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Automatic Gratuities

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Ourusualbeach

Ourusualbeach

Posted
Posted (edited)

This is just an observation and I have nothing to back it up but it seems that since the cruise lines have moved away from the envelopes and cash tipping system that the mount that people are tipping has actually increased.

 

I'm not talking about the annual increases in the suggested amounts that is controlled by Royal but back when there was the envelope system it seemed like a large number of people would tip the suggested amount and maybe add an extra $5 or $10 if they had a really good waiter or cabin steward. Now it seems like there are a lot that are leaving an extra $20 or more for these same individuals. Is that because people don't see the money that they have already given the steward and to leave an extra $5 or $10 makes them feel cheap so they leave more.

 

Same thing with the drinks. Before the packages I'm sure that most just left the 18% and were done with it. Now it's add a $1 to it bringing your effective tip to prob sly 25% or more.

 

No judgements, no right or wrong answer just some observations.

Edited by Ourusualbeach
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Ourusualbeach

Ourusualbeach

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Posted
No Merion Mom, you are wrong on this. The behind the scenes workers used to be paid a higher flat wage not tied to any gratuity. The gratuity was the lions share of the guest facing service providers pay.

 

I thought I remember when they had the envelopes that the gratuity was for housekeeping personal that also included employees other than the cabin steward.

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deliver42

deliver42

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Posted

The daily service charge goes into a pool that the wait staff, and housekeeping share.The wait staff and others also serve the Windjammer, so if you only eat in the Windjammer, you are still getting the efforts of the same people.The bar staff doesn't get anything from that pool.

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baileymouse

baileymouse

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Posted

I don't remove anything &, I add when I can. Gave envelopes for out stateroom attendant, waiter & assistant waiter.

 

There's a woman who works in my library who brags about removing the gratuities. Her son buys her a cruise every other year, and she removes the gratuities because she's cheap. She brags about it. The rest of the cruisers on staff are horrified by it.

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Grandma Dazzles

Grandma Dazzles

Posted
Posted
So....if you NEVER eat in a MDR who gets your tip? And if you use My Time Dining and have a different server each night, who gets the tip? There's no way I am believing any cruise line/BUSINESS is on the up and up with this. You're talking about thousands of possible combinations per meal to calculate it all out. I also think - MDR teams especially - are making out much better these days with so many people tipping extra.

 

It's time to call it what it is and add it to the cruise fare. Pay your employees a decent salary.

Dining room staff are working all over the ship. They don't just work in MDR. They work in the Windjammer and other food service venues on board. That's why it is simpler to leave the automatic gratuities in place. Regardless of where you eat, other than room service, you are covered.

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katjoeus

katjoeus

Posted
Posted
One Price/Fare:

I'd suggest the cruise lines implement a One Price/Fare (depending on which staterooms one selects) including all taxes, port charges, gratuities etc.

 

Hopefully this will put a long overdue and merciful end to this eternal gratuities debate.

 

I couldn't agree more with this!! I think it's ludicrous to force people to tip - at this point, it is NOT a gratuity if it is automatically charged! And it should NOT be the responsibility of the passengers to make sure that everyone working on the ship is paid adequately - the onus for that should be on the employer!!!

 

I do understand that these people work hard and I would certainly tip, but this imposed charge really ,really annoys me.

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CapeCodCruiser

CapeCodCruiser

Posted
Posted (edited)
Lets take a full ship now multiply by $13.00 a day per guest now divide by the number of staff that share in the tips what is the answer???? Funny no cruise line will not give you the answer!!!!!! Anyone know????

 

 

 

 

What's your point? It's not like RCCL keeps it.

 

Just figure the stateroom attendant and assistant. Their portion of the DSC is $3.45. say they spend a half hour on your room a day - that equals $3.45/hour for each - not alot.

Edited by CapeCodCruiser
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CapeCodCruiser

CapeCodCruiser

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Again i would love to see the breakdown of the tips per staff member!!!! Why will no cruise line give up the info???

 

This is what RCI does:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqType=faq&faqSubjectId=415&faqSubjectName=Gratuities&faqId=5523

 

Gratuities

 

 

 

Q: How is the automatic daily gratuity shared between members of the staff and crew?

 

A:

The automatic gratuity is $13.50 USD, or $16.50 USD for suite guests, applied to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:

Standard Staterooms:

$6.35 - Dining Services

$3.45 - Stateroom Attendant

$3.70 - Other Hotel Services

 

Suites:

$6.35 - Dining Services

$6.10 - Suite Attendant

$4.05 - Other Hotel Services

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packercruising

packercruising

Posted
Posted
We always do prepay gratuities. Yes there was one cruise where we contemplated having gratuities taken off because there was A lot that went wrong but in the end we didn't remove them. We tip regardless of these hiccups because it's a part of how they make their living. If we have a good waiter, we personally tip them extra and we always leave an extra tip for our room steward.

 

It's not for everyone but my whole family tips this way on cruises.

 

Our one and only cruise where we got really bad service was on Carnival Glory. :)

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postmeome

postmeome

Posted
Posted
There have been lots of tipping threads where people have found the breakdown of who the tips get split amongst. I don't recall, but I believe the waitstaff in the buffet, for instance, are included.

 

I realize not everyone uses the windjammer, and I know that there is a valid debate about whether this is a "tip" or a "service charge" and if we should be covering the salaries on behalf of the cruise line etc. But right now, it seems the company is using the tactic of making their fares appear lower, but then adding a service charge (tip) that they use to cover their salaries expense. We may not like it, and we may not feel it's our job to pay salaries, but we do that all the time when we pay the cost of products; factored in is the cost of producing and selling the good, which includes worker salaries.

 

If enough people continue to remove the tips, the cruise line will just start increasing fares to cover it (and it'll probably be a higher increase than $13/day). I can see how the $13/day becomes less measly as you add more family members, but if you can't afford all those kids, don't have them. Or if you can't afford to travel when you have a big family, don't travel. I would have loved to have a couple more kids than I had, but I didn't because I knew that I wouldn't be able to live the same lifestyle if I did. Why do people always expect others to feel sorry for them because they can't afford to do things with their 2 or 3 kids...maybe you should leave the kids at home, so you can afford the trip, including all the expenses that go with it, so the rest of us don't have to supplement your inability to cover the costs of your family.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Wow,we are not the Vonn Trapp family,we are taking our 13yr old grandson on a 13 night cruise on indy next week.I find your comments nasty.

We try to cruise twice a year,all with RC and mostly 14 nights.I would never dream of telling anyone how many children they should have or can afford.

We tip well and will not be told how to tip that's our choice,not RC and not by you,and we will not supplement RC inability to pay there staff a decent wage.I love my lifestyle

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

Posted
Posted

I think that it needs to be agreed that, despite the firm statements made by many on this thread - and others - unless we ourselves have worked under contract to Royal Caribbean, on a ship, in a service position, we don't know anything for certain.

 

A couple of earlier posts have put it well: we are going to pay one way or the other. The employees need to be compensated for their work. If they "just pay their employees a living wage", we will be paying for it, just as we do in every other industry. When I buy a dress at Macy's, I'm not just paying for the thread and fabric and buttons and zippers. I am paying for the labor that went into making the dress. I am paying for the store's employees, both salary and benefits. I am paying for the electric bill and the water bill at the manufacturer's building and at the Macy's store.

 

We may not think about those things, but it all goes into the final pricing of the purchased item.

 

The same is true of cruises.

 

Pay one way or pay the other.

 

Since the cruisers will pay one way or the other, let the cruise lines and the employees figure out what benefits them the most. I understand (and again, one of these assumptions) that it is of tax benefit to BOTH the cruise line and the employees to do it this way.

 

Employees would be deserting their jobs in droves if they disagreed with the system.

 

Remember, RC was the last of the mainstream cruiselines to abandon the completely "cash in envelopes" method of tipping. Other lines kept their employees, and so has Royal Caribbean.

 

If you want your gratuities included in your cruise fare, go sail with Regent or other lines that include them.

 

(and I will add another purely anecdotal report: crew have told me that they prefer the "new" system because there were WAY too many people who did NOT tip on that last day. There may be people removing them at Guest Services, but most leave them on and they are getting more. And as we know, many people tip more on top of the automatic gratuities.)

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boo214

boo214

Posted
Posted
Thanks all, even those who chose to get a little pissy. And actually, yes, we are old school and we do tip in cash, and for what it's worth, very well. Just never liked the idea of tipping before service. And we also go on the many comments we've had over the years from crewmembers who told us they prefer cash. So no, we aren't monsters out to rip off the crew.

 

yuyou do realize that even if you pre pay, the staff does not get the money until after your cruise. Therefore if you encounter a problem and it is not resolved you can adjust your tips accordingly

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imsaved12

imsaved12

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Posted

I completely agree with not having it done automatically. We are travelling with our 4 kids and will be doing it in cash. This gives them a way to see that we are grateful for the services we received and allows our kids to partake in it. We plan to write thank you notes and put it in the envelopes with the tips. So, yes, never assume you know someones motive for not having tips automatically charged.

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postmeome

postmeome

Posted
Posted
I think that it needs to be agreed that, despite the firm statements made by many on this thread - and others - unless we ourselves have worked under contract to Royal Caribbean, on a ship, in a service position, we don't know anything for certain.

 

A couple of earlier posts have put it well: we are going to pay one way or the other. The employees need to be compensated for their work. If they "just pay their employees a living wage", we will be paying for it, just as we do in every other industry. When I buy a dress at Macy's, I'm not just paying for the thread and fabric and buttons and zippers. I am paying for the labor that went into making the dress. I am paying for the store's employees, both salary and benefits. I am paying for the electric bill and the water bill at the manufacturer's building and at the Macy's store.

 

We may not think about those things, but it all goes into the final pricing of the purchased item.

 

The same is true of cruises.

 

Pay one way or pay the other.

 

Since the cruisers will pay one way or the other, let the cruise lines and the employees figure out what benefits them the most. I understand (and again, one of these assumptions) that it is of tax benefit to BOTH the cruise line and the employees to do it this way.

 

Employees would be deserting their jobs in droves if they disagreed with the system.

 

Remember, RC was the last of the mainstream cruiselines to abandon the completely "cash in envelopes" method of tipping. Other lines kept their employees, and so has Royal Caribbean.

 

If you want your gratuities included in your cruise fare, go sail with Regent or other lines that include them.

 

(and I will add another purely anecdotal report: crew have told me that they prefer the "new" system because there were WAY too many people who did NOT tip on that last day. There may be people removing them at Guest Services, but most leave them on and they are getting more. And as we know, many people tip more on top of the automatic gratuities.)

 

When you buy a dress in Macy's,or any other item of clothes or footwear do you leave a tip for the people who made these garments,people in india or pakistan or many third world countries,ok you paid the utility bills,you paid

macy's,you paid staff benefits.Maybe you should shop on Rodeo Drive

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

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Posted
I completely agree with not having it done automatically. We are travelling with our 4 kids and will be doing it in cash. This gives them a way to see that we are grateful for the services we received and allows our kids to partake in it. We plan to write thank you notes and put it in the envelopes with the tips. So, yes, never assume you know someones motive for not having tips automatically charged.

 

You can write a note with your children without using cash. :)

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