Argh, tipping.

[MicCanberra]

Should that actually be called tipping, or extortion?

 

That's the problem with tips, eventually you get to the stage where you have to pay extra to get someone to do the job they are being paid to do.

 

It would be different if you had a choice, deliver the bags yourself or pay a porter to do it for you.:(

[NSWP]

Should that actually be called tipping, or extortion?

 

That's the problem with tips, eventually you get to the stage where you have to pay extra to get someone to do the job they are being paid to do.

Them's the rules in the Land of the Free, aka 'The Land of Tipping.'

[Cabansail]

Tipping has, in many cases, gone from a reward for good service to an extortion to stop inappropriate behaviour.

 

 

 

You are obviously mixing with the wrong crowd!! Come up to the Gym -- not many drunks there!!!

 

I did spend some time in the Gym. You are right, there were no drunks in there. The problem is that they do not serve meals in there, nor do they have shows, trivia, etc. When you go to those places the drunks were there.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Should that actually be called tipping, or extortion?

That's the problem with tips, eventually you get to the stage where you have to pay extra to get someone to do the job they are being paid to do.

Them's the rules in the Land of the Free, aka 'The Land of Tipping.'

 

Tipping is not extortion...its just a different system that we are not used to.

Whats the minimum wage where you are?

In the States it was $7 per hour or $4 per hour if you were able to earn tips. I believe it has gone up recently , but not by much. Australians and NZ'ers are the envy of the world with the wages they earn , as they enjoy some of the highest hourly rates anywhere.

 

 

[OzKiwiJJ]

But the annoying, and often confusing to people like us, thing about the tipping cultures is that the expected tip amount keeps rising and rising. That means that the workers are more and more reliant on those tips to get anything near a living wage, and any tipping defaulters have a proportionally higher impact on that wage.

 

I'm glad to hear the minimum wage has increased slightly but it would be better for it to increase more, and the tipping rate to decrease.

[NSWP]

Tipping is not extortion...its just a different system that we are not used to.

Whats the minimum wage where you are?

In the States it was $7 per hour or $4 per hour if you were able to earn tips. I believe it has gone up recently , but not by much. Australians and NZ'ers are the envy of the world with the wages they earn , as they enjoy some of the highest hourly rates anywhere.

 

 

High wages in the hospitality industry in Aus/NZ David is the reason why we pay a high price for restaurant meals and hotel rooms.

 

All these shift allowances and weekend/public holiday penalties add to the cost.

 

Personally I don't have a problem with the tipping culture in the U.S. and other countries that have low hospitality staff wages. That's the way it is and like it or not, that is the way it is on many cruise lines.

Edited March 23, 2016 by NSWP

[Adidas4fun]

High wages in the hospitality industry in Aus/NZ David is the reason why we pay a high price for restaurant meals and hotel rooms.

 

All these shift allowances and weekend/public holiday penalties add to the cost.

 

Personally I don't have a problem with the tipping culture in the U.S. and other countries that have low hospitality staff wages. That's the way it is and like it or not, that is the way it is on many cruise lines.

 

High prices in AUS are not due to a lack of tipping culture but due to union strength.

 

High prices in NZ are simply due to market issues.

 

And when you properly factor in tipping costs both NZ and AUS are actually cheaper than the US.

[MicCanberra]

High prices in AUS are not due to a lack of tipping culture but due to union strength.

 

High prices in NZ are simply due to market issues.

 

And when you properly factor in tipping costs both NZ and AUS are actually cheaper than the US.

 

I think it really depends on what service you are purchasing.

[bazzaw]

$20 tip to the Yankee Porters? Barry, by jove you are a well heeled Aussie Cunarder. Carry on old chap.

 

Not really -I have just had the benefit of experiencing my luggage going to San Francisco - when I was flying to Dallas!! True life is a good way to learn things - as opposed to theorizing or wishful thinking!! :)

[bazzaw]

Tipping is not extortion...its just a different system that we are not used to.

WAustralians and NZ'ers are the envy of the world with the wages they earn , as they enjoy some of the highest hourly rates anywhere.

 

 

 

And this is rapidly coming to an end -- even King Canute could not hold back the tide!!!!

[OzKiwiJJ]

Not really -I have just had the benefit of experiencing my luggage going to San Francisco - when I was flying to Dallas!! True life is a good way to learn things - as opposed to theorizing or wishful thinking!! :)

 

That doesn't just happen in the US. DH once had his luggage go to Bangkok while he went to Hong Kong. He departed from Singapore. It was a long time ago though, I think baggage handling has improved since then.

[mr walker]

And when you properly factor in tipping costs both NZ and AUS are actually cheaper than the US.

 

Not my experience at all. Guess it depends on where you are comparing, maybe Manhattan?? Looking at Texas, where I have spent quite a bit of time, prices for most things are much cheaper than here in Australia, especially meals and drinks, which is mainly where tips come in to the deal.

 

Colleagues who visit down here cannot believe the prices we pay for meals & drinks.

[The_Big_M]

High prices in AUS are not due to a lack of tipping culture but due to union strength.

 

Really? Unions have been dying out for ages, yet they're now responsible for setting prices, even in industries which don't have any significant union rep?

 

Laughable.

[GUT2407]

Tipping is not extortion...its just a different system that we are not used to.

Whats the minimum wage where you are?

In the States it was $7 per hour or $4 per hour if you were able to earn tips. I believe it has gone up recently , but not by much. Australians and NZ'ers are the envy of the world with the wages they earn , as they enjoy some of the highest hourly rates anywhere.

 

 

 

 

Sorry David but tipping is extortion f you believe claims like:

 

If you remove the tips hide your tooth brush

 

or

 

Tip the porter or your bags will go for a swim

 

 

or other similar statements that you can find all over CC

[MicCanberra]

Not my experience at all. Guess it depends on where you are comparing, maybe Manhattan?? Looking at Texas, where I have spent quite a bit of time, prices for most things are much cheaper than here in Australia, especially meals and drinks, which is mainly where tips come in to the deal.

 

Colleagues who visit down here cannot believe the prices we pay for meals & drinks.

 

Agreed, have to laugh when people talk about the shopping in Hawaii being so great for Aussies, which is basically a tourist trap compared to most of the US.

Edited March 23, 2016 by MicCanberra

[The_Big_M]

Agreed, have to laugh when people talk about the shopping in Hawaii being so great for Aussies, which is basically a tourist trap compared to most of the US.

 

Hawaii is good for certain US brands (which will always be cheaper in the US than here) but not for everyday, or more generic things. It's not known as a cheap destination for Americans!

[Adidas4fun]

Hawaii is good for certain US brands (which will always be cheaper in the US than here) but not for everyday, or more generic things. It's not known as a cheap destination for Americans!

 

Oh look, an island distant from other places is a more expensive place.

 

Ring any bells?

[NSWP]

Oh look, an island distant from other places is a more expensive place.

 

Ring any bells?

Just like NZ, tour operators are making a motza from the cruise ships.

 

Such is life, made round to go round.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Just like NZ, tour operators are making a motza from the cruise ships.

 

And good on them! They are running a business that is seasonal, and subject to the vagaries of the weather. Their seasonal income may have to support them for the whole year, and they have money invested in vehicles and other assets.

 

NZ does tourism extremely well and, unless you come across a fly-by-nighter, the operators are reliable and genuine.

[The_Big_M]

Oh look, an island distant from other places is a more expensive place.

 

Ring any bells?

 

True.

 

Similarly, there are some that still find visiting Australia a cheap destination for product (compared to their more remote locations).

 

It's all relative...

[shireboi]

After reading many of the comments on that article it occurs to me, is the tipping culture a way of outsourcing performance management to the customers?

 

Perhaps but also tax avoidance.:(

 

Or just cost avoidance.

 

 

THIS......

 

might as well get my 2c worth into this thread......

 

with some time off in the next few weeks (due to a contract finishing :() - at bitten by the cruise bug - I've been exploring some of the 'cheaper' Royal Caribbean cruises (Sydney to Seattle - or do something from Fort Lauderdale - yes..... wishful thinking at the moment !!).

 

RC has IMO the audacity to put a price point onto 'gratuities' of about $U13 a day per person. 'Oh.. but these people aren't getting a salary - and your tipping is given them a wage' is the biggest load of bollocks I've ever read. Are we encouraging RC to engage in cheap labour hiriig, or do we even say 'slavery' ??

 

I'm sure someone has done the calculations before - but 5000 on a big liner, x 7 night cruise x $13 per person works out to be just under half a million TAX FREE !!

 

And 'where' is that money going ??

 

Does anyone honestly 'think' it's being 'distributed' to the staff ??

 

And 'who' determines what each staff member gets ??

 

IMO this is a truly disgusting way of paying staff on these liners - and yet travellers are 'encouraging' lines like RC to act like this.

 

Which ever cruise I end up on around April 2016 - I wont be allowing the line to determine 'what' I 'tip' - I'll be promptly ceasing that the moment I get on board. Heartless ?? well... think of the cruise line that is making mega profits.

[SunnyinDubai]

THIS......

 

might as well get my 2c worth into this thread......

 

with some time off in the next few weeks (due to a contract finishing :() - at bitten by the cruise bug - I've been exploring some of the 'cheaper' Royal Caribbean cruises (Sydney to Seattle - or do something from Fort Lauderdale - yes..... wishful thinking at the moment !!).

 

RC has IMO the audacity to put a price point onto 'gratuities' of about $U13 a day per person. 'Oh.. but these people aren't getting a salary - and your tipping is given them a wage' is the biggest load of bollocks I've ever read. Are we encouraging RC to engage in cheap labour hiriig, or do we even say 'slavery' ??

 

I'm sure someone has done the calculations before - but 5000 on a big liner, x 7 night cruise x $13 per person works out to be just under half a million TAX FREE !!

 

And 'where' is that money going ??

 

Does anyone honestly 'think' it's being 'distributed' to the staff ??

 

And 'who' determines what each staff member gets ??

 

IMO this is a truly disgusting way of paying staff on these liners - and yet travellers are 'encouraging' lines like RC to act like this.

 

Which ever cruise I end up on around April 2016 - I wont be allowing the line to determine 'what' I 'tip' - I'll be promptly ceasing that the moment I get on board. Heartless ?? well... think of the cruise line that is making mega profits.

 

I have not read the whole thread so this may have been covered but the staff do get a wage - the tips supplement the wage.

 

Tipping is not limited to RCI - most of the other cruise lines do include it as well and have a daily amount which is added to your account. Some lines (Princess when in Aust and P&O Aus) do not have tips but I think this does result in increased fares.

 

The tips do go to the staff - and not just the ones you see - it does get distributed to the behind the scenes staff as well (kitchen staff, laundry staff, cleaners ,etc).

 

Tipping is not limited to cruises as well - we did some land based tours overseas and were advised as to suggested tipping amounts for the guides who accompanied the tours we did...this is not a new concept...

 

At the end of the day, whether we agree or not agree with tipping (or like it), it is a part of the cost of cruising and people should factor that into their budget when looking at cruising. I know people may not agree with me on this esp but at the end of the day, the cruise lines are not going to remove this policy anytime soon (esp when people seems to want cheaper cruising) and by not giving tips, the only people that suffer the consequences are the staff who are the ones who are there (and do) make your trip as relaxing and enjoyable as they can. :)

[Kiwi Kruzer]

THIS......

 

might as well get my 2c worth into this thread......

 

with some time off in the next few weeks (due to a contract finishing :() - at bitten by the cruise bug - I've been exploring some of the 'cheaper' Royal Caribbean cruises (Sydney to Seattle - or do something from Fort Lauderdale - yes..... wishful thinking at the moment !!).

 

RC has IMO the audacity to put a price point onto 'gratuities' of about $U13 a day per person. 'Oh.. but these people aren't getting a salary - and your tipping is given them a wage' is the biggest load of bollocks I've ever read. Are we encouraging RC to engage in cheap labour hiriig, or do we even say 'slavery' ??

 

I'm sure someone has done the calculations before - but 5000 on a big liner, x 7 night cruise x $13 per person works out to be just under half a million TAX FREE !!

 

And 'where' is that money going ??

 

Does anyone honestly 'think' it's being 'distributed' to the staff ??

 

And 'who' determines what each staff member gets ??

 

IMO this is a truly disgusting way of paying staff on these liners - and yet travellers are 'encouraging' lines like RC to act like this.

 

Which ever cruise I end up on around April 2016 - I wont be allowing the line to determine 'what' I 'tip' - I'll be promptly ceasing that the moment I get on board. Heartless ?? well... think of the cruise line that is making mega profits.

 

And so they should be making mega profits with the amount of money they have outlaid.

Priced the cost of building a new cruise ship lately?

 

 

 

 

 

[Russell21]

Yep, it's around $1 BILLION!

[shireboi]

I have not read the whole thread so this may have been covered but the staff do get a wage - the tips supplement the wage.

 

Tipping is not limited to RCI - most of the other cruise lines do include it as well and have a daily amount which is added to your account. Some lines (Princess when in Aust and P&O Aus) do not have tips but I think this does result in increased fares.

 

The tips do go to the staff - and not just the ones you see - it does get distributed to the behind the scenes staff as well (kitchen staff, laundry staff, cleaners ,etc).

 

Tipping is not limited to cruises as well - we did some land based tours overseas and were advised as to suggested tipping amounts for the guides who accompanied the tours we did...this is not a new concept...

 

At the end of the day, whether we agree or not agree with tipping (or like it), it is a part of the cost of cruising and people should factor that into their budget when looking at cruising. I know people may not agree with me on this esp but at the end of the day, the cruise lines are not going to remove this policy anytime soon (esp when people seems to want cheaper cruising) and by not giving tips, the only people that suffer the consequences are the staff who are the ones who are there (and do) make your trip as relaxing and enjoyable as they can.

 

firstly.... of course 'tipping' or as RC put it 'gratuities' aren't just limited to that line - I was making reference to future consideration on that line.

 

 

secondly.... PO fares here in Australia are quite reasonable, and whilst there is no requirement to tip on that line, there's hasn't been a resulting increase in fares given the amount of competition here in Oz.

 

 

now...

 

'tips' go to the staff... that you see.. don't see.. and then there's the one that fuelled the ship, brought the goods to the ship, and then there's endless of other people that you 'could' be somewhat 'supplementing' their wages. It's a CON.

 

How do you or anyone know 'how' it gets distributed ? and how does anyone know what percentage each position gets ??

 

 

As for being 'part of the cost of cruising', again, I don't buy into it. Do you 'tip' an airline staff, as they come to your beck and call, dropping you your meal, bring you drinks during the middle of the night ?? Did you tip the guys bringing your bags to the bag collection area ?? It's like the 18% that is in addition to the purchase of a drink : and for what ?? So for a $5 you are 'tipping' someone almost 1/5 for the cost - even it's it just a bottle of beer ??

 

 

It's like being asked to pay for a 'resort fee' in Vegas - let's just advertise how 'cheap' our acommodation is, but 'tag' an extra $20 to get access to the pool or free local calls.

 

If you wish to 'tip' - then that is your choice. My is not to tip for just going about doing your job.