Daily Service Charges are now officially out of hand

[Joseph2017China]

40 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

If you live on post (like a cruise ship) there is no housing allowance 

If you live on post you are given a meal

card (like a cruise ship) there is no food allowance. 
Actual Pay is $1400

I know how it works. BAS and BAF is pay.

[Plum Happy]

On 12/8/2022 at 8:48 AM, bjlaac said:

We have several cruises booked, mostly with RCL, but do have one with NCL.  Just got a letter they are "nominally" raising the daily service charge from $16.00 to $20.00 for those below their version of suites and $25 for everyone above.  This is a 25% increase, which is hardly nominal, and comes on top of the April 2022 increase to $16.00.

 

Now I'm all for tipping the crew and don't believe the removal of these charges are warranted unless there's a real good reason, but this is rediculous!  How long before RCL follows suit?

I vote cancel the cruise if you can, that will teach them about their ridiculous daily service fee, which I don't believe will go to the crew.

[taglovestocruise]

45 minutes ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

They can't - many European and other markets would not allow that - they have to be removable so they can sell in those markets. Mandatory charges that are not included in the fare are not allowed in many countries.

Cruise lines need to get together and make the Grats part of the fare. 

[taglovestocruise]

8 minutes ago, Plum Happy said:

I vote cancel the cruise if you can, that will teach them about their ridiculous daily service fee, which I don't believe will go to the crew.

You need to cruise Disney, the last night there is a breakdown sheet left in the cabin. It has the waiters, assistant waiters, Main waiter and cabin steward listed by name and exactly how the split was done. 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, Joseph2017China said:

I know how it works. BAS and BAF is pay.

No, you don’t get it; you stated that you can’t compare the cruise employee pay to military (on post) pay. This is wrong, they are exactly the same in what is base pay, and what is benefits (allowances) 

Edited December 9, 2022 by not-enough-cruising

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

Well, this is certainly indisputable proof. 
 

[Longford]

6 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I'm not that way at all, but I'm including myself in the group as a whole, and it's a true statement for the majority of average americans.

LOL!  I'll offer the suggestion that maybe your comment (which you haven't included in your remarks above, but I've included below) reflects your personal behavior, and others you've apparently chosen to travel / associate with.  However, generalizing as you do isn't helpful or informative to a discussion.  😇

 

The comment of yours I responded to:

 

"We Americans have a knack for expecting a lot of things without having to pay for them in any way." 

[Plum Happy]

47 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

You need to cruise Disney, the last night there is a breakdown sheet left in the cabin. It has the waiters, assistant waiters, Main waiter and cabin steward listed by name and exactly how the split was done. 

Oh, I know who the tip money goes to, but NCL is charging another increase by $4 per person per day or $56 for an interior for 7 days to say it's for the crew, which would total almost $6 for the year is ridiculous.   I would love to hear from a NCL a waiter, room steward, etc,  that says they got an additional COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) again this year.

 

I don't believe it.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Plum Happy

[jean87510]

3 hours ago, J0Y0US said:

 

If NCL, Royal, Carnival, and others can't afford to pay employees enough money to not need any tips at all then maybe they should go out of business?

 

I like my position better than yours and something I stand by with restaurants as well when they say they "can't afford it".

absolutely.  

[livingonthebeach]

I would much rather have a slight fare increase so RCI can pay their crew members decent wages than have charges added to my account under the guise of gratuities to an already prepaid cruise.

 

Tipping is always optional everywhere you go and in some countries it is considered rude to tip. A tip is never mandatory as it was designed as an optional sum of money you give to someone who has provided you with excellent service. The excellent service as well as the amounts are very subjective.  I bring cash and tip those that provide me with decent service. I don't like the idea of a company controlling my purse strings. 

[cruisegus]

2 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

They can't - many European and other markets would not allow that - they have to be removable so they can sell in those markets. Mandatory charges that are not included in the fare are not allowed in many countries.

not a problem , include it in there fare, rules are different in Briton as they can't reprice either, just like you pay VAT in Europe..

 

Again why adjust for the minority, the VAST majority of cruise lines income come from bookings within the USA.

 

[Seacruise]

23 minutes ago, Plum Happy said:

 I would love to hear from a NCL a waiter, room steward, etc,  that says they got an additional COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) again this year.

 

I don't believe it.

I was on Princess in May and at that time Princess was only having Room Stewards enter your room once a day. They would then deliver the Activity Paper at night and nothing more.
While talking to my Room Steward I asked exactly how much of the tip I give do you get and he said only 60%. He went on to say he had 10 cabins empty this cruise so for those he got nothing.
Further he said that many crew were quitting because of the lack of money.

So I went up to the Front Office and asked the question about where the "extra" was going and they looked at me and said the Room Steward gets it all.

I then talked to a few other Stewards and they all said they only got 60%.

I highly doubt that this increase has nothing to do with the crew getting more, what it has to do with is bringing their wages up to what they were getting before Covid.

I have seen much talk about reducing the Stewards visits to the cabin to once a day. Pick Morning or Evening and that's it.

Things are changing and getting more expensive. Don't forget all cruise lines have to pay off the huge loans they took out to stay afloat.

[DirtyDawg]

13 minutes ago, Seacruise said:

Things are changing and getting more expensive. Don't forget all cruise lines have to pay off the huge loans they took out to stay afloat.

Since I don't own any cruise line stocks I don't care if the cruise lines stay afloat.

 

They can sink, 😥 which might be sad for some people, but most of their ships will stay afloat and offer cruises just like now. The only difference might be their name, paint job and any profits will go to other owners. 

 

A rose  🌹 by any other name ... still has chair hogs. 😊

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[wayne_trisha]

7 hours ago, J0Y0US said:

 

Yes

 

Just like I will pay more at a restaurant if tips were not expected either.

 

Paid a ton of money at Sandals with the benefit of zero tipping outside of our butler. Others will get fired if they try to solicit tips. Pay a good wage, make the employees happy, and make it so that if someone doesn't perform you have others lined up for paying so well.

Why did you tip your butler if they were properly compensated like other employees?

[Ocean Boy]

On 12/8/2022 at 9:50 AM, ballarinamom said:

Has anyone noticed there are never any threads when taxes and port fees are increased? People probably never notice and never ask how to have them removed. Yet they are an addition to the cruise fare. I see the service charges in the same boat as taxes. Only I dont have to have them paid off 60 days prior to sailing. And people who say they will only tip 20% of the cruise fare, remember, you should tip on the retail/rack rate and not the sale price. When you go to a restaurant, you tip on the amount before the coupon is applied

And how does it really make sense to tip on a percentage of a bill? Does a server work more bringing me a $30 steak than he/she does bringing me a $10 hamburger?

[wayne_trisha]

4 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Cruise lines need to get together and make the Grats part of the fare. 

And then service goes in the toilet.

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

I would much rather have a slight fare increase so RCI can pay their crew members decent wages than have charges added to my account under the guise of gratuities to an already prepaid cruise.

 

Tipping is always optional everywhere you go and in some countries it is considered rude to tip. A tip is never mandatory as it was designed as an optional sum of money you give to someone who has provided you with excellent service. The excellent service as well as the amounts are very subjective.  I bring cash and tip those that provide me with decent service. I don't like the idea of a company controlling my purse strings. 

What do you think about 18% being added to just about everything you buy on the ship (outside of retail shops)?

[rockon391]

On 12/8/2022 at 6:54 AM, Diver2014 said:

If you can't afford to tip, don't cruise.  Flames, anyone?

Lol. It is no longer tipping. This is RC being a horrible company and not paying their staff a decent wage…and forwarding the wages they should be paying to their customers to pay. F that. RC and other cruise lines will lose business. Period. 
 

HOPEFULLY the staff smarten up as well. 

[rockon391]

4 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

I would much rather have a slight fare increase so RCI can pay their crew members decent wages than have charges added to my account under the guise of gratuities to an already prepaid cruise.

 

Tipping is always optional everywhere you go and in some countries it is considered rude to tip. A tip is never mandatory as it was designed as an optional sum of money you give to someone who has provided you with excellent service. The excellent service as well as the amounts are very subjective.  I bring cash and tip those that provide me with decent service. I don't like the idea of a company controlling my purse strings. 

Exactly. Go ahead and randomly charge “gratuities”. I will contest every dollar and win. RC WILL NOT WIN THIS BATTLE. GUARANTEED. 

[travelgalnow]

1 hour ago, wayne_trisha said:

And then service goes in the toilet.

 

Mmmm. I dunno.  If the service is bad, people will complain, and then you will lose your job.

Take Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth. Employees seem pretty happy there, and they aren't tipped.  However, Disneyland is very expensive now!  I went to a restaurant in New Zealand, and there was no tipping. Service same as USA I thought.

One thing I am wondering though.  If the price keeps going up on cruising, at some point it will only be for the wealthy.  Maybe that's where this is going.

[ldubs]

5 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

I would much rather have a slight fare increase so RCI can pay their crew members decent wages than have charges added to my account under the guise of gratuities to an already prepaid cruise.

 

I'm kinda leaning that way too.  It might or might not be a "slight" fare increase depending on your perspective.   If grats are $16/pp then a fare increase of $32/day/cabin (double occy) plus tax would need to happen.  

 

5 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

Tipping is always optional everywhere you go and in some countries it is considered rude to tip. A tip is never mandatory as it was designed as an optional sum of money you give to someone who has provided you with excellent service. The excellent service as well as the amounts are very subjective.  I bring cash and tip those that provide me with decent service. I don't like the idea of a company controlling my purse strings. 

 

In America, at restaurants,  if service is good (not excellent) one should leave a tip.  To not do so would be considered a poor show.  Poor service would be a valid reason for no tip.  So technically it is not mandatory, but kind of like good manners, it is done.   On cruise ships, like you  we want to recognize decent service.  We do the prepaid plus a small amount last day.   I can only trust the prepaid makes it to the staff.  

[ldubs]

12 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I'm not that way at all, but I'm including myself in the group as a whole, and it's a true statement for the majority of average americans.

 

Nope.   Speak for yourself.  

[Coralc]

3 hours ago, travelgalnow said:

 

Mmmm. I dunno.  If the service is bad, people will complain, and then you will lose your job.

Take Disneyland, the Happiest Place on Earth. Employees seem pretty happy there, and they aren't tipped.  However, Disneyland is very expensive now!  I went to a restaurant in New Zealand, and there was no tipping. Service same as USA I thought.

One thing I am wondering though.  If the price keeps going up on cruising, at some point it will only be for the wealthy.  Maybe that's where this is going.

We were at a restaurant in French Polynesia with our friends, a couple from Australia. And he was slapping DH's hand and going "NO", don't tip him! I don't know if tipping is common there, but it is such an ingrained habit that we have. ☺️

[FamilyCruiserUK]

4 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

I'm kinda leaning that way too.  It might or might not be a "slight" fare increase depending on your perspective.   If grats are $16/pp then a fare increase of $32/day/cabin (double occy) plus tax would need to happen.  

 

 

In America, at restaurants,  if service is good (not excellent) one should leave a tip.  To not do so would be considered a poor show.  Poor service would be a valid reason for no tip.  So technically it is not mandatory, but kind of like good manners, it is done.   On cruise ships, like you  we want to recognize decent service.  We do the prepaid plus a small amount last day.   I can only trust the prepaid makes it to the staff.  

But what is considered "good service"?. Taking my order, getting it right, bringing it to my table, taking plates away and giving me the bill IMO is their basic job requirments. Just like a mcdonalds worker....for example yet who tips the fast food people?.  Now if they sort out problems, are polite and chatty and interact more then above then yes i will leave a tip. And thata my definition of a tip for service "above" the expected.

[DirtyDawg]

12 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Cruise lines need to get together and make the Grats part of the fare. 

 

8 hours ago, wayne_trisha said:

And then service goes in the toilet.

And there will be an addition $16 per person, per day, fee to clean that up

... with the usual 18% Grat added on, of course. 😉 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by DirtyDawg