Tipping P and O

[paddys dad]

What are the rules and regs these days.Are tips automaticly added to your account, if so can you have them removed and tip as you will warrants it.

 

Dont like being dictated to and much rather tip what I feel is worthy and to whom deserve it.

 

Thanks

[Mr Piano]

The tips are automatically added to your account, but you can opt out, just call at desk and opt out.

 

However I think its a fair system. Trouble with tip as you go means only the front line staff get the tips. The person who cooks your wonderful meal gets nothing, but the one who delivers it to your table gets the credit. The cabin steward gets a nice tip, but the person washing your dirty towels or linen in a hot laundry gets nothing, etc, etc..

 

Its not just the person you meet face to face who is working hard to provide a service, its those behind the scenes as well

 

But I will admit, we did give our cabin steward an additional tip at the end of the cruise, over and above the automatic daily amount on our account

[jeanlyon]

If you read the terms of the auto-tips it says these are for your waiters and cabin steward, not for the backroom staff. I much prefer to use an envelope, but have given in and now leave the auto-tips on, especially if I have OBC because it comes out of that. However, I now feel I have to give extra as most people on our table gave envelopes on the last night as well.

[themanwithahat]

But I will admit, we did give our cabin steward an additional tip at the end of the cruise, over and above the automatic daily amount on our account

 

How much do people think is a sort of reasonable "additional tip". I've seen quite a lot of discussion about this but not many numbers. Is any additional tip welcome, or would a certain level be viewed as insulting.

 

As a young lad, I once left a one centime tip in a French cafe/restaurant (or the lowest amount, not sure) because the food was so awful.

[jake 26]

The auto tip is applied at £3.95 pppd. You can have it removed or adjusted at the reception desk.

 

We've just returned from 23 nights on Ventura and we left ours on and paid extra to 2 people at the end because the service was so good all round.

 

People were queuing after we called at Malaga, where we had a big changeover, to remove tips. After chatting to some of the staff it appears that was expected for the transatlantic leg as a lot of pax joined who had purchased the cruise at low prices, and they don't tip at all in many cases.

 

I can see the autotip becoming a fixed charge.

[PurpleMoonlight]

You can remove the auto tip and tip directly instead, however there is some debate about whether or not the recipient gets to keep it if you do.

 

I therefore leave the auto tip on and if I feel the service has been excellent I do a little extra direct, which we all believe they then get to keep.

Edited November 9, 2014 by PurpleMoonlight

[annieuk]

I think part of the trouble is we've all been used to tipping via envelopes on the last evening to the waiters and cabin steward, it feels odd not doing it. We've left the auto tips in place since it started and have just about got used to it. Our steward on one cruise told us they have to declare if they have received a separate tip and it all goes into the pot. We would only tip extra now if we have had particularly good service or someone has done something special for us. Otherwise we end up tipping twice. We always used to tip the recommended amount when it was via envelopes. It is much easier not having to bother to take sterling with us and sort it all out, making sure we had enough change.

 

If you have a suite and therefore a butler that's different and when we've been in a suite we have always tipped the butler separately and will continue to do so. On our last cruise - not a suite - everyone said they had left the auto tips on as it was so much easier - I assume they all had.

[jeanlyon]

Yes they said that on our table for 8, but they still tipped extra. left us feeling awful.

[RJChatsworth]

If you read the terms of the auto-tips it says these are for your waiters and cabin steward, not for the backroom staff. I much prefer to use an envelope, but have given in and now leave the auto-tips on, especially if I have OBC because it comes out of that. However, I now feel I have to give extra as most people on our table gave envelopes on the last night as well.

 

It may say only waiters and cabin staff but I believe that not to be the case. In fact I have asked at Reception and they confirmed other categories were involved but they would not elaborate more than saying 'helpers' They did confirm however it didn't include bar staff or a contribution to the running of the Captain's motor car!

[jeanlyon]

Yes I believe the cabin stewards have "helpers", ours certainly did on Oriana in October. But it doesn't include bar staff or other crew.

[hooked cruiser]

I believe I was told once before that the reason that bar staff are not included is because they receive commission on the sales they make. And the staff behind the bar get the same on the total sales for the cruise. I am not 100% certain of this but it would seem feasible.

[gosport11]

The bar staff do get a tip/commission on drinks sold.You just dont see it :)

[Clodia]

I now leave the auto tips on and tell my cabin steward and waiters that I have done so, while giving them a little extra in an envelope if the service has been good. As yet I have never had less than good service since auto tips became established.

[davecttr]

The bar wait staff are on commission based on drinks sold. Apparently they are rotated between the bars so everyone gets a go at the good busy bars.

 

I was also told that if you remove the auto tips and tip individually that money has to go in the pool. If you leave the auto tip on any staff member gets to keep anything you tip them.

[Sealoveragain]

The auto tip is applied at £3.95 pppd. You can have it removed or adjusted at the reception desk.

 

We've just returned from 23 nights on Ventura and we left ours on and paid extra to 2 people at the end because the service was so good all round.

 

People were queuing after we called at Malaga, where we had a big changeover, to remove tips. After chatting to some of the staff it appears that was expected for the transatlantic leg as a lot of pax joined who had purchased the cruise at low prices, and they don't tip at all in many cases.

 

I can see the autotip becoming a fixed charge.

 

I think it should be a fixed charge but then P&O probably wouldn't be able to fill their ships. They obviously prefer to sell at cheap, cheap prices and the staff are the ones to suffer. Even after poor service in the MDR on our last cruise, we never even considered removing the auto-tips.