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$12 Per day


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From what I understand the tips are $12 per day per person is that the same price for kids as well.

 

 

 

3. Tipping is a personal matter and your own judgment is the best guide. For your convenience MSC Cruises will automatically add a modest service charge to your onboard account. It will be based on the number of days in which services are actually rendered and vary by itinerary:

 

- Caribbean and Eastbound Transatlantic sailings: $12.00 USD per adult per day

- Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Westbound Transatlantic sailings: €7.00 per adult per day

Per person per day service charge for children’s under the age of 18 will be 50% less. Service charges are subject to change and may vary based on the Ship’s on board currency. Should you wish to make any adjustments you may do so by contacting the Guest Relation Manager at any point during our cruise. MSC Cruises does not recommend tipping individually.

 

4. For your convenience a 15% service charge is automatically added to the beverage purchases.

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Why you need to convince us that what it is not good for you is not good for all ?

 

The only party that the "15% service charge" is convenient for is MSC.

I would rather not pay it at all, I would rather MSC pay staff's wages ... not me.

I will go out on a limb, and suggest that the 15% doesn't get passed on to staff anyway.

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You would rather not tip at all? Are you kidding? The drinks are still lower on MSC with the tip added on. The staff works hard for their tips and they are pooled and then split between them. When you remove or reduce it does affect the people that are serving you for the cruise. They get less.

 

The convenience is that people do not need to bring as much cash as they use to to tip. The convenience is that it is added to the sea pass which is charged to the credit card.

 

Any cruise ship depends on the tips for serving you for the cruise? Why think that MSC is different? All staff that share in the tips need that tip. If you do not want to tip some of the premium cruise lines do not take tips but then again you will pay about 5 times the price as you do for the mass market cruise ships.

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... The drinks are still lower on MSC with the tip added on ...

 

That is a misleading statement.

 

On my MSC Poesia transatlantic cruise a small bottle of beer varied between €4.50 (around $AU6.30) and €5.50 (around AU$7.70) depending on the brand. Even a simple, small soft drink (Pepsi) cost €3.30 (AU$4.60). Add the mandatory 15% service charge to all the above and our group found that drinks were among the highest we've ever paid on a cruise ship.

 

For those not familiar with the Euro (€) values quoted above, the Australian dollar equivalents (AU$) given are roughly on parity with the US dollar.

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That is a misleading statement.

 

On my MSC Poesia transatlantic cruise a small bottle of beer varied between €4.50 (around $AU6.30) and €5.50 (around AU$7.70) depending on the brand. Even a simple, small soft drink (Pepsi) cost €3.30 (AU$4.60). Add the mandatory 15% service charge to all the above and our group found that drinks were among the highest we've ever paid on a cruise ship.

 

For those not familiar with the Euro (€) values quoted above, the Australian dollar equivalents (AU$) given are roughly on parity with the US dollar.

 

Cijenama koje ćete platiti za pojedine piće ili paket će uključivati 15% naplatiti uslugu.

 

Below are examples of drink prices on board

Ispod su primjeri pića cijena na brodu

 

Cruise line

Cruise Line

Water

Vode

Beer

Pivo

Glass of wine

Čaša vina

Bottle of wine

Boca vina

Cocktail

Koktel

Soft drink

Bezalkoholno piće

Spirit & mixer

Duh i mikser

Coffee

Kava

Azamara

Azamara

$2.75

$ 2,75

$5.45

$ 5,45

$6.25

$ 6,25

$23.00

23,00 $

$8.95

$ 8,95

$2.05

$ 2,05

$6.50

$ 6,50

$2.50

$ 2,50

Celebrity

Celebrity

$2.50

$ 2,50

$5.25

$ 5,25

$5.95

$ 5,95

$22.00

22,00 $

$8.95

$ 8,95

$2.00

$ 2,00

$6.00

$ 6,00

$2.50

$ 2,50

Cunard

Cunard

$2.30

$ 2,30

$4.95

$ 4,95

$5.75

$ 5,75

$20.00

20,00 $

$5.50

$ 5,50

$1.95

$ 1,95

$5.45

$ 5,45

$2.25

$ 2,25

Fred Olsen

Fred Olsen

£1.00

1,00 £

£2.30

2,30 £

£2.80

2,80 £

£9.00

9,00 £

£3.50

3,50 £

£0.85

0,85 £

£2.75

2,75 £

£1.00

1,00 £

MSC

MSC

$1.80

$ 1,80

$4.90

$ 4,90

$3.90

$ 3,90

$18.00

18,00 $

$6.70

$ 6,70

$2.40

$ 2,40

$5.25

$ 5,25

$2.70

$ 2,70

NCL

NCL

$2.00

$ 2,00

$4.25

$ 4,25

$5.75

$ 5,75

$16.00

16,00 $

$7.00

$ 7,00

$1.75

$ 1,75

$6.00

$ 6,00

$2.25

$ 2,25

P&O

P & O

£0.95

0,95 £

£2.55

2,55 £

£2.75

2,75 £

£10.00

10,00 £

£3.75

3,75 £

£1.25

1,25 £

£3.05

3,05 £

£1.05

1,05 £

Princess

Princeza

$2.00

$ 2,00

$3.50

$ 3,50

$3.75

$ 3,75

$20.00

20,00 $

$5.50

$ 5,50

$1.50

$ 1,50

$3.75

$ 3,75

$2.00

$ 2,00

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean

$1.95

$ 1,95

$4.25

$ 4,25

$5.50

$ 5,50

$25.00

25,00 $

$7.50

$ 7,50

$1.95

$ 1,95

$6.25

$ 6,25

$1.75

$ 1,75

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That is a misleading statement.

 

On my MSC Poesia transatlantic cruise a small bottle of beer varied between €4.50 (around $AU6.30) and €5.50 (around AU$7.70) depending on the brand. Even a simple, small soft drink (Pepsi) cost €3.30 (AU$4.60). Add the mandatory 15% service charge to all the above and our group found that drinks were among the highest we've ever paid on a cruise ship.

 

For those not familiar with the Euro (€) values quoted above, the Australian dollar equivalents (AU$) given are roughly on parity with the US dollar.

 

 

Below are examples of drink prices on board

The prices that you pay for an individual drink or package will include a 15% service charge

 

Cruise line Water Beer Glass Bottle Cocktail Soft drink Spirit &

of wine of wine mixer

 

Azamara $2.75 $5.45 $6.25 $23.00 $8.95 $2.05 $6.50

Celebrity $2.50 $5.25 $5.95 $22.00 $8.95 $2.00 $6.00

Cunard $2.30 $4.95 $5.75 $20.00 $5.50 $1.95 $5.45

MSC $1.80 $4.90 $3.90 $18.00 $6.70 $2.40 $5.25

NCL $2.00 $4.25 $5.75 $16.00 $7.00 $1.75 $6.00

P&O £0.95 £2.55 £2.75 £10.00 £3.75 £1.25 £3.05

Princess $2.00 $3.50 $3.75 $20.00 $5.50 $1.50 $3.75

Royal $1.95 $4.25 $5.50 $25.00 $7.50 $1.95 $6.25

Caribbean

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... Below are examples of drink prices on board ...

 

It is incorrect and misleading to suggest that those figures apply to every cruise. That is not the case. The prices I quoted were what we paid on our MSC cruise ... very significantly more than the amount indicated in your list. Other people on other cruises have paid different amounts for their drinks.

 

You simply can't tell people that they "will" pay a certain amount for a drink because the amount varies considerably from cruise to cruise. You can tell people what you paid and I can tell people what I paid ... and we're both correct. I paid €4.50 (around $6.30) for a Budweiser and €5.50 (around $7.70) for a Corona. When the 15% service charge is added that becomes $7.25 and $8.85 respectively. That's what appeared on my account ... which I still have a copy of and will happily scan and post it here if you don't believe me.

 

Despite the hefty charge it didn't stop me buying drinks ... but our party did tend to take advantage of cheaper prices ashore when given the opportunity.

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It is incorrect and misleading to suggest that those figures apply to every cruise. That is not the case. The prices I quoted were what we paid on our MSC cruise ... very significantly more than the amount indicated in your list. Other people on other cruises have paid different amounts for their drinks.

 

You simply can't tell people that they "will" pay a certain amount for a drink because the amount varies considerably from cruise to cruise. You can tell people what you paid and I can tell people what I paid ... and we're both correct. I paid €4.50 (around $6.30) for a Budweiser and €5.50 (around $7.70) for a Corona. When the 15% service charge is added that becomes $7.25 and $8.85 respectively. That's what appeared on my account ... which I still have a copy of and will happily scan and post it here if you don't believe me.

 

Despite the hefty charge it didn't stop me buying drinks ... but our party did tend to take advantage of cheaper prices ashore when given the opportunity.

 

Hese are prices from the cruise line official site

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Hese are prices from the cruise line official site

 

And mine are what I actually paid (and I'm sure there are others here who were on the same cruise and who would back that up).

 

So who's right ... the website or the customer?

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It is incorrect and misleading to suggest that those figures apply to every cruise. That is not the case. The prices I quoted were what we paid on our MSC cruise ... very significantly more than the amount indicated in your list. Other people on other cruises have paid different amounts for their drinks.

 

You simply can't tell people that they "will" pay a certain amount for a drink because the amount varies considerably from cruise to cruise. You can tell people what you paid and I can tell people what I paid ... and we're both correct. I paid €4.50 (around $6.30) for a Budweiser and €5.50 (around $7.70) for a Corona. When the 15% service charge is added that becomes $7.25 and $8.85 respectively. That's what appeared on my account ... which I still have a copy of and will happily scan and post it here if you don't believe me.

 

Despite the hefty charge it didn't stop me buying drinks ... but our party did tend to take advantage of cheaper prices ashore when given the opportunity.

 

Andrew, I was on the same Kiel/New York transatlantic as you.

I have whole heartedly agreed with everything you have posted up until now.

I too have copies of all my receipts and the prices I paid for drinks differs from what you paid.

I mostly drank draught beer but I found receipts for a couple of 33cl bottled beers and the prices were 3.90 Euro for both Becks and Heineken (plus 15% of course), a can of soft drink was 2.70 euro +15%.

I cant imagine why you were being charged more ?

Andy.

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... I cant imagine why you were being charged more ...

 

Not sure about the cost of Heineken or Becks as we generally only drank Corona or Budweiser. The exceptions ... I tried a huge glass of that cloudy German beer and another day they had a "special" on Fosters. I've double-checked my receipts and the prices I quoted are correct. We often had "happy hour" up near the pool area so that's where the majority were purchased.

 

Even at the prices you've quoted ... €3.90 for Becks or Heineken ... that works out at $6.13 when you add the 15% and convert to US dollars.

That's still quite a bit more than I've paid on other lines and is quite different to the figure quoted in those lists which have been posted.

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  • 1 month later...
From what I understand the tips are $12 per day per person is that the same price for kids as well.

 

MSC does not "request" tips. They instead add on a "service charge." The following is copied directily from the MSC website. Note their comment, "The amount of the service charge is fixed and cannot be altered."

 

 

Let's see... with a tip, I mean "service charge" of $12 per day on an 18 day transatlantic:

if your fare was $999 inside, you would pay nearly 22% tip but

if you had an $1800 balcony, you would pay only 12% tip

 

Has anyone attempted to "alter" the service charge at the end of their cruise?

 

 

SERVICE CHARGE

 

All onboard services offered to MSC Guests are subject to a modest service charge which will be billed to the Guest's account. Payment will only be requested at the end of the cruise and will depend on the number of days services were actually provided. Service charges serve the purpose of maintaining the highest quality standards of service to the passengers.

The amount of the service charge is fixed and cannot be altered:

Mediterraneanand Northern Europe cruises

- 8 days or less: 7 Euro/day per adult

- more than 8 days: 6 Euro/day per adult including autumn transatlantic cruises

There is no service charge for children under the age of 14, whereas guests between the ages of 14 and 17 will be charged 50% of the above rates.

Caribbean and North American cruises

- 12 Dollars/day per adult; 6 Dollars/day per child under 18, including spring transatlantic cruises

South America cruises

- 9 Dollars/day per adult; 4,5 /day per child under 18, including spring transatlantic cruises

South Africa cruises

Season 2009/2010

South Africa cruises

- 4 Dollars/day per adult

Positioning cruises:

- heading to South Africa 6 Euro/day per adult

- coming from South Africa 6 Dollars/day per adult

From Season 2010/2011 Onwards

South Africa cruises

- 6 Dollars/day per adult

Positioning cruises:

- heading to South Africa 6 Euro/day per adult

- coming from South Africa 6 Dollars/day per adult

The applicable service charge for children under 18 will be 50% of the above rates

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my understanding onservice charge and tipping is that it varies inparts of the world.to the aussies that are not happy with it i have heard that in australia tipping oesnt exist and the bartenders and waitresses are pai a living wage unlike other parts of the world...is that correct?:cool:

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my understanding onservice charge and tipping is that it varies inparts of the world.to the aussies that are not happy with it i have heard that in australia tipping oesnt exist and the bartenders and waitresses are pai a living wage unlike other parts of the world...is that correct?:cool:

 

Tipping is not entrenched in Australia like it is in some other parts of the World. In Australia a tip is usually only given as a token reward for good service. The concept of an automatic fixed 15% or 20% amount doesn't exist. There are labour laws here which guarantee a minimum wage so waitstaff don't rely on tips as a large part of their income as they might in other countries.

 

Australians would argue strongly against being forced to reward poor service so the idea of having to tip doesn't go down well with Australians. To illustrate just how important this is to Australians, Princess and P&O are removing all automatic passenger tipping for cruises out of Australia. Of course, some of the shortfall will undoubdtedly be made up by an increase in ticket prices ... but Australians are much happier with an up-front price and the ability to tip based on merit rather than on policy.

 

From Wikipedia:

 

Tipping is not usually expected and some employees may not understand the gesture. Some employees are forbidden from accepting gratuities (this would not apply in a formal restaurant situation) and tipping face-to-face can create an awkward situation. However, it is appropriate to add a tip to restaurant bills if the service has been especially good. It is also acceptable to suggest that taxi drivers or waiters "keep the change", especially if the difference is small. Tips may be as large or as small as you feel appropriate, though obviously, a particularly small amount is also considered derogatory and extremely rude. Implications that tipping is expected are considered very rude. Where tip jars are provided, they are mostly used for loose change or coins.

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... Has anyone attempted to "alter" the service charge at the end of their cruise? ...

 

It can be done but there are usually a few hoops to jump through.

 

Generally the first approach will result in you being asked to make an appointment to "discuss" why you want to vary or remove the service charge. If you persist with the request and advise that you don't want to make an appointment, you'll probably be asked to provide the request in writing.

 

Do NOT leave it until the end of the cruise.

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The idea of having to tip regardless of the level of service doesn't go down well with Australians and to illustrate just how important this is to Australians, Princess and P&O are removing all automatic passenger tipping for cruises out of Australia. Of course, the shortfall will undoubdtedly be made up by an increase in ticket prices but Australians are much happier with an up-front price.

 

....the lines will undoubtedly add the service charge into the up front cost, making it in probably more expensive because you are no longer informed of the amounts given, and are they all really given, does this affect the staff?...not sure?

 

..anyway in our area as probably others, wait staff get minimum wage and rely on tips to make up a good portion of their earnings, on top of that the Government taxes these workers a % of their tips!!

 

.. in the cruise industry, the service charge (not tips) account for the majority of the earnings of the contracted staff on board, I know they really do not make much directly from the cruiseline.

 

...and we can get into a lively debate on the topic of cruiselines paying better wages and not relying on the service charge...not sure which way is better or more convenient for the customer, ..For me, I just want to ensure that the on board staff (seen and unseen) do not shortchanged because of witholding the charges because we may or may not be accustomed to them.

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... the lines will undoubtedly add the service charge into the up front cost ...

 

Which is exactly what I said.

That is perfectly acceptable here.

 

Australians will still tip cabin stewards and waitstaff personally if they feel they have received good service ... unless they discover that (as apparently often happens) the line confiscates those personal tips and puts them into a distribution pool.

 

As per the extract from the Wikipedia article on tipping in Australia, "Implications that tipping is expected are considered very rude".

This is doubly so if the tip is expected before the service is delivered ... or in the case of a cruiseline, deducted from your account automatically regardless of the quality of the service.

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:confused: but, at the end of the cruise and because im canadian, i would leave the auto tip in place, i might be inclined to give extra to the cabin steward or waitstaff that ive had all week if they ahve done a good job.

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