Pulaski Tickets & Tours

Surprise! Service charges to jump again at Norwegian

Booked on a Norwegian Cruise Line sailing this fall? Brace yourself for higher daily fees.

July 21, 2015

0 comments

​Effective Aug. 1, the company is hiking the daily service charge it tacks onto final bills by more than 4% to $13.50 per person, per day for passengers staying in most cabins. Passengers in suites will pay $15.50 per person, per day.

It's the second increase in service charges at the line in just five months. The line pushed through a nearly 8% hike in the fee on May 1.

With the increase, a family of four will pay more than $375 in service charges on a typical seven-night cruise -- one of the highest levies in the business. Among other major lines, Princess, Holland America and Cunard add $11.50 per person, per day in service charges or gratuities to passenger bills. Carnival charges $12, and Royal Caribbean charges $12.95.

The practice of adding service charges to passenger bills is at a crossroads in the industry. A growing number of upscale ocean lines including Azamara, Crystal,Seabourn, Regent and SeaDream have eliminated added service charges and automatic gratuities entirely, and the practice also is disappearing at some river cruise lines. River lines Uniworld, Tauck and Scenic Cruises are among those that now include gratuities for crew members in the base fare.

Norwegian says customers with existing cruise reservations who already have pre-paid their service charges at the current rate will not be affected by the increase.