Gratuities for 1 year old on Oasis?

[Flamencacha]

We do not pay them / have them removed. You'll here people saying stuff like that's more work for the stewards. However we keep our cabin very tidy and definitely don't leave a mess of diapers or what not. They don't clean your babies ass. To me it's absurd they charge tips for a 1 year old. Most people that say leave the tips are snobs and probably don't even have a 1 year old.

 

 

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They don't clean anyone's asses. Well I hope not anyway.

 

 

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[Sunkissed Mommy]

OK, I just have one question here... Does RCCL not provide Diaper Genies on request??? (The special disposal can for soiled diapers. NOT a person since they like to use the term "genie" rather than "butler" for suites.)

 

(Disclosure: No kids. I tip fully and extra for myself (solo cruiser most of the time). BUT - maybe it's that my primary cruise experience is with Disney, but I know that they will provide a Diaper Genie upon request. And not just for cabins with infants and toddlers but for cabins with anyone who uses diapers or depends or the like. No questions asked.)

 

I've cruised 7 times with diapered kids. None of the cruise lines (Royal, Disney, or Carnival) has provided a Diaper Genie. Although I'd love that idea! Normally they give us an extra roll of garbage bags so we can tie each one off individually to prevent a stinky room and for hygiene matters as well.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

I've cruised 7 times with diapered kids. None of the cruise lines (Royal, Disney, or Carnival) has provided a Diaper Genie. Although I'd love that idea! Normally they give us an extra roll of garbage bags so we can tie each one off individually to prevent a stinky room and for hygiene matters as well.

 

 

 

Disney has them now. You might have to ask, but they do. My dad needed one in Feb because since prostate cancer surgery he has to wear depends. He just asked the stateroom host and it appeared. I think if they know there is a little one they put it in automatically, but I'm not sure.

 

 

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[NouCruzer]

I've cruised 7 times with diapered kids. None of the cruise lines (Royal, Disney, or Carnival) has provided a Diaper Genie. Although I'd love that idea! Normally they give us an extra roll of garbage bags so we can tie each one off individually to prevent a stinky room and for hygiene matters as well.

 

 

Do they do that for their elderly passengers that require diapers as well? ;p

[CRUISEFAN0001]

We "get it." (At least I do.) Even if people are so perfect as to require ZERO work from the cabin attendant, they STILL have to go in and clean your rooms. Even if they don't see stuff on the floor, they have to vacuum it. Even if your toilet, shower, sink and bathroom floor look clean, they have to scrub them.

It's called a job....

 

...and last time I checked...no one had to take such a job.

 

Those points have little to do with earning gratuities. Yes...they need to be earned...not auto-billed.

 

As our food servers, cabin stewards, and others could attest...we have been quite generous with gratuities on virtually all cruises we sail. In all cases, it was based on consistently solid or even exemplary service received. So we both understand the concept of gratuities quite clearly, and also practice what we preach.

 

Ramming a bill down passenger throats with auto-billed gratuities, however, is another matter. To the point of the thread topic...there may be a case here and there that warrants a gratuity for a very young passenger as referenced...but it is likely a remote exception and should never be a rule.

[Tommy3putts]

For those of you on the thread who remove the auto gratuities, do you do it before (or at the start of the cruise) or do you wait until the last night to remove the gratuities?

[Flamencacha]

It's called a job....

 

 

 

...and last time I checked...no one had to take such a job.

 

 

 

Those points have little to do with earning gratuities. Yes...they need to be earned...not auto-billed.

 

 

 

As our food servers, cabin stewards, and others could attest...we have been quite generous with gratuities on virtually all cruises we sail. In all cases, it was based on consistently solid or even exemplary service received. So we both understand the concept of gratuities quite clearly, and also practice what we preach.

 

 

 

Ramming a bill down passenger throats with auto-billed gratuities, however, is another matter. To the point of the thread topic...there may be a case here and there that warrants a gratuity for a very young passenger as referenced...but it is likely a remote exception and should never be a rule.

 

 

Would you still tip extra if it was Mandatory like port fees and taxes?

 

Your right they don't have to take the job. Look at this way your benefits package included a daily service fee as part of your income. You performed your duties to be deserving of that benefit and people decide not to pay because, they didn't agree with the system.

 

We are a global community and tipping is different in every country. The daily service fee is a way to uniform that amount. Quite Generous is very subjective .

 

Anyhow, this subject has been beaten to death for years. If you don't like your cruise contract don't go. Believe me as a Solo Traveler I do not like paying the 100% (sometimes more ) supplement . But I do and it's a heck of a lot more than tips for a 1 yr old.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[CRUISEFAN0001]

For those of you on the thread who remove the auto gratuities, do you do it before (or at the start of the cruise) or do you wait until the last night to remove the gratuities?

IF we have them removed...it would be on the last sail day.

[ThirstyCruiser]

We leave the auto-tips on. Its easier. But I no longer feel as if I am actually tipping. If I am not pausing for a second or two, contemplating the level of service already delivered (past tense!!!), and determining the amount I want to give, ideally as cash, then it doesn't feel very "tippy" to me.

 

Auto Grats / Service Charge on cruises is basically the same as the resort fee almost all hotels now charge. All it is is a way to defer some of the actual cost of the cruise away from the initial cost quoted per person per night. Nothing more. Well, one thing more. Since the cruise line can lie to themselves and say these are tips and not salary I guess they get some favorable tax treatment for this revenue.

 

One day hopefully one of these cruise line in our tier (RCL, Norwegian, Carnival) will have the onions to abandon the resort fee, I mean, Auto Grats, and quote a per person per night price up front that I dunno, actually IS the per person per night charge. But probably not, as long as one cruise line quotes prices where a significant portion of the cost is taxes/fees/charges layered on after the fact, they are all forced to play the game.

 

We leave the auto-tips on. I have never sailed with more than 2 people in our room. Honestly, I don't know if I would yank the tips if I had a baby/toddler/young kid in the room. Probably not. I guess I would know going in that the resort fee / auto tips applies to all, these are less tips and more just the cost of the cruise, the cruise line / hotel chain are skunks for playing these pricing games, pay it all ahead of time and get it out of my mind so I can focus on having a good time on my vacation.

[juju2454]

originally posted by lucywestie so if tipping/gratuities are "compensating the staff". Then what the hell is my cruise fare doing?

seriously?

 

yup...seriously. I don't have to tip the captain or senior officers so obviously they are being compensated from somewhere, some magical fund of money apparently if its not my cruise fare.

You have already stooped to name calling "bad person""cheap" and "terrible human being" to name but a few from your most recent posts.

 

Its ok to t be a cheerleader if thats what you want. But lay off the insults and the "holier than thou" attitude. No wonder people stay away from cruise critic, its people like you who hide behind their keyboards and just make it worse for the everybody else by bullying everybody else.

 

 

 

this^^^^

[juju2454]

So.....when you eat out and the 4 year old eats, do you include the price of their meal in your tip amount or do you also refuse to tip for them? Obviously you've never worked in the service industry.

 

So if the mother is breastfeeding the child do you still expect her to tip you for her self feeding??? ;p Oh and I have worked in the industry, back when wages were $.73 an hour not $2. So you are not even close to what I use to have to do to make up my pay.

[juju2454]

Dish washers, no. At my restaurant we have no tip share as it's just a small place. At a normal larger restaurant there is always a pretty substantial tip share. Usually about 1/3 of the tips get taken from the waiter to give to the busser, bartender, food runner, hostess. Totally normal.

 

 

But really, that's irrelevant. I have Sam Ting on ignore so I get to see his post through your response, lol... but to Sam... At my restaurant we do pool tips and it's distributed out based on time. There is no "magical formula" the cruise line uses. They know exactly how it's distributed out. And just like you don't know how Olive Garden does their tip share, you don't know how Royal does theirs, either. Doesn't make it magical, it's just how it's done there. If you don't like it, don't be a patron. Stiffing the staff is just slimy. It doesn't matter how its distributed. That's what you are refusing to understand. It's not based on YOUR personal rules and views. If you didn't know how it was distributed or why you should tip the suggested amount, well, now you do. You now know how compensation on a cruise line works. If you want to protest, then don't cruise and you can strand by your firmly held beliefs and stick it to the cruise line. If you choose to cruise and pass your little protest on to underprivileged workers who often rely on charities just to be able to speak to their loved ones... well, that's not morally defensible and you are a bad person.

 

Totally legal to be a terrible person. It's not against the cruise lines rules either. Don't get me wrong here. And if that's what you strive for, then hey man, you do you. Go be a terrible human being.

 

Don't fall off your high horse... you'll get bruised and have to claim on your insurance then tip the nurse and Dr that are always there for you because the insurance will definately dock part of the claim as usual and customary charges....

[Domino D]

Does anyone have a an official count on Tip threads?

 

So long as the cruise line charge these fees as gratuities, then it is up to the individual whether or not to pay them. It is that simple. The employees pay scale, what you earned when you waited tables, what you do in restaurants, breast feeding mothers, and the all the rest are irrelevant. "Gratuities" are optional, some of us tip more, some don't, some pull the gratuities and tip in cash, and I'm sure some just don't tip at all. We are not all going to agree and we do not have to. This will only end when cruise lines move away from the term "Gratuity" and make the fees mandatory. Like it or not, until then each person is free to do what they want.

[gerif]

IF we have them removed...it would be on the last sail day.

Just like those who would avoid the MDR on the last evening during the days of the tip envelopes. Sad.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Just like those who would avoid the MDR on the last evening during the days of the tip envelopes. Sad.

Me thinks you misunderstood/misread. :eek:

 

Waiting for direct-paid gratuities until the last day allows the passengers to reward based on the cruise experience until the near-end, rather than upfront (or automatically).

 

To date...we have not withheld auto gratuities, and simply paid cash extra as warranted in addition based on service.

 

That may change going forward.

[Punchy]

does anyone have a an official count on tip threads?

 

So long as the cruise line charge these fees as gratuities, then it is up to the individual whether or not to pay them. It is that simple. The employees pay scale, what you earned when you waited tables, what you do in restaurants, breast feeding mothers, and the all the rest are irrelevant. "gratuities" are optional, some of us tip more, some don't, some pull the gratuities and tip in cash, and i'm sure some just don't tip at all. We are not all going to agree and we do not have to. This will only end when cruise lines move away from the term "gratuity" and make the fees mandatory. Like it or not, until then each person is free to do what they want.

 

496

[njm5378]

I know they are automatically included. Do you pay them in full? Why or why not?

 

 

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Do you adjust your tip at a restaurant if your child is with? Say instead of 20% reduce it to 15% due to the child not eating as much.

 

We cruise with our 3 children, always have. They still get their beds made, floors vacuumed, food served, and swim in the pools. But that is irrelevant to me. What is relevant is that this is the cruise line's policy, that I agree to when booking. Take it or leave it. There are many options of vacations that offer reduced rates for children. Unfortunately this is not one of them.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

If you don't like your cruise contract don't go.

OK...so here is the specific language on the Royal Caribbean website on this topic...note the highlighted sections. It's good to work with the facts - which clearly states it can still be discretionary...not..cruise contract mandatory. This clarifies fact from fiction, and also should resolve any further questions.

 

What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy?

 

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. Yes, the gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. Our daily totals are in the middle range when compared to competitors' suggestions. Any modifications or adjustments to your gratuities are required to be requested before you depart your cruise. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:

Standard Staterooms:

$6.10 - Dining Services

$3.45 - Stateroom Attendant

$3.95 - Other Hotel Services

Suites:

$6.10 - Dining Services

$6.10 - Suite Attendant

$4.30 - Other Hotel Services

In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services during their cruise. Guests have the opportunity to adjust this gratuity at their discretion until the morning of their departure. Guests who have prepaid their gratuity won't see a daily charge during their cruise.

 

[BNBR]

OK...so here is the specific language on the Royal Caribbean website on this topic...note the highlighted sections. It's good to work with the facts - which clearly states it can still be discretionary...not..cruise contract mandatory. This clarifies fact from fiction, and also should resolve any further questions.

 

What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy?

 

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. Yes, the gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. Our daily totals are in the middle range when compared to competitors' suggestions. Any modifications or adjustments to your gratuities are required to be requested before you depart your cruise. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:

Standard Staterooms:

$6.10 - Dining Services

$3.45 - Stateroom Attendant

$3.95 - Other Hotel Services

Suites:

$6.10 - Dining Services

$6.10 - Suite Attendant

$4.30 - Other Hotel Services

In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services during their cruise. Guests have the opportunity to adjust this gratuity at their discretion until the morning of their departure. Guests who have prepaid their gratuity won't see a daily charge during their cruise.

 

 

I don't know who here is arguing that gratuities are mandatory. What you clearly did not highlight is that gratuities are applied to guests of all ages, and that you should only be removing them if "the unlikely event.... unsatisfactory service." Ahhh.... Interesting. So removing them for a child is tacky, cheap, and actually not really in line with the spirit of the cruise contract, although technically allowed. And so it stands, if you don't like the cruise contract, don't cruise. If you want to remove gratuities for a child, despite receiving satisfactory service, then you are a terrible person. Thanks for clarification.

[wolfganghowell]

Yes but some of you are insisting you will withdraw it before you even know if your service is satisfactory or not. No one is going to change anyone's minds here. The "rule followers" will pay the tips. The folks that look for any reason to save a few bucks won't. I don't understand how there are so many people who insist on cruising when they gritch and complain about every policy they don't like.

[Flamencacha]

OK...so here is the specific language on the Royal Caribbean website on this topic...note the highlighted sections. It's good to work with the facts - which clearly states it can still be discretionary...not..cruise contract mandatory. This clarifies fact from fiction, and also should resolve any further questions.

 

What is Royal Caribbean's gratuity price and policy?

 

The automatic gratuity is $13.50 USD, or $16.50 USD for suite guests, applied to each guest's SeaPass[emoji768] account on a daily basis. Yes, the gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. Our daily totals are in the middle range when compared to competitors' suggestions. Any modifications or adjustments to your gratuities are required to be requested before you depart your cruise. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:

Standard Staterooms:

$6.10 - Dining Services

$3.45 - Stateroom Attendant

$3.95 - Other Hotel Services

Suites:

$6.10 - Dining Services

$6.10 - Suite Attendant

$4.30 - Other Hotel Services

In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services during their cruise. Guests have the opportunity to adjust this gratuity at their discretion until the morning of their departure. Guests who have prepaid their gratuity won't see a daily charge during their cruise.

 

 

 

 

And your point?

 

 

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[baileybrad]

I see. Again, I'm fine with paying the underpaid and overworked staff. I can't say the same for the nickel and diming cruise line. In the awful event we would actually need a lifeboat, LO would sit on my lap and wouldn't take up any space. A 1 year old does not use nearly as many resources on the ship as an adult. She doesn't eat as much as an adult, doesn't take up space in the theaters or casino, cannot take up space in the pool, and the lovely nursery for which I'm very grateful, charges extra for taking care of her. I don't think a kid should travel for free, but I think a discount of some sort is reasonable to expect.

 

 

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Lots of good points.

[BNBR]

Lots of good points.

 

These were actually not good points at all. As it's been explained over and over, the occupancy of the cruise ship is based on how many souls are onboard, regardless of age. So the 1 year old may sit on dads lap in a life boat, but the law says there is an extra seat for the child regardless. The amount of passengers a ship can take is limited, and if you are taking one of the limited spaces, you pay the fare. My children don't fly cheaper, I have to buy seats for them all the same... airlines don't care about the age of the passenger, they sell seats. Cruise ships do essentially the same thing.

[adamrosie]

These were actually not good points at all. As it's been explained over and over, the occupancy of the cruise ship is based on how many souls are onboard, regardless of age. So the 1 year old may sit on dads lap in a life boat, but the law says there is an extra seat for the child regardless. The amount of passengers a ship can take is limited, and if you are taking one of the limited spaces, you pay the fare. My children don't fly cheaper, I have to buy seats for them all the same... airlines don't care about the age of the passenger, they sell seats. Cruise ships do essentially the same thing.

 

 

 

Actually as I mentioned already if you want to fly with your kid and they are under 2 years old, you don't need to buy a seat for them.

 

 

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[mek]

Actually as I mentioned already if you want to fly with your kid and they are under 2 years old, you don't need to buy a seat for them.

 

 

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And IMO, that shouldn't be allowed. A plane shouldn't be any different than a car and a baby/young child should be required to be secured in a car seat. I recall the Souix City air crash when a toddler ended up in the over head bin because they had been held by a parent. My child's safety is more important than saving a few bucks.