Norwegian Cruise Line has increased its gratuities – while a Cruise Passenger survey has found that the average a cruiser pays is US$13.50 (AU$19).
Norwegian, which sails Norwegian Jewel around Australia, has increased the daily service charge by US$0.49c.
Gratuities have always been a hot topic amongst cruise passengers. While some have gratuities itemised on your bill at the end of a holiday, luxury lines include it in the price of your cruise.
Australians are lucky. Most homeported ships don’t have tipping on board.
Lines like P&O Cruises Australia, Carnival Cruise Line Australia and Princess Cruises in Australia don’t expect guests to tip, but say they are welcome to give cash to crew or amend their bill to include gratuities at the end of their holiday.
Australians sailing abroad often face the charges, which generally rise each year. But some lines, like Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises don’t charge itemised gratuities for Australians and New Zealanders, as it is included in the fare.
Norwegian Cruise Lines has joined the ranks of other lines outside Australia, like Royal Caribbean (America), Holland America Line and Carnival Cruises (America) in increasing the service charge.
NCL says on its website: “Staff members including complimentary restaurant staff, stateroom stewards and behind the scenes support staff are compensated by a combination of salary and incentive programs that your service charge supports.”
The NCL additional charge, which came into effect on April 1, is the second time in two years that NCL has increased its gratuities. But NCL said it would still honour the previous rates for guests who booked voyages before April 1.
Guests sailing in any stateroom category up to a mini-suite will be charged US$15 per day per person and those sailing in any suite, Concierge or a Haven stateroom will be charged US$18 per person per day.
Those guests sailing on Norwegian Sky and Sun, two ships in the fleet that sail with an all-inclusive price will be charged US$20.50 per person per day and suite guests will be charged US$23.50 per person per day.
Norwegian’s previous charges were US$14.50 per person per day for standard cabins and US$17.50 per person per day for suite and Haven guests on ships besides from the Sky and Sun. Guests on the Sky and Sun previously had to pay US$19.99 for standard staterooms and those in suites had to pay US$22.99 per person per day.
Here are how the other lines stack up in price (*note, prices are all in US dollars except for P&O Cruise Australia, Carnival Cruise Line Australia and Princess Cruises homeported in Australia).
It is unfortunate, that Cruise Lines don’t read such a feedback – or they simply DON’Y CARE??
Gratuities are ok – when the service is GREAT – but should NEVER BE AUTOMATICALLY added to the daily Account!!!
Gratuities have to be “earned” with good service – NOT be taken for granted – no matter what service is provided!!
I am in complete agreement with all of these comments. Offering a gratuity for exemplary service is a warm and heartfelt gesture. That impression is removed when it is ‘stolen’ by the company to augment their staff wages. I too remove the ‘right’ of any cruise line to debit my stateroom account with their wages supplements. If the line does not allow this, I do not cruise with them. I note with some lines, whilst they remove cabin ‘automatic tipping’ on request, one is still charged an excess on all bar purchases. Seriously negotiated this one but short of being thrown over the side, was unsuccessful. Ensure all tipping is voluntary, refuse greedy cruise lines and everyone else who try to steal it from you.
DO NOT PAY GRATUITIES!
Companies should pay staff fairly – not make us feel guilty for their meanness towards their staff that they expect so much of.
We work hard for our money too AND we save for our holidays! We are NOT celebrities.
DO NOT PAY GRATUITIES.
I agree, always have gratuities removed from account on first day of cruise. Do our own tipping for good service at end of cruise!
We would much rather the cruise lines pay their staff adequately, make the cost of our cruise inclusive when we book (not try to make it sound cheap and then add the gratuities). As suggested in a previous comment, we would tip for exceptional service.
Always have the “ compulsory “ gratuities removed on day one of cruise . Why should passengers be used by cruise companies to subsidise the crews wages . Maybe it would be better if you employed them direct instead of via agencies and pay them what you pay the agencies .
I still “ tip “ for good service , my choice .
We are long time cruise people having cruised at least 20 times, it is a sore point with me the subject of gratuities, it is something that has been ingrained into US residents that it is the norm when in fact it is a way of subsidising the employees wages.
I have never allowed a shipping company to add to my account a daily cost for gratuities, I pay the advertised fare and if I think it is appropriate I give a gratuity to my cabin attendant or the like at the end of the cruise.
How dare these shipping companies say that they will add an additional amount to my account for gratuities, wake up passengers and do not be conned into this threat of adding to your costs.
Automatic deductions of gratuities are a rip off. I have confirmed on a recent cruise where with crew in both front and back of house duties never see any gratuities included in their pay packets. They only receive their contracted wages and nothing else. I use to tip for good service, sometimes up to $200 a cruise but I no longer do this now since they automatically deduct this from my cruise account. Cruise lines are getting greedier and greedier by the day. I also have a travel agent friend who confirmed the crew never see it.