genuine question not trying to start something

I really have been curious about this and am not trying to start an argument. So it seems to me that based on many posts that I have read on here that many people are very very generous tippers to cruise staff. Despite the fact that while working these employees have free room and board. Also many people insist that they have to have a travel agent. And the best travel agents offer

Incentives like on board credit. These fantastic travel agents also get to get the price drops for you. However when offering incentives and getting price drops they are getting even less of a small commision. A commision that they need to pay things like room and board. So my question is why is it considered socially necessary to overpay cruise staff but be not think twice about a travel agent?

Sure sounds like you are trying to start an argument. I do not believe that cruise staff are overpaid. If anything, they are underpaid.

What point are you trying to make with your statement: “A commision that they need to pay things like room and board.”

Sounds like you are you a travel agent. As you know it's not customary for every profession to be tipped. Do you tip the pilots that fly your flights, the flight attendants, ships Captain, grocery cashier, school teachers, etc? If not then why? The travel agents are just doing their job. Even if they lose some commission from the price drops a lot of people will keep going back to the same TA. I would assume it's the repeat customers that make up for any losses.

Sure sounds like you are trying to start an argument. I do not believe that cruise staff are overpaid. If anything, they are underpaid.

 

What point are you trying to make with your statement: “A commision that they need to pay things like room and board.”

He is making an absurd and false equivalency between crew and travel agents, saying that the former get "free room and board" and travel agents have to pay their own living expense.

Interesting. Not a horrible point, either.

A TA is making a living and has to pay to live (room and board, Dennis). To lower their fees decreases that ability.

But...most cruise line personnel aren’t single. Many have families back home. That they must provide for. So they are sending home that money for their family’s “room and board”, while working WAY harder than most of us wound be happy to work. I mean, my sis in law has worked long hours, but she’s sitting at a desk reading law briefs. And getting paid serious coin for it. She’s not cleaning bathrooms for minimum wage.

And thy aren’t at a desk answering queries from a webpage and booking cruises for other people either.

But...many of those personnel are from countries with a much different economic situation. So the money goes farther.

At the end of the day we do what we feel is right.

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Sounds like you are you a travel agent. As you know it's not customary for every profession to be tipped. Do you tip the pilots that fly your flights, the flight attendants, ships Captain, grocery cashier, school teachers, etc? If not then why? The travel agents are just doing their job. Even if they lose some commission from the price drops a lot of people will keep going back to the same TA. I would assume it's the repeat customers that make up for any losses.

Totally agree with your points.

He is making an absurd and false equivalency between crew and travel agents, saying that the former get "free room and board" and travel agents have to pay their own living expense.

The op is a newbie and a little naive with their question especially if they have read as many posts that they claim.

Interesting. Not a horrible point, either.

 

A TA is making a living and has to pay to live (room and board, Dennis). To lower their fees decreases that ability.

 

 

But...most cruise line personnel aren’t single. Many have families back home. That they must provide for. So they are sending home that money for their family’s “room and board”, while working WAY harder than most of us wound be happy to work. I mean, my sis in law has worked long hours, but she’s sitting at a desk reading law briefs. And getting paid serious coin for it. She’s not cleaning bathrooms for minimum wage.

 

And thy aren’t at a desk answering queries from a webpage and booking cruises for other people either.

 

But...many of those personnel are from countries with a much different economic situation. So the money goes farther.

 

 

At the end of the day we do what we feel is right.

 

 

 

 

 

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Good answer although everyone could claim they work to pay bills, mortgages etc and have only their salaries to pay these.

I really have been curious about this and am not trying to start an argument. So it seems to me that based on many posts that I have read on here that many people are very very generous tippers to cruise staff. Despite the fact that while working these employees have free room and board. Also many people insist that they have to have a travel agent. And the best travel agents offer

Incentives like on board credit. These fantastic travel agents also get to get the price drops for you. However when offering incentives and getting price drops they are getting even less of a small commision. A commision that they need to pay things like room and board. So my question is why is it considered socially necessary to overpay cruise staff but be not think twice about a travel agent?

As I have no idea what part of the world you are from, this discussion makes it harder to explain to you.

In the UK, we have a minimum wage, the TA's are paid above this wage, the commission on top. The amount of different TA's available is huge so to keep clients or make the sale, a lower commission is better than no commission and if you have sales targets, I would take no commission just to reach my target and keep my job.

The crew staff are paid well below this UK minimum wage and are providing a much more demanding service than just sitting at a desk and typing. Cleaning my bathroom and making my bed is much more deserving of a tip, than filling in a form online that I could do myself. I do use a TA and have kept the same one for 15 years. The service I get is great and I do take in cakes and treats throughout the year. It doesn't cost me much but my time and the thought goes a long way with my TA.

I really have been curious about this and am not trying to start an argument. So it seems to me that based on many posts that I have read on here that many people are very very generous tippers to cruise staff. Despite the fact that while working these employees have free room and board. Also many people insist that they have to have a travel agent. And the best travel agents offer

Incentives like on board credit. These fantastic travel agents also get to get the price drops for you. However when offering incentives and getting price drops they are getting even less of a small commision. A commision that they need to pay things like room and board. So my question is why is it considered socially necessary to overpay cruise staff but be not think twice about a travel agent?

Firstly dont believe all you read!

Second just ask on a cruise "first hand" for yourself to give you the answers "you" will believe to be true and ignore cruise critic tipping etiquette rhetoric.

Sit at large MDR fixed tables on a cruise to hear the truth about tipping on cruise ships

Listen to the amount of cruisers who complain "on ships" about daily tips once they start showing up on their account.

Parents of small children are the worst because so many believe its outrageous to charge kids so much per day because they are just kids.

Cruise critic member numbers although they may seem very large are in fact a very very small percentage of actual cruiser numbers,most people who go on a cruise have never even heard of Cruise Critic but when faced with reality some CC members refuse to believe it because they mistakenly believe they are the "cruising voice".

Watch the gamblers over a cruise who are loosing,watch them scrape up fallen coins from the coin push machine and then believe they left tips in place and even paid extra.

Read the ammount of cruisers who enquire and complain about a very small increase in ship board cost or about loosing a very small amount of OBC when re booking then read how they proffess to tip above and beyond so extravegantly?

I am Australian and have zero tip culture but on my last USA cruise on a MDR table of 8 that become a very squeezy 9 to accomadate an over needy frequant cruiser who insisted on sitting at our table we were the only two who left our tips in place, all the rest confessed quite openly that they had removed tips because they were too expensive, so go figure US Tip Culture then figure reality! The people who only tip the wharf porters a buck or two then go around tipping foreigh non US wage structure cruise staff lots more? nah it just doesnt happen in reality.

A small percentage of frequant cruisers may tip over and above but to them cruiseing is like a hobby anothers pile endless cash into their hobbies non cruise related so its similar.:)

Firstly dont believe all you read!

 

Second just ask on a cruise "first hand" for yourself to give you the answers "you" will believe to be true and ignore cruise critic tipping etiquette rhetoric.

 

Sit at large MDR fixed tables on a cruise to hear the truth about tipping on cruise ships

Listen to the amount of cruisers who complain "on ships" about daily tips once they start showing up on their account.

Parents of small children are the worst because so many believe its outrageous to charge kids so much per day because they are just kids.

 

Cruise critic member numbers although they may seem very large are in fact a very very small percentage of actual cruiser numbers,most people who go on a cruise have never even heard of Cruise Critic but when faced with reality some CC members refuse to believe it because they mistakenly believe they are the "cruising voice".

 

Watch the gamblers over a cruise who are loosing,watch them scrape up fallen coins from the coin push machine and then believe they left tips in place and even paid extra.

 

Read the ammount of cruisers who enquire and complain about a very small increase in ship board cost or about loosing a very small amount of OBC when re booking then read how they proffess to tip above and beyond so extravegantly?

 

I am Australian and have zero tip culture but on my last USA cruise on a MDR table of 8 that become a very squeezy 9 to accomadate an over needy frequant cruiser who insisted on sitting at our table we were the only two who left our tips in place, all the rest confessed quite openly that they had removed tips because they were too expensive, so go figure US Tip Culture then figure reality! The people who only tip the wharf porters a buck or two then go around tipping foreigh non US wage structure cruise staff lots more? nah it just doesnt happen in reality.

 

A small percentage of frequant cruisers may tip over and above but to them cruiseing is like a hobby anothers pile endless cash into their hobbies non cruise related so its similar.:)

Very interesting and very true.

Well I don't get so emotional about how much someone earns. Whether that is the travel agent or the person cleaning my cabin. What I do respect is that for some jobs it is customary to tip and that forms part of their income. So I comply with custom. I also pay a premium as a gesture of appreciation when it is deserved.

I am from the UK. I stay loyal to travel agents who provide a good service. Sometimes it means that I pay a slightly higher price. We probably don't have the same flexibility with getting prices reduced and discretionary concessions that some in US enjoy so in my case there isn't much opportunity to squeeze the travel agent.

Final point I would like to make is that it isn't all about money. I don't make unreasonable demands. I am not too pushy. I treat everyone with respect and look to not add to their workload or stress.

Well I don't get so emotional about how much someone earns. Whether that is the travel agent or the person cleaning my cabin. What I do respect is that for some jobs it is customary to tip and that forms part of their income. So I comply with custom. I also pay a premium as a gesture of appreciation when it is deserved.

 

I am from the UK. I stay loyal to travel agents who provide a good service. Sometimes it means that I pay a slightly higher price. We probably don't have the same flexibility with getting prices reduced and discretionary concessions that some in US enjoy so in my case there isn't much opportunity to squeeze the travel agent.

 

Final point I would like to make is that it isn't all about money. I don't make unreasonable demands. I am not too pushy. I treat everyone with respect and look to not add to their workload or stress.

Great attitude.

Well I don't get so emotional about how much someone earns. Whether that is the travel agent or the person cleaning my cabin. What I do respect is that for some jobs it is customary to tip and that forms part of their income. So I comply with custom. I also pay a premium as a gesture of appreciation when it is deserved.

 

I am from the UK. I stay loyal to travel agents who provide a good service. Sometimes it means that I pay a slightly higher price. We probably don't have the same flexibility with getting prices reduced and discretionary concessions that some in US enjoy so in my case there isn't much opportunity to squeeze the travel agent.

 

Final point I would like to make is that it isn't all about money. I don't make unreasonable demands. I am not too pushy. I treat everyone with respect and look to not add to their workload or stress.

Great post. I agree.

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Good answer although everyone could claim they work to pay bills, mortgages etc and have only their salaries to pay these.

Oh absolutely. That’s why most people work, right?

Just popped into my head...when my husband was traveling half the year for work, not only did he get air miles and free hotel nights and he got a per diem for food, but it also was less expensive at home, because we were feeding just two of us instead of three. Thank goodness they didn’t dock his salary because they were providing him room and board during trips. :):)

Sure sounds like you are trying to start an argument. I do not believe that cruise staff are overpaid. If anything, they are underpaid.

 

What point are you trying to make with your statement: “A commision that they need to pay things like room and board.”

The point I was trying to make is that for many people room and board are a lot of peoples entire salary. I read an article that came out around a year ago that said in the usa the number of people who are paying more than 50% of their salary for housing was at an all time high. Add transportation and food that is pretty much all they make. So when I think about someone that works on a cruise I think about the fact that person is making money that can go straight to the bank.

Sounds like you are you a travel agent. As you know it's not customary for every profession to be tipped. Do you tip the pilots that fly your flights, the flight attendants, ships Captain, grocery cashier, school teachers, etc? If not then why? The travel agents are just doing their job. Even if they lose some commission from the price drops a lot of people will keep going back to the same TA. I would assume it's the repeat customers that make up for any losses.

No I am not a ta. I do have a postion where I am offered tips often. However my company does prohibit me from accepting them. But I know when I am offered these tips it is for going above and beyond. Like you said the ta is just doing their job. But isn't the cruise staff just doing their job? So why one over the other? Is it

Societal pressure? Or is it some other reason? Why is what I do not understand.

The point I was trying to make is that for many people room and board are a lot of peoples entire salary. I read an article that came out around a year ago that said in the usa the number of people who are paying more than 50% of their salary for housing was at an all time high. Add transportation and food that is pretty much all they make. So when I think about someone that works on a cruise I think about the fact that person is making money that can go straight to the bank.

Unless of course they have a family at home, which many of them do.

He is making an absurd and false equivalency between crew and travel agents, saying that the former get "free room and board" and travel agents have to pay their own living expense.

What is false about what I said?

The point I was trying to make is that for many people room and board are a lot of peoples entire salary. I read an article that came out around a year ago that said in the usa the number of people who are paying more than 50% of their salary for housing was at an all time high. Add transportation and food that is pretty much all they make. So when I think about someone that works on a cruise I think about the fact that person is making money that can go straight to the bank.

That is a valid point although some crew are away from their family for up to 9 months at a time and their family at home still have home bills to pay so they deserve as much as they earn.

We are happy to give a thank you for those crew who made our cruising special.

We also recognized the important of a good TA and we are not "pigs" and are not demanding about amenities.

Keith

The point I was trying to make is that for many people room and board are a lot of peoples entire salary. I read an article that came out around a year ago that said in the usa the number of people who are paying more than 50% of their salary for housing was at an all time high. Add transportation and food that is pretty much all they make. So when I think about someone that works on a cruise I think about the fact that person is making money that can go straight to the bank.

And??? The same is true for many corporate EX-PATs. The same is true for couples where one spouse is the primary breadwinner. Depending on their cost of living, the other spouse's income can be completely discretionary income. Or people who own investment properties. Why is it an issue for the crew? And the money only goes straight to the bank IF the crew member is single with no kids or other family to support.

Don't travel agents make salary plus commission?

The company that I book my cruises through, I'm sure those people work from home because the agents I work with always have weird hours (i . e. 9am - 1pm then 7pm - 11pm on Mondays & Thursdays only, but all day on Tuesdays and never on Wednesdays 😂😂)

So are you trying to say that travel agents should be tipped or that the crew shouldn't receive extra tips?

No I am not a ta. I do have a postion where I am offered tips often. However my company does prohibit me from accepting them. But I know when I am offered these tips it is for going above and beyond. Like you said the ta is just doing their job. But isn't the cruise staff just doing their job? So why one over the other? Is it

Societal pressure? Or is it some other reason? Why is what I do not understand.

Restaurant servers, bartenders, hair stylists, cab/Uber drivers, and the pizza delivery guy are all just doing their job too. Should they not be tipped?

So my question is why is it considered socially necessary to overpay cruise staff but be not think twice about a travel agent?

Do I overpay my hairdresser because I tip? Do I overpay the hotel porter who carries my bags because I tip? Do I overpay a taxi driver because I tip? Should I tip the bank manager who is always so helpful? Should I tip the real estate agent who is listing our house? Is her commission not sufficient? Oh, and by the way, the last time we bought a house, the agent sent us a lovely crystal decanter as a thank you gift. So I guess you could say she was "tipping" us (and hoping for further referrals). Just good business on her part.

No one needs to justify not tipping a travel agent. It is the travel agent who provides extras to her clients, not the other way around. Just good business. Perhaps you should seek a position on a cruise ship if you believe the crew is "overpaid." Then you can be "overpaid" too!

Well I don't get so emotional about how much someone earns. Whether that is the travel agent or the person cleaning my cabin. What I do respect is that for some jobs it is customary to tip and that forms part of their income. So I comply with custom. I also pay a premium as a gesture of appreciation when it is deserved.

 

I am from the UK. I stay loyal to travel agents who provide a good service. Sometimes it means that I pay a slightly higher price. We probably don't have the same flexibility with getting prices reduced and discretionary concessions that some in US enjoy so in my case there isn't much opportunity to squeeze the travel agent.

 

Final point I would like to make is that it isn't all about money. I don't make unreasonable demands. I am not too pushy. I treat everyone with respect and look to not add to their workload or stress.

Way to go