Why are you happy to pay gratuities?

[grandgeezer]

It is a tip...even tho they call it something different....you are SUPPOSED to tip those that serve you...it's polite. I guess there are just so many uneducated travelers nowadays, the cruise line felt they had to direct the "tipping", since so many don't seem to know the accepted convention of tipping.

 

It amazes me that so many don't seem to know that you're supposed to tip your housekeeper in a hotel....

 

It is not a tip, it's a fixed amount no matter how much service is provided. On port days, we juice in the morning, nothing at noon as we usually are on tours, then dinner. We pay the same "tips" as someone who eats three meals a day plus grazes at the buffet all day. If they are willing to reduce my account by the number of meals we don't eat, maybe the it will be a true tip.

[GUT2407]

We agreed to it. Prepaid or otherwise. We are not ignorant of the arrangement.

We answer to a higher law than poorly understood and wrongly interpreted "case law".

 

The cruise staff work hard and we are appreciative of good work ethic and kindness.

 

What about you?

 

 

That's your first mistake. Everyone dd not agree to them, they agreed to a cruise that may let them to remove the tips.

 

BTW I always leave them on and tip extra, but am sick and tired of seeing people abused for choosing to exercise the right the cruise line gives them.

 

IT IS NO ONE ELSE'S BUSINESS.

[GUT2407]

It is a tip...even tho they call it something different....you are SUPPOSED to tip those that serve you...it's polite. I guess there are just so many uneducated travelers nowadays, the cruise line felt they had to direct the "tipping", since so many don't seem to know the accepted convention of tipping.

 

It amazes me that so many don't seem to know that you're supposed to tip your housekeeper in a hotel....

 

 

And if you come from a country where you aren't "supposed to tip"? what then.

 

I have NEVER tpped a housekeeper at a hotel in my country, and don't know anyone who lives here who has, so the relevance of that comment is ????

[greydog]

I don't resent paying gratuities. Also, I tip extra when the service is excellent.

 

Further, I don't believe the service staff is poorly paid. We make a point to get to know a lot of our servers and stewards. Most come from countries where working on a cruise ship is a huge increase over what they would make in their home countries.

 

Apples to apples comparison? 10+-hour shifts, 6+ days a week, 6-7 month contracts tied to the ship away from family, friends, sharing a small cabin, putting up with SOME rude annoying pax, doing extra to manage norovirus, etc. We met a husband, wife on same ship working to send $ home to Philippines where grandmother was raising their children - what's the $ value for that?

[boscobeans]

 

Waiter from $2500 to $4000

Busboy / Assistant Waiter from $1500 to $3000

Bar Waiter / Waitress from $1000 to $2500

Bartender from $1500 to $3000

 

How many waiters and bar tenders in the US net this much a month after tax's and all expenses (room and board is free on cruise ship to people who work there).

.

 

You have your opinion and every right to it. Mine differs when comparing the wage figures you stated. The four catagories of staff you mentioned work on a ship 16 hours a day week after week and month after month with a half day or less off free time here and there. Lets give them a whole day off each week, not that they get that in reality, and at 16 hours a day that's 96 hours a week. 4.5 times 96 equals a solid 432 hours a month. Divide your stated salaries by 432 and the hourly rate of pay runs from the highest paid bartender $9.26 to the lowest paid bar waiter/waitress $ 2.32. The average hourly rate of the figures given works out to a whopping $ 5.50. Wow! It would be impossible to get even one employee at either of my two restaurants if they got $ 5.50 an hour for working 16 hours a day, even if they got their meals and got to bunk in a tiny room in the basement,

 

OMO and I have a right to it.

 

bosco

[Project_gal]

For us it is a case of when in Rome, do as the Romans do with at least as much generosity and grace as the Romans. Just wish the Romans did not do it that way and that we were not catching it from the Romans.

[Gordoncruickshank]

It really is about time that this was just added into what we all pay with no exception. It should be part of the cost of the cruise for everyone. No one should be able to stop the gratuity.

 

If cruise companies across the board just made the cruises gratuity inclusive in the cruise price, this discussion would not be happening.

 

Thereafter it is up to the individual if they want to do extra.

[Velvetwater]

No...not happy. Customers should not have to supplement staff's poor wages because fat cat business are too greedy to do it themselves. What would happen to the staff's wages if a cruise sailed half full? It is a system that is really not fair in any way. It speaks volumes that only the US and selectArabic countries do it and the rest of the developed world does not.

 

We tip in England and in Europe. Around 10% if the service is good and a bit over if exceptional. If the service is bad then limited or no tip at all and complaint to the manager. We do not tip for drinks but I personally tip hairdressers and taxi drivers when appropriate.

 

I pay my grats as that is unfirtunately part of the cruise budget however I would have no qualms about lowering/removing them for bad service. I actually lowered my room steward grats on my last cruise as my room steward was not the best.

 

I'll get my own popcorn.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Velvetwater

[Adidas4fun]

I'm struggling to see the point of this thread. It's surely posted knowing it's going to descend into mud slinging ?

 

Yes, and when you go to canyon spa you are still expected to tip for the mud slinging!

[Gordoncruickshank]

I'm struggling to see the point of this thread. It's surely posted knowing it's going to descend into mud slinging ?

 

Agree

[laslomas]

I enjoy cruising with Celebrity so I read the Cruise Critic Forum dedicated to Celebrity Cruises. But why are so many threads dedicated to 'Tipping' or 'Gratuities'?

Maybe Cruise Critic could start a separate Forum just for this topic as it is relevant to the whole cruise industry, not just to Celebrity Cruises????

I know I can just skip these threads and I often do, but as it is such a 'popular' topic maybe it deserves a place of its own?

[Gordoncruickshank]

I enjoy cruising with Celebrity so I read the Cruise Critic Forum dedicated to Celebrity Cruises. But why are so many threads dedicated to 'Tipping' or 'Gratuities'?

Maybe Cruise Critic could start a separate Forum just for this topic as it is relevant to the whole cruise industry, not just to Celebrity Cruises????

I know I can just skip these threads and I often do, but as it is such a 'popular' topic maybe it deserves a place of its own?

 

Just think how few postings there would be without them!!

[4774Papa]

So you have an arbitrary and irrational set of rules about who you will tip and who you wont then?

Bravo Sierra

[Beanb41]

One way or another the customer pays. Because of the USA practice of tipping just about everybody those of us who come from a non tipping culture are at least saved the requirement of double dipping. By this I mean that if the "gratuities" were done away with and were added into the cost of the cruise we would be pressured to add further gratuities because of the American culture. It would IMO increase the cost of cruising. Whilst I am against the principle of tipping as a matter of course I accept the current gratuities as just part of the overall cost of cruising. As 18% of everything I purchase on board is gratuity I dont add anything extra.

We may make the odd exception but it is an odd exception.

 

When I see some of figures bandied about of the amount some people tip in addition to "compulsory tips" I am surprised that the big noters have enough space to get around the ship. On past cruises I have yet to see the big tippers but then I don't go looking for them either

[boscobeans]

For us it is a case of when in Rome, do as the Romans do with at least as much generosity and grace as the Romans. Just wish the Romans did not do it that way and that we were not catching it from the Romans.

 

BINGO ! Your response is right on target, especially "Just wish the Romans did not do it that way and that we were not catching it from the Romans.", and vice versa as well.

 

bosco

[AtleeH]

Let's not get silly. The skipper makes a pretty healthy salary. His union makes sure of that. Ship captains are in high demand.

 

The stewards, waiters, etc are in no position to demand a a lot of money. As soon as they do, they'll be let go and the cruise line will then pick form a hundred people to take the stewards spot, or the waiters spot.

 

so do you tip the captain for getting you in to port on time and for avoiding bad weather?

[AtleeH]

Agree. I would have no problem if the "gratuities" were just folded into the cruise price. I consider it part of the cruise price now anyway.

 

It really is about time that this was just added into what we all pay with no exception. It should be part of the cost of the cruise for everyone. No one should be able to stop the gratuity.

 

If cruise companies across the board just made the cruises gratuity inclusive in the cruise price, this discussion would not be happening.

 

Thereafter it is up to the individual if they want to do extra.

[DirtyDawg]

I'm not happy or unhappy about the 'gratuities'. It is what it is. I too would prefer if the daily service charge was included in the price and be done with it but I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen.

 

As a balcony cruiser my DSC/gratuity works out to be about 7% - 9% of my daily cruise fare. Interior cruisers this works out to be about 15% or so of their daily cruise fare. I wonder in balcony cruisers are generally more happy about the DSC/gratuities than interior cruisers?

Edited July 14, 2015 by DirtyDawg

[Gordoncruickshank]

Agree. I would have no problem if the "gratuities" were just folded into the cruise price. I consider it part of the cruise price now anyway.

 

I suspect that 95% probably agree with that but there always some who want to play the system and probably walk off the ship paying nothing in tips. I prefer to have my tips paid before I go on the ship as I pay that in £s rather than carrying a bigger fistful of dollars onto a ship.

[boscobeans]

I suspect that 95% probably agree with that but there always some who want to play the system and probably walk off the ship paying nothing in tips. I prefer to have my tips paid before I go on the ship as I pay that in £s rather than carrying a bigger fistful of dollars onto a ship.

 

I agree. Stop all these BOGO's, 123's, good better best's and every other silly gimmicky ad.

We all know that most of, if not all, the fantastic "deals" aren't really that fantastic.

 

Add the gratuities to the cruise price along with the taxes and port fees and be done with it. We all have to, or at least should, tip the required amount, understanding that the gratuities are really more salary than tips, for employees who for the most part do their best to take care of us.

 

Any extra would always be an option for those who feel it is deserved.

 

bosco

[caladezi]

I would be totally in agreement with the tips being rolled into the cruise fare with one clause added. That clause would prevent any crew member from accepting ANY additional "extra" tip offered to them. Without that the "extra" tip would soon become the "expected tip" and anyone who didn't offer up the green would be considered to have stiffed the staff.

[deerhuntingal]

I'm not happy with the pre-paid gratuities and I'm glad we can remove them at our discretion. On my last cruise (Not celebrity) the staff on board did not go above and beyond to make my cruise memorable. Quite the opposite. Mind you I was comparing it to the early 1990's RC cruise where tipping was still done with cash but back then, the service was astounding and we still remember the crew that long ago. This last cruise I was ignored, left in a restaurant at a table with the wrong drink and they never came back, my room steward said maybe 10 words to me total in 9 days, and since I was a single cruiser at that time, I was stared at by the staff in the dining areas as well as the bar/lounges. Made me feel really out of place. I was ignored in the Jewelry section of the on board store. Weird experience overall and yes, I removed the tips on that cruise. These were things I could not fix by telling the staff. It was up to them to act appropriately but they did not.

 

I concluded that since the tips were already paid and not a factor, they did not have to go above and beyond but simply do the minimum it took to get the job done. There is no incentive to do better in other words. Kind of a shame since the staff is part of the cruise experience.

 

I'm trying Celebrity next and from what I can tell, I hear it is better but I will reserve my opinions until the last few days of the cruise. and yes, I will pay the gratuity if the service is outstanding. That last cruise made me wary

about pre-paying, so in conclusion, I like the fact we can pay or not up front

as an option but I don't like it because it has made the staff lazy on certain ships and I just have to find the ship where that has not happened yet! :D

[Velvetwater]

my room steward said maybe 10 words to me total in 9 days, and since I was a single cruiser at that time, :D

 

 

Sounds like my ideal room steward, at least yours didn't loose your clothing and remove a power strip (which had a note saying it was allowed taped to it).

[deerhuntingal]

Sounds like my ideal room steward, at least yours didn't loose your clothing and remove a power strip (which had a note saying it was allowed taped to it).

 

Yikes! Makes a person run away to another cruise line, doesn't it? My steward put a stained bedspread on my bed plus the ice was left over from the last people who were in that room (it was melted but a bucket of water someone used was not appealing!)

 

I guess they just don't have to care since they are pre-tipped! :eek:

[Velvetwater]

Yikes! Makes a person run away to another cruise line, doesn't it? My steward put a stained bedspread on my bed plus the ice was left over from the last people who were in that room (it was melted but a bucket of water someone used was not appealing!)

 

I guess they just don't have to care since they are pre-tipped! :eek:

 

My steward wasn't pre-tipped as it was Carnival...they let you do select dining and pay your grats after. I am still a bit bemused as our steward on the same ship the previous year was a star!

 

Ah well...