Tips going Up

[Coralc]

Yes you did.

[tugboat]

I am sure with 5 cruises booked next year you won't miss the $70 because you must be pretty well off to afford 5 cruises in one year.

I don't booked till final payment for the most part I watch my pennies when booking like a 5 day inside 610.00 for both of us with 100.00 OBC I don't like giving my obc back.

[tugboat]

I am sure with 5 cruises booked next year you won't miss the $70 because you must be pretty well off to afford 5 cruises in one year.

 

But you are right I want miss it I prepaid my tips tonight problem solve:D

[tugboat]

But you are right I wont miss it, I prepaid my tips tonight problem solve:D

 

[emoji41][emoji41][emoji41]

 

 

 

 

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[Bigbluegal]

Now THAT is funny! For those of us in California, it may well be the opposite - we'll be paying more. What else is new?! :mad:

 

Yes, and anything one MIGHT receive is disguise of a tax decrease will be soaked up elsewhere to pay for the so called "MAGA" campaign.

[molly361]

If you prepay your tips and you get a price drop before final payment will your tips adjust to the higher rate?

I'm guessing yes they will/would go up

[The_Big_M]

Yes an extra $70 for the crew on cruises that conservatively you paid over $7500 for.

 

False comparison. Comparing the marginal increase in one side, against a (theoretical) total amount on the other side.

 

The point is it's another increase, for an increase of about 4.5% per annum over the past few years.

[A&L_Ont]

False comparison. Comparing the marginal increase in one side, against a (theoretical) total amount on the other side.

 

The point is it's another increase, for an increase of about 4.5% per annum over the past few years.

 

I haven’t seen much of anything in the consumer world go down in pricing. The option becomes cruise less with RC or try another line. Being loyal comes at a cost and eventually there is a breaking point.

[Clarea]

If you prepay your tips and you get a price drop before final payment will your tips adjust to the higher rate?

I'm guessing yes they will/would go up

Possible, but it might be like taxes, where once they are added to a booking, they stay the same.

[Colorado Babe]

Where can you prepay the tips on line on RC website? Can you use your RC OBC like you can for dining, excursions, etc?

 

 

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[Ocean Boy]

Where can you prepay the tips on line on RC website? Can you use your RC OBC like you can for dining, excursions, etc?

 

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Very interesting question. I, too, would like to know.

[poncho1973]

I'm not sure I see a problem with this. I know over the years I see tip thread after tip thread and now I see anger about the percentage of increase since 2015, but seriously it stayed the same for a really long time.

 

If $1 a day per person is breaking your piggy bank, you need a cheaper hobby! Because cruise vacations are a desirable hobby, not a basic human right.

 

I also don't get the anger with prepaid tips, although, I'd just like the name changed to service fee or something so that people could calm down a bit over it. If I want to tip more (and I usually find a few folks that I'd like to because I tend to get AMAZING service on my cruises) I bring a bit of extra cash and hand it out as I see fit.

 

If you don't like something you are purchasing, you should vote with your wallet and do something else.

[Lady Hudson]

I have already addressed my concerns on another thread. Summary - RC tip increases seem to be increasing more rapidly than other main stream lines. I don’t begrudge the staff their tips but neither do I wish to pay a lot more than other lines in tips. I know Cunard’s current rate is $11.50 per day. Who knows the rates for HAL, Carnival and Norwegian? Katherine

[Husky1987]

Gratuities going up? Not a surprise at all.

 

We've had reports that RC makes up what doesn't get put into the tip pool by passengers. If that is true, then it's a pretty basic bottom line calculation by Royal. If people are choosing to take auto-gratuities off, and that causes Royal to have to put more money into the tip pool themselves, then of course they are going to raise the amount the paying passengers put into the pool so the company doesn't have to. They're going to sit in a room and calculate what they think they can do to re-create a balance where passengers will pay and they as a company won't.

 

Econ 101.

[Clarea]

Where can you prepay the tips on line on RC website? Can you use your RC OBC like you can for dining, excursions, etc?

I believe you can only add the prepaid gratuities at the time you create the booking on the website, which would preclude the use of OBC. You may have to call to add prepaid gratuities.

[A&L_Ont]

Because cruise vacations are a desirable hobby, not a basic human right.

 

Poncho, if they aren't in your house you need to amend your marriage contract or get one. It has been written into mine.

 

Edit: for those of you that didn't get it, that was written in joke font, "Comic Sans MS".

[lmpotts80]

They are not mandatory and you can adjust them at guest services.

 

I am wondering if this will still be allowed once the new pricing is in effect. My husband and I are sailing again in Sept. 2018 and usually prepay gratuities but aren't doing so this time as we heard you can "opt-out" of auto gratuities to tip on your own once you get on the ship. I hope they still allow this...

[Clarea]

I am wondering if this will still be allowed once the new pricing is in effect. My husband and I are sailing again in Sept. 2018 and usually prepay gratuities but aren't doing so this time as we heard you can "opt-out" of auto gratuities to tip on your own once you get on the ship. I hope they still allow this...

I'm sure they will still allow this as gratuities will still be optional.

[Biker19]

I'm sure they will still allow this as gratuities will still be optional.

for a while.

[Ocean Boy]

Gratuities going up? Not a surprise at all.

 

We've had reports that RC makes up what doesn't get put into the tip pool by passengers. If that is true, then it's a pretty basic bottom line calculation by Royal. If people are choosing to take auto-gratuities off, and that causes Royal to have to put more money into the tip pool themselves, then of course they are going to raise the amount the paying passengers put into the pool so the company doesn't have to. They're going to sit in a room and calculate what they think they can do to re-create a balance where passengers will pay and they as a company won't.

 

Econ 101.

Do you think that raising the amount could backfire and actually cause more people to start opting out?

[Husky1987]

Do you think that raising the amount could backfire and actually cause more people to start opting out?

 

It very well may. And if it does, you can bet they will be adjusted again.

 

But in reality, isn't that the issue every company selling anything faces every day? They choose a price point for their product or service. Too high, less people buy and revenues drop. Too low, and they realize they could have added more to the bottom line. Finding that sweet middle where they maximize revenue (or minimize their own expenses) is what business is all about.

 

For me? An extra dollar a day is pretty meaningless. I'm well aware for others that it matters a lot, or it's just "one more thing" on top of all others. My wife always laughs at me when we eat out and calls me an overtipper...but then my philosophy is that the difference between leaving $10 and $20 on a $50 meal means a little less to me than it does to the person slaving away for minimum wage....and if they treat me well I'm more than happy to overtip.

[vacationers]

Put is this way. I think for those that are booked and are withing non cancellation period but do not have prepaid should be grandfather in. but to send the email when you are about to cruise, it is awful. I will definetly opt out. I am a great tipper when I get good service everywhere, but when I do not get the service I make my point. ;p

[Ocean Boy]

It very well may. And if it does, you can bet they will be adjusted again.

 

But in reality, isn't that the issue every company selling anything faces every day? They choose a price point for their product or service. Too high, less people buy and revenues drop. Too low, and they realize they could have added more to the bottom line. Finding that sweet middle where they maximize revenue (or minimize their own expenses) is what business is all about.

 

For me? An extra dollar a day is pretty meaningless. I'm well aware for others that it matters a lot, or it's just "one more thing" on top of all others. My wife always laughs at me when we eat out and calls me an overtipper...but then my philosophy is that the difference between leaving $10 and $20 on a $50 meal means a little less to me than it does to the person slaving away for minimum wage....and if they treat me well I'm more than happy to overtip.

I tend to agree with you on this matter. That is one of the reasons though why I tend to dislike the auto tipping. It just isn't quite the same as the personal interaction of carrying out the function.

 

I also agree with you on company method of trying to determine price point to maximize profits and it is perfectly legitimate as that is what they exist for. What I don't get is that when the consumer then looks to minimize the price paid people then turn around and accuse them of being cheap and tell them maybe they can't afford to cruise. Both parties cannot be looking out for the benefit of the company, someone has to look out for the consumer. I believe service industries like to work around the issue by adjusting auto tips and service charges because they know many people view those charges on more of an emotional level than they do cruise fares. Jack up cruise fares and people will get annoyed because RCI is just a faceless company. Jack up gratuities and people will accept it because there is a person on the other end of that tip that people can view from an emotional level. Much better for RCI from a public relations standpoint to give staff a raise by increasing gratuities rather than increasing fares even though the bottom line comes out the same for both parties.

[Biker19]

Jack up cruise fares and people will get annoyed because RCI is just a faceless company. Jack up gratuities and people will accept it because there is a person on the other end of that tip that people can view from an emotional level. Much better for RCI from a public relations standpoint to give staff a raise by increasing gratuities rather than increasing fares even though the bottom line comes out the same for both parties.

So, then, are they going to a business model like with printers, where the printer is virtually given away but they make their money on the print cartridges? So, have some basic fare and then charge a huge chunk for staff (and then every time RCI feels like giving a raise, they just up that charge)? They already include some folks who you never see in the grats.

[lmpotts80]

To this point, I must say - hubby and I have noticed a considerable difference in service from when gratuities were not "auto" added vs. that they are now. We've been cruising RC for years and saw a noticeable difference in service when the crew "knew" they were getting gratuities regardless (most people don't know you can opt out). It's not that I mind paying gratuity because I certainly don't but I prefer to divvy it up on my own, based on those that gave average service vs. those went way above and beyond.