and they now would have to pay taxes and agency fees on it all.

 

The way the system is structured today allows the crew to retain more of their income by reporting a lower guaranteed income, with fewer taxes and fees, which is a major benefit for them.

Fine, but why does the cruising public have to be aware of how the staff is compensated? If it's just a line on the invoice (right under taxes and port fees), can't the cruise lines then disburse it however they want? We are culturally attuned to assume that a tip or gratuity is given voluntarily by a patron as a reward for service and everyone has a slightly different take on what service merits what tip. I must assume that's why so many people enquire about removing the auto-gratuities so they can tip as they please. A mandatory service charge does not allow for that so the semantics of it being a "gratuity" is problematic. Personally, I'm all for the crew being compensated and actually PREFER not to have to concern myself with "taking care" of everybody like in the old days with the cash envelopes.

Fine, but why does the cruising public have to be aware of how the staff is compensated? If it's just a line on the invoice (right under taxes and port fees), can't the cruise lines then disburse it however they want? We are culturally attuned to assume that a tip or gratuity is given voluntarily by a patron as a reward for service and everyone has a slightly different take on what service merits what tip. I must assume that's why so many people enquire about removing the auto-gratuities so they can tip as they please. A mandatory service charge does not allow for that so the semantics of it being a "gratuity" is problematic. Personally, I'm all for the crew being compensated and actually PREFER not to have to concern myself with "taking care" of everybody like in the old days with the cash envelopes.

If you carefully read the NCL website explaining how the DSC is disbursed, they ARE distributing the funds however they want, and are purposely keeping the language vague in order to accomplish their goals.

They make it impossible to determine if your servers and steward are getting any of the DSC.

Fine, but why does the cruising public have to be aware of how the staff is compensated? If it's just a line on the invoice (right under taxes and port fees), can't the cruise lines then disburse it however they want? We are culturally attuned to assume that a tip or gratuity is given voluntarily by a patron as a reward for service and everyone has a slightly different take on what service merits what tip. I must assume that's why so many people enquire about removing the auto-gratuities so they can tip as they please. A mandatory service charge does not allow for that so the semantics of it being a "gratuity" is problematic. Personally, I'm all for the crew being compensated and actually PREFER not to have to concern myself with "taking care" of everybody like in the old days with the cash envelopes.

The cruising public doesn't need to know how the staff is compensated. All they need to know is what the cruise line recommends, as that is designed to compensate the staff, while minimizing the loss of that compensation in taxes and fees. Just as the cruising public doesn't need to know who the port fees or taxes specifically go to, but they pay them anyway, they should treat the gratuities the same way. Just pay them and be done with it.

I have a hard time understanding why people have such a problem with the recommended gratuities. Are some people so selfish that they can't even go along with the small amount recommended to reward the staff who serves them? Are people really that stubborn that they can only see what benefits themselves, without a care for the crew?

People, it is what it is. Just accept it as a cost of cruising, just as one would the cost of transportation to get to the ship and back home again. Why constantly fight it? Is it really worth all the angst some of you have over this rather trivial matter? :confused:

There is an automatic daily service charge-I understand this but would rather tip according to quality of service received. Is this possible?

The Service Charge isn't a tip.

You will not be disappointed with the service.

The cruising public doesn't need to know how the staff is compensated. All they need to know is what the cruise line recommends, as that is designed to compensate the staff, while minimizing the loss of that compensation in taxes and fees. Just as the cruising public doesn't need to know who the port fees or taxes specifically go to, but they pay them anyway, they should treat the gratuities the same way. Just pay them and be done with it.

 

I have a hard time understanding why people have such a problem with the recommended gratuities. Are some people so selfish that they can't even go along with the small amount recommended to reward the staff who serves them? Are people really that stubborn that they can only see what benefits themselves, without a care for the crew?

 

People, it is what it is. Just accept it as a cost of cruising, just as one would the cost of transportation to get to the ship and back home again. Why constantly fight it? Is it really worth all the angst some of you have over this rather trivial matter? :confused:

NCL has recently made payment of the DSC mandatory and will not allow it to be adjusted while you are onboard the ship. This will work to the detriment of some of the crew because some would prefer to remove the DSC and tip in cash, but may choose not to give cash if they cannot be assured they will get the DSC money back.

Also, NCL's desciption of the distribution of the DSC funds does not assure anyone that the people who serve them will receive any of the DSC funds.

Some who post here prefer to stick their heads into the sand and not face the reality of what NCL is doing.

NCL has recently made payment of the DSC mandatory and will not allow it to be adjusted while you are onboard the ship. This will work to the detriment of some of the crew because some would prefer to remove the DSC and tip in cash, but may choose not to give cash if they cannot be assured they will get the DSC money back.

 

Also, NCL's desciption of the distribution of the DSC funds does not assure anyone that the people who serve them will receive any of the DSC funds.

 

Some who post here prefer to stick their heads into the sand and not face the reality of what NCL is doing.

I think they stopped allowing people to remove the service charge to put more money into the crews pockets and possibly stop crew from leaving. A great portion of their pay is from the service charge. Now the crew know that they will be paid for their work. What a huge relief that must be. I would think that this should help with morale and staff retainment. I sure wouldn't be happy at work not knowing if I was going to receive 100 o/o of my wage that week or only 70 o/o. I don't believe that it would make me work harder because I truly feel that almost everyone who took their service charges off when they could had made that decision based on saving money and not based on the service that they received.