DAILY SERVICE INCREASE AGAIN?????

[drumming cruisers]

Just received email from NCL 2 minutes ago  for our cruise in June. DSC up again!!! 

$15.50  DAY pp for any category to mini suite

$18.50  Day pp for suit or Haven

 

Might just cancel with everything else going on

[julig22]

12 minutes ago, drumming cruisers said:

Just received email from NCL 2 minutes ago  for our cruise in June. DSC up again!!! 

$15.50  DAY pp for any category to mini suite

$18.50  Day pp for suit or Haven

 

Might just cancel with everything else going on

Why wouldn't the DSC go up - everyone else thinks they are entitled to a raise, minimum wage keeps going up.  And before anyone points out that the crew members wouldn't be subject to minimum wage, remember that the people who provide services and goods to the ship probably are.

Don't get me wrong - I don't like it anymore than the next guy but just because I don't like it doesn't mean that it's not reasonable.

[forgotmyCCname]

Is this only a 50 cent per day increase?


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[Two Wheels Only]

The last increase was April, 2019. It's probably April, 2020 this year.

 

If you pay before boarding, you'll pay the $15/$18 rate. 

[shof515]

Every March/April the DSC goes up, this is normal for Norwegian. they are the only cruise line so far with yearly DSC increases

[Gershep]

52 minutes ago, forgotmyCCname said:

Is this only a 50 cent per day increase?


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Per day per person.

[Mom2kmo]

Really complaining about a .50 increase pp (a $1 a day)!   Not sure what cruise line doesn’t increase their DSC but maybe it’s time you find that cruise line and jump ship!  

[mianmike]

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Why wouldn't the DSC go up - everyone else thinks they are entitled to a raise, minimum wage keeps going up.  And before anyone points out that the crew members wouldn't be subject to minimum wage, remember that the people who provide services and goods to the ship probably are.

Don't get me wrong - I don't like it anymore than the next guy but just because I don't like it doesn't mean that it's not reasonable.

 

Because many of us don't believe 100% of DSC is going to the crew.  The last few years NCL has been able to decrease the number of room stewards by quite a bit.  Cabin stewards were responsible for cleaning 10 cabins, now it's 15 cabins (via elimination of steward responsibilities like towel animals, beach towel cabin drop-off and pickup, less room service dishes because of fees, etc.)  If 100% of DSC goes to the crew, they would have received a massive raise when the amount of cabin stewards was reduced, but they tell me no such raise.  

[smplybcause]

Room stewards aren't the only ones receiving DSC. If the decrease in room stewards is offset by an increase in employees in other areas that participate in DSC then it would result in overall no individual change. 

[AlyssaJames]

They’re now charging as much as Princess and Celebrity, and more than RC, all of which had much better service in my experiences with them. 
 

Did NCL do away with twice daily room servicing as well? 

[mdsgu]

If you don't like it, or if you feel you didn't get your money's worth, march yourself down to the front desk on the last night, tell them you need to adjust your DSC, they will give you a form to complete, and, voila! it's done. 

[mianmike]

1 hour ago, smplybcause said:

Room stewards aren't the only ones receiving DSC. If the decrease in room stewards is offset by an increase in employees in other areas that participate in DSC then it would result in overall no individual change. 

 

Theoretically, yes, it’s within the realm of possibility.  For argument’s sake, let’s say an NCL ship has 1500 non-Haven cabins.  Years ago, it would require 150 cabin stewards to maintain these cabins.  Today it only requires 100 cabin stewards to maintain these 1500 cabins.  50 cabin steward positions displaced. 

 

Any idea what new service NCL implemented that requires 50 additional employees?  I can’t think of anything.  Moreover, one would think cabin stewards aren’t the only crew positions that have seen productivity and efficiency increases whereby less crew are needed than in the past.  I wouldn’t be surprised if NCL takes the additional DSC revenue and offsets more and more of NCL’s portion of employee’s salaries.  Who knows. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by mianmike

[smplybcause]

13 minutes ago, mianmike said:

 

Theoretically, yes, it’s within the realm of possibility.  For argument’s sake, let’s say an NCL ship has 1500 non-Haven cabins.  Years ago, it would require 150 cabin stewards to maintain these cabins.  Today it only requires 100 cabin stewards to maintain these 1500 cabins.  50 cabin steward positions displaced. 

 

Any idea what new service NCL implemented that requires 50 additional employees?  I can’t think of anything.  Moreover, one would think cabin stewards aren’t the only crew positions that have seen productivity and efficiency increases whereby less crew are needed than in the past.  I wouldn’t be surprised if NCL takes the additional DSC revenue and offsets more and more of NCL’s portion of employee’s salaries.  Who knows. 

 

As far as I know NCL hasn't had a shift in the crew to passenger ratio over the years. I don't know exactly how they shifted it around, but if that ratio hasn't drastically changed then a decrease in room stewards would mean an increase elsewhere. 

[ready2cruzagain]

On the Breakaway last month our cabin steward was not very good at all.  No ice, after asking several times, did not turn down cabin after at night a couple of times (I really don't care if my sheets are turned back but we needed clean towels) when I went to find her, her reason was "It is my first day" ... uh no, I seen you yesterday and the day before, 🙄  We would leave the cabin at 7 am and go back at 3pm on most days and the cabin was still not cleaned.

 

The month before on MSC Seaside it was just as bad.  It seems to me that the crew has gotten in the frame of mind that they are going to get paid anyway so why bother.

 

I have never adjusted the DSC but I will on my next cruise if the cabin steward has an IDGAD attitude.

[esm54687]

35 minutes ago, ready2cruzagain said:

On the Breakaway last month our cabin steward was not very good at all.  No ice, after asking several times, did not turn down cabin after at night a couple of times (I really don't care if my sheets are turned back but we needed clean towels) when I went to find her, her reason was "It is my first day" ... uh no, I seen you yesterday and the day before, 🙄  We would leave the cabin at 7 am and go back at 3pm on most days and the cabin was still not cleaned.

 

The month before on MSC Seaside it was just as bad.  It seems to me that the crew has gotten in the frame of mind that they are going to get paid anyway so why bother.

 

I have never adjusted the DSC but I will on my next cruise if the cabin steward has an IDGAD attitude.

While you are entited to adjust the DSC...... please remember that the DSC isn't dedicated to just your room steward.  The room steward may have a IDGAD attitude but the staff who washed your sheets, cleaned up after you in the buffet, made sure you had a deck chair to sit on by the pool, etc will be impacted by your reduction. 

 

[luv2kroooz]

As stated above, you can adjust it to whatever you believe is appropriate at guest services. This needs to be done onboard prior to disembarking the vessel and usually only on the final two days of the sailing. I've been adjusting to $14.50 per day after the increase last year. I explain the service has been fine but that I have to get my own pool towels, they don't make my towel animals, I have to ask for ice, I have to pick up my own liquor at the end of the cruise, and that I valued the good service at $14.50 per person per day. I've done it respectfully and will continue to do so, and have always had a positive experience with guest services when doing so. It's only $1.00 per person per day so the majority of the DSC is still given to NCL. What they do with it and how it is ultimately distributed is out of my control.

[luv2kroooz]

Here you go.... NCL agrees to wage increases ( and then tells you and me to pay for it) via a service charge. Celebrity did the same a few months ago. 

 

https://crew-center.com/pay-rises-norwegian-cruise-line-crew-2020

Edited February 29, 2020 by blcruising

[dmdiver]

More & more I feel like the DSC should just be rolled up into the cost of the cruise.  We seem to be alarmed/dismayed if DSC increases by 50 cents per day, yet if cruise fare for a 7 night cruise increased by $3.50, we would think nothing of it.  

 

I suppose it has more to do with the value we feel we are getting - is the staff attentive enough to be worth an additional 50 cents per day?  We've only had one steward that we felt was not that good, but even then we did not adjust the DSC.  We didn't care for much of the staff on our Princess cruise, but did not adjust the DSC  I guess a lot of people must adjust that if they are not happy with the service they receive, but I've never had such bad service that I felt compelled to stand in line to reduce the DSC.

[SouthLyonCruiser]

10 hours ago, mianmike said:

 

Because many of us don't believe 100% of DSC is going to the crew.  The last few years NCL has been able to decrease the number of room stewards by quite a bit.  Cabin stewards were responsible for cleaning 10 cabins, now it's 15 cabins (via elimination of steward responsibilities like towel animals, beach towel cabin drop-off and pickup, less room service dishes because of fees, etc.)  If 100% of DSC goes to the crew, they would have received a massive raise when the amount of cabin stewards was reduced, but they tell me no such raise.  

I don't know where you got your figures on how many cabins a steward is responsible for but several years ago our steward told us he did 13 cabins, twice a day, including balconies and suites.

[ColeThornton]

1 hour ago, blcruising said:

Here you go.... NCL agrees to wage increases ( and then tells you and me to pay for it) via a service charge. Celebrity did the same a few months ago. 

 

https://crew-center.com/pay-rises-norwegian-cruise-line-crew-2020

 

 

No matter what industry it is, the consumer ALWAYS pays for the employees wage increases. 

[NLH Arizona]

1 hour ago, dmdiver said:

More & more I feel like the DSC should just be rolled up into the cost of the cruise.  We seem to be alarmed/dismayed if DSC increases by 50 cents per day, yet if cruise fare for a 7 night cruise increased by $3.50, we would think nothing of it.  

 

 

They did that in some countries and one country in particular had such a huge uproar that they changed it back.  The passengers didn't want to pay for it with the DSC nor did they want to pay for it included in their fare, so it was basically a no win either way for the crew.  A poster, who had a child working on one of the ships said they hated cruising out of that country because so many removed their DSC.  Funny, did they ever think that when it was included in the fare, it was just like every other company they do business with; for example, when they purchase groceries from ALDI, they are paying the employees' salaries when they pay for their groceries.

[fstuff1]

9 hours ago, mianmike said:

  I wouldn’t be surprised if NCL takes the additional DSC revenue and offsets more and more of NCL’s portion of employee’s salaries.  Who knows. 

yup, I think it's a shell game.

 

our cabin tips are going to the employees but what ncl pays out of pocket is lowered such that the employees only get what's in their contract.

[luv2kroooz]

45 minutes ago, ColeThornton said:

 

 

No matter what industry it is, the consumer ALWAYS pays for the employees wage increases. 

That is for sure true. Most of the time it is just baked into the cost of the product offering or good being sold. I think the cruise industry used to be that way many years ago.

 

More recently, though, the methodology of the cruise industry has been to pass it on to the customer directly and often times disguise it as a service charge, gratuity or some other fee. That's the rub with a lot of people....they say it is a service charge or gratuity, but maybe it is just wages like your comment implies. I think the lack of transparency creates the rub. If its a wage, just say its a wage and we are going to pass along cost of living adjustments to you, the consumer. I do think NCL has more charges and fees than other cruiselines, but I'm not just talking about NCL, either. They all do this.

Edited February 29, 2020 by blcruising

[fstuff1]

2 hours ago, blcruising said:

Here you go.... NCL agrees to wage increases ( and then tells you and me to pay for it) via a service charge. Celebrity did the same a few months ago. 

 

https://crew-center.com/pay-rises-norwegian-cruise-line-crew-2020

"This page can’t be displayed"

 

im currently on the Joy using their internet.

ncl blocks this website?

[Ptroxx]

I know I’m gonna get flamed for this but.   On NCl I don’t like to pay the DSC.   
for one I don’t like my steward coming into my room all the time.  I don’t need towel animals.  I make my own bed. Have my entire life.   All I need is ice once a day that’s it.and I’ll tip for that.  
I don’t eat in the MDR.  I go to the local on the Joy and like sitting along the area you can sit by yourself along the counter type seating.     And I’ll tip my waiter there.   If I do sit in the MDR I tip my waiter.  If I get a water at a bar.  I tip my bar tender.  
just like at any bar or restaurant.  

I dislike the way these ships are making you pay.  I’d rather give a person what their worth.  And not what the cruise line gives them.   
 

flame on.   Now on RC. I paid my DSC.  But I went to the MDR every night with a group. 
my steward was useless.   All. I asked was for ice.  And I couldn’t get it daily. Always had to ask for it.   But still paid.    
bring back the envelopes.   Lolol. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥