SINGLE HSC/TIPPING THREAD (Previously "Why are gratuities not included in Fares?")

[blizzardboy]

I'm still a HAL newbie dummy, but where/when will the HSC be applied? just booked a last minute and can't find that anywhere. I am used to pre-paying tips on NCL and always choose to go ahead and do it, will they offer this when we board? I did notice some $660 pre-authorization, which I assumed was for charging stuff to our cabin.

Ruth, a go-to and trusted source of info, answered your question. For scads of helpful stuff, explore HAL's website. Go the right side of the banner towards the top of their homepage and click "ALREADY BOOKED" and you'll find several topics of interest, including FAQs.

Welcome aboard!

bb

[sapper1]

It seemed rather curt to me too.

Merry Christmas sapper1 and all the best for 2018 and many more cruises.

Thank you for the wishes. I also hope you are having a wonderful Christmas.

[cbr663]

I'm still a HAL newbie dummy, but where/when will the HSC be applied? just booked a last minute and can't find that anywhere. I am used to pre-paying tips on NCL and always choose to go ahead and do it, will they offer this when we board? I did notice some $660 pre-authorization, which I assumed was for charging stuff to our cabin.

 

Just to be clear - you cannot prepay your HSC on HAL like you can on other cruise lines. HAL will not offer this option when you board either. As a work around on HAL, some people simply purchase onboard credit (OBC) equivalent to the costs of the HSC. This allows their account to start with a credit owing and they leave it there to cover the daily cost of the HSC. HAL posts the HSC daily to your onboard account.

 

The pre-aurthorized hold on a credit card is indeed in place for any onboard spending.

[cbr663]

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have both increased their gratuities effective Jan 2, 2018. On X, gratuities will increase to $14.50 per passenger per day for most, $15 pp/pd for Concierge and Aqua Class and $18 pp/pp for suites.

 

HAL's last increased in its HSC was May 1, 2017. Do you think that HAL will follow and increase its HSC in 2018? Currently HAL charges $13.50 pp/pd for most and $15.00 pp/pd for suites. Should HAL increase in line with X? $14.50 pp/pd for most and $18.00 for suites?

[KroozNut]

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have both increased their gratuities effective Jan 2, 2018. On X, gratuities will increase to $14.50 per passenger per day for most, $15 pp/pd for Concierge and Aqua Class and $18 pp/pp for suites.

 

HAL's last increased in its HSC was May 1, 2017. Do you think that HAL will follow and increase its HSC in 2018? Currently HAL charges $13.50 pp/pd for most and $15.00 pp/pd for suites. Should HAL increase in line with X? $14.50 pp/pd for most and $18.00 for suites?

 

I hope they don't, but probably will..

[VennDiagram]

Royal Caribbean and Celebrity have both increased their gratuities effective Jan 2, 2018. On X, gratuities will increase to $14.50 per passenger per day for most, $15 pp/pd for Concierge and Aqua Class and $18 pp/pp for suites.

 

HAL's last increased in its HSC was May 1, 2017. Do you think that HAL will follow and increase its HSC in 2018? Currently HAL charges $13.50 pp/pd for most and $15.00 pp/pd for suites. Should HAL increase in line with X? $14.50 pp/pd for most and $18.00 for suites?

 

An increase of $1/day/person for regular cabins is next-to-nothing, if a person can afford the cruise. (Even me as a Canadian paying an extra $1 in US, it isn't that much of an increase ;) ) And really, if a person chooses a suite I would think the extra $3/day/person would be a minute increase in their overall cruise cost.

 

Whether or not HAL should increase the HSC to match X is not for me to say. I expect it would have virtually no influence on someone's decision to buy or not.

[taxmantoo]

An increase of $1/day/person for regular cabins is next-to-nothing, if a person can afford the cruise. (Even me as a Canadian paying an extra $1 in US, it isn't that much of an increase ;) ) And really, if a person chooses a suite I would think the extra $3/day/person would be a minute increase in their overall cruise cost.

 

Whether or not HAL should increase the HSC to match X is not for me to say. I expect it would have virtually no influence on someone's decision to buy or not.

$1 times 2 times 14 days = $28 ... just remember the amount of folks on CC who consider the $25 for an extra bag on some airlines outrageoulsy expensive :rolleyes:

[VennDiagram]

$1 times 2 times 14 days = $28 ... just remember the amount of folks on CC who consider the $25 for an extra bag on some airlines outrageoulsy expensive :rolleyes:

 

True! I will be honest and tell you how much I resent that baggage fee ;) I resent it a LOT. Not that it is outrageously expensive, just that it is (to me) a money grab. A gouge.

 

 

Back to the topic though: do you really think people will complain about that small HSC increase?

[taxmantoo]

Back to the topic though: do you really think people will complain about that small HSC increase?

Can't know for sure, but I doubt that a lot of people would actually come here and admit it. Hearing about the number of people who really go through and reduce or totally remove their gratuities, nothing surprises me anymore :(

[VennDiagram]

Can't know for sure, but I doubt that a lot of people would actually come here and admit it. Hearing about the number of people who really go through and reduce or totally remove their gratuities, nothing surprises me anymore :(

 

Yes you are right :(

[debcruising]

Ok – recently, I read on a thread that when an HAL pax reverses the automatically charged gratuities, they may be thinking they will individually reward their stewards, waiters, etc. Having just completed my 9th HAL cruise, I have been in the Front Desk line right before debarkation and have seen passengers requesting gratuities removed from their account, so I know it must happen a lot fleet wide.

 

But I did not know that if the pax does decide to individually tip, say their steward, that the steward must turn over the tip or risk being fired. Not only are the ship’s personnel behind the scenes being robbed,the person being individually tipped has also been cheated. That really has me bothered. I know, I keep reminding myself that tipping is subjective.

 

It was nice, however to read that Room Service Waiters take on the duty during their off hours to earn extra cash. My most recent cruise on the KDam over Christmas, one of the waiters told me that not everyone tips. That makes me sad.

 

Oh, and before I get off my soap box, why do passengers insist on leaving their used Room Service trays outside their doors. Don’t they realize that everyone needs to walk in the halls? In my 9 cruises, the KDam pax seemed to be the worst offenders.

[sail7seas]

My understanding is quite different.

 

IF you leave automatic hotel service charge in place and tip extra to a steward or anyone, they keep whatever you give them. If you remove hotel sevrice charge and tip on your own, they must turn over the full amount and it is pooled. They 'may' be putting their job at risk if they fail to do as required. The risk being, the stewards all know a good steward who pleases their guests can expect an approximate amount of tips. If on a regular ba sis one steward does not meet that averaged amount, one of two things C OULD be happening. One is the steward is not doin g a good job and/ OR s)he is not b eing honest with his ship mates. these average numbers have ben c alculted overr lots of ships, lots of cruises, lots of years.

 

 

They have to trust each other to live and work together in the harmony we witness.

 

IF a paricular steward has guests removing auto service charge on too many cruises, they are asked why, Why are their guests not happy,,,,,? Any honest person here know s there are some guests who are r tight' and have no conscience about not tipping. they don't think or c are of the position that puts th e crew person into with his superiors and co-workers. they only care to save their money. I'll leave it to others to take it f from there.

 

How many times s does the supervisor stay supportive of the crew person who consistenetly does not get tipped? How many times does that crew person have to say the people in the cabins to which (s)he was assigned or the tables in the MDR talked about not tipping so they knew to expect that?

 

 

Also, tery know who has remov ed auto hotel serviced c harge from their accounts. I c ould not face them if I knew I did that. I cannot recall ever having a steward who deserved that.

Edited January 9, 2018 by sail7seas

[Lady Arwen]

It's pretty much common knowledge that the crew cannot keep their cash tips if auto grats are removed. It happens all too often. This topic has been discussed here for a very long time and it can become a very heated conversation.

 

We were recently on Koningsdam and rarely saw trays in the hallway. Trays should be left in the room, or preferably, call housekeeping and ask for them to remove the tray. They are happy to oblige, as it does create more work for your room steward.

[RJ2002]

This has been discussed here before.

 

If someone removes the HSC from their account and attempt to tip their room steward (or someone) individually, they are supposed to turn that tip back in, and it becomes part of the general tip pool. However, if you don't remove the HSC, any extra tips you may distribute may be retained by the crew member.

 

I think I got that right, but I am sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. ;)

[Lady Arwen]

This has been discussed here before.

 

If someone removes the HSC from their account and attempt to tip their room steward (or someone) individually, they are supposed to turn that tip back in, and it becomes part of the general tip pool. However, if you don't remove the HSC, any extra tips you may distribute may be retained by the crew member.

 

I think I got that right, but I am sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. ;)

Yes, you are correct.

[Copper10-8]

This has been discussed here before.

 

If someone removes the HSC from their account and attempt to tip their room steward (or someone) individually, they are supposed to turn that tip back in, and it becomes part of the general tip pool. However, if you don't remove the HSC, any extra tips you may distribute may be retained by the crew member.

 

I think I got that right, but I am sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. ;)

 

You got that right! ;)

[Stratheden]

It must be very distressing for the crew members when this happens, when in fact they have done nothing wrong. Imagine if one of them got several Australians as their allocated cabins to clean. Australians just do not tip. We might round up the bill to the next $5 but that is for our convenience more than anything else as we don't want coins as change.

 

PS. We never remove the HSC and we tip our Room Stewards and Waiters. 😀

[idiebabe]

O

 

Oh, and before I get off my soap box, why do passengers insist on leaving their used Room Service trays outside their doors. Don’t they realize that everyone needs to walk in the halls? In my 9 cruises, the KDam pax seemed to be the worst offenders.

 

I think the passengers putting their trays outside their door are first time Cruisers to HAL and used to doing it that way on the Lines they come from such as Carnival. I had a "neighbor" on the Kdam who put her tray out the first couple of days onboard. The Room Attendant had mentioned to her that she can call to get the Tray picked up, etc. and we never saw the Tray out again.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When the Hotel Service Charge cam into place many years ago, it was not explained to people very clearly what would happen if they signed the waiver to remove those charges and then tipped crew individually.

Now years later -- there are still many people who have not been told by their TA's or the cruise line about what I talked about above. AND we have people who come from countries where people do not tip as well as those people who do not believe in tipping at all.

There are also people who do not tip the servers in the specialty restaurants as they think that the tip is included in the cost of the meal. That is true on some cruise lines but not on HAL. Yes -- the servers do get a bit of the Hotel Service Charge but not as much as the servers in the dining room. Thus -- we do leave an extra there.

We have always left the Hotel Service Charge in place and we do tip extra to those people whom we feel have made our cruise an enjoyable one.

OP -- you mentioned about people leaving trays out in the hallway -- not only is it bad for regular walkers -- it is terrible for those of us who use Rollators and Scooters. We can't get through at all.

[Copper10-8]

...............................................

Oh, and before I get off my soap box, why do passengers insist on leaving their used Room Service trays outside their doors. Don’t they realize that everyone needs to walk in the halls? In my 9 cruises, the KDam pax seemed to be the worst offenders.

 

Every IRD tray comes with a little fold-up card with easy-to-follow instructions on it, as to what to do/who to call incl. the extension, when those folks are done consuming what they ordered. As opposed to following those simple instructions, some fine folks continue to feel the need to place the trays, linen, ceramics and silverware on the floor outside their doors in the public corridor which then presents a safety/tripping hazard for their fellow pax and crew, incl. 1st responders, using that corridor in an emergency

[*Miss G*]

Oh good. Another tipping thread. Prepare to be assimilated. lol

[*Miss G*]

I was on the Kdam in October and never saw one tray outside a door. But that was a TA which tends to get more seasoned cruisers. I'm guessing yours was a holiday cruise?Edit: Never mind. I just reread your post and you did say it was a Christmas cruise. There's your answer.

[Lady Chew]

I was on the Kdam in October and never saw one tray outside a door. But that was a TA which tends to get more seasoned cruisers. I'm guessing yours was a holiday cruise?Edit: Never mind. I just reread your post and you did say it was a Christmas cruise. There's your answer.

 

We have seen trays on the floor outside of cabins on every cruise we have taken. I have been known to stick a post-it on the door asking them not to do so any more as this presents a hazard.

[*Miss G*]

And it's not as if it's easily done! You really have to WORK at doing that. lol

[CruiseGal999]

My understanding is quite different.

 

IF you leave automatic hotel service charge in place and tip extra to a steward or anyone, they keep whatever you give them. If you remove hotel sevrice charge and tip on your own, they must turn over the full amount and it is pooled. They 'may' be putting their job at risk if they fail to do as required.

 

You have just said the same thing the OP said. I think you misunderstood the OPs post.