Tipping on Princess

I've got a quick question in regards to tipping. What is the policy in regards to giving extra tips to waiters? I was recently on the Diamond and we had great service from the our waiters and we gave them a cash tip at the end. I was asked for my stateroom number afterwards and it didn't occur to me at the time but does that mean the tip goes into the pool and place against my stateroom?

I've got a quick question in regards to tipping. What is the policy in regards to giving extra tips to waiters? I was recently on the Diamond and we had great service from the our waiters and we gave them a cash tip at the end. I was asked for my stateroom number afterwards and it didn't occur to me at the time but does that mean the tip goes into the pool and place against my stateroom?

No. They ask because they have to verify that you haven't removed the auto-tip (at least that seems to be the general consensus here).

If you've removed the auto-tip, your cash tip goes into the pool. If auto-tip is in place, they keep the tip.

Thanks JF that's good to hear.

I've got a quick question in regards to tipping. What is the policy in regards to giving extra tips to waiters? I was recently on the Diamond and we had great service from the our waiters and we gave them a cash tip at the end. I was asked for my stateroom number afterwards and it didn't occur to me at the time but does that mean the tip goes into the pool and place against my stateroom?

According to the last Princess crew contract I saw, all cash tips must be handed in, many here will try and tell you differently but it was there in black and white.

According to the last Princess crew contract I saw, all cash tips must be handed in, many here will try and tell you differently but it was there in black and white.

Does the contract state that it goes to the pool or to the person?

Does the contract state that it goes to the pool or to the person?

It stated that it had to be handed in to the pool.

It stated that it had to be handed in to the pool.

the OP is an aussie and if he's on an aussie ship our gratuities are included in the fare so why should they hand it in

the OP is an aussie and if he's on an aussie ship our gratuities are included in the fare so why should they hand it in

The Diamond is in Asia.

the OP is an aussie and if he's on an aussie ship our gratuities are included in the fare so why should they hand it in

Probably because that's what the contract said.

According to the last Princess crew contract I saw, all cash tips must be handed in, many here will try and tell you differently but it was there in black and white.

I remember that contract being posted and it was very old. It also said cash tips up to the amount of the auto tip. Maybe not in those words but the meaning was there. I've cruised with Princess 56 times and have many friends that work on board and they tell me they can keep the cash if the auto tip is left on.

If you have access to a more current contract please post a link.

I remember that contract being posted and it was very old. It also said cash tips up to the amount of the auto tip. Maybe not in those words but the meaning was there. I've cruised with Princess 56 times and have many friends that work on board and they tell me they can keep the cash if the auto tip is left on.

 

If you have access to a more current contract please post a link.

The contract I saw was from 2014/15 in relation to a Court case, I've never seen a link to one as far as I can recall.

I found that contract that I saw posted. It was posted on a Crew site in 2015 but doesn't indicate the contract date. Anyway here's part of the information on compensation

Nonetheless, to the extent passengers follow the suggested

contribution guidelines in whole or in part, or deliver their contribution to the Company or

directly to any crew member(s), each and every crew member agrees that any such

contribution is not his personal wage, but rather a contribution to the Discretionary Hotel

and Dining Charge Pool (the “Pool”).

I've underlined the operative words that set out it's up to the suggested contribution guidelines. So it doesn't say all cash tips just those up to the suggested guidelines (auto-tips).

According to the last Princess crew contract I saw, all cash tips must be handed in, many here will try and tell you differently but it was there in black and white.

Yes, all tips must be turned in. However, once accounting has completed (usually about 3-4 days after cruise end), any tips where the auto-tip / Hotel Charge for that cabin was left in place are returned to the server/steward/crew member.

e.g. If the passenger used the auto tip and handed a crew member a sealed envelope with their cabin number which contained a tip for outstanding service, the envelope is RETURNED TO THE CREW MEMBER, UNOPENED after the accounting is closed.

Only if a passenger has revoked payment of the auto-tip does the individual tip go into a pool.

No. They ask because they have to verify that you haven't removed the auto-tip (at least that seems to be the general consensus here).

 

If you've removed the auto-tip, your cash tip goes into the pool. If auto-tip is in place, they keep the tip.

Same explanation given to me by a bartender.

Hang on what do you mean Auto-tip? Gratitudes!?

Also... we are on Diamond in Oct.... if we were to tip our room steward on the last day etc...what currency should we do it in!? Yen? Because it a tour around Japan or $Us dollars?

.Sorry to hijack thread

Hang on what do you mean Auto-tip? Gratitudes!?

 

Also... we are on Diamond in Oct.... if we were to tip our room steward on the last day etc...what currency should we do it in!? Yen? Because it a tour around Japan or $Us dollars?

 

.Sorry to hijack thread

Whatever currency you like.

On one cruise we saw some crew shopping at a supermarket (whatever Kiwis call Woolworths, can't remember sorry) he had a bit of everything, US$ AUS$ NZ$, pound, euro, yen, CAN$ and some I didn't recognise.

Whatever currency you like.

 

On one cruise we saw some crew shopping at a supermarket (whatever Kiwis call Woolworths, can't remember sorry) he had a bit of everything, US$ AUS$ NZ$, pound, euro, yen, CAN$ and some I didn't recognise.

Good to know! Cheers for that!

Talked to a Hotel Manager onboard in detail about this.

 

Yes, all tips must be turned in. However, once accounting has completed (usually about 3-4 days after cruise end), any tips where the auto-tip / Hotel Charge for that cabin was left in place are returned to the server/steward/crew member.

 

e.g. If the passenger used the auto tip and handed a crew member a sealed envelope with their cabin number which contained a tip for outstanding service, the envelope is RETURNED TO THE CREW MEMBER, UNOPENED after the accounting is closed.

 

Only if a passenger has revoked payment of the auto-tip does the individual tip go into a pool.

Thanks for this info. Can you please clarify something for me?

E.g. I always leave the auto-tip on my account and sometimes I will offer an additional cash tip in person to a crew member. If it is not in an envelope, does that mean they have to surrender the cash to the pool? So if I understand correctly, then every time I tip "above and beyond" it should be placed in a sealed envelope? That seems so strange...what happens to the tip I add at IC or the bar if 15% is already added but I want to give my bartender a little extra, are you saying he won't get to keep it? Or, if it is written on the receipt then it is considered their own tip and not added to the pool? So Confusing at times.....

Thanks in advance for your help!

~ Craving A Cruise

Talked to a Hotel Manager onboard in detail about this.

 

Yes, all tips must be turned in. However, once accounting has completed (usually about 3-4 days after cruise end), any tips where the auto-tip / Hotel Charge for that cabin was left in place are returned to the server/steward/crew member.

 

e.g. If the passenger used the auto tip and handed a crew member a sealed envelope with their cabin number which contained a tip for outstanding service, the envelope is RETURNED TO THE CREW MEMBER, UNOPENED after the accounting is closed.

 

Only if a passenger has revoked payment of the auto-tip does the individual tip go into a pool.

No matter where I am I will tip in US dollars. In the UK the dollar is strong so I think it makes a better tip. Most places (not all of course) welcome the US dollar and that makes it a safe and reliable tipping currency.

Thanks for this info. Can you please clarify something for me?

 

E.g. I always leave the auto-tip on my account and sometimes I will offer an additional cash tip in person to a crew member. If it is not in an envelope, does that mean they have to surrender the cash to the pool? So if I understand correctly, then every time I tip "above and beyond" it should be placed in a sealed envelope? That seems so strange...what happens to the tip I add at IC or the bar if 15% is already added but I want to give my bartender a little extra, are you saying he won't get to keep it? Or, if it is written on the receipt then it is considered their own tip and not added to the pool? So Confusing at times.....

 

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

~ Craving A Cruise

Not everyone is in the same poll. Basically the sealed envelop applies to your cabin steward and waiters. The mandatory 15% added to your bar bill is polled by the bar staff but they can keep any cash tip. The difference is you can't elect to remove the 15% at bars but you can elect to remove the auto-tip added to you portfolio. I really don't know what happens if you add an additional tip to the bar bill. It is confusing so the easiest thing to do is just leave the auto-tip on and tip extra if you want, or not. That way all the people behind the scenes that have made your vacation special (cooks, laundry, people who clean the public facilities, etc.) will also get a portion of your tip.

What if you were to give your waiter a handshake and slip him a bill? Would that work?

No.

Not following the tip policy can result in the employee being sent home at his/her own expense.

No.

 

Not following the tip policy can result in the employee being sent home at his/her own expense.

Not following the tip policy can result in the employee being sent home at his/her own expense.

I can't believe the cruise line can legally leave someone high and dry in another country if they're dismissed. Yes if they quit they must find their own way home but fired I believe the cruise line would be responsible to immediately pay them and to get them home.

Found this snippet where an employee wanted off the ship but decided to get herself fired so she wasn't on the hook for the ticket home.

Millions of tears were shed during my stint on the ship, absolutely hating my predicament. So, I came up with a plan. There were two ways to leave the ship.

1) Resign and pay for your own air ticket home

2) Get fired and they pay for your air ticket home. Because traveling to the ship was a personal expense, I decided that it wasn’t worth to cover the return flight myself. I started scouring the Internet and LinkedIn for job opportunities, and spent my late nights writing resumes and sending them out with the ship’s extremely slow wifi. Home never seemed so far away.

I can't believe the cruise line can legally leave someone high and dry in another country if they're dismissed. Yes if they quit they must find their own way home but fired I believe the cruise line would be responsible to immediately pay them and to get them home.

 

Found this snippet where an employee wanted off the ship but decided to get herself fired so she wasn't on the hook for the ticket home.

 

Millions of tears were shed during my stint on the ship, absolutely hating my predicament. So, I came up with a plan. There were two ways to leave the ship.

 

1) Resign and pay for your own air ticket home

 

2) Get fired and they pay for your air ticket home. Because traveling to the ship was a personal expense, I decided that it wasn’t worth to cover the return flight myself. I started scouring the Internet and LinkedIn for job opportunities, and spent my late nights writing resumes and sending them out with the ship’s extremely slow wifi. Home never seemed so far away.

Princess does not leave a crew member in any country.

Princess makes/pays for flight arrangements and deducts the cost from any earned pay.