Interesting...

Just saw in USA Today's article:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2016/12/29/biggest-cruise-stories-2016/95908650/

This paragraph near the bottom:

"Also raising eyebrows in 2016 were some hefty hikes to automatic gratuity charges on ships, with Princess raising its rates twice during the year to $13.50 per passenger per day. A nearly 8% hike in gratuity charges at Carnival in September -- its first since October 2014 -- was more than 20 times higher than the rate of inflation in the USA during the same period. A Celebrity Cruises hike in July pushed up gratuity rates by 4%."

I know a lot of you die-hards on here has no problem with this & will gladly pay any amount regardless & ruthlessly flame anyone who brings it up for discussion. But I think it's a worthwhile topic in this forum, esp when cruise lines continue to cut back service, food quality, etc.

On our next month's Carnival cruise for our family of 4, auto gratuities are $13/day. That's $364 total for the week. Again, chump change for most of you die hards, but it's something to note & budget for...

They can charge what they want, you are free to modify if you like. I agree, it needs to be budgeted for.

I budget for them by prepaying them so it's just a dollar or so extra on my monthly payment.

I support the increase in gratuities because the crew is being cut back and having to do more in the same amount of time.

Ultimately keeping services at the maximum level of efficiency with the fewest number of salaries, benefits us all in lower overall cost, even with the increase in gratuities.

Less workers = bigger % for those still employed and yet Carnival still raised it. They basically gave the workers a raise without it coming out of their pocket.

Less workers = bigger % for those still employed and yet Carnival still raised it. They basically gave the workers a raise without it coming out of their pocket.

good way of viewing it..... Although service was so bad on the Vista last week, I didn't pay the full amount.

I think either way we would be paying it. Either in higher cruise prices or higher gratuities. I guess this way it is more enticing then raising the actual price of the cruise. It doesn't really bother me. Although I would prefer they just raised the price of the cruise.

Less workers = bigger % for those still employed and yet Carnival still raised it. They basically gave the workers a raise without it coming out of their pocket.

That's the wage structure on cruise ships. The majority of the cash wages are earned through the gratuity system. The only way for the crew to get a raise is through an increase in gratuities.

That's the wage structure on cruise ships. The majority of the cash wages are earned through the gratuity system. The only way for the crew to get a raise is through an increase in gratuities.

I'm quite sure if Carnival wanted to give them a raise they could, so raising gratuities is not the only way. The customers will pay for it either way.

Many years ago there were no automatic gratuities. I noticed a lot of people didn't come to dinner the last night when we were giving envelopes. I would have to assume they didn't tip their room Steward either. So I get the auto grats being in place.

Many years ago there were no automatic gratuities. I noticed a lot of people didn't come to dinner the last night when we were giving envelopes. I would have to assume they didn't tip their room Steward either. So I get the auto grats being in place.

True, they are not automatic. They are optional and modify-able.

Just saw in USA Today's article:

 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2016/12/29/biggest-cruise-stories-2016/95908650/

 

This paragraph near the bottom:

 

"Also raising eyebrows in 2016 were some hefty hikes to automatic gratuity charges on ships, with Princess raising its rates twice during the year to $13.50 per passenger per day. A nearly 8% hike in gratuity charges at Carnival in September -- its first since October 2014 -- was more than 20 times higher than the rate of inflation in the USA during the same period. A Celebrity Cruises hike in July pushed up gratuity rates by 4%."

 

I know a lot of you die-hards on here has no problem with this & will gladly pay any amount regardless & ruthlessly flame anyone who brings it up for discussion. But I think it's a worthwhile topic in this forum, esp when cruise lines continue to cut back service, food quality, etc.

On our next month's Carnival cruise for our family of 4, auto gratuities are $13/day. That's $364 total for the week. Again, chump change for most of you die hards, but it's something to note & budget for...

I am ok with it up to and until they change room servicing to once a day with no choice of twice. At that point I would certain adjust the amount given to steward.

I just don't tip extra anymore. I figure I'm already paying extra for the same service so no reason to pay extra on top of the extra I'm already paying. So in the end it doesn't really matter. I have not experienced the once a day service yet, so far we've still had twice a day, even on our last trip a couple months ago.

Carnival should make this DSC mandatory and stick it to the cheapskates.

I just don't tip extra anymore. I figure I'm already paying extra for the same service so no reason to pay extra on top of the extra I'm already paying. So in the end it doesn't really matter. I have not experienced the once a day service yet, so far we've still had twice a day, even on our last trip a couple months ago.

We don't tip extra as much any more either, like to the maître d', if we didn't make seating changes. Nor leave $ on the bar for the bar tenders unless they go out of their way for us. We do pay the standard gratuity rate. It's the crew's livelihood. And most are sincerely doing their best. We will tip extra to the room stewards because we ask them for extra things or daily ice delivery. And if Steakhouse service is good we'll leave a little more on the bill (but keep in within the 20-25% range we'd tip in a restaurant.

To my mind, removing tips entirely is like not leaving a tip at a restaurant because of poor service. Sends a cheapskate/forgot message. Where as if you leave a very small tip, like a penny for a $20 tariff, or a $1 for a $100 dinner, then message of poor service might get through.

The service has was so poor on the Vista last week, they are lucky they got what I gave them.

Less workers = bigger % for those still employed and yet Carnival still raised it. They basically gave the workers a raise without it coming out of their pocket.

Ditto...

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I didn't mind the most recent increase. It seems fair and reasonable to me based on tips we leave just in restaurants.

As already mentioned, if cabin service is reduced by half, so will I reduce the portion of the gratuity for cabin service.

I don't mind paying a bit more for the good service I have always received but I won't pay more for half of that service.

The service has was so poor on the Vista last week, they are lucky they got what I gave them.

Can I ask what was so bad?

We don't tip extra as much any more either, like to the maître d', if we didn't make seating changes. Nor leave $ on the bar for the bar tenders unless they go out of their way for us. We do pay the standard gratuity rate. It's the crew's livelihood. And most are sincerely doing their best. We will tip extra to the room stewards because we ask them for extra things or daily ice delivery. And if Steakhouse service is good we'll leave a little more on the bill (but keep in within the 20-25% range we'd tip in a restaurant.

 

To my mind, removing tips entirely is like not leaving a tip at a restaurant because of poor service. Sends a cheapskate/forgot message. Where as if you leave a very small tip, like a penny for a $20 tariff, or a $1 for a $100 dinner, then message of poor service might get through.

I see the mention of tipping extra to the cabin stewards in many of these threads for daily ice.

Just a few years back the room steward gave everybody ice as part of his daily cleaning.

I understand why they changed to having to ask for ice but now many feel obligated to tip extra for it.

Bill

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I see the mention of tipping extra to the cabin stewards in many of these threads for daily ice.

 

Just a few years back the room steward gave everybody ice as part of his daily cleaning.

 

I understand why they changed to having to ask for ice but now many feel obligated to tip extra for it.

 

Bill

 

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Never understood giving room steward extra for something that should be part of his daily routine. For that matter never understood bribing steward first day to do his job.

Can I ask what was so bad?

Mr Pedro did a review on the Carnival board, perhaps someone will provide a link for you.

Can I ask what was so bad?

Here's the Gist of it

Just got off the Vista 17-24. Overall rating a C.

Piano Bar was excellent

Alchemy Bar was excellent

Guys Burgers was the highlight of the meals......

Ship itself was very pretty, but poorly designed.

4000 passengers travelling:

2 guys making pizza (was awesome) but needed more capacity there, or a few more guys.

Front desk (waited over an hour on the first day to correct the mess they made with our cards) need more than 3 or 4 ppl working guest services with 4000 passengers.

Service in all the restaurants was sub par. If you give someone a baked potato at dinner, they shouldn't have to wait 15 mins for sour cream......

They must have gotten a good deal on Braised short ribs because they were served 3x in the dining room, and in the meat lasagna

It looks like they had a bad crew and things didn't work smoothly. I had a good time, but probably won't cruise Carnival again and def not Vista. Too many passengers and the amenities did not scale with the amount of cabins.

This was our 6th or 7th cruise with Carnival.....

That's the wage structure on cruise ships. The majority of the cash wages are earned through the gratuity system. The only way for the crew to get a raise is through an increase in gratuities.

How can you possibly know if they can earn merit raises or not? You don't, so do not make blanket statements.

Can I ask what was so bad?

6 days in a row, put out my thing for morning breakfast, no breakfast

You get a baked potato at dinner, no one came with sour cream or cheese for it

Waited over an hour for a drink waiter on deck.....

That's just top of mind....

We always pay the gratuities and then give our wait staff and cabin steward extra on the last night. But I think if they raise the auto gratuities significantly they will run the risk of more folks removing the auto tips. They'd be better off to charge more overall for the cruise and pay the staff more. They work like dogs to take care of us and barely have any time to themselves.