MDR servers

[Kwami]

Are you saying the ,$34,000 are tips in addition to their regular pay? So they recieve their regular pay plus ,$34,000 tips? Just trying to clarify.

I don't know if it's really $34,000. I was just expanding on the math that I quoted. Whatever regular pay they receive is likely to be very small compared to the gratuities, though.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

A server once told us that DCL covers their RT airfare from their home country and that another cruise line he had worked for didn't. For him, that was a huge plus. It was at least 10 years ago so not sure about now.

 

[bakerworld]

We've never eliminated the auto tipping but if we never go to the MDR, I think it'd be awkward to add to the auto tip. I figure if they never see us they have to know there'd be no additional tipping. I also think the crew pass around info on which passengers add to the auto gratuity and which do not.

 

[mjkacmom]

Yeah, but I don't actually understand the NCL charges. They're for "the crew" rather than for the specific people that serve you on the cruise. That's mostly because you don't get assigned servers, I suppose, but then why bother with the service charge at all? Either charge a smaller amount for the cabin attendant and pay everyone else properly or else just pay all of them properly and don't charge the extra fee.

I suspect that NCL does it to make their cruise fares lower in order to look more competitive, but it's really quite misleading (like pretty much everything else on their website).

Most mainstream cruse lines add the DSC to the bill, so that price comparisons are easier.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We've never eliminated the auto tipping but if we never go to the MDR, I think it'd be awkward to add to the auto tip. I figure if they never see us they have to know there'd be no additional tipping. I also think the crew pass around info on which passengers add to the auto gratuity and which do not.

That’s true. No need to add extra for your MDR servers if you don’t actually visit the MDRs for dinner.

As a remember for anyone who never eats in the MDR, they should still be tipping. The MDR servers (and Palo/Remy servers when not working in these dining rooms) also staff the pool deck eateries and Cabanas/Marcelline Market on a rotating basis. When you eat breakfast, lunch, or snacks at any of these locations, MDR servers are involved in the service. In theory, everyone tipping the autogratuities is doing their part to compensate the servers for this work, so it averages out. You may not be served by ”your” MDR server, but you are certainly served by an MDR server even when you never visit the MDRs for a meal.

 

[Kwami]

Most mainstream cruse lines add the DSC to the bill, so that price comparisons are easier.

NCL charges this fee later, though. You can prepay it before the cruise or else have it charged to your account on the cruise. They absolutely do not include it in the initial cost of the cruise, making price comparisons more difficult than they otherwise would be. I'm sure that NCL isn't unique in doing this.

But, what's the point of this charge? Why don't they just increase salaries and be done with it? I'm not rewarding any particular crew members with this "gratuity" because it's supposedly distributed amongst all of them. What's the point? Wouldn't NCL save money by increasing salaries, eliminating this "gratuity" charge, advertising that "gratuities" are included in the price and that there are no hidden charges, and then eliminating all of the extra backend work that goes into collecting and distributing this money? It all seems so pointless.

 

[Lesverts]

NCL charges this fee later, though. You can prepay it before the cruise or else have it charged to your account on the cruise. They absolutely do not include it in the initial cost of the cruise, making price comparisons more difficult than they otherwise would be. I'm sure that NCL isn't unique in doing this.

But, what's the point of this charge? Why don't they just increase salaries and be done with it? I'm not rewarding any particular crew members with this "gratuity" because it's supposedly distributed amongst all of them. What's the point? Wouldn't NCL save money by increasing salaries, eliminating this "gratuity" charge, advertising that "gratuities" are included in the price and that there are no hidden charges, and then eliminating all of the extra backend work that goes into collecting and distributing this money? It all seems so pointless.

It is mostly about pricing. You show the cruise as 699 per person and then add in taxes and port fees and then add in another service fee (the gratuities). So in peoples heads they are only paying 699 but in reality its closer to 899 once all is said and done. It is a less aggressive form of drip pricing.

To the person that mentioned Cabanas and the servers there. If you get especially consistent or quality service from a specific person I will also tip there too. Was actually annoying finding him on the last day because he wasn't scheduled during the service I was awake for.

 

[Kwami]

It is mostly about pricing. You show the cruise as 699 per person and then add in taxes and port fees and then add in another service fee (the gratuities). So in peoples heads they are only paying 699 but in reality its closer to 899 once all is said and done. It is a less aggressive form of drip pricing.

Yeah, it's just one more shady practice from NCL. Add that to the "free" at sea packages that aren't free, the "50% off sale" that's really just the same as selling rooms as double occupancy, the sales that are going to end in 4d 3h 24m 16s... But never actually end, no matter how many days you wait...

I don't mean to pick on them, though. I know that most of the major cruise lines do these sorts of things. I'm glad that Disney doesn't do any of this.

 

[Lesverts]

Yeah, it's just one more shady practice from NCL. Add that to the "free" at sea packages that aren't free, the "50% off sale" that's really just the same as selling rooms as double occupancy, the sales that are going to end in 4d 3h 24m 16s... But never actually end, no matter how many days you wait...

I don't mean to pick on them, though. I know that most of the major cruise lines do these sorts of things. I'm glad that Disney doesn't do any of this.

I was actually talking to my travel agent that handles my Celebrity cruises and we made a joke about the never ending sales that just keep rotating the timer.