Prepaid Gratuities and Room Service

[Jaxweb]

3 minutes ago, AmberCascades said:

 

Are you planning to order room service a lot?  Because if you don't then you don't have to worry about it.  Look at it as a delivery fee.  I assume you tip the pizza guy when you order delivery?  It's not included in the cost of the pizza is it?   You pay the delivery guy extra.  The same with room service people.  

 

I can prepay pizza delivery tips with Door Dash.  I don't even like this, so I order out and eat out much less than I might have otherwise if they just charged a true all inclusive price and not shifted the responsibility of staff wages to customer tips.

[AmberCascades]

1 minute ago, Jaxweb said:

 

I can prepay pizza delivery tips with Door Dash.  I don't even like this, so I order out and eat out much less than I might have otherwise if they just charged a true all inclusive price and not shifted the responsibility of staff wages to customer tips.

 

Hahaha....I can go downstairs and get a coffee in my nightie when I'm at home.  Being on a cruise ship isn't the same as being at home.  I guess I could go get a coffee in my nightie, but that might be frowned upon.  No one is making you do anything  you don't want to do.  If you have no intention of tipping extra either way then why ask?   Ooooohhhh.....did you place a bet with your friends that you could get another tipping thread going?  Good job.  

[hiccups]

4 minutes ago, Jaxweb said:

 

I can prepay pizza delivery tips with Door Dash.  I don't even like this, so I order out and eat out much less than I might have otherwise if they just charged a true all inclusive price and not shifted the responsibility of staff wages to customer tips.

Woo boy.  I don't think I usually see comments like this from someone in the U.S.

To me it's just a part of eating out--we'd pay it one way or another.  Regardless of how it was handled, someone would always complain that the other way is better.

[hiccups]

3 minutes ago, AmberCascades said:

 

I guess I could go get a coffee in my nightie...

 

Or your cabin bathrobe 😂

[Orator]

9 minutes ago, Jaxweb said:

 

I can prepay pizza delivery tips with Door Dash.  I don't even like this, so I order out and eat out much less than I might have otherwise if they just charged a true all inclusive price and not shifted the responsibility of staff wages to customer tips.

You can just cruise lines that have a gratuity policy more in line with your preferences, or just nor cruise at all. Totally your choice!

[phoenix_dream]

6 minutes ago, Jaxweb said:

 

I can prepay pizza delivery tips with Door Dash.  I don't even like this, so I order out and eat out much less than I might have otherwise if they just charged a true all inclusive price and not shifted the responsibility of staff wages to customer tips.

So you eat out less because you don't like the practice of tipping, which is the social standard in the US.   Interesting.  I think many of us would prefer businesses just pay their staff a living wage and eliminate tipping altogether.  But in the meantime, I won't cut my nose off to spite my face as the saying goes.  There are better ways to try to change social customs.  But again, to each their own.  If you don't want to tip, don't tip.  Or don't order room service.

[Jaxweb]

5 minutes ago, AmberCascades said:

 

Hahaha....I can go downstairs and get a coffee in my nightie when I'm at home.  Being on a cruise ship isn't the same as being at home.  I guess I could go get a coffee in my nightie, but that might be frowned upon.  No one is making you do anything  you don't want to do.  If you have no intention of tipping extra either way then why ask?   Ooooohhhh.....did you place a bet with your friends that you could get another tipping thread going?  Good job.  

 I asked because I wanted to know if the prepaid tips would go to workers who did room service.  I don't want to stiff, but I also don't want to double tip.

I wanted to just pay gratuities up front and have one prepaid total bill without nickel and diming $2 and $3 here and there throughout the cruise.

 

[cruisestitch]

It’s ok to want.  But recognize that this system just doesn’t operate the way you want it to.

[Jaxweb]

6 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

So you eat out less because you don't like the practice of tipping, which is the social standard in the US.   Interesting.  I think many of us would prefer businesses just pay their staff a living wage and eliminate tipping altogether.  But in the meantime, I won't cut my nose off to spite my face as the saying goes.  There are better ways to try to change social customs.  But again, to each their own.  If you don't want to tip, don't tip.  Or don't order room service.

 

Yes, I used to order mixed coffee drinks from Starbucks until I noticed you were expected to tip for this.

So, I stopped going or only went if I was going to get an order that required them to do nothing other than hand me a premade item. 

[hiccups]

1 minute ago, Jaxweb said:

 I asked because I wanted to know if the prepaid tips would go to workers who did room service.  I don't want to stiff, but I also don't want to double tip.

I wanted to just pay gratuities up front and have one prepaid total bill without nickel and diming $2 and $3 here and there throughout the cruise.

 

I understand that sentiment, but think about all the people that have to share in that $14.50/day.  Even if the room service attendant was included, I personally wouldn't consider an extra $2 double tipping.

On our last cruise, my husband didn't realize that the Gastro Pub on Equinox automatically added a gratuity, so he tipped above that.  Whomever shared in that got a 55% tip!  At least we were using our $300 OBC so it wasn't really anything out of pocket for us.  It's easier to toss in extra when it's OBC you have to spend or lose--might as well go to the crew if you can't find anything you want in the shops.

[WestLakeGirl]

Please, let’s not feed this troll anymore

[Jaxweb]

3 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

Please, let’s not feed this troll anymore

 

There is no troll here.

[Jaxweb]

20 minutes ago, hiccups said:

I understand that sentiment, but think about all the people that have to share in that $14.50/day.  Even if the room service attendant was included, I personally wouldn't consider an extra $2 double tipping.

On our last cruise, my husband didn't realize that the Gastro Pub on Equinox automatically added a gratuity, so he tipped above that.  Whomever shared in that got a 55% tip!  At least we were using our $300 OBC so it wasn't really anything out of pocket for us.  It's easier to toss in extra when it's OBC you have to spend or lose--might as well go to the crew if you can't find anything you want in the shops.

 

I forgot about OBC.  I'll have to check what I have available for OBC and maybe use some of that towards any extra tipping costs. 

Can OBC be pulled from your account for tipping so that you don't need to physically hand anyone cash for tips?

Edited July 16, 2019 by Jaxweb

[Mike981]

10 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

Please, let’s not feed this troll anymore

 

I must have missed something.

[hiccups]

6 minutes ago, Jaxweb said:

 

I forgot about OBC.  I'll have to check what I have available for OBC and maybe use some of that towards any extra tipping costs. 

Can OBC be pulled from your account for tipping so that you don't need to physically hand anyone cash for tips?

You can, but I'm not sure if you can specify a room service attendant.  Perhaps someone that has seen the form more recently than I have can chime in.

Guest Services has a form where you can add additional gratuities, but it was broken down into dining room staff, cabin steward, etc.  I specified our cabin steward so that the additional amount went directly to him.

 

Honestly, it will be less of a hassle to bring some dollar bills and tip rather than wait in line at Guest Services.  Unless you plan on room service for every meal we're talking less than $10.

[cruisestitch]

No you can’t go to Guest Relations and assign your OBC to the room service delivery staff.  You can use your OBC for extra tips to your stateroom attendant but that’s not the same thing.

 

 

[Jaxweb]

1 hour ago, Orator said:

At one time the Stateroom Attendant was also responsible for room service. That responsibility has been eliminated since the change to a single attendant. I've always been told by Stateroom Attendants that room service  personnel is not covered by auto tips.  

 

So, they are saying there is a job to be only a room service attendant where this worker does't have access to money in the prepaid and other automatic gratuities?

[Jaxweb]

4 minutes ago, hiccups said:

You can, but I'm not sure if you can specify a room service attendant.  Perhaps someone that has seen the form more recently than I have can chime in.

Guest Services has a form where you can add additional gratuities, but it was broken down into dining room staff, cabin steward, etc.  I specified our cabin steward so that the additional amount went directly to him.

 

Honestly, it will be less of a hassle to bring some dollar bills and tip rather than wait in line at Guest Services.  Unless you plan on room service for every meal we're talking less than $10.

 

When you order room service, you don't get a bill where you can enter in how much of a tip you want to give and have it charged to your account?

[AmberCascades]

Just now, Jaxweb said:

 

So, they are saying there is a job to be only a room service attendant where this worker does't have access to money in the prepaid and other automatic gratuities?

 

From what I understand, they are not actual "room service attendants".  They are kitchen workers.  So one of them may be in the middle of making a fruit tray for the buffet and a room service call comes in.  They interrupt their work to go do the delivery and then come back and finish their work.  There's no one standing by the phone waiting to go do deliveries like there are at a pizza place.  

[AmberCascades]

1 minute ago, Jaxweb said:

 

When you order room service, you don't get a bill where you can enter in how much of a tip you want to give and have it charged to your account?

There is no charge for room service during certain hours.  What would this "no charge" bill look like?

[WestLakeGirl]

No, you don’t get a bill most of the time because nothing is charged to your account unless you order something that has an upcharge or you order a beverage like beer, soda, wine.  Coffee, tea, juice, lemonade are included beverages, but alcohol, soda, wine are not included.  Normally Room service is free.  There is an overnight delivery charge,  but the food items are still free.

 

order a hamburger and a milk, no charge for lunch.  Order dinner from the dining room menu, no charge.  Order pizza at three a.m., there will be a delivery charge.

[Jaxweb]

1 minute ago, AmberCascades said:

There is no charge for room service during certain hours.  What would this "no charge" bill look like?

 

They can still take payments since they also offer premium foods a drinks as part of room service.

The premium items are not free and neither is after hours services. So, they have to have a way to take payments for room service.

[AmberCascades]

1 minute ago, Jaxweb said:

 

They can still take payments since they also offer premium foods a drinks as part of room service.

The premium items are not free and neither is after hours services. So, they have to have a way to take payments for room service.

Oh. Kay.  Well, you seem to have all the answers so I guess your work is done here.

 

Good job.

[Jaxweb]

8 minutes ago, AmberCascades said:

Oh. Kay.  Well, you seem to have all the answers so I guess your work is done here.

 

Good job.

 

Enough with the patronizing, sarcastic responses.

 

Common sense says that if they charge for premium items and after hours service, they have a mechanism in place to take payment.

Many or most hospitality services have a line item where you can write in a custom or select a prepopulated gratuity.

 

Even if I ordered "free" room service, I have the option to add on premium items for an extra charge.

How is that billed?

Edited July 16, 2019 by Jaxweb

[Kartgv]

At one time, MANY years ago, on some of the cruise lines a team of 2 attendants were responsible for servicing a set number of cabins.    On some ships, they had access to a small kitchen where they actually retrieved and/or prepared and delivered room service items.   I remember one cabin steward who made us club sandwiches to order daily.    In that situation, theoretically the cabin attendant's gratuity covered room service delivery.    That no longer happens, except possibly with butlers for suites.   If the delivery is made by someone other than your usual cabin steward, I would hand them a few dollars.