Service Issues

[Asawi]

I'm struggling to think of what would make go and get my DSC reduced. I'm a solo traveller so the DSC on my booking is "just" $20/day and as far as I'm concerened it's part of the cruise cost (and you really don't get much for $20 nowadays). If we were 4 in the room, making the DSC $80/day I might think differently. I don't know...

On my latest cruise my room stewart wasn't great. But not bad enough for me to go to guest services and complain. To be honest, I don't really need much steward services so I wasn't really suffering. But he didn't get a tip or a hero card. 

As for port taxes/fees, here in Europe they are included in the advertised price. I like that! (DSC isn't though)

[graphicguy]

22 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

I've found that a small $5 or $10 given to the hostess at the beginning of the cruise increases the quality of the seating offered.  Repeat two or three times during the cruise.

That works.  I know a small monetary gesture at the beginning of a cruise to those you expect to interface with often goes a long way to them recognizing and helping you (e.g. find a table in a Specialty Restaurant when it only has openings 3 hours later) when you request help.

 

Same for bartenders. 

[julig22]

1 hour ago, Asawi said:

I'm struggling to think of what would make go and get my DSC reduced. I'm a solo traveller so the DSC on my booking is "just" $20/day and as far as I'm concerened it's part of the cruise cost (and you really don't get much for $20 nowadays). If we were 4 in the room, making the DSC $80/day I might think differently. I don't know...

On my latest cruise my room stewart wasn't great. But not bad enough for me to go to guest services and complain. To be honest, I don't really need much steward services so I wasn't really suffering. But he didn't get a tip or a hero card. 

As for port taxes/fees, here in Europe they are included in the advertised price. I like that! (DSC isn't though)

At one point, I've wondered if perhaps the DSC should be less for additional passengers, since it wouldn't normally take 4x the effort as far as room upkeep (I'm solo also). But then I realize that if there are 4, they are probably using towels, eating in the buffet or MDR, etc - and the DSC isn't just for the steward, it's also for the behind the scenes crew.

[detroitlions]

On 1/10/2024 at 10:23 AM, Laszlo said:

BINGO... My wife and I go out to eat about twice a week and we go to 6-7 different restaurants a month. They all have waits, they all have open tables. They can't get enough staff

 

My wife and I have been on a dozen NCL cruise. I can count on one hand our service for a meal was less than great. Only one time did we have really lousy service 

I know of these issues with wait time and staff. But what I do not like is when folks say people don't want to work anymore and the folks serving them are busting there rear ends to serve you I think that is rude as heck. The real reason for the shortages are folks can not survive on the wages they are paid. Its a huge problem in Florida with houses that go from $500,000 to a Million folks that work at the restaurant your at cant afford housing in that neighborhood. 

[detroitlions]

23 hours ago, graphicguy said:

I always get a charge out of these types of posts.

 

It's like going to a land based restaurant and telling the manager you don't want to tip 20%.  It will probably go something like this....

 

"I only want to tip 10%"

"Sir/M'am was your server bad?"

"No"

"Was your food not to your liking?"

"It was fine"

"Then why did you even come here?"

 

If you don't see the value in the service charges...ON ANY CRUISE LINE....don't cruise them.  If you don't like the cruise lines' policies, don't cruise them.

 

You can whine about it, you can post here...but in the end, I question why you cruise knowing up front what the charges are and then whine enough to try to justify you punishing the crew by reducing their compensation?

 

You know the charges going into the cruise.  You want to change them after the fact for really no good reason other than you don't want to adhere to the cruise lines' policies.

 

These crew work hard...very hard....harder than probably anyone who is a guest ever worked.  So, is it a "power trip" thing?  Is it a "I have more money than you and I'll show you how to wield it" thing?

 

I have sailed NCL 15, soon to be 16, times.  Service issues have been very few and ver far in between. There was NEVER a service situation that I bought to the attention of management that wasn't rectified quickly and actually overcompensation for the small gaff was way over the top.

 

Further, I've seen people at the Customer Service desk removing/reducing tips.  They are without fail to be curmudgeons and people I try to avoid on board because of their overall attitude.  I don't want them brining my joy and happiness down even a smidgeon.

 

Finally, I HAVE NEVER seen any crew not offer to make whatever transgression (perceived or real) better.

 

 

Agree 100%.

[zqvol]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

That works.  I know a small monetary gesture at the beginning of a cruise to those you expect to interface with often goes a long way to them recognizing and helping you (e.g. find a table in a Specialty Restaurant when it only has openings 3 hours later) when you request help.

 

Same for bartenders. 

Never needed to do that and always get what I want. Bribery is not necessary, and is demeaning to the crew

[zqvol]

44 minutes ago, detroitlions said:

Agree 100%.

Disagree 100%

[IAcruising]

Just now, zqvol said:

Never needed to do that and always get what I want. Bribery is not necessary, and is demeaning to the crew

 

Ridiculous. Ask the crew if a tip is demeaning. I'm going to go out on limb and guess that they say -- ridiculous.

 

[RocketMan275]

28 minutes ago, zqvol said:

Never needed to do that and always get what I want. Bribery is not necessary, and is demeaning to the crew

It isn't bribery and it isn't demeaning.

Those are allegations designed to justify not tipping.

[SeaShark]

31 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

 

Ridiculous. Ask the crew if a tip is demeaning. I'm going to go out on limb and guess that they say -- ridiculous.

 

 

I think you should read that again. The poster you responded to said that bribery was demeaning, not tipping. 

 

No crew member would consider a tip received for a job well done to be demeaning. However, the implication that a person has to be bribed in advance to get them to provide good service certainly IS demeaning.

 

5 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Those are allegations designed to justify not tipping.

 

If a person doesn't want to tip, they wouldn't need to justify it. NCL plainly states: "Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests." No reqired or recommended tipping...if that is their position, no justification is needed.

[IAcruising]

6 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

No crew member would consider a tip received for a job well done to be demeaning. However, the implication that a person has to be bribed in advance to get them to provide good service certainly IS demeaning.

 

A tip is a tip, before, during, or after. Calling it "bribery" is ridiculous on its face, and I'll repeat my assertion that any tipped crew member would agree.

 

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, SeaShark said:

 

I think you should read that again. The poster you responded to said that bribery was demeaning, not tipping. 

 

No need to read it again.  I've read that allegation countess times on CC. 

Wife and I believe in "Tipping early, Tipping often, and Tipping well." We have found that policy results in better service.  

There is no evidence that the crew considers it a bribe or that it is demeaning.

[complawyer]

once again.. my 1st tip is to the porter taking our luggage at the pier. next tip is the maitre'd if we're escorted to cagney's for lunch ( in a booked suite) next is the server.  after the meal, assuming the cabin is ready, $20 to the steward to start, with an additional 20 throughout the length of the cruise. ''the butler gets tipped at the end of the voyage, as does the concierge.

 

we tip every waiter/waitress that serves us, regardless of where on the ship we are eating (includes the mdr, and bartenders.

 

we even figure out prior to leaving home, approximately how much we will need to take with us as cash for all the tips.

 

a few years back on the bliss to alaska, i gave the greeter $20. he was always smiling, and singing, and i had never seen anyone so "into" their job as he was, even though it was just greeting people at the entrance to the buffet. he taught me songs and i taught him songs as well. we made quite a duo. unfortunately, not good enough to get a spot in any of the shows (LOL)

 

i have found that these cash tips really do enhance the service and are greatly appreciated by the recipients. i agree with rocket man 100%.

 

if you dont think  the tipping is appreciated, try it yourself and see the world of difference.

 

it also helps a great deal, if the specialty restaurant is booked out, an extra $20 to the host will work wonders (ok, that's a bribe, but in the old days in las vegas, if you wanted to see a headlining act, the $20 got you a seat upfront, Hence the term vegas handshake. with no handshake you got seated at the furthest seat in the back.

 

that was a lesson i learned rather quickly when i was much younger.

 

so, if you feel the daily service charge is sufficient, DON'T TIP. when it comes to this issue, there is no right or wrong answer. no one will chastise you either way

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, zqvol said:

Never needed to do that and always get what I want. Bribery is not necessary, and is demeaning to the crew

Ask the crew if they are demeaned as you’re sticking a Hamilton in their palm.  They’re in the service industry.  Tips aren’t a bribe.  They are a major part of their compensation.

Edited January 11 by graphicguy

[SeaShark]

58 minutes ago, IAcruising said:

 

A tip is a tip, before, during, or after. Calling it "bribery" is ridiculous on its face, and I'll repeat my assertion that any tipped crew member would agree.

 

 

I think you are correct...any tipped crew member would agree. However, the poster you originally replied to wasn't talking about tipped crew members, they were referring to bribed crew members. 

 

If there were any, and I mean any, truth to the fact that providing payment "before" ensure better performance, then employers far and wide would pay their employees in advance as a means to get them to perform better at their jobs.

 

56 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

No need to read it again.  I've read that allegation countess times on CC. 

Wife and I believe in "Tipping early, Tipping often, and Tipping well." We have found that policy results in better service.  

There is no evidence that the crew considers it a bribe or that it is demeaning.

 

But if that is what you believe in, then you obviously have no basis for comparison since you never tip afterwards, no? You can't say the service is better with it, unless you experience the same service from the same people without it, and your beliefs prevent you from the latter.

 

Of course, there is also no evidence that the crew doesn't recognize it as a bribe and that they don't consider the implication that they have to be bribed to be demeaning either.

[graphicguy]

Restaurants all over the place are paying start up bonuses for signing on.  I know 2 owners personally doing it.

 

Again, ask them if their tips are bribes.  None

of them will think that.  Truth is, if you ask them that question, they’ll be insulted!

[RocketMan275]

1 minute ago, SeaShark said:

But if that is what you believe in, then you obviously have no basis for comparison since you never tip afterwards, no? You can't say the service is better with it, unless you experience the same service from the same people without it, and your beliefs prevent you from the latter.

 

Of course, there is also no evidence that the crew doesn't recognize it as a bribe and that they don't consider the implication that they have to be bribed to be demeaning either.

 

We've done many cruises on many cruise lines over many years.  At first, we only tipped at the end as some advocate.  Now we "Tip early, Tip often, and Tip well."  Consequently, we do have a basis for comparison.   And, it is our experience that our policy does result in superior service.  We don't have to wait for service and we get the best seats.  We've not once been accused by crew of bribing them or demeaning them in any way.   On the contrary, the crew appreciates our actions.  

 

 

 

[IAcruising]

1 hour ago, SeaShark said:

I think you are correct...any tipped crew member would agree. However, the poster you originally replied to wasn't talking about tipped crew members, they were referring to bribed crew members. 

 

This ludicrous idea of "bribery" isn't going to get less ridiculous just because you keep saying it.

 

[Laszlo]

4 hours ago, detroitlions said:

I know of these issues with wait time and staff. But what I do not like is when folks say people don't want to work anymore and the folks serving them are busting there rear ends to serve you I think that is rude as heck. The real reason for the shortages are folks can not survive on the wages they are paid. Its a huge problem in Florida with houses that go from $500,000 to a Million folks that work at the restaurant your at cant afford housing in that neighborhood. 

I never said people don't want to work, I said they can't get enough staff

[mugtech]

2 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Restaurants all over the place are paying start up bonuses for signing on.  I know 2 owners personally doing it.

 

Again, ask them if their tips are bribes.  None

of them will think that.  Truth is, if you ask them that question, they’ll be insulted!

According to the IRS tips are earned and reportable income, bribes are not, nor are they a deductible tax expense to the payer.

[complawyer]

however, most (if not all ncl ships) are not registered in the u.s, most of the workers (again, if not all) are not u.s citizens, and do not work in the u.s. consequently, i am almost certain they are not subject to our tax lawa

[ColeThornton]

16 minutes ago, complawyer said:

however, most (if not all ncl ships) are not registered in the u.s, most of the workers (again, if not all) are not u.s citizens, and do not work in the u.s. consequently, i am almost certain they are not subject to our tax lawa

 

The Pride of America is NCL's sole U.S. flagged vessel.

[complawyer]

ok, so 99% of my post is correct. i know it's an ncl ship,  but somehow, i always forget about the POA.

 

my bad, but thanks for pointing it out!

[graphicguy]

3 hours ago, mugtech said:

According to the IRS tips are earned and reportable income, bribes are not, nor are they a deductible tax expense to the payer.

I’ve always wondered in crew income is taxable at all, given it’s earned mostly in international waters?

[mugtech]

19 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I’ve always wondered in crew income is taxable at all, given it’s earned mostly in international waters?

Depends on the crew member's country of origin concerning income taxes.  U S is one of the few nations which requires citizens to report all of their world wide income for tax purposes.  Other than POA not too many US citizens working at sea, it is all taxable.  There are certain exclusions allowed on w-2 income while operating out of a foreign address.