Cunard Included Gratuities

I'm hesitant to bring this up, as any mention of Gratuities always tends to cause problems, but I noticed something very interesting on my recent QM2 crossing.

I'm a US resident that re-booked under an 'included gratuities' promotion. This promotion included pre-paid gratuities for the 1st and 2nd passengers in a cabin.

Cunard normally bills your account $11.50/day for gratuities. This comes to $80.50 for a seven night crossing.

We had 2 connecting cabins. My wife and I were in one cabin, and my mother and my 2 kids were in the other cabin.

My 8 year old, the 3rd passenger in the other cabin had a charge for $80.50 for the service charge. $11.50 a day.

The rest of us had a service charge of $69.62, which was offset by a charge of -$69.62 for Company Prepaid Gratuities. This comes to $9.95/day.

Interesting, eh? Appears that Cunard reduces the amount of the tips they pay, when it's on their dime. Or, perhaps, the theories that all the tips don't go to the staff might have some merit.

In any case, as I mentioned we are Americans. So we tend to tip above and beyond the service charge anyway, so the staff that were assigned to us probably made out OK in the end. But it does seem that the "pool" was lower then it would have been had we not re-booked under this promotion.

Very interesting yes. Looks like Cunard are applying a handling charge to the tips they hand over to the staff amounting to $1.56 on the $11.50 daily auto charge.

Big business eh?

David.

A service charge of 15% on the service charge perhaps ?

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I think I may need to send an email to Cunard and see what they say.

Always said that cruise lines that take auto gratuities the whole amount does not go to the staff as they have you believe but they take a percentage for administration costs. Even more reason to stop the obscene practice of auto gratuities and 15% on top of already very expensive drinks. There should be no auto gratuity then you should tip who deserves in cash and they should be allowed to keep it. All other "behind the scenes" staff should be paid a decent wage by the cruise line and not have to rely on tips.

Always said that cruise lines that take auto gratuities the whole amount does not go to the staff as they have you believe but they take a percentage for administration costs. Even more reason to stop the obscene practice of auto gratuities and 15% on top of already very expensive drinks. There should be no auto gratuity then you should tip who deserves in cash and they should be allowed to keep it. All other "behind the scenes" staff should be paid a decent wage by the cruise line and not have to rely on tips.

Agree 100%

Very interesting and the accounting would seem to support the arguments that the company was taking its own "cut" from passenger paid gratuities. Perhaps this is a guaranteed minimum that is paid to the pool especially on itineraries with a reputation for high percentages of passengers removing gratuities?

I too vote that Cunard pay its crew a decent wage. Anybody else with me or when fares double will you defect to a cheaper competitor?

We are sailing on Cunard for the first time for many years, having previously sailed on lines where gratuities are included in the cruise price. We prefer to reduce the Cunard automatic gratuities by special gratuities that we give to our cabin steward(ess) and table waiters. Can anyone advise what is appropriate for these special gratuities.

We are sailing on Cunard for the first time for many years, having previously sailed on lines where gratuities are included in the cruise price. We prefer to reduce the Cunard automatic gratuities by special gratuities that we give to our cabin steward(ess) and table waiters. Can anyone advise what is appropriate for these special gratuities.

There is a CC article on the subject here: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132

There is a CC article on the subject here: https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132

Reads like a crazy person wrote the article to me, pay your auto tips and then it appears there's a long list of people to tip again - complete madness. Take the Sommelier for example, a bottle of $50 wine a night for 14 nights generates $105 gratuity - not a bad tip for popping a few corks.

Reads like a crazy person wrote the article to me, pay your auto tips and then it appears there's a long list of people to tip again - complete madness. Take the Sommelier for example, a bottle of $50 wine a night for 14 nights generates $105 gratuity - not a bad tip for popping a few corks.

Popping a few corks can also involve remembering what you like, making recommendations on your preferences, keeping your white or rose chilled, and constantly refilling your glass. Oh, and saving the rest of the bottle that you might want to drink at the next night's dinner.

Reads like a crazy person wrote the article to me, pay your auto tips and then it appears there's a long list of people to tip again - complete madness. Take the Sommelier for example, a bottle of $50 wine a night for 14 nights generates $105 gratuity - not a bad tip for popping a few corks.

And the Sommelier/Wine Waiter would look after about 10 tables or more. Our one on QM2 in March was on roller skates in the Britannia MDR. Nice earner.:') We were on a table of 8 and each couple had a bottle of vino each night.

Always said that cruise lines that take auto gratuities the whole amount does not go to the staff as they have you believe but they take a percentage for administration costs. Even more reason to stop the obscene practice of auto gratuities and 15% on top of already very expensive drinks. There should be no auto gratuity then you should tip who deserves in cash and they should be allowed to keep it. All other "behind the scenes" staff should be paid a decent wage by the cruise line and not have to rely on tips.

Indeed, I have always said the Auto tip or Auto Gratuity is a wage subsidy - user pay.

Some of the cruise fraternity in Australia call it the 'Automatic Wage Subsidy,' for that is what it is.

Popping a few corks can also involve remembering what you like, making recommendations on your preferences, keeping your white or rose chilled, and constantly refilling your glass. Oh, and saving the rest of the bottle that you might want to drink at the next night's dinner.

What ? You mean the job of a wine waiter ?

Popping a few corks can also involve remembering what you like, making recommendations on your preferences, keeping your white or rose chilled, and constantly refilling your glass. Oh, and saving the rest of the bottle that you might want to drink at the next night's dinner.

This might be the case for some passengers, but in my case I pick my own wine, only drink red so there's no chilling involved and rarely leave any wine for the next night (:evilsmile:). The $7.50 service charge on a $50 bottle of wine is really for just popping the cork, with the odd refilling of my glass. My point regarding the "tipping guide" is that it appears to recommend further tipping to a wide range of crew members. We are told that the "auto-gratuity" system is for our convenience and is a fairer system for the crew too. However, the guide appears to disregard this system and suggest that we further tip those we traditionally use to tip directly. While I can understand tipping the odd crew member who has provided "excellent" service, I cannot understand this idea of further tipping such a large selection of the crew.

The guide BlueRiband posted is one person's opinion of additional tips for those who want to reward exceptional service. I didn't read it that you were expected to tip all of them, just those who you felt had gone above and beyond.

The guide BlueRiband posted is one person's opinion of additional tips for those who want to reward exceptional service. I didn't read it that you were expected to tip all of them, just those who you felt had gone above and beyond.

I would totally accept that it is one persons opinion, but I would suggest that they go beyond suggesting additional tips for those who provide "exceptional service". For example, the writer states that for cabin stewards that "while the automatic service charges will cover their basic gratuities, it's generally considered good form to tip them a bit extra for a job well done ..... ". Well "good form" seems to go well beyond if they provide "exceptional service". Indeed, the writer suggests that it is best to further tip before any service has even been provided. For example, they state that "another instance might be a bartender at your preferred on-board bar -- a hand-passed gratuity on the first day of the sailing can go a long way in having him or her recognize your face in the crowd, and remember just how you like your drink. Or, perhaps, there's a window table for two that you have your heart set on in the main dining room -- a nice tip to the maitre d' on day one can help ensure that she or he never fails to have that table waiting". Have we really got to "bribe" staff to get an available table? Should it not be a case of first come, first served? As I said in my first post, I read it that the writer is suggesting a further tip to a wide range of staff, with little reference to them providing "exceptional service".

Popping a few corks can also involve remembering what you like, making recommendations on your preferences, keeping your white or rose chilled, and constantly refilling your glass. Oh, and saving the rest of the bottle that you might want to drink at the next night's dinner.

Basically what a Sommelier/Wine waiter is paid to do as that is his job so why should you hav epaid him any extra. Would you ask an electrician to fit a new plug get a price and then say you have made such a lovely job that I am going to pay extra on top of what you are already charging me for... I dont think so.

Basically what a Sommelier/Wine waiter is paid to do as that is his job so why should you hav epaid him any extra. Would you ask an electrician to fit a new plug get a price and then say you have made such a lovely job that I am going to pay extra on top of what you are already charging me for... I dont think so.

I couldn't agree with you more. In practice, we are paying Cunard's very high drink prices with a 15% auto-tip on top. Then there are suggestions by some for the need for a further tip - madness. However, it is there money, so enjoy.

I couldn't agree with you more. In practice, we are paying Cunard's very high drink prices with a 15% auto-tip on top. Then there are suggestions by some for the need for a further tip - madness. However, it is there money, so enjoy.

I think we now have "competitive tipping" - who can tip the most is the winner !

I think we now have "competitive tipping" - who can tip the most is the winner !

To be clear on my own position....we support the auto gratuities, which seems IOHO the best way to reward staff for what some call basic gratuities. We would not provide any further gratuity to the auto amounts, except in the case of a truly exceptional service provision. I understand the comments in relation to drinks and gratuities, and agree it seems "easy money" for such staff, but this is the business model and the only way to avoid these is not to purchase any drinks.

The subject is certainly emotive, and I respect all views!

To be clear on my own position....we support the auto gratuities, which seems IOHO the best way to reward staff for what some call basic gratuities. We would not provide any further gratuity to the auto amounts, except in the case of a truly exceptional service provision. I understand the comments in relation to drinks and gratuities, and agree it seems "easy money" for such staff, but this is the business model and the only way to avoid these is not to purchase any drinks.

 

The subject is certainly emotive, and I respect all views!

I would agree that this is the business model and it is a "take it or leave it" position. As I have said in other threads, I enjoy cruising with Cunard and have tipped extra to staff that have provided "exceptional" service. What I take exception to, is articles/posts that promote further tipping as a matter of course, with such silly expressions as "its good form" to tip extra.

with such silly expressions as "its good form" to tip extra.

Tipping seems to have become a form of virtue signalling.

Basically what a Sommelier/Wine waiter is paid to do as that is his job so why should you hav epaid him any extra. Would you ask an electrician to fit a new plug get a price and then say you have made such a lovely job that I am going to pay extra on top of what you are already charging me for... I dont think so.

Correct.

And consider this;

When you buy a holiday (and even more so you would like to think with a cruise), you are paying 100% for a service to be provided to you. You are not purchasing goods, only a service (at the end of my cruise I have not increased the material goods I own) . So surely very good service is, by the definition of what you are buying, implicit ? Surely you should expect very good service as the default position ? Because that is what you are paying for in the first instance anyway ?

Perhaps someone can answer me this: in a share situation, does the third stateroom/suite guest pay the full daily gratuity, or like the pricing, does the third guest only pay half the regular per person amount?