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gratuities on Norwegian cruise line


The Fox
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I can only speak for myself but for me it is the level of tipping that NCL is expecting that is a problem for me. At A$39 per couple everyday it is way above anything we would ever leave as a tip.

 

I know they usually sail US area where tips are compulsory but I understand they charge way more then other lines. For a small amount of effort to do your own tipping we could pay for other services offered not only on the ship but onshore.

Absolutely agree with you, turns me off cruising with them.

 

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Well service charge is splited between all people who work on booard. Obviously you can tip your waiter or butler but you can not tip the people who wash your clothes or cook your food or make sure of your security on board. So we pay services charge but we reduce it. Around 5 $ p. day for our son and 8 for adult plus we tip our Butler and sometimes the splash academy people

 

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The tips are not split between all people who work on board. The people who wash your clothes or cook your food or make sure of your security on board are not part of the tipping pool. It is only for service staff - stewards, bar attendants etc.

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The tips are not split between all people who work on board. The people who wash your clothes or cook your food or make sure of your security on board are not part of the tipping pool. It is only for service staff - stewards, bar attendants etc.

Agreed,

Personally I purchase the cruise after I have worked out the total cost (including gratuities)and just pay the fare and don't have to worry about who gets what or how they get it.

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We did an NCL cruise from Copenhagen in May, we had our tips prepaid As part of the pick your perk (or whatever the promotion was called).

If you want to remove your tips, (we don't) you must go to pursers desk and request for them to be removed, they do ask you to fill out a form, you must document what the issue is and then gratuities are refunded after you disembark (from reading posts 6-8 weeks to get your refund).

They add the charge believing it's fair, you remove the charge for poor service, nothing more.

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I'd say there's entirely a possibility that we might be asked to fill out a form, but in our experience we haven't been. They were removed during the cruise.

 

Definition of a tip (Merriam-Webster): something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service. I don't think we can accurately use the term in this instance. Even NCL calls them "service charges".

Edited by sofmall
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I'm from Aus and the gratuities are added to your onboard account unless you pay them beforehand. When booking you can choose to pay them before or onboard. I always choose to pay them onboard. I also book through the NCL site direct. I have never requested to have them taken off as I figure / when in America. I think if you do want to take them off you have to email a form post cruise. The gratuities aren't included in the fare unless you choose to pay. What is included is the taxes and port fees.

 

 

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I'd say there's entirely a possibility that we might be asked to fill out a form, but in our experience we haven't been. They were removed during the cruise.

 

Definition of a tip (Merriam-Webster): something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service. I don't think we can accurately use the term in this instance. Even NCL calls them "service charges".

Service charges are part of the fees like taxes and such and IMO should only be removed if you do not use the service (not possible on the ship) or if the service was unsatisfactory in which case it can be reduced.

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  • 1 month later...
Service charges are part of the fees like taxes and such and IMO should only be removed if you do not use the service (not possible on the ship) or if the service was unsatisfactory in which case it can be reduced.

 

I dont think Cruise Ship Service /Gratuity charges are " like Taxes " - the very nature of such means they are discretionary here in Australia. If they are fees - then add them to the fare - if they are not then they are optional - . My opinion .

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I HATE the whole tipping culture.

 

I have seen way too often people who tip thinking that it entitles them to better service (just look at all the threads that talk about handing out $$$ to the steward on the first day, or a tip to the bartender to get faster service when things are busy) or to treat those receiving the tip as some lesser being.

 

HOWEVER, having become aware of how the system works, with staff getting minimal pay and relying on the service charges /tips to make an income, I leave the auto tips in place on line's that have them.

 

What worries me most is that some seem to insist that not only should you leave these in place but then MUST tip extra again, to the degree that over the last few years some crew seem to expect to get extra.

 

I have tipped extra when someone has really gone out of their way to make my experience special.

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I HATE the whole tipping culture.

 

I have seen way too often people who tip thinking that it entitles them to better service (just look at all the threads that talk about handing out $$$ to the steward on the first day, or a tip to the bartender to get faster service when things are busy) or to treat those receiving the tip as some lesser being.

 

HOWEVER, having become aware of how the system works, with staff getting minimal pay and relying on the service charges /tips to make an income, I leave the auto tips in place on line's that have them.

 

What worries me most is that some seem to insist that not only should you leave these in place but then MUST tip extra again, to the degree that over the last few years some crew seem to expect to get extra.

 

I have tipped extra when someone has really gone out of their way to make my experience special.

Agreed. :D

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I HATE the whole tipping culture.

 

I have seen way too often people who tip thinking that it entitles them to better service (just look at all the threads that talk about handing out $$$ to the steward on the first day, or a tip to the bartender to get faster service when things are busy) or to treat those receiving the tip as some lesser being.

 

HOWEVER, having become aware of how the system works, with staff getting minimal pay and relying on the service charges /tips to make an income, I leave the auto tips in place on line's that have them.

 

What worries me most is that some seem to insist that not only should you leave these in place but then MUST tip extra again, to the degree that over the last few years some crew seem to expect to get extra.

 

I have tipped extra when someone has really gone out of their way to make my experience special.

 

Well said Mr Gut, I agree. This 'double tipping practice that has evolved over the years, i.e. leaving auto tips on and then giving staff extra is wrong. Now the service crew expect it all the time, share of the tipping pool and cash in hand. It started across the pond I fear.:evilsmile:

 

It is one or the other, not both.

 

Finally, I love a good tipping thread, in my opinion...auto tip/gratuity/service charge, whatever name, means' automatic wage subsidy.' For that is what it is, the cruise lines whoever they are don't want to pay the full service crew wage, they want the passenger to subsidise it. User pay syndrome.

Edited by NSWP
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Wow, I hadn't heard there's a Panama Canal cruise departing from Australia! Excellent!

 

When you book with NCL from Australia, the service charges may or may not be included in your fare. What I mean is that it's possible to have them removed from your fare at the time of booking, but you will need to ask to have them removed, or if booking online look for a mention of it (a box to check, for example, to remove them). I've done heaps of dummy bookings when looking for the best fares for cruises we're taking, with NCL and other cruise lines too. I've checked out the NCL site itself and independent online travel agents. A lot! I love cruising!

 

Presently we're booked on Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Jewel and we booked through my daughter who works for Flight Centre. I specified that I wanted the service charges removed and they were.

 

If you're unsure if the gratuities were included in your fare at the time of booking you'll need to contact the travel agent you used and ask if they were included. If they weren't, you'll be charged them on board. They'll be added daily to your on board account. You CAN then go to the purser's desk once on board and ask for them to be removed. We did that on Norwegian Dawn last November and it was done. We paid our tips ourselves, to the staff members directly.

 

If you find you have been charged the gratuities at time of booking, wish you hadn't, and have not yet paid your final payment, it might be worth asking the agent if you can have them removed.

 

Not been on NCL, but if you do not pay the auto tip and pay your cabin steward, MDR waiter(s) cash tips, are they required to hand them in to their supervisor, a la Princess and other lines? Bearing in mind NCL service staff would probably be advised if their guests had removed or declined to pay the auto tips?:o

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Bearing in mind NCL service staff would probably be advised if their guests had removed or declined to pay the auto tips?:o

 

If the service staff were informed, then by the logic of tipping culture those passengers who had their auto gratuities removed could expect the better service in the expectation that tips would be forthcoming at the end of the cruise. While those who prepaid could go jump.

 

 

The whole tipping thing is a farce that doesn't even stand up under its own logic.

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If the service staff were informed, then by the logic of tipping culture those passengers who had their auto gratuities removed could expect the better service in the expectation that tips would be forthcoming at the end of the cruise. While those who prepaid could go jump.

 

 

The whole tipping thing is a farce that doesn't even stand up under its own logic.

 

If the service staff - cabin steward/MDR waiter(s) were permitted to retain the cash.:halo:

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Not been on NCL, but if you do not pay the auto tip and pay your cabin steward, MDR waiter(s) cash tips, are they required to hand them in to their supervisor, a la Princess and other lines? Bearing in mind NCL service staff would probably be advised if their guests had removed or declined to pay the auto tips?:o

 

A very good question and one that has bothered me. I can only hope they are not required to hand them in.

 

It would seem ridiculous that a genuine tip (as opposed to NCL's so-called "service charges"), ie a tip to thank for excellent service from a specific individual, should have to be handed in. I feel that would go against the whole reasoning behind a tip. But who knows?

 

Does anyone have insight into this?

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A very good question and one that has bothered me. I can only hope they are not required to hand them in.

 

It would seem ridiculous that a genuine tip (as opposed to NCL's so-called "service charges"), ie a tip to thank for excellent service from a specific individual, should have to be handed in. I feel that would go against the whole reasoning behind a tip. But who knows?

 

Does anyone have insight into this?

 

Certainly required to hand them in on Princess overseas ships if auto tips removed. Not applicable on Princess ships based in Australia as no auto tips - hidden in cruise fare. Don't know about on NCL, not travelled with them. I dare say if one went onto the NCL section of CC, inhabitied mainly by our North American friends and asked you might get the answer and then get 'flamed for 'stiffing' your cabin stewards and Dining room waiters.:rolleyes:

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You're right. :D Tipping can be a sensitive topic. We've been on 4 NCL cruises and one more is coming up in 4 weeks so I've spent a bit of time on the NCL roll calls.

 

I like the Princess system though we haven't been on a Princess cruise. We have two Carnival cruises booked though, and their system on ships out of Australia is the same. It feels great not to have that whole "service charge" thing; when I booked I phoned Carnival to check about them and was pleasantly surprised to be told there were none. So we'll just tip who we choose.

 

I realise it's covered in the cruise fare but I think that's how it should be. Nor do I regard those charges as "tips" or "gratuities". I'm cynical perhaps but I doubt very much that the staff actually ever receive them on cruiselines that charge the automatic service charges.

 

 

Certainly required to hand them in on Princess overseas ships if auto tips removed. Not applicable on Princess ships based in Australia as no auto tips - hidden in cruise fare. Don't know about on NCL, not travelled with them. I dare say if one went onto the NCL section of CC, inhabitied mainly by our North American friends and asked you might get the answer and then get 'flamed for 'stiffing' your cabin stewards and Dining room waiters.:rolleyes:
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Certainly required to hand them in on Princess overseas ships if auto tips removed. Not applicable on Princess ships based in Australia as no auto tips - hidden in cruise fare. Don't know about on NCL, not travelled with them. I dare say if one went onto the NCL section of CC, inhabitied mainly by our North American friends and asked you might get the answer and then get 'flamed for 'stiffing' your cabin stewards and Dining room waiters.:rolleyes:

Actually according to the Princess crew contract they have to hand them in. Full Stop.

 

The argument is really if they are returned if Autos aren't removed or not.

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  • 4 weeks later...

We haven't cruised in 7 years, and when we did with NCL in 2010 they left envelopes. It's clear they don't do that anymore. Are the Service Charges/Tips added to your account that is secured with a credit card? If wanting to tip extra to staff, does it matter what the currency is?

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  • 2 months later...
Hi All,

 

Can someone please confirm how to avoid being charged for "Service Charge" onboard NCL cruises as I prefer tipping the staff directly.

 

The new T&C are confusing, while point #9 states that SC is included in the fare "

the service charge referred to below (subject to your election)"



point #12 states that if removed at the time of booking they whill be charged onboard. However, if you choose to remove these service charges at time of booking, they will be made payable on-board at a rate of USD$13.99 per person, per day (for mini suites and below on all ships except Norwegian Sky*).

 

In addition, I've read that NCL has a new lengthy procedure, where the Purser's desk cannot remove the SC any longer, instead a form needs to be completed (stating/claiming dissatisfaction with the service) and sent to head office. The entire process can take several weeks until the funds are refunded.

 

Any advice is highly appreciated :)[/quote

 

 

 

 

 

I would think calling the credit card company and desputing the amont of the service charges would be the best way to go.

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You can still tip anyone in person you wish, it is not paying double as a Service charge and a Tip are two different things. If the service was unsatisfactory, you can opt to remove the service charge by filling in the form and sending it to NCL.

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  • 7 months later...
Is this still the case on Norwegian Cruiselines from AUSTRALIA?

They are added extra each day?

 

 

If you opt out of option to pre-pay during booking process, it is added to your on-board account daily..

 

S and P

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If you opt out of option to pre-pay during booking process, it is added to your on-board account daily..

 

S and P

 

You can go to the front desk and have them removed. There is some convoluted procedure that NCL have involving filling out forms and getting reimbursed weeks later, but I don't think that they are game to try that on in Australia as it probably wouldn't stand up in court. According to Australian Consumer Law, the price advertised is the total price and supplementary costs are not legally enforceable.

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