Chair Hogs and a "10" For the Crew - Did I Hit A Nerve?

[markeb]

I have been reading this full thread from the start and it got me thinking.

 

A full S class ship, say 2,850 passengers. Average daily gratuities / service charge is $14. One day receipts totals $39,900, so over a week this is just under $280,000. Assuming two thirds of the crew are in for a share of this they will receive in excess of $300 each week of just tips. Add on top of that all the extra dollars that so many people say they tip with every drink, and every interaction with crew, I believe they are earning more than a meagre wage.

 

 

If I am working this out wrong I am sure someone will let me know, but it seems to me that assuming the company is also paying a wage, however small, and providing bed and board the remuneration is not bad at all even taking into account some passengers removing gratuities it is surely made up by those handing out dollar bills.

 

I think the math is generally right. I suspect the tipped employees are probably closer to half the crew (~650), which would be an average of just over $400/week/"front of the house" staff. I'm guessing there are 4-5 tipping pools: housekeeping, MDR, specialty restaurants, Blu/Luminae, and bar service. The bar service and sommeliers should be covered by the 18% tip charge, and however the drink packages are divided, which puts your stateroom attendant and suite butler in a pool, and the waiters, assistant waiters, etc., in another pool. Blu, Luminae, and the specialty dining I suspect are complicated...

[laslomas]

With these figures I do not understand why the charge for gratuities keep rising. Surely there is plenty there to share out!!!

[Zoedokey]

I have been reading this full thread from the start and it got me thinking.

 

A full S class ship, say 2,850 passengers. Average daily gratuities / service charge is $14. One day receipts totals $39,900, so over a week this is just under $280,000. Assuming two thirds of the crew are in for a share of this they will receive in excess of $300 each week of just tips. Add on top of that all the extra dollars that so many people say they tip with every drink, and every interaction with crew, I believe they are earning more than a meagre wage.

 

 

If I am working this out wrong I am sure someone will let me know, but it seems to me that assuming the company is also paying a wage, however small, and providing bed and board the remuneration is not bad at all even taking into account some passengers removing gratuities it is surely made up by those handing out dollar bills.

 

 

 

300 a week for 80 hours of very difficult work. Wow, that’s a terrible wage.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[markeb]

300 a week for 80 hours of very difficult work. Wow, that’s a terrible wage.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

FWIW, the average monthly income in the Philippines, from 2015 data, was 22,000 pesos per month. https://www.psa.gov.ph/content/average-family-income-2015-estimated-22-thousand-pesos-monthly-results-2015-family-income

 

$400 US (my estimate of tipped employee pool) is 20,812 pesos per week, or almost four times the average income in the Philippines. ($300 would be 15,608 pesos). So, yeah, it's terrible for US, Australia, Western Europe, etc., but it's many times the average in many of their home countries. Which is one of the reasons working on cruise ships is so popular (another being that they tend to dramatically increase their English language skills and become very marketable to IHG, Marriott, etc. in their home country's hospitality industries). On a six month contract, at that rate, you would earn almost twice the average salary at home...

[Baron Barracuda]

FWIW, the average monthly income in the Philippines, from 2015 data, was 22,000 pesos per month. https://www.psa.gov.ph/content/average-family-income-2015-estimated-22-thousand-pesos-monthly-results-2015-family-income

 

$400 US (my estimate of tipped employee pool) is 20,812 pesos per week, or almost four times the average income in the Philippines. ($300 would be 15,608 pesos). So, yeah, it's terrible for US, Australia, Western Europe, etc., but it's many times the average in many of their home countries. Which is one of the reasons working on cruise ships is so popular (another being that they tend to dramatically increase their English language skills and become very marketable to IHG, Marriott, etc. in their home country's hospitality industries). On a six month contract, at that rate, you would earn almost twice the average salary at home...

 

That's $400 plus base pay from X (however much that is) plus free room & board and whatever other benefits X provides. Top performers likely receive much more in extra tips.

 

Most of the wait staff we've encountered on X have been with them for quite a few years. If they felt they were underpaid or overworked gotta think they would they would have moved on to greener pastures.

[laslomas]

300 a week for 80 hours of very difficult work. Wow, that’s a terrible wage.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

No, that is not the wage, surely that is paid by Celebrity.:confused: They are the company employing the staff and also providing their food and accommodation.

 

This is the tip on top of the wage. Not to mention all the dollar bills that many passengers say they also give to the service staff. So is it really a terrible income? It is a job choice and seemingly not an unpopular one.

[Zoedokey]

I get that it may be good pay for their home country, but as someone who can afford to cruise, the small amount we pay in tips means much more to crew than it does to me. I think I need to up my extra gratuities. I am glad this was discussed on this thread as it really will effect my behavior going forward.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Globehoppers]

When you book your celebrity cruise after you select your room it shows price of room and port fees .Then you choose dining time. The next step is prepaying gratuities . It VERY CLEARLY shows the amount. Then same for insurance. If you do not select a choice, it does not go to the next page where you fill name and info.

No small print . No hidden cost. No bait and switch .

Next lame excuse for your selfishness?

 

"My selfishness?" We "overtip" for several reasons. Cruise line employees mostly come from developing countries where they cannot get well paying jobs - you can find university graduates as dining room servers trying to earn enough to raise a family. They leave their families for years - a difficult situation at best. Some are married couples with degrees sending money home to parents who are raising tier child/children. They are good people who are trying to get ahead in this difficult world. They work extremely hard, long hours, under some difficult environments. We have lived in these countries (Romania, the former Yugoslavia, etc., and visited others around the world, and adopted a girl out of Ceaucescu's Romanian orphanages) and can identify with their plights. We have been fortunate enough to have a great home and life in the US and always what to assist others when we can. And have "cruised" since my first transatlantic in 1949 as a child, cruised the old Queens and US lines ships, and served for 30 years in the US Navy.

 

So no, lvz2cruz, you may want to reconsider your totally inappropriate and ignorant comment. And next time you cruise think about those who are serving you or helping you on the ship.

[Expat Cruise]

FWIW, the average monthly income in the Philippines, from 2015 data, was 22,000 pesos per month. https://www.psa.gov.ph/content/average-family-income-2015-estimated-22-thousand-pesos-monthly-results-2015-family-income

 

$400 US (my estimate of tipped employee pool) is 20,812 pesos per week, or almost four times the average income in the Philippines. ($300 would be 15,608 pesos). So, yeah, it's terrible for US, Australia, Western Europe, etc., but it's many times the average in many of their home countries. Which is one of the reasons working on cruise ships is so popular (another being that they tend to dramatically increase their English language skills and become very marketable to IHG, Marriott, etc. in their home country's hospitality industries). On a six month contract, at that rate, you would earn almost twice the average salary at home...

 

But the numbers are very far off. In truth the real wages are much lower. Must unskilled workers (workers doing cruise ships jobs) not counting the sea crew, work for minimum wages which depending upon location here in the Philippines is less than 400 pesos a day (under $8.00 us). Also they are hired on contracts of less than 6 months so they can be terminated with no benefits, unemployment etc.

 

Many people work well under the required numbers. These are some examples:

 

Security person man or woman earns p250+ per day

 

Guest house / hotel cleaner earns 250+ pesos per day

 

The Jollibee (The Mcdonalds of the PI) starting salary is 250+ pesos per day

 

Receptionist (starter) earns: p200 – 300 per day

 

starting bank teller earns p7,000 – 10,000

 

call center employees earns p10,000 – 18,000 per month

 

office administrator earns p10,000 – 20,000 per month

 

basic teacher earns p15,000 – 18,000 per month

 

 

So even without any added fees (just base pay) cruise jobs pay much better than working at home. Most passengers on cruise ships have no real idea what life is like in third World Countries. People stay with the cruise lines becasue the level of pay and benefits is great.

[Dunmore2]

I get that it may be good pay for their home country, but as someone who can afford to cruise, the small amount we pay in tips means much more to crew than it does to me. I think I need to up my extra gratuities. I am glad this was discussed on this thread as it really will effect my behavior going forward.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I agree with your philosophy. I often think about how many people are relying on that crew member’s salary back home.

[Toofarfromthesea]

FWIW, the average monthly income in the Philippines, from 2015 data, was 22,000 pesos per month. https://www.psa.gov.ph/content/average-family-income-2015-estimated-22-thousand-pesos-monthly-results-2015-family-income

 

$400 US (my estimate of tipped employee pool) is 20,812 pesos per week, or almost four times the average income in the Philippines. ($300 would be 15,608 pesos). So, yeah, it's terrible for US, Australia, Western Europe, etc., but it's many times the average in many of their home countries. Which is one of the reasons working on cruise ships is so popular (another being that they tend to dramatically increase their English language skills and become very marketable to IHG, Marriott, etc. in their home country's hospitality industries). On a six month contract, at that rate, you would earn almost twice the average salary at home...

 

Gee, and all you have to do is work 80 hours a week, be away from your family for 6 months at a time, and have to put up with the minority of passengers who are drunk, rude, or abusive.

 

But hey, let's applaud the brave ones who stand on their principles by taking money away from the people who do the work and put it in their own pockets.