Tipping - New Policy

[shh]

I understand that a 15% gratuity is added to bar tabs. However, are tips automatically added to places like Johnny Rockets or Ritas where you just pay a cover? Are you expected to tip if you buy a cupcake at Cupcake Cupboard or if you get free food at Sorrentos? Sorry to be so naive.

[Charles4515]

My understanding is that PCL (and maybe other cruise lines) takes the cash tips from their staff to pool it...Haven't heard that RCI is doing this as well, are you sure of this or just "assuming" :confused:

 

That is what they do when they have automatic gratutities deducted. Otherwise they would have left the cash system in place. Even with the cash system Royal Caribbean was taking out a share by assuming that 85% of those who paid cash tipped and the rest stiffed. We saw that on the sheets the screw the crew guy showed. So one way or another tips were shared even before the policy changes. I would guess that was part of the reason they went to automatic tips, so that the pooling is now 100% and crew members won't think the cruise line is taking a cut. If it makes you feel good to hand out cash fine, but the crew is still going to share your tips.

[NeoVega]

My daughter and I are disembarking on Day 5 of a 7 night cruise. What would be fair in this instance? $12 per day per person based on 5 day or $12 per day based on 7 days?

 

This is a Baltic Cruise and our intended destination for this trip was Riga Latvia. So we will not be returing to Stockholm with the rest of the ship. We have obtained permission from RCI to disembark early .

 

I have also sent an email to RCI customer service with the same question.

 

My intention is to have 2 days worth of tips removed from our since we won't be there to benefit from the service.

 

 

I did finally get an answer from RCI customer service:

 

Guests who are sailing on an approved partial sailing will not have the daily gratuity amount added on to their onboard expense account for the days not spent onboard. Please be sure to visit our Guest Services desk once onboard to verify the auto gratuity amounts have been removed.

 

I believe this is fair, and also frees me to make a few cash tips to show genuine gratitude.

 

I really appreciate CC. If I had intended to be insensitive and unfair in tipping, I would not have asked for perspective here at CC.

 

Thank you for your comments, especially the less judgmental ones. I think it would be good to be sensitive to the fact some of us need to be more careful with how we spend our money on our vacations than others. Especially first time cruisers who might not do more than one or two cruises in their lifetime, for whom taking a cruise is more than just something to do with their free time.

[k9x8]

Charles, some are to believe this because they don't want to believe it.

 

Here's my question for some of you: if the Windjammer servers don't share in the pool, does that mean they get paid more than $50 a month? Hmmmm? :rolleyes:

 

That is what they do when they have automatic gratutities deducted. Otherwise they would have left the cash system in place. Even with the cash system Royal Caribbean was taking out a share by assuming that 85% of those who paid cash tipped and the rest stiffed. We saw that on the sheets the screw the crew guy showed. So one way or another tips were shared even before the policy changes. I would guess that was part of the reason they went to automatic tips, so that the pooling is now 100% and crew members won't think the cruise line is taking a cut. If it makes you feel good to hand out cash fine, but the crew is still going to share your tips.

[Ocean Boy]

Charles, some are to believe this because they don't want to believe it.

 

Here's my question for some of you: if the Windjammer servers don't share in the pool, does that mean they get paid more than $50 a month? Hmmmm? :rolleyes:

 

The people assigned to work the Windjammer dinners do so on one week rotations. They don't work there permanently. You can stop rolling your eyes now.

[Paul65]

Charles, some are to believe this because they don't want to believe it.

 

Here's my question for some of you: if the Windjammer servers don't share in the pool, does that mean they get paid more than $50 a month? Hmmmm? :rolleyes:

 

You'll hear all sorts of different stories from different people about how the crew is paid/not paid, most of which will be sworn to as the truth, because so-and-so told me, personally.

 

Basically, it's just too easy for some people to accept that the company will distribute the recommended daily gratuity appropriately. They like to feel that they know better and can reapportion money better themselves. It makes them feel like they're beating some nefarious system that they believe is designed to screw over some portion of the crew.

[caribbean sailor]

That is what they do when they have automatic gratutities deducted. Otherwise they would have left the cash system in place. Even with the cash system Royal Caribbean was taking out a share by assuming that 85% of those who paid cash tipped and the rest stiffed. We saw that on the sheets the screw the crew guy showed. So one way or another tips were shared even before the policy changes. I would guess that was part of the reason they went to automatic tips, so that the pooling is now 100% and crew members won't think the cruise line is taking a cut. If it makes you feel good to hand out cash fine, but the crew is still going to share your tips.

 

If that is the case after they take $240.00 for our ten day cruise 1/21/14.There will be no further tips.Waiting to see if the level of service drops.

[k9x8]

The people assigned to work the Windjammer dinners do so on one week rotations. They don't work there permanently. You can stop rolling your eyes now.

 

Still didn't answer my question.

Do they get paid a higher salary than an MDR or specialty server during Windjammer weeks?

 

Not that I really expect an answer. Those who don't want to fork over the pre-paid or auto-gratuities have a never ending supply of rationales.

 

Again, do you tip the crew who help your steward?

 

Y'all are. of course, free to proceed as you wish. For us, the pre-paid gratuity is about 1.5% of the cruise portion of our trip (air, hotel, spending in ports, etc.), and that's if we forego onboard spending of any kind.

[Ocean Boy]

Still didn't answer my question.

Do they get paid a higher salary than an MDR or specialty server during Windjammer weeks?

 

Not that I really expect an answer. Those who don't want to fork over the pre-paid or auto-gratuities have a never ending supply of rationales.

 

Again, do you tip the crew who help your steward?

 

Y'all are. of course, free to proceed as you wish. For us, the pre-paid gratuity is about 1.5% of the cruise portion of our trip (air, hotel, spending in ports, etc.), and that's if we forego onboard spending of any kind.

 

I guess part of the contract for being an MDR server is you just have to do your time in the Windjammer. I very much doubt that they get a higher base salary during that week. And as to your question about the crew that helps my cabin steward, of course I don't tip them. I tip my steward as he provides the service to me. It is up to him to take care of the people that help him.

 

I don't think it is the cabin steward part of auto tipping that creates so much controversy as it is the dining portion of it. There are just too many dining options these days and many of us never eat in the MDR. RCI knows who my cabin steward was. They have no idea who took care of me for dinner. Those of us who use the Windjammer want to take care of those folks just as I suspect you want to take care of the folks that took care of you in the MDR.

Edited April 21, 2013 by Ocean Boy

[blondcat]

I had an interesting call with RCI last week when I made an amendment to my BTB booking next year. I am in the UK and spoke to the UK call centre when I was getting my mum added to the booking. I had phoned up already a few days earlier and they had given me the approximate cost. I then sorted out her time off work and phoned back to actually add her. The price they gave me was less the second time - I was very happy and mentioned it to the agent. She said, ah I probably know why - they obviously included the gratuities in the first price you were quoted. I said I'd rather not prepay a year in advance and will just pay onboard when the prepaid amounts are added on automatically.

 

This is where it gets interesting. She said - oh don't worry about that, those tips don't have to be paid - they're just an option for some guests. I said all the same - I will be paying them for all 3 of us directly via the seapass account and extra if any of the staff are fab. But she persisted in trying to convince me they were not really expected and not part of the cruise cost and a simple trip to GS to have them removed would be fine!!

 

For seasoned travelers from Britain (like most who post on these boards) this will be an irrelevant comment and ignored with tips paid in full. But its no wonder many Brits get on the ship thinking tipping is not necessary if this is the advice being dished out from the RCI call centre, especially for folks living outside the big cities where tipping is still not a big part of the culture.

 

Sent from my BlackBerry 9300 using Tapatalk

Edited April 21, 2013 by blondcat

[Debde]

They like to feel that they know better and can reapportion money better themselves.

 

When you go out to dinner at night, if the owner of the restaurant came up to you and said, give me the tip money for your server and I'll give it it him-would you be OK with that?

I've always felt a tip should come from me directly-that's all!!

please paul65-take this as chit chat and not an attack.;)

 

And yes Ocean Boy-spot on with your comment. Royal has no idea where I eat so how can they tip for me!!

Edited April 21, 2013 by Debde

[Paul65]

When you go out to dinner at night, if the owner of the restaurant came up to you and said, give me the tip money for your server and I'll give it it him-would you be OK with that?

I've always felt a tip should come from me directly-that's all!!

please paul65-take this as chit chat and not an attack.;)

 

And yes Ocean Boy-spot on with your comment. Royal has no idea where I eat so how can they tip for me!!

 

Well, that happens, in a sense, when you eat out and the tip is included. It is not an owner coming by and asking for it (but neither does it happen that way on the ship). It is just added to your bill. And, yes, in the instances where that has happened to me, I have been OK with it. I'm not hung up on having to personally hand it to the server in order to feel good about myself. (Take that as chit chat and not an attack. ;))

[k9x8]

I guess part of the contract for being an MDR server is you just have to do your time in the Windjammer. I very much doubt that they get a higher base salary during that week.

 

Ah - you guess.

So, when it's Windjammer week, a server has to depend on the largesse of diners. Care to hazard a guess on how many diners even bother to tip there?

 

For me, the burning question is, why is $5 or so a day such a big deal? The MDR servers are working whether you are there or not. A waiter assigned to an eight-top table shouldn't suffer because only two diners show up.

[Debde]

Ah - you guess.

So, when it's Windjammer week, a server has to depend on the largesse of diners. Care to hazard a guess on how many diners even bother to tip there?

 

Expecially the ones that have not moved up to earn a place working in the MDR!

Well, at least I know this cruiser does tip them!!;)

 

Paul-I guess I'm just hung up on actually having to hand a tip to my server.;) Here in NY-I've never had the tip added to my bill unless I am at a catering hall.

[Paul65]

Paul-I guess I'm just hung up on actually having to hand a tip to my server.;) Here in NY-I've never had the tip added to my bill unless I am at a catering hall.

 

:eek: Oh my! I hope you were able to go to the catering hall management and explain to them that you want that tip removed from your bill, so that you can hand it over in cash.

[Debde]

:eek: Oh my! I hope you were able to go to the catering hall management and explain to them that you want that tip removed from your bill, so that you can hand it over in cash.

 

LOL If I'm throwing the party I'm paying the bill. :D

[Ocean Boy]

Ah - you guess.

So, when it's Windjammer week, a server has to depend on the largesse of diners. Care to hazard a guess on how many diners even bother to tip there?

 

For me, the burning question is, why is $5 or so a day such a big deal? The MDR servers are working whether you are there or not. A waiter assigned to an eight-top table shouldn't suffer because only two diners show up.

 

Is there a reason why I should care? Tipping is between a person providing service and a person receiving service. What all those other people do is neither my concern nor my business.

 

As for the waiter with the 8 top and just two diners, aside from salaried people that is pretty much the way of the world. You go to work and if people don't show up your income goes down. That is a risk you accept when you chose some occupations. It is hardly a foreign concept to me.

[cruisinnorth]

Hi All,

 

Just this past week I booked our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We will be sailing on the Oasis, transatlantic, next October.

 

I was told, when I booked, that the mandatory gratuities were only mandatory for the folks who chose "My Time" dining. OK, I am a Princess veteran and on Princess they do add tips to your account every day. BUT, I have the option of going to the Purser's desk and telling them I want them to stop adding the gratuities to my account, so the tips are not mandatory on Princess. There is a reaction that takes place when I do this. Once the gratuities are not being added to the account the service person, whether he or she is a waiter, room steward, etc. must turn in any cash he or she is given as a tip, by a passenger. As long as the gratuities are being added to a passengers account the server may keep any cash given to them as a tip. And, yes, they know.

 

I have always paid the gratuities, every time, I would feel like a real clone if I didn't. BUT... Mandatory gratuities are simply wrong. They are nothing more than an increase in the cost of the cruise and if what I was told is true then I am being charged more for my cruise just because I chose My Time dining. So, I guess that choosing My Time dining is basically the same as choosing to go to one of the specialty venues every night where there is an up charge and paying 24.00 for the privilege. In fact, when I go to Johnny Rockets I will pay the 10.00 for my wife and I and I am still paying the 24.00 per night mandatory tip.

 

What is the motivation of a wait person to do a good job once they know they will receive their tips no matter how they do their jobs?

 

I will swallow the bad taste this leaves in my mouth because we are very eager to experience the Oasis and I just love an itinerary with 10 sea days.

 

Sorry, I just had to rant a bit.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

[caribbean sailor]

Hi All,

 

Just this past week I booked our first Royal Caribbean cruise. We will be sailing on the Oasis, transatlantic, next October.

 

I was told, when I booked, that the mandatory gratuities were only mandatory for the folks who chose "My Time" dining. OK, I am a Princess veteran and on Princess they do add tips to your account every day. BUT, I have the option of going to the Purser's desk and telling them I want them to stop adding the gratuities to my account, so the tips are not mandatory on Princess. There is a reaction that takes place when I do this. Once the gratuities are not being added to the account the service person, whether he or she is a waiter, room steward, etc. must turn in any cash he or she is given as a tip, by a passenger. As long as the gratuities are being added to a passengers account the server may keep any cash given to them as a tip. And, yes, they know.

 

I have always paid the gratuities, every time, I would feel like a real clone if I didn't. BUT... Mandatory gratuities are simply wrong. They are nothing more than an increase in the cost of the cruise and if what I was told is true then I am being charged more for my cruise just because I chose My Time dining. So, I guess that choosing My Time dining is basically the same as choosing to go to one of the specialty venues every night where there is an up charge and paying 24.00 for the privilege. In fact, when I go to Johnny Rockets I will pay the 10.00 for my wife and I and I am still paying the 24.00 per night mandatory tip.

 

What is the motivation of a wait person to do a good job once they know they will receive their tips no matter how they do their jobs?

 

I will swallow the bad taste this leaves in my mouth because we are very eager to experience the Oasis and I just love an itinerary with 10 sea days.

 

Sorry, I just had to rant a bit.

 

Cheers,

 

Dave

 

We have to also try to swallow hard.They will take twenty four dollars a day.And the crew will look for a cash tip from us,not going to happen,i will not give any extra.we have a cruise planned 1/21/2014 may be our last.Will keep up with this site we expect service to Decline.Royal your wrong on this.GRATUITIES OR GIVEN NOT TAKEN. :mad:

[Cindy]

We had MTD for the first time last week on the Mariner, so we had also pre-paid our gratuities. Our cabin steward was very good, and our waiter was truly exceptional...the best we've ever had on Royal Caribbean and on par with a waitress on Princess who until last week occupied the #1 spot on our list!:) There certainly wasn't any decline in service due to already having paid our tips. At the end of the cruise we tipped extra, in cash, to those people who provided us with exceptional service.

On our Holland America cruise, they referred to it as a "Hotel Service Charge" instead of a tip. That way, they covered everybody, regardless of where they ate.

[Gotta Go Cruisin]

Semantics...Cruise Industry should stop calling it a "Tip or Gratuity" and call it a "Service Fee", add it to the price of the cruise and then we have the truth being told, but hey, that's not going to happen because "We can't handle the TRUTH". Hard working personnel on the your Cruise Ship deserve the $$$ they earn, but we the customer don't get to decide who that is unless we slip them a "C" note somewhere along the line on top of the "Service Fee". I have never understood why every passenger is expected to pay ALL "Tippable" crew members a Tip even if that customer has only received service in some form (directly or indirectly) from a small percentage of Tippable Crew Members. I always love these discussions about, the Wait Staff in the MDR deserve your $$$, even if you never eat in the MDR, I know they work in the buffett too (not quite the same service). I know some of you will now jump to conclusions and think "Ah, well he just doesn't want to Tip", not the case, I tip well, I just don't understand why they still call it a Tip or Gratuity when it's a Service Charge designed to augment the wages of personnel not recieving a livable wage by the Cruise Line. Wow, there's my two cents. Now go enjoy your cruise. :p

[katiel53]

 

I am being charged more for my cruise just because I chose My Time dining[/size][/size]. So, I guess that choosing My Time dining is basically the same as choosing to go to one of the specialty venues every night where there is an up charge and paying 24.00 for the privilege. In fact, when I go to Johnny Rockets I will pay the 10.00 for my wife and I and I am still paying the 24.00 per night mandatory tip.

 

 

I know I am stating the obvious, but you do realize that when you go to Johnny Rockets, the $12.00 you are paying isn't all for your waitstaff, right? Also, do you realize that now Royal Caribbean is automatically billing everyone the gratuities? The difference is you are paying for yours when you make final payment and others are being billed on their cards when they are on the ship. If you run into a problem, as mentioned a long time ago, talk to the person creating the problem and if it's not solved, escalate the problem.

 

By the way, I am one of those wishing the gratuities would be changed to a mandatory "service charge" that would be non-removable unless a problem couldn't be resolved. It really is a service fee, so why not call it what it is. If the change were made, then all these tipping threads would go away and everyone would be paying it. Seems fair to me!

[Ocean Boy]

By the way, I am one of those wishing the gratuities would be changed to a mandatory "service charge" that would be non-removable unless a problem couldn't be resolved. It really is a service fee, so why not call it what it is. If the change were made, then all these tipping threads would go away and everyone would be paying it. Seems fair to me!

 

Tipping threads will neve go away. I think the cruise lines are in a transition. Right now it is an automatic gratuity charge. Soon it will be called a service charge. And right after that happens folks will be talking about how the staff should be tipped. Then we are right back to where we started plus a service charge on top of it all.

[Debde]

Tipping threads will neve go away. I think the cruise lines are in a transition. Right now it is an automatic gratuity charge. Soon it will be called a service charge. And right after that happens folks will be talking about how the staff should be tipped. Then we are right back to where we started plus a service charge on top of it all.

 

Of course. If you come back, say 5 years or so and read the tipping threads it will have a whole new but familiar sound.

 

Now, all those folks that think just pre-paying or pay and the end tips will keep CC happpy. No way. Next it will be how much extra to tip them and the debate goes on and your cruise fare will keep getting raised and then you'll see why I say AI's are so much cheaper then a cruise!!:p

 

Sevice fee = your cruise went up.

Tip, gratuity should come from the consumer

 

For a family of 5-my last cruise was over $500.00 in tips. Plus the ones not included in that. If anyone here thinks i'll just hand that over to the company and let them spread the tips around you are sadly mistaken. Raise my cruise fare-that I would get and have no problem with. Do not take my tip money and tell me you will give it out when you have no idea where I ate.

[boo214]

Expecially the ones that have not moved up to earn a place working in the MDR!

Well, at least I know this cruiser does tip them!!;)

 

Paul-I guess I'm just hung up on actually having to hand a tip to my server.;) Here in NY-I've never had the tip added to my bill unless I am at a catering hall.

they do work in the mdr. they are assistant waiters and they do 1 week rotations working the windjammer at dinnertime.