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Gratuities


lippi1970
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Hi,

can I ask that geatuities won’t be added automatically?

So I could choose on my own

 

On board you can go to the Guest Services desk and ask that they be removed from your account (assuming they were not a perk for booking).

 

However, tips you give your dining room waitstaff and your cabin steward will be turned in by them to be added to the pool just like the autogratuities.

 

In choosing on your own, do not forget the staff at the ice cream, pizza and burger counters by the pool if you use their services. Also those who serve you in the buffet.

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On board you can go to the Guest Services desk and ask that they be removed from your account (assuming they were not a perk for booking).

 

However, tips you give your dining room waitstaff and your cabin steward will be turned in by them to be added to the pool just like the autogratuities.

 

In choosing on your own, do not forget the staff at the ice cream, pizza and burger counters by the pool if you use their services. Also those who serve you in the buffet.

 

If you believe this you must still believe in fairies.:D

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On board you can go to the Guest Services desk and ask that they be removed from your account (assuming they were not a perk for booking).

 

However, tips you give your dining room waitstaff and your cabin steward will be turned in by them to be added to the pool just like the autogratuities.

 

In choosing on your own, do not forget the staff at the ice cream, pizza and burger counters by the pool if you use their services. Also those who serve you in the buffet.

Since the tips have to be turned in, it makes no difference since they all go in the pot to be distributed by Princess anyway- just as though you had left the auto function in place.

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However, tips you give your dining room waitstaff and your cabin steward will be turned in by them to be added to the pool just like the autogratuities.

 

If you believe this you must still believe in fairies.:D

 

I know one waiter who was fired for pocketing a cash tip.

 

The waiters are required to turn in cash tips. I'm sure, like any business where cash is handled,

there is some cheating.

 

But, the head waiters are watching that tips are turned in, and there are consequences for those who cheat.

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All tips in cash have to be turned in to their supervisors and put in the central pot. Any crew member caught not doing this will be put off at the next port to find their own way home. What little money they are given as a tip is not worth losing their job over. If you really want to help some crew member who gave you service above the norm, recommend them to Princess in the evaluation you are sent at the end of the cruise or second best fill out a recommendation card onboard and turn it in at the guest services. Doing this will help their career the most with Princess.

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All tips in cash have to be turned in to their supervisors and put in the central pot. Any crew member caught not doing this will be put off at the next port to find their own way home. What little money they are given as a tip is not worth losing their job over. If you really want to help some crew member who gave you service above the norm, recommend them to Princess in the evaluation you are sent at the end of the cruise or second best fill out a recommendation card onboard and turn it in at the guest services. Doing this will help their career the most with Princess.

That's why I often (not always) give extra gratitude in the form of a gift and not cash.

It can't be turned in & have to be shared with anyone and they do appreciate it just as much, maybe even more.

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what kind of gifts do you give? - we're thinking along those same lines for our next cruise, at least for the cabin steward? do you ask them what they would like before going to the next port?

 

 

I suggest sticking to cold hard cash. The staff share tiny cabins and don't have room for much stuff. Plus there is a small store on board where they can get what they need fairly cheaply. With cash they can do what they want with it including being able to splurge on a day they go offshore.

 

 

If you do not remove the auto gratuities then cash you give them over and beyond the amount that is automatically charged, they can keep that cash. They don't have to share the cash that is given to them extra above the auto gratuities

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On board you can go to the Guest Services desk and ask that they be removed from your account (assuming they were not a perk for booking).

 

However, tips you give your dining room waitstaff and your cabin steward will be turned in by them to be added to the pool just like the autogratuities.

 

In choosing on your own, do not forget the staff at the ice cream, pizza and burger counters by the pool if you use their services. Also those who serve you in the buffet.

 

This...just leave on the autotips because they are split among the staff - many of whom you simply do not see. It is MUCH easier to let the cruiseline disperse the tips to all those that serve you than you trying to tip each and every time. For exceptional service, it is great to provide additional to those that have served you well.

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what kind of gifts do you give? - we're thinking along those same lines for our next cruise, at least for the cabin steward? do you ask them what they would like before going to the next port?

For the steward it's usually cash - given to him in our cabin and it's up to him if he reports it or not. :D

The bartenders & baristas I usually give thumb drives from home especially for those guys I know from previous cruises.

If I know they like certain thing to drink I'll bring them a bottle from one of the ports. Not beer since they get a great price in the crew mess.

I think they pay $1 per bottle.

 

On our last cruise I gave our steward 180 minutes extra internet time 2 days before we left the ship. Of course you have to trust him not to reload your account. ;)

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This...just leave on the autotips because they are split among the staff - many of whom you simply do not see. It is MUCH easier to let the cruiseline disperse the tips to all those that serve you than you trying to tip each and every time. For exceptional service, it is great to provide additional to those that have served you well.

 

Your tips are not just split between the staff you cruise on but as stated on Princess website all tips are collated and split between staff fleet wide so staff you have never seen or likely to on other ships will get a share of your tips. There is only one reason why gratuities are collected by Princess is to pay the staff wages and so they can get away with paying abysmal wages and making vast profits for Carnival plc.

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It is easy, just go to guest services and ask them to make the amount you feel is right. I usually reduce my daily gratuity to $10 PP PD because I believe that amount is what actually gets distributed to the crew. No one knows the answer to how much they keep with cash since Princess chooses to be secretive which in itself shows me they don't distribute the gratuity as we would hope.

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Your tips are not just split between the staff you cruise on but as stated on Princess website all tips are so staff you have never seen or likely to on other ships will get a share of your tips. There is only one reason why gratuities are collected by Princess is to pay the staff wages and so they can get away with paying abysmal wages and making vast profits for Carnival plc.

 

Plus, because gratuities are collated and split between staff fleet wide, when a ship is unexpectedly dry docked due to a breakdown or accident (thus not generating any tips) it's unlikely the line will have to 'kick in' to meet the minimum salary guarantees for those in the gratuity pool on the dry docked ship - everyone across the fleet just gets a little less.

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This is the first I've heard that cash tips had to be accounted for and put in the "pot," with the rest. I knew the auto gratuity's were all pooled. Some people are saying they get to keep the cash, some say they have to turn it in. This is really confusing and I'd like to know which it is. After reading Cruise Confidential and seeing how hard these people work, it breaks my heart that they might be screwed over this too. We always tip the individual too, because of this.

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This is the first I've heard that cash tips had to be accounted for and put in the "pot," with the rest. I knew the auto gratuity's were all pooled. Some people are saying they get to keep the cash, some say they have to turn it in. This is really confusing and I'd like to know which it is. After reading Cruise Confidential and seeing how hard these people work, it breaks my heart that they might be screwed over this too. We always tip the individual too, because of this.

 

That's funny ... I just posted on another thread about having recently finished reading Cruise Confidential. He does not even touch on tips, amounts, how their pooled or dispersed. Only that they (the workers) are motivated by money, they endure because of the money.

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That's why I often (not always) give extra gratitude in the form of a gift and not cash.

It can't be turned in & have to be shared with anyone and they do appreciate it just as much, maybe even more.

 

I don't want to be banned for being abusive so I will ask simply - what kind of gifts do you give, are they the types that take no room in the crew's cabin and can be easily converted to cash. If they can be converted to cash, how do you k now if they don't have to turn in gifts of value?

 

DON

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It is easy, just go to guest services and ask them to make the amount you feel is right. I usually reduce my daily gratuity to $10 PP PD because I believe that amount is what actually gets distributed to the crew. No one knows the answer to how much they keep with cash since Princess chooses to be secretive which in itself shows me they don't distribute the gratuity as we would hope.

So, you cut the gratuity from $13 to $10 because Princess keeps $3 (you think). Now, Princess still keeps $3 and the crew gets to share $7??

Or do you think Princess will say, "oh!! only $10, guess we don't get our cut"?

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So, you cut the gratuity from $13 to $10 because Princess keeps $3 (you think). Now, Princess still keeps $3 and the crew gets to share $7??

Or do you think Princess will say, "oh!! only $10, guess we don't get our cut"?

It is my believe that Princess does not distribute the whole amount. They give crew based on seniority, longevity, survey results and such. Some is kept for administration fees and employee incentives and employee of the month. I want to give what I believe is actually distributed to crew. Since Princess chooses to allow this fee to be discretionary they obviously don't fall short of their goals. Crew makes more money then they could at home and are happy with what Princess gives them as evidenced by their longevity. IF and WHEN Princess decides to end the controversy about how and to whom tips are allocated I will continue to do what I feel is appropriate.

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This is the first I've heard that cash tips had to be accounted for and put in the "pot," with the rest. I knew the auto gratuity's were all pooled. Some people are saying they get to keep the cash, some say they have to turn it in. This is really confusing and I'd like to know which it is. After reading Cruise Confidential and seeing how hard these people work, it breaks my heart that they might be screwed over this too. We always tip the individual too, because of this.

 

If a passenger leaves auto gratuities on and in addition gives extra cash tips to one of the crew - room steward etc- then that crew member gets to keep the extra cash tips. BUT first the crew member must turn in the extra cash tip until Princess verifies that indeed the passenger did not remove his auto gratuities. When giving extra cash tips the crew will ask that you write your name and cabin number on the envelope so that Princess can verify that you did not remove auto gratuities.

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Envelope? - there's no stinkin' envelope...;p

 

I , well my wife, puts a cash tip in the palm of her hand and thanks the steward for all the things he's done, and shakes his hand...in the room, not in the hallway...:halo:

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