Tipping on ships based in Australia?

[johndon]

Thied

 

You have certainly come up with the goods this time regarding pay/renumeration to crew.

This only makes me more cynical about compulsory tipping. I will still generously tip those staff that give me good service but I will NOT be part of a scheme devised by the Cruise line to subsidise crew wages, wages that they should paying themselves instead of encouraging sob stories about the 'POOR CREW" and playing on the good heartedness of gullible passengers.

Thied, you have risen slightly in my estimation of you.

 

John

[Sandielle]

We have NEVER, I repeat NEVER had a "sob story" from any of our waiters or cabin stewards! There is NOT ONE who has ever given us bad service, and we do not tip at the beginning of the cruise, only at the end. (After all, we are not rich farmers etc, who can cruise every few weeks. :rolleyes: ;) :D.)

 

PS: I don't know why people start tipping threads - they are always controversial! :p :)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

All I know is that the crew all seem to have the latest gadgets and when you see them ashore they are well dressed and chatting away on the very latest iphones.

At least with todays technology , they can be in touch with home whenever they want . It wasn't that long ago that when ships docked , the port would provide banks of telephones and set them aside for crew use only.

 

A valued tip then , was a prepaid phone card .... :eek: ..:D

 

[rkmw]

PS: I don't know why people start tipping threads - they are always controversial

 

i agree Sandie and all we want is someone to start a smoking thread

[Sandielle]

PS: I don't know why people start tipping threads - they are always controversial

 

i agree Sandie and all we want is someone to start a smoking thread

 

Hahaha Bob - wash your mouth out! :D That would be like opening a mini Pandora's Box. :rolleyes:

[The_Big_M]

I will NOT be part of a scheme devised by the Cruise line to subsidise crew wages, wages that they should paying themselves...

 

Somehow, I suspect the American approach to tipping was around before cruising was - and cruises just picked it up as the custom that their American guests were used to providing service workers elsewhere.

[Wyuna1]

I think we should all take a tip......... be kind to your mother. With thanks to KFC

[Sandielle]

I think we should all take a tip......... be kind to your mother. With thanks to KFC

 

That's a nice thought, Wyuna and could be taken further! I think there is far too much unnecessary unkindness in the world.

[johndon]

Sandy

 

In no way am I having a go at any crew member. My comments are directed solely towards the Companies themselves and any one else who feels sorry for the underpaid crew and promotes this "myth"

If we are to believe Thied and his research and no one has come up with any contrary documentary commentary yet, then I stick to my opinion.

 

John

[Sandielle]

Sandy

 

In no way am I having a go at any crew member. My comments are directed solely towards the Companies themselves and any one else who feels sorry for the underpaid crew and promotes this "myth"

If we are to believe Thied and his research and no one has come up with any contrary documentary commentary yet, then I stick to my opinion.

 

John

 

John, I wasn't referring to tipping - just my thoughts about life in general. :D

 

I don't know the truth about the ins and outs of tipping (I suspect none of us really does, and anyone can cut and paste info - that doesn't make it true) but as I have stated, my experiences with the wait staff and cabin stewards have been excellent, and none of them have fed me a sob story. I just know I could never do the jobs they do - it would bore me out of my brain!!!

[Aus Traveller]

We haven't had stewards or waiters tell us a so story, but I have heard many passengers relate stories they have been told. Actually, staff have told us that they feel they are well paid. I would not dream of asking them for details as I would consider that impolite.:D

[thied]

copy and paste of facts are way better the ( I have a friend that told me or I heard from a staff member)

[aussiedisneyfan]

Would you mind telling us what jobs your friends do and in what part of the world they work? :)

 

That was a bit tongue in cheek, not meant to be bragging. My friends/acquaintances are in the passenger activities areas such as CDs, fitness and shorex. They are all on US cruiselines, some while they were in Au.

[Aus Traveller]

That was a bit tongue in cheek, not meant to be bragging. My friends/acquaintances are in the passenger activities areas such as CDs, fitness and shorex. They are all on US cruiselines, some while they were in Au.

It didn't take it as bragging - after all you didn't claim to have a lot of ships' captains in your list of friends/acquaintances. :)

[aussiedisneyfan]

Ooh ooh I did have one private tour, dinner and everything. Rofl.

[Ricky H]

WOW I started to ask a question, but after reading this thread im scared to.. Ill just be quiet and nice to all. Good Day

[rugbypopsie]

No Rick please dont do that..... ask away...we are actually nice (well 99.9%) of us are. They say there's one in every bunch and we have one here too..:(

 

Sue

[lizzy77]

WOW I started to ask a question, but after reading this thread im scared to.. Ill just be quiet and nice to all. Good Day

 

Go ahead. Ask any question you like.

 

Just don't mention the "TIPPING" word:D.

[cjm66]

WOW I started to ask a question, but after reading this thread im scared to.. Ill just be quiet and nice to all. Good Day

 

Go ahead. Think about the side sniping and occasional rants as static and just focus on the basically good advice you will get from people who enjoy cruising and want to help others do the same.

 

Colleen

[rugbypopsie]

By the way the "hotel charge" was billed to my account last week on the Dawn Princess...I thought there was no hotel charge on ships based in Australia??? Could it depend on where you booked your ticket US vs Australia?

 

Sue

[johndon]

Sue

 

If you book in the USA you will be charged the "Hotel Charge". Our last cruise 8 months ago was booked in Vancouver and after the second day of the cruise we checked the on board account and saw that the Hotel Charge had been added. It was removed without question when we queried it.

 

John

[Anzac71]

My wife and I did a USA trip last November ending with a cruise on the Mariner of the Seas out of Galveston.

 

During our 2 1/2 weeks in the USA the customer service we received was the best I have every experienced and did not hesitate to tip and tip well.

 

On the cruise as always the customer service was brilliant so pre paying tips is just fine with me.

 

The only gripe I have is why do we Aussies pay Sooooooooo much more for cruises out of Sydney than it costs to do a cruise out of the USA. I mean we are doing another USA trip this coming November and have booked on the Navigator of the Seas out of New Orleans in a Gran Suite for $2630.00 all up including pre paid tips. Yest a cruise from sydney of the same duration in a grand suite would cost well over $6000.

 

Jeff

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

By the way the "hotel charge" was billed to my account last week on the Dawn Princess...I thought there was no hotel charge on ships based in Australia??? Could it depend on where you booked your ticket US vs Australia?

 

Sue

 

It must Sue although when we did our Dawn Princess cruise last December we weren't charged the hotel charge but when we were on the Sun Princess on 1st March we were charged. Both were booked in the US.

[Duck Creek]

Just got back from the Sun Princess and a dinner table mate whose travel agent had some connection to the USA was being charged the $10 a day. He questioned the rest of us and we weren't as booked in Aus or via Princess Aus.

He spoke to the pursers desk and they removed it.

[fishtaco]

I tip on land as well as a cruise,must be the Pom in me?

 

I like auto tips.I have said many times before.

 

I like to tip a small amount extra sometimes to the waiters last night if I manage to score the same table.

 

Staff who bring me drinks (I sign the tip section of docket)usually when i have had too many:D

 

I sometimes tip extra to room stewards who do more towel animals,no towel animals no tip!

 

But most posters seem to have forgotten that the amount the overseas service personel get paid by cruise lines (including tips or not) would be much greater than what they would be getting in their own country for the same hours of work.

This coupled with it being tax free and board/keep free.

 

We Aussies go to Bali a lot so should all know that the average weekly earning in the service industry is usually around $100 per week downwards minus tax,and that is a wealthy Indonesian Holiday Island!

 

It is all relevant, An Aussie with a mortgage or rent of $500+ per week could not really work for $400 a week on a cruise ship,younger singles would and do because they have no family expense to pay back home,free board free keep and a forced saving.

 

An Indian, Philippino etc worker earning $800 per fortnight would be better paid than an Aussie on basic wage at home plus their family back home expenses are less because they usually live as an extended family group.

 

We cannot relate their wage structure on a cruise ship to ours at home unless they were living in our economy.

 

The young British staff you meet are the same type that used to work on homeland "Holiday Camps" for little money,they are chasing the Fun and Sun and get plenty of both;)

 

In my opinion and correct me if I am wrong but cruise staff are not really on such a bad wicket at all but doing "very nicely thank you very much"

 

 

Den