amallison Posted December 15, 2017 #1 Share Posted December 15, 2017 We’re going on a trip later this month with a large group. People are complaining about the daily service charge and gratuities. They haven’t cruised before and I’ve done my best to explain what these are but they don’t understand why they’re paying this much in “tips” (their wording not mine). How do I accurately explain to them why we’re paying these and what they’re for! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NLH Arizona Posted December 15, 2017 #2 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Have them read what NCL says about both tips and DSC in their FAQ on their web site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Ting Posted December 15, 2017 #3 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Because I know it’s going to be asked, would they just go to Guest Services to have them adjusted or removed? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Yes. They will either remove them right then or give you a form and send a rebate check a few weeks later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moby0215 Posted December 15, 2017 #4 Share Posted December 15, 2017 What’s there to explain? It’s a service charge/gratuity. Do they not understand what that is? If they think it’s too much then they should probably re-consider their vacation. I️ mean what is it? Like $13/day/person? How is that a lot compared to the actual cost of the cruise? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amallison Posted December 15, 2017 Author #5 Share Posted December 15, 2017 What’s there to explain? It’s a service charge/gratuity. Do they not understand what that is? If they think it’s too much then they should probably re-consider their vacation. I️ mean what is it? Like $13/day/person? How is that a lot compared to the actual cost of the cruise? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Normally I would agree but to be honest, this trip was a gift to them. So if you want to compare it to what THEY paid for the trip then the DSC and gratuities are a lot more than what THEY paid. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted December 15, 2017 #6 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Remind them that they tip waiters at restaurants...and housekeepers at hotels (well, they are supposed to!), and that is what the DSC does. They need not extend any more money, but the DSC covers ALL who will serve them on the ship. Tell them it's a part of the cruise price and they will soon understand it after they've cruised. Even if you are "comped" a meal at a restaurant, you still tip the person who served you...it's only mannerly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GORDONCHICK Posted December 15, 2017 #7 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Honestly, it's not any different (except more $) than a resort fee you'd pay in Hawaii, Florida, and many other places. And there, you do not have the option of removing it in most cases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GORDONCHICK Posted December 15, 2017 #8 Share Posted December 15, 2017 I will also add, I didn't understand it either on our first cruise. We were with a group also, but it wasn't a gift. When we were on the ship, we then understood what it was for. Hard to explain that to people who haven't ever cruised before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garycarla Posted December 15, 2017 #9 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Here we go again. and again. and again. ** If I were explaining to a novice that is not about to read the FAQ, rules, policies, or cruise critic, here is what I would say. In the past, on the last night, you would sit down and fill out envelopes for various cruise staff and insert money. Now, you no longer have to do that, and it is a fixed amount. Done.No decision. No not worrying about anything. So much easier. STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP Before you respond, please read the ** note above. Not saying this is or is not a tip, or dsc, or anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonTheRadioGuy Posted December 15, 2017 #10 Share Posted December 15, 2017 "It's the tips. Too many people were stiffing the crew, so they made it automatic." That's all you need to say. And for anyone giving a cruise as a gift, PAY THE GRATUITIES. A gift where the recipient has to pay money isn't a good gift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieN Posted December 15, 2017 #11 Share Posted December 15, 2017 With group cruises we’ve realized it’s just easier to pay the gratuities/Service Charge with the cost of the cruise. Lot less hair pulling. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casofilia Posted December 15, 2017 #12 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Tell them that it is one place under American customs that there is no need to tip anyone unless you want to because they have given exemplary service. The Service Charge takes care of that. Being Americans they will expect to tip EVERYONE on shore who does the slightest thing for them, paying the Service Charge exonerates them from doing that on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseGal999 Posted December 15, 2017 #13 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Normally I would agree but to be honest, this trip was a gift to them. So if you want to compare it to what THEY paid for the trip then the DSC and gratuities are a lot more than what THEY paid. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Then it 'should' be a no brainer! The cruise was a GIFT .... pay it forward and pay the gratuities ... a couple/few hundred bucks for a week long cruise!???! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casino Comp Chick Posted December 15, 2017 #14 Share Posted December 15, 2017 98 bucks per person for a free cruise for a week and they are complaining. Wow, what ingrates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray98 Posted December 15, 2017 #15 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Strange adults would need an explanation. It is a service based experience and it is customary to tip servers just like a restaurant on land. If they can't comprehend that then suggest they stay home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saltwaterrat Posted December 15, 2017 #16 Share Posted December 15, 2017 The service charges are the tips for all the crew members that bust their butts for us every waking moment. It includes the "invisible" behind the scenes people that would normally be totally forgotten. Like the engine maintenance crew, the kitchen staff, the people that are constantly cleaning, painting, fixing things on the ship, the laundry staff... the list is large. There is literally an army of people that we may never see or acknowledge- but without them, the cruise would not be the pleasant experience that we vacationers have come to expect. I'm sure you have noticed that most are from very poor countries, they work for comparatively low wages- a lot less than Americans would be willing to work for. They are away from their families for months at a time, and what money they do make they send back to their families who may have little or nothing. We are all "rich" in comparison. Please don't whine about paying these hard-working people the extra money they deserve- and other wise would never get, if it weren't for the service charges. If you can afford a cruise, you can afford to open your wallet a little wider to help them make a decent living. If the tables were turned, would you not appreciate the extra financial help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedish weave Posted December 15, 2017 #17 Share Posted December 15, 2017 The service charges are the tips for all the crew members that bust their butts for us every waking moment. It includes the "invisible" behind the scenes people that would normally be totally forgotten. Like the engine maintenance crew, the kitchen staff, the people that are constantly cleaning, painting, fixing things on the ship, the laundry staff... the list is large. There is literally an army of people that we may never see or acknowledge- but without them, the cruise would not be the pleasant experience that we vacationers have come to expect. I'm sure you have noticed that most are from very poor countries, they work for comparatively low wages- a lot less than Americans would be willing to work for. They are away from their families for months at a time, and what money they do make they send back to their families who may have little or nothing. We are all "rich" in comparison. Please don't whine about paying these hard-working people the extra money they deserve- and other wise would never get, if it weren't for the service charges. If you can afford a cruise, you can afford to open your wallet a little wider to help them make a decent living. If the tables were turned, would you not appreciate the extra financial help? The truth is the crew are paid a contracted salary that is about triple the amount the same type of work pays in their home countries if they can find a job. They have a union that spells out the wages and working conditions, and these are in accordance with ILO standards. The crew members I know want respect, not a pity party. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Peachypooh Posted December 15, 2017 #18 Share Posted December 15, 2017 We paid for an anniversary cruise for a relative's 50th anniversary. We paid the DSC. We told them that all they are responsible for was their personal expenses. We even paid for the transfers to the ship and back. If I couldn't have afforded to do that I would have told them I can contribute a certain amount for the cruise and let them sort it out from there. I don't like resort fees or very high hotel occupancy taxes either but it is a fact of life when traveling. To answer your specific question I would just refer them to the NCL site so they could read and decide for themselves as I don't fully grasp it either but I pay it all the time anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjkacmom Posted December 15, 2017 #19 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Tipping the staff has been the norm for decades. Since the start of freestyle dining, the old method of tipping out the people who have served you all week no longer worked, since there are different people, so you just get charged the same amount as what was the expected tip. Do your friends go out to dinner and not leave tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanger727 Posted December 15, 2017 #20 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Here we go again. and again. and again. ** If I were explaining to a novice that is not about to read the FAQ, rules, policies, or cruise critic, here is what I would say. In the past, on the last night, you would sit down and fill out envelopes for various cruise staff and insert money. Now, you no longer have to do that, and it is a fixed amount. Done.No decision. No not worrying about anything. So much easier. STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP Before you respond, please read the ** note above. Not saying this is or is not a tip, or dsc, or anything else. This. If they have only taken vacations where they fly to a hotel and pay as they go, it’s a tougher pill to swallow to do a large daily tip. But when you travel on an organized tour or cruise ship, you are expected to tip daily. For organized tours you often give your tip to the tour leader and that person makes sure that bus drivers, tour guides, bellhops, plus themselves get a slice of the pie. On a cruise ships you pay it to the cruise line and they make sure your room stewards and wait staff get a slice of the pie. Make sure they understand that the workers on the ship are in a similar position to wait staff in the US where the tips make up a bulk of their income. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMLady Posted December 15, 2017 #21 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Remind them that they tip waiters at restaurants...and housekeepers at hotels (well, they are supposed to!), and that is what the DSC does. They need not extend any more money, but the DSC covers ALL who will serve them on the ship. Tell them it's a part of the cruise price and they will soon understand it after they've cruised. Even if you are "comped" a meal at a restaurant, you still tip the person who served you...it's only mannerly. This imo is the best explanation. If they took a land trip, their tips for breakfast, lunch, dinner, maid, bellman would be like the DSC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marktwothousand Posted December 15, 2017 #22 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Just ask the passengers to remove the DSC from their account at customer service on board if they don’t want to pay it. That is what I will be doing on my Next cruise. There is no rule saying you have to pay it if you don’t want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LMaxwell Posted December 15, 2017 #23 Share Posted December 15, 2017 Any Cash in Hand to any staff member they keep 100%, they do not turn it in, according to GS Director on the Sky this week. You can modify DSC any amount you wish to, up, down, etc. You fill out a form onboard and it is posted to your account same day. I chose to pay cash along the way to those providing me service, I was told I could not use the modification form until the last full day of the cruise and did so. Took all of 20 seconds and posted to my onboard account that evening. No guilt, no hassle, no problem, everyone that provided us service was well compensated with cash along the way with an additional amount on top provided to our room attendant. There was a section on the form to ask if we had any deficiency in service and I wrote in honestly that service was fine, I preferred to pay cash directly. Guest Services Director confirmed that many choose to do the same. Guest services provided us envelopes and additional Vacation Hero cards at our request. However your party decides they would like to handle their personal finance is 100% fine, one way is not more right or wrong than another. It is just whatever your preference is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LMaxwell Posted December 15, 2017 #24 Share Posted December 15, 2017 The crew tips are different than the DSC. They can keep the cash tips, but the cruise line takes the money from the DSC. This matches what management told me onboard this week as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggie cruises Posted December 15, 2017 #25 Share Posted December 15, 2017 What’s there to explain? It’s a service charge/gratuity. Do they not understand what that is? If they think it’s too much then they should probably re-consider their vacation. I️ mean what is it? Like $13/day/person? How is that a lot compared to the actual cost of the cruise? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Additionally if they think it's too much... They can reduce or remove it or come to a happy medium of some sort However you should not try to guilt trip them Remember everything goes nowadays in our society so if a pax wants to reduce they can...and they should not be ostracized for it Unless someone is doing something illegal they should not be guilted. Period And please no commentary about the poor lowly paid crew Ncl allows reduction or removal so if you want to criticize anyone it should be ncl Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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