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Service Gratuity ?

Big-Will

By Big-Will,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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elleusion

elleusion

Posted
Posted

I, personally would Never take away any gratuities from anyone. It is my thought that they earned it. IF the service was ever THAT bad or poor I would A. Not give any extras B. Complain in the appropriate time, place and manner. I also have always upon the 1st night or meeting room steward the first time given a small token ($5-10) depending on cruise length. This is when I would ask for anything needed Ex: extra pillow, ice in bucket, remove everything from fridge, whatever I would like. Just my thoughts....

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mikel24m

mikel24m

Posted
Posted
I, personally would Never take away any gratuities from anyone. It is my thought that they earned it. IF the service was ever THAT bad or poor I would A. Not give any extras B. Complain in the appropriate time, place and manner. I also have always upon the 1st night or meeting room steward the first time given a small token ($5-10) depending on cruise length. This is when I would ask for anything needed Ex: extra pillow, ice in bucket, remove everything from fridge, whatever I would like. Just my thoughts....

 

Exactly!!! On your next cruise go down to the pursers desk on the last night after dinner and watch the long line of tip removers.Its pretty disgusting but allowed

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joeyancho

joeyancho

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The crew gets paid a salary. The gratuity is NOT their salary. They agreed to this salary when signing their contract. If you feel they dont get paid enough, talk to their employer in Corporate. You can remove it if you want.

 

Wrongo Bongo. The crew gets a very small salary, like a waitress. They depend on tips for their income. You don't go complain to Applebee's because the waitress's salary in $1.25 per hour. You tip her according to the bill and level of service, like a decent human being. Your tip is the vast majority of her income. The ship workers are not unionized to where they can demand more.

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CountryFox

CountryFox

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My girlfriend had hers taken off on one cruise in the middle of the cruise because she really did get bad service in the room and at dinner. When her final bill came they were on there. Service desk wouldn't take them off and it took over a month for Carnival to credit her after she got back and made numerous phone calls.

WHAT!!! You must have had bad service at the desk too. I have taken then off on my last cruise and that was that. When the final bill came I made sure that they were not there. i PAId cash to tip.

THAT'S JUST MESSED UP WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU... SORRY:D

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Disconnections

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Posted
Posted
Wrongo Bongo. The crew gets a very small salary, like a waitress. They depend on tips for their income. You don't go complain to Applebee's because the waitress's salary in $1.25 per hour. You tip her according to the bill and level of service, like a decent human being. Your tip is the vast majority of her income. The ship workers are not unionized to where they can demand more.

 

As per your post, the crew does get paid a salary. The salary is small to you, but it is large compared to what they would receive in their home countries. The gratuity is to supplement their salary and can never be guaranteed. If the crew does not provide service that the consumer expects, the consumer has the full discretion to modify/remove any/all of the automatic gratuities.

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mikel24m

mikel24m

Posted
Posted
As per your post, the crew does get paid a salary. The salary is small to you, but it is large compared to what they would receive in their home countries. The gratuity is to supplement their salary and can never be guaranteed. If the crew does not provide service that the consumer expects, the consumer has the full discretion to modify/remove any/all of the automatic gratuities.

 

And what is a good salary in their home country is none of our business.And I personally cannot wait until the consumer is forced to pay gratuities and fuel surcharge or better yet a nice big increase in fare.

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kona_wahine

kona_wahine

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I can't believe this is even being debated. I figure the prepaid tips as part of the cruise price. I would only think of having them removed if it was really, really bad service. I'm pretty easy going so it would tak a lot. I tip extra for great service. But to ask the question before you even cruise, I just don't get it.

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lucky13elec

lucky13elec

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And what is a good salary in their home country is none of our business.And I personally cannot wait until the consumer is forced to pay gratuities and fuel surcharge or better yet a nice big increase in fare.

 

 

Why would you want people to pay more?

I agree that cruisers should pay their tips. But when you are forced to pay its not a gratuity anymore.

 

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CWcruisers

CWcruisers

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:cool: Back in the "good old days" when the tips you gave out on the last night in the dining room, it was half full!!!!:eek: That is why they have the tips on the bill at the end of your cruise!!:rolleyes:

 

 

Good point. Thank you for reminding us of that, but you are absolutely right, people were busy "packing" and missed dinner.:mad:

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truecruiser

truecruiser

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No consumer can ever be forced to pay for those things.

oh if they change the system then yes they can. absolutely.

You're right in that you can't be forced, but they won't let you on the ship.;)

 

 

As per your post, the crew does get paid a salary. The salary is small to you, but it is large compared to what they would receive in their home countries. The gratuity is to supplement their salary and can never be guaranteed. If the crew does not provide service that the consumer expects, the consumer has the full discretion to modify/remove any/all of the automatic gratuities.

 

$1.25 an hour?!?!? OMG! Where do I sign up????

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truecruiser

truecruiser

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I've always wondered what that long line was for.:(

 

It's quite disgusting. Both at the beginning of the cruise (the second you board), and the night before it ends. I always said the BEST thing about becoming platinum was having a separate line at the purser's desk. To no longer have to wait an HOUR or more in line behind these people, listening to them complain and complain, when all i want to do is put in a 5 second request to get balcony dividers opened, is to me the BEST perk of all.

 

Thank you for providing statistical information.

 

Glad you are so impressed. That statistical info is so warped.

 

Instead of reading stats from cruise job headhunters, go on line and read the Newsweek articles which talk about how these headhunters have essentially robbed these people, put em in debt with luring them into with false salaries and then charging them astronomical commissions.

 

And research the recent case law which discusses in detail the wages, the dependency on tips bc of legal right to overwork and underpay, and the industry's practice of deliberately making their wages lower and having them make up for it in tips so they can keep operating costs down and remain competitive.

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truecruiser

truecruiser

Posted
Posted

 

what is it you are trying to show me? don't show me entertainment who are subcontractors or the very well paid maitre d, CD, officers, shore excursion guy, accountants, casino hosts, don't show me those #s and tell me we have a bunch of Rockefellas sailing the seas. show me the below the deck people, the people who bus tables, mop floors, etc, don't show me fireman, or doctors, or nurses, or camp counselors.

 

When you tip individually, and you have removed your tips, the steward and dining people must hand them in. this is because there a many behind the scenes workers who also get a chunk of that $5.50 a day. if they don't get a thing from you? they are sternly questioned, prob in an effort to ensure they didn't pocket it without sharing. they get asked why the tips were removed, and they can get penalized on occasion.

 

there are a million tipping threads on here.

 

it's all been said and done a thousand times.

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Glad you are so impressed. That statistical info is so warped.

 

Instead of reading stats from cruise job headhunters, go on line and read the Newsweek articles which talk about how these headhunters have essentially robbed these people, put em in debt with luring them into with false salaries and then charging them astronomical commissions.

 

And research the recent case law which discusses in detail the wages, the dependency on tips bc of legal right to overwork and underpay, and the industry's practice of deliberately making their wages lower and having them make up for it in tips so they can keep operating costs down and remain competitive.

 

Sorry, I wasn't impressed. I simply thanked another CC member for providing information. Never did I say I was impressed.

 

As far as your Newsweek articles- I won't be taking my time to read them. I don't care if headhunters have done that to the crew. My point is that they get paid a salary, which they do. In Panama and the Bahamas, Carnival is meeting minimum wage for their crew members as required by law. The service employees on Carnival are not guaranteed the gratuities. They agreed when signing the contract that they will receive their salary at the minimum plus any discretionary tips. They assume the risk of their gratuities being removed by working in the service industry on Carnival.

 

As per Carnival:

As a convenience gratuities will be automatically posted to your Sail & Sign account on the second day of your cruise. Our Staff is totally committed to exceed your expectations in every way possible. If you are not satisfied with the service you receive, we encourage you to contact the Guest Services desk while onboard. This will allow us to address your concerns in a timely and appropriate fashion. Once gratuities have been posted, you may adjust them at your discretion at any time while onboard. Gratuities will be deemed undisputed unless a request to modify is received prior to disembarking the ship.

 

If you feel the staff should be paid more or gratuities to become a "non-removable service charge" similar to NCL, please contact someone in Corporate. They will address the situation for you better than anyone on a message board.

 

Edit: The cash tips on Carnival are not pooled. On other cruise lines, such as Princess, they do pool tips if they have been removed. Carnival chooses not to go that route and does not interrogate their crew.

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truecruiser

truecruiser

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...They assume the risk of their gratuities being removed by working in the service industry on Carnival.

 

The ones you SEE and interact with run that risk, but if they screw up, they screw up for EVERYONE else that works with them that you do NOT interact with and those innocent people get screwed.

 

This is why so many cruisers here on cruise critic who actually PAY their tips when they cruise, suggest to others that even if the service of one person was terrible, please consider ADJUSTING them so at least the others will receive.

 

If you feel the staff should be paid more or gratuities to become a "non-removable service charge" similar to NCL, please contact someone in Corporate. They will address the situation for you better than anyone on a message board.

 

:confused::confused::confused::confused: I never said they should be paid more gratuities (even though I personally do pay extra), I just said "Pay em"

 

Thanks, but you can hang onto that advice for yourself.

 

Edit: The cash tips on Carnival are not pooled. On other cruise lines, such as Princess, they do pool tips if they have been removed. Carnival chooses not to go that route and does not interrogate their crew.

 

Give me proof that they aren't asked to be pooled with their busboy and or assistant cabin steward.

 

And let me play devil's advocate, even if they aren't pooled, you are perfectly fine with the guy,... who is cleaning your toilet,... after your 12th meal of the day,... to get no more than his $1.25 - $3.00 hour because "hey, that's more $ than he'd get scrubbing poop at home?":rolleyes:

 

Forget it. I don't want proof of yours. I don't want proof of mine. I don't even want a reply.

 

I have a headache. Tipping threads always do this. I shouldn't have even clicked on the link. Some things will never change, and some people will always ruin it all.:rolleyes:

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The ones you SEE and interact with run that risk, but if they screw up, they screw up for EVERYONE else that works with them that you do NOT interact with and those innocent people get screwed.

 

This is why so many cruisers here on cruise critic who actually PAY their tips when they cruise, suggest to others that even if the service of one person was terrible, please consider ADJUSTING them so at least the others will receive.

 

 

 

:confused::confused::confused::confused: I never said they should be paid more gratuities (even though I personally do pay extra), I just said "Pay em"

 

Thanks, but you can hang onto that advice for yourself.

 

 

 

Give me proof that they aren't asked to be pooled with their busboy and or assistant cabin steward.

 

And let me play devil's advocate, even if they aren't pooled, you are perfectly fine with the guy,... who is cleaning your toilet,... after your 12th meal of the day,... to get no more than his $1.25 - $3.00 hour because "hey, that's more $ than he'd get scrubbing poop at home?":rolleyes:

 

Forget it. I don't want proof of yours. I don't want proof of mine. I don't even want a reply.

 

I have a headache. Tipping threads always do this. I shouldn't have even clicked on the link. Some things will never change, and some people will always ruin it all.:rolleyes:

 

Okay. Thanks for the conversation!

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mikel24m

mikel24m

Posted
Posted
Why would you want people to pay more?

I agree that cruisers should pay their tips. But when you are forced to pay its not a gratuity anymore.

 

 

I would love people including myself to pay more. maybe $200 and pay the service staff what they should make and never have another tipping thread again for the cheap people to never have a "its a tip and i will tip or not what i think is fair" :)

 

I would love a service charge

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