Tipping procedure?

[caladezi]

I, I leave 10 dollars or 10 euros at specialty restaurants. I always wonder if they get to keep it.

 

You are full of it and of yourself! IMHO you are just trying to stir the pot here and nothing more.

[jtl513]

I admittedly have wondered about that as it could put staff in an awkward position if they started receiving tips earlier and now are expected to remember how much from whom.

It wouldn't be hard to write the passenger name on an envelope with the money, and keep them all together until the end of the cruise. Or just write the name and amount on a simple list until the deadbeat list comes out.

 

Edited March 8, 2015 by jtl513

[Tripper10]

There may be some voluntary pooling of cash tips among the staff at each specialty restaurant, but rest assured "they as a group", if not as an individual, will get to keep the cash provided your name does not appear on the "stiffers" list later on.

 

I doubt they cross check the stiffer list and who left tips at a venue earlier in the week.

[Tripper10]

Wrong pronoun in the use of "we" (plural). YOU (singular) are the only one who doesn't seem to know. It's been explained to you any number of times.

 

I did not start this thread, but just replied to it with a bit of "questioning" the validity of the force fed information. Yes, it had been explained by opinions on the topic, which does not make it so. There is no true policy and until you produce it, in writing, from the company.

[Cruiser Andi]

You are full of it and of yourself! IMHO you are just trying to stir the pot here and nothing more.

 

 

You are absolutely correct. Tripper10 is here only to stir the pot and see how much trouble can be caused.

[Tripper10]

You are full of it and of yourself! IMHO you are just trying to stir the pot here and nothing more.

 

I don't know why you think I am being full of myself. We, being my wife and I, tip $10 in specialty venues over the normal fee. We are not obligated to do so, but choose to add gratuities. I don't really get what your saying, and it seems you, are trying to stir the pot. I'm trying to get to the bottom of a long standing issue on a message board whether or not the staff get to keep cash gratuities. You are not really adding anything to the topic besides bashing me.

[Tripper10]

You are absolutely correct. Tripper10 is here only to stir the pot and see how much trouble can be caused.

 

Why so sensitive? Is it the topic? A few questions, that nobody really knows the real answer to? Why quote me when someone already did, so you can gang up on me? Its the definition of stirring the pot.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Tripper10

[Randyk47]

It wouldn't be hard to write the passenger name on an envelope with the money, and keep them all together until the end of the cruise. Or just write the name and amount on a simple list until the deadbeat list comes out.

 

 

They could but do they? Who knows....... :)

[Cruiser Andi]

Why so sensitive? Is it the topic? A few questions, that nobody really knows the real answer to? Why quote me when someone already did, so you can gang up on me? Its the definition of stirring the pot.

 

 

First I didn't quote you I quoted someone else who called you out for your behavior. Second, if you'd done as I suggested earlier and called HAL you would have been given a definitive answer. Since you are obviously so busy replying to comments on the forum, I took it upon myself to email my PCC (HAL employee) and ask her what happens if the HSC is removed what happens to cash tips. Here is her reply

 

Andrea,

Thanks for your question. This does come up from time to time. If the Hotel Service Charge is removed from your account and cash tips are given to your room stewards, those tips are collected and split amongst all of the Hotel Service Staff. There are many people working behind the scenes who passengers do not have direct contact with and the normal HSC, if kept in place is distributed amongst all of the Hotel Service Staff. Therefore, it is cruise line procedure to do the same with cash tips as it is impossible for passengers to know everyone who helped make their stay a memorable experience. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask. I hope you are looking forward to your upcoming cruise.

 

Thanks,

 

 

I'm sure this is not definitive enough for some. So please call HAL and any customer service person can help you determine if this is indeed their policy.

 

Edited to remove PCC name. I don't believe we are supposed to share that information. Apologies to the admins if I broke the rules.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Cruiser Andi

[Tripper10]

First I didn't quote you I quoted someone else who called you out for your behavior. Second, if you'd done as I suggested earlier and called HAL you would have been given a definitive answer. Since you are obviously so busy replying to comments on the forum, I took it upon myself to email my PCC (HAL employee) and ask her what happens if the HSC is removed what happens to cash tips. Here is her reply

 

Andrea,

Thanks for your question. This does come up from time to time. If the Hotel Service Charge is removed from your account and cash tips are given to your room stewards, those tips are collected and split amongst all of the Hotel Service Staff. There are many people working behind the scenes who passengers do not have direct contact with and the normal HSC, if kept in place is distributed amongst all of the Hotel Service Staff. Therefore, it is cruise line procedure to do the same with cash tips as it is impossible for passengers to know everyone who helped make their stay a memorable experience. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask. I hope you are looking forward to your upcoming cruise.

 

Thanks,

 

 

I'm sure this is not definitive enough for some. So please call HAL and any customer service person can help you determine if this is indeed their policy.

 

Edited to remove PCC name. I don't believe we are supposed to share that information. Apologies to the admins if I broke the rules.

 

That was a good effort and thanks for doing that. You are right, I haven't had time to call HAL during business hours, and it's not a definitive enough answer. I'll just keep giving a few extra dollars here and there and hope for the best.

[Tripper10]

How in the heck can that not be a definitive answer? Because it wasn't delivered on a tablet carved in stone? I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt but it's a sure thing now you're just stirring things up. Keep tipping as you see fit and I hope you leave the HSC in place.

 

I always leave the standard gratuity in place. I stay away from the front desk as much as possible. It feels like work. When things are not in writting, there isn't an agreement. I feel like Holland, and other cruise lines purposely keep it vague to deceive the consumer. They don't really want you to know and just give more. When I want a specific employee to get the extra gratuity, I would rather it not be shared.

[rbp3072]

Good for thought.....just because something is not in writing that is available to a consumer, (whether print, online, whatever), does not mean it doesn't exist. Virtually every organization has various SOPs, SOGs, Directives, Manuals, etc. as HAL/CCL is not a governmental agency, (ie no open records requests), you are not entitled to a copy of them or even an acknowledgement of their existence. Think about whatever policies existed in former or current employment you've had, and how highly restricted those were kept in most cases, (even if it may not always make sense).

[TravelingT]

So if I get bad service in the dining room and my room steward only cleans my room on occasion as they see fit, I should pay the full amount regardless? This is what happened on my last cruise on Holland America and repeated complaints to the service desk made no difference in the service either in the dining room or my room steward. I spoke with the head waiter three times to complain about the horrible service we were consistently getting in the MDR. Nothing changed. So still tip the full amount. Uh, NO!

[serendipity1499]

I did not start this thread, but just replied to it with a bit of "questioning" the validity of the force fed information. Yes, it had been explained by opinions on the topic, which does not make it so. There is no true policy and until you produce it, in writing, from the company.

 

Why so sensitive? Is it the topic? A few questions, that nobody really knows the real answer to? Why quote me when someone already did, so you can gang up on me? Its the definition of stirring the pot.

 

I just finished reading this entire thread & am amazed that so many posters on this thread/board do not know that the policy IS IN WRITING"..

 

Of course many of you including the one person here who does not believe this is the policy will never see this post, but I believe it's time to clarify it anyway..

 

Suggest you read the following Posts No. 72 & 75 by Windsailor & Annemarie in this thread: Annemarie received an answer from her contact at HAL..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2008055&page=4

 

This is part of those posts: Quote If you choose to opt out of the automatic hotel service charge and leave a gratuity with the crew directly the crew is required to keep track of any gratuities. In these cases the crew will turn in their gratuities and then they are divided among the crew as noted above. If no tips are left and the guest opted out of automatic gratuities the cabin stewards are asked if there were any service issues. If a guest leaves the hotel service charge on their bill, and also tips the stateroom steward additional gratuities, then the steward can then keep the additional gratuity. Similar information is on our website athttp://www.hollandamerica.com/.../PlanningAndAdvice...# - click on “Is There A Hotel Service Charge (Gratuity/Tip)?” We hope you found this information helpful. Happy cruising! Unquote

 

In addition, a HAL employee posted the same policy & quoted the employee handbook, which states exactly the same thing... Unfortunately I can't locate that post..

[RocketMan275]

The absolutely correct answer is that the "tip" is not mandatory. You can remove it and tip nothing or you can reduce the amount of the tip, You can also remove it and hand an envelope to everyone on board whom you feel deserves a tip. However, you should be aware that those who receive the money will have to share it with everyone else in the tipping pool so your gesture is futile.

 

The nuanced answer that whether you or any of us like it or not, the cruise staff in not paid a living wage and they depend upon your "tips" to earn a living. If we do not tip them, they will not have money to send home to your family. The cruise ship companies use the "suggested tip" ploy to keep their costs down and to make the cruise seem cheaper.

 

So as much as you do not like it and none of us do, leave the suggested daily tip on and even tip a bit more to the cruise staff that treat you especially well. While the tip pool is shared, they get to keep 100% of anything you tip above the minimum.

 

DON

 

Two points.

 

First, can you define 'living wage' as it applies to personnel on a cruise ship.?

 

Second, contrary to your stated opinion ("So as much as you do not like it and none of us do"), there are many who do prefer the current daily tipping procedures.

[RocketMan275]

I just finished reading this entire thread & am amazed that so many posters on this thread/board do not know that the policy IS IN WRITING"..

 

Of course many of you including the one person here who does not believe this is the policy will never see this post, but I believe it's time to clarify it anyway..

 

Suggest you read the following Posts No. 72 & 75 by Windsailor & Annemarie in this thread: Annemarie received an answer from her contact at HAL..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2008055&page=4

 

This is part of those posts: Quote If you choose to opt out of the automatic hotel service charge and leave a gratuity with the crew directly the crew is required to keep track of any gratuities. In these cases the crew will turn in their gratuities and then they are divided among the crew as noted above. If no tips are left and the guest opted out of automatic gratuities the cabin stewards are asked if there were any service issues. If a guest leaves the hotel service charge on their bill, and also tips the stateroom steward additional gratuities, then the steward can then keep the additional gratuity. Similar information is on our website athttp://www.hollandamerica.com/.../PlanningAndAdvice...# - click on “Is There A Hotel Service Charge (Gratuity/Tip)?” We hope you found this information helpful. Happy cruising! Unquote

 

In addition, a HAL employee posted the same policy & quoted the employee handbook, which states exactly the same thing... Unfortunately I can't locate that post..

 

And, if that information is not enough, there is a letter from Holland Corporate. This letter is signed by Christine Ferris, Senior Advisor to the Office of the President. This letter unambiguously states that staff must turn in any gratuities offered in cash when the offerer has removed automatic gratuities. The letter also states that staff can keep any cash from offerer who have kept auto gratuities in place.

 

You can find a copy of this PDF in the thread shown below:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2206593&highlight=christine+ferris

 

The letter is attached to the first post.

 

I believe this should be the definitive answer and should put this question, at least for this thread.

Edited September 30, 2015 by RocketMan275

[Hob123]

This compulsory tipping subject has always been a big issue on cruise discussion boards.i bought the subject up 3 years ago on my first cruise.i am in agreement with (travelling T).i really got slated in replies to opting out of the regulated tipping charge to your account.after 4 more cruises since I am still in the same opinion.

I have just returned from a p&o Oceana cruise around the med and found some of the service not up to standard.i tipped the staff personally who I think deserved it,this amounted to more or less what the ship would have charged.

I know perhaps this goes into the 'larger' pool but I get more satisfaction doing it this way.at the end of the day I will do it 'my way'

 

Regards,John.

[RocketMan275]

That was a good effort and thanks for doing that. You are right, I haven't had time to call HAL during business hours, and it's not a definitive enough answer. I'll just keep giving a few extra dollars here and there and hope for the best.

 

You want a definitive answer. See this thread for a letter from Holland Corporate which should completely answer your concerns.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2206593&highlight=christine+ferris

[emmieepoo]

Absolutely!!!

 

I don't agree with you! I will cruise whenever I want and take off the tips whenever I want

[RuthC]

I don't agree with you! I will cruise whenever I want and take off the tips whenever I want

I see you are from the US. Do you follow the same practice in restaurants at home?

 

More than once in the same restaurant?

[emmieepoo]

I see you are from the US. Do you follow the same practice in restaurants at home?

 

More than once in the same restaurant?

 

When I'm not happy with the service

[serendipity1499]

I don't agree with you! I will cruise whenever I want and take off the tips whenever I want

 

When I'm not happy with the service

 

Why in the world would you continue to cruise on a line when you are Unhappy with the service? :confused: or even go to the same restaurant twice for the same reason.. I can't for the life of me, figure this one out unless you are a gluten for punishment or a very demanding person who is easily annoyed..:confused: Sometimes a smile goes a long way!

 

I personally have been on 24 cruises on various lines & on only one of those cruises did I feel that the service was mediocre.. It was not on HAL.. In that case we left the auto tip in place & did not give extra to our cabin Stewardess only, but did give our Dining Room Stewards a little extra token of our appreciation for their excellent service..

Edited October 1, 2015 by serendipity1499

[ithaca gal]

I don't agree with you! I will cruise whenever I want and take off the tips whenever I want

 

Oh dear! You don't have to agree with me. But if you don't tip at a restaurant because you think you got bad service and still go back there, I'd be very careful of what you eat! Just some friendly advice.

[RuthC]

But if you don't tip at a restaurant because you think you got bad service and still go back there, I'd be very careful of what you eat! Just some friendly advice.

That's precisely what I was thinking when I asked about repeat visits. ;)

[YubaSutter]

gluten for punishment.

 

This just cracks me up. Darn wheat intolerances.