You know what I think it is.
We tip people we come into contact with. People we observe doing something for us. Wait staff, drivers, housekeeping, etc. Even food delivery (we are not there to see the driving, but we still come face to face upon arrival.)
The automatic gratuities added is to supplement the salary of workers we don't see. It's because corporate CEO's are overpaid and think nothing of their employees or their customers. And put their financial burden of wages on their "loyal" customers. It's unfair, unnatural, and wrong.
I don't tip laundry staff in a hotel. Kitchen staff in a restaurant. Maintenance staff at either. Some positions come with tips, some an hourly wage. That's life as we have come to know it.
I feel no (zero) responsibility to the "behind the scenes" people. I paid my passage. Part of that should go to employee wages. That's how life goes. It's not my responsibility to subsidize the salary of two thousand people. I'm on a week off from my problems. I don't have the responsibility to subsidize payroll. Setting the world to rights shouldn't be what my one week a year is about.
As far as rolling the automatic gratuities into cruise fare. Why not just pay them more out of the current cruise fare (like a decent employer) and take a slightly lower profit for corporate CEO's etc.
Wether, a percentage of people remove automatic gratuities or not, the automatic gratuities rate will still always rise. The cruise fare will still always rise. Don't fool yourself into believing people who think like me are the cause of that happening.
I tip in cash directly to those who I have seen provide me a service and do it well. Also, the amount of my tip is generous for the service provided. It's an honest fair system that's been around for hundreds of years. I have no doubt I'm being fair to them and myself.
That's my automatic 18% on the subject anyway. Have a good Sunday folks.