Coral Princess - automatic gratuity

I don't like the automatic gratuity - I instead like to tip individuals for their service at the end of the trip - On my recent Viking Mediterranean cruise that is exactly what I did. This is my first cruise with Princess - Will they allow me to remove the automatic gratuity once I am aboard and thus allow me to tip the individuals I wish to???

I don't like the automatic gratuity - I instead like to tip individuals for their service at the end of the trip - On my recent Viking Mediterranean cruise that is exactly what I did. This is my first cruise with Princess - Will they allow me to remove the automatic gratuity once I am aboard and thus allow me to tip the individuals I wish to???

Yes you can however......

You will not have access to all the crew that partake in the auto gratuity.

Crew supervisors have a list of the passengers who remove the auto tip.

There are many many threads on this subject with most being locked by the CC mods because they get out of control.

Very contentious subject.

Do a search for "tipping" in the forum search box (upper right corner) on the Cruise Critic Princess board main page. You will get a ton of info.

I don't like the automatic gratuity - I instead like to tip individuals for their service at the end of the trip - On my recent Viking Mediterranean cruise that is exactly what I did. This is my first cruise with Princess - Will they allow me to remove the automatic gratuity once I am aboard and thus allow me to tip the individuals I wish to???

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It accomplishes nothing. You remove the auto-tips, you tip as you wish, all those who you tipped have to turn in the money to go into the pool. I think the only reasonable thing to do is to leave the auto-tips in place.

On the other hand, if you leave the auto-tip in place, you can tip extra to those that you want to reward. And they actually get to keep it all.

We leave the auto-tip on, but we also tip extra to our bar staff, waiters, and room steward. This way the laundry staff, buffet waiters, etc., will still share in the tips, and we can tip extra to employees we want to.

The person you tip will not be allowed to keep the tip. If they do and are caught they will be fired. If you leave the auto tip in place and also tip individuals then they can keep it. You are not helping the person you tip if you turn off the auto gratuity. That person will actually end up with less as they don't get to keep it and the overall general pool is decreased. As stated by another poster above you will also be stiffing a lot of people who work behind the scenes to make your cruise great and who depend on the auto gratuity for a large portion of their wages.

Do as you like. To answer your original question: Yes. You can turn off the auto tip. Don't.

I understand the desire to tip personally to let someone know that you value the service they provided. The best way to do that is to leave the auto-tip on, which guarantees that the many people working such long hours behind the scenes to make your cruise comfortable will receive well-deserved tips as well. Then if someone went above and beyond, give them a small additional amount, which it has a bigger impact as they receive a portion of the auto-tip plus the extra you have given them, as well as that personal recognition and appreciation.

Sounds like to OP is going to do whatever they want to do. Got a feeling OP knew exactly what happens when auto tip is removed.

Are you going to carry a roll of bills with you at all times to tip everyone who serves you? Such as the girl who brings you your orange juice in the buffet, then the young man who brings you your coffee refill, then the girl who clears your table when you go back to refill your plate? 3 different servers for one breakfast and at times could be more. Oh and how can I forget the girls who serve you warm cookies and milk in the Atrium in the afternoon, and can not forget the guys at Trident Grill as well as the ones at Scoops. I could go on but I think that the point is that there are so many who serve you aboard the ship, that to tip each and every one becomes a logistical nightmare to try and hunt them down at the end of the cruise to tip them, at least in my opinion. So leave it on so that all you serve you aboard the ship get their due.

Another way to help out those extra special people is to fill out a "You Made A Difference" card for them as well as mentioning them by name in the post-cruise survey.

Personally what we like to do is leave the auto tip on, like others have said, and just hand an extra tip on the last evening (or morning of debarkation) to our favorite wait staff and our room steward. You can get envelopes at the Purser's Desk. It's a challenge to find the wait staff if you do Anytime Dining so we tend to give a small tip after dinner if we feel the service was excellent. Or for example, one wait staff at Anytime Dining went out of his way to learn our names and greet us by name every time he saw us (even on the ship tour) so we hunted him down on the last night to give him a little extra for his excellent service whenever we ran into him (breakfast, lunch, and when he served us the first night during Anytime Dining). They really appreciate it and I think anyone who goes above and beyond should be recognized. We always leave a small tip after each drink is delivered if we buy the all inclusive drink package (we drink a lot so the auto tip doesn't nearly cover the service we get). I know the staff really appreciate it. They work so hard! My husband is not shy about asking staff when we are sitting at a bar about how different programs (e.g. Anytime Dining vs. MDR, all inclusive drink packages, etc.) have affected their tips and since we tend to get to know the bar tenders, I think they are honest after they get to know us so that's another excellent way to learn about the best way to recognize the hard working staff on cruises.

I'll tell you one thing crewlike asmuch, or perhaps more, than money.

Positive comments.

In the survey, or even a little note to the head of their department, or head of hotel.

Why

Because it leads to new contracts and promotions.

We like longer cruises, if you find someone great, a quick note to the boss is all it takes.

The person you tip will not be allowed to keep the tip. If they do and are caught they will be fired. If you leave the auto tip in place and also tip individuals then they can keep it. You are not helping the person you tip if you turn off the auto gratuity. That person will actually end up with less as they don't get to keep it and the overall general pool is decreased. As stated by another poster above you will also be stiffing a lot of people who work behind the scenes to make your cruise great and who depend on the auto gratuity for a large portion of their wages.

 

Do as you like. To answer your original question: Yes. You can turn off the auto tip. Don't.

Well said.

Simple: a) Strongly suggest you re-think and leave the autotip in place, b) provide any extra tips at the end of the cruise to those you feel deserve it. They will then be able to keep whatever you provide. c) If an crew member's service is exceptional mention it in the post cruise survey. d) Don't compare Viking to Princess. Viking does not have the auto-tip, but any cash tips provided are pooled and distributed to those you see and those you don't, just like Princess.

Agree with others to leave auto gratuity in place and give extra to those who go above and beyond.

I probably eat well more than half of my meals either in the buffet, Alfredos, the International Cafe, Pregos Pizza, etc. and assume most other people do as well. And if you have traditional dining and eat breakfast or lunch in the main dining room you would most likely get a different wait staff.

To remove auto gratuity and just tip your dining room wait staff and cabin steward would basically stiff all of these hardworking people of a well earned tip.

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I'll tell you one thing crewlike asmuch, or perhaps more, than money.

 

Positive comments.

 

In the survey, or even a little note to the head of their department, or head of hotel.

 

Why

 

Because it leads to new contracts and promotions.

 

We like longer cruises, if you find someone great, a quick note to the boss is all it takes.

This has been our experience too and we turn in quite a few at the end to the cruise.....:)

You can have them take off the autotip and give cash - however - the recipient of the cash must then give the cash back to be put in the pool so he only will get a small portion of it back and the rest will be spread around to the recipients of the auto tip

Good Luck

Would someone please let me know if this is a valid approach to "removing" the auto gratuity?

If....the total for auto gratuities is ... say .. $100.00 for the cruise.

And I tip the first person ... person who serves me lunch on embarkation day ... $100.00 (and he/she turns it in).

Then...everything I leave as tips above that the crew gets to keep?

So after removing the service charges, paying my $100.00 up front, I can carry around $1.00 bills for everyone else who assists me, and they get to keep my $1.00?

Love logic!

Would someone please let me know if this is a valid approach to "removing" the auto gratuity?

 

If....the total for auto gratuities is ... say .. $100.00 for the cruise.

 

 

And I tip the first person ... person who serves me lunch on embarkation day ... $100.00 (and he/she turns it in).

 

 

Then...everything I leave as tips above that the crew gets to keep?

 

 

So after removing the service charges, paying my $100.00 up front, I can carry around $1.00 bills for everyone else who assists me, and they get to keep my $1.00?

 

 

Love logic!

Instead of loving logic, how about loving facts.

All tips given personally during the cruise are turned in to the booking department. They are recorded and held until a full accounting is made of the tips received during the cruise, both through pre or auto gratuities and personal tips. When the accounting is completed, all pre and auto tips are distributed in accordance to the formula the cruise line has implemented, and to the staff affected. For all tips IN ADDITION to pre or auto tips that have been recorded, they will be given to the person they were intended for. If the auto tips are removed, even if on the last day, then all personal tips are deposited into the pooled tips and distributed according to the formula.

Bottom line - ONLY if auto tips are left in place will the recipient you are trying to reward directly will they be able to keep what you gave him/her. Removing auto tips for any reason and at any time will undermine the purpose of giving tips personally. If removed, this will cause the person you are trying to reward more effort (turning in the tips) for no reward. You have caused them more work for nothing.

Would someone please let me know if this is a valid approach to "removing" the auto gratuity?

 

If....the total for auto gratuities is ... say .. $100.00 for the cruise.

 

 

And I tip the first person ... person who serves me lunch on embarkation day ... $100.00 (and he/she turns it in).

 

 

Then...everything I leave as tips above that the crew gets to keep?

 

 

So after removing the service charges, paying my $100.00 up front, I can carry around $1.00 bills for everyone else who assists me, and they get to keep my $1.00?

 

 

Love logic!

The "must turn in to the pool amounts up to the auto grat amount if passenger has removed them" applies to only (1) your cabin steward; and (2) servers at dinner in the MDR. They are the ones who must mark down your cabin number and verify your personally-elected contrary tipping scheme. Slipping a Benjamin to the person who wipes down your table in the Horizon Court on embarkation day has no effect. Unless they actually do ask your cabin number to log the tip. Maybe next cruise you can do that experiment and report back.

Fellow lover of logic :rolleyes:

To the OP: You will do whatever you want and no one will ever know. Telling others that they are basically insulting you for giving you information you asked for just goes to show your nature. All have given you information that is factual so tip accordingly. If you think your way is better then do it, do not ask others for advice and go on with your life.

I leave auto tips on. Any additional gratuities are paid by putting them into an envelope that has the person's name on it as well as our cabin info. That way the person who received the tip is assured of actually getting it back from the pool after turning it in. The passenger services desk will gladly give you as many small envelopes as you like.

I say leave the auto tips on - there are lots of people you never see that are working to ensure you have a great cruise. Then, if you feel someone deserves a little extra, feel free.

We started cruising during the 90s before the days of flexible dining and when one was expected to show up at the last night of one's seating with the tip for the waitstaff, and having the envelope ready for the cabin steward. And I can assure you we're not the only ones from the pre-autograts era who actually prefer when it's automatic.

We don't have to be pooling our cash at the end of cruise and figure out how much we're putting in each envelope (plus the one going to the kids' program staff). We can just concentrate on anyone who want beyond the standard. And also decide on crew members to write up "made a difference" or "consummate host" cards about.

And let me assure you further, that on the last night of just about any cruise we've been on that there were many empty seats in the MDR.

The system is set up that if you remove the autograts and hand cash to your cabin steward and wait staff...you'll actually end up rewarding those crew members less.