HAL's Tipping Policy

Has been a couple of years since we sailed HAL. Considering doing it again. What is HAL's current tipping policy? Do they have auto tipping ($ per day) like Princess? Thanks in advance for your replies.

HAL will add a $10 p/p p/day gratuity to your on board account.

You may reduce that in part or in total at the front desk. If you do, policy forbids stewards from keeping any cash amounts you proffer. They are required to turn this in to the "tip pool".

If, however, you keep your tip deduction intact, stewards may then keep any additional tips you give as their own.

From that $10 per person, $3.50 goes to your cabin steward, $3.50 goes to your dining wait staff. The other $3 is divided among "The Behind the Scenes People" - those who do the cooking, laundry men, etc.

The crew is given a list of those passengers who wish to either take the $10 auto tip off completely or partially. And they are instructed that should those individual give them tips, they are to turn in that money which will then be put into a pool which will be divided among everyone.

HAL now also places a 15% gratuity on all bar drinks, wine, cokes, bottled water that you order.

We love the $10 per day, many lines are opting for this method, along with HAL is Princess and NCL. We do usually find someone or more than one person to give extra to, but knowing we don't have to wander around getting correct change, etc is so easy. As for the 15%, again, I think every line does that now and has for a few years.

Even though you can reduce this amount I can't imagine anyone doing this. The service would have to be really awful to not allow $10 per day. NMnita

The other $3 is divided among "The Behind the Scenes People" - those who do the cooking, laundry men, etc.

And that, my friends, is the load of crap. By including all those "behind the scenes" people, HAL gets to pay them less ... and we, in essence, are subsidizing their wages ... something which HAL should be taking care of entirely. I, for one, would love to see an itemization of just who that $3.00 a day is going to.

There are lots of folks on land who do not get tips for their jobs. They are not technically front line service people. For example, if you went to your favorite restaurant on land, would you expect your waiter to have to share that nice tip you gave him with the guy who launders the tablecloths, the dishwashers, the manager, the cooks and even maybe the bookkeeper in the back office? No, of course not. Those people receive a salary for doing their jobs. A good chef in a restaurant makes a very nice salary ... he shouldn't be included in any "tip pool." Oh, maybe your waiter might have to give a percentage to the bus person or the hostess, but that's about it ... and those people technically help him to serve you.

I have no problem tipping ... by I very much have a problem not knowing who I am tipping. I think HAL (and all other cruise lines who use the auto-tipping) should let passengers know exactly how they are breaking down these tips ... and should make sure that only those on the front lines who serve us are getting them.

Sorry ... just my opinion on this often hot issue ...

Blue skies ...

--rita

Thanks all for the comments, really appreciate your quick responses.

And that, my friends, is the load of crap. By including all those "behind the scenes" people, HAL gets to pay them less ... and we, in essence, are subsidizing their wages ... something which HAL should be taking care of entirely. I, for one, would love to see an itemization of just who that $3.00 a day is going to.

 

There are lots of folks on land who do not get tips for their jobs. They are not technically front line service people. For example, if you went to your favorite restaurant on land, would you expect your waiter to have to share that nice tip you gave him with the guy who launders the tablecloths, the dishwashers, the manager, the cooks and even maybe the bookkeeper in the back office? No, of course not. Those people receive a salary for doing their jobs. A good chef in a restaurant makes a very nice salary ... he shouldn't be included in any "tip pool." Oh, maybe your waiter might have to give a percentage to the bus person or the hostess, but that's about it ... and those people technically help him to serve you.

 

I have no problem tipping ... by I very much have a problem not knowing who I am tipping. I think HAL (and all other cruise lines who use the auto-tipping) should let passengers know exactly how they are breaking down these tips ... and should make sure that only those on the front lines who serve us are getting them.

 

Sorry ... just my opinion on this often hot issue ...

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

Guess 'ya may be a little out of the loop here. Many (and I don't mean just a few) land based restaurants require that a percentage of waitress tips be pooled for distribution to other members of the staff. Also, HAL is by no means the only cruise line that does this; just about all of the mainstream cruise lines are doing it!

You will be surprised to learn that many of America's Best Restaurants have a tipping pool almost exactly like the one used by most mass market cruise lines today.

They have 2 very good reasons for using that system:

1) Just like on ships, the pool subsidizes the salaries of the back of the house employees, so the employer doesn't have to pay them so much.

2) Every member of the tipping pool has a great incentive to please the guest. If the guest is not happy, EVERYONE on the team loses. So if the waiter screws up and forgets to order something, the guy in the kitchen is far happier to help him correct his mistake and get that dish ready ASAP. Otherwise the tip might just get smaller and his cut of the pool along with it. In restaurants that do not use this system, there is often animosity - and sometimes downright hostility - between the kitchen and the dining room employees. The kitchen guys usually don't get paid very much, work very hard, burn their hands, cut their fingers and really sweat it out. Meanwhile the waiters - who often have minimal training - are having a good old time in air conditioned comfort, drinking wine with the guests, and taking home lots of tips. Smart Restaurateurs force the issue of a tipping pool (yes, to save money), but even better to form a cohesive team that works toward the same goal. The team wins together or loses together. If you read the Zagat Survey, the top 14 listed restaurants in America all currently have a tipping pool in place.

Does anyone here like the grand traditions of cruising? I just love them.

One of the oldest and dearest cruising traditions was started in 1911 by American Millionaire J.P. Morgan. He purchased the White Star Line as they were building the Titanic. Even though he was the Bill Gates of his time, he wanted to save a little money on his Transatlantic Shipping Operations. He decided that it would be a good idea to pay his onboard service staff an absolute minimum salary and force them to work for tips in order to survive. The thinking was that if the stewards did a really good job, they would make plenty of tips and want to stay onboard. If they did a lousy job, they would receive very little in gratuities and go somewhere else. It's a great incentive program when you think about it.

Since the "back of the house" people were not originally included in this system, they found clever ways to get included. Dishwashers for example, woud not wash the cutlery that was assigned to each waiter unless he gave them a small side tip. If the Cabin Steward wanted to have enough sheets to change the beds in all his cabins, he needed to pass a few dollars to the boys in the laundry.

This Grand Cruising tradition has developed for nearly 100 years into what we see today. In a surprising number of ways that are known to those of us who work on ships, it really hasn't changed very much in all that time.

Amen.

Guess 'ya may be a little out of the loop here. Many (and I don't mean just a few) land based restaurants require that a percentage of waitress tips be pooled for distribution to other members of the staff. Also, HAL is by no means the only cruise line that does this; just about all of the mainstream cruise lines are doing it!

Cruise lines do it ... but few land-based restaurants. Everyone I know who waits tables has one of two ways that their tips are handled. Either they are pooled among all of the servers and everyone shares equally, or each wait person keeps their tips, but must part with 10% or so for the bus staff, and maybe another 10% for the setter or the hostess. They don't give squat to the cooks, bar staff, dishwashers, etc.

Now if the cruiselines were using this $3.00 a day for specific staff people ... such as the assistant waiter, assistant cabin steward, etc. ... people who assisted our service staff in doing the great jobs they do for us ... maybe I wouldn't mind. But what it is my understanding this extra $3.00 goes to is people like the laundry room workers, kitchen personnel, general housekeeping staff (not cabin staff), etc. Those people should be compensated by the cruise line ... not me. On land, they wouldn't get tips, so their employers would have to pay them at least the minimum wage, right?

But, I guess because most cruise lines do not have to conform to U.S. employment laws, they can get away with paying these poor folks substandard wages ... and then to be able to keep them, they get the passengers to sweeten the pot for them a bit ... by including them in the tip pool. That stinks because the money is being taken out of the pockets of the people who serve us ... and who we would actually prefer to see get that extra $3.00.

Of course, there's nothing we can do about it. Even if we pulled the auto-tip and then tipped the entire amount to our own servers, they'd only have to turn it into the pool anyway ... so the end result would be the same.

Blue skies ...

--rita

I feel the same way about tipping in America.

Why do most restaurateurs pay their staff minimum wage and more or less force me to augment their wages with tips? Why don't they include the tip in thier wages?

I know of 2 very expensive Restaurants in New York where the waiters are paid nothing at all. In fact, they purchased their jobs from the Restaurant Owner, and pay him every week to allow them to work there. They earn that much in tips.

Go to Le Cirque in New York and try to leave less than a 20% tip on a very expensive meal. Several employees will follow you out the door and threaten your life outside. You will never get a reservation there again. Why doesn't Sirio Maccioni pay his staff there properly?

What about taxi drivers? Why do I need to tip them to drive the car?

And Hotel Bellmen? Aren't they just doing their jobs to carry my bags to my room? Why doesn't the hotel pay them properly instead of forcing me to do it?

Hotel Maids? Why am I tipping them to clean my room? Shouldn't the hotel just pay them properly?

Hotel Concierges. Why do they expect me to tip them after they have done their jobs by assisting me? Shouldn't the hotel take care of that?

Beauty Salon? Why does my wife need to tip the girl who does her hair and nails?

And what about the Spa? I pay $350 for a massage and then have to tip another $50 for the guy who was just doing his job. Why don't they pay him properly?

What about valet parking? Why must I tip the guy for not crashing my car when he parked it? Shouldn't his employer do that?

When I win in Vegas, the Dealer expects me to tip him. Why? Did he let me win? Why doesn't the casino pay him a decent wage?

Either all these people are incredibly stupid, or we just don't understand the program.

in many restaurants the waitperson not only shares tips with the busboy but also with the bartender

lets get a good flame going

i order something in a restaurant that costs me 10 bucks and i tip 20% or 2.00

then anoather time i order something that cost 30 bucks and i tip 20% or 6.00

why do i tip more for the same size plate being delivered to my table -only the contents of the plate has changed and the server had nothing to do with that

I know of 2 very expensive Restaurants in New York where the waiters are paid nothing at all. In fact, they purchased their jobs from the Restaurant Owner, and pay him every week to allow them to work there. They earn that much in tips.

 

Go to Le Cirque in New York and try to leave less than a 20% tip on a very expensive meal. Several employees will follow you out the door and threaten your life outside. You will never get a reservation there again. Why doesn't Sirio Maccioni pay his staff there properly?

 

And what about the Spa? I pay $350 for a massage and then have to tip another $50 for the guy who was just doing his job. Why don't they pay him properly?quote]

 

somehow i have a problem believing the top 2 statements

 

and a 350.00 for a massage ---you are getting a lot more then a rubdown for that amount --- how about a happy ending

In Germany, waitstaff receive salary, benefits and 6 weeks paid vacation. This cost is amortized into each menu item and tipping does not exist.

Restaurants often retain about 10% of all tips to pay for administrative charges associated with disbursement,including the cost of credit card usage.

Taking care of the people behind the scenes is common practice is the restaurant business.

[ 350.00 for a massage ---you are getting a lot more then a rubdown for that amount --- how about a happy ending

Made my day

In Germany, waitstaff receive salary, benefits and 6 weeks paid vacation. This cost is amortized into each menu item and tipping does not exist.

Japan also is a no-tipping country & frankly, I preferred it that way. *Although everything is excrucuatingly expensive there, you're charged up-front so you know what to expect.

Interesting how expected tips have increased from 10% when I was a kid - I think it's ridiculous that a 20% tip is expected on a restaurant tab - but I know that's the way of things here in the States.

(Talk about getting nickeled and dimed...)

:(

Not that I particularly like the system, but IMO - $10/day is a relative bargain.

Kryos....Jim Gallup.....my sentiments exactly!!!! Thanks for having the courage to say it. I agree the 3.00 should be broken down. It is a shame if the room stewart has to tip the laundry person to make sure he has enough linens to do his job.

On a recent cruise I took on Princess, I found a 2.00 charge for room service on bill. I had tipped the person who brought my coffee every day 2.00. I would say 4.00 per day for a pot of coffee is pretty good. No where did I read a charge would be on my bill before hand.

Kudos to both of you!!!! Rosemary

In Germany, waitstaff receive salary, benefits and 6 weeks paid vacation. This cost is amortized into each menu item and tipping does not exist.

Coughing it up..:eek:

Well not totally true but your very accurate.. Even in the German part of CH we tip..

In Germany and othe are Countries it was the local change as a tip given..

So yes in Germany it was Phennings before and in Holland have you ever had a Dubelja?...

In Venice I even gave a woman some flat washers and she gave me some of her postal cards from her racks there to have..

Spare change is given as a courtesy (tip) in Europe still... now most are Euroed... better than your owed...

The Minumum Wage went up over One Dollar and Hour today here in New Jersey.

Did your states as well? Are you going to (so called) tip more now too?

Maybe 30% ?

:cool:

We do tipp well and sometimes above the standard.

If someone does go above and beyond what is accepted and expected in the norm.

Yes I as well remember the American % of five then % ten then % 15 now % 20..

kryos posted

Those people should be compensated by the cruise line ... not me.

Again, cruise lines pay no one, we do, the cruisers. It's just like taxes on business. These are not paid by the business but by us, the customers. It all comes down to what you expect and if what you recieve equals your expectations you'll be back and THAT is what counts.

I view the 10 dollars just like another sales tax. It's part of the price of the cruise. You can't have the cruise without it....like the cruise, pay the tax, port charges, fare and now the tips...the itemized bill keeps getting longer.

When you go into McDonalds, their menu quotes a price...they then add sales tax to it. You say I don't want the tax today. They say simple, no Big Mac ...why spin that one expense out? They don't spin out the price of the cup or the straw or the lights. It's because that's the way things are done. You can vote with your dollars, go or don't go...

I view the 10 dollars just like another sales tax. It's part of the price of the cruise. You can't have the cruise without it....like the cruise, pay the tax, port charges, fare and now the tips...the itemized bill keeps getting longer.

I have no problem whatsoever with the $10. It's who it's going to that bothers me. I don't like the thought that some faceless people, who do NOTHING to assist my server in doing his job, are sharing part of the booty. I'd rather see my servers get that extra $3.00 per day. For example, I have a real "problem" tipping management for doing a management job. That is why I will NEVER tip the Matri 'd ... and would only even consider it if he did me a major, above and beyond the call of his duty, favor for me. Thinking that perhaps some of that $3.00 is going to him ... when he actually probably makes a pretty decent wage ... really torques me. I'd much rather see my dining room and cabin stewards get that money. After all, they are the ones who really have to hustle, who work long hours, and in spite of all that ... always have a smile for me with usually fantastic service.

That's why I am beginning to think that HAL should have left well enough alone and let us tip with the envelopes. Then at least you know to whom your tip is going, and can adjust it for those who provided truly outstanding service.

Blue skies ...

--rita

I'm not going to let all this bother me. Let the management and employees sort it out amongst themselves.

Everyone is getting more in tips now because alot of people stiffed the staff before. Now all are contributing. Everyone is on the ship and doing their jobs at their own choice. If it was so bad for them, they would do something else or for someone else.

I'll tip the automatic tip amount and thank everyone in sight for adding to my wonderful cruise.:)

MaryAnn

Was just wondering as I've been reading on the tipping in the Pinnacle. So if I leave a $20.00 or more tip there on the table is that going to go in the tipping pool as well?????