DAILY SERVICE INCREASE AGAIN?????

[Lionkingrichard]

Did you tip 20% of you meal or just a $1?

[HuliHuli]

4 hours ago, esm54687 said:

 The staff who ... made sure you had a deck chair to sit on by the pool ...

I don’t think I have ever seen these staffers.  Are they some sort of chair hog police? 🤣

[fstuff1]

1 hour ago, fstuff1 said:

"This page can’t be displayed"

 

im currently on the Joy using their internet.

ncl blocks this website?

Got the article via google cache:

 

"Feb 08, 2020

Norwegian Seafarers' Union (NSU) has negotiated pay increases for all crew working onboard Norwegian Cruise Line ships for 2020. NSU, representing seafarers around the world reports that this is a successful outcome to their bargaining agreement with NCL.

 “Salary increases usually happen annually following negotiations with the companies we have agreements with.” Says the Union.

 

The positive outcome of the latest negotiations with NCL was also shared on Norwegian Seafarers' Union website which reads “Pay increases will depend on crew position and in accordance with existing pay scales. For more details, we encourage seafarers to contact us directly at mail@nsu.org.”

 

Norwegian Seafarers' Union is one of the oldest Seafarers Unions, assisting crew since 1910. The Union negotiates with cruise companies to agree on minimum standards for working conditions on board. These agreements are called collective bargaining agreements or CBAs.

NSU represents seafarers from several major cruise lines including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Crystal Cruises, Viking Cruises, Seabourn, SeaDream, Azamara, and Fred Olsen Cruises"

[esm54687]

3 minutes ago, HuliHuli said:

I don’t think I have ever seen these staffers.  Are they some sort of chair hog police? 🤣

If you walk the deck at night you will see them cleaning the deck and stacking the lounge chairs...... if you go back out at 6am you will see them placing the lounge chairs out.....  they don't move magically. 

[HuliHuli]

1 minute ago, esm54687 said:

If you walk the deck at night you will see them cleaning the deck and stacking the lounge chairs...... if you go back out at 6am you will see them placing the lounge chairs out.....  they don't move magically. 

You obviously missed the point. 🤪

[mianmike]

3 hours ago, SouthLyonCruiser said:

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.

 

We got our information from our last three room stewards.  We're leaving next week on another cruise and we'll ask again. 

[BirdTravels]

40 minutes ago, HuliHuli said:

I don’t think I have ever seen these staffers.  Are they some sort of chair hog police? 🤣

You just need to look. People who work very hard on the Epic to make your cruise memorable. Police hogs moving your stuff after it sits alone for several hours. Clean up after you. Stock your toilet paper. Clean and set your tables. Wash your dishes. Cook your grub. 

Edited February 29, 2020 by BirdTravels

[localoneguy]

There seems to be some NCL appologists again who say it’s only 50 cents per person a day. So what. Isn’t that the exactly what nickel and dime is. Just what NCL is famous for

[HuliHuli]

57 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

You just need to look. People who work very hard on the Epic to make your cruise memorable. Police hogs moving your stuff after it sits alone for several hours. Clean up after you. Stock your toilet paper. Clean and set your tables. Wash your dishes. Cook your grub. 

You too missed the point. Humor too subtle for you I guess. 🧐

[Comi.uy]

14 hours ago, mdsgu said:

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. 

Exactly this. I know most americans will rage over it but its really that easy. Just go to and ask for the removal of the auto tips. You just have to give a reason, any reason. "ive been tipping cash" or whatever.

On disembark, they're all gone.

Of course, dont pre-pay for them or else it complicates everything.

[hamrag]

7 hours ago, blcruising said:

.....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.....

 

You are at the wind up, trying to get attention yet again....and here am I rising to your bait!!

[esm54687]

2 hours ago, HuliHuli said:

You too missed the point. Humor too subtle for you I guess. 🧐

I recognize humor when I see it..... subtle or not. 

 

Maybe you're giving yourself too much credit. 😁 

[luv2kroooz]

29 minutes ago, Comi.uy said:

Exactly this. I know most americans will rage over it but its really that easy. Just go to and ask for the removal of the auto tips. You just have to give a reason, any reason. "ive been tipping cash" or whatever.

On disembark, they're all gone.

Of course, dont pre-pay for them or else it complicates everything.

Exactly. Easy-peasy. Go early AM or late PM. No need to rage over anything.. Everyone just do what feels right to you. Guest services couldn't care less.

[gatorsfam]

Simplify the pricing imo. Why the cruise lines insist on creating this negative user experience is beyond me.  I guess none of them want to be first to 'raise' their pricing across the board.

[NLH Arizona]

Celebrity raised their gratuities on January 6th as follows:

 

Standard Cabins = $14.50 to $15.50.  Concierge and Aqua Classes = $15 to $16.  Suites = $18 to $19. per a Cruise Critic article.

[Comi.uy]

3 hours ago, gatorsfam said:

Simplify the pricing imo. Why the cruise lines insist on creating this negative user experience is beyond me.  I guess none of them want to be first to 'raise' their pricing across the board.

Whats not simple about them?

[mianmike]

13 minutes ago, Comi.uy said:

Whats not simple about them?

 

When price comparing across cruise lines it becomes very onerous with all the varying fees and service charges.  It would be great if someone developed a search engine that factored in the basic fees into the overall price.  

[insidecabin]

6 hours ago, mianmike said:

 

When price comparing across cruise lines it becomes very onerous with all the varying fees and service charges.  It would be great if someone developed a search engine that factored in the basic fees into the overall price.  

I use the plum that included taxes and gratuities but that does not factor in perks(paid or loyalty).

 

You get to use loads of filters to narrow down your choices and sort on cabin price per day, including taxes and  grats. 

 

Currently NCL has a few cruise where the base fare is getting closer to the gratuities.

Edited March 1, 2020 by insidecabin

[don't-use-real-name]

But why the simple complexities of nickel & dime ?  OK 4 bits a half a buck !

 

Why not use round-to-its - a flat out buck - $1.00 - one dollar increments ?

 

Enable prepaid DSC at a significant discount starting at HALF of the forced customary fee.

 

AND THEN LEAVE THE GUEST CUSTOMER ALONE FOR A COUPLE MORE YEARS !

It seems every time I take a cruise the fees have gone up.

Bad enough that the fares are bouncing around in a perpetual motion machine.

Like the airfares - have an airplane with 150 seats and there will be 149 different fares charged

with maybe two fares alike.

 

 

 

[CruiseMH]

23 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

 

If i could be absolutely sure that 100 % of the increase of the DSC would go to the employees, then i would be willing to pay 5 USD more per Day.

[Turtles06]

On 2/28/2020 at 10:25 PM, mianmike said:

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

 

Last month on the Gem, I asked our incredibly hard-working and fabulous steward how many cabins he had to service each day and he said 16.  (I've read the same figure elsewhere.)  And a number of those were suites.   He was working his butt off, and he was great at his job.  That's a lot of cabins, twice a day.

[NLH Arizona]

1 hour ago, Turtles06 said:

 

Last month on the Gem, I asked our incredibly hard-working and fabulous steward how many cabins he had to service each day and he said 16.  (I've read the same figure elsewhere.)  And a number of those were suites.   He was working his butt off, and he was great at his job.  That's a lot of cabins, twice a day.

Just on this thread we have heard 13, 15 and now 16.  It would be interesting to know how many cabins each services and if any are just giving out higher numbers for some reason. 

[pizza123]

5 hours ago, insidecabin said:

I use the plum that included taxes and gratuities but that does not factor in perks(paid or loyalty).

 

You get to use loads of filters to narrow down your choices and sort on cabin price per day, including taxes and  grats. 

 

Currently NCL has a few cruise where the base fare is getting closer to the gratuities.

$31/day plus $40/day for drink pkg gratuities  $71/day for 2.

[Roger88]

Guys, explain to me please. What is daily service? Usually my wife is the one doing all this booking procedures.. it includes services like cleaning/washing/baggage storage etc, correct? Or its some kind of a tip that everyone pays to the crew for the general service on board?

thank you

[don't-use-real-name]

15 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

Just on this thread we have heard 13, 15 and now 16.  It would be interesting to know how many cabins each services and if any are just giving out higher numbers for some reason. 

 

Good Question !

Depending on the type of cabin or mix of cabins may determine the number.

I.E. 16 inside cabins - 14 Ocean View - 12 Balcony - 10 Mini-suites - 8 Suites - 2 Garden Villas

Ships with Solos perhaps they are all serviced by one cabin attendant ?

Obviously the Suites are going to need more attention than an Inside.