UK cruises, new gratuities

The gratuity rate should be honoured at the rate prevalent when the cruise was booked, i.e. when the contract was made.

Do not know about the UK, but in the USA when the new rate was announced, Princess said that anybody prepaying gratuities by a certain date could pay at the old rate.

Do not know about the UK, but in the USA when the new rate was announced, Princess said that anybody prepaying gratuities by a certain date could pay at the old rate.

When I saw that the gratuities were going up for our upcoming cruise, I immediately prepaid. I guess that makes me a minor league cheapskate compared to those who remove or reduce theirs. :D

Do not know about the UK, but in the USA when the new rate was announced, Princess said that anybody prepaying gratuities by a certain date could pay at the old rate.

There is no old or new rate, go to guest services and adjust your gratuity up or down as you see fit, it's all just a suggestion and not mandatory.

There is no old or new rate, go to guest services and adjust your gratuity up or down as you see fit, it's all just a suggestion and not mandatory.

I think I have the solution to anytime dining.

Swipe the passenger's card.

If they have not cancelled tips, seat them.

If they have cancelled tips give them a pager.

Optional: activate the pager sometime later during the cruise

I think I have the solution to anytime dining.

Swipe the passenger's card.

If they have not cancelled tips, seat them.

If they have cancelled tips give them a pager.

 

Optional: activate the pager sometime later during the cruise

Excellent idea!!

Excellent idea!!

Surely this wouldnt work, passengers would just leave it to the last day to remove there tips. What Princess needs is some sort of scanner to read passengers minds to see what they intend to do, or even a time machine, that would work.

Surely this wouldnt work, passengers would just leave it to the last day to remove there tips. What Princess needs is some sort of scanner to read passengers minds to see what they intend to do, or even a time machine, that would work.

The other way would be allow removal, but only for the preceding 24 hour period. So if some gets bad service they can remove for that period. If someone wants to remove for the entire cruise they would have to visit customer service each day for each 24 hour period.

The other way would be allow removal, but only for the preceding 24 hour period. So if some gets bad service they can remove for that period. If someone wants to remove for the entire cruise they would have to visit customer service each day for each 24 hour period.

That's a great idea, hate to see the long lines every day though. Good job the have the elite line too

The other way would be allow removal, but only for the preceding 24 hour period. So if some gets bad service they can remove for that period. If someone wants to remove for the entire cruise they would have to visit customer service each day for each 24 hour period.

Just include gratuities in the price of the cruise. That solves all the problems!:rolleyes:

Just include gratuities in the price of the cruise. That solves all the problems!:rolleyes:

best idea of this thread

That's a great idea, hate to see the long lines every day though. Good job the have the elite line too

I would really cry if the people trying to cancel tips had a long line.

When princess first started with automated tips, to cancel one

did not visit the purser's desk; rather they had a couple head

waiters at a table in the atrium for specific hours handling.

At that time, they were interested in why people were cancelling.

Now, it's clear that it has nothing what-so-ever to do with service.

Just include gratuities in the price of the cruise. That solves all the problems!:rolleyes:

The reasons why they don't have been gone over many many times.

The reasons why they don't have been gone over many many times.

Which are?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Which are?

Perhaps you could review the other 10,000 threads on tipping for some of the reasons?

It would save a lot of typing.

Perhaps you could review the other 10,000 threads on tipping for some of the reasons?

 

It would save a lot of typing.

Tipping is a personal thing, Princess leaves it up to the passenger to choose, why members of cruise critic get so up tight about it f someone wants to remove theirs i have no idea.

Tipping is a personal thing, Princess leaves it up to the passenger to choose, why members of cruise critic get so up tight about it f someone wants to remove theirs i have no idea.

I remember a long thread started by you...

You were upset about some friend's son who started working on Princess...

...and how little he was being paid.

The reasons why they don't have been gone over many many times.

http://www.cruisecritic.com.au/articles.cfm?ID=1591

You pay for the cruise and I assume the price of the cruise has been adjusted accordingly to include the cost of the gratuities that would have accrued. Yes, this means there is no opt out of gratuities. And, there is nothing stopping you from tipping further to individual staff that have provided you exceptional service. Would be interesting to hear from staff working on these Australian based ships how they like this system of gratuity collection.

I remember a long thread started by you...

 

You were upset about some friend's son who started working on Princess...

...and how little he was being paid.

He wasn't in the tipping pool

He wasn't in the tipping pool

So he knew when he took the job how much (or little) he would be paid.

Certainly quite a few of the CD crew take the jobs not for the pay but as a chance to travel the world and broaden their horizons in an all expenses paid job.

And when they have done it enough they go back to a land based job with remuneration commensurate with the expenses of living on land.

Solution is not to book Princess or any other American line if you do not agree with their policies. There are lots of other cruise lines out there.

Can see the Crown and Caribbean Princess being a bit empty when sailing out of Southampton next year if we follow that advice.

Just worked out at todays prices the al inclusive drinks package works out at £45 a day now, last time it was around £35, wont be doing that again for a while!

If Princess put the daily fee up to $21 a day how would that go down with us passengers, this is in effect what's happened to uk cruises

If Princess put the daily fee up to $21 a day how would that go down with us passengers, this is in effect what's happened to uk cruises

That makes no sense at all.

Is this like your claim that the daily charge had doubled?

So he knew when he took the job how much (or little) he would be paid.

Certainly quite a few of the CD crew take the jobs not for the pay but as a chance to travel the world and broaden their horizons in an all expenses paid job.

And when they have done it enough they go back to a land based job with remuneration commensurate with the expenses of living on land.

I love your response and wonder why it does not apply to others working various jobs on cruiseships.....like cabin stewards and dining room waiters.....would they not also perhaps "take the jobs not for the pay but as a chance to travel the world and broaden their horizons in an all expenses paid job." :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

A case of what's good for the goose is NOT good for the gander?

SMH

An interesting broader question is how will the low value of the pound impact upon UK bookings on Princess? The low pound value does make any on board spending much more expensive and may well impact on people's choice of Princess going forwards.

The key american competitors appear to have constant free drinks packages promos (Royal Carribean and Celebrity). Will Princess offer these to the UK market more frequently.

They currently seem to offer this promotion once only in the summer when cruises are fully priced.

That makes no sense at all.

 

Is this like your claim that the daily charge had doubled?

The doubled was a slight exaggeration, but our tips have gone up %60, so your new daily tip would be $20.72 a day.