Paid Tips Query

[Flamencacha]

Anyone who leaves it to the last minute to remove tips for no reason are not nice people and hopefully the crew they have stiffed will see them again on another cruise.

 

Sent from my Kestrel using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

Exactly, there are people that remove tips and tip generously through out the cruise and those that just want to get a discount off their cruise. The latter are the ones that remove their tips at the end of the cruise.

 

Personally, I would like them to be included in the price of the cruise. Of course that the raise your cruise cost and thus your travel insurance.

[Flamencacha]

Yes I do, as explained we have PRE PAID TIPS with our cruise, I don't want to pay twice,and I will tip extra who I want to tip. Not that ted any of your business.

 

 

 

If your tips are pre paid you , you won't pay them twice. But if you remove them you won't be paying extra, you will be tipping as you please.

 

It's your choice now. You may not have the choice in the future, thus the abolishment of the suggested tips in an envelope at the end of the cruise.

 

Whatever your choice, I trust you will do the right thing. Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[drsel]

If your tips are pre paid you , you won't pay them twice. But if you remove them you won't be paying extra, you will be tipping as you please.

 

It's your choice now. You may not have the choice in the future, thus the abolishment of the suggested tips in an envelope at the end of the cruise.

 

Whatever your choice, I trust you will do the right thing. Enjoy your cruise.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Costa already has MANDATORY service charges of Euro 10 pppd, instead of gratuities; so that the hard working crew always gets their dues.

In Norwegian, nobody can remove the auto gratuities during the cruise. Everyone has to pay before disembarking.

AFTER the cruise, if you are really dissatisfied with the crew services, you have to download and fill a form, mentioning what were the SPECIFIC problems you faced if you want auto gratuities refunded.

Then they refund you within 9 weeks to the same credit card.

[LMaxwell]

In Norwegian, nobody can remove the auto gratuities during the cruise. Everyone has to pay before disembarking.

AFTER the cruise, if you are really dissatisfied with the crew services, you have to download and fill a form, mentioning what were the SPECIFIC problems you faced if you want auto gratuities refunded.

Then they refund you within 9 weeks to the same credit card.

 

On Norwegian in December 2016 I was able to modify mine downwards (not completely removed) after particularly bad experience with a crew member that management onboard was not able to do anything about. I went to GS to ask for the form and they said not necessary, they could make the change right there. The change reflected on my account same day. That's just my personal experience.

[ChrisOz]

May I add please...

 

The crew pretty much have to smile, regardless of the tip situation.

 

On my previous cruise I met a young man who had managed in just a few years to advance somewhat in the ranks from cleaning duties to a supervisory role for stateroom attendants.

 

Better still, he was from the same home city as my wife and we could talk in his language. He was very honest and frank about tipping (and lots of other things too...)

 

Please believe me when I say the crew in general prefer auto gratuities over guests cherry picking favourites. In general it ensures crew who did not have a direct and regular interaction with you are still able to be rewarded.

 

For example, the several crew members who prepared your room service order at 11pm? Did you just reward the person who knocked on your door? Or did everyone along the chain get rewarded?

 

Yup, the crew member who is in your face likes a direct reward! But the MAJORITY of the unseen crew do not.

 

Also, directly rewarding our favourites take a lot of skill to do it right. The staff member MUST be alone or else they will be pressured to hand over the money.

 

I felt so sorry for a young, hard working girl I tried to reward. I did my best to be discrete / secretive but to no avail. Difficult in the MDR I must admit and my attempted "palm", and I have had a lot of practice at this, came as more of a shock than anything and her reaction of my hand going in close to her was enough to give the game away. She was just too slow on the up take. But then, on an Australian cruise you would never expect that to happen lol. We just don't tip. The Maître D quite obviously whispered in her ear to force her to hand the envelope over.

 

So yeah, fairer to auto tip, and be really careful how you dispense any special rewards!

[grapau27]

May I add please...

 

The crew pretty much have to smile, regardless of the tip situation.

 

On my previous cruise I met a young man who had managed in just a few years to advance somewhat in the ranks from cleaning duties to a supervisory role for stateroom attendants.

 

Better still, he was from the same home city as my wife and we could talk in his language. He was very honest and frank about tipping (and lots of other things too...)

 

Please believe me when I say the crew in general prefer auto gratuities over guests cherry picking favourites. In general it ensures crew who did not have a direct and regular interaction with you are still able to be rewarded.

 

For example, the several crew members who prepared your room service order at 11pm? Did you just reward the person who knocked on your door? Or did everyone along the chain get rewarded?

 

Yup, the crew member who is in your face likes a direct reward! But the MAJORITY of the unseen crew do not.

 

Also, directly rewarding our favourites take a lot of skill to do it right. The staff member MUST be alone or else they will be pressured to hand over the money.

 

I felt so sorry for a young, hard working girl I tried to reward. I did my best to be discrete / secretive but to no avail. Difficult in the MDR I must admit and my attempted "palm", and I have had a lot of practice at this, came as more of a shock than anything and her reaction of my hand going in close to her was enough to give the game away. She was just too slow on the up take. But then, on an Australian cruise you would never expect that to happen lol. We just don't tip. The Maître D quite obviously whispered in her ear to force her to hand the envelope over.

 

So yeah, fairer to auto tip, and be really careful how you dispense any special rewards!

Thank you i found this very interesting and thats why we always prepay tips on RC and what you say reinforces the fact it is the right thing to do.

 

Sent from my Kestrel using Forums mobile app

[LMaxwell]

The Maître D quite obviously whispered in her ear to force her to hand the envelope over.

 

On Aus cruises where service charges are built into price why would a manager confiscate someones cash

[grapau27]

On Aus cruises where service charges are built into price why would a manager confiscate someones cash

He shouldn't.

 

Sent from my Kestrel using Forums mobile app

[mjkacmom]

Just a smart consumer, who wont be guilt tripped into paying the cruise lines staff. I love cruising and do so often and will continue to do so. Only doing what's allowed in the contract and couldn't care less what you think!

 

Hey, but thanks for playing along, keeping my fare low by subsidizing the behind the scenes crew wages. Next time why don't you throw the company a few extra bucks so they can give the captain a raise?

 

Enjoy your next cruise!

Are you a consumer who stiffs servers at restaurants because you don't want to pay their wages?

[wendychloecruiser]

Just add him to your ignore list. Don't feed it. Not worth even wasting the effort to read what he writes.

[Sam Ting]

Are you a consumer who stiffs servers at restaurants because you don't want to pay their wages?

 

No. I tip the server directly. Do you give your tip to the manager to use to compensate the rest of their staff instead of giving it directly to the waiter?

[Flamencacha]

No. I tip the server directly. Do you give your tip to the manager to use to compensate the rest of their staff instead of giving it directly to the waiter?

 

 

 

Cash right. If it's on a card, oh well you probably gives 5 % anyway.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sam Ting]

Cash right. If it's on a card, oh well you probably gives 5 % anyway.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I probably gives 5%??? LOL.

[LMaxwell]

Cash right. If it's on a card, oh well you probably gives 5 % anyway.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

One of my closest friends is a bartender and takes very good care of me if I go to see him. I always tip him 50 percent (I receive gratis items so make up w heavy tips). He told me management takes part of the credit card tips for themselves, but not cash. I'm not talking about taking part to pay back of house staff, I am saying the managers were taking Portion of cc tips for themselves.

 

Now I tip cash even when paying w a credit card

[grapau27]

One of my closest friends is a bartender and takes very good care of me if I go to see him. I always tip him 50 percent (I receive gratis items so make up w heavy tips). He told me management takes part of the credit card tips for themselves, but not cash. I'm not talking about taking part to pay back of house staff, I am saying the managers were taking Portion of cc tips for themselves.

 

Now I tip cash even when paying w a credit card

That happens regularly in the UK so i always tip in cash.

 

Sent from my Kestrel using Forums mobile app

[Flamencacha]

I probably gives 5%??? LOL.

 

 

 

What less?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sam Ting]

What less?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You probably giveS 5%. LOL.

[Flamencacha]

You probably giveS 5%. LOL.

 

 

 

Nope use to work for tips. I am sure your a great guy and tip Generously.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wine-O]

No. I tip the server directly. Do you give your tip to the manager to use to compensate the rest of their staff instead of giving it directly to the waiter?

 

If you remove the auto gratuities, everything you give the server has to be turned into the pool. If they don't they will get fired. They know who's removed them and who has not.

[grapau27]

If you remove the auto gratuities, everything you give the server has to be turned into the pool. If they don't they will get fired. They know who's removed them and who has not.

A bit harsh to be fired but for good staff morale it is probably fair to hand into the tipping pool if it is known the passenger has stopped their autotips.

 

Sent from my Kestrel using Forums mobile app

[Flamencacha]

One of my closest friends is a bartender and takes very good care of me if I go to see him. I always tip him 50 percent (I receive gratis items so make up w heavy tips). He told me management takes part of the credit card tips for themselves, but not cash. I'm not talking about taking part to pay back of house staff, I am saying the managers were taking Portion of cc tips for themselves.

 

 

 

Now I tip cash even when paying w a credit card

 

 

 

Wow I am not sure that's legal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LMaxwell]

Wow I am not sure that's legal.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

It is not legal at all

[Gloworm2]

Please do the auto gratuities. If you want to give a specific person more that fine. But withholding the auto creates incentive for those who get cash to hand it over to the pool. This they don t get it all anyway

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Dennis#1]

To me, the best room steward is one who keeps the cabin clean and responds to any requests I might make via post-it note. I don't care if we never see each other. I do not need a new bff no do I need to make myself feel like a big shot handing out cash to a few while stiffing others. Best to just leave auto tips in place. If you feel anyone went above and beyond, you can always tip extra.

 

Well said and I also leave notes for the stateroom attendant. I agree with you 100%.

[gliles]

I am actually confused as well. The invoice says "Gratuities - Included" then I read that Australia cruises (we're sailing RT from SYD) included gratuities if you booked from with an Australian agency, we did not. We booked on board and turned it over to a US agency. So I emailed them because I wanted to be sure and they said and I quote "I have looked into this for you and I do show that you are receiving the gratuities as an amenity." so I don't know if that really means an amenity or included. The only reasons I care is that 1. I don't want to stiff the crew and 2. If the tips aren't really an amenity, we'd like to prepay them as we'd prefer that everything be covered before we sail so we aren't paying for the cruise when we get home. Does anyone have any thoughts? Royal tells me to call my agency as it was an amenity from them and again, they say it's an amenity but I am not sure they know the difference. I know, perhaps I should get a different agency but this online one have been very good and generous.