Argh, tipping.

[MicCanberra]

I assume you meant "no pressure" :confused:

 

I would think so also.

The only pressure (if you could say pressure is mentioning it) that we have ever received was from staff asking us to make sure we fill out the comment cards and mentioning them if we feel inclined.:D

[Beanb41]

Yep, time will tell. We are on her for the B2B after your cruise. Make sure you say G'day to Sarah (Icat2000) as she will be joining you.:D

 

Will make a point of it.

[NSWP]

Understand these are not tips, RCCL can call them tips but they are not. It is a service fee, Royal way of stealing from the passengers to pay for Royal's Staff. This is done company wide.

 

We as passengers are not responsible for paying the staff that is the job of the cruise lines. And while RCCL wants to take all the benefits of being American, they only want benefits like tips. They do not want to employ US crews, they do not want to follow US Labor laws.

 

It is time for the company to pay the staffs and stop trying to steal from me. I cay trying because I always remove the daily recommend stealing from my account and tip as I see fit in cash.

Correct AWS (Automatic Wage Subsidy.' The cruise lines do not want to pay all the service crew wages from their coffers, they want the pax to pay extra on their fare by way of auto tips - (AWS)

 

I note you reside in the Philipines. I know service crew, i.e. bar staff, waiters, cabin stewards get around US$2000 - $2500 per month with wage and tips/tipping pool. The Filipino service crew on Princess ships tell me that is a very good wage in the Philipines. Correct?

 

And of course their pay is tax free and they send most of it home, as board/food/medical care on the ships is provided.

Edited April 2, 2016 by NSWP

[Beanb41]

I assume you meant "no pressure" :confused:

 

Well I am starting to feel the pressure now that I'm home. The computer is missing words out and misspelling others. Time to go cruising again

[Beanb41]

Correct AWS (Automatic Wage Subsidy.' The cruise lines do not want to pay all the service crew wages from their coffers, they want the pax to pay extra on their fare by way of auto tips - (AWS)

 

I note you reside in the Philipines. I know service crew, i.e. bar staff, waiters, cabin stewards get around US$2000 - $2500 per month with wage and tips/tipping pool. The Filipino service crew on Princess ships tell me that is a very good wage in the Philipines. Correct?

 

And of course their pay is tax free and they send most of it home, as board/food/medical care on the ships is provided.

 

Call it service charge ( That's what they call it on the invoice) or tips or whatever. If it is removed then the cruise cost will increase one way or the other. For non Americans this cost plus culture is sometimes difficult to take. But if one accepts that cruise fare and service charge are part of doing the deal and pay them then there is no issue

[NSWP]

Call it service charge ( That's what they call it on the invoice) or tips or whatever. If it is removed then the cruise cost will increase one way or the other. For non Americans this cost plus culture is sometimes difficult to take. But if one accepts that cruise fare and service charge are part of doing the deal and pay them then there is no issue

AWS is a term conjured up some years ago by us cruisers on CC as an alternate name for Automatic Gratuities/Auto Tips/Service Charge, call it what you will. I think Automatic Wage Subsidy is a great term !!

 

Yes, the service charge is something to behold in the Land of Tipping/Land of the Free, having been there half a dozen times on cruises/land travel. Many restaurants in the Americas want 20% these days and stick it on your bill as service charge, as you rightly say and none of us are forced to travel.

Edited April 2, 2016 by NSWP

[MicCanberra]

Well I am starting to feel the pressure now that I'm home. The computer is missing words out and misspelling others. Time to go cruising again

 

Always the best remedy.:D

[Beanb41]

Leave next week

[MicCanberra]

AWS is a term conjured up some years ago by us cruisers on CC as an alternate name for Automatic Gratuities/Auto Tips/Service Charge, call it what you will. I think Automatic Wage Subsidy is a great term !!

 

Yes, the service charge is something to behold in the Land of Tipping/Land of the Free, having been there half a dozen times on cruises/land travel. Many restaurants in the Americas want 20% these days and stick it on your bill as service charge, as you rightly say and none of us are forced to travel.

 

I always check the receipt, as you say, many places are now automatically including the tip on the bill.:(

[joandian]

Yes, the service charge is something to behold in the Land of Tipping/Land of the Free, having been there half a dozen times on cruises/land travel. Many restaurants in the Americas want 20% these days and stick it on your bill as service charge, as you rightly say and none of us are forced to travel.

 

I've not seen this automatic tipping as a common occurrence. Normally it's only automatically added to the bills of large groups. Unlike the cruise lines, wait staff in restaurants in the US do work hard for their tips since some are only paid around $2.50 per hour. Most know if you don't get decent timely service, they won't get a good tip. 15% is the average tip most (including us) give in the US and 20% for exceptional service. Having said that, a good meal is at least half the price of something similar here in Aus and you get much better service and free soda top ups!

[MicCanberra]

Leave next week

 

Great work, Enjoy.:D

[Beanb41]

Unlike the cruise lines, wait staff in restaurants in the US do work hard for their tips

 

Obviously the writer of this comment hasn't been cruising for a long time. The staff on cruise ships work very long hours and work extremely hard for their pay.

 

An example of a waitress in Café Bacio on the Celebrity Solstice started at 9.00 am and finished at 1.00 am the following morning with a 2 hour break during the day and was back in the Café at 7.00 am the following morning and we saw her still at work after the late show at 10 pm.

 

These people work extremely hard and always still have a smile for even the most thankless of passenger. A café worker on shore would have kittens if they had to work as hard and the hours of a cruise worker

[Expat Cruise]

Unlike the cruise lines, wait staff in restaurants in the US do work hard for their tips

 

Obviously the writer of this comment hasn't been cruising for a long time. The staff on cruise ships work very long hours and work extremely hard for their pay.

 

An example of a waitress in Café Bacio on the Celebrity Solstice started at 9.00 am and finished at 1.00 am the following morning with a 2 hour break during the day and was back in the Café at 7.00 am the following morning and we saw her still at work after the late show at 10 pm.

 

These people work extremely hard and always still have a smile for even the most thankless of passenger. A café worker on shore would have kittens if they had to work as hard and the hours of a cruise worker

 

What is obvious here is you have spent very little time in third world countries, and you want to judge these things based upon your own life experiences. In third World working conditions, 12 hours a day 28 days a month is common. Low pay rates are very common. At this time about 25% of Royal's service staff is from the Philippines, they are paid around US$2000 dollars per moth in total. If the same same staff worked in the Philippines the month pay (same level of work) would be about 12,000 pesos US$261 and from this they would need to pay transportation, food, housing. All things Royal pays for them.

 

For most of these workers the cruise ship jobs pay at least ten times what they would make in the Philippines. And if they all quit today, 20 workers would be lining up to take each job. So don't compare to Western standards, they are third World workers in fact being very overpaid based upon their standards.

 

As a shareholder I just want the job done at the lowest cost to me, so I get the most return on my investment. If Royal can cut crew costs that is good for me. As a passengers I have already paid for the cruise and it is up to Royal to pay their own staff. Either way it is not on me, to support or help anyone.

Edited April 3, 2016 by Expat Cruise

[Adidas4fun]

It remains utterly confusing.

 

We are on board the Celebrity Solstice as I type. Our butler was the same butler we had on the Century in December 2014. We tipped him then. Was it a generous tip? I dont know. Well today, 3rd day on board and with the canapes is another bottle of bubbles - we havent even drunk the first bottle yet. Last time we were in a royal suite and never received any such extra treats, this time we are in a lowly sky suite.

 

Was it the tip from last time? Or simply that we are "valued" customers?

 

I have also generously tipped one of the sommeliers so far. At this afternoons wine tasting event he had identified other members of my "party" that had arrived before me, but then again other sommeliers who I have not yet tipped fussed over us.

 

It goes back to a point I made on these boards long ago, they profile you. Do you fit with the profile of a generous tipper or not? Service is not commensurate with your actual tip level but with your profile.

[MicCanberra]

It remains utterly confusing.

 

We are on board the Celebrity Solstice as I type. Our butler was the same butler we had on the Century in December 2014. We tipped him then. Was it a generous tip? I dont know. Well today, 3rd day on board and with the canapes is another bottle of bubbles - we havent even drunk the first bottle yet. Last time we were in a royal suite and never received any such extra treats, this time we are in a lowly sky suite.

 

Was it the tip from last time? Or simply that we are "valued" customers?

 

I have also generously tipped one of the sommeliers so far. At this afternoons wine tasting event he had identified other members of my "party" that had arrived before me, but then again other sommeliers who I have not yet tipped fussed over us.

 

It goes back to a point I made on these boards long ago, they profile you. Do you fit with the profile of a generous tipper or not? Service is not commensurate with your actual tip level but with your profile.

 

Great score on the Champers.

Whether you call it profiling or not, they soon know who are the people that appreciate their efforts and those who don't.:D

[Beanb41]

What is obvious here is you have spent very little time in third world countries, and you want to judge these things based upon your own life experiences. In third World working conditions, 12 hours a day 28 days a month is common. Low pay rates are very common. At this time about 25% of Royal's service staff is from the Philippines, they are paid around US$2000 dollars per moth in total. If the same same staff worked in the Philippines the month pay (same level of work) would be about 12,000 pesos US$261 and from this they would need to pay transportation, food, housing. All things Royal pays for them.

 

For most of these workers the cruise ship jobs pay at least ten times what they would make in the Philippines. And if they all quit today, 20 workers would be lining up to take each job. So don't compare to Western standards, they are third World workers in fact being very overpaid based upon their standards.

 

As a shareholder I just want the job done at the lowest cost to me, so I get the most return on my investment. If Royal can cut crew costs that is good for me. As a passengers I have already paid for the cruise and it is up to Royal to pay their own staff. Either way it is not on me, to support or help anyone.

 

What an absolutely arrogant and ignorant comment. Whilst you may be a stock holder it gives you no right to treat people with utter disdain. Staff regardless of where they are from deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect. Whilst you say you are from the Phillipines you are obviously not a Phillipino as they have far more manners

Edited April 3, 2016 by Beanb41

[Big Kev]

We sense an ex Newcastle driver/glamour/ship photographer in the mix of recent posts :D :mad:

 

S and P

[Bootman4U]

Some will tell you the only people who feel compelled to ask whether or not a tip is necessary or justified are those who never worked for one.

 

When we cruise these days we no longer go for set dining times so the tips are automatically added and I generally pre-pay them. Nevertheless, we usually give a cash "up-front" tip to the cabin attendant on the first day as we outline for him or her what, if any, special requests we might have such as extra towels, etc.

 

For the most part that has served us well. We have never felt "profiled" and it wouldn't matter anyway. I tip as I think it is warranted and always have. Have more important things to worry about, frankly.

[Expat Cruise]

Correct AWS (Automatic Wage Subsidy.' The cruise lines do not want to pay all the service crew wages from their coffers, they want the pax to pay extra on their fare by way of auto tips - (AWS)

 

I note you reside in the Philippines. I know service crew, i.e. bar staff, waiters, cabin stewards get around US$2000 - $2500 per month with wage and tips/tipping pool. The Filipino service crew on Princess ships tell me that is a very good wage in the Philippines. Correct?

 

And of course their pay is tax free and they send most of it home, as board/food/medical care on the ships is provided.

 

Yes you are correct US$2000 to US$2500 is much more than most of the population here makes. Jobs here are very hard low pay and long hours. None of the United States type rules apply. Major Employers Like malls here hiring sales clerks will run ads, saving things like Wanted Female Single 19 to 26 Attractive. All things not allowed under US Labor laws.

 

Even with a four year college degree like a nurse the pay rate will be about US$250 dollars per month. With long hours 12 hour shifts and no more than 4 days off per month. Also most of the labor force here has no benefits because they don't start until you have worked in a company for 6 months and a day. So companies offer 3 month contracts and terminate after two contracts. Good workers are then called back after a few months.

 

It is not a great system the money here is very low for 95% plus of the people here. To put in US Terms what they are paid is like telling a bartender, waiter, or hotel maid that if they go to work at a private Island Resort for one month (housing, transportation, and meals included) You will Pay them US$125,000 dollars for the month. And then try to claim that these poor workers need tips.

 

Give me a break it is a con by the cruise lines.

[The_Big_M]

What is obvious here is you have spent very little time in third world countries, and you want to judge these things based upon your own life experiences. In third World working conditions, 12 hours a day 28 days a month is common. Low pay rates are very common. At this time about 25% of Royal's service staff is from the Philippines, they are paid around US$2000 dollars per moth in total. If the same same staff worked in the Philippines the month pay (same level of work) would be about 12,000 pesos US$261 and from this they would need to pay transportation, food, housing. All things Royal pays for them.

 

For most of these workers the cruise ship jobs pay at least ten times what they would make in the Philippines. And if they all quit today, 20 workers would be lining up to take each job. So don't compare to Western standards, they are third World workers in fact being very overpaid based upon their standards.

 

As a shareholder I just want the job done at the lowest cost to me, so I get the most return on my investment. If Royal can cut crew costs that is good for me. As a passengers I have already paid for the cruise and it is up to Royal to pay their own staff. Either way it is not on me, to support or help anyone.

 

Conversely it is apparent you want to judge things by 3rd world standards.

 

Going on these ships is not a 3rd world experience. If the service was paid at 1st world levels, they would be paid a lot more than they are so it is a cheap cop out to pay 3rd world for a 1st world service.

 

As a shareholder, you apparently want a better life for yourself. So do they. That doesn't mean they should be exploited, any more than you should be.

 

Tosh.

[Expat Cruise]

What an absolutely arrogant and ignorant comment. Whilst you may be a stock holder it gives you no right to treat people with utter disdain. Staff regardless of where they are from deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect. Whilst you say you are from the Phillipines you are obviously not a Phillipino as they have far more manners

 

Well first off it is not Phillipines it is Philippines, and it is not Phillipino it is Filipino, but you are right I am from the United States, I choice to live in the Philippines. What is true is you have every right to your opinion, and I have ever right not to follow what you say. I treat the staff the way they should be treated in my opinion. Better than they would be treated by Filipino business owners here in their own country. As for manners I have never attack any other poster here, I will call the company out when I believe they are wrong.

 

So as a shareholder I love the fact they we hire workers from the Philippines, I love that if they are hurt, injured, or even killed to to errors cause by RCCL that the maximum liability under the law here, is US$50,000. A simple slip and fall in Walmart costs the corporation more. Do you really believe RCCL hires all these workers from the Philippines to help them? No it is best for business.

 

But also as a client I want to get the best total package I can. So I will cruise and let Royal make next to nothing and they can make it up on your fare. I hope it is very clear now.

[Expat Cruise]

Conversely it is apparent you want to judge things by 3rd world standards.

 

Going on these ships is not a 3rd world experience. If the service was paid at 1st world levels, they would be paid a lot more than they are so it is a cheap cop out to pay 3rd world for a 1st world service.

 

As a shareholder, you apparently want a better life for yourself. So do they. That doesn't mean they should be exploited, any more than you should be.

 

Tosh.

 

No I want first world standards at Third World prices. People who work directly for me or provide service they get reward. I did not go into McDonald's in the United States and tip as it is not a service that should be tipped.

 

Royal offers complete packages paying dishwashers, bar backs runners, kitchen staff is all on them. The cabin Attendant provides direct service he/she should be tipped if the service has been provided. But the laundry room staff, housekeeper mangers all are again on Royal. And that why I remove auto tips. When I tip it is directly to the people I want to have tips.

[The_Big_M]

No I want first world standards at Third World prices.

 

Good luck with that incongruous desire. Says it all really.

[Expat Cruise]

Good luck with that incongruous desire. Says it all really.

 

So I'm incongruous for wanting 1st World Services and 3nd World pricing but RCCL is doing the right thing by charging 1st World Pricing and Standards (Tipping, Etc) but hiring 3nd World Staff?

 

Do you really believe they are hiring 3nd World Staff because they are the best available or because they are the best value for the company? I'm wrong for wanting the same level of control and costing over my personal funds but Royal is right for wanting to do the same thing with costs and payroll?

 

OK I understand now you support a double standard here. Thank you for making that clear.

[Beanb41]

So I'm incongruous for wanting 1st World Services and 3nd World pricing but RCCL is doing the right thing by charging 1st World Pricing and Standards (Tipping, Etc) but hiring 3nd World Staff?

 

Do you really believe they are hiring 3nd World Staff because they are the best available or because they are the best value for the company? I'm wrong for wanting the same level of control and costing over my personal funds but Royal is right for wanting to do the same thing with costs and payroll?

 

OK I understand now you support a double standard here. Thank you for making that clear.

 

On the Solstice currently are Canadian, South African, Italian bar servers as well as those from so called third world countries. Is Canada, South Africa and Italy now considered third world?