Question re: automatic tipping

This will be our first cruise with HAL, and we are Australian, so I just have a couple of questions regarding the automatic tipping. My hubby and I are travelling with our 3 yr old son - does this mean we will automatically be charged 3 lots of $12 p/d eg $36 p/d?

If we were to reduce the amount to be charged, would that be frowned upon do you know? Is there a particular day that you need to do this by?

Obviously we are happy to tip, and we have been on a cruise once before and just tipped as we chose to, so this is all new to us. Thank you.

Gratuities are charged for everyone staying in your stateroom. Would reducing the gratuities be frowned upon? It probably would be by your stateroom attendant who will now be receiving less pay and left to wonder why. Gratuities are how they make their living, it is not "extra".

KK has explained the process here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=36457343&postcount=41

Something else to consider.

Your cabin stewards still have to make up the child's bed and undo it at night. Still change the sheets at the proper intervals. Still has to change towels for the child. And if your child uses diapers -- has to dispose of them properly.

Same thing in the dining room -- the waiter has to get a child's seat. And many of the waiters have children at home and use the interaction with your child to keep the child happy and to remind them of their children at home.

Something else to consider.

Your cabin stewards still have to make up the child's bed and undo it at night. Still change the sheets at the proper intervals. Still has to change towels for the child. And if your child uses diapers -- has to dispose of them properly.

Same thing in the dining room -- the waiter has to get a child's seat. And many of the waiters have children at home and use the interaction with your child to keep the child happy and to remind them of their children at home.

Good point. I know when we sailed with our kids when they were little, we tipped extra, my kids often would spill things and leave extra crumbs after our nightly order of room service. Although I always tried to make sure the cabin was neat as possible with 4 people, there was extra work for them. Also the room stewards would go out of their way to make extra special towel animals for them. And the dinning staff were extra attentive to our kids. I remember on our first cruise, my kids asked for lemons and sugar they wanted to mix it into their water for lemonade. It was something they loved to do and kept them busy. Every night after that we would go to our table and find a big bowl of cut lemons and sugar. It's details like that you appreciate.

Good point. I know when we sailed with our kids when they were little, we tipped extra, my kids often would spill things and leave extra crumbs after our nightly order of room service. Although I always tried to make sure the cabin was neat as possible with 4 people, there was extra work for them. Also the room stewards would go out of their way to make extra special towel animals for them. And the dinning staff were extra attentive to our kids. I remember on our first cruise, my kids asked for lemons and sugar they wanted to mix it into their water for lemonade. It was something they loved to do and kept them busy. Every night after that we would go to our table and find a big bowl of cut lemons and sugar. It's details like that you appreciate.

wow - really nice - takes away any discussion anyone might have on tipping for little ones IMO:D:D:D

Seeing you know in advance, it is chance to plan and be prepared.

If you remove hotel service charge from your account, your stewards are questioned as to what they could/should be doing to make you happy. Their assumption is if you are removing your tips, you must not be happy with the service and the stewards have to account for that to their supervisors.

thanks so much for your reply guys, it certainly makes it much clearer now - thanks again :)

We have run the gamut from no tipping guidelines to guidelines to tips automatically charged to tipping included. We Americans tend to be heavy tippers because those in the service industry are woefully underpaid. We always tip extra in cash to make sure that we directly reward those responsible for our service. I would prefer all to be paid a decent salary and not have them depend so heavily on the tipping system. The way the cruise industry pays their crew is so wrong where the pax are expected to be responsible for most of the crew's income. As for the children, I agree that kids often require extra care. One interesting thing was when we first started sailing Celebrity back when they were really good before RCI, the recommendation on tipping for kids was at half the adult rate.

We have run the gamut from no tipping guidelines to guidelines to tips automatically charged to tipping included. We Americans tend to be heavy tippers because those in the service industry are woefully underpaid. We always tip extra in cash to make sure that we directly reward those responsible for our service. I would prefer all to be paid a decent salary and not have them depend so heavily on the tipping system. The way the cruise industry pays their crew is so wrong where the pax are expected to be responsible for most of the crew's income. As for the children, I agree that kids often require extra care. One interesting thing was when we first started sailing Celebrity back when they were really good before RCI, the recommendation on tipping for kids was at half the adult rate.

I remember way back when we sailed "X' prior to RCI buying them (and after), they left envelopes on our bed telling us exactly who we were to tip. I found that method distasteful. RCI bought "X" something like 15 years maybe. Things change in all those years. Society as a whole has changed worldwide in 15+ years.

IMO

The envelope system was actually quite common and I remember using them on NCL and RCI as well back in the 80's. What was different was Celebrity's inclusion of the Head Housekeeper in the mix of those who were to be tipped. I don't always tip the Maitre 'd unless he has either been by the table to check on service or fulfilled a special request as they already take a portion of the tip pool. Sometime they won't show up until the last night for the proverbial handshake.

The envelope system was actually quite common and I remember using them on NCL and RCI as well back in the 80's. What was different was Celebrity's inclusion of the Head Housekeeper in the mix of those who were to be tipped. I don't always tip the Maitre 'd unless he has either been by the table to check on service or fulfilled a special request as they already take a portion of the tip pool. Sometime they won't show up until the last night for the proverbial handshake.

I remember those days of the envelopes.

On Princess we also got one for the Maitre'd.

We never tipped him as we never saw him.

Also on HAL we never tip the dining room manager as we rarely even know who he is.

It's rare when we don't meet the Dining Room Manager (I still prefer the title Maitre d') but other than fulfilling our request for specific table, there isn't anything special we ask of either the Dining Room Manager or his assistants. It isn't his fault if i don't like the menu. He doesn't write them, buy the groceries or cook the food. :)

IF we had a service issue, that would be different but we never seem to. We've had wonderful dining teams for the most part.

I do remember on Princess and Celebrity how they would label an envelope for Dining Room Manager and the one time we met him on any of our Princess cruises, we were 'underwhelmed' in comparison to HAL Maitre d's. JMO....

I love to watch the crew interact with little ones. They obviously miss their own kids so much. Your son will be treated like a little prince by HAL crew.

If you reduce the service charge, your steward will not be very happy. His supervisor will have questions for him, thinking he did not provide adequate service.

To me, leaving the minimum is my way of expressing my displeasure. Even when I receive bad service in a restaurant, I leave the minimum and certainly speak with the manager. Believe it or not, the only time I didn't tip extra was on Oceania where the steward didn't do a good job and it had nothing to do with my expectations.

Just want to jump in and say back when we were given envelopes to tip everyone with, we, too, never tipped the Maitre'de (spellling?) - we have been on 45+ cruises and we would never see the MD- I mean never. But the last night of every cruise, the MD would come around to our table - all smiley and gracious - made me furious. He was only looking to be tipped when we had never seen him before and had never asked anything of him. We did NOT ever tip the MD - and I am not real happy that he gets a cut of that $12 a day now. But we don't get to pick and choose (to my knowledge) that we can cut someone out of the share of the $12/day. And like most, we tip extra to those who do help us or wait on us. We don't go to the dining rooms at all now - except perhaps to one of the specialty restaurants (where we always tip). Since I walk with a cane, sometimes there will be a special someone who consistently helps me by carrying my plate to the table each meal - I then, always go out of my way to tip them before the end of the cruise and I tip them well. On other cruises, we have gone the entire cruise and not one time did anyone offer to help by carrying my plate to the table (not on HAL as a rule) - therefore, no extra tip to anyone in the Lido or wherever we have been dining. I, too, wish these crew members were paid well - I would just as soon they raise the cost of the cruise and pay them well, rather than leaving it to all of us to make sure they get paid by the mandatory $12 a day. But I think you will find (to the first time Australia cruiser) that you will have excellent service on HAL - much better than other cruise lines. Believe me, your cabin attendant will earn that tip and I would be extremely surprised if you feel otherwise after your cruise - have a great cruise and enjoy!

Just want to jump in and say back when we were given envelopes to tip everyone with, we, too, never tipped the Maitre'de (spellling?) - we have been on 45+ cruises and we would never see the MD- I mean never. But the last night of every cruise, the MD would come around to our table - all smiley and gracious - made me furious. He was only looking to be tipped when we had never seen him before and had never asked anything of him. We did NOT ever tip the MD - and I am not real happy that he gets a cut of that $12 a day now. But we don't get to pick and choose (to my knowledge) that we can cut someone out of the share of the $12/day. And like most, we tip extra to those who do help us or wait on us. We don't go to the dining rooms at all now - except perhaps to one of the specialty restaurants (where we always tip). Since I walk with a cane, sometimes there will be a special someone who consistently helps me by carrying my plate to the table each meal - I then, always go out of my way to tip them before the end of the cruise and I tip them well. On other cruises, we have gone the entire cruise and not one time did anyone offer to help by carrying my plate to the table (not on HAL as a rule) - therefore, no extra tip to anyone in the Lido or wherever we have been dining. I, too, wish these crew members were paid well - I would just as soon they raise the cost of the cruise and pay them well, rather than leaving it to all of us to make sure they get paid by the mandatory $12 a day. But I think you will find (to the first time Australia cruiser) that you will have excellent service on HAL - much better than other cruise lines. Believe me, your cabin attendant will earn that tip and I would be extremely surprised if you feel otherwise after your cruise - have a great cruise and enjoy!

Thank you for your well wishes, and for understanding my point. We will certainly look after our cabin attendant with a bit extra plus probably a little gift. Actually, someone on one of the threads somewhere mentioned phone cards being a much-appreciated gift by vessel staff so I may pick up a few of those. Only a few days to go now and just so excited, and always buoyed by such comments about HAL - reassures me that I chose the right cruise line for our first cruise.