Norwegian cruise line

Does anyone know if gratuities are mandatory on NCL cruises out of and returning to Sydney ? We prefer to tip crew personally rather than pay set gratuities to the cruise line.

Does anyone know if gratuities are mandatory on NCL cruises out of and returning to Sydney ? We prefer to tip crew personally rather than pay set gratuities to the cruise line.

I know they were included in our fare. Butt”think” they are compulsory unless you apply for a refund after your cruise.

My last cruise was a while ago. I think you can go to the desk and ask them to take it off. It wasnt part of our fare but would be part of our onboard bill. I think.

Does anyone know if gratuities are mandatory on NCL cruises out of and returning to Sydney ? We prefer to tip crew personally rather than pay set gratuities to the cruise line.

Hmmm love these threads;- so how about the people who actually cook the dinner you enjoyed, instead of just served it, washed your sheets & towels instead of just cleaned your room .........and on it goes.

Gratuities serve a purpose to ensure that all the staff on the ship have wages that are of a reasonable level. [emoji57]

When we’ve cruised overseas or on ships with “set” gratuities, we incorporate them into our costs.

I think cruises out of Australia that have gratuities built into your fare have the fairest tipping system for the whole crew, both seen and unseen .... we then trust in the ‘Company’ to disperse those funds and we don’t think twice about it. [emoji848]

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Agreed Porky55, I have cruised a lot and have Never removed the Gratuities, the crew and staff deserve it.I have been advocating for along time that all cruiselines should build the Grats into the price so no-one can remove them.

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Hmmm love these threads;- so how about the people who actually cook the dinner you enjoyed, instead of just served it, washed your sheets & towels instead of just cleaned your room .........and on it goes.

Gratuities serve a purpose to ensure that all the staff on the ship have wages that are of a reasonable level. [emoji57]

When we’ve cruised overseas or on ships with “set” gratuities, we incorporate them into our costs.

I think cruises out of Australia that have gratuities built into your fare have the fairest tipping system for the whole crew, both seen and unseen .... we then trust in the ‘Company’ to disperse those funds and we don’t think twice about it. [emoji848]

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The behind-the-scenes crew are not part of the tips pool It is just the dining room staff, bar staff and cabin stewards. The laundry staff and kitchen staff are not part of the pool.

The behind-the-scenes crew are not part of the tips pool It is just the dining room staff, bar staff and cabin stewards. The laundry staff and kitchen staff are not part of the pool.

Sorry Aus Traveller, but I don’t think that’s entirely correct:

https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/articles.cfm?ID=261

[emoji851]

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Sorry Aus Traveller, but I don’t think that’s entirely correct:

https://www.cruisecritic.com.au/articles.cfm?ID=261

[emoji851]

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The way I read this article, it confirms what I said. :)Here is the relevant part of it.

"A Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson called their $13.99 add-on a "discretionary daily service charge" that is shared by behind-the-scenes support staff such as table bussers and maitre d's. "Our crew work as a team and, therefore, service charges are aggregated among all eligible crew members," she added. But Norwegian says certain staff positions -- such as concierge, butler, youth program and beverage staff -- do not receive part of the service charge, and the line encourages passengers to reward these crew members with additional "appropriate gratuities." (An 18 percent gratuity is also levied on specialty dining.)"

I would not regard table bussers and maitre d's as "behind the scenes". I take that term to mean the hundreds of crew that we do not see because they work in the laundry, kitchen, engine room, maintenance, medical centre, the print shop etc.

The article says table bussers (that would have to be assistant waiters because we don't see staff who just clean tables). The piece I have quoted above confirms what I said "dining room staff" (this includes the maitre d', head waiters etc). They mention that beverage staff are not part of the tips pool. They do not mention the behind the scenes, laundry & cooks that I said were not in the tips pool so I assume they are not because they mention "eligible crew members". Officers, pursers desk staff, engine room staff, deck workers and maintenance (including plumbers and electricians) are not part of the tips pool.

Even if they aren’t mandatory... they are mandatory Just factor it into the cost of your cruise and enjoy, if you really want to tip the crew personally you should do it on top of the service charge as that is an actual “reward” in my opinion. Besides does it really make a difference if you’re still paying them a gratuity anyway how it gets to them? The crew know passengers pay the gratuities to the cruise line and it goes to their wages.

If you don’t get satisfactory service whilst paying a service charge then take it up with management and remove tips, although I doubt you would get poor service on a cruise anyway to justify that!

What I don’t ge5 is why san Pepe worry so much about how other people tip.

But then I could say the same about bottled water, soft drink booze packages etc, every time someone asks about those you can all but guarantee some one will say

Water on the boats fine, you don’t need bottled water

It’ll rot your teeth

If you drink that much you must be an alcoholic

I will say I deplore the tipping culture, but then I was bought up to believe in a fair day’s work for a fair days pay.

But when I cruise it is what it is, most lines allow you to remove gratuities in most of the world I’m happy that here in Aus at least the big two players saw the light and got rid of automatic gratuities.

BUT even before they did crew repeatedly said that they loved sailing in Aus, because even if they got less (most said that wasn’t actually the case, true or not who knows) they got treated “more like humans than slaves” (one crew members exact words)

I will say I deplore the tipping culture, but then I was bought up to believe in a fair day’s work for a fair days pay.

 

 

 

But when I cruise it is what it is, most lines allow you to remove gratuities in most of the world I’m happy that here in Aus at least the big two players saw the light and got rid of automatic gratuities.

 

 

 

BUT even before they did crew repeatedly said that they loved sailing in Aus, because even if they got less (most said that wasn’t actually the case, true or not who knows) they got treated “more like humans than slaves” (one crew members exact words)

Exactly my point too Gut, treat staff well, you get great service anyway.

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The way I read this article, it confirms what I said. :)Here is the relevant part of it.

 

 

 

 

 

"A Norwegian Cruise Line spokesperson called their $13.99 add-on a "discretionary daily service charge" that is shared by behind-the-scenes support staff such as table bussers and maitre d's. "Our crew work as a team and, therefore, service charges are aggregated among all eligible crew members," she added. But Norwegian says certain staff positions -- such as concierge, butler, youth program and beverage staff -- do not receive part of the service charge, and the line encourages passengers to reward these crew members with additional "appropriate gratuities." (An 18 percent gratuity is also levied on specialty dining.)"

 

 

 

I would not regard table bussers and maitre d's as "behind the scenes". I take that term to mean the hundreds of crew that we do not see because they work in the laundry, kitchen, engine room, maintenance, medical centre, the print shop etc.

 

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NCL only are specific about the “pool” that the gratuities are given to. There are numerous threads throughout CC discussing this very topic and I attempted to show one article with more than the staff you had mentioned.

Regardless, we personally would never remove gratuities as it’s an an attempt to provide a fair system of tipping IMO. [emoji848]

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