Will this happen on O now?

[Pandora1958]

I - we - tend to show our thanks with cash before, and during the cruise. NEVER have we or would we change our 'service charges'. But, as we know, many would.

 

O has changed several policies since NCL became involved.

 

 

 

(9:54 a.m. EDT) --- Norwegian Cruise Line passengers will no longer be able to remove or change the daily service charge (DSC) added to shipboard accounts while still onboard.

 

The charge serves as gratuities for onboard staff including room stewards, waiters and behind-the-scenes support crew. If passengers were unsatisfied with their experience, they could choose to remove the DSC at any point during their voyage. Now, the DSC can only be adjusted by contacting guest relations once they have have returned from their cruise.

 

A thread on the Cruise Critic forums made note of the policy change, with some current cruise passengers saying that they were asked to send an email to the company to get the DSC removed. No further comment has been provided by the cruise line.

 

Lynne

[LHT28]

I - we - tend to show our thanks with cash before, and during the cruise. NEVER have we or would we change our 'service charges'. But, as we know, many would.

 

O has changed several policies since NCL became involved.

 

 

Lynne

 

I wonder how many people on Oceania remove gratuities ??

There are probably people that do it but maybe the % is smaller than on NCL ships

 

NCL is not Oceania they may be under the same corporate umbrella NCLH but are still run independent (for the most part) of each other

 

I have not seen any change in the policy for Oceania can you post a link to it ?

 

We never remove Gratuities

but now we get PPG from our TA so we just add to it in cash

Edited September 15, 2015 by LHT28

[We're The Groupnors]

I have no problem with making the gratuities mandatory, as I'd hate to think some hard working staff member is getting stiffed just because a passenger is cheap or unjustly disgruntled. However, if that's going to be their policy they should just add the mandatory gratuities to the cruise fare and be done with it.

[Hawaiidan]

NCL markets to a very broad demographic and many are super tight with a buck so if there exists any option to squeeze in nickel they will take it.

 

Folks on O are cut, I have found , from a different cloth. Mannered, well traveled and considerate of others. Just the fares tend to exclude many of the bargain basement travelers. ( I have seen them try to pry art of the wall , break into the library and steal anything that wasn't welded to the ship including other passengers possessions)

Thus I understand NCL taking this step in self defense.

 

However, I as most passengers on Oceania just consider the service charge to be part of the fare and never would consider shorting the hands that feed us.

We also tend to reward crew over and above that in many cases.

 

So, in reality making the service charge non revocable is moot. It wont really affect any of us and how we travel because none of us do stuff like that.

 

Either way its no big deal to me.

[hypercafe]

The issue on NCL is the DSC is not a tip, it goes into a fund which NCL uses for the crew. People feel its a rip and want to really tip those who do a good job for them. They also charge a double DSC in the pay restaurants as you pay the first one daily and then another one when you pay for the restaurant. Having sailed on all types of lines I have seen all types on all lines, I have not noticed the special cliental that is described as being on O. I wonder what O does with the DSC?

[sammiedawg]

I've never removed a service charge from any cruise line and highly doubt Oceania cruisers even think about doing so.

[LHT28]

They also charge a double DSC in the pay restaurants as you pay the first one daily and then another one when you pay for the restaurant.

I am not sure I understand your reasoning

Do people eat breakfast & lunch + snacks in the pay restaurants are you talking about specialty restaurants ??

 

Do they also add a Gratuity over & above the DSC (to me it is a gratuity)

 

Until Oceania implements the policy I am not worried

Edited September 15, 2015 by LHT28

[hypercafe]

I am not sure I understand your reasoning

Do people eat breakfast & lunch + snacks in the pay restaurants are you talking about specialty restaurants ??

 

Do they also add a Gratuity over & above the DSC (to me it is a gratuity)

 

Until Oceania implements the policy I am not worried

 

I was talking about the speciality restaurants. When you eat in one you pay the flat rate and then a 18% gratuity on that

amount. They are making most of the speciality restaurants a la cart next year and some of them now have up chargers for some items above the flat rate. I guess they have shortened port times because FDR has squeezed all he can out of NCL customers.

[orchestrapal]

Of course they charge ala carte for everything when you can cruise on NCL which one can do for well under $100 a night. Try doing that on Oceania. I would hope that we would continue to have our specialty restaurant included in the base fare. Not worried!

Edited September 15, 2015 by orchestrapal

[LHT28]

I was talking about the speciality restaurants. When you eat in one you pay the flat rate and then a 18% gratuity on that

amount. They are making most of the speciality restaurants a la cart next year and some of them now have up chargers for some items above the flat rate.

I guess the NCL passengers want it all & not pay the staff the DSC as well

 

Are they force to eat in the specialty restaurants ?

 

Maybe they are trying the EASYCRUISE approach ...remember them ;)

[Hawaiidan]

I was talking about the speciality restaurants. When you eat in one you pay the flat rate and then a 18% gratuity on that

amount. They are making most of the speciality restaurants a la cart next year and some of them now have up chargers for some items above the flat rate. I guess they have shortened port times because FDR has squeezed all he can out of NCL customers.

 

If you sail on NCL, Carnival, Royal Carribe you are talking about bargain basement fares that attract a bargain basement travelers and mentality.

 

Everything is an extra from orange juice and water to extra charges for everything...it comes with the territory for the price paid and is to be expected.

The comment that one has not observed other behavior on Oceania speaks to the level with which passengers on Oceania carry themselves....subtitle and low key.

[StanandJim]

I guess they have shortened port times because FDR has squeezed all he can out of NCL customers.

 

Actually, I believe that FDR has gone on record as saying that NCL needed to stop chasing the lowest fare endlessly, because the passengers that are gained by only having the lowest fare aren't worth having.

 

If cost were the only answer, ANYBODY could do it. The trick is in finding the right balance.

[Caroldoll]

How do they get paid. I am for having mandatory service charges. I am probably in the minority, but there are so many crew that we don't see. I just hope it goes to them.

[LHT28]

How do they get paid. I am for having mandatory service charges. I am probably in the minority, but there are so many crew that we don't see. I just hope it goes to them.

 

I would like to see the gratuities or however they need to word it added to the cruise fare

 

Many crew are paid a salary but the wait staff & housekeeping rely on gratuities for the most part

[hondorner]

...NCL is not Oceania they may be under the same corporate umbrella NCLH but are still run independent (for the most part) of each other

 

I have not seen any change in the policy for Oceania can you post a link to it ?...

Lym has it right. Oceania is not NCL. NCL is not "involved", they are separate companies that happen to be under one holding company -- NCL HOLDINGS. And, the guy in charge of NCL HOLDINGS is Frank Del Rio, the guy who started Oceania.

 

This is a useless thread, started by someone who is upset by Oceania.

[MVPinBoynton]

Thank goodness tips are mandatory. Some people would get rid of all the tips because they were unhappy with one bad meal, thus stiffing all the people that did make their cruise enjoyable. I have found the crew on every ship we have been on to be very hard working and most deserving of tips. There have certainly been those that have not been perfect; but not many.

[LHT28]

from this post it appears you will need to have an issue with the cruise or service & if they cannot resolve it then you can adjust or removed the DSC when you get off the ship

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=47762433&postcount=31

 

Good idea IMO

Many people remove the DSC/tips just because they can

 

YMMV

[dorisis]

How do they get paid. I am for having mandatory service charges. I am probably in the minority, but there are so many crew that we don't see. I just hope it goes to them.

 

Hotel charges should be part of the cruise price just as port charges and other fees are.

 

The disadvantage of that is that we can no longer use our OBCs for gratuities.

[orchestrapal]

Hotel charges should be part of the cruise price just as port charges and other fees are.

 

The disadvantage of that is that we can no longer use our OBCs for gratuities.

 

The right TA when one begins cruising with O will include the gratuities. When you get to your 10 th cruise they are always included by Oceania.

You can always tip extra, as we do,to the butler and housekeepers and everyone else who made your cruise wonderful.