New houskeeping and tipping

[rs45thompson]

17 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

So, you didn't read the above posts?  Your cash tips will then be turned in.  

I tipped who I wanted to tip.  Once I hand the money over it is no longer mine and they can do with it what they will.  At that point, it is no longer my concern.  

[rs45thompson]

15 hours ago, Incognito1 said:

If you tip with Visa cards, they don't go into the pool (because they're not cash.)  It also allows those excellent cruise members that you're tipping to purchase something online for family back home.

 

I don't think there is one RIGHT way to tip, regardless of what some of the more vehement posters think (and post over and over ad nauseum).  Do what you feel is the right thing, and quit trying to guilt/shame/call out others who hold a different opinion.  It's your money; I'm not going to tell you how to spend it.

I didn't think about the Visa Gift Cards.  That is a great idea!

[Elaine5715]

15 minutes ago, rs45thompson said:

I didn't think about the Visa Gift Cards.  That is a great idea!

Still need to be turned in.

[Illbcruzn4life]

1 hour ago, rs45thompson said:

In my opinion, if enough people remove gratuities that will show how unhappy we as cruisers are with the changes.  If we pay it and keep on, nothing will change.  They will just keep taking and taking and giving us less. They are trying to see where the breaking point is and I am at mine.  Not enough to stop cruising but enough to take notice.

 

 

I just go with the flow for the most part. I have way more important things to deal with than who gets what tips on 2 cruises per year. YMMV

[sparks1093]

14 hours ago, rs45thompson said:

In my opinion, if enough people remove gratuities that will show how unhappy we as cruisers are with the changes.  If we pay it and keep on, nothing will change.  They will just keep taking and taking and giving us less. They are trying to see where the breaking point is and I am at mine.  Not enough to stop cruising but enough to take notice.

 

 

The company doesn't care that their employees aren't getting their full due so your course of action won't have the desired effect, you'll just hurt the people that have absolutely nothing to do with the decisions. If you really want to stick it to the man then take your money elsewhere. If enough people did that then maybe they would change. Since a lot of these issues are very likely being driven by the pandemic I believe that eventually things will get better, although I'm not sure we'll ever get fully back to "normal". And if these issues are mainly driven by pandemic fallout then no amount of complaining or removing gratuities or anything else will make one bit of difference.

[sparks1093]

14 hours ago, rs45thompson said:

I tipped who I wanted to tip.  Once I hand the money over it is no longer mine and they can do with it what they will.  At that point, it is no longer my concern.  

That's the exact way auto gratuities work- you leave it in place and they do with it what they will. Instead of doing that you hassle with taking a bunch of cash onboard with you, determining who should get a tip and how much, and seeking that person out to give them said tip. They then have to take their off time, which is precious to shipboard workers, and go to turn your largesse in as they are required to do. All so you can prove a point that at the end of the day is rather pointless to begin with. (This argument is not directed at you, but is made to show others who are trying to decide what to do how fatuous this course of action is.)

[Buckeyefrank100]

On 2/19/2023 at 9:04 AM, audcc77 said:

Source?

 

When our son bused tables at an upscale restaurant, he was paid about the same each week because the employer would adjust the pay based on tips, actually making up the difference or spreading around the overage.  
 

So basically it didn’t matter how well or fast he did the job, he got paid the same.  
 

I am interested where your information comes from which states that the cruise line doesn’t make up for shortfalls. 

 

 

Meaning the cruiseline uses passenger revenue, paid by the passengers, to pay their employees.  Whether is comes from the passenger as "fare" or "service charge" doesn't change a lot.  It comes from the passenger.... not from the cruiseline.

 

[resetjet]

9 hours ago, Buckeyefrank100 said:

 

Meaning the cruiseline uses passenger revenue, paid by the passengers, to pay their employees.  Whether is comes from the passenger as "fare" or "service charge" doesn't change a lot.  It comes from the passenger.... not from the cruiseline.

 

I get it and from now on its just a resort fee for me.  I think alot of people would not react as they do if they were transparent about who gets the tips and that they are not using a guaranteed salary + tips model.  

[cruisinfamily7609]

On 2/12/2023 at 11:12 AM, audcc77 said:

One thing I have noticed about the cabins is that they are not as clean as they used to be. 

 

The time prior, the bathroom floor drain had urine on it from the prior guest.  “Oh, he’s going to clean that up tomorrow” I thought.  Nope.  I had to write a note as I just couldn’t let it slide.  This was a suite.  

I would just like to point out that it makes ZERO difference whether it was a suite or not. Just because you have larger accommodations does not mean your space deserves to be cleaner. The fact is, no guest should need to let that sort of thing slide, regardless of whether you are in the Owners Suite or in an inside cabin on level 1. 🙂 

 

[audcc77]

5 minutes ago, cruisinfamily7609 said:

I would just like to point out that it makes ZERO difference whether it was a suite or not. Just because you have larger accommodations does not mean your space deserves to be cleaner. The fact is, no guest should need to let that sort of thing slide, regardless of whether you are in the Owners Suite or in an inside cabin on level 1. 🙂 

 

 
Yikes!  LOL.  I was merely pointing out that it was a suite as these supposedly have the more experienced room attendants.  
 

I’ve had interior cabins across the hall from the suites and they sometimes share the same room attendants and I have actually found that to be true.

 

[sparks1093]

42 minutes ago, Carnival Cheerleader said:

I'm sorry but I just play that game. Modifying my gratuities to match the actual service I receive causes no more hurt than not giving money to a homeless person on the side of the road causes hurt to that person. I have no problem paying gratuities for a service received but when a service is cut in half, those gratuities are going to get cut in half as well and it doesn't hurt anyone that I actually paid for what I received.

Except the homeless person didn't do anything for you, did they? The steward did perform the service and what you used to get in the past is irrelevant (and to be fair you never received twice a day cleaning, you received a cleaning and turn down service). 

[Guest BasicSailor]

On 2/19/2023 at 11:08 AM, Theosprey247 said:

Basically this:

Person A is voicing their opinion (without any evidence to back it up) in a futile attempt to convince Person B. 
 

While

 

Person B is voicing their opinion (without any evidence to back it up) in a futile attempt to convince Person A. 
 

That sums it up (and 90% of the threads here on CC). 

Person C reads the threads for entertainment, and they still rumble on 🤣

[canes20]

1 hour ago, Carnival Cheerleader said:

I'm sorry but I just play that game. Modifying my gratuities to match the actual service I receive causes no more hurt than not giving money to a homeless person on the side of the road causes hurt to that person. I have no problem paying gratuities for a service received but when a service is cut in half, those gratuities are going to get cut in half as well and it doesn't hurt anyone that I actually paid for what I received.

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, Carnival Cheerleader said:

I'm sorry but I just play that game. Modifying my gratuities to match the actual service I receive causes no more hurt than not giving money to a homeless person on the side of the road causes hurt to that person. I have no problem paying gratuities for a service received but when a service is cut in half, those gratuities are going to get cut in half as well and it doesn't hurt anyone that I actually paid for what I received.

Cabin attendants get the full amount.  You just are pocketing the money.  

[Joebucks]

1 hour ago, Carnival Cheerleader said:

What may be irrelevant to you isn't necessarily irrelevant to me. The cabin steward performed a reduced service and was tipped accordingly. And please don't tell me to go sail another line if I don't like it because I don't and I have. Royal offers a MUCH better loyalty program and MSC offers better pricing and both still give twice a day service (since you have a problem with me saying twice a day cleaning). I have 7 cruises booked for this year and where normally all would have been Carnival, this year only 2 of the 7 are Carnival and I don't have any Carnival booked for 2024 (4 for Royal and 1 for MSC for 2024......so far). Granted, I correct my auto grats on every Carnival cruise I take now so I'm not paying for a service I no longer receive but there are many other issues that are coming to light with the Carnival product and it really isn't the "Fun Ship" it used to be, for me at least.

 

You should check again about Royal's "twice a day service"

[mz-s]

1 hour ago, Joebucks said:

 

You should check again about Royal's "twice a day service"

 

Indeed, it seems that the mainstream lines are cutting amenities in lockstep. New cutbacks every week here lately. A service you enjoy is here one day, gone the next and often the only way we find out is somebody reports here. First from one line and the others follow a few weeks/months later. "To reduce waste" or "due to lack of use" or whatever the excuse is...we all know the reason.

[Illbcruzn4life]

5 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

You should check again about Royal's "twice a day service"

Yes quite right. Didn’t have twice a day service on my last Royal cruise.

 

twice a day service is slowly disappearing on ALL lines

[mz-s]

27 minutes ago, Illbcruzn4life said:

Yes quite right. Didn’t have twice a day service on my last Royal cruise.

 

twice a day service is slowly disappearing on ALL lines

 

Not all lines, but on the big three it's gone. Most if not all the other lines still have it as far as I'm aware.

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

Indeed, it seems that the mainstream lines are cutting amenities in lockstep. New cutbacks every week here lately. A service you enjoy is here one day, gone the next and often the only way we find out is somebody reports here. First from one line and the others follow a few weeks/months later. "To reduce waste" or "due to lack of use" or whatever the excuse is...we all know the reason.

They are cutting unnecessary fat. There is no reason for the majority to subsidize the entitled minority.

 

Beyond that, it is a competitive disadvantage for mass market cruise lines to offer more than competitors. Too many consumers don't care about anything but price. The same reason a service charge isn't mandatory and included, to the detriment of the employees. If the industry adopted, then all would. Niche players need not apply.

[britbritrawr09]

If I’m reading this all correctly.. if I give my room attendant extra, because I asked for a blanket or something extra,they don’t get to keep it? 

[Incognito1]

2 hours ago, britbritrawr09 said:

If I’m reading this all correctly.. if I give my room attendant extra, because I asked for a blanket or something extra,they don’t get to keep it? 

Correct.  They are supposed to turn it in.  They definitely will if you hand it to them in the hallway.  We tip minor stuff in the room, in cash.  What they do with it is on them.  Same as with dining not having the same waiter every time, we discreetly give cash at each meal.  At the end of the cruise, we tip in Visa gift cards.  A previous room steward thanked us and said they don't have to turn in "gifts" which included the Visa cards.

 

 

[Joebucks]

12 hours ago, mz-s said:

"To reduce waste" or "due to lack of use" or whatever the excuse is...we all know the reason.

 

Billions of dollars of debt and 99% of people don't care about twice a day service.

[Theosprey247]

Nothing gets the “Critics” out like a tipping thread. 

[ldubs]

On 2/20/2023 at 12:03 PM, Elaine5715 said:

Still need to be turned in.

 

Over the years I've read the cash tips must be turned in and I've read they belong to the individual.  IDK, maybe it varies by cruise line.   Do we know for certain what the actual policy is?  Beyond what we read here on CC that is.   

[audcc77]

9 hours ago, Joebucks said:

 

Billions of dollars of debt and 99% of people don't care about twice a day service.

That’s speaking on behalf of a lot of people.  Not sure this is true.  
 

The cabins are definitely not as clean now.