Paid Tips Query

[LMaxwell]

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.

 

Ask your T/A for an amenities breakdown and you'll see exactly what is provided for you.

[gliles]

Ask your T/A for an amenities breakdown and you'll see exactly what is provided for you.

 

Yes but I don't want them to confuse "amenity" with "included" as they are when sailing from Australia.

[LMaxwell]

Yes but I don't want them to confuse "amenity" with "included" as they are when sailing from Australia.

 

Understood; I'd still ask for the amenity list and ask specifically are your gratuities included, or is the amenity you are receiving going to cover the gratuities / and will you be charged daily on your account.

[ThirstyCruiser]

M

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?

Where does the chain end?

The guy who loaded the food on the cart?

The cook?

The chef?

The guy who unloaded the boxes off the ruck onto the ship? (could be argued he worked 'harder' than anyone, ergo biggest tip, yah?)

etc

etc

A slippery slope, this tip-the-hard-working-behind-the-scenes-people-who-have-families-and-haven't-been-home-in-months.

 

 

Lets face it people, no such things as Auto Tips. Its a Service Charge to subsidize the cruise fare to allow each cruise line to post a misleading per person per day cruise fare. Then slap on the "Tips" to pay the employees and Oh Look! the corporation gets to treat that revenue favorably from a tax perspective. Its not cruise fare from our customers, don't tax it. Its tips, no corporate income taxes!

 

I leave the Service Charge alone. Part of the Cruise Fare as I see it.

 

I hand cash to bartenders, waiters and room attendants occasionally. No, a smile in the hallway and a bucket of ice in the room does not warrant anything extra, nor does handing me a bottle of beer with an 18% mandatory floater. Make me a special drink? Yes. Make the coach up so my niece can slumber party over one night? Yes.

[ThirstyCruiser]

Crew know EXACTLY who have removed tips. There is a printed list. I have seen it.

Any theories on the purpose of printing this list and giving it to the staff? I am not being sarcastic. Really, why hand that list out?

[Uhleashyuh]

A

 

So tip twice????

 

Can I please tip three times.

 

Whole tipping thing is out of control.

Yes... three, four, whatever you feel the value is. It shouldn't be about the number but about the gratitude. We pre pay THEN pay as its deserved. Drinks, dinners, steward. 13-14 dollars isn't even what we tip for one meal on land and we are eating 2- 3 meals a day... someone to tidy our cabin, drinks... you really think 13$ is adequate?

 

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[wendychloecruiser]

Any theories on the purpose of printing this list and giving it to the staff? I am not being sarcastic. Really, why hand that list out?

 

 

Good question. The angel on one shoulder wants to say the list would assist the waiter or cabin steward to be able to ask the person what they could do differently. The devil on the other shoulder wants to say that it would let the crew know who the cheapskates are.

 

I suppose it could also let the crew anticipate what their paycheck is likely to be in the upcoming weeks.

[LMaxwell]

The angel on one shoulder wants to say the list would assist the waiter or cabin steward to be able to ask the person what they could do differently. The devil on the other shoulder wants to say that it would let the crew know who the cheapskates are.

 

Until that guest has left the ship there is always the potential to earn a cash tip; below, equal to, or above suggested amounts. Any crew member counting chickens before they hatch is doing themselves a disservice. They should focus on doing their job well and the rest generally takes care of itself, with outliers of course.

[ThirstyCruiser]

I suppose it could also let the crew anticipate what their paycheck is likely to be in the upcoming weeks.

I think they could accomplish that without listing the specific passenger names. Just the raw numbers.

 

The existence of this list puzzles me.

 

"Oh look, Cabin 8544, let's see here...checking...checking - yup! no tips. Gee, hope I don't drop their tooth brush in the porcelain pond as I clean the counter."

[caribill]

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.

 

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I never prepay the tips on RC because then I cannot use my OBC to pay for them onboard.

 

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[caribill]

Any theories on the purpose of printing this list and giving it to the staff? I am not being sarcastic. Really, why hand that list out?

I do not think it is really handed to the staff, but it could be posted in a supervisor's office.

The reason is so that when the staff turn over the cash tips they received, the supervisor can see if the cash can be returned to the staff or instead be put into the tipping pool if the auto-tip was reduced or eliminated.

[yuvraj]

 

I hand cash to bartenders, waiters and room attendants occasionally. No, a smile in the hallway and a bucket of ice in the room does not warrant anything extra, nor does handing me a bottle of beer with an 18% mandatory floater. Make me a special drink? Yes. Make the coach up so my niece can slumber party over one night? Yes.

 

I agree with you and this is more or less what I do.

[grapau27]

I do not think it is really handed to the staff, but it could be posted in a supervisor's office.

The reason is so that when the staff turn over the cash tips they received, the supervisor can see if the cash can be returned to the staff or instead be put into the tipping pool if the auto-tip was reduced or eliminated.

Seems a reasonable thing to do.

 

 

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[ReneeFLL]

I might just do that. Unlike you, I think employees deserve good compensation, and understand the cruise lines are in business to make money, have to be accountable to share holders, and we would not get the experiences we do if they weren't "billion dollar companies."

 

Thank YOU for being one of the reasons fares go up.

 

Have YOU gotten a raise ever? Was there something wrong with that? Maybe you should return it to your employer since you seem to think raises and compensation are an injustice to society. Sounds like you would prefer to live in a socialist or communist country. I'm sure there are plenty accepting new citizens.

 

(y)

[Candleonwater]

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?

 

Thank you. My thoughts exactly.

[ReneeFLL]

Which is why many of those who remove the auto-tip wait until the last evening of the cruise to do it.

 

Ohhh, but do we know if there is a master list of people who remove the tips at the end of their cruise so workers would know at the beginning of there next cruise that they are cheaters. Cheating workers out of their hard earned money isn't right. We don't see the workers in the back that do the cleaning of the ship, the dishwashers, the food prep people chopping, slicing and dicing your food, the ones that vacuum your crumbs up off the floor at night because I am sure you leave plenty and I could go on and on.

 

I hope they do have such a list and it would be nice if they treated you the way you treat them by giving you crappy service, cold food and watered down drinks, etc. This unfortunately wouldn't work for people who cruise once in a lifetime. I also don't like the tipping thing because it allows to many people to cheat others. I wished they would just raise the cruise cost and pay them out of that or don't allow tips to be removed.

[LMaxwell]

Ohhh, but do we know if there is a master list of people who remove the tips at the end of their cruise so workers would know at the beginning of there next cruise that they are cheaters. Cheating workers out of their hard earned money isn't right. We don't see the workers in the back that do the cleaning of the ship, the dishwashers, the food prep people chopping, slicing and dicing your food, the ones that vacuum your crumbs up off the floor at night because I am sure you leave plenty and I could go on and on.

 

I hope they do have such a list and it would be nice if they treated you the way you treat them by giving you crappy service, cold food and watered down drinks, etc. This unfortunately wouldn't work for people who cruise once in a lifetime. I also don't like the tipping thing because it allows to many people to cheat others. I wished they would just raise the cruise cost and pay them out of that or don't allow tips to be removed.

 

Cheating implies breaking the rules. Bringing water on the ship is breaking the rules. Modifying your auto tips is not breaking the rules. I understand the spirit of your position, but let's be accurate on things.

 

Of course I want back of house people to be paid; charge me a sufficient cruise fare to compensate them fairly. It's not right to tie their compensation to tips especially when so many people may not recognize the compensation system in place.

 

I whole heartedly disagree on providing bad service, bad drinks, etc. that's not what people who take pride in their work do. The cruise line advertises an experience and level of service and suggests a gratuity level for that. But it does remain optional. Whatever someone chooses to do is up to them. If I tip double of what you tip would it be fair for staff to provide me superior service at the detriment to you who would receive poor service even paying the standard amount?

 

A broken system will not be fixed penalizing the paying guest.

[warrior1024]

Ohhh, but do we know if there is a master list of people who remove the tips at the end of their cruise so workers would know at the beginning of there next cruise that they are cheaters. Cheating workers out of their hard earned money isn't right. We don't see the workers in the back that do the cleaning of the ship, the dishwashers, the food prep people chopping, slicing and dicing your food, the ones that vacuum your crumbs up off the floor at night because I am sure you leave plenty and I could go on and on.

 

I hope they do have such a list and it would be nice if they treated you the way you treat them by giving you crappy service, cold food and watered down drinks, etc. This unfortunately wouldn't work for people who cruise once in a lifetime. I also don't like the tipping thing because it allows to many people to cheat others. I wished they would just raise the cruise cost and pay them out of that or don't allow tips to be removed.

 

I'm sorry but this post is so stupid.

 

Cheating workers out of their hard earned money? Excuse me but nobody should have to "expect" tips to supplement their wage. These workers signed a base salary agreement which they know is guaranteed money, everything else should be performance or service based. TIPS SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED.

 

You hope people get crappy service and cold food for NOT tipping? More stupidity. People pay a standard fare for their cruise and for that they should get a base (decent) service, if somebody goes above and beyond and they receive amazing service then sure reward them for that but suggesting people receive less service for not tipping? Unbelievable.

 

It's the ideology of tipping like this that makes it OK for companies to low ball their workers and expect the customers to pick up the slack, it's archaic and I don't know how we even got to this stage.

 

Pay your workers a healthy liveable wage!

[LMaxwell]

I do not think it is really handed to the staff, but it could be posted in a supervisor's office.

The reason is so that when the staff turn over the cash tips they received, the supervisor can see if the cash can be returned to the staff or instead be put into the tipping pool if the auto-tip was reduced or eliminated.

 

Does it pass the sniff test?

[Flamencacha]

WRONG! their base salary agreement includes tips.

 

Many years ago I worked as a waitress. My salary was below the minimum wage. The law allowed it to be that way because it would be augmented by tips. It is customary in the US to tip.

 

You cruise on a line ran by an American Company and that is the way it is.

 

It would be nice, not to expect tips to augment their wage. But the reason I worked as a waitress between my Military time and my Government time, is so I could make a living. Minimum wage is not enough to live on in most of the US.

But that is a whole other story.

 

 

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[grapau27]

WRONG! their base salary agreement includes tips.

 

Many years ago I worked as a waitress. My salary was below the minimum wage. The law allowed it to be that way because it would be augmented by tips. It is customary in the US to tip.

 

You cruise on a line ran by an American Company and that is the way it is.

 

It would be nice, not to expect tips to augment their wage. But the reason I worked as a waitress between my Military time and my Government time, is so I could make a living. Minimum wage is not enough to live on in most of the US.

But that is a whole other story.

 

 

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I have always had fantastic service on 45 cruises and 30 holidays in Orlando by wait staff and have always been happy to tip well.

 

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[bulldogsrule]

Before tips were automatically charged to your account cruisers were given 4 envelopes for tips to be given out at the end of the cruise. One was for housekeeping/butler, head waiter, asst. waiter and restaurant manager. Now that the gratuities are automatically added who receives these tips? Back when there were envelopes was there tip sharing so that all of the behind the scenes staff got tipped? Does anybody feel service was better when the tip amount was more discretionary?

 

 

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[Ned11]

I'm sorry but this post is so stupid.

 

 

 

Cheating workers out of their hard earned money? Excuse me but nobody should have to "expect" tips to supplement their wage. These workers signed a base salary agreement which they know is guaranteed money, everything else should be performance or service based. TIPS SHOULD NOT BE EXPECTED.

 

 

 

You hope people get crappy service and cold food for NOT tipping? More stupidity. People pay a standard fare for their cruise and for that they should get a base (decent) service, if somebody goes above and beyond and they receive amazing service then sure reward them for that but suggesting people receive less service for not tipping? Unbelievable.

 

 

 

It's the ideology of tipping like this that makes it OK for companies to low ball their workers and expect the customers to pick up the slack, it's archaic and I don't know how we even got to this stage.

 

 

 

Pay your workers a healthy liveable wage!

 

 

 

I agree.

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

Does anybody feel service was better when the tip amount was more discretionary?

 

 

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I do, but this can be attributed to a number of factors.

 

There were less passengers onboard

Staff service levels were higher

Only fixed seating dining available

 

So a higher level of staffing combined with a more set rhythm in part contributed to better service. But I have seen my fair share of instances where service in the past few years was subpar, either a worker skating because "its in the bag" or a worker moving at a frantic pace due to being overburdened (short staffed). Make of it what you will, but I believe that providing the incentive at the end encourages performance throughout.

[Morecruisesplz]

I do, but this can be attributed to a number of factors.

 

There were less passengers onboard

Staff service levels were higher

Only fixed seating dining available

 

So a higher level of staffing combined with a more set rhythm in part contributed to better service. But I have seen my fair share of instances where service in the past few years was subpar, either a worker skating because "its in the bag" or a worker moving at a frantic pace due to being overburdened (short staffed). Make of it what you will, but I believe that providing the incentive at the end encourages performance throughout.

Agree completely.