traveller333

I have long felt that of all the cruise lines, NCL seems to run the biggest scam of allowing passengers to book a cheap fare but reaching deep into your pockets once you're on board. This article is taking it beyond the normal "nickel and diming" that goes on with the major cruise lines...

http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-...avel-headlines

Percy

traveller333

Would you please give me a short summary of what the artcile in LA Times had to say.

I do not want to register with LA Times just to read this article but would appreciate your comments.

I know that all Cruise Lines seems to nickle and dime their passengers.

Maybe some are wrose than others.

Thanks

percy

petlover

Oops...I must have accidently "copied" some of the writing on the sides of the article in the newspaper. Scroll down to actually read the article and don't pay attention to all the other stuff on top.

Funny, I just clicked right on without having to register??

travelinwifey

Yes, you must be registered to acces the article. I am going to avoid Norwegian like the plague and hopefully others will do the same or this mandnatory charge will soon hit all cruise lines. It also seems that the company does not want to disclose exactly where the service charge will be going.

travelinwifey

mandatory typo

everittp

Evoking frantic scenes of passengers calculating tips and trying to locate recipients at the last minute, Veitch said a fixed charge was a "more appropriate way to pay people ? than chasing them around with cash." It also allows staff to be "equally compensated," he said.
I have never "frantically chased down" or felt pressured by crew for tips on any cruise.
I have never felt the need to recognise or encourage good service of behind the scenes staff like cooks, window washers ... Yet these are the excuses HAL and now RCL is offering to rationalize a sneaky way of increasing fares without declaring it. I am insulted and suspicious. What other means might they be using/ I don't trust them. I don't feel comfortable sailing on ships that treat their passengers and employees his way.
I too have added HCL to HAL, Princess and Carnival to my list of cruise lines to avoid.
Mandatory tipping is an oxymoron.
I do not object to tips charged to my onboard account IF I am able to specify ammounts and recipients. I was unfortunately aboard HAL NOORDAM in May this year when HAL's new $10.00 pppd gratuity policy was implemented. The information in their leaflet "you need to know" indicated that 30% of these 'tips' were to be shared among "behind the scenes crew" such as cooks, night cleaning staff etc. HAL also states that if passengers "remove or reduce" the amounts charged to to their accounts, cabin stewards and waiters "are required to turn in any tips received privately". This means, IMO, that many people to whom HAL as employers should be paying higher wages have had their income increased by removing 30% from the revenues of those whom I would like to tip. I refuse to cooperate with this.

ParrotMom

There are passengers who do not tip and considering I believe that $10.00 a day to be more than reasonable for a service person.. Now, honestly, what fine restaurant/hotel would you go to and dine three meals a day and not pay a tip of $10.00 a more for those meals..$10.00 a day to clean your cabin.what is a cleaning person on shore getting to clean your house or apartment per hour...You also haven't seen the latest news where Carnival and RC are going to be regulating prices so that even the smallest cruise agent to the large cruise discount companies will have to charge the same amount..no more bargains folks..

Wags

I have been on a few ships that add the tips to your bill. I have found that service suffers because the staff knows they will receive their tips regardless of the service they provide. Someone suggested it's like tipping in a restaurant. Wrong! When I pay my bill I decide how much tip I will leave. I do not let the manager tell me how much he has added for a tip.

travelinwifey

There is no doubt that service suffers when tips are automatically added but NCL's new twist is that you cannot take these charges off your account and they are mandatory. And as mentioned on other travel boards NCL's CEO will not go on record as to exactly where the money is going. That means NCL is keeping some of the "service charge" for profit.

everittp

OOps! Sorry. Should have typed HAL and NCL are ..
Had just read posts about Carnival and RC are about to charge same amounts, plus posts about food problems on RCCL and so I mixed UP the names.
I think I'll be using Celebrity from now on. Next cruise Celebrity Expeditions to Galapagos.

TopMan

Do you honestly BELIEVE that if NCL and any other company that does this doesn't get major resistance that ALL cruise lines won;t quickly follow suit?

Better hop onto that Celebrity cruise real fast since the company is owned ny RCCL and with the cruise industry being as competitive as it is this will be just like those so-called "extra tariff" restaurants that seem to have suddenly appeared on all the major cruise ships.

If you plan on nipping this in the bud you'd better do it now.

petlover

I've found the best service by far in cruise lines where the graduities are included in the fare...any one else found this? They obviously only hire experienced staff and pay them higher wages to begin with.

petlover

typo...meant gratuities.

kadao

petlover - I agree. I just took an NCL cruise on the SEA, and the service was excellent.

Percy

I think what burns everyone who is against this compulsory gratuities is the fact that you are virtually being dictated to.

I have always gone to the Pursors desk about 2 hours after I board and tell them to not automatically bill my credit card for the daily gratuity.

They have always complied.

Let me also add that I have given more than the $10.00 per day to the three people who meant the most to me, the Steward that cleans my room and the two waiter that served us , because after 10-14 days they become like family.

BUT, it is my choosing about the gratuity and that is the big difference.

I dislike the Gestapo tactics of someone saying to me,"You WILL pay this amount for my service BEFORE I even provide the services.

Let us get right back to basics.

How many of you know what a tip is for ???

No I am not trying to insult anyone,just asking a question.

This is how the tip concept started:

T = To
I= Insure
P= Promptness.

That is right, when you want something right now, that you cannot get it right now, then you offer a bribe , oops I meant a tip.!!!

So over the years this tipping has evolved into an almost God given expectation.!!

And employers pay their workers less and tell them ,"oh , but the tips are good."

If there were no tipping at all on the crusie ship,I would still give money to the three people that served me best,BUT the choosing is mine,and that is the difference.

Percy

travelinwifey

I've been on 2 cruises where the tips were $10pp pd and do feel the service suffered in the dining rooms. I did not remove the gratuity but I do think the folks that have the envelope tips work noticably harder to make the passengers happy. Or at least that's what my experience has been.

newyorkgolfer41

"If there were no tipping at all on the crusie ship,I would still give money to the three people that served me best,BUT the choosing is mine,and that is the difference."

Percy, on some cruise lines where the gratuities are included the staff is not allowed to accept tips. These lines also offer the best service from my personal experience as they're 6 star lines.

Percy

newyorkgolfer41

What cruise line is rated 6 star.?

Thank you

Percy

Frank

I think mandatory tips is a great idea.

Very few people have the tip removed or altered from their account. You always have the option of leaving extra tips.

It's a great way of eliminating the deadbeats who stiff the staff.

Since the tip is so modest, what's the gripe, do you intend to leave less for all of the service you receive during the course of the day?

In the rare instance (we've sailed on 11 cruises and never had any major service problem) that you receive service that doesn't warrant $10, speak to management.

Nidwaldner_Chris

Frank, I think part of the problem is that in the article the spokesperson blatantly says this is NOT A TIP and offers absolutely no explanation of where this money is going. His lame excuse is that it's a "complicated formula". Give me a freaking BREAK!