Rise in Gratuities

[dorsetlad]

We are with Cunard for 35 nights soon. The auto gratuity there is 12.90 USD pppd. So that is nudging towards a thousand dollars. And of course they whack an extra 15% tip on everything bought on board. And the cheapest bottle of wine is 40USD.

I am not sure how they get away with it.

So you lucky P&Oers it could be worse.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

They get away with it because people are prepared to pay it. If people boycotted such greedy cruise lines, these astronomical charges might drop.

[Selbourne]

As a point of interest for those speculating on the working hours and arrangements of the P&O staff who receive a proportion of the service charge, here is an excerpt from my Cruise blog that I wrote whilst on Aurora last May;

 

Back on board in time for lunch, we enjoyed the daily curry in the Medina, where we chatted to a waiter who had remembered us from Britannia. It was interesting to hear how their working arrangements work - 10 hours a day for 9 months, with no days off and just one shift (2.5 hours) off per week to go ashore, so 67.5 hours per week. They work 9 months on and 3 months off, so if you equate the hours worked in a year to a typical UK job over 52 weeks less 5 weeks holidays and bank holidays, it would be the equivalent of us working a 56 hour week. I'm glad that the service has been so good on this cruise that I wouldn't even entertain removing the auto gratuity (now called service charge) of £6 a day, as I would now feel quite guilty doing so.

[snaefell]

We are in the habit of throwing our stuff on the floor at the end of a night but always tidy them away before we leave the room the next morning,don't see why anybody else should have to,my Wife also sometimes makes the bed which can make knowing whether or not the room has been serviced difficult when we return,more of a problem in hotels than on ships IME as they tend to be 'done' so much faster on ships!

[grapau27]

As a point of interest for those speculating on the working hours and arrangements of the P&O staff who receive a proportion of the service charge, here is an excerpt from my Cruise blog that I wrote whilst on Aurora last May;

 

Back on board in time for lunch, we enjoyed the daily curry in the Medina, where we chatted to a waiter who had remembered us from Britannia. It was interesting to hear how their working arrangements work - 10 hours a day for 9 months, with no days off and just one shift (2.5 hours) off per week to go ashore, so 67.5 hours per week. They work 9 months on and 3 months off, so if you equate the hours worked in a year to a typical UK job over 52 weeks less 5 weeks holidays and bank holidays, it would be the equivalent of us working a 56 hour week. I'm glad that the service has been so good on this cruise that I wouldn't even entertain removing the auto gratuity (now called service charge) of £6 a day, as I would now feel quite guilty doing so.

This is still very relevant, good post.

[jeanlyon]

Well it wouldn't help making the bed on Fred Olsen. They have this bizarre system of folding the duvet into a weird position, which I could not duplicate if I wanted to. What is the point of making the bed, if a) they have to do undo it and do it again and b) that's what they are paid to do?

[gadabout60]

They get away with it because people are prepared to pay it. If people boycotted such greedy cruise lines, these astronomical charges might drop.

 

 

Don’t really agree with the phrase greedy cruise lines. They are all in it to make a profit and all will do so in their own ways

 

I would still rather pay more for a better quality cruise on Celebrity then a more downmarket experience on P&O - all IMHO of course

[davecttr]

Thinks, why is the daily service charge low on P&O compared to other cruise lines?

 

Answer. The must be making savings elsewhere as Carnival would expect all its cruise lines to make the same minimum profit margin. Or are P&O prices higher.

[jeanlyon]

Fred appears to be the cheapest. Just going up from £4 to £5

[gadabout60]

Fred appears to be the cheapest. Just going up from £4 to £5

 

We are going on Fred for the first time in April

Gratuities May be the cheapest but we are paying more per person per night then we typically pay on Celebrity so it’s swings and roundabouts

[dgs1956]

Don’t really agree with the phrase greedy cruise lines. They are all in it to make a profit and all will do so in their own ways

 

I would still rather pay more for a better quality cruise on Celebrity then a more downmarket experience on P&O - all IMHO of course

 

What is the point of your comment if not to cause annoyance?

[Pidgeofcdf]

Can only see a rise in the number of people choosing not to pay as a result of this increase. Which in turn will most likely lead to another £1 rise next year.

Its a never ending cycle until p&o overhaul the system

[dgs1956]

Can only see a rise in the number of people choosing not to pay as a result of this increase. Which in turn will most likely lead to another £1 rise next year.

Its a never ending cycle until p&o overhaul the system

 

Totally agree. I'm sure that's why they have applied this latest rise.

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

Totally agree. I'm sure that's why they have applied this latest rise.

 

Please. Why are you to so sure?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[dgs1956]

Please. Why are you to so sure?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

What other justification could there be for such a large percentage rise.

 

Have you not got a view?

[Barnum42]

Happens every year (well at least since I started cruising in 2015)

For the staff it won’t be a 16% increase, that £7 has to be shared between 3, 4 or more people. Not forgetting that if somebody marks the cabin steward less than excellent he might not get his share.

System definitely needs addressing but sadly seems p&o aren’t listening.

 

They won't change how they split the gratuity if you mark a cabin steward down. On Britannia a couple of years ago we had a steward with an appalling attitude. I wanted to ensure the waiters got their fair share, and the the steward nothing (he really was that bad) but was told if I reduced the gratuity payment, everyone would lose out. So all you can do in that case is cancel it all and tip directly those who deserve it. We did the opposite on another trip, where the cabin steward was great, but the wait staff lousy.

 

What I don't agree with is changing the goalposts after people have booked a cruise knowing they would be paying x amount.

Maybe the got the idea from telecoms companies?

 

In about a year they have gone from £5 to £7. That's a 40% increase in a year.

[grapau27]

Well it wouldn't help making the bed on Fred Olsen. They have this bizarre system of folding the duvet into a weird position, which I could not duplicate if I wanted to. What is the point of making the bed, if a) they have to do undo it and do it again and b) that's what they are paid to do?

I agree with making the bed.We have never fancied the small ships of Fred Olsen even though we live about 20 minutes from Royal Quays (North Shields) Newcastle port where Fred Olsen start a lot of sailings.

[grapau27]

What is the point of your comment if not to cause annoyance?

Exactly.

[grapau27]

What other justification could there be for such a large percentage rise.

 

Have you not got a view?

Your justification sounds right to me.

[balf]

We tip and also leave the auto charge on our final bill and really the cabin steward get an easy time with us, we make the bed in a morning before going to breakfast unless it's changing day, we clean the bathroom apart from the loo when we have been in it and are tidy and everything is away in draws so easy to just wipe down, it has often been commented on by the cabin steward but we still leave a small tip. We are easily pleased in the dining room so again not too much trouble for the waiters we don't tip as we are freedom dining and rarely get the same waiter we have on occasions come across an excellent waiter so my OH always carries a fiver just in case

Do wish people wouldn't cancel auto tips as it just pushes the price up for those who don't

 

You clean the bathroom, why? You have a room steward, that’s his/her job. It isn’t self catering, not yet anyway.

 

DAVID.

[gadabout60]

What is the point of your comment if not to cause annoyance?

 

This is a forum to express opinions

[Millers]

We tip and also leave the auto charge on our final bill and really the cabin steward get an easy time with us, we make the bed in a morning before going to breakfast unless it's changing day, we clean the bathroom apart from the loo when we have been in it and are tidy and everything is away in draws so easy to just wipe down, it has often been commented on by the cabin steward but we still leave a small tip. We are easily pleased in the dining room so again not too much trouble for the waiters we don't tip as we are freedom dining and rarely get the same waiter we have on occasions come across an excellent waiter so my OH always carries a fiver just in case

Do wish people wouldn't cancel auto tips as it just pushes the price up for those who don't

 

 

 

It’s the people who pay the auto tips that make it difficult for everybody else

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[grapau27]

It’s the people who pay the auto tips that make it difficult for everybody else

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Why?

P&O are generous with obc which covers a lot of the charge and it saves time tipping cash all the time.

[Millers]

Why?

P&O are generous with obc which covers a lot of the charge and it saves time tipping cash all the time.

 

 

 

You need to look back on your previous posts, I think you have contradicted yourself. Not every body get onboard credit these days.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[stephen@stoneyard.co.uk]

What other justification could there be for such a large percentage rise.

 

 

 

Have you not got a view?

 

 

Perhaps P and O are putting up the price because they can. They will only stop increasing the price when we stop paying it the increasing price. That would be quite normal behaviour for a business. In which case the more people who cancel the automatic gratuities the sooner the charge will stop rising.

 

I will say I have always paid the automatic gratuity. I have always seen it as part of the cost of the cruise.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[gadabout60]

Why?

P&O are generous with obc which covers a lot of the charge and it saves time tipping cash all the time.

 

It’s not P&O who are generous - if you get a lot of OBC it’s generally because you have paid a higher price for the cruise

 

On Celebrity I am always pleased to get a “free” drinks package but deep down I know it’s not really free and I have paid for it in the price