Removing auto gratuity and paying at end.....question

[caribbean sailor]

You only need to tell them once at the beginning of the cruise.

 

WHAT IS THE BREAK DOWN OF SUGGESTED TIPS,dining room server,assistant,Room attendant.We plan on doing our own tipping. Royal seems to want to hide this info.Clarea your info is always correct.:)

[NJcruisenewbie]

First don't pay any mind to the tip police.We have been on twelve Royal cruises only auto tip once.Out of all our cruises never had a problem with a room steward. Someone said tips are personal,and i agree.Some people seem to have a problem with how other people tip.It is your Money tip as you please.Some of these sick minded people will lie to scare you into auto tips.Had a person tell me if i don't auto tip,i should watch my toothbrush.Have a great cruise, never worry about the crew they are great.

 

You actually took that comment seriously :confused::p? Do you not understand sarcasm?

 

OP, do what you want but I just don't understand spending so much time thinking about how/when to pay the service fee (that's what it is). For what it's worth, if I have an issue with service I actually speak to someone about it. I don't play this passive aggressive game of "maybe I'll tip and maybe I won't you'll just have to wow me and find out".

Edited September 19, 2014 by NJcruisenewbie

[Clarea]

WHAT IS THE BREAK DOWN OF SUGGESTED TIPS,dining room server,assistant,Room attendant.We plan on doing our own tipping. Royal seems to want to hide this info.Clarea your info is always correct.:)

Sorry, I have old info. These numbers are before $0.35 was added in March 2013:

 

$5.00pp per day for Housekeeping Staff ($7.25 if in a GS or above)

$3.75pp per day for Waiter

$2.15pp per day for Assistant Waiter

$0.75pp per day for Head Waiter

$11.65pp per day ($13.90pp per day if booked in a GS or above)

[caribbean sailor]

You actually took that comment seriously :confused::p? Do you not understand sarcasm?

 

OP, do what you want but I just don't understand spending so much time thinking about how/when to pay the service fee (that's what it is). For what it's worth, if I have an issue with service I actually speak to someone about it. I don't play this passive aggressive game of "maybe I'll tip and maybe I won't you'll just have to wow me and find out".

 

Thank you we will.

Edited September 19, 2014 by caribbean sailor

[caribbean sailor]

Sorry, I have old info. These numbers are before $0.35 was added in March 2013:

 

$5.00pp per day for Housekeeping Staff ($7.25 if in a GS or above)

$3.75pp per day for Waiter

$2.15pp per day for Assistant Waiter

$0.75pp per day for Head Waiter

$11.65pp per day ($13.90pp per day if booked in a GS or above)

 

clarea/ Bob Thanks and may you have a great next cruise.:)

[fishywood]

I was on Vision Sept 1-10 and midway through went to the desk to remove the auto grats. The woman who assisted me just clicked through the questions she was prompted to ask all passengers who make such a request without asking me them. When I vaguely queried back "no problem with this, yes" she responded with all the sincerity of a used-car salesman on the last day of the month that "it is entirely the passenger's choice to either charge tips to their account or pay cash." My guess is those questions were already answered by the on-screen record of the complaints logged by me and my cabin mate [who decided not to delete her tips simply out of convenience] about poor service in both the dining room and windjammer plus our cabin never being made up until mid-afternoon (and one day not at all).

 

But the kicker is that the tips were not actually removed until the penultimate night onboard. When I inquired about them not yet being removed in the interim, I was told "the night auditor who takes care of this is running behind." So I guess this actually turned out to be a courtesy to me in that my cabin steward and dining room team was probably had no idea I deleted tips until I handed them envelopes the final evening.

 

And the absolute truth is that the total funds in the three envelopes was only a very few dollars less that the auto grats would have totaled. In spite of what the purser's desk implied, I am quite sure that 'percentage of passengers deleting gratuities' is a performance metric that corporate uses to judge the performance of the ship's officers. So kindly do not assume that those who delete tips do so solely to gyp the crew who were admittedly doing the best they could--there is a larger point to be made here.

Edited September 19, 2014 by fishywood

[kc320]

I don't mind the "auto" gratuities while we are cruising, I just mind RCI making you pre-pay the gratuities before final payment. My TA said that since first and second seatings were unavailable, we had to sign up with MTD and be waitlisted on first seating. With MTD, gratuities had to be pre-paid. A couple months later, first seating became available. I've read from other boards about this happening to others and feel this is RCI's way of making sure they get gratuities. We have always given more than the minimum, but we would rather use our OBC to pay the gratuities than have to pre-pay months before we even step on board!

 

If you are on 1st seating your tips will NOT be included on your final payment invoice...you may want to remind your TA that you switched from MTD and make sure they are removed...

[negc]

Could not agree more. It is one more than that is done and paid for before you leave. However, I do give a tip at the beginning of the cruise to my steward and tell them I will see them at the end and to "keep me in ice" and extra towels. I then give them something at the end and have always had excellent service. I always tip extra to the wait staff if I have the same waiter every night which we usually do which is why I prefer making reservations ahead even with MTD.

 

My only gripe with the pre paid is I am not totally on board with the portion that goes to parties other than my steward, waiter, and assistant waiter. I rarely if ever see those other people.

 

Would you allow me to suggest that on a future cruise, you not give your room steward an up-front tip but ask them to keep you in ice and provide extra towels, and see if you don't get the same excellent service. That has always been our experience and we regularly tip extra at the end of our cruise.

Other than the "head waiter (dining room captain), what "other people" do you mean? The head waiter generally oversees the wait staff in his or her section of the dining room and sometimes assists them in serving, and usually checks with diners to see that everything is well. The minimal portion of the gratuities that goes to that person seems hardly worth my concern.

Edited September 19, 2014 by negc

[vacation_junkie]

I just read on here a post about having the tips removed and paying at the end may cause not so great of service by the steward. Really??? Has anyone actually experienced that? I would feel to be the opposite honestly. Do a great job and get a wonderful tip at the end. If they do a not so great job then I would think at that point people would try to stiff them. Im wondering if anyone has actually experienced this??

 

 

Those that remove the Auto Gratuities most often usually have no intentions of paying it in the end. And the room attendants know this.

[bplazo]

No, because we always leave the autotips in place and tip extra in cash at the end if warranted which is the best of both worlds. If I were a room steward and knew someone had removed the tips from their account (yes, they know), I'd be thinking, uh oh, this cheap yahoo is gonna stiff me no matter what I do. Since it takes some effort to remove he tips, why else would someone do it unless they wanted to pay less? With our way, they know they will not be stiffed and might try harder to get something more at the end.

 

I agree, removing the auto tips means you are a cheapo.

[seaman11]

here is a tip remove them the day before the last night , they do get a printout of who has auto grat. this ensures great service till the end.

[caribbean sailor]

I was on Vision Sept 1-10 and midway through went to the desk to remove the auto grats. The woman who assisted me just clicked through the questions she was prompted to ask all passengers who make such a request without asking me them. When I vaguely queried back "no problem with this, yes" she responded with all the sincerity of a used-car salesman on the last day of the month that "it is entirely the passenger's choice to either charge tips to their account or pay cash." My guess is those questions were already answered by the on-screen record of the complaints logged by me and my cabin mate [who decided not to delete her tips simply out of convenience] about poor service in both the dining room and windjammer plus our cabin never being made up until mid-afternoon (and one day not at all).

 

But the kicker is that the tips were not actually removed until the penultimate night onboard. When I inquired about them not yet being removed in the interim, I was told "the night auditor who takes care of this is running behind." So I guess this actually turned out to be a courtesy to me in that my cabin steward and dining room team was probably had no idea I deleted tips until I handed them envelopes the final evening.

 

And the absolute truth is that the total funds in the three envelopes was only a very few dollars less that the auto grats would have totaled. In spite of what the purser's desk implied, I am quite sure that 'percentage of passengers deleting gratuities' is a performance metric that corporate uses to judge the performance of the ship's officers. So kindly do not assume that those who delete tips do so solely to gyp the crew who were admittedly doing the best they could--there is a larger point to be made here.

 

 

Where is the like button.I don't need Royal to decide who gets my tip money.I decide.

[ryano]

here is a tip remove them the day before the last night , they do get a printout of who has auto grat. this ensures great service till the end.

 

:rolleyes:

[caribbean sailor]

Those that remove the Auto Gratuities most often usually have no intentions of paying it in the end. And the room attendants know this.

 

Tell us all how you know that. :)

[CRUISEBOY305]

No, because we always leave the autotips in place and tip extra in cash at the end if warranted which is the best of both worlds. If I were a room steward and knew someone had removed the tips from their account (yes, they know), I'd be thinking, uh oh, this cheap yahoo is gonna stiff me no matter what I do. Since it takes some effort to remove he tips, why else would someone do it unless they wanted to pay less? With our way, they know they will not be stiffed and might try harder to get something more at the end.

 

I agree to this 100 % as well

[Life is Good Cruising]

Those that remove the Auto Gratuities most often usually have no intentions of paying it in the end. And the room attendants know this.

 

I agree, removing the auto tips means you are a cheapo.

 

I agree with both comments.

[rednose83]

Tell us all how you know that. :)

 

Common sense. Why would you go through the hassle of standing in line to remove the grats just to turn around and track down all these different people to pay them the same amount (or more)?

[snorkelman]

I also prefer to use OBC to pay the gratuities.

 

I have had the auto gratuities removed, received cash, and had my OBC applied.

[fishywood]

Why would you go through the hassle of standing in line to remove the grats just to turn around and track down all these different people to pay them the same amount (or more)?

 

Why would anyone do this? As I mention in an earlier post: to state on the record how dissatisfied I was with the overall dining and housekeeping service. That does not make anyone a cheapskate as long as they do give a fair cash payment to those who served them as best as they could each day.

[connes1]

I don't mind the "auto" gratuities while we are cruising, I just mind RCI making you pre-pay the gratuities before final payment. My TA said that since first and second seatings were unavailable, we had to sign up with MTD and be waitlisted on first seating. With MTD, gratuities had to be pre-paid. A couple months later, first seating became available. I've read from other boards about this happening to others and feel this is RCI's way of making sure they get gratuities. We have always given more than the minimum, but we would rather use our OBC to pay the gratuities than have to pre-pay months before we even step on board!

Prepaid gratuities will be added on dynamic dining options on quantum, anthem and oasis. Just another perk for rccl.

[rednose83]

Why would anyone do this? As I mention in an earlier post: to state on the record how dissatisfied I was with the overall dining and housekeeping service. That does not make anyone a cheapskate as long as they do give a fair cash payment to those who served them as best as they could each day.

 

Being dissatisfied is one thing. Planing in advance makes you (general, not you specifically) (most likely) a cheap skate, who is intending on not tipping or tipping drastically less- before you even experience any service.

[LMaxwell]

If Royal Caribbean offers different payment methods as options, why does anyone deserve to be pilloried for selecting any of the available options?

 

If someone were trying to circumvent the system, that's a different story.

 

I fully support the crew and feel they deserve these tips. However, what I do not support is paying a company 2.5 months in advance for service, only for them to dole it out .5 to 1 month AFTER I have received the service. I also find it off putting that for my last 5 cruises Royal basically forced me into My Time Dining (the pay early part) when those in traditional dining had the ability or option to use OBC to cover gratuities.

 

If Royal wants to treat all guests fairly and add the auto-charge to the onboard account, I am generally supportive of that. My front door doesn't say "Bank of LMaxwell". Why should they treat me differently than other guests?

 

I am not mollified by paying months ahead of something so I no longer have to think about it. Frankly, I don't understand that line of thought when it purchases me exactly zero value.

[LMaxwell]

Planing in advance makes you (general, not you specifically) (most likely) a cheap skate, who is intending on not tipping or tipping drastically less.

 

Do you have any basis for such a generalized statement? Is there something that says that people who prefer to pay cash (an option offered) are more likely to pay less? I have never seen an industry statistic to support that theory.

[LMaxwell]

You actually took that comment seriously :confused::p? Do you not understand sarcasm?

 

 

That sentiment was echoed by a few in that thread and there was no hint of sarcasm or good natured joking. People were serious about that and it is repeated often on here.

 

I do not for a moment believe the prideful and hard working staff of Royal Caribbean would look to damage/sabotage any guests personal items unless they wanted a one way ticket home. People say that garbage on here to scare others. In fact, I think it is insulting to the crew to state they would act like that. That's disrespectful. They are not 4 year olds having a tantrum.

 

"Oh, we was just joking". Okay:rolleyes:

Edited September 19, 2014 by LMaxwell

[rednose83]

 

I fully support the crew and feel they deserve these tips. However, what I do not support is paying a company 2.5 months in advance for service, only for them to dole it out .5 to 1 month AFTER I have received the service. I also find it off putting that for my last 5 cruises Royal basically forced me into My Time Dining (the pay early part) when those in traditional dining had the ability or option to use OBC to cover gratuities.

.

 

I agree with this. We were forced into pre-paying as well because the traditional seatings were full.

 

Do you have any basis for such a generalized statement? Is there something that says that people who prefer to pay cash (an option offered) are more likely to pay less? I have never seen an industry statistic to support that theory.

 

Human nature is to take the path of least resistance. The charges are already on one's seapass. In order to remove them, one would need to go stand in line, have them removed, prepare the money and envelopes, then walk around and locate the people to give the envelopes to.

 

Why would one bother going through all of those extra steps if they were going to pay the same amount that was already on their Seapass? People aren't usually seeking out lines to stand in on vacation unless there is a financial incentive to do so.

 

From what I've seen at guest services (walking by- we've only visited 2-3 times), people are either there complaining about nonsense (ie, I was offended at the ADULT comedy show after I was warned that there would be fowl language) in an attempt to get something for free or those with legitimate issues (service, lost items, problems with cabin, etc).

 

As I am not a cruise ship employee (thankfully, I wouldn't deal well with working 7 days a week for months on end or having to coddle people :p), I don't really "have a dog in this fight" so to speak. Just pointing out that it makes no sense to do more work to accomplish something that was already accomplished.