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Raising gratuities again!

HoopTroop

By HoopTroop,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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hpecorari

hpecorari

Posted
Posted
Not sure how you came up with the dollar number. We are in a balcony...increase is 55 cents/person/day. I come up with $13.20 for the two of us on a twelve day cruise.

 

OP said it was $1.10 for the two of them - per day.

 

Harriet

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tempus137

tempus137

Posted
Posted

I got the email yesterday for a December 2015 cruise.

 

The prepay option still showed $12.00, and the email said this could be paid at any time before final payment due.

 

At a total of $1.50 per night per passenger, this works out to an additional $21

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SAILPRO

SAILPRO

Posted
Posted
I'm all for paying the hard working crew but I'm not at all convinced the crew is on the receiving end of these gratuity increases. It seem like a money grab by NCL. They're constantly looking at how to exploit the customers lately and this seems like a method of doing so but using crew as an excuse. :mad:

 

But most think the DSC goes to the hard working crew. LOL :D

100% agreed that it's just an excuse! :mad:

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Demonyte

Demonyte

Posted
Posted
Anyone having trouble adding the pre-paid gratuities to your current booking? I just went into myncl for next year's trip and it won't let me add them without making another payment right now.

 

 

That is how it is done (paid immediately) when you do it online. In order to add them to your final payment you need to call NCL.

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rthereanynamesleft

rthereanynamesleft

Posted
Posted

This is the 2nd increase in 5 months. According to NCL their last increase was in 2009 so why 2 in less than 6 months. I think this is highly unprofessional and after I use my last reward in Dec I think I will cut ties with NCL and I am Platinum. O'Sheehan was great but Del Rio is doing too many things way too fast and it will backfire on him and NCL. Do not forget when you get those comment cards on the ship that you let them know how you feel. We can also send a direct letter to NCL. The increased gratuities and the ala cart pricing are just after more of the passengers money. Looking at the pricing for Cagneys I think it will be hard to stay under the old $30.00 pp service charge if you order an appetizer, main course and dessert and that is their plan. I do understand extra prices for extras like two entrees or two dessert but not this. I do not see Del Rio lasting long and when we sail on the Escape TA I am sure Del Rio will be on the ship and attend the CC get together and people are going to rip him apart! I hear Celebrity calling my name! :confused:

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boopsahoy

boopsahoy

Posted
Posted
No more tipping then? This is going to same me a lot of cash on my next NCL suite cruise. :D

 

If this is true it will save us money as well. I am going to call and find out for sure and maybe they can say how much per day. I hope this doesn't DECREASE the quality of service.......:eek:

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LMaxwell Great Review Rare

LMaxwell

Posted
Posted

I just don't understand raising them twice in such a short period of time.

 

NCL collect the money. They certainly count it as revenue. Maybe they did this to get a bunch of prepayments now and do a revenue pullahead? Is it possible that the quarterlies out soon aren't going to look great and they want to put a bit of a surge into Q3 rev? The $12.95 certainly did not lag the industry for standard class cabins.

 

I'm just trying to think what is the most simple explanation for two increases in such a short period of time.

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OceanDreaming2

OceanDreaming2

Posted
Posted

We have two cruises booked and have heard nothing about the increase in the daily service charge. This thread was the only notice I saw. Even though we have prepaid our DSC, we should've received the robo email from NCL, no?

 

Norwegian Cruise Line, why haven't you responded to this thread?

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sjbdtz

sjbdtz

Posted
Posted
We have two cruises booked and have heard nothing about the increase in the daily service charge. This thread was the only notice I saw. Even though we have prepaid our DSC, we should've received the robo email from NCL, no?

 

Norwegian Cruise Line, why haven't you responded to this thread?

 

I also have 2 booked, and prepaid DSC and haven't heard from NCL.

 

 

I'm guessing it's for that reason. You've already prepaid, no sense in confusing you about a change which doesn't affect you (or me... I'm using 'you' broadly).

 

 

.

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hpecorari

hpecorari

Posted
Posted
I also have 2 booked, and prepaid DSC and haven't heard from NCL.

 

 

I'm guessing it's for that reason. You've already prepaid, no sense in confusing you about a change which doesn't affect you (or me... I'm using 'you' broadly).

 

 

.

 

Agreed, I have four booked, all with DSC as the promo and haven't heard from NCL.

 

Harriet

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Regguy

Regguy

Posted
Posted (edited)
Norwegian Cruise Line is adjusting its daily service charges, effective for all sailings that depart on or after August 1, 2015. The new rates are: $13.50 per person per day for any category up to a mini-suite stateroom $15.50 per person per day for any suite category Any guest that has made a booking by July 31, 2015 will have the option of prepaying their service charges at the current rate if done prior to the final payment due date. Guests with existing cruise reservations who have already pre-paid their service charges at the current rate will not be affected. Norwegian's daily service charges make it easy for guests to provide gratuities to key onboard staff who provide superior guest service during the cruise, including their room steward, restaurant servers and behind-the-scenes support staff. Guests who are sailing in Suite categories also receive the services of a concierge, butler and dedicated wait staff. Sincerely, Norwegian Cruise Line®

 

If this isn't intended to cover Butlers and Concierges, they have to be pretty peeved about this language, because it sure makes it sound like it. In justifying the extra couple of bucks for suites, NCL is practically throwing them under the bus here. I can't imagine that their tips aren't going to go down because of this.

 

With four in a penthouse for an upcoming cruise, we're now around $440 for a 7-day cruise on DSC. That's a really big number for one cabin for seven days. And while I get that suites are bigger, and Butlers and Concierges work hard, adding on another few hundred is really significant. And if you're making use of the Butler and Concierge, you're sort of making less use of other services. I know that it really doesn't work that way in NCL's view, but it really does start to add up.

 

I'm not trying to justify being cheap. I'm sure we'll still end up tipping the Butler and Concierge, but, jeez, this is getting prohibitive. It is what it is, I guess.

Edited by Regguy
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stoneman56

stoneman56

Posted
Posted
If this is true it will save us money as well. I am going to call and find out for sure and maybe they can say how much per day. I hope this doesn't DECREASE the quality of service.......:eek:

 

I will show the memo from NCL to our cabin staff on the next cruise, because you can bet that they dont know a thing about it.

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OceanDreaming2

OceanDreaming2

Posted
Posted
Isn't twice in 4 months a bit much?

 

I don't remember ever getting two raises in four months.

 

Not that the stewards, etc. don't work their behinds off for our benefit, but it seems NCL will have the highest DSC of most major cruiselines.

 

HAL = $11.50/$12.00 suite

Cunard = $11.50/$13.50 suite

CCL = $12.00

Royal = $12.95/$15.95 suite

Celebrity = $12.95/$13.45 Aqua/$16.45 suites

NCL = $13.50/$15.50 suites

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electro Great Review Rare

electro

Posted
Posted
I don't remember ever getting two raises in four months.

 

Not that the stewards, etc. don't work their behinds off for our benefit, but it seems NCL will have the highest DSC of most major cruiselines.

 

HAL = $11.50/$12.00 suite

Cunard = $11.50/$13.50 suite

CCL = $12.00

Royal = $12.95/$15.95 suite

Celebrity = $12.95/$13.45 Aqua/$16.45 suites

NCL = $13.50/$15.50 suites

 

They are definitely the highest in the non suite categories.

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NATOuk

NATOuk

Posted
Posted

I always liked pre-paid gratuities because as a UK resident I find the whole tipping thing in North America a bit confusing and awkward - pre-paying made it seem like I just paid it and all was taken care of.

 

I'm starting to get the feeling that the cruise lines are starting to just treat this as extra revenue. I would prefer if they actually showed the breakdown of where your money actually goes.

 

For my next cruise (Royal Caribbean) I'm tempted to ask Guest Services to remove the automatic daily charge and I'll just tip in cash the old fashioned way (eg, money in envelopes given to stateroom attendant, head waiter, waiter & assistant waiter)

 

That way I know where the money goes and something makes me think the staff would likely appreciate it more

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