Service charges paid to crew.

I am a new member and hope someone can answer the following question.

Myself and my wife were recently on a cruise and as usual the cruise company charged US$11 per person per day service charge for the 15 day cruise. There were 2000 passengers and 800 crew on the ship. Assuming each person paid the charge the total paid over the 15 days would be US$330,000.00. Does anyone know how this money is divided among the 800 crew members?

Thank you

tomgreen

I am a new member and hope someone can answer the following question.

 

Myself and my wife were recently on a cruise and as usual the cruise company charged US$11 per person per day service charge for the 15 day cruise. There were 2000 passengers and 800 crew on the ship. Assuming each person paid the charge the total paid over the 15 days would be US$330,000.00. Does anyone know how this money is divided among the 800 crew members?

 

Thank you

tomgreen

Welcome to cruisecritic. The cruiselines break this down for you. Cabin stewards and dining staff get the greatest amount. The crew do not get paid large salaries and rely almost solely on the daily service charge for their income. Sadly many folks remove the service charges because they would rather spend their money on excursions, photos, Alchohol and the like.

While each cruise line has a slighlty different calculation, the following breakdown should be close

Restaurant Service* Per Person Per Day

Waiter $3.65

Assistant Waiter $2.10

Dining Room Management $1.00

Stateroom Service* Per Person Per Day

Stateroom Service $3.50 (slightly more for suite staterooms)

Alternative Service*

Other Service Personnel $1.25

*Please note that gratuities may be shared with other crew members depending on the particular service requirement.

The * means that some of your food gratuities are shared with the buffet people and others behind the scenes that you might not see.

You also need to remember that the ship's crew is paid similarly to restaurant workers.....a very small stipend with the majority of their salary coming from those gratuities.

People in the US are familiar with this idea, but it is confusing to those outside the US as tipping isn't as prevalent.

Also, if you do the math

$330,000 / 800 = 412.50

412.50 / 15 (days in the cruise) = 27.50

Would YOU want to work for $27.50 per day?

While each cruise line has a slighlty different calculation, the following breakdown should be close

 

Restaurant Service* Per Person Per Day

Waiter $3.65

Assistant Waiter $2.10

Dining Room Management $1.00

 

Stateroom Service* Per Person Per Day

Stateroom Service $3.50 (slightly more for suite staterooms)

 

Alternative Service*

Other Service Personnel $1.25

 

*Please note that gratuities may be shared with other crew members depending on the particular service requirement.

 

The * means that some of your food gratuities are shared with the buffet people and others behind the scenes that you might not see.

On some cruise lines (Princess ) the Dining Room Management don't get any gratuities . The Head waiter and Maitrede don't receive any gratuities.

To the best of my knowledge, the gratuity/service charge/call-it-what-you-will only involves the "hotel" staff.

Stewards & dining staff.

And - depending on which cruise line or who's telling you :rolleyes: - the kitchens, laundry & so on.

Not the "maritime" guys who are steering the ship, or shovelling the coal ;), or varnishing the deck just where you want to put your sunbed.

On a 2,000 passenger ship, a crew-count of 800 would included them.

But I have no idea of the split of numbers between hotel staff & maritime crew.

One thing's for sure, including grats, they're certainly not over-paid.

JB :)

To the best of my knowledge, the gratuity/service charge/call-it-what-you-will only involves the "hotel" staff.

Stewards & dining staff.

And - depending on which cruise line or who's telling you :rolleyes: - the kitchens, laundry & so on.

 

Not the "maritime" guys who are steering the ship, or shovelling the coal ;), or varnishing the deck just where you want to put your sunbed.

On a 2,000 passenger ship, a crew-count of 800 would included them.

But I have no idea of the split of numbers between hotel staff & maritime crew.

 

One thing's for sure, including grats, they're certainly not over-paid.

 

JB :)

The majority of the 800 are probably Hotel and wait staff.

Not ALL of the crew share in the tips.....most "non-service" employees ARE paid a decent wage and they don't get tipped....they get their salary.

It's only the wait-staff and housekeeping that shares in the tips. So, those tips are not being divided by the entire head count of employees on the ship!

Also, if you do the math

$330,000 / 800 = 412.50

412.50 / 15 (days in the cruise) = 27.50

 

Would YOU want to work for $27.50 per day?

plus free room, board and travel the world...

Aside from that not all 800 employees are being paid with tips. Many are salaried.

I am a new member and hope someone can answer the following question.

 

Myself and my wife were recently on a cruise and as usual the cruise company charged US$11 per person per day service charge for the 15 day cruise. There were 2000 passengers and 800 crew on the ship. Assuming each person paid the charge the total paid over the 15 days would be US$330,000.00. Does anyone know how this money is divided among the 800 crew members?

 

Thank you

tomgreen

as a general rule the service charge are paid to certain members of the Dining room staff and your room attendant(s)

the DR staff will serve you outside of MDR dinner.. they are often seen in the buffets and once my assistant waiter was also my room service delivery boy. these charges cover all meals included in the price of the cruise and twice daily room cleaning.

not all crew members get supplemental pay in tips. in fact a decent percentage are not.. none of the officers, or hotel team( the guest services people) or the kids club staff.. nor are entertainers. none of the pool boys do either.

plus free room, board and travel the world...

 

Aside from that not all 800 employees are being paid with tips. Many are salaried.

I asked the Captain on the QE2 in 1994 who took the entire afternoon tea to sit and chat with the passengers because the ship was a total mess in places (the vaunted refurbishment that WAS NOT finished when we left Southampton). Capacity of the QE2 was about 1800 and there were about 1000 crew. He stated there was never over 1/3 of the crew on Cunard salaries and sometimes considerably less on the longer cruises where passenger service was needed much more than painters, welders or electricians. There were about 100 that were commissioned agents or salaries paid by outside companies (spa, art acutions and shops mainly). Cunard has always been known to have higher crew to passenger ration than a lot of mainstream cruise ships.

So out of the 800 crew on the OP's cruise, most likely there were no more than 200 salaried and commissioned crew. That still computes to only $36.67 per day plus food, a cramped cabin where you can only keep the very barest of necessities and repeated travel back and forth from the USA to the Caribbean over and over and over. Would YOU work for that???

So out of the 800 crew on the OP's cruise, most likely there were no more than 200 salaried and commissioned crew. That still computes to only $36.67 per day plus food, a cramped cabin where you can only keep the very barest of necessities and repeated travel back and forth from the USA to the Caribbean over and over and over. Would YOU work for that???

Most cruise lines sail all over the world, not just the Caribbean, offering the crew an opportunity to visit new places. At every port a number of the crew will have "shore leave". The crew members I have gotten to know all say this is a well liked perk of the job.

Most cruise lines sail all over the world, not just the Caribbean, offering the crew an opportunity to visit new places. At every port a number of the crew will have "shore leave". The crew members I have gotten to know all say this is a well liked perk of the job.

You know what I meant. Most crew are on no more than 9 month contracts. A lot of them on 6 months, with a couple of months off and then another 6 month contract. So you very easily could spend a great percentage of your contract going back and forth to the same ports in the Caribbean week after week.

Sure they get to travel the world (but that world could be pretty darn small depending on contract length). I truly believe the intent of the OP was to try to determine just how much the crew made on each cruise with the service charges. Unless they are single and looking for adventure, most are spending the time away from their families to SUPPORT those families and working 12-14 hour days, NOT for a the travel or room and board.

You know what I meant. Most crew are on no more than 9 month contracts. A lot of them on 6 months, with a couple of months off and then another 6 month contract. So you very easily could spend a great percentage of your contract going back and forth to the same ports in the Caribbean week after week.

 

Sure they get to travel the world (but that world could be pretty darn small depending on contract length). I truly believe the intent of the OP was to try to determine just how much the crew made on each cruise with the service charges. Unless they are single and looking for adventure, most are spending the time away from their families to SUPPORT those families and working 12-14 hour days, NOT for a the travel or room and board.

Not contradicting you on this. We agree. But, to say that crews only go back and forth between the US and the Caribbean is simplistic. Crews, even on a 6 month contract, will see some variety of itineraries. Only a very few cruise ships - the bloated Oasis/Allure of the Seas are two - permanently cruise between these two destinations. The staff who we have gotten to know over the years, whether single or supporting families at home, enjoy visiting new ports when they get a chance. They are no different than we are.

We always tip extra....and I think a lot of people do.....

We always tip extra....and I think a lot of people do.....

Unfortunately, I don't think that the extra tips by some make up for those that actually remove their gratuities.

Also, if you do the math

$330,000 / 800 = 412.50

412.50 / 15 (days in the cruise) = 27.50

 

Would YOU want to work for $27.50 per day?

I wouldn't because I live in the US. In the crew's home country, $27.50/day is a fortune.

I sometimes struggle to understand why folk care what the split is. We pay the requisite tips and pay extra to those that make our vacation memorable. I personally am a bit miffed that those extra tips go into the "pot" and are shared....they were intended for the recipient, but it is what it is.....

We go with the flow and know there isn't much we can do to change things.

Not contradicting you on this. We agree. But, to say that crews only go back and forth between the US and the Caribbean is simplistic. Crews, even on a 6 month contract, will see some variety of itineraries. Only a very few cruise ships - the bloated Oasis/Allure of the Seas are two - permanently cruise between these two destinations. The staff who we have gotten to know over the years, whether single or supporting families at home, enjoy visiting new ports when they get a chance. They are no different than we are.

Dancers, cruise director staff ect seem to get more time off at ports and the travel and exploring part of the job may be big reasons why they work on cruise ships but many other crew members like to spend their limited port time at cafes and the such communicating with their family members using free wifi if at all possible.

Also, if you do the math

$330,000 / 800 = 412.50

412.50 / 15 (days in the cruise) = 27.50

 

Would YOU want to work for $27.50 per day?

I guess I am missing something here. If the room steward receives auto tips of 3.50/day pp and say, has 12 rooms, that is 588, correct? For one week, including their room and board. So 30,576. Not great pay, but above even the US poverty level, and most likely, well above the poverty line of their home country. Now, I suppose some people under tip, or don't tip at all, but many over tip most likely making up that difference.

Sent from my DROID4 using Forums mobile app

I guess I am missing something here. If the room steward receives auto tips of 3.50/day pp and say, has 12 rooms, that is 588, correct? For one week, including their room and board. So 30,576. Not great pay, but above even the US poverty level, and most likely, well above the poverty line of their home country. Now, I suppose some people under tip, or don't tip at all, but many over tip most likely making up that difference.

 

Sent from my DROID4 using Forums mobile app

You are correct in that stewards work several rooms, but I do not know if he/she shares those tips with the laundry crew and others behind the scenes. Not sure there is a way to find out.

My ultimate question is "why do you care how the staff gets paid?" No one really wonders where my salary comes from.

My kids waited tables in High School, so I am keenly aware of how someone can work really hard, but can still get the short end of the stick.....BUT this is the system in place. Unless the cruise line changes it's policies, we are stuck with it.

We prepay our gratuities and enjoy our vacation.

Also worthy of mention are:

hours worked per day (likely more than 8),

days worked per week (at least 6, if not 7),

lack of overtime

The math all works, IMO, and no one is getting rich regardless of how much the gratuities (service charges) add up to.

And the math presented by others is "best case" by far. Factor in those who remove all or part of their gratuities and it gets worse very quickly.

I seriously doubt that "extra" tips over the recommended amount by a few come anywhere near making up the difference. Additionally, that 'extra' tip goes into only one pocket....no one in the laundry or behind the scenes in the galley will ever see anything extra even though they are doing excellently at their job.

Welcome to cruisecritic Sadly many folks remove the service charges because they would rather spend their money on excursions, photos, Alchohol and the like.

Sadly this cuts both ways it seems. A few years ago one cruise line was in court, was fined for NOT distributing the so called 'tips' as it should.

john

Sadly this cuts both ways it seems. A few years ago one cruise line was in court, was fined for NOT distributing the so called 'tips' as it should.

 

john

Which cruise line was this! I have never heard this before. :eek: