P&O are removing the 'Service Charge' from May 2019

So, will Cunard do the same?

So, will Cunard do the same?

If Cunard follow suit, then there must be a central pool for a lump sum General Gratuity for the ship, leaving individual gratuties uneffected.

If Cunard follow suit, then there must be a central pool for a lump sum General Gratuity for the ship, leaving individual gratuties uneffected.

From what I understand presently all the Automatic Daily charges (when Paid) go into a central wage account and Cunard will Guarantee to make the difference up to the agreed specified amount.

So it will not make any difference. As Individual tips are kept by the recipient anyway.

The company will just pay the full specified amount agreed into the wage account. Getting the money by not reducing the fares so much or not offering so much on board credit. We will have to see what P&O do and also see if Cunard follow.

From what I understand presently all the Automatic Daily charges (when Paid) go into a pool and Cunard will Guarantee to make the difference up to the agreed specified amount.

So it will not make any difference. As Individual tips are kept by the recipient anyway.

 

The company will just pay the full specified amount agreed. Getting the money by not reducing the fares so much or not offering so much on board credit. We will have to see what P&O do and also see if Cunard follow.

Appears to be fair for all the crew. Result!

It may be that P&O are having to change to remain competitive - we haven't paid gratuities/service charge on our last few cruises either because they've been included or there has been a special offer available. Doesn't seem to be related to the quality of the line as we've variously cruised with Celebrity, Oceania & as an experiemnt Marella (Tui)

I love cruising but would be much happier if the crew were on decent wages - even if I had to pay more.

So if Cunard were to remove the service charge, would that also include the service charge on drinks I wonder.

So, will Cunard do the same?

It seems not.

"Cruise Critic Members Welcome P&O Cruises' Decision to Remove Auto-Tips; Other UK Lines Rule Out Similar Move"

Cunard issued the following statement: "We are not making any changes to the way we manage gratuities and can confirm that they will continue as a completely discretionary charge."

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=8831

This same question has been asked on every cruise lines forum since the P&O announcement.

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It seems not.

 

"Cruise Critic Members Welcome P&O Cruises' Decision to Remove Auto-Tips; Other UK Lines Rule Out Similar Move"

Cunard issued the following statement: "We are not making any changes to the way we manage gratuities and can confirm that they will continue as a completely discretionary charge."

 

 

https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=8831

The thing is, the 15% added to drinks is not discretionary

The thing is, the 15% added to drinks is not discretionary

That is a service charge different than a gratuity which will stay and always has been discretionary.

The company will just pay the full specified amount agreed into the wage account. Getting the money by not reducing the fares so much or not offering so much on board credit. We will have to see what P&O do and also see if Cunard follow.

You seem to have missed the obvious option - raise fares by £10 per day or so.

That is a service charge different than a gratuity which will stay and always has been discretionary.

Manipulating terms in reality isn’t it. ?

Isn’t it also known as a daily hotel and dining charge or something similar in relation to the daily per person charge ?

But that is optional the drinks charge is not.

The post is about the fact that P&O is removing these charges as they have already done with the drinks. Whether they incorporate them into the cost is open to debate but P&O drinks are less than Cunard anyway.

You seem to have missed the obvious option - raise fares by £10 per day or so.

Not really as I said previously, reducing the amount of obc, to me that is increasing the fares. They will claw back the money some how to make their profits . It is a business.

But by removing the Daily charge makes it seem farer to all.

Manipulating terms in reality isn’t it. ?

Isn’t it also known as a daily hotel and dining charge or something similar in relation to the daily per person charge ?

But that is optional the drinks charge is not.

The post is about the fact that P&O is removing these charges as they have already done with the drinks. Whether they incorporate them into the cost is open to debate but P&O drinks are less than Cunard anyway.

P&O to my knowledge have never added an extra service charge on top of drinks like Cunard do since 1997 so this has not been removed.

... Isn’t it also known as a daily hotel and dining charge or something similar in relation to the daily per person charge ? ...

Yes, that charge seems to be know by various names. On the statement from our 2016 voyage, it was called "Auto Gratuity Charge". On our recent 2018 voyages (where we had free gratuities included as part of a promotion), the statement has one line for "Service charge" and another offsetting line for "Company Prepaid Gratuities". The Cunard UK FAQ calls it the "Hotel and dining service charge". So I guess you can take your pick as to what to call it.

Cunard issued the following statement: "We are not making any changes to the way we manage gratuities and can confirm that they will continue as a completely discretionary charge."

Carnival Corp made the change for their P&O brand because their customer base had shifted (due to advertising, focusing on big new family ships, and old age) and the new customers used their discretion to opt out of paying the service charge so it became pointless.

Carnival Corp aren't making the same changes to their Cunard brand, so the service charge will continue.

Carnival Corp made the change for their P&O brand because their customer base had shifted (due to advertising, focusing on big new family ships, and old age) and the new customers used their discretion to opt out of paying the service charge so it became pointless.

 

Carnival Corp aren't making the same changes to their Cunard brand, so the service charge will continue.

 

Until their customer base changes and those moving across from P&O or new younger customers start to remove discretionary gratuities then Carnival will act and cancel auto gratuities and hide the price in the cruise fare and onboard prices as P&O are doing.

 

Until their customer base changes and those moving across from P&O or new younger customers start to remove discretionary gratuities then Carnival will act and cancel auto gratuities and hide the price in the cruise fare and onboard prices as P&O are doing.

Exactly, make hay whilst the sun shines and people are voluntarily handing over money, and change the system when they stop.

NCL had to do exactly the same thing for their UK and EU customers.