Rci auto tipping

[fishtaco]

Why is this an issue? We will be prepaying. Not going to the trouble to deny the Maitre'D his $1.25 a day tip or anyone else for that matter. Prepaying assures tips are paid.

 

But the argument is always, especially from US cruisers as to why tip assurance is necessary before the service is delivered?

 

Me personally am already fully aware that cruise gratuities are a "Service Charge" because it is defined as such in RCI non USA Terms and conditions so there fore not the same as the traditional tips US citizens are so familiar with and I have to adhere to when visiting USA on land but not sea.

 

I am on a US based ship with RCI and I pay a service charge but US guests on the same ship pay tips: but up front tips confused lol

[fishtaco]

Even RCI can't tell you WHY they charge MTD tips ahead of time instead of onboard like others. If you have traditional dining and have OBC, you can use OBC to tip. If you have MTD and have OBC you can not use the OBC for a tip. You must part with your money 2.5 months + ahead of time.

 

It is unfair and inequitable; especially when they push MTD on you when you book.

 

Go ahead, ring up RCI and ask WHY it is this way and you'll get a canned speech worthy of a politician. :rolleyes:

 

OBC is just that and not the same value as a real money as in most cases it has no monetary value whatsoever.

 

You get goods that would have cost you the same OBC as debit added to your final bill but there is no profit for RCI with OBC because all they have done is given you goods at cost price. If you pay your Grats with OBC then the Grats you are actually paying out is the exact same end value as other goods you have received with OBC , Cost price:)

 

RCI would not make up the difference between cost price and charged price out of their profits which is possibly the same amount staff actually receive from all Grats after RCI takes its accounting/distribution share:)

Edited July 26, 2014 by fishtaco

[Paulxyz2004]

That is, on a six month contract, over $240,000 in tips alone on the smallest (based on number of berths) ships in the RCI fleet (Splendor and Legend)...and that is based on it sailing at only 100% capacity and RCI averages around 103% if I remember correctly.

 

I would be willing to bet there are millions of people who would gladly work 16 hour days, seven days a week for 6 months for that total on top of a small contract salary.

 

 

I´ve not verified your math, but there is a Major fluke in there. We are talking about head waiters .75 tips here and there´s many head waiters onboard every ship. So your $240,000 Need to at least be shared by maybe 10 People - probably more, but let´s just Keep it at 10.

 

We are now talking about $24,000 and as we all know from the boards many People will not tip at all and even more will skip out on the head waiter.

 

Sure there still would be millions of People to take the Job, but I´m sure the numbers are shrinking drastically.

 

Your math is way off here and regardless of ships size head waiters will roughly oversee the same number of Pax.

[heyabbott]

If you don't give extra gratuities on top of the auto-tip, you are not tipping. The auto-grats are service fees paid by everyone and has nothing to do with the service received. Anything above the auto-grat is the only tip they receive, the only REAL gratuity. It's only a gratuity if it s heartfelt gesture of appreciation not a mandatory charge.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[caribbean sailor]

if you don't give extra gratuities on top of the auto-tip, you are not tipping. The auto-grats are service fees paid by everyone and has nothing to do with the service received. Anything above the auto-grat is the only tip they receive, the only real gratuity. It's only a gratuity if it s heartfelt gesture of appreciation not a mandatory charge.

 

 

Sent from my ipad using forums

 

like.

[awhcruiser]

And this is the reason MTD tips are required to be prepaid.

 

We are now talking about $24,000 and as we all know from the boards many People will not tip at all and even more will skip out on the head waiter.

 

 

 

[cruisnseas]

Your definition of "piddly" is a lot different than mine...do the math.

 

There is more than one "Head Waiter." On my ship we had 8. So if you figure 3,000 passengers, of which 95% tip (I'm being awfully generous here...) you get:

 

$0.75 x 3,000 = $2,250/day

3,000-5% = 2,850 pax tipping

 

$0.75 x 2.850 = $2137.50

 

$2,137.50 / 8 = $267.18 per day in tips.

 

Our head waiters worked an average of 14 hours (B: 6am - 11am ; L 12:00 - 4:00 ; D 5:30 - 11pm)

 

$267.18 / 14 = $19/hour

 

And that is for the Head Waiter. The numbers go way down for the wait staff.

 

You get no OT pay, no health or retirement benefits, you are on your feet all day long, you have less than 10 minutes to eat most of your meals, you barely sleep, you work 7 days a week for 6 months serving some really great and some really horrible people.

 

Is $19/hour bad pay? No, but it also isn't $240,000 a year.

Edited July 26, 2014 by cruisnseas

[heyabbott]

There is more than one "Head Waiter." On my ship we had 8. So if you figure 3,000 passengers, of which 95% tip (I'm being awfully generous here...) you get:

 

$0.75 x 3,000 = $2,250/day

3,000-5% = 2,850 pax tipping

 

$0.75 x 2.850 = $2137.50

 

$2,137.50 / 8 = $267.18 per day in tips.

 

Our head waiters worked an average of 14 hours (B: 6am - 11am ; L 12:00 - 4:00 ; D 5:30 - 11pm)

 

$267.18 / 14 = $19/hour

 

And that is for the Head Waiter. The numbers go way down for the wait staff.

 

You get no OT pay, no health or retirement benefits, you are on your feet all day long, you have less than 10 minutes to eat most of your meals, you barely sleep, you work 7 days a week for 6 months serving some really great and some really horrible people.

 

Is $19/hour bad pay? No, but it also isn't $240,000 a year.

 

 

So basically, the crew that serves the passengers daily needs, housekeeping and food service, on Royal Caribbean are required to work sweatshop hours for sweatshop pay and rely on the kindness of strangers to make a minimal living?

 

So we all patronize a corporation that pays substandard wages in substandard working conditions and unless most of the consumers subsidize the corporation through voluntary transfers of money to these poor 3rd world 3rd class workers they are doomed to roam the decks below a floating sweatshop?

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[fishtaco]

There is more than one "Head Waiter." On my ship we had 8. So if you figure 3,000 passengers, of which 95% tip (I'm being awfully generous here...) you get:

 

$0.75 x 3,000 = $2,250/day

3,000-5% = 2,850 pax tipping

 

$0.75 x 2.850 = $2137.50

 

$2,137.50 / 8 = $267.18 per day in tips.

 

Our head waiters worked an average of 14 hours (B: 6am - 11am ; L 12:00 - 4:00 ; D 5:30 - 11pm)

 

$267.18 / 14 = $19/hour

 

And that is for the Head Waiter. The numbers go way down for the wait staff.

 

You get no OT pay, no health or retirement benefits, you are on your feet all day long, you have less than 10 minutes to eat most of your meals, you barely sleep, you work 7 days a week for 6 months serving some really great and some really horrible people.

 

Is $19/hour bad pay? No, but it also isn't $240,000 a year.

 

 

So what you are sugesting is the head waiter gets no pay from the cruise line and only receives Gratuity which is $19 per hour:confused: If so-

 

I will depute this and say without any doubt that the head waiter along with other staff earns an hourly or shift wage amount to which your calculated $19 per hour is added .

 

I really sometimes wished some cruisers realised that to most cruise staff employed in the domestic industry the cruise working conditions are much more favourable than in there home country where most do not get free health overtime rates or standard short work day hours either plus they have to pay income tax have to buy food pay for living expenses and get much less per hour.

 

I even wonder sometimes how little North American waiters and waitresses get and am sure not many get $19 per hour in tips or they would work around the clock.

 

I dont agree with non tippers or Grat dodgers but in no way do I feel sorry for or responsible for those cruise ship staff earning a wage and working in conditions better than what they could get at home.

Edited July 27, 2014 by fishtaco

[fishtaco]

If you don't give extra gratuities on top of the auto-tip, you are not tipping. The auto-grats are service fees paid by everyone and has nothing to do with the service received. Anything above the auto-grat is the only tip they receive, the only REAL gratuity. It's only a gratuity if it s heartfelt gesture of appreciation not a mandatory charge.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I agree with you.:)

 

If it was not a service charge or service fee then why do RCI Sailings from Australia now include the Grats in the booking price for all not just mandatory pre paid for MTD?

 

North american style tipping practices are not required on most cruise ships but the staff are very happy for you to continue with the practice:)

[Silverhues]

So our family of 8 is traveling in a RFS in September. We would like to pay in advance for as many things as possible. We would like to pre-pay our gratuties so we don't have to worry about the bulk of that expense at the end of the cruise. However, our dilemma is this: when we booked we were given a few "extras" including gratuties for 2 people. Would we lose out on this credit if we attempted to pre-pay gratuties for the others? Could we just pay for all 8 in advance, and get the pending gratuties as OBC? We booked through a TA. Has anyone experienced any similar situations?

[Clarea]

So our family of 8 is traveling in a RFS in September. We would like to pay in advance for as many things as possible. We would like to pre-pay our gratuties so we don't have to worry about the bulk of that expense at the end of the cruise. However, our dilemma is this: when we booked we were given a few "extras" including gratuties for 2 people. Would we lose out on this credit if we attempted to pre-pay gratuties for the others? Could we just pay for all 8 in advance, and get the pending gratuties as OBC? We booked through a TA. Has anyone experienced any similar situations?

Talk to your TA. They should be able to add prepaid gratuities for the 6 passengers who are not covered by the free gratuities.

[heyabbott]

"Gratuities", pre-paid and added daily, are a tax dodge by the corporations. Since they call them tips or gratuities and are transferred to employees from the corporation they are wages. Since they come from passengers directly to the corporation in an amount of the corporation's choosing, it should be income to the corporation from which gross revenue is calculated. But they don't declare the income which is used to pay wages. So not only does the corp get you to directly pay their employees wages, they get to pay their employees without have to be taxed on the revenue

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Aus ATC]

Hi there,

 

Coming from Australia and therefore unwise in the protocols of tipping - and soon to embark on our first cruise to boot....

 

We have prepaid tips in our fare and will also be prepaying for a drinks package (tips included ). Is it expected that we should tip any more? Either to assure a decent service, or to not insult or appear 'cheap'? I'm happy to tip if needed or if I feel so inclined, but equally don't feel inclined to hand over my cash if I don't have to.

 

It would be so less confusing if staff were paid a fair wage straight up, but I accept that is not the way it is done in the service industry in some parts of the world (or on ships).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Clarea]

Hi there,

 

Coming from Australia and therefore unwise in the protocols of tipping - and soon to embark on our first cruise to boot....

 

We have prepaid tips in our fare and will also be prepaying for a drinks package (tips included ). Is it expected that we should tip any more? Either to assure a decent service, or to not insult or appear 'cheap'? I'm happy to tip if needed or if I feel so inclined, but equally don't feel inclined to hand over my cash if I don't have to.

 

It would be so less confusing if staff were paid a fair wage straight up, but I accept that is not the way it is done in the service industry in some parts of the world (or on ships).

You are pretty much covered with tips. Nothing more is expected. I would also tip the room service delivery person if I used it.

[Ourusualbeach]

"Gratuities", pre-paid and added daily, are a tax dodge by the corporations. Since they call them tips or gratuities and are transferred to employees from the corporation they are wages. Since they come from passengers directly to the corporation in an amount of the corporation's choosing, it should be income to the corporation from which gross revenue is calculated. But they don't declare the income which is used to pay wages. So not only does the corp get you to directly pay their employees wages, they get to pay their employees without have to be taxed on the revenue

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

As RCI is not a registered US company it does not pay corporate taxes on any of its cruise revenue.

[caribbean sailor]

Even RCI can't tell you WHY they charge MTD tips ahead of time instead of onboard like others. If you have traditional dining and have OBC, you can use OBC to tip. If you have MTD and have OBC you can not use the OBC for a tip. You must part with your money 2.5 months + ahead of time.

 

It is unfair and inequitable; especially when they push MTD on you when you book.

 

Go ahead, ring up RCI and ask WHY it is this way and you'll get a canned speech worthy of a politician. :rolleyes:

 

That is why they push MTD, MORE MONEY MORE MONEY.:D

Edited July 28, 2014 by caribbean sailor

[heyabbott]

As RCI is not a registered US company it does not pay corporate taxes on any of its cruise revenue.

 

 

Yes, they are a Liberian corporation. 10% is the standard tip rate in Liberia, if service charges aren't included.

 

Royal Caribbean is not bound by US work place rules, wage and hour laws and doesn't pay US income taxes. I suggest that their next ship be named Tea Party of the Seas and Ayn Rand be the ship's godmother.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Highlander1]

The auto grat system was developed by the cruise lines and their staff in order to assure that selected positions are fairly compensated. Bypassing that system means some folks workind behind the scenes somewhere that depends on that grat as their wage, goes without.

 

Folks do not want to be told that tipping is mandatory, the auto grat is in effect a service charge. Others are cheapskates or stubborn and unwilling to change things they have always practiced, an excuse which has no merit.

 

Best practice for us is to leave the auto grat in place and tip extra to those you feel show you special attention.The staff works hard and are dependent on a system they agreed to (auto grats) and then have Mr. and Mrs. Smarty Pants do things their way.

[LMaxwell]

 

Best practice for us is to leave the auto grat in place and tip extra to those you feel show you special attention.The staff works hard and are dependent on a system they agreed to (auto grats) and then have Mr. and Mrs. Smarty Pants do things their way.

 

Best practice for you, fine. But the cruise line DOES offer options. If they offer an option one must understand that using any of the available options is fine.

 

I'll be content when the cruise line treats MTD guests and traditional time guests exactly the same, whichever way they choose. Either allow MTD guests to use OBC for auto-tips, or disallow traditional dining guests the ability to use OBC for auto-tips. I have no problem with the amounts charged, I understand the crew work hard and don't begrudge them a fair compensation. There's no legitimate reason for the cruise line to treat its guests differently however. Across the board policy would be fair.

 

So long as they continue to offer options for some and not others, it is unfair. And so long as they continue to offer options I can not cast negative words towards whatever options someone chooses. Your snide comments on this are unwarranted.

[BekkaW]

Hi there,

 

Coming from Australia and therefore unwise in the protocols of tipping - and soon to embark on our first cruise to boot....

 

We have prepaid tips in our fare and will also be prepaying for a drinks package (tips included ). Is it expected that we should tip any more? Either to assure a decent service, or to not insult or appear 'cheap'? I'm happy to tip if needed or if I feel so inclined, but equally don't feel inclined to hand over my cash if I don't have to.

 

It would be so less confusing if staff were paid a fair wage straight up, but I accept that is not the way it is done in the service industry in some parts of the world (or on ships).

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

You're not required to tip anything further. I would encourage you to tip a few dollars if you use room service. You may find that you want to tip a little extra to your room steward and/or dining staff if you find the service particularly good, or to the bar staff ($1 or $2 a drink) also if you find the service exceeds expectations.

[caribbean sailor]

The auto grat system was developed by the cruise lines and their staff in order to assure that selected positions are fairly compensated. Bypassing that system means some folks workind behind the scenes somewhere that depends on that grat as their wage, goes without.

 

Folks do not want to be told that tipping is mandatory, the auto grat is in effect a service charge. Others are cheapskates or stubborn and unwilling to change things they have always practiced, an excuse which has no merit.

 

Best practice for us is to leave the auto grat in place and tip extra to those you feel show you special attention.The staff works hard and are dependent on a system they agreed to (auto grats) and then have Mr. and Mrs. Smarty Pants do things their way.

 

That is pure bull,the system was developed because it a good deal for Royal Caribbean.They can see that their employees are fairly compensated,by paying them a decent wage.Funny what makes you think that someone needs to make an excuse to you.Gratuities are given not taken.If it is a service charge,have the guts to say so.As always i will cancel my so called auto tips,and tip the people i want to.You tip the way you want and i will tip the way i want.Feel free to spend your money the way you please.

Edited July 29, 2014 by caribbean sailor

[heyabbott]

That is pure bull,the system was developed because it a good deal for Royal Caribbean.They can see that their employees are fairly compensated,by paying them a decent wage.Funny what makes you think that someone needs to make an excuse to you.Gratuities are given not taken.If it is a service charge,have the guts to say so.As always i will cancel my so called auto tips,and tip the people i want to.You tip the way you want and i will tip the way i want.Feel free to spend your money the way you please.

 

 

Completely agree. You're not alone. If the crew is so wonderful, then why can't RCI pay them a just and deserving wage for commensurate work.

 

I hope everyone understands the auto tip is optional. Not required. And as such the service is already included in the cost of the cruise. There is no service charge either, just an easy way to tip. Do what you want. No pressure. And no guilt.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[homeschoolmama]

If more of us cancelled the automatic charge and started paying for how actual service is provided could it be that service would improve. Over the years as ships have adopted automatically charging gratuities, service has become mediocre at best, though there are always those exceptions who are wonderful!

 

I love giving extra to those who provide exceptional service. When they go above and beyond they deserve recognition....and WOW cards just don't cut it as far as I am concerned. In fact my last cruise when I tried to get extra WOW carss I was told there was a limit of one per cabin. What?

 

I know one can always do automatic charge and still give more on top of that......but I am just saying, if more and more of us did this it may have a long term impact. On the other hand there will always be those who would take optional tipping as an out to not tip at all. I guess when all is said and done it assures some monetary acknowledgement to each worker with automatic gratuities. If there happens to be horrible service, cancel them off your account. If there is exceptional service keep giving more out of pocket.

 

Sent from my SCH-I915 using Forums mobile app

[gelli8112]

Good day cruisers, I have a question with regard to the mandatory daily tipping added to your seapass card. I'm fine with that. Everyone who works so hard deserves their fair share....

 

Why then, if tips have now become "mandatory'', do people using My Time Dining, need to pay in advance of the cruise? :confused: I could understand it before the auto daily tipping, so no one gets cheated out of a tip. But now, no one will since it's automatically added to the seapass. Makes no sense whatsorever...

 

The Matre D' comes by once in a while except the last night. Why does HE need to be included in the tip pool? I'm sure he gets a good salary.

 

OK, I've vented. All feedback is appreciated.

 

Have a good day:)

 

That's a good question, I don't know why they force you to pay in advance if the tips will be added to your seapass card automatically everyday anyway. Never really thought about it. I always prepay the minimum in advance anyway and then give additional cash when on board for excellent service.