Service Reward Letter

I still don't understand why people remove the auto grats and then pay the same in envelopes, maybe its me.

It certainly is.

 

And since whether you pay the autotips or not it makes no difference to the amount of money the staff get, then you would be daft to pay them.

Which rather begs the question why are P&O getting so upset about people choosing to pay the tip in cash direct, unless of course they do not pay the staff anywhere near the same amount, which is leaving P&O out of pocket.

I still don't understand why people remove the auto grats and then pay the same in envelopes, maybe its me.

You are assuming they do pay the same in envelopes. Am sure many may do but having overhead conversations some withdraw the AG to reduce their spend.

Another reason to have it added to the cost of the cruise.

I have often wondered though, how those who withdraw the AG then decide who gets what proportion of the AG value that they pay out in envelopes.

Which rather begs the question why are P&O getting so upset about people choosing to pay the tip in cash direct, unless of course they do not pay the staff anywhere near the same amount, which is leaving P&O out of pocket.

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Which rather begs the question why are P&O getting so upset about people choosing to pay the tip in cash direct, unless of course they do not pay the staff anywhere near the same amount, which is leaving P&O out of pocket.

We have been told that PO 'guess' what the total AG's will be and then pay the crew a set amount of tips based on that assumption. They could be in some problems, like having to use all the pot and more if their estimate undershoots this.

Grappau27 you seem to want across many threads to post your view on AG, give it a rest.

I still don't understand why people remove the auto grats and then pay the same in envelopes, maybe its me.

In our case it is because we don't feel confident that P&O are paying the full amount of the AG to the crew.

We have been told that PO 'guess' what the total AG's will be and then pay the crew a set amount of tips based on that assumption. They could be in some problems, like having to use all the pot and more if their estimate undershoots this.

 

Grappau27 you seem to want across many threads to post your view on AG, give it a rest.

I have always paid AG and prepaid gratuitys on RCCL where i am a high loyalty member too.

The difference is on RC the vast majority favour AG.

Nearly all the cruise lines except P&O are offering gratuitys included and i believe P&O should do this too.

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I still don't understand why people remove the auto grats and then pay the same in envelopes, maybe its me.

But do they?

But do they?

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Which rather begs the question why are P&O getting so upset about people choosing to pay the tip in cash direct, unless of course they do not pay the staff anywhere near the same amount, which is leaving P&O out of pocket.

The answer is very clear as it has be reported, here and on other sites, and from crew members directly to guest. The line does not give all the money to the people most guest would want to be paid. They use these fees to supplement the wages of many workers and mangers. They play the guilt game on the guest.

Anyone is free to remove and tip in cash as they see fit, or not tip again your choice. Myself I want to tip people directly in hand and in cash. Daily service fees are a major income stream for the cruise lines.

Please do complain and send a copy of the letter, PO are still saying that letters have stopped.[/quote

 

I didn't know this... where did they say/write this please?

Given that so many P&O passengers are British, I am guessing that it is likely that they suffer more from removal of auto-gratuities than other lines. I don't think the British are (by and large) big tippers. It isn't something most people seem to do: and certainly not to the 20% level that seems common in the USA. Perhaps this is why P&O have resorted to the practice of sending out letters? Although it seems a bit crass.

Personally, I dislike the practice of "tipping". I find it odd that people like to set up what is a form of patronage by handing out cash on the basis of "rewarding good service". Perhaps I have been wearied by the blatant and continual refrain of "Dash me, man" that so often greets one in Nigeria, for example?! This makes the whole thing seem like a hangover of white colonialism emphasising one's own status as wealthy and superior by "splashing the cash"? Or securing benefits not available to other passengers who don't pass out wads of cash. I apologise to the many who don't fall into those two last categories, but I have observed such individuals. Having said that, we always leave auto gratuities in place and have increased the amount with cash on occasion. We are quite happy if some of the money is going to some backstage staff. I remember the halcyon days when, in Germany, wait staff were almost insulted to receive cash tips beyond the few pfennigs of shrapnel left over. We would much prefer that so-called gratuities were added in the cruise fare and people were paid decently. On that basis, staff could then choose to work for the company or not based on how much pay they get. However, I note that we can't yet afford to patronise the smaller ship more "up-market" cruise lines where that happens!!!!

Americans have brought the world many benefits, but I am bemused by their approach to tipping. From my perspective, (and on this issue only?) it is unfortunate that the cruise industry is dominated by US corporations and in consequence the practice in respect of tipping is unlikely to change. Remember that without these corporations, affordable cruising would probably have disappeared long ago: could P&O and Cunard have survived without Carnival? Funnily enough, I have noticed on a couple of recent cruises that restaurant wait staff simply disappear on the last night, when we have been ready to pass out some cash! I am certainly not going to chase someone into the galley to deliver cash. But perhaps they are making sure to go round those who, they know, have removed the auto-gratuities???

Tipping arouses strong reactions on these boards. There is no ideal solution.

We have just booked another cruise,and have requested club dining for the first time since freedom dining was introduced because we want to stop the auto gratuities and pay cash. This decision was taken because we want our cash going to the people who have served us rather than who P&O want to give our tips to. We had decided to stop the auto tip last month but decided against it when on board because being on freedom dining giving tips daily would gave been too onerous.

I can only hope that as more people revert to pay cash tips P&O will accept that the current system is not working for those of us who are unhappy to subsidise those who pay nothing. I really don't care whether P&O include tips in the cruise price or make it a compulsory item that cannot be reduced or removed on my onboard account.

We have just booked another cruise,and have requested club dining for the first time since freedom dining was introduced because we want to stop the auto gratuities and pay cash. This decision was taken because we want our cash going to the people who have served us rather than who P&O want to give our tips to. We had decided to stop the auto tip last month but decided against it when on board because being on freedom dining giving tips daily would gave been too onerous.

 

I can only hope that as more people revert to pay cash tips P&O will accept that the current system is not working for those of us who are unhappy to subsidise those who pay nothing. I really don't care whether P&O include tips in the cruise price or make it a compulsory item that cannot be reduced or removed on my onboard account.

I like the flexibility of Freedom dining but unlike RC My time dining where i can pre-book a dining time on RC,with P&O we get the buzzer and when it is busy we have waited quite some time for our table for 2.

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We have just booked another cruise,and have requested club dining for the first time since freedom dining was introduced because we want to stop the auto gratuities and pay cash. This decision was taken because we want our cash going to the people who have served us rather than who P&O want to give our tips to. We had decided to stop the auto tip last month but decided against it when on board because being on freedom dining giving tips daily would gave been too onerous.

 

I can only hope that as more people revert to pay cash tips P&O will accept that the current system is not working for those of us who are unhappy to subsidise those who pay nothing. I really don't care whether P&O include tips in the cruise price or make it a compulsory item that cannot be reduced or removed on my onboard account.

I think more and more people will be doing the same until things change.

It’s funny that there is such an apparent level of distrust about where the money goes with P&O auto tips that is not refelected in other lines. We sail with several lines and some auto tip but there is not the same discussion and certainly no letters etc to customers who remove, if indeed many do.

The auto grats have been around for a while but the issues are much more recent. New demographic of cruisers who won’t be told what to do and if they don’t have to tip then they simply won’t?

I think more and more people will be doing the same until things change.

 

It’s funny that there is such an apparent level of distrust about where the money goes with P&O auto tips that is not refelected in other lines. We sail with several lines and some auto tip but there is not the same discussion and certainly no letters etc to customers who remove, if indeed many do.

 

The auto grats have been around for a while but the issues are much more recent. New demographic of cruisers who won’t be told what to do and if they don’t have to tip then they simply won’t?

Some of the mistrust is fuelled by information like ccc666 gave, who seemed either to be a member, ex-member of staff or close to someone who is and presented a picture of PO and its treatment of staff viz a viz AG's that was not very flattering to PO to say the least and did more than insinuate that PO did not pass all the money over and informed us how PO weaponised AG's tying them to CSQ's.

Maybe on US lines where they take tipping much more for granted they simply pay because they are used to it and PO being used by Brits who are not so used to tipping and ask a lot of questions.

Scriv wrote

I didn't know this... where did they say/write this please?

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=55926266&postcount=516

I have been told by Cruise Critic members (across various cruise lines) that removing AGs and tipping directly for good service means that those receiving a tip directly have to put what they receive into a central pot. Is that not correct?

I have been told by Cruise Critic members (across various cruise lines) that removing AGs and tipping directly for good service means that those receiving a tip directly have to put what they receive into a central pot. Is that not correct?

No, that's not correct. Cash tips are allowed to be retained by the individual regardless of whether the passenger has removed the service charge / AG or not.

I have been told by Cruise Critic members (across various cruise lines) that removing AGs and tipping directly for good service means that those receiving a tip directly have to put what they receive into a central pot. Is that not correct?

Sorry, you mention 'various lines'. I don't know about other lines. My answer refers to P&O only.

That they are allowed to keep cash tips and did not affect AG's paid to them was one of the things highlighted in the deleted thread. But if PO are adjusting how the AG's are distributed then that might also be taken into account ie biasing receipts of AG against CS where their passengers remove AG's.

This is supposed to be a P&O cruises (UK) board and I find it slightly annoying to see that some are lobbying P@O into trying to change the way they operate (not just tipping) and bring them into line with "other lines"

Why, there are lots of passengers perfectly happy with the way P&O operates, warts & all and do not necessarily want to see them change to the way "other lines" operate.

We and our friends have been loyal P&O customers for many years and hope to continue to enjoy many more cruises with P&O.

If things are done differently on other lines that are perceived to be better than P&O then everyone has a choice to travel with said "cruise lines" and stop using P&O, it's their choice.

This is supposed to be a P&O cruises (UK) board and I find it slightly annoying to see that some are lobbying P@O into trying to change the way they operate (not just tipping) and bring them into line with "other lines"

Why, there are lots of passengers perfectly happy with the way P&O operates, warts & all and do not necessarily want to see them change to the way "other lines" operate.

We and our friends have been loyal P&O customers for many years and hope to continue to enjoy many more cruises with P&O.

If things are done differently on other lines that are perceived to be better than P&O then everyone has a choice to travel with said "cruise lines" and stop using P&O, it's their choice.

Unfortunately the changes made and ones for the future are not happening because people are lobbying for change it is because P&O are owned by an American company. P&O admitted on their own Facebook page only recently that the last increase in Service Reward was done to bring them slowly in line with all other cruise lines and that has been decided by Carnival.

This is supposed to be a P&O cruises (UK) board and I find it slightly annoying to see that some are lobbying P@O into trying to change the way they operate (not just tipping) and bring them into line with "other lines"

Why, there are lots of passengers perfectly happy with the way P&O operates, warts & all and do not necessarily want to see them change to the way "other lines" operate.

We and our friends have been loyal P&O customers for many years and hope to continue to enjoy many more cruises with P&O.

If things are done differently on other lines that are perceived to be better than P&O then everyone has a choice to travel with said "cruise lines" and stop using P&O, it's their choice.

Doesn’t really matter if people like things the way they are / want change. Things are changing as Major Correclty points out. P&O is UK in name only now.

Customer lobbying makes little to no difference even where it happens, I certainly don’t think anyone at P&O reads these boards. They don’t event get honest answers to their customer surveys as many people give top marks as this is perceived to protect staff.

None of the cruise lines are perfect and there are aspects of them all that passengers just have to accept, warts and all as you say.

This is supposed to be a P&O cruises (UK) board and I find it slightly annoying to see that some are lobbying P@O into trying to change the way they operate (not just tipping) and bring them into line with "other lines"

Why, there are lots of passengers perfectly happy with the way P&O operates, warts & all and do not necessarily want to see them change to the way "other lines" operate.

We and our friends have been loyal P&O customers for many years and hope to continue to enjoy many more cruises with P&O.

If things are done differently on other lines that are perceived to be better than P&O then everyone has a choice to travel with said "cruise lines" and stop using P&O, it's their choice.

Unfortunately, as others have said, PO are changing things and sometimes not for the better. For example the change in sending letters to customers, cabins who removed AG.

So are you advocating that people simply accept all the changes, warts and all, even if they are seeking to prevent PO from making changes such as this letter to make passengers on holiday feel guilty and which annoy customers and may well. in the end, put people off PO. The so called letter of shame would have continued (though some say it does) without objections and these boards were part of that.

You are assuming they do pay the same in envelopes. Am sure many may do but having overhead conversations some withdraw the AG to reduce their spend.

 

Another reason to have it added to the cost of the cruise.

 

I have often wondered though, how those who withdraw the AG then decide who gets what proportion of the AG value that they pay out in envelopes.

It's simple. The autograts are paid to your waiters and your cabin steward (and/or butlers). We halve the amount, give one half to the cabin steward and the other half split between our two waiters. We also tip our wine waiter, but that's a personal choice.