Tipping - Can someone please clear this up for me?

[E11e]

Just reading on NCL's site about tipping. In their PDF, they say "a service charge of $10 per person per day will be added to your account... guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for service that is generally rendered to all guests." It then goes on to explain however, that if staff go the extra mile they are permitted to accept supplementary cash gratuities.." which is typical of any service experience.

My question is about at restaurants. People have said on forums here that it's still customary to add an additional tip of 15% at dinner. Isn't this covered by the $10 per day? I don't mean to sound cheap, but I'm trying to budget for the trip. With parking at the dock, paying for pop, water, alcohol, a $10 per day charge and tips for room service, dining, etc, doing any shopping and excursions and after paying $1500 for the cruise, this isn't gonna be a cheap trip!!

Any advice would be appreciated!

[LisaP]

The $10 per person per day pretty much covers it. There is, however, a 15% service charge added to drink orders, whether at a bar, lounge, or dining room.That may be the source of the confusion.

There are also service charges in some of the restaurants, such as LeBistro. But as far as tipping in the main dining room, you're all set with the automatic $10 per person per day charge.

[E11e]

restaurants

That makes sense. Thanks a lot for clearing up Lisa.

33 more sleeps!!

[Carlalena1]

IMHO the pop cards are a big waste of money. Soft drinks such as lemonade and iced tea, as well as juice, are available free all day. Coffee and tea are also free. You have to wait at the bar to get a soda when you are not in the dining rooms, and the wait can be long. They only give you 6-8 ounces at a time, anyway!

[Ron Clark]

But who on deck 4 wants to go all the way to deck 10 or higher to get free ice tea? And the glasses at the Buffet are even smaller than the glasses at the bar.
Yes, at the restuarants you can also get free ice tea when they are open, but the restaurants are not set up to serve ice tea to go.
So, if you want to go somehwere covenient on deck 6 or so for a drink, the bars are the solution. But they don't serve ice tea.

Besides, the adult soda program is only 5.75 per day, and the soda prices at the bars is $2.00 a glass. After drinking three sodas each day, you're ahead.

[billybuzzy]

All cruise lines tag on the 15% gratuity to everything you use your cruise card for-it is sort of a tax on anything you charge to the ship card/pass. I usually carry a supply of $2 bills to hand out to my cabin steward or any body else that renders exceptional service. I you don't like the $10 per day added to your account you can always ask for envelopes and tip the staff members individually as is done on many ships.