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How are tips distribute in the main dining room?

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BonTexasNY

BonTexasNY

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, neverbeenhere said:

Emily Litella says that ti.ts are distributed very unfairly in the main dining room…. Never Mind. 
 

 

BTW:400k /1000 workers/ 72hours a week equals an amount for which I wouldn’t work. 

You're lucky you don't have to. 

 

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reallyitsmema

reallyitsmema

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

The Chief Purser stands at the highest balcony in MDR and tosses the money in the air. The staff is assembled on lowest level and a free for all erupts.🤣🤣

 

I read that on the intranets 😇

 

4 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

See post #19

 

??

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John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

Posted
Posted
25 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Of course, as do I, but he wasn't discussing the inner workings of the Royal Caribbean program, but rather industry protocol, and maritime legalities in general.

 

He was discussing actual experiences on NCL

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Iamcruzin

Iamcruzin

Posted
Posted
13 hours ago, binro01 said:

Oh boy! I have a funny feeling where this thread will go. So I might as well start it down that slippery slope.

If you wish to control where your tips go with zero ambiguity, the only option you have is to remove the auto-gratuities and distribute your tips to your servers with cash at the time of service or at the end of the cruise if you have a server that was assigned to you throughout the course of the cruise.

Some will say to you that you are causing harm to some of the back of the house staff that sign a contract that grants them access to the pooled tips, even though they have zero interaction and provided you zero personal service.

This is where the vague and secretive auto-gratuities really shine for the cruise lines. It allows them to underpay the back of house staff via the gratuities that belong to the service personnel. I personally feel this is robbing the waiters, bartenders, and cabin stewards to enhance the bottom lines of the cruise companies.

So we as customers are left in the middle of a difficult decision, do we allow the continued robbery of the service personnel and sign on to the auto-gratuity pool, or do we shaft the lowest of the low on the cruise ship.

It's a crappy situation.

If you try to influence a change of policy, some good people who need the money get hurt. If you keep auto gratuities the waiters, cabin stewards and bartenders get hurt because their tips are passed on to non service personnel.

How you navigate this is up to you.

Bartenders are not part of the auto gratuity. A tip is added to each individual drink.  I couldn't care less what the breakdown is. They all signed a contract and accepted the salary they make. By the way back home waiters and waitresses tip the bus boys and the back staff. The auto gratuity accomplishes the same thing.

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LGW59

LGW59

Posted
Posted
55 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Bartenders are not part of the auto gratuity. A tip is added to each individual drink.  I couldn't care less what the breakdown is. They all signed a contract and accepted the salary they make. By the way back home waiters and waitresses tip the bus boys and the back staff. The auto gratuity accomplishes the same thing.

Yes they are included 

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DirtyDawg

DirtyDawg

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, LynnForestgate said:

That's a very bad attempt at humor.

not even remotely funny.

 

 

15 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

The Chief Purser stands at the highest balcony in MDR and tosses the money in the air. The staff is assembled on lowest level and a free for all erupts.🤣🤣

 

I read that on the intranets 😇

 

It's so funny it needs to be repeated! 🤣

 

A+ humour  (A+ humor too!)

 

Edited by DirtyDawg
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Joseph2017China

Joseph2017China

Posted
Posted

In 1990, I got this instruction sheet, of what is expected for tipping based on the customary way to tip on an international ship, with international guests and crew.  This is not based on what is customary in the USA, but rather what is customary on a cruise ship, that is not flagged in the USA, and the crew are not USA employees.  The tipping is the same today.  It is not the customary tips for the USA.  

 

I don't care how tips are handled on a ship.  I believe it should be inclusive, but like all customs, it is not. Like most people, I tip the customary amounts.  That includes the ship, or any country I visit.  I don't bring my customs with me, but instead, I change to the local customs.   I don't feel bad for the employees, because they are like me, chose a job that they want and/or enjoy.  They know the pay, and they know what tips are.  They accept it.  Not my business if they like it or not.  I don't treat them like little children and hand them a bag of candy with a tip, or toothpaste (like saying you need better hygiene, I'll leave that for the dentist).  They are grown adults, with an adult job.  I certainly don't hand out $2 bills that are not widely used.  If they want candy, they can buy it themselves.  If they need toothpaste, they can buy it.  

 

Tipping is now done with auto tips.  I leave it alone.  Back in 1990, I stuffed an envelope with the customary cash, and today, I'm glad I don't have to carry it.  Specialty restaurants, bars etc all get an 18% of some made up number, that I don't care about.  They got their customary amount. I'm happy, they are happy.  

 

 

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SRF

SRF

Posted
Posted
21 hours ago, binro01 said:

Oh boy! I have a funny feeling where this thread will go. So I might as well start it down that slippery slope.

If you wish to control where your tips go with zero ambiguity, the only option you have is to remove the auto-gratuities and distribute your tips to your servers with cash at the time of service or at the end of the cruise if you have a server that was assigned to you throughout the course of the cruise.

 

The only issue with doing it that way is that the employee may not keep tips if the auto grats are off.

 

If you leave auto grats on, and then tip people extra, they may keep them.

 

This has been confirmed by crew several times over the years.

 

RCI used to publish the breakdown of the auto grats, and all the serving staff get X part of the auto grats, divided among all the servers.

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SRF

SRF

Posted
Posted (edited)

I had the tip breakdown from before posted, but it was a link to a naughty site (so it seems).

 

So here it is in text.

 

"The cruise line no longer publishes the breakdown. This is the way it was when the total was $12.95 per day ($15.95 for GS and better):

 

 

Dining & Culinary Services: $7.75 USD

Stateroom Attendant: $3.85 USD OR Suite Attendant: $6.10 USD

Other Housekeeping Services: $1.35 USD OR Housekeeping and Suite Services: $2.10 USD"

 

Also, RCI states:

 

"The gratuities for the dining room are divided among the entire dining services team including those that work in the Windjammer. "

Edited by SRF
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binro01 "Live from...." Rare

binro01

Posted
Posted
On 12/13/2021 at 12:59 PM, taglovestocruise said:

If that person is a waiter or cabin steward they are required to turn the cash back into the  gratuity pool if you have removed the auto gratuity. 

How is this policy enforced? I can't see this ever being enforced other than via an honor system, and when a person was struggling for a year and a half in a poor country with no income, can you blame them for not turning in the cash for the service they themselves provided?

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LGW59

LGW59

Posted
Posted
On 12/14/2021 at 5:35 AM, Joseph2017China said:

In 1990, I got this instruction sheet, of what is expected for tipping based on the customary way to tip on an international ship, with international guests and crew.  This is not based on what is customary in the USA, but rather what is customary on a cruise ship, that is not flagged in the USA, and the crew are not USA employees.  The tipping is the same today.  It is not the customary tips for the USA.  

 

I don't care how tips are handled on a ship.  I believe it should be inclusive, but like all customs, it is not. Like most people, I tip the customary amounts.  That includes the ship, or any country I visit.  I don't bring my customs with me, but instead, I change to the local customs.   I don't feel bad for the employees, because they are like me, chose a job that they want and/or enjoy.  They know the pay, and they know what tips are.  They accept it.  Not my business if they like it or not.  I don't treat them like little children and hand them a bag of candy with a tip, or toothpaste (like saying you need better hygiene, I'll leave that for the dentist).  They are grown adults, with an adult job.  I certainly don't hand out $2 bills that are not widely used.  If they want candy, they can buy it themselves.  If they need toothpaste, they can buy it.  

 

Tipping is now done with auto tips.  I leave it alone.  Back in 1990, I stuffed an envelope with the customary cash, and today, I'm glad I don't have to carry it.  Specialty restaurants, bars etc all get an 18% of some made up number, that I don't care about.  They got their customary amount. I'm happy, they are happy.  

 

 

Note to self, 1990 left us a long time ago!

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wake74

wake74

Posted
Posted
On 12/14/2021 at 8:35 AM, Joseph2017China said:

 

I don't care how tips are handled on a ship.  I believe it should be inclusive, but like all customs, it is not. Like most people, I tip the customary amounts.  That includes the ship, or any country I visit.  I don't bring my customs with me, but instead, I change to the local customs.   I don't feel bad for the employees, because they are like me, chose a job that they want and/or enjoy.  They know the pay, and they know what tips are.  They accept it.  Not my business if they like it or not.  I don't treat them like little children and hand them a bag of candy with a tip, or toothpaste (like saying you need better hygiene, I'll leave that for the dentist).  They are grown adults, with an adult job.  I certainly don't hand out $2 bills that are not widely used.  If they want candy, they can buy it themselves.  If they need toothpaste, they can buy it.  

Lots of good stuff in here that I agree with.  I don't begin to understand why people on this forum want to treat the cruise staff like their kids (or grandkids) or charity projects.  They are adults getting paid to do a job. Regardless of what you think, they don't want to be your new best friend.  Yes, part of their JOB is to be friendly towards the guests that particular week before another 5,000 random people board the ship, but thats the job.  Giving them some token, like a few bits of chocolate is demeaning.  Would you do that to your dental hygienist?   If you think the service was great, and you want to tip cash, feel free, I'm sure they appreciate it, but don't do it with the attitude of I just tipped the bar tender 2 large (yup, $2.00) and I changed their life.

 

There is never an excuse to be rude, demeaning, arrogant, etc to the staff whether on your cruise ship or your local restaurant.  But your local waitress and the guy that cleans your room on the ship, want to do their job, get paid, go spend time with family and friends, and live their life, just like all the rest of us.

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LGW59

LGW59

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, wake74 said:

Lots of good stuff in here that I agree with.  I don't begin to understand why people on this forum want to treat the cruise staff like their kids (or grandkids) or charity projects.  They are adults getting paid to do a job. Regardless of what you think, they don't want to be your new best friend.  Yes, part of their JOB is to be friendly towards the guests that particular week before another 5,000 random people board the ship, but thats the job.  Giving them some token, like a few bits of chocolate is demeaning.  Would you do that to your dental hygienist?   If you think the service was great, and you want to tip cash, feel free, I'm sure they appreciate it, but don't do it with the attitude of I just tipped the bar tender 2 large (yup, $2.00) and I changed their life.

 

There is never an excuse to be rude, demeaning, arrogant, etc to the staff whether on your cruise ship or your local restaurant.  But your local waitress and the guy that cleans your room on the ship, want to do their job, get paid, go spend time with family and friends, and live their life, just like all the rest of us.

The "best" non cash gift I have seen posted here, is the person who brings fridge magnets from their hometown to distribute to the crew.  Apparently during their in-depth personal conversation with the room steward the topic came up that his wife back in the Philippines LOVES them and now they regularly communicate by email.  Who would of thunk it, fridge magnets for all!

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