Tips charged to sea pass daily?

[awhcruiser]

Where is the like button?

they should wrap it up in cruise price for cheap skates like some that do not see a need to tip. they wipe and clear your tables everyday and also get you drinks if you wish to have.

[awhcruiser]

Will you be clearing your own dishes/glasses from the table and washing them? If so then no need to tip.

Since when did RCI start charging your sea pass daily for tips? Due to my wife's disability we dont even eat in the dining room but we have to tip the waitstaff? What's wrong with this picture? If that is going to be the way it's done, wrap it up in the price of the cruise.:(:mad:

[PerferWarmWeather]

Since when did RCI start charging your sea pass daily for tips? Due to my wife's disability we dont even eat in the dining room but we have to tip the waitstaff? What's wrong with this picture? If that is going to be the way it's done, wrap it up in the price of the cruise.:(:mad:

 

Even if you eat anywhere outside your room the dining room servers are probably working there. The almost always have more than one place they work on any given day.

[bloodymary]

In fact many high end resorts (that provide service similar to what you experience on a cruise) charge a daily resort fee of $10-20 on top of the daily room rate... that can be a surprise if you aren't expecting it in advance!

 

Restaurants (and, I guess, cruises) do "pay a living wage" by factoring in expected and customary tips (on which income servers are expected to pay taxes, too)... eg, if expected tips in a restaurant are $8 per hour, and minimum wage is (let's say) $10/hr., the restaurant pays a wage of $2/hr. with the expectation that the customary tips will make up the difference.

 

So yes, tips are very important in this business model!!

 

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People who work under this rule are of there heads

This is slave labour I thought this was done away with years ago

Employers sould not get away with this

[ryano]

Even if you eat anywhere outside your room the dining room servers are probably working there. The almost always have more than one place they work on any given day.

 

I dont understand what people dont get about this ^. "Im not eating in the MDR so I shouldnt have to tip them" :rolleyes::(:o

 

On every cruise Ive been on I have seen my MDR waitstaff working in other venues. My headwaiter greeted me every morning in the WJ to carry my plate around because Im in a wheelchair. He got a MUCH better tip than the lousy amount included in prepaid tips.

 

TIPS does NOT mean "To Insure Proper Service". Im not even sure who came up with that acronym. If they were, you would ALWAYS pay them in advance.

 

Why do so many people pay thousands of dollars for a cruise yet balk at the 12.00pp pd in recommended tips? If people keep on removing these, it wont belong before the cruise lines start making them non removable IMHO.

[mildew1951]

Folks make up all kind of excused not not to tip the great staff on RCI.

 

Folks also make up all kind of excuses to justify cruise lines not paying proper wages.

[cruzsnooze]

If I ate at the buffet every night I wouldn't tip the main dining room. The waiters in the MDR will get their tips from the customers at their tables that they serve. I would be inclined to tip the buffet staff who help with drinks and your wife who you stated needs a little extra help.

[mildew1951]

I wasnt calling anyone personally names. I do feel it is disgusting to expect service for free.

 

free!!!!!! seriously!!!!!

 

Cost of cruise paid by passenger = service as far as I'm aware:(

[CP3o]

Folks also make up all kind of excuses to justify cruise lines not paying proper wages.

 

Yes, different countries do it differently but here tips are really their wages and it is thought that by withholding their wages and have them come in the form of optional tips, they will provide better service. many who tip well, autotip and more, still like the tipping idea to continue to give them incentive as oppose to wrapping the fee into cruisefare and they will get it regardless. But the cruise industry decides this, neither pax or workers get to choose.

 

adequate service is assumed in the auto tips to pay their base pay.

 

great service may get a "bonus" amount over that. bad service may make one want to go reduce their wages in a trip to guest services. tips are not a bonus. saying rccl should pay them better ignores how things are done in this country to the disadvantage of someone trying to save money to send home so their kids can get a better education in their country and have a better life.

 

tip different in different countries based on their customs and wage paying. don't say one country should do it like my country and therefore I don't want to pay customary wages in the form of tips. it hurts the weakest player in the equation.

[negc]

Folks also make up all kind of excuses to justify cruise lines not paying proper wages.

 

The laws may be different in Australia, but in the US, there are two different minimum wage laws which apply to workers in general and to people work in jobs where tips are a good percentage of their weekly wage. Like it or not, the cruise industry isn't doing anything much different from what many US companies do. Tipping servers is a long-standing custom in the US and the "slaves" of the cruise industry seem content with the system. Besides, any increase in the wages paid by the cruiselines will be matched or greatly exceeded by the cruise fares that will result so perhaps you should be careful in what you wish for.

[panthers_4890]

I dont understand what people dont get about this ^. "Im not eating in the MDR so I shouldnt have to tip them" :rolleyes::(:o

 

On every cruise Ive been on I have seen my MDR waitstaff working in other venues. My headwaiter greeted me every morning in the WJ to carry my plate around because Im in a wheelchair. He got a MUCH better tip than the lousy amount included in prepaid tips.

 

TIPS does NOT mean "To Insure Proper Service". Im not even sure who came up with that acronym. If they were, you would ALWAYS pay them in advance.

 

Why do so many people pay thousands of dollars for a cruise yet balk at the 12.00pp pd in recommended tips? If people keep on removing these, it wont belong before the cruise lines start making them non removable IMHO.

 

This. Our assistant waiter in the MDR worked in the WJ every morning. Almost all workers on a cruise ship pull double duties, even if that includes being a muster drill leader. It really does burn me when people get upset at paying $12/day to help the workers onboard when they've paid THOUSANDS for a cruise. It's just like a restaurant...I guess we should just stop tipping servers in the USA? It's an expectation that you WILL tip them, not a *nice* thing you do. And yes, I've been a server before, and we got paid well below minimum wage. It's legal when tipping is implied.

[FLACRUISER99]

The laws may be different in Australia, but in the US, there are two different minimum wage laws which apply to workers in general and to people work in jobs where tips are a good percentage of their weekly wage. Like it or not, the cruise industry isn't doing anything much different from what many US companies do. Tipping servers is a long-standing custom in the US and the "slaves" of the cruise industry seem content with the system. Besides, any increase in the wages paid by the cruiselines will be matched or greatly exceeded by the cruise fares that will result so perhaps you should be careful in what you wish for.

I think we both know that you are wasting your breath.:rolleyes:

[steveru621]

I think we both know that you are wasting your breath.:rolleyes:

 

Like...

[marci22]

free!!!!!! seriously!!!!!

 

Cost of cruise paid by passenger = service as far as I'm aware:(

 

The MDR waiters and your room steward receive base salaries that are supplemented by suggested gratuities. Now you know.

[mildew1951]

The laws may be different in Australia, but in the US, there are two different minimum wage laws which apply to workers in general and to people work in jobs where tips are a good percentage of their weekly wage. Like it or not, the cruise industry isn't doing anything much different from what many US companies do. Tipping servers is a long-standing custom in the US and the "slaves" of the cruise industry seem content with the system. Besides, any increase in the wages paid by the cruiselines will be matched or greatly exceeded by the cruise fares that will result so perhaps you should be careful in what you wish for.

 

I wouldn't presume to tell people in other countries what to do or not to do and respect everyone's right to handle this matter as they see fit. The problem is that this and other cruise lines come down under every year and expect to apply the same policies regarding gratuities regardless of local tradition/customs.

 

Tipping, whilst not the norm in Australia does happen but it is not expected as a right. Paying of gratuities as norm is totally foreign to Australians where everyone is guaranteed a minimum liveable wage.

 

My point is that cruise lines shouldn't attempt to apply their policies across the board without consideration to local custom. For this reason many Aussies will ask for gratuities to be removed from their Seapass account in favour of discretionary cash tipping for exceptional service or not tipping at all.

 

Cruise Critic is international so I just wanted to put a different slant on this debate. Just my opinion.

[bplazo]

So you did not eat on this cruise. Wow

Edited July 9, 2014 by bplazo

[marci22]

I wouldn't presume to tell people in other countries what to do or not to do and respect everyone's right to handle this matter as they see fit. The problem is that this and other cruise lines come down under every year and expect to apply the same policies regarding gratuities regardless of local tradition/customs.

 

Tipping, whilst not the norm in Australia does happen but it is not expected as a right. Paying of gratuities as norm is totally foreign to Australians where everyone is guaranteed a minimum liveable wage.

 

My point is that cruise lines shouldn't attempt to apply their policies across the board without consideration to local custom. For this reason many Aussies will ask for gratuities to be removed from their Seapass account in favour of discretionary cash tipping for exceptional service or not tipping at all.

 

Cruise Critic is international so I just wanted to put a different slant on this debate. Just my opinion.

 

I take your point, and that would work if RC International paid their workers accordingly, depending on which part of the world they were sailing in.

 

But they don't, so it is probably best to tip according to the onboard custom of suggested gratuities. You can do what you want, but you might be taking away the expected income from certain workers.

[NewYork8048]

We took our first cruise this past January with the new auto tipping rules.

 

At first I did not like the idea for a couple of reasons (1) I was afraid it would discourage the great service we had gotten in the past (2) We almost always tipped more than the recommendation. And I was irritated enough that I decided that since RCI decided to control what I tipped, then that would be all they would get.

 

However, we found the service was still great and we ended up tipping additional in cash at the end of the trip anyway.....for us, part of a good cruise is the service staff and we do not mind paying for service that has enhanced our vacation experience.

 

As for people who do not go to the MDR on the last night - we have on occasion skipped the last night in the MDR, BUT if we do, we always go by the last night around the time we would be eating and distribute the tips and thank the dining room staff.

 

We have noticed that on the last night, there are a lot more empty seats in the MDR than on the previous nights and we have often discussed if that is because people are avoiding tipping that last night. We have even speculated that people may have overspent in the casino or at the various ports and now do not have the funds to tip.

 

Summary: I went from not liking the idea of auto tipping to being okay with it. If for some reason we ever got bad service (and it would have to be pretty bad) we would go to the front desk and ask them to reduce the auto tip.

 

I myself would not mind if RCI increased the cost of the cruise by the recommended tipping amount and doing away with auto tipping altogether (as long as they pay a decent wage with those funds and not keep any part of it as profit). I am sure there are many cruisers who would still tip on top of that, but at least the staff would receive a decent wage no matter what.

[caribbean sailor]

Folks also make up all kind of excuses to justify cruise lines not paying proper wages.

 

I agree 100%. I don't understand what people don't get about this. You hire people you should pay them.you don't charge someone's account what you want and call it gratuities.Gratuities are given not taken.Royal have the guts to call it what it is. Part of the price of the cruise.I will as always do my own tipping.Royal you don't have to pay your crew.Why should you when so many people are willing to do it for you. :)

[heyabbott]

With all the tipping for great service, shouldn't you tip the navigator and captain for getting you where you're supposed to go and the engineer for making possible?

 

 

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[CP3o]

I agree 100%. I don't understand what people don't get about this. You hire people you should pay them.you don't charge someone's account what you want and call it gratuities.Gratuities are given not taken.Royal have the guts to call it what it is. Part of the price of the cruise.I will as always do my own tipping.Royal you don't have to pay your crew.Why should you when so many people are willing to do it for you. :)

 

Someday maybe you'll need to become a waiter (would be very hard to believe you've waited tables with this thought process), or someone you know or care about, and see how you/they feel when you get stiffed by someone making the arguement the restaurant should pay you at least minimum wage and they can't help it they pay $2/hour. Maybe they will say "Chili's - you don't have to pay your wait staff or bartenders b/c others, not me, are willing to do it for you."

[Sitzmark]

It's just like a restaurant...I guess we should just stop tipping servers in the USA? It's an expectation that you WILL tip them, not a *nice* thing you do. And yes, I've been a server before, and we got paid well below minimum wage. It's legal when tipping is implied.

 

It's legal or illegal depending upon what state you are in. The lower wage you refer to is based on the state minimum wage, not all states have lower minimum wages for service positions.

[Sitzmark]

As for people who do not go to the MDR on the last night - we have on occasion skipped the last night in the MDR, BUT if we do, we always go by the last night around the time we would be eating and distribute the tips and thank the dining room staff.

 

 

I had to be dragged to the MDR on the last night of our Disney cruise because I was so fed up with the MDR experience. They had 3 dining rooms and we had not been in that one so I was told that we had to go so we could see it.

Perhaps the people not in the MDR by the end of the week aren't avoiding the tip, they're just avoiding the dining room.

[Eng23]

I would hate to think Royal would feel the crew did not work hard enough for Royal to pay them a decent salary.Don't charge my credit card without my permission.Have the guts to raise the price of the cruise,to show the real price of the cruise.:mad:

 

 

By taking the cruise you gave them permission to charge for your gratuities. It's in the cruise contract that you had to agree to and sign for indicating your approval.

 

 

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[steveru621]

I agree 100%. I don't understand what people don't get about this. You hire people you should pay them.you don't charge someone's account what you want and call it gratuities.Gratuities are given not taken.Royal have the guts to call it what it is. Part of the price of the cruise.I will as always do my own tipping.Royal you don't have to pay your crew.Why should you when so many people are willing to do it for you. :)

 

I guess I'll waste my breath. I don't understand what people don't get about this. These employees signed up for a contract that would pay them a specific salary, and the potential to receive more based on service quality. It is none of your business what crew members get paid. It is your business to tip based on service. If you are so concerned about making things right, you give them $100/hour.

 

In any company there is a small percentage of employees that think they have the right to change the contract they signed. Most RCI employees are very happy. They were not abducted and forced to work on a ship. They are free to go when their contract is completed.

 

We had this discussion in the MDR on our last cruise. Some rookie cruisers at dinner were moaning about the salary they had heard crew members receive. According to them it was just absolutely horrible, and we heard this ever spoke, proper wage statement. First question, on which country do base this proper wage? Of course they did not even bother to remember their service staff names let alone which country they came from. I then asked how long do you think crew members stay with RCI? Basically they said a crew member would only stay for one year. Confident, I asked our waiter how long he had been with RCI; four years. I then asked the assistant waiter, and even I was a little shocked, he said 6 years!

 

Flame away. But it's not up to me to pay for your life's choices.