New tipping policy

[bazzaw]

You've just got to laugh!! :D:D Just when P&O AUS is removing all automatic gratuities, P&O UK are putting them on !! :p:p

 

There is no point in accusing Carnival (as in the Corporation, not the cruiseline ) regarding this -- both the cruiselines above operate under the Carnival Corp umbrella.

 

Barry

[Sutho]

Its not P&O Australia that has changed it was Princess ships that operate in Australia the Sun, Dawn and Sea Princess. All tipping has been removed. You can probably assume that it has been factored into the fare.

 

If you look at P&O's facebook page people are venting their anger at it.

 

My prediction is that this system will not last and that there will be lines at reception to remove it.

 

I for one will certainly not be paying their tips. So the new policy will not be effecting me. On all my Princess cruises I have had the system removed and it will be just as easy to do with P&O.

[bazzaw]

Actually - the removal of automatic gratuities or service charge (which is what they actually are - not "Tips" ) has been done on both P&O AUS ships and Princess AUS ships. It actually happened first on the P&O AUS ships. I only mentioned P&O AUS (and not Princess) here - as this is the P&O UK forum.

 

I am not sure of why this was done - most claim that it was because Aussies are especially averse to the concept of "tipping for service". They are not accustomed to it and fail to see the need for it ( in their society and culture). However I suspect other reasons. I am sure that P&O Australia have long been well aware of all the "carpetbagger" ships coming their way starting this year - most of these are US based ships which operate as US ships do. I suspect the removal of automatic gratuities in the Aussie P&O and Princess fleets was part of the move to combat the carpetbaggers.

 

As regards as to whether this has meant an increase in fares - I believe it is actually quite the opposite , with P&O AUS heavily discounting fares out of Australian ports to a level I have never seen before.

 

Barry

[Sutho]

Actually - the removal of automatic gratuities or service charge (which is what they actually are - not "Tips" ) has been done on both P&O AUS ships and Princess AUS ships. It actually happened first on the P&O AUS ships. I only mentioned P&O AUS (and not Princess) here - as this is the P&O UK forum.

 

I am not sure of why this was done - most claim that it was because Aussies are especially averse to the concept of "tipping for service". They are not accustomed to it and fail to see the need for it ( in their society and culture). However I suspect other reasons. I am sure that P&O Australia have long been well aware of all the "carpetbagger" ships coming their way starting this year - most of these are US based ships which operate as US ships do. I suspect the removal of automatic gratuities in the Aussie P&O and Princess fleets was part of the move to combat the carpetbaggers.

 

As regards as to whether this has meant an increase in fares - I believe it is actually quite the opposite , with P&O AUS heavily discounting fares out of Australian ports to a level I have never seen before.

 

Barry

 

Just what the hell are you trying to say? I cannot understand one bit of that. In English please.

[jeanlyon]

I don't think anyone who removes auto tipping is a miser. I like to tip at the end, in cash, to my cabin steward and waiters and a couple of others. If this "service charge" was included in the price of the cruise, nobody would mind and you would just tip as you do now.

[jeanlyon]

Looks like the Facebook page stuff was removed. I can't see it on there.

[Somerset Cruiser]

> I certainly cant afford to tip that much especially when I do the half world voyages that I normally do.

 

Is this a joke?

 

I can imagine an extra £3.10 a day could tip the balance on making it affordable :D

[jeanlyon]

Ha ha 0 if you can afford a world cruise, you can afford the tips for goodness sake!

[cruiseanywhere2]

As I understand it if you are on Freedom Dining you would pay £1.60 for dining staff and £3.20 for everyone else, seems like a double hit for Freedom Diners.

[marylizcat]

As I understand it if you are on Freedom Dining you would pay £1.60 for dining staff and £3.20 for everyone else, seems like a double hit for Freedom Diners.

No, you have got that wrong. it would be the same amount for everyone, whichever Dining type.

[Beopthtuh]

im for the tipping service charge to be built into the fair ,but the fairs have to be competitive ,no more ripping us brits of with double the cost of our us cousins.

p&0 and princess (aus) removed the tips on their ships because oz,s refused to pay tips as its not in their way of things to do so.maybe us brits should let p&o no were not happy about tipping

[cruiseanywhere2]

When I looked at the info on cruise critic it said the tips for freedom dining wern't included. Someone clarify please.

[Sutho]

You have to look at P&O's facebook page wall, click everybody (most recent) then keep scrolling down and you will see heaps are against it. It is a bit broken up by other posts but keep scrolling down.

 

I know this system can be removed from your account so that is what I and many others will be doing. If anything it will make it easier for people to leave without tipping at all. There will be no mass vacancies in the dining rooms on the last night and people will walk off without tipping their steward due to the automatic deductions for some people.

 

When I have done my world cruises I have had to save hard for them and cant afford that amount to tip. My first world cruise was 49 nights between Sydney and Southampton and I was backpacking it around Europe after. I was on a tight budget and all I could afford at the end of the cruise was 5 pounds each for the cabin steward and both waiters.

 

Its the thought that counts and it clearly states its not compulsary. Besides that P&O staff have no employment contract with me and I am low maintanence so not tipping at all is quite an easy thing to do.

[avalon1025]

$6 a day? Seriously if that's going to cause financial trouble you shouldn't be on a cruise to begin with. The fact is many don't tip and this way crew get something

[Sutho]

$6 a day? Seriously if that's going to cause financial trouble you shouldn't be on a cruise to begin with. The fact is many don't tip and this way crew get something

 

People who tell others what to do should not be cruising.

 

Do the maths. My first cruise was 49 nights. I do similar each year. For a cruise that long $294 is allot of cash to give someone who only hands you a plate of food and cleans your cabin. I dont care what the crew get paid, they dont work for me and I have never tipped and am not going to start now.

[NSWP]

Tipping is a personal thing. The auto tips are meant to subsidise the wages of all service crew, not just your cabin/dining stewards.

 

Most of my cruising career has been with Princess, yes I am on Arcadia next year, Sydney to Southampton. I will see how the service standard is before I decide on my tipping method.

 

Trouble is, with auto tipping on Princess etc, many Americans tip extra on top of the auto tips which are $11.50 pp.

Thus the crew expect Poms and Aussies to do the same? Wrong !

 

I read P&O will introduce auto tips in April 2012. So for us who are on the Arcadia world cruise or sectors, i.e. us starting in March, will we get hit with the auto tips midway through our voyage which is 9 March to 27 April? Who knows.

[Norfolk Brit]

People who tell others what to do should not be cruising.

 

Blimey!:eek:

 

The ships would be empty. This forum would not exist...

 

Sir Martin:D

[Beopthtuh]

$6 a day? Seriously if that's going to cause financial trouble you shouldn't be on a cruise to begin with. The fact is many don't tip and this way crew get something

avalon1025 thats a bit harsh saying someone shouldn,t be cruising because they,re culture isn,t the same as yours .

folks who have cruised on princess and other us lines are used to the auto-tipping scenario.

p&o or (carnival hq) are now imposing it on ships and passengers who,s cultures are different.

folks tip for good or excellent service ,the poster was only giving his opinion and we are all aloud that.

i have seen us pax remove auto tips and bragging they spent $0 on board as princess gave them obc.

so different cultures see things differently and thats all.

happy cruising everyone

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

> There is no VAT on cruise fares

 

I believe public transport is zero rated. VAT is charged to the customer but at zero percent. This generally allows the supplier to reclaim the VAT they have paid on their purchases. If goods are exempt then no VAT is charged but VAT on purchases cannot be reclaimed.

 

I only realised this when I booked a Concorde ticket and asked for VAT receipt. Of course air travel has a specific tax. An oddity was Concorde was considered economy for tax purposes.

 

If foreign workers and tax breaks were not used would cruising or long haul holidays be affordable. Perhaps in Britain we would all holiday in Britain which might be better for the economy and the environment.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

[jeanlyon]

Yes just checked the Facebook page. A lot of folk very cross about this

[Sutho]

As you can see I have cruise with P&O allot. I have met allot of people and have heard many opinions about it.

 

I seriously think this policy will not go down well with P&O passengers and I cant see the policy lasting.

 

It is probably a fair bet that there will be queues at reception to remove it.

 

P&O caters to allot of British and Australians on World Cruises. There are very few to no Americans on their ships.

 

A policy like this would be like changing the currency from pounds sterling to US dollars.

 

It appears the policy starts after the end of the World Cruise season. I will give it till July before the policy is removed.

[terrierjohn]

People who tell others what to do should not be cruising.

 

Do the maths. My first cruise was 49 nights. I do similar each year. For a cruise that long $294 is allot of cash to give someone who only hands you a plate of food and cleans your cabin. I dont care what the crew get paid, they dont work for me and I have never tipped and am not going to start now.

Tony, I do understand your point of view and agree that when you do a longer cruise the total does seem large and excessive. Unfortunately the way service staff contracts on cruise lines are set up then the tips (gratuities/service charge call it what you will) make up about 80-90% of their wages. So when you refuse to pay then the losers are your steward and waiters. Personally I think auto tips should become mandatory then cruise passengers have the choice whether to sail or holiday elsewhere. I agree it's a bit draconian but undoubtedly fairer on everyone, passengers and crew alike.

[Denarius]

Tony, I do understand your point of view and agree that when you do a longer cruise the total does seem large and excessive. Unfortunately the way service staff contracts on cruise lines are set up then the tips (gratuities/service charge call it what you will) make up about 80-90% of their wages. So when you refuse to pay then the losers are your steward and waiters. Personally I think auto tips should become mandatory then cruise passengers have the choice whether to sail or holiday elsewhere. I agree it's a bit draconian but undoubtedly fairer on everyone, passengers and crew alike.

I would go further and incorporate the tips in the basic price for the cruise, adding the amount raised to the waiters and stewards pay. Passengers would be told that there was no need or expectation to tip.

[BrianI]

I read P&O will introduce auto tips in April 2012. So for us who are on the Arcadia world cruise or sectors, i.e. us starting in March, will we get hit with the auto tips midway through our voyage which is 9 March to 27 April? Who knows.

The new system will be from the start of the European season in 2012 which will be different dates for each ship but will not affect 2012 world cruises.

Brian

[hooked cruiser]

I don't know if anybody realises but, If you cancel the Gratuities and then give an envelope to your cabin steward / Table waiter AFTER this policy comes into place the receiver MUST ask for your cabin number and then he or she have to check on the list to ascertain if the automatic tipping is still in place.

If it is then they are allowed to keep the envelope (An extra gratuity). BUT if the tipping has been cancelled by the passenger then they MUST hand the envelope over to the appropriate authority in their department and this is then put into the pot to pay all staff at the end of the cruise.

I have reliably been informed of this procedure by a person who will remain nameless but is in a senior position within the company.

 

I hope that this clarifies the position several people were asking.