Compulsory Tipping on Nieuw Amsterdam

[serendipity1499]

I think the confusion comes in because Level 1 of the MDR is on Deck 2 and the second level of dining is on Deck 3.

 

We disembarked the NA last Sunday..We had late seating on deck 3 & our table overlooked the rail...I may be wrong but seem to recall that there's a small balcony off the curving staircase between two & three which have only a few tables in it..Wonder if the poster means that..We also noticed that during the second week of our Collectors Cruise the MDR service was slower than usual...We never got out of the MDR before 9:30 to 9:45..

 

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I'm confused. George C's personal profile says he was born in 1989 yet he claims to have been on some 54 cruises. The numbers just don't seem to jibe.

 

Hmmmm? :confused::confused: Confusion reigns..Perhaps he cruises three to four times a year or really meant 54 days instead of cruises..

Or perhaps 1989 is a typo..IMO his posts seem to sound like posts of a mature person..

 

Cheers....Betty

[localady]

What I choose to do I will do, but if the other comments on this topic are correct and the money I gave in person will be returned to the "pool" then what I did should have no effect either postive or negative. ( last rccl was just a couple of years ago), does anyone know how this pool is broken down???

 

Wrong again.....:rolleyes:

When you withhold your tip, it is assumed you are unhappy with your room stewards or your wait staff. This is one time when no crew wants their name attached.

As you say "You will do what you choose to do", and you will cause your stewards MORE hardship, as it will be assumed by their managers that they are at fault!:rolleyes:

[jtl513]

.. does anyone know how this pool is broken down???

The amount each steward draws from the pool depends on his/her job level and length of service, but on average the room stewards get 35%, and the MDR stewards get 35%. That means even IF they were allowed to keep the cash you are giving you should be putting at least $8/day into the envelopes for each team ... and I would bet that you are not.

 

It would be far better for the crew if you left the HSC in place and gave some extra to those who gave you great service.

[Spire2000]

The amount each steward draws from the pool depends on his/her job level and length of service, but on average the room stewards get 35%, and the MDR stewards get 35%. That means even IF they were allowed to keep the cash you are giving you should be putting at least $8/day into the envelopes for each team ... and I would bet that you are not.

 

It would be far better for the crew if you left the HSC in place and gave some extra to those who gave you great service.

 

Please supply a source for these sort of numbers. I've seen so much hearsay and conflicting reports on this tipping/service charge thing. It would be nice if someone were to be able to prove this is how it works and not just supply anecdotal tales spun by crew members.

[sail7seas]

What "jtl" wrote above is what we have been told at Disembarkation Talks conducted by Cruise Director. We have heard those percentages from a number of CD's on various ships.

 

[kjw869]

Please supply a source for these sort of numbers. I've seen so much hearsay and conflicting reports on this tipping/service charge thing. It would be nice if someone were to be able to prove this is how it works and not just supply anecdotal tales spun by crew members.

 

As S7S and jtl513 state above, you should hear this information on the Disembarkation Program near the end of the cruise next month on the Maasdam.

 

I've also heard it many times.

[serendipity1499]

Please supply a source for these sort of numbers. I've seen so much hearsay and conflicting reports on this tipping/service charge thing. It would be nice if someone were to be able to prove this is how it works and not just supply anecdotal tales spun by crew members.

 

What "jtl" wrote above is what we have been told at Disembarkation Talks conducted by Cruise Director. We have heard those percentages from a number of CD's on various ships.

 

 

As S7S and jtl513 state above, you should hear this information on the Disembarkation Program near the end of the cruise next month on the Maasdam.

 

I've also heard it many times.

 

Spire ..All of the above posters are correct.. We just disembarked the Nieuw Amsterdam last Sunday & our Cruise Director (JC) stated in his disembarkation talk that 70% of the Hotel Service Charge is split up & goes to our Cabin Stewards & the Dining Room Stewards.. He stated the other 30% goes to the backroom crew who have helped the Stewards give us such good service..

Now JTL broke it down for you..

This is exactly what our Cruise Directors have stated in their disembarkation talks..It's not hearsay, as the crew on board also hears these talks via TV...If the CD was lying the crew would not stand for it!:eek: When you are on the Maasdam, ask the CD..

 

BTW several years ago, I was also told by the Front Desk that the HTL Serv. Charge is divided among the MDR, Lido, Room Service & all the specialty Restaurant Stewards..Have no idea what each of them get though..

We normally give an additional cash lagniappe to those who have made our cruises extra special in all the venue's..That is our choice & is in no way mandatory.. Only once have we not done that & it was because Our Cabin Steward kept forgetting some very simple things that we felt was not up to HAL's normal standards.. We did not report it, because we felt he might have been new..

Cheers...Betty

[janmcn]

We were concerned about the fact that the service charge goes to "our MDR staff"….well, we never eat in the MDR and have had excellent service in the Lido, so we checked. You can get the form from the front desk and indicate that in lieu of the MDR staff getting your service charge, it will be given to the Lido staff instead. I never knew that and doubt many others do too.

 

Also, yes, we never remove the auto-charge, but often give a little extra to those people who really deserve it. A few dollars here and there makes a difference to these hard-working people.

[sail7seas]

If you look around, you will notice that many of the dining room stewards work in Lido for breakfast and lunch. Just because you eat in Lido, the stewards from the dining room should be sharing in the tips directed to Lido as many work there one or two meals a day. It is not totally different staff there. Some of the dining stewards work the late night buffet, as well.

[jtl513]

We were concerned about the fact that the service charge goes to "our MDR staff"….well, we never eat in the MDR and have had excellent service in the Lido, so we checked. You can get the form from the front desk and indicate that in lieu of the MDR staff getting your service charge, it will be given to the Lido staff instead.

The MDR stewards do not just work in the MDR. Other times of the day you will find them in the Lido or delivering room service. As I said before, the 35%/35% figures that the CDs like to toss out at the debarkation talks are just ballpark numbers, or averages for the group, because so many passenger seem to want to know a number.

 

As in most companies, the amount a steward gets paid (from the pool in this case) mainly has to do with how long they have been with the company and how good they are at their job, not specifically where they work.

[sail7seas]

That is why it was not a happy day for Hunky Dory, John Wayne and others who did the "I remember your name" game in Lido. They worked hard at interacting with all the guests as they came to the Lido buffet line to get a tray. Their hope was they would get extra tips and they did, a lot of them.

 

When HAL stopped providing trays in Lido, they lost all that. BUT they are dining room stewards or have been promoted to supervisors and have the knowledge they were experienced at working well with the guests and earning extra tips. They did not make all that extra working in the MDR (though, of course, some extra) but it came more from Lido.

[Himself]

We just got off the NA..It is neither called a gratuity or a tip..HAL's final bill stated it is a "Hotel Service charge" of $11.50 per person per day..

The Cruise Director explained that the Dining room & Cabin Stewards get 70% of the Hotel Service Charge & the rest of the crew, such as those who do the laundry,cleaning of the ship, etc. get the 30%..Bar Stewards get 15% of your bar bill.. IMO 70% ($8.00 per day. divided 4 ways) is very little for the wonderful service HAL Stewards give to their Psgrs.. These guys & gals work very hard to keep us happy!

If you wish, you can also give your Personal Stewards cash at the end of your cruise, which they can keep, provided you've left the complete Hotel Service charge on your account..However, this is not mandatory, & is a lagniappe & an expression of your appreciation for a job well done..

 

 

 

Of our 16 HAL cruises, we've never received a a form to reduce the Hotel Service Charge..

All of our all inclusive resorts here in Fla., charge a Hotel/Resort Service charge per day, per adult, which cannot be reduced..And In many cases such as South Seas Plantation you purchase your own food..South Seas terms & conditions pg. states:

Occupancy and State Tax: 11% South Seas Island Resort will add a Resort Fee of $15.00 ($16.85 including tax) per day, per adult (17 years and older)

 

IMO, cruising is still a bargain!

Cheers....:):)Betty

 

Betty: You said it very well. By the way it was great sailing with you and meeting with you on our two week oddesy in the Caribbean.

[Watson's aunt]

hope your friends enjoyed what they stiffed there servers. I guess the also leave no tip when they go out to dinner. for the little money they saved buy leaving a tip or small amount I hope they have not spent it yet. Funny thing if they cruise again and have same servers they still will be treated as king and king. shame on them. Don't cruise if you cannoe afford to tip.

do not mean if you get bad service even snd only sfter you complaiined. Don't bother posting about complaints and you did not report it to front deask or those in charge

[serendipity1499]

Betty: You said it very well. By the way it was great sailing with you and meeting with you on our two week oddesy in the Caribbean.

 

Thank you Father..It was nice meeting you & Sailing with you too..Hope your trip home was uneventful..Perhaps we'll meet again on another cruise.. Cheers...Betty

hope your friends enjoyed what they stiffed there servers. I guess the also leave no tip when they go out to dinner. for the little money they saved buy leaving a tip or small amount I hope they have not spent it yet. Funny thing if they cruise again and have same servers they still will be treated as king and king. shame on them. Don't cruise if you cannoe afford to tip.

do not mean if you get bad service even snd only sfter you complaiined. Don't bother posting about complaints and you did not report it to front deask or those in charge

 

 

Don't you think you are being too critical of the OP's Post..Perhaps you should re-read the Original post again..She never said that her Friends did not leave the tip in place..All she asked was: Did they give a form out to Psgrs to adjust the tip..Are you aware of the fact that Psgrs can increase the tip if they want to by adjusting it at the front desk? The OP asked a simple question & does not deserve such a vitrolic answer..

The rest of us were commenting on a different post from another poster who happened to mention that he removed the tip entirely & no one was nasty...If you were commenting on that post' date=' it would be easier if you would quote the post you are commenting on..[/size']

 

Betty

[dobiemom]

The Cruise Director explained that the Dining room & Cabin Stewards get 70% of the Hotel Service Charge & the rest of the crew, such as those who do the laundry,cleaning of the ship, etc. get the 30%..Bar Stewards get 15% of your bar bill.. IMO 70% ($8.00 per day. divided 4 ways) is very little for the wonderful service HAL Stewards give to their Psgrs.. These guys & gals work very hard to keep us happy!

Are the Neptune Lounge Concierges included in the "rest of the crew?"

[sail7seas]

The concierges in Neptune rotate from Front Office. They get nothing different than the Front Office personnel except for tips from Suite guests. Most of us feel if they provide their usual very helpful, friendly, efficient service, we are happy to have an envelope with thanks for them at the end of the cruise.

 

All the concierges are Front Office; none are only Concierge.

 

[Boytjie]

We have just got back from the NA, it is a good job that the Hotel service can be adjusted because the service is terrible, both in the MDR and the Lido. If you are on anytime dining then you are put on level 2 where the service is extremely slow, they seem to be using this dining level as training, when I complained to the Maitre D, he said " Madam if you come tomorrow I will give you a table with good service", we also have an apology from Stan Kuppens Hotel Manager. Eventually we were sat in level 3, Ryan another Hotel Manager came over and asked us about the problems we were experiencing, he said he would arrange a table for us for the rest of our 2 week cruise, this was better but it took days of complaining to get what we expected from the start. Lines in the Lido are long and slow even for a cup of tea. RCCL have far superior staff and are alot more friendly, on HAL they are morose and have to be told to clear tables and they do not wait on you for tea and coffee either, the staff stand about talking and laughing, (in their own language) not what we expected from HAL. The staff in the Canaletto and Tamarind have it right but not in the other restaurants. Even JC the CD had to announce that "for a better dining experience, choose to dine before 6pm and after 8pm. HAL never again, the service is on par with Costa and RCCL have left them way behind.

 

We disembarked from the Nieuw Amsterdam on February 19th and had very good service throughout the ship. Strange.

 

Ours was a charter which throws the ship out of its usual routine. For example, there was no fixed dining - it was open, flexible dining on both levels. Also, the dining patterns are very different from a regular cruise with less people eating early and with a lot more entertainment going on diners were not following usual patterns. We did not have any hiccups in our service ore experience delays.

[dobiemom]

The concierges in Neptune rotate from Front Office. They get nothing different than the Front Office personnel except for tips from Suite guests. Most of us feel if they provide their usual very helpful, friendly, efficient service, we are happy to have an envelope with thanks for them at the end of the cruise.

 

All the concierges are Front Office; none are only Concierge.

Thanks!

[jayjaycan]

We have just got back from the NA, it is a good job that the Hotel service can be adjusted because the service is terrible, both in the MDR and the Lido. If you are on anytime dining then you are put on level 2 where the service is extremely slow, they seem to be using this dining level as training, when I complained to the Maitre D, he said " Madam if you come tomorrow I will give you a table with good service", we also have an apology from Stan Kuppens Hotel Manager. Eventually we were sat in level 3, Ryan another Hotel Manager came over and asked us about the problems we were experiencing, he said he would arrange a table for us for the rest of our 2 week cruise, this was better but it took days of complaining to get what we expected from the start. Lines in the Lido are long and slow even for a cup of tea. RCCL have far superior staff and are alot more friendly, on HAL they are morose and have to be told to clear tables and they do not wait on you for tea and coffee either, the staff stand about talking and laughing, (in their own language) not what we expected from HAL. The staff in the Canaletto and Tamarind have it right but not in the other restaurants. Even JC the CD had to announce that "for a better dining experience, choose to dine before 6pm and after 8pm. HAL never again, the service is on par with Costa and RCCL have left them way behind.

 

Sure service is going to be slow when 90% of people show up at the Lido at the same time and when everybody on anytime dining wants to be seated at 7:00 - 7:30.

Ever sailed Princess or Celebrity,same thing happens there and I suspect on many other large ships.

[Watson's aunt]

so those who cooked your meals or washed your sheets and towels got nothing. or If you used a tender got nothing. Those who entertained you nothing, cleaned up after you while on ship nothing.

[Typhoon1]

$11.50 per day is automatically added. $12.00 if you are in a Suite or PS.

[Typhoon1]

We disembarked from the Nieuw Amsterdam on February 19th and had very good service throughout the ship. Strange.

 

Ours was a charter which throws the ship out of its usual routine. For example, there was no fixed dining - it was open, flexible dining on both levels. Also, the dining patterns are very different from a regular cruise with less people eating early and with a lot more entertainment going on diners were not following usual patterns. We did not have any hiccups in our service ore experience delays.

 

We too, were very impressed. Especially given the large number of new crew members that boarded the ship in Fort Lauderdale.

 

Those of us that were there early enough saw the entire waiting area filled with new crew members. My initial thoughts were this is going to be disastrous.

 

One of our cabin stewards was making his first trip.