Cruise passengers sailing with Norwegian Cruise Line will now have to wait until their voyage is over to adjust or remove the daily service charge on their account.
Cruise Critic reported that while unsatisfied passengers were once able to remove the charge from their shipboard accounts at any time during their cruise, they now must first contact guest relations at the conclusion of their trip in order to have the charge removed.
Norwegian has yet to confirm the policy change, but Cruise Critic points out that several customers have said they were asked to contact the cruise line via email to request the charge be removed.
The change comes just over a month after Norwegian increased its daily service charge to $13.50 per person, per day, for passengers staying in staterooms up to a mini-suite and $15.50 for passengers booked in suites.
August's increase followed just five months after a previous service charge increase from $12 to $12.95 for staterooms and mini-suites and $14.95 for suites.
"Norwegian's discretionary daily service charges make it easy for guests to provide gratuities to key onboard staff who provide superior guest service during the cruise, including their room steward, restaurant servers and behind-the-scenes support staff," the Miami-based cruise line said in a letter to travel agents this summer. "Guests who are sailing in suite categories also receive the services of a concierge, butler and dedicated wait staff.
It doesn't appear that the policy change will impact passengers' ability to increase or decrease the fee based on their level of satisfaction.
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