Gratuities on QM2

[landahoy100]

can anyone tell me, can we opt out & tip staff ourselves?? :confused::confused:

[DaddyWarbucks]

Yes you can. See the purser.

[Underwatr]

Yes, but the staff have procedures where your opt-out individual tips are to be turned into the tip pool, so you may not accomplish your intended effect.

 

If you want to recognize individual staff it's best to leave the auto-tips in place and tip those people additionally. They aren't required to turn in additional gratuities above and beyond the auto-tip.

 

The "You're a Star" cards are an alternate way to recognize individual contributions from staff members.

[keithm]

can anyone tell me, can we opt out & tip staff ourselves?? :confused::confused:

please don't!!! If you do, the staff has to return the money to the pool. Remember, the tip helps those you DON'T see. If you wish, you may tip extra(your choice)to the staff you thought went above & beyond. That extra $$ they get to keep for themselves.

[Pennbank]

can anyone tell me, can we opt out & tip staff ourselves?? :confused::confused:

 

Put your Tin Hat On !!

 

Cunard allow you to remove the service charge from your on board account by signing a form at the Pursers Desk, but why remove them ? Its all done and dusted then, unless you don't want to pay the service charge then the answer is yes.

Edited March 28, 2016 by Pennbank

[pepperrn]

can anyone tell me, can we opt out & tip staff ourselves??

Hi landahoy,

 

With approx 1,200 crew (QM2) that's an awful lot of envelopes to lick... ;)

 

Far better to do as mentioned above, and as I've always done; leave the "auto-tip" in place and very discretely hand out tips as and when you wish/if you wish, to reward service above and beyond.

 

Hope this helps, best wishes :)

Edited March 28, 2016 by pepperrn

[Bell Boy]

can anyone tell me, can we opt out & tip staff ourselves?? :confused::confused:

 

You've not completed your cruise yet, are you expecting the service throughout the ship to be less than satisfactory.

 

Most of us seasoned Cunarder's on this board would leave them in place and even offer something very small in addition to the auto grats, the evening before disembarkation.

 

A litte bit of extra paper money into the hand of your favourite crew member is all you need to do ...no need for this big show off thing with envelopes at the dinner table ;)

Edited March 28, 2016 by Bell Boy

[pepperrn]

... A litte bit of extra paper money into the hand of your favourite crew member is all you need to do ...no need for this big show off thing with envelopes at the dinner table ;)

VERY well said, thank you Bell Boy :) (I've seen the "Lady Bountiful" thing on the last evening, and dislike it intensely). Edited March 28, 2016 by pepperrn

[Pennbank]

You've not completed your cruise yet, are you expecting the service throughout the ship to be less than satisfactory.

 

Most of us seasoned Cunarder's on this board would leave them in place and even offer something very small in addition to the auto grats, the evening before disembarkation.

 

A litte bit of extra paper money into the hand of your favourite crew member is all you need to do ...no need for this big show off thing with envelopes at the dinner table ;)

 

I do wish this forum had a like button. :D

[pepperrn]

I do wish this forum had a like button. :D

Agreed.

[majortom10]

can anyone tell me, can we opt out & tip staff ourselves?? :confused::confused:

 

By all means if you wish to do so go to the reception desk at the start of your cruise and ask for the gratuities be removed from your account. Then it is up to you who, when and if they deserve a gratuity and how much without being told by Princess so to save them money paying the staff they employ a decent wage. Also don't be made to feel bad or bullied by others who leave the gratuities on to make you feel guilty it is your money and its up to you and nobody else what you do with it.

[Underwatr]

By all means if you wish to do so go to the reception desk at the start of your cruise and ask for the gratuities be removed from your account. Then it is up to you who, when and if they deserve a gratuity and how much without being told by Princess so to save them money paying the staff they employ a decent wage. Also don't be made to feel bad or bullied by others who leave the gratuities on to make you feel guilty it is your money and its up to you and nobody else what you do with it.

It doesn't work as you describe.

[jimmybean]

By all means if you wish to do so go to the reception desk at the start of your cruise and ask for the gratuities be removed from your account. Then it is up to you who, when and if they deserve a gratuity and how much without being told by Princess so to save them money paying the staff they employ a decent wage. Also don't be made to feel bad or bullied by others who leave the gratuities on to make you feel guilty it is your money and its up to you and nobody else what you do with it.

 

All Queens--not a Princess amongst them, majortom : )

[corporate services]

Do whatever you want to do - who says anyone is automatically entitled to be tipped

[majortom10]

All Queens--not a Princess amongst them, majortom : )

 

Sorry it was an aged moment :confused: I meant to put Cunard but being all part of Carnival Corporation it is the same procedure.

[majortom10]

It doesn't work as you describe.

 

Why doesn't it.

[rakkor]

Do whatever you want to do - who says anyone is automatically entitled to be tipped

 

I don't think anyone here is suggesting that, and if you've received poor service you could be forgiven for removing the automatic tips. But if you are espousing removing them as your default position then you cannot blame anyone for assuming that you are a cheapskate.

 

I take what seems to be the majority view here - leave on the automatic tips and then give small cash tips to the staff I feel have made my cruise more enjoyable, on the last evening.

[Morgans]

I don't think anyone here is suggesting that, and if you've received poor service you could be forgiven for removing the automatic tips. But if you are espousing removing them as your default position then you cannot blame anyone for assuming that you are a cheapskate.

 

I take what seems to be the majority view here - leave on the automatic tips and then give small cash tips to the staff I feel have made my cruise more enjoyable, on the last evening.

Why on earth should we tip twice?

[Host Hattie]

Why on earth should we tip twice?

 

Nobody is suggesting that you "should" tip twice but if you have had particularly good service and want to reward individual staff members you can.

[corporate services]

Not espousing anything - how and who I choose to tip is entirely my own business - my money - my choice

[jimmybean]

Why on earth should we tip twice?

 

I agree that double-tipping makes no sense, but DH and I like to do it. We're Americans. On the other hand, others reading this board support a monarchy financially, which we can't understand. Cultural differences create different attitudes about spending money! Makes the world interesting!

 

I would never suggest double-tipping to anyone culturally adversed to such a thing. I would never suggest the English give up its royalty.

 

As corporate services pointed out: tipping is a private matter. Like Pepper suggested: extra tipping should be done discretely.

 

Majortom10: I was just joshing with you :)

[MCC retired]

This topic of removing the tips comes up occasionally on all of the boards.

Since they started including a daily charge for tips it has solved 3 concerns that I see:

 

1) The crew seems very comfortable about it , distributed fairly.

2) It makes my last night more comfortable also by eliminating the last night angst .

3) There were always those that would skip the dinning room and hide from the steward ,on that last night .

4) If you have a genuine problem , you can then have tips removed , but certainly not fair to remove them in advance.

 

The system works for everyone involved, don't fight it.

Edited March 29, 2016 by MCC retired

[Bell Boy]

Well said .... Thank You !

 

Hope this thread can now be closed !

[Host Hattie]

Well said .... Thank You !

 

Hope this thread can now be closed !

 

Hopefully there has been enough discussion to answer the OP's question and not scare them away from the board completely !

Edited March 29, 2016 by Host Hattie

[majortom10]

This topic of removing the tips comes up occasionally on all of the boards.

Since they started including a daily charge for tips it has solved 3 concerns that I see:

 

1) The crew seems very comfortable about it , distributed fairly.

2) It makes my last night more comfortable also by eliminating the last night angst .

3) There were always those that would skip the dinning room and hide from the steward ,on that last night .

4) If you have a genuine problem , you can then have tips removed , but certainly not fair to remove them in advance.

 

The system works for everyone involved, don't fight it.

 

Sorry but I have a problem because my interpretation of the meaning of gratuity is a reward for good service and up to the person how much they give as a reward. So how can it be right that the cruise company decide for you how much you should pay and then pay in advance not knowing how good the service is going to be. We always remove gratuities from our onboard account and then tip if we think we have had good service in speciality restaurant and then tip at the end of the cruise how good or not so good the service has been at the end of the cruise to the waiters and cabin steward.