Gratuities and how staff are paid.

This is verbatim from the dining room waiter onboard our recent cruise.

Waiters are paid a basic salary of $50 per month.

Waiter has 18 covers, two sittings,36 per evening.

Staff keep 100% of any gratuities that they receive directly from passengers.

In addition to the above, should a significant number of passengers remove the auto gratuities, CUNARD also guarantee that the monthly pay of the waiter will not be less than $1500 ( $1250 for junior waiter).

Not surprisingly, our waiter said it was better for him to receive gratuities directly from the passengers.

I think the rate of pay also depends on their country of oregin.

While the $1500/month figure is about what I believe from my time working cruise ships, I would be surprised if their pay is more than that, and that removals of DSC can lower that salary. As far as I know, the only guarantee the crew have is the ILO mandated $615/month, and only when it drops below that figure would the cruise line have to step in a make up the difference.

I’m not sure what amazes me most that someone would ask anyone about their salary arrangements, to that people would believe that any answer they got was necessarily the truth.

I understand from other threads that being compensated primarily by "gratuities" (automatic or otherwise) works to the benefit of the staff because many of their home countries do not tax tip income.

This is verbatim from the dining room waiter onboard our recent cruise.

 

Waiters are paid a basic salary of $50 per month.

Waiter has 18 covers, two sittings,36 per evening.

Staff keep 100% of any gratuities that they receive directly from passengers.

In addition to the above, should a significant number of passengers remove the auto gratuities, CUNARD also guarantee that the monthly pay of the waiter will not be less than $1500 ( $1250 for junior waiter).

 

 

Not surprisingly, our waiter said it was better for him to receive gratuities directly from the passengers.

The majority of Cunard's guests actually do both, and are known to be generous when it comes to envelopes.

Might be controversial here, but I believe some of the staff tell a load of 'porkies' to get a nice big cash tip! We had one or two sob stories on our recent cruise!

Might be controversial here, but I believe some of the staff tell a load of 'porkies' to get a nice big cash tip! We had one or two sob stories on our recent cruise!

Cunard guests tend to tip according to the "excellence" of service received, and are not taken in by 'porkies' as you aver.

For my part, have never heard a waiter's 'sob story' on Cunard.

Might be controversial here, but I believe some of the staff tell a load of 'porkies' to get a nice big cash tip! We had one or two sob stories on our recent cruise!

I agree 100% completely whatever anyone says they are working on the ship, like we all do, is to earn as much money as possible and will do and tell any story to achieve that goal.

On another note if anyone asked me what my wages were and how I was paid they would get politely told to mind their own business.

I understand from other threads that being compensated primarily by "gratuities" (automatic or otherwise) works to the benefit of the staff because many of their home countries do not tax tip income.

I think many cruisers believe this, but I don't believe it is true in most cases. Taking two countries that supply a large percentage of cruise ship crew, Philippines, and Indonesia, this is not the case. The Philippines tax any money received from the employer, regardless of how it is "titled" (specifically mentioning gratuities from the employer) as common income. Only gratuities received from a customer directly are considered gratuities, but these are still taxable. Indonesia taxes its residents on "total global income" regardless of type or source.

The main difference is that most crew contracts require a fixed amount of wages be sent "home" each month, and the crewing agency takes a share from this. The rest of the wages, which can be variable for the DSC pool crew, is paid to the crew in an onboard account, which can be used at the crew store and bar, and is payable when they sign off. The crewing agency does not get to deduct anything on this money.

What ever the staff members pick up,in salary and tips they earn it, in our opinion. Away from family Up to 10 months, working every day they give a lot up, and they do not get any holiday pay when of leave, unlike some senior members of staff.

RE: poster # 4, GUT2407~~~~ your thoughts are an exact mirror of mine.

I’m not sure what amazes me most that someone would ask anyone about their salary arrangements, to that people would believe that any answer they got was necessarily the truth.

Yep, that's exactly what I would have said.

Now let me roll this little ball into the court. Where in the scheme of things comes the 'agents' payment?

And when that question has been answered who foots the bill for the flights home to Asia.

Of course, the cynic in me would say that the waiter has an interest in being handed cash directly by the passenger while the passenger has an interest if he thinks Cunard will compensate his tightwad nature.