Spoke to P&O regarding their 40% increase in automatic gratuities.

From October last year until early March this year we undertook around 15 weeks cruising on Ventura. During that time we had the same waiters throughout and got to know them really well. At one stage I asked them directly if it makes any difference to them if passengers removed the auto gratuities and the unequivocal answer was no. However the two lads went on to say that It would be better if guests left them on, as this 'pot' enables them to have their bonus, without anything in the 'pot' they are concerned that this element of their renumeration would go and that is something they could not personally afford. They went on to confirm, what most of us know, is that the most important thing to them is the PSQ which determines whether they get their bonus or not. Again they confirmed that any direct tips received at the end of the cruise is kept by them and not pooled. The pooling of tips apparently is in the select dining outlets such as the Epicurean.

Hope this helps

Sorry David but even if there were 100 people watching this and all agreed with you and stopped auto tipping it would have no effect given there must be well over 500,000 cruisers per year use P&O.

 

In all a useless exercise apart from those who do not want to tip.

 

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I don’t think it would take 5k to bring about a change. If everyone who posts and the probably much greater numbers of observers who would prefer the tips on fare system all expressed their reason for not paying,notice at least would be taken.

A tiny minority of women changed the UK electoral system, though I’m not advocating anyone throwing themselves in front of the 3.15 at Doncaster.............though come to think of it.

DAVID

are you able to divulge that conversation at all ?

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That would be a lovely drive in the summer months.

 

Thankfully I only ever had them for my Saturday job. Once I finished further education and started real work it was BACS and 15 minutes banking time a month as there were no holes in the wall back in the day and the banks closed early every day. How the word moves on.

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I don’t think it would take 5k to bring about a change. If everyone who posts and the probably much greater numbers of observers who would prefer the tips on fare system all expressed their reason for not paying,notice at least would be taken.

 

A tiny minority of women changed the UK electoral system, though I’m not advocating anyone throwing themselves in front of the 3.15 at Doncaster.............though come to think of it.

 

DAVID

[emoji12]

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Dai, I have been a strong advocate on many tipping threads of incorporating gratuities into the base price. I have also taken the view recently that the increase in the auto tip charge probably results from an increase in those not paying it, thus disadvantaged those still paying it, something you seem unwilling to even consider.

But as yet I have not deleted the auto tip, however I am now seriously contemplating doing just that. My calculation of a £36000pa stewards wage if everyone paid the full rate, seems to support my view that the auto tip is inflated to cover non payers, and this is my major complaint with the current system.

I hope that sometime soon you might begin to comprehend what I am saying, but I have my doubts.

Well I agree with and understand your point totally.

She said they were seriously looking into the tipping options because lots of people had complained via email or social media and seemed receptive to my comments of including them in the cruise fare.

 

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Thank you

Thank you

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are you able to divulge that conversation at all ?

I too emailed P&O and received a phone call. The person I spoke to listened to me and made all the right noises. I'm afraid I felt as if I was just being pacified. I hope I'm wrong but I'm not holding my breath that the gratuities will be included in the price of cruises in the near future or at all.

Did those of you that got a phone call email P&O under the heading of 'complaints'?

As posted earlier, I emailed P&O under a more general heading and received no call, just an email stating they had no plans to include gratuities in the cabin price.

Just interested, and it probably makes no real difference. As pisces14 posted, the call was probably just to pacify.

Did those of you that got a phone call email P&O under the heading of 'complaints'?

 

As posted earlier, I emailed P&O under a more general heading and received no call, just an email stating they had no plans to include gratuities in the cabin price.

 

Just interested, and it probably makes no real difference. As pisces14 posted, the call was probably just to pacify.

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We got off Azura this morning, we decided to leave the auto tips on because we had booked freedom dining and decided that it would be onerous to pay tips daily to the waiters. We found that it seemed as though there was method to the order in which the tables were filled and so because we tended to go to the MDR around the same time each day we were allocated tables in the same section of the MDR most evenings ( we have never noticed this before ). We often had the same dining companions and one lady told us that she had asked the person allocating the tables about this and had been told that so many people now prefer to pay cash tips they try to give people the same waiters as often as possible so that they can pay cash more easily. We have decided that we will be considering this for our next cruise.

We got off Azura this morning, we decided to leave the auto tips on because we had booked freedom dining and decided that it would be onerous to pay tips daily to the waiters. We found that it seemed as though there was method to the order in which the tables were filled and so because we tended to go to the MDR around the same time each day we were allocated tables in the same section of the MDR most evenings ( we have never noticed this before ). We often had the same dining companions and one lady told us that she had asked the person allocating the tables about this and had been told that so many people now prefer to pay cash tips they try to give people the same waiters as often as possible so that they can pay cash more easily. We have decided that we will be considering this for our next cruise.

Very interesting. I think that’s a shame though. One of many things that we like about Freedom Dining is meeting different people each evening.

Very interesting. I think that’s a shame though. One of many things that we like about Freedom Dining is meeting different people each evening.

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That's no where near accurate as it takes no notice of those who do not pay or pay less. I hope you are not insinuating they get paid too much!!

 

Also does that mean on other cruise lines where the tips can be almost double that they get £72,000.

 

I think not.

 

Which is why I do not believe your sums.

 

 

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Dai, I think you are beginning to understand why I think the current system is not fit for purpose.

The reason the calculations do not provide a realistic wage is solely because the auto tip has to be inflated to cover for those who don't pay. As a result you are having to pay a lot more than would be needed if everyone paid the same amount; which of course they would do if the gratuities were included in the cruise price.

But as many have been trying to make you understand, that will never happen just as long as enough passengers are happy to pay the higher than needed auto tips.

Dai, I think you are beginning to understand why I think the current system is not fit for purpose.

The reason the calculations do not provide a realistic wage is solely because the auto tip has to be inflated to cover for those who don't pay. As a result you are having to pay a lot more than would be needed if everyone paid the same amount; which of course they would do if the gratuities were included in the cruise price.

But as many have been trying to make you understand, that will never happen just as long as enough passengers are happy to pay the higher than needed auto tips.

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Dai, I think you are beginning to understand why I think the current system is not fit for purpose.

 

The reason the calculations do not provide a realistic wage is solely because the auto tip has to be inflated to cover for those who don't pay. As a result you are having to pay a lot more than would be needed if everyone paid the same amount; which of course they would do if the gratuities were included in the cruise price.

 

But as many have been trying to make you understand, that will never happen just as long as enough passengers are happy to pay the higher than needed auto tips.

Not entirely sure where you got your first sentence from. I do not accept anything you or others have said. None of which is based on fact only on you assumptions and odd calculation. As I said I would never base any of my decisions on such flimsy none proven evidence.

I am very happy with my position and very unlikely to change it. BTW the more I am pushed the more I know I am getting it right.

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I was going to show my other half that post (about where auto grats really goes) but noticed it’d been removed. Has made me think seriously about removing auto grats totally now instead of just reducing them a touch like i was originally thinking of doing. The thing is, we are doing freedom dining so the only person we would see daily is the cabin steward. As we tend to eat in the buffet and a couple of other places onboard it’ll make it difficult to tip the waiters. How do you get round this? I can’t just tip the cabin steward and no one else, I’d feel really guilty. I know the buffet area usually has a tips box out at the end so I guess that’d save part of it.

Sam.

I was going to show my other half that post (about where auto grats really goes) but noticed it’d been removed. Has made me think seriously about removing auto grats totally now instead of just reducing them a touch like i was originally thinking of doing. The thing is, we are doing freedom dining so the only person we would see daily is the cabin steward. As we tend to eat in the buffet and a couple of other places onboard it’ll make it difficult to tip the waiters. How do you get round this? I can’t just tip the cabin steward and no one else, I’d feel really guilty. I know the buffet area usually has a tips box out at the end so I guess that’d save part of it.

Sam.

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Have to say that l have never seen a tip box in the buffet.

 

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I have seen tip boxes in the buffet on a few occasions but not since autogratuities were introduced.

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Thank you. I think I know which one it is.;)

Me too :)

I have seen tip boxes in the buffet on a few occasions but not since autogratuities were introduced.

 

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[quote=daiB;55945327)

I am very happy with my position and very unlikely to change it. BTW the more I am pushed the more I know I am getting it right.

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Sorry you missed last evenings short lived thread dai, you would have found it enlightening.

DAVID

I think Mark Zuckerberg has already signed them up to run his new Facebook policing force.;p

 

PS I know I promised I would say goodbye to CC on the thread that vanished but honestly you seem to be having so much fun I thought I ought to join you.

I thought I had kept up with the ‘phantom thread that shall not be named’ but obviously missed you threatening to leave. Please don’t. I always enjoy your posts! That said, I am off to bed shortly and suspect I shall wake up tomorrow to find that all of tonight’s posts have been deleted and I shall be wondering if it was all a dream ;)

I think Mark Zuckerberg has already signed them up to run his new Facebook policing force.;p

 

PS I know I promised I would say goodbye to CC on the thread that vanished but honestly you seem to be having so much fun I thought I ought to join you.

Welcome back to the party.:D