$10 daily service charge no longer being applied!

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MarkS

Guest
Just returned from the Pride of Aloha (6/26 sailing). They are no longer applying the automatic $10/day service charge to your account. Tips are now handled as follows:

1. Stateroom attendent gratuities are given to the attendent at the end like any other cruise.
2. Food server and other gratuities are on a meal by meal basis.

Their guidelines are very weak, so I tried to model the amounts after taditional cruise rates.
 
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Nanni-B.

Guest
Thanks for the post! So, how does one handle the tips per meal? Does one leave cash on the table per serving? Does anyone know if any other ships are following this policy? Thanks!
 
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rshreib

Guest
Personally that stinks.. I dont want to have to take cash with me to dinner every night.. But I heard that in the beginning, service was so bad on the Hawaii ships that more than 50% of people were removing their tips completely.
 
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ccidaho

Guest
Has anyone heard if this is a company-wide change? We're sailing on the Dream to Alaska in August, and I want to be prepared.
 
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MarkS

Guest
Meal tips were really akward. I much prefer handling it at the end of the cruise. Mostly we left the tip on with the server (when they deserved it). Like a lot of other people we were not even aware of the change for several days.

We only went to the resteraunts three or 4 times. The first time we not even aware of the change so we didn't leave a tip. Felt bad later, but they service was not that great. One other time it was so bad we didn't leave a tip intentionally. The other times we had good waiter and gave him the tip directly.

There official statement and guidelines was very confusing. It was something like this:
We are no longer applying the $10 service change... If you fell like one of the crew has provided excellent service feel free to tip using the same guidelines as for land based service.

They also did not automatically apply the gratuity on the bar service.
 
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Maizie_Mouse

Guest
We are booked on the Path of the Viking cruise on the new Jewel 4th September, only booked 10 days ago. I called the company that we booked with as there was no mention of the $10 charge until I read it on the NCL website. They enquired for me and were told that if you expressed a wish once on board of how you would be tipping they would adjust your a/c. Still not sure how true this is as according to NCL brochure received today this $10 charge was only introduced in May. Much prefer the origional way of putting some cash in envelpoes at the end of the cruise. I think I will call NCL directly as this adds quite a chunk to the final bill, it would be nice to know so we can be prepared either way.
 
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viet630

Guest
I to much prefer the traditional way of tipping. But I have to wonder how you would do that with the freestyle dinning?It seem's to me that it would be quite a hassle with this type of dinning operation.Please let us know what you find out. I am planning on the Jewel next spring. Thanks. Viet
 
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Maizie_Mouse

Guest
I have just spoken to NCL guest services in London and they are unaware of the $10 charge being lifted, as far as they are concerned it is non negotiable and the only adjustments made on board ship are if you have a complaint about service received, then and only then will it be adjusted accordingly. They say that it is mentioned in the T & C's in their brochure (which it is).

I have now emailed my travel agent about this as there was no mention of this on their website or at the time of booking. I did not have a NCL brochure at the time of booking to read the T & C's as I had found the cruise on the internet as do allot of people these days.
 
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viet630

Guest
Maizie
I think that with the freestyle cruise it is best to have auto grat's.I think if we go with NCL that I will just figure it in the price of the cruise and be done with it.I don' t really see any other way with freestyle cruising the only service person you would see more than once would probably be your cabin steward. JMHO. Viet
 
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Maizie_Mouse

Guest
Viet

I am inclined to agree with you too, it is just the principal of it if you see what I mean, I won't let it spoil the cruise, but I guess there will quite a few people who don't know about it until the end of the cruise when they get this horrendous bill with an extra $220 dollars on it.
It will make me think twice about chosing NCL in the future as I beleive that most of their ships are now free style or as you say remember to add in the extra when bugeting the costs. Maizie
 
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nonna905

Guest
I called NCL re service charge and was told that there is a $10 per day per adult and a $5 per day per child service charge still in effect.

But if you read the brochure the service charge is different than gratuity which is encouraged but not required (e.g. concierge service or bar service).
 
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shoreguy

Guest
Too much confusion.

Read the first post - it is specific to the NCLA Pride of Aloha, a US flagged ship. The crew is paid under US labor law. The Service charge was never a TIP. Tipping is at your descretion.

For all the NCL ships (Not US flagged NCLA) the $10/$5 is still in place. Without it freestye would have failed. There is no way to tip at the end since you may never see the same wait staff again or even eat in the same restuarant.

Nobody wants to carry cash to every meal. It was too easy for many passengers to not tip. No last night embarassment of sitting at the table and being the only one without an envelope.

Maizie

The $10 is the same amount expected on any ship. The difference is you don't have to bring cash to fill envelopes the last night. If you want to you can take the cash you would have tipped and pay down your onboard account giving your money to NCL 45 days sooner then had you paid with a credit card you can.

Most all of the US lines have gone to adding the tip to the onboard account it is just so much easier then finding all that cash the last day.

BTW I am on the same cruise on the JEWEL.. We have a roll call going on another board with about 40 others from around the globe. We have a meet and greet planned for the first see day with the Hotel Director and other members of the onboard management team.

You can find it just google shoreguy jewel roll call - welcome aboard
 
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