Gratuities going up..

[BritinSoCal]

In an ideal economy, people would be paid a fair wage for doing their job. Unfortunately, because of the tipping practice mainly in North America, people who work in the service industry where tipping is encouraged are paid less because it's expected that tips will make up the difference.

 

Abolish tipping and pay a fair wage.

 

Hello CCL, are you listening?

[sfaaa]

In an ideal economy, people would be paid a fair wage for doing their job. Unfortunately, because of the tipping practice mainly in North America, people who work in the service industry where tipping is encouraged are paid less because it's expected that tips will make up the difference.

 

Abolish tipping and pay a fair wage.

 

What is a fair wage and where is the money going to come from?

[cheeseclan]

Today i received and email from cruise radio dot net. One of the articles is titled:

 

If you can't afford to tip, don't cruise. Interesting read!

[Krozulo]

What is a fair wage and where is the money going to come from?

 

The money will come from increased fares, of course. Imagine, in my hypothetical world, if everyone paid the suggested gratuities as asked. And those gratuities were evenly dispersed among the staff. No extra going to the cruise line to compensate for promotions, etc.

 

Now imagine if all the cruise lines, at the same time, said "all tips are included in your fare" and increased the price by $13.50 per person per day to cover it (more for the higher end cabins, I guess, if the staff do more work for them). We pay the same amount. The staff get paid the same amount. And there's no question about if you should tip more, or if you "like" the bartender because he remembered your name and favourite drink.

 

Imagine if all the restaurants in your city, at the same time, increased their prices by 15% and proudly said, "No tipping - we pay our staff an honest wage!". You pay the price on the menu (plus tax, where applicable). No worry about having to calculate the tip when the bill comes - when you've had a couple too many wobbly pops and math all of a sudden isn't your strong suit.

 

Will the people in the service industry stop "trying" as hard because there is no incentive to be nice? Maybe. But they'll be replaced by someone willing to do the work for the wage proposed. McDonald's employees aren't allowed to accept tips, but they work harder than servers in high end restaurants I've been to. And there seems to be very little shortage of applicants willing to take the job.

 

Sorry .. I'm against tipping in general. I live in an area where service is tipped, and I tip generously (at least 20%, more if the service warrants it), but I don't like it. I think a flat-rate, per customer tip is more appropriate. Did the server work harder bringing me a $30 steak versus a $12 burger? No. Maybe instead of a $6 tip versus a $2.40 tip, a flat rate $4 tip is better. I think this would be the first step toward no tipping.

 

I apologize. I got off on a tangent. uhmm... raise the cruise rates $14 per person per day, pay the staff more. Make a new policy, the staff is not allowed to accept additional tips.

[iceleven]

The thought did occur to me that these increases, two in one year, are a result of too many people removing their auto tips, thus the rest of us are paying for their greediness.

 

Another though just came to mind so I will add it to my previous comment. What if Princess plans to hire more servers, stewards, waitstaff and this increase is to help with the extra costs with the extra head counts. We all say they are always understaffed, overworked, for these positions and that they work so terribly hard. No, I am not usually a Pollyanna but wishful thinking does come into play...occasionally.

[likeadisguise]

One problem with just increasing fares to cover tips is that Americans are probably going to tip anyway, since that's the culture. No one would want to work on ships with a minority of American guests.

[umbluemusic]

For those who said they won't prepay because they don't want staff to get less - I prepaid back in November (I prepay a lot of things for our trips; contrary to a lot of other opinions, every $ counts to me and my budget spreadsheet) and the amount in my "prepaid" shows that my gratuities of $129.50 per person are paid - even though I paid at the lower rate. They are depositing $129.50 into my account as OBC - even though I paid less than that. So the crew still gets the $12.95 per day.

 

ETA - I still tip extra to exemplary staff, but I do agree that when I booked my cruise I agreed to a certain cost. I have no problem with my future cruises carrying that rate. I don't think it is anything to look down upon someone for if they want to save money, especially when their prepayment still gives the same funds to the staff.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited September 16, 2016 by umbluemusic

[majortom10]

Bingo! If you can't afford the tip you can't afford to cruise. Don't be so stingy. You can't take it with you. We have worked hard and have made good, we like to spread it around.

 

Absolute rubbish dont you realise that gratuities have increased by over 17% in 2016 do you honestly think the staff have had a 17% increase in their wages............no. All you are doing is paying to boost Princess (Carnival) profits as all gratuities does not go to the staff.

[smelmel]

I just received the same email. It is minimal, so not a big deal. On most cruises, we typically tip additional cash to our room steward, waiter, asst. waiter, and sometimes sommelier. We may start adjusting the additional cash amount down a bit.

 

Was wondering if this 2nd increase within 1 year would affect tipping extra to those that most people give to & how it might hurt them - the room steward, head waiter, assist. waiter. etc.

[akswimmom]

I wasTalking with DH last night and we had the same discussion. We never take the tips off but he did say that maybe now less extra cash will be given.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Edited September 16, 2016 by akswimmom

[JimmyVWine]

Was wondering if this 2nd increase within 1 year would affect tipping extra to those that most people give to & how it might hurt them - the room steward, head waiter, assist. waiter. etc.

 

I don't think that there is any question whatsoever that there will be a significant change in passenger behavior. When looking at the subset of passengers who leave the auto-tip in place (which I presume to be the vast majority), they would break down into two groups.

• Those who pay the auto-tip and add nothing extra
  
• Those who pay the auto-tip and also tip extra beyond that.
  

 

With these two increases within 12 months, each couple is now paying between $4 and $7 more per day. This is probably close to the extra amount that the people in the second category were paying which will cause many of them to shift over to being people in the first category. Whether or not this means less money in the pockets of the crew members is entirely dependent on where this newly upped fee actually goes as compared to where the extra cash tip used to go.

[floridalover5623]

I don't think that there is any question whatsoever that there will be a significant change in passenger behavior. When looking at the subset of passengers who leave the auto-tip in place (which I presume to be the vast majority), they would break down into two groups.

• Those who pay the auto-tip and add nothing extra
  
• Those who pay the auto-tip and also tip extra beyond that.
  

 

With these two increases within 12 months, each couple is now paying between $4 and $7 more per day. This is probably close to the extra amount that the people in the second category were paying which will cause many of them to shift over to being people in the first category. Whether or not this means less money in the pockets of the crew members is entirely dependent on where this newly upped fee actually goes as compared to where the extra cash tip used to go.

 

This is probably where we will fall UNLESS any individual does something that stands out above & beyond their normal duties.

Forget adding an extra tip at the Specialty restaurants any more.

[Madison3]

To Princess - After receiving the email stating that the daily gratuities would be increased, I felt the need to respond. I find the whole “gratuity program” offensive. I would much rather pay a little bit more for the cruise itself, then have to pay an additional gratuity at the end. The almost yearly increase is unacceptable. I bet if you poll most passengers, they would rather pay one price, albeit a bit more which would include gratuities, rather than the nickel and dime’ing system in place now. Be the industry leader, not the follower, and create an all inclusive price of cruise plus gratuities.

[PescadoAmarillo]

With these two increases within 12 months, each couple is now paying between $4 and $7 more per day. This is probably close to the extra amount that the people in the second category were paying which will cause many of them to shift over to being people in the first category. Whether or not this means less money in the pockets of the crew members is entirely dependent on where this newly upped fee actually goes as compared to where the extra cash tip used to go.

This is probably valid. I had a quiet conversation with a waiter we knew well about the January increase and he said they had seen very little of it. That is more troubling than the increase itself, but I took it as one person's unverified opinion.

[floridalover5623]

To Princess - After receiving the email stating that the daily gratuities would be increased, I felt the need to respond. I find the whole “gratuity program” offensive. I would much rather pay a little bit more for the cruise itself, then have to pay an additional gratuity at the end. The almost yearly increase is unacceptable. I bet if you poll most passengers, they would rather pay one price, albeit a bit more which would include gratuities, rather than the nickel and dime’ing system in place now. Be the industry leader, not the follower, and create an all inclusive price of cruise plus gratuities.

 

So you have no problem with paying gratuities as built in where there's no recourse to adjust them if needed. Not that I would remove them unless it was absolutely necessary but there was a time that came very close.

[Murphey]

I'm sorry for being cynical, but I don't believe the crew will see this increase. If they did, I'd have no problem whatsoever.

[StolidCruiser]

To Princess - After receiving the email stating that the daily gratuities would be increased, I felt the need to respond. I find the whole “gratuity program” offensive. I would much rather pay a little bit more for the cruise itself, then have to pay an additional gratuity at the end. The almost yearly increase is unacceptable. I bet if you poll most passengers, they would rather pay one price, albeit a bit more which would include gratuities, rather than the nickel and dime’ing system in place now. Be the industry leader, not the follower, and create an all inclusive price of cruise plus gratuities.

 

What would be the tone and direction of your complaint if you got your wish and the "all inclusive price" continued to increase every year (just like it does now)?

 

Wouldn't that still be offensive and cause continuing letters of outrage about how something costs more today than it did in years past? Not really a brilliant solution to the problem, is it?

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...We never take the tips off but...maybe now less extra cash will be given...

 

We are thinking the same thing. I think it may hurt the best staff if enough do this, as they won't be getting the extra tips directly.

 

I have heard that if you reduce or eliminate your daily tips at the CSD, that staff has to turn in any they get handed directly to the "pool". Does anyone else have confirmation of this?

Edited September 16, 2016 by SoCal Cruiser78
clarity

[FlorenceItaly]

I do not have proof, but, I believe ALL cash is pooled, whether tips stay on or are removed.

 

 

 

Marie

[sfaaa]

 

I have heard that if you reduce or eliminate your daily tips at the CSD, that staff has to turn in any they get handed directly to the "pool". Does anyone else have confirmation of this?

 

Unenforceable and defy logic. How would anyone know how much you tip your room steward in cash unless someone volunteers the info?

[karena1]

We already pay that amount on Royal, so no big deal for us.

 

However, our cruise is on Dec 4th so guess we will still get the lower tips. We have OBC so did not prepay, but since this does not go into effect until 12/15 we will still be on the lower amount

[pablo222]

Absolute rubbish dont you realise that gratuities have increased by over 17% in 2016 do you honestly think the staff have had a 17% increase in their wages............no. All you are doing is paying to boost Princess (Carnival) profits as all gratuities does not go to the staff.

 

Why do you even give these companies your business?

[Alaska05]

We are thinking the same thing. I think it may hurt the best staff if enough do this, as they won't be getting the extra tips directly.

 

I have heard that if you reduce or eliminate your daily tips at the CSD, that staff has to turn in any they get handed directly to the "pool". Does anyone else have confirmation of this?

 

Not exactly confirmation, but when we were on the Star this summer, we had Anytime Dining and found a great team the first night. We asked the Maitre'd if we could be seated in her section every night and he was more than happy to comply. On our last night we put an additional tip for her, her assistant, and the Maitre'd in envelopes and handed to them. Our waitress asked for our cabin # and wrote it on the envelope. We told her but also said that we had NOT removed the autotips that this was extra for her and her assistant. So I guess she was concerned if we had removed the autotips.

[Bruin Steve]

Just a little note on tipping for anyone who thinks even $13.50 is excessive (and for the poster who said this is making them rethink cruising and doing land vacations instead):

 

Think about what you are getting for that $27 per day gratuity and what it compares to on land. Here in Southern California, the "new standard" for tipping in restaurants is 20%. So, think a little about what a restaurant comparable to just the MDR on a cruise ship costs for the type of dinner you are getting. Typical meal, you are ordering, say, a steak or comparable entree, soup, salad, an appetizer, a dessert, coffee. This is in a restaurant with great service, linen tablecloths and napkins, nice atmosphere, etc. In the Los Angeles area, for example, that meal might cost, AT A MINIMUM, $122 ($25 per person for the entree, $8 for the appetizer, $7 for the soup and for the salad, $6 for dessert, $3 for the coffee...then add in our 9% sales tax)...and, mind you, that's not even as nice a place as the MDR...Prices go up from there...Last week, we dropped $200 plus tip at Fogo de Chao--and there you serve yourself your own salad from the salad bar...

 

But, let's just say it's a $122 dinner for two...In So Cal, you'd be leaving a $25 tip...That is for dinner ALONE (Yeah, obviously, at home, many of you are probably passing on the appetizer and dessert, maybe having only soup OR salad...BUT, remember, on the ship, you just aren't doing that!)...So, you basically would have tipped the same as your entire cruise day's gratuities on dinner alone...But, remember, you are eating breakfast and lunch as well...and that gratuity also goes to compensate your cabin stewards. Of that $27, really only about $17 goes to the dining room wait staff...To find an equivalent here, that's what you'd pay in tips here in SoCal if the cost of your breakfast, lunch and dinner combined cost $42.50 per person each day...

 

For those of you who say "But we eat lunch and dinner in the buffet", think about it--that same wait staff is putting out the food for you at the buffet, clearing your table, etc. And, come on now, I see a whole lot of you at breakfast in the MDR as well.

 

To those of you who always point out that you come from a country where they don't tip...or don't tip in those large percentages, or say that, rather than cruising, you're going to vacation in those non-tipping countries, think about it: It is just a different culture where the servers are being paid a higher wage, so that gratuity is actually just blended into higher prices. NO waiter is serving you for FREE...You are paying them one way or another.

 

Given that, now realize that, even at $13.50 per person per day, those gratuities are an absolute bargain. That cruise ship wait staff is not being paid high wages...they are working for those tips. If the cruise line had to pay them more, it would just be blended into your cruise fare.

 

$13.50 in gratuities? It's a bargain...

[JimmyVWine]

Instead of building up from the bottom as you have done, I look at it from the top down. $27 is 18%-20% of $135-$150 per day. If you were tipping individually, and in the 18%-20% range, what would you tip out? Then add in the gratuities to people whose tips are not a percentage of a price paid such as cabin stewards. I see no way to come out less than what we are being charged.