Fed up with Having to DOUBLE tip

[Cruiser_1977]

1 minute ago, kruisey said:

All I  know is the reaction of my cabin person when I give that extra tip  in their hands at the end of a long cruise plus the big hug of gratitude,the genuine look in their eyes to know they have been appreciated . Do they really get paid well with just the automatic tips taken from accounts?

I am glad you find the gratitude heart warming. As for your question, I have no idea what they get paid. There is tremendous speculation across all of the boards. It is up to each of us (those that work) to determine if we are paid/compensated "well". If we determine it not to be, then it is within our power to change it. Whether through asking for a raise, working hard and getting a bonus or promotion, or seeking employment that we feel does pay "well". They are not forced to choose these jobs. They are made aware, per the contract, of their compensation package. It is not my job, or yours, to determine if someone else is paid "well". Two words, Personal Responsibility. 

[capriccio]

52 minutes ago, Pam in CA said:

I have never heard any staff or crew complaining about their wages or how much they make over decades of cruising. 

Nor have we.  On the other hand, staff have often proudly told us about their children going to college, a new house built and, in one case, a small vineyard established!

[Blondilu]

It has always confused me what some think is a "living wage", whether in the US or somewhere else.

 

Example: a previous poster stated a crew member told them he made $1000/month.  At first glance that may seem like very little, and I guess to some it is.  But, don't they also get room and board on top of that; a place to live, food to eat?  And medical?  And, OK, their rooms are small and they work long hours.  I get that.

 

I have always supported myself and did OK.  But, if I ever had $1000 (or even half that) left in any given month after rent, food and medical I would have been ecstatic.

 

As far as the long grueling hours and small living quarters, yep, I've done that as well.  I was happy to have a job.

 

Whatever they get I'm sure it's better than not working.  The worst part must certainly be being away from loved ones.  That would, to me, be the true definition of grueling.

 

As for me, I leave auto tips in place and sometimes tip over that amount.  I don't consider it extra, though.  It's earned, plain and simple.  Just like when I worked.  I got nothing when I didn't work, regular pay when I did, and bonuses and overtime when warranted.  Some folks earn a little "extra", others not so much.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ep010835]

Much gnashing of teeth over what is truly a simple matter. 

Tip or don’t tip as your heart and conscious dictate. 

[sunnytag]

Give it up...move on and get over it...close this thread. 

[hobbyfarmer2]

3 hours ago, kruisey said:

Automatic tips go also to others that one never sees.When on shore in hotels one tips Porter,Waiter,Room Attendant,Room Service.

Princess includes others bringing the tip those that have everyday contact with one,in my personal opinion far to low.

One then makes up for this by making up this extra one feels they are actually entitled to.

This  all together double tipping which can be expensive on a long trip.

Yes I know there is no need but my conscience would never let me do less.

For those with bottomless pockets this would not affect ,but for the average person it is a different matter.

If Princess would only pay the behind the scenes employees a decent living wage then the ones in close contact would be the benefactors only from better percentage from Princess .Passengers could also tip at their discretion but maybe  at a lower level not having to make up for the lower percentage Princess gave them in the past.

In a perfect world all the cruise lines would pay their employees a "fair" wage which would make the auto tip unnecessary.  Cruises fares would also go up to compensate for the higher wages on all cruise lines.  The no-tippers would finally pay their share of employee wages as well so the average passenger might even come out ahead a bit.  The cruise lines would all maintain the same relative competitiveness.

 

Another possibility is that the no tippers would move to the lines where auto tip was in force and could still be removed.  They would form a greater passenger percentage on these lines and that could cause a few different type of problems ranging in hiring difficulty and crew quality.

 

Wish it was a perfect world.

Edited February 18, 2019 by hobbyfarmer2
Extra

[mellon1]

1 hour ago, RMMariner said:

 

I agree. The people who pull their tips are actually getting a free ride. I say stop the auto tips and just raise the cost of the cruise. Then remove tipping from the equation altogether. The crew deserves fair pay, and people deserve to not  have to worry about tipping during the cruise.

 

For those pulling your tips, do you announce to everyone that you doing so while on your cruise, or do you skulk around on the CC boards supporting other non tippers, where you are anonymity is assured, and then furtively pull them at the service desk when you think no one is looking?

 

I'd be willing to bet in most cases it is the latter option that you choose.

 

If you are proud of pulling your auto tips, then do so proudly. Tell your waiter you won't be tipping him on the first night. Announce to the room steward that he will have to be content with your sparkling personality as his tip. At least have the courage of your convictions.

 

I can see why people hate tipping, but the auto tips, unless you are just cheap, are part of the cost of a cruise.

 

Good for you speaking the truth.  I don't know you but I like you.  I have heard some people actually say they wait to the last night to pull the tips so the waiter does not know and then they eat at the buffet last night...almost like they are proud of doing so and getting away with it.

 

1 hour ago, RMMariner said:

 

 

 

[mellon1]

2 minutes ago, hobbyfarmer2 said:

In a perfect world all the cruise lines would pay their employees a "fair" wage which would make the auto tip unnecessary.  Cruises fares would also go up to compensate for the higher wages on all cruise lines.  The no-tippers would finally pay their share of employee wages as well so the average passenger might even come out ahead a bit.  The cruise lines would all maintain the same relative competitiveness.

 

Wish it was a perfect world.

If they all did it, then it would become standard, just as the gratuities now being charged...just charge it in the fare.  There will be no difference in cost for those who keep the tips on.  The people who take off their tips will be mad, but too bad...they sure didn't think about the crew who work so hard to make their trip wonderful and their feelings.

[Crystal04]

Don't assume people are not making a living wage and they are struggling. Your conscience or ego will not allow you to not double tip? You describe them as "less fortunate."  It sounds like you are tipping because it makes you feel like you are good person in that moment, but then you complain about doing it later.... 

[kruisey]

23 minutes ago, Crystal04 said:

Don't assume people are not making a living wage and they are struggling. Your conscience or ego will not allow you to not double tip? You describe them as "less fortunate."  It sounds like you are tipping because it makes you feel like you are good person in that moment, but then you complain about doing it later.... 

I should not worry about other folks just pay my autotip  and enjoy my cruise.I have had a rough life and I know what it is like to be on my knees hold a job on call at all hours and earn in those days $1.25 per hour....So I do have empathy I have been there and done that.

 

[pablo222]

5 hours ago, Kenswing said:

I can't believe that you still cruise with Princess.  Every thread you start is a complaint. 

 

Maybe that's why...

[Colo Cruiser]

2 hours ago, Pam in CA said:

I have no idea how the contracts are written up. Pretty sure the contract is between the agency and the individual rather than through Princess (or most other cruise lines.) It’s a standard practice in the cruise industry. 

Correct,  Princess does not pay any agency.

[CaboWabo62]

A little off topic , When did the Auto Gratuity policy begin?

 I don't recall when we started paying it. Our first cruise (Star Princess) was 2003 and I remember the Gratuity envelopes on that trip, but it was all a new experience and I am curious if somebody remembers.

[GUT2407]

11 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Correct,  Princess does not pay any agency.

I don’t recall anyone saying they did, but I have no doubt they can have a say in how fees are levied on staff.

[GUT2407]

1 minute ago, CaboWabo62 said:

A little off topic , When did the Auto Gratuity policy begin?

 I don't recall when we started paying it. Our first cruise (Star Princess) was 2003 and I remember the Gratuity envelopes on that trip, but it was all a new experience and I am curious if somebody remembers.

We certainly had auto gratuities charged on our Pacific Princess cruise in 2004 (just checked the account).

[Colo Cruiser]

2 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

I don’t recall anyone saying they did, but I have no doubt they can have a say in how fees are levied on staff.

That is exactly what you said.

 

"Maybe the lines need to change they way they pay the agencies then"

[kruisey]

2 hours ago, mellon1 said:

If they all did it, then it would become standard, just as the gratuities now being charged...just charge it in the fare.  There will be no difference in cost for those who keep the tips on.  The people who take off their tips will be mad, but too bad...they sure didn't think about the crew who work so hard to make their trip wonderful and their feelings.

I totally agree with you.The only ones to complain would be like the folks that make  demand from the waiters each night in the Traditional dining room then on the last night when most tip make 'No show'.A real example they boasted earlier on the cruise how they had gone to pursers office and taken autotip off their account.

[kruisey]

6 hours ago, Kenswing said:

I can't believe that you still cruise with Princess.  Every thread you start is a complaint. 

If one has a genuine point to be made.

I do not make complaints about Princess itself they are most kind to me.Actually I book direct and they always most helpful.All the employees on board are kind and helpful that is why as an old lady of nearly 83 I keep cruising with them for I feel save in their hands.

[Katwoman007]

On 2/18/2019 at 9:51 AM, mellon1 said:

Funny this subject was posted after our B2B cruise.  My husband and I spoke about this as we over heard and some actually bragging about taking their tips off when they board the ship. We bit our lip!  This has been going on for as long as we cruised, but before then, they did not make tips prepaid ahead and people would not show up for dinner the last night.  I remember our first Royal Caribbean cruise we asked our waiter where everyone was because we thought we were missing something going on.  He told us it is the last night, the night when tips are given to the staff, so some just don't come to dinner so they don't have to tip.  We could not believe it and that people would do that.  Since then all cruise lines charge gratuities.  We prepay our gratuities and those who have made our trip special we give extra.  Yes, it is extra money, but we don't look at it as tips...we look at it as a small gift to someone who made our trip better in some way...it is our donation to someone we have gotten to know as a person.  We feel good about doing this.  We are not rich by far, but we do realize how good it feels to be appreciated.

 

In my opinion, I feel that the standard tips should be "included" in the base price of the fare.  Yes the fare will go up, but only for those who have been taking their tips off to begin with.  If anyone wants to tip to someone on the ship, it should be considered a gift to them and they should be able to keep it themselves and it should not go into a pool.

I totally remember this too!! Last nights dinner would almost be empty and you had envelopes and tipped everyone.


I do like the auto tipping and with anytime dining, it is rare to get the same server now. However, for our room steward, we do give a little extra the last day. We had actually cleared out early and did not see him to beat the breakfast rush. After breakfast, we ran back up and found him turning the rooms around and we said we did not want to leave without saying goodbye and handed him a little more. The look on his face was priceless and that is why we do it. We told him we had already prepaid tips if he was concerned, because I heard they are supposed to turn over cash tips, until they are "cleared" that the room had done their tips. So even if someone takes tips off and tips on their own, that money could still be split up into that tip pool. 

[Thrak]

Check out the wages listed for various professions in the Philippines. You can find a listing HERE. You can Google the value of the PHP vs USD. Currently 1 PHP = 0.019 USD which means that 50,000 PHP = 957.40USD.

 

This is why the crew members are happy to have their jobs and why they are able to purchase new homes, send their children to college, support extended family members, etc. What is a "rip off salary" to you is a good living to them and they aren't complaining. I've spoken with crew who told me they were almost famous at home because they worked on "The Love Boat". Yes, they work hard for their money and I don't begrudge them the tips at all but they aren't being "used and abused" or anything of that sort.

[caribill]

On 2/18/2019 at 11:51 AM, mellon1 said:

In my opinion, I feel that the standard tips should be "included" in the base price of the fare.  Yes the fare will go up, but only for those who have been taking their tips off to begin with. 

 

Princess is in a very competitive business. If Princess started including the standard tips in the fare, then the posted prices would be higher than the competition and sales would fall.

 

A few years ago Princess started including all the additional taxes, fees and port expenses in the posted fares along with the slogan "What you see is what you pay." Many loyal Princess customers appreciated this, but apparently it did not go over well in the market place. As I remember it, the "What you see is what you pay" pricing was discontinued in about three months.

[GUT2407]

Funny in Uastrlia Princess were one of the first lines to charge a flat fee with no auto grats, while Celebrity continues to use auto grats, Princess grew quicker than Celebrity in the region, guess Aussies can see through the pricing games and come to a total price.

[spyro1952]

On 2/18/2019 at 11:10 AM, Colo Cruiser said:

Don't tip extra then.

How do you know what a crew member makes? No one is forcing crew to work for Princess. They like their jobs and are there voluntarily.

If you dislike Princess so much as the majority of your posts indicate then there are many other cruise lines to choose from.

Funny CO cruiser I was thinking the exact same thing and voila!!!  This one is always complaining about prices etc.

[Anubi]

Our first cruise in 1989, with Carnival, we tipped with the envelopes.    On our second cruise in 1992, also with Carnival, there was mandatory tipping but I do recall giving extra on the final evening.  The busboy was miffed (his service was bad and nothing the waiter said to him made him any better so no one at our table had tipped him extra) and so there was no second cup of coffee in the morning.     Now, we pay our grats before boarding and its done.   To us its an added cost like insurance is an added cost.  Factor it in and move on folks!! 

[kruisey]

10 hours ago, spyro1952 said:

Funny CO cruiser I was thinking the exact same thing and voila!!!  This one is always complaining about prices etc.

I always hand out extra's to cabin crew and waiters.Reason I feel they need more that the percentage given in the auto tip.This group of employers have always bent over backwards to be kind and helpful.Therefore I do spend more on tips than on shore.

Thank you all for your comments  on this thread good and bad .It would be a very sad and boring world if we all thought alike..