Rise in Gratuities

I would love to know, for sure, what happens to staff pay when passengers remove the voluntary service charge. I will write to P&O later, requesting that information, but don’t hold much hope of getting a clear, straightforward, answer.

If P&O don’t reduce their remuneration, then it simply requires all passengers to remove their voluntary payments to make the company think again and come up with a more logical system for ‘tips’ - either making a service charge non-discretionary, or scrapping it and adjusting fares/obc

If crew remuneration is reduced, then many passengers will be reluctant to remove the payments.

Then there is the lack of clarity over cash tips handed to individuals and what happens to them.

I agree with kruzseeka’s post above, and think that, after years of being ‘an obedient customer’, it may be time to kick back ... but I don’t want that to impact on my cabin steward or waiters’ take home/send home pay

I would love to know, for sure, what happens to staff pay when passengers remove the voluntary service charge. I will write to P&O later, requesting that information, but don’t hold much hope of getting a clear, straightforward, answer.

 

If P&O don’t reduce their remuneration, then it simply requires all passengers to remove their voluntary payments to make the company think again and come up with a more logical system for ‘tips’ - either making a service charge non-discretionary, or scrapping it and adjusting fares/obc

 

If crew remuneration is reduced, then many passengers will be reluctant to remove the payments.

 

Then there is the lack of clarity over cash tips handed to individuals and what happens to them.

 

I agree with kruzseeka’s post above, and think that, after years of being ‘an obedient customer’, it may be time to kick back ... but I don’t want that to impact on my cabin steward or waiters’ take home/send home pay

If P&O listen to what people are saying they could make a PR coup by making tips included in the cruise fare and using that as an advertising slogan.

If necessary they could look at reducing the amount of obc given.We have booked a 2 night cruise on Oceana in a suite and without even asking we were given £100obc.

Yes, in a suite. But not everybody books suites, have shares etc. Maybe, as you say, do away with obc and spread that around, or maybe more incentive for the regular cruiser (% discount). I wonder how often P and o read these threads?

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@ kruzseeka

Absolutely!

What better way to promote ‘Britishness’ (which is one of their USPs)?

BTW

1. I always add a note about this when filling in post-cruise questionnaires or any random questionnaires which are emailed. I hope others do to

2. All this ‘anguish’ for less than 50 quid a week on my expensive holiday! I don’t need it. P&O should remove the stress!

Yes, in a suite. But not everybody books suites, have shares etc. Maybe, as you say, do away with obc and spread that around, or maybe more incentive for the regular cruiser (% discount). I wonder how often P and o read these threads?

 

 

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We also booked a 3 night on Ventura in a superior deluxe balcony cabin and were given £80 obc again without even asking for it.

It is only the higher levels who are getting obc

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It is only the higher levels who are getting obc

 

 

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Not so. Of our next 6 bookings, 5 are in balcony cabins (regular ones, not Superior Deluxe or Suites). We have £200 to £400 OBC on each of them, in addition to free parking (so you can almost double that if we had declined parking). It may be because we book when the cruises are first announced and there are often additional OBC offers then.

Not so. Of our next 6 bookings, 5 are in balcony cabins (regular ones, not Superior Deluxe or Suites). We have £200 to £400 OBC on each of them, in addition to free parking (so you can almost double that if we had declined parking). It may be because we book when the cruises are first announced and there are often additional OBC offers then.

Great information thanks.

It shows with a little redistribution of money which is allocated for obc,free parking etc P&O could easily incorporate autogratuities into the cruise fare which by the concensus of British tipping forums would be a very positive move by P&O.

Its nice to get some obc but as it often pays the autogratuities anyway it gives P&O a big opportunity to promote:

Free Gratuitys.

(y)

Great information thanks.

It shows with a little redistribution of money which is allocated for obc,free parking etc P&O could easily incorporate autogratuities into the cruise fare which by the concensus of British tipping forums would be a very positive move by P&O.

Its nice to get some obc but as it often pays the autogratuities anyway it gives P&O a big opportunity to promote:

Free Gratuitys.

Agreed :')

Hi....Can you please correct me if I am wrong but from I have understood if the gratuities/tips/service charge are removed the cruise company makes up the shortfall so actually none of the crew are ...as some describe it..."stiffed" so by that reasoning if everyone removed them the cruise company would make up the shortfall so how does the crew " suffer" ? I would think that the cruise company...in this case P&O ....would pretty soon start including them in the fare....everyone would know where they stood and could have a clear conscience and for those who want to give extra could go back to giving it in envelopes...but as I said if I have misunderstood please correct me...grapau27 your thoughts on this would be most welcome.

Many people say “we like to tip in person as we used to”. This is fine in club dining but not in freedom. How many people tip their waiters every night?

This was the reason this was brought in, in the first place. To cover the tips for freedom dining.

I am now firmly in the camp of increasing fares to cover all tips. Then we are all on a level playing field.

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Just a random thought... do you think the stewards have random security searches? I remember we gave our steward a book once and had to sign it to cover him.

There is definitely a fear culture among the staff, and conflicting info about whether they have to hand tips over but I’ve often wondered about how that would be policed. But if random searches take place that may explain how it is policed? I worked for a supermarket in my youth and we were regularly searched for money, we had to empty pockets and even take off shoes.

As I say just a random thought.

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For those who favour adding tips onto the fares - would there still be people who would feel the need to tip 'on top' do you think?

Hi....Can you please correct me if I am wrong but from I have understood if the gratuities/tips/service charge are removed the cruise company makes up the shortfall so actually none of the crew are ...as some describe it..."stiffed" so by that reasoning if everyone removed them the cruise company would make up the shortfall so how does the crew " suffer" ? I would think that the cruise company...in this case P&O ....would pretty soon start including them in the fare....everyone would know where they stood and could have a clear conscience and for those who want to give extra could go back to giving it in envelopes...but as I said if I have misunderstood please correct me...grapau27 your thoughts on this would be most welcome.

No that isn't correct. They do not make up the shortfall. The pooled funds are a variable amount (determined by how many passengers pay it) and are distributed to all qualifying staff. The exception is those staff (usually stewards) whose passenger scores fall below a certain level as their proportion is withheld in these circumstances. So, until this is absorbed into the fare (as it should be), staff lose out when people cancel the service charge.

For those who favour adding tips onto the fares - would there still be people who would feel the need to tip 'on top' do you think?

Yes. I would be one of them. Fares should rise so that all staff are paid reasonably and nobody can then rely on others to subsidise their cruise. Staff who go 'above and beyond' would, I am sure, still be rewarded by those of us who appreciate such things.

Thank you Selbourne ...I thought I had understood it correctly but I am still not clear on how the crew " miss out" ...unless they have under performed....if the cruise companies make up the shortfall. I am all for the tips/gratuities/service charge being included in the basic fare.... other companies that include them don't appear to have a problem with it.

Hi....Can you please correct me if I am wrong but from I have understood if the gratuities/tips/service charge are removed the cruise company makes up the shortfall so actually none of the crew are ...as some describe it..."stiffed" so by that reasoning if everyone removed them the cruise company would make up the shortfall so how does the crew " suffer" ? I would think that the cruise company...in this case P&O ....would pretty soon start including them in the fare....everyone would know where they stood and could have a clear conscience and for those who want to give extra could go back to giving it in envelopes...but as I said if I have misunderstood please correct me...grapau27 your thoughts on this would be most welcome.

The autogratuities were introduced because people weren't tipping recommended amounts or in a case in America where envelopes were filled with paper.

Personally i agree with daib in that i think the gratuitys should now be incorporated into the cruise fare and paid for out of the: obc,free parking fund or/and a slight increase in the cruise fare.

People like myself will still give extra for excellent service but at least we would be comfortable in the knowledge that the recipient would benefit personally from my cash tip.

Many people say “we like to tip in person as we used to”. This is fine in club dining but not in freedom. How many people tip their waiters every night?

 

This was the reason this was brought in, in the first place. To cover the tips for freedom dining.

 

I am now firmly in the camp of increasing fares to cover all tips. Then we are all on a level playing field.

 

 

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I agree now too that this would be the best way and P&O could then confidently advertise:

Tips Included.

For those who favour adding tips onto the fares - would there still be people who would feel the need to tip 'on top' do you think?

Yes we would in Speciality restaurants and if we were given outstanding service from an individual crew member but that would be our choice.

Not so. Of our next 6 bookings, 5 are in balcony cabins (regular ones, not Superior Deluxe or Suites). We have £200 to £400 OBC on each of them, in addition to free parking (so you can almost double that if we had declined parking). It may be because we book when the cruises are first announced and there are often additional OBC offers then.

Yes, but us poor folk who are shovelling coal in the inside cabins get a choice between obc or coach travel, the coach transfer is the better option.

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No that isn't correct. They do not make up the shortfall. The pooled funds are a variable amount (determined by how many passengers pay it) and are distributed to all qualifying staff. The exception is those staff (usually stewards) whose passenger scores fall below a certain level as their proportion is withheld in these circumstances. So, until this is absorbed into the fare (as it should be), staff lose out when people cancel the service charge.

Great advise as usual i enjoy reading your posts.

Thank you Selbourne ...I thought I had understood it correctly but I am still not clear on how the crew " miss out" ...unless they have under performed....if the cruise companies make up the shortfall. I am all for the tips/gratuities/service charge being included in the basic fare.... other companies that include them don't appear to have a problem with it.

You are welcome, but I fear that you may have misunderstood my answer. So, to be clear, the crew DO miss out, because P&O does NOT make up the shortfall. Forget the ones who have some withheld due to poor scores, the rest get a proportion of what is in the pot. So, the more people that remove the service charge, the smaller the pot becomes and the smaller each persons share is.

Yes, but us poor folk who are shovelling coal in the inside cabins get a choice between obc or coach travel, the coach transfer is the better option.

 

 

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:') Understand. But there are a lot of grades above inside cabins, so my point was it's not just those in the top tier accommodation getting OBC in addition to free parking or coach travel.

[emoji106]

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