Opinions please

I dont want to start yet another thread about tipping because at the end of the day only you can decide but having said that my question is about tipping!

A couple of months ago I was talking to a lady ( we were both solo travellers) and she said because she had paid almost double for her cabin she didnt pay tips cos, in her words," they had got enough money out of her."

I have always paid the gratuities but it did get me thinking. Do you think she was right?

She money she chose to not pay impacts the staff, not the cruise line.

I dont want to start yet another thread about tipping because at the end of the day only you can decide but having said that my question is about tipping!

A couple of months ago I was talking to a lady ( we were both solo travellers) and she said because she had paid almost double for her cabin she didnt pay tips cos, in her words," they had got enough money out of her."

I have always paid the gratuities but it did get me thinking. Do you think she was right?

Welcome cruise critic. You succeeded in starting a tipping thread.

No, she was wrong. Tips are per person and nothing to do with how much you pay for your cruise, other than suite passengers pay slightly more.

I also travel solo and don't see the connection.

The money she paid went to the cruise line. The staff that served her saw none of it. No, I don't think she was right.

The lady is incorrect in her thinking.

While I agree single cruisers have it tough with budget she should not take it out on the staff.

Thanks for your replies, I shan't give her words any more thought!

Agree...she was certainly incorrect.

She was only justifying her personal lack of appreciation for the onboard staff.

As everyone else has said she was completely wrong and only hurt those who worked the hardest to serve her and make her cruise as nice as possible.

What she apparently fails to recognize is that stateroom rates are based on double occupancy and as a solo you pay the supplement for the difference not received by the cruise line for the second passenger intended in your stateroom.

As others have said and you well know, gratuities are to the stateroom attendants and wait staff as a large portion of their compensation and have nothing to do with the rate paid to the cruise line for the stateroom.

What a shame she has such a cheap and selfish attitude - and ignorance to the basics of cruising.

I dont want to start yet another thread about tipping because at the end of the day only you can decide but having said that my question is about tipping!

A couple of months ago I was talking to a lady ( we were both solo travellers) and she said because she had paid almost double for her cabin she didnt pay tips cos, in her words," they had got enough money out of her."

I have always paid the gratuities but it did get me thinking. Do you think she was right?

Hi

Welcome to cruise critic.

She was just making an excuse. What is interesting is that she was willing to share the information, considering it really isn't anybody business. Did you actually have an opinion on the topic?

So, just wondering, have you been interested in this site for some time and this situation compelled you to join the site and start "another tipping thread". By the choice of you wording, I imagine you realize the significance. I guess we can just see how long this one lasts. :)

In reply to Nic 6318 I have read, and enjoyed,and got helpful hints from cruise critic for quite awhile and my own personal opinion is to pay gratuities, but the ladies words have stayed with me since my last cruise and I just wondered what people's views were. It wasnt a case of 'to tip or not to tip' just her view on it. The lady and I werent discussing tips,( I wouldnt do that cos its personal) she just excused herself to go to guest services to remove the tips and that was the reason she gave.

Bazfan, welcome. You have explained yourself politely and succinctly, and this has been an interesting thread. :) Hope you'll stick around and contribute more often.

Thankyou Langley Cruisers for those kind words, now I've dipped my toe into the water, so to speak, I will feel comfortable contributing to other threads.

With her thinking, suite passengers should not have to pay gratuities.

I pay more per person for a GS than she pays for a solo interior.

Oh, and my gratuities are HIGHER.

Tips should be mandatory

I dont want to start yet another thread about tipping because at the end of the day only you can decide but having said that my question is about tipping!

A couple of months ago I was talking to a lady ( we were both solo travellers) and she said because she had paid almost double for her cabin she didnt pay tips cos, in her words," they had got enough money out of her."

I have always paid the gratuities but it did get me thinking. Do you think she was right?

If you get good service in a restaurant ? The same applies on a ship.If you get good service you should tip.

IMO, people should do what they feel is right, it is not up to others to decide what is right for them.

Whether or not to tip, and to whom, and how much is a personal choice. There is no "one size fits all" answer. I believe all, or most all, cruise lines have some sort of auto-gratuity that is charged to each person's on board account. At a minimum, those auto-gratuities need to be left in place. If someone chooses to tip extra (or not), that is at their discretion.

IMO, people should do what they feel is right, it is not up to others to decide what is right for them.

As an Australian you are opposed to tipping, which is fine when you are in Australia, or any other place where tipping is not a custom, but I have a hard time when you attempt to export your customs to a place where the custom is different. Either, when in Rome, or don't go to Rome.:o

IMO, people should do what they feel is right, it is not up to others to decide what is right for them.

The OP asked for our opinion, so yeah, it's fair game.

As an Australian you are opposed to tipping, which is fine when you are in Australia, or any other place where tipping is not a custom, but I have a hard time when you attempt to export your customs to a place where the custom is different. Either, when in Rome, or don't go to Rome.:o

As another reply pointed out, the OP requested opinions on the question submitted, he simply provided an opinion. To follow your point, when traveling to Australia, China, Japan of South Korea, do you continue to tip as per custom in the U.S.

Personally, if we signed up for a cruise with a mainstream cruise line that charges a base fare, port taxes & discretionary service charge (DSC), we pay the DSC without question (it is really 1 component of the fare). We do not consider the DSC as tips, as we come from a culture where tipping is personal and is provided for exceptional service above and beyond. Yes, most crew provide exceptional service, but the DSC is a pre-determined daily rate, which we consider an add on to the cruise fare.

When taking cruises in Australia, we find the cruise fare includes remuneration for the crew, so in our experience no DSC is added. If a crew member goes above and beyond in providing us personal service, we may provide a small and discreet tip.

In summary, as the OP's situation is probably a mainstream cruise line, which includes a DSC, in addition to the base cruise fare, we consider it part of the contract. Provided the passenger in question was made aware of the DSC, at time of booking, then it probably should have been paid.

To follow your point, when traveling to Australia, China, Japan of South Korea, do you continue to tip as per custom in the U.S.

 

I personally do research to figure out what the custom is and do my best to follow that custom. I am perfectly fine traveling in a country where tipping isn't the custom:).

I personally do research to figure out what the custom is and do my best to follow that custom. I am perfectly fine traveling in a country where tipping isn't the custom:).

And this is all part of an international traveler's responsibility. That traveler is being allowed to visit someone else's country. They are a guest there. It is the gracious thing to do to know enough about the local customs to not offend or disrupt their way of life. The same applies when traveling on cruise lines. They are operated by companies who are aligned with specific countries. The culture of those companies often are influenced by the local customs, and is to be respected when they manage their ships with that culture in mind.

Being from the US, I have often heard the phrase "Ugly Americans" to imply that we are ungracious travelers who disrespect the local customs. By reading the many, many threads on tipping on CruiseCritic, I would have to say that the word "Ugly" should apply to those people, mostly from two specific countries, who refuse to follow the tipping culture that exists on many of the ships they travel on. They are no longer in their own country, so their local customs have no relevance on those ships.

As another reply pointed out, the OP requested opinions on the question submitted, he simply provided an opinion. To follow your point, when traveling to Australia, China, Japan of South Korea, do you continue to tip as per custom in the U.S.

If you had read what I wrote it was that I follow the custom of the place where I find myself. That is only polite. For the "anti-tipping" people I said if they don't wish to follow the custom of where they find themselves, they shouldn't travel to those places. This includes cruise lines that have either a tip or a daily service charge. There are cruise lines that are all inclusive.

As an Australian you are opposed to tipping, which is fine when you are in Australia, or any other place where tipping is not a custom, but I have a hard time when you attempt to export your customs to a place where the custom is different. Either, when in Rome, or don't go to Rome.:o

I don't know why you think I am opposed to tipping from my post, perhaps just a generalisation. In any case, I do go to Rome and guess what, they do not have the US tipping culture there. I do leave the auto tips on but my comment stands, people should do what they feel is right for them. that may or may not involve tipping but either way they can sleep at night.