Tipping Question

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, The Sunset Glow said:

Curious - how do people who do My Time Dining and remove auto grats handle tipping the various dining staff? I genuinely want to know this as it seems impossible to me so I'm interested in how people do it.

Usually where possible they allocate you the same table or waiter or you could request this when checking in every night.

What you could do is tip your waiters cash nightly,even though we have prepaid I have given extra cash when given superior service.

[Clarea]

49 minutes ago, The Sunset Glow said:

 

One time they used to give us the recommended amount for the waiter and assistant waiter but now it's just a lump sum of $6.25 per day. More obscurity from RCI.🙄 

 

Yep, that's just too much info for us to have anymore.

[MamaTene]

This is news to us

[camofwilliamsburg]

Here is another option....lower the amount paid but keep the auto tipping so everyone gets something.

[clean1owner]

20 hours ago, Hanzo said:

So you're saying "Don't listen to other people's opinions about tipping, listen to mine"? Got it.

The point is there are people behind the scenes that share that pool, but out of sight out of mind right?

 

 

Others say not to listen to my opinion, so why not?

[clean1owner]

18 hours ago, Saab4444 said:

That works for cabin stewards but how would it work for waiters in my time dining? Guests are no longer allocated to one table and server team. And the suggested amount for waiters is much higher than for cabin staff.

 

 

I just had My Time Dining and had the same server team all week.

[clean1owner]

12 hours ago, springfire said:

 

 

Royal has shifted gratuities so much over the years, they now want us to pay so many other crew members besides the dining team and stateroom attendants.    Royal is telling us that our automatic service gratuity also includes paying bar and culinary staff,  and other hotel services teams who work behind the scene.  Nobody really knows what Royal is doing with the money

 

 

 

 

BINGO!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a

[clean1owner]

8 hours ago, The Sunset Glow said:

Curious - how do people who do My Time Dining and remove auto grats handle tipping the various dining staff? I genuinely want to know this as it seems impossible to me so I'm interested in how people do it.

 

 

I just had My Time Dining and had the same Wait Staff all week. I removed auto-grats on day 1 and gave cash tips in RCCL provided envelopes on the last night of the cruise. 

 

Worked perfectly fine.  I know who directly received the tip, and they appreciated it.

 

[clean1owner]

8 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

Sorry, I don't know about any tip pooling that may or may not occur with the wait staff.

 

 

Even "The Shadow" doesn't know that!

[clean1owner]

7 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

If I was tipping in cash, I'd give separate tips to the waiter and assistant waiter.

 

 

That is exactly what I do

[steveru621]

12 hours ago, springfire said:

The automatic service gratuity is $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $17.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest’s SeaPass account on a daily basis. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience.

 

So this is Royal's gratuity policy about the automatic service gratuity. 

FACT - It clearly states that bar staff is part of the auto tip pool.  

 

Royal has shifted gratuities so much over the years, they now want us to pay so many other crew members besides the dining team and stateroom attendants.    Royal is telling us that our automatic service gratuity also includes paying bar and culinary staff,  and other hotel services teams who work behind the scene.  Nobody really knows what Royal is doing with the money

 

 

 

Total B.S.

[springfire]

6 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

Total B.S.

What a silly post!   I guess you don't like facts.

Edited March 21, 2019 by springfire

[The Sunset Glow]

17 minutes ago, clean1owner said:

 

 

I just had My Time Dining and had the same Wait Staff all week. I removed auto-grats on day 1 and gave cash tips in RCCL provided envelopes on the last night of the cruise. 

 

Worked perfectly fine.  I know who directly received the tip, and they appreciated it.

 

 

Yes, that would work. But many of us with MTD don’t dine at the same time with the same wait staff. We like to go with the flow. This is what I was questioning originally. 

[steveru621]

3 minutes ago, springfire said:

What a silly post!   

 

Most employees stay with RCI well over a decade.  Your post was BS.  

 

Just because you are not on the inside of what happens to your gratuities money DOES NOT MAKE IT NEFARIOUS.

 

This whole thread happens once or twice a quarter.  Most posts have no basis in fact, total crap.

[springfire]

1 minute ago, steveru621 said:

 

Most employees stay with RCI well over a decade.  Your post was BS.  

 

Just because you are not on the inside of what happens to your gratuities money DOES NOT MAKE IT NEFARIOUS.

 

This whole thread happens once or twice a quarter.  Most posts have no basis in fact, total crap.

I quoted Royal's gratuity policy, is that what you are calling BS?   I also replied in my post to a prior poster that the bar staff was included in the gratuity policy.  Royal will not breakdown on who gets what in the automatic gratuity.    Most people here can have a constructive conversation on this topic and share opinions.  If you can't handle the topic, move on.   

[Jarmo]

'No one knows what Royal does with the money, so I won't auto tip.'

 

'I don't care what xxxx does with the money after I give it to them.'

 

The cheapies should own it instead of being full of it.

 

 

[ano]

RC and other cruise lines have purported a myth, and most people here have had the wool pulled over their eyes. Its a shame more people don't do their research. Although RC adds "gratuities" on to your account, the fact of the matter, it is far from a gratuity. If you take the amount multiple by the number of passengers, then divide by the number of crew members, it becomes apparent that the "gratuity" is not a gratuity, it is the crew pay. These crew members are from countries with low pay, and crew members don't have to pay for food, housing or healthcare, so at $18K salary is quite good.  So your "gratuity" is salary. If you pay the standard amount, your just rewarding crew for working, they are not getting some magical amount above their pay. If you withhold your gratuity and give it out to some crew, then you are cheating other crew members of their pay. If you give crew money on top of the "gratuity" then that really is a gratuity.  

 

I do not agree with paying the crew with the gratuity. Its unfair to customers and unfair to the crew. But RC loves the fact that they don't need to pay for most of their employees because your added "gratuity" does.

[steveru621]

1 minute ago, springfire said:

I quoted Royal's gratuity policy, is that what you are calling BS?   I also replied in my post to a prior poster that the bar staff was included in the gratuity policy.  Royal will not breakdown on who gets what in the automatic gratuity.    Most people here can have a constructive conversation on this topic and share opinions.  If you can't handle the topic, move on.   

 

Why do you care who is included in the gratuity pool?

 

You keep posting BS and that you have no idea what really happens.  Your speculation is no help.  Move on.  Because this thread is about to be closed.

 

I'm done.  I really don't understand these BS posts that are ONLY speculation.

 

Sorry that your feelings are hurt.

[Jarmo]

Yep.

[springfire]

1 minute ago, steveru621 said:

 

Why do you care who is included in the gratuity pool?

 

You keep posting BS and that you have no idea what really happens.  Your speculation is no help.  Move on.  Because this thread is about to be closed.

 

I'm done.  I really don't understand these BS posts that are ONLY speculation.

 

Sorry that your feelings are hurt.

Bye bye, get some sleep!

[steveru621]

15 minutes ago, ano said:

RC and other cruise lines have purported a myth, and most people here have had the wool pulled over their eyes. Its a shame more people don't do their research. Although RC adds "gratuities" on to your account, the fact of the matter, it is far from a gratuity. If you take the amount multiple by the number of passengers, then divide by the number of crew members, it becomes apparent that the "gratuity" is not a gratuity, it is the crew pay. These crew members are from countries with low pay, and crew members don't have to pay for food, housing or healthcare, so at $18K salary is quite good.  So your "gratuity" is salary. If you pay the standard amount, your just rewarding crew for working, they are not getting some magical amount above their pay. If you withhold your gratuity and give it out to some crew, then you are cheating other crew members of their pay. If you give crew money on top of the "gratuity" then that really is a gratuity.  

 

I do not agree with paying the crew with the gratuity. Its unfair to customers and unfair to the crew. But RC loves the fact that they don't need to pay for most of their employees because your added "gratuity" does.

 

How is this different from any restaurant in the U.S.?

[ano]

1 minute ago, steveru621 said:

 

How is this different from any restaurant in the U.S.?

Its almost the same, actually. 

[clean1owner]

33 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

 

How is this different from any restaurant in the U.S.?

 

31 minutes ago, ano said:

Its almost the same, actually. 

 

The only difference is that with the land based restaurant, the US Government is in the place of RCCL. They are the body that allows restaurants to pay tipped employees less of a base wage, therebye making the customer feel more obligated to leave a tip, regardless of the quality of service.

[Waycoolrob]

Ok lets look at this from a mathematical stand point, (my numbers are estimated here) We are sailing on Allure in in 11 days so I will use her numbers. 

First I purchase a drink package x2 for my wife and I,  in which gratuities are included in the price at 18% this is roughly $45.00 each in tips.

Now lets figure very low and say roughly 3000 of the  8565 passengers by the package.

Now we leave on the automatic tips as well. my wife and I at $14.50 per person per day adds up to $101.50 pp

Ok lets add this up

 The 3000 buying the drink package all pay $45.00 in tips automatically added to the price that adds up to.....$135,000.00

let also figure low and say 5000 of the 8565 people leave the auto tips on at $101.50 pp per week, that equals.... $507,500.00

so just with that many leaving the auto tips on and those buying drink packages that adds up too $642,000.00

in auto tips alone. 

So Allure which we will sailing on has a crew of 2384 that divided is roughly $2600.00 rounding down per person per week if every one on the crew got an equal share of the so called tip pool. So really where do you think your auto tip goes? Do you really think your average cruise ship employee makes over 10 grand a month in tips alone? I have a sneaky suspicion they do not. The cruise line is keeping your tip money folks. Lets also not forget every drink you buy is auto tipped at 18% at every bar. I am unsure is tips are automatically included in specialty restaurants or in the coffee shops but if so add even more the alleged tip pool.   Again my numbers of those who but the drink package or leave on auto tips is just me and what I think then I lowered it. I strongly feel these numbers are much higher. Again in my opinion hand it to them, let them put there money in there pocket in my opinion that is the right thing to do. 

 

[Jarmo]

Yep.