Gratuities Are Going Up Again, Effective 11.11.2023

[orville99]

5 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

I’m paying a final tomorrow and planned to prepay tips anyway so I will ask.   By then maybe someone else will have an answer.

We will be doing the same tomorrow for our two November cruises, and I will ask as well since we have 18 booked between now and April 2025. I don't want to pony up that much cash up front unless I have no choice.

[toad455]

I never prepay gratuities. I've had bad service in the dining rooms or a bad room steward in the past. If anything, I'll be less likely to tip extra at the end of the cruise now.

[tottenhamfc]

4 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I fail to see the correlation. 
 

Money spent on specialty dining, drink package, or internet shows a tangible ROI, daily auto gratuity does not.  
 

The one thing all these things have in common is they are all 100% voluntary to participate in. 

The correlation is approx 1 million lost to 10% that dont pay as a result of removing grats and 1 million gained by raising the fee to the other 90% that pay. Simple revenue neutral math.

Edited October 31, 2023 by tottenhamfc

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, tottenhamfc said:

The correlation is approx 1 million lost as a result of removing grats and 1 million gained by raising the fee. Simple revenue neutral math.

Did you even read the post that I replied to? It had absolutely ZERO to do with gratuities. 

[UNCFanatik]

2 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

The correlation is approx 1 million lost as a result of removing grats and 1 million gained by raising the fee. Simple revenue neutral math.

 

Cruise lines do not lose money when grat removal occurs. 

[tottenhamfc]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

Did you even read the post that I replied to? It had absolutely ZERO to do with gratuities. 

This whole thread is about gratuities. You can spin your narrative any which way you want but it doesnt change the fact that 90% are paying for 100% of passengers

[soremekun]

When do the remaining 2025 itineraries open up?  After November 11?  If so, perfect timing!

[tottenhamfc]

Just now, UNCFanatik said:

 

Cruise lines do not lose money when grat removal occurs. 

Of course they dont, employees do.

[shof515]

44 minutes ago, nelblu said:

This sucks.  Is this going to be an annual event.

Every year Norwegian raises their prices and they are currently the highest at 20 dollars per person

 

I wont be surprise to see Royal increase gratuity next year to 20 to match Norwegian. 

 

eventfully most of the major cruises like carnival will follow and also increase their rates 

[UNCFanatik]

 

1 minute ago, tottenhamfc said:

This whole thread is about gratuities. You can spin your narrative any which way you want but it doesnt change the fact that 90% are paying for 100% of passengers

 

No, gratuities are clearly optional. I 100% pay for my fare. No one is subsidizing my fare

[vswan]

In reality a $2 pppd increase isn't going to break my budget, but I agree that it's frustrating that we are expected to help pay the salary for those who should be getting a salary from the cruise line. Combine that increase with less service and it just upsets people. I'm one of those who feel if I am expected to pay it should be part of the initial cost. If I was still cruising with a family of four and expected to pay full grats on all of them, I would probably at least entertain the thought of removing them for some of the guests.

 

Yes, I pre-pay mine and leave them on. I also will occasionally tip a bartender, but it's hit and miss. Depends on if remember to grab some $1, when I leave the cabin.

[tottenhamfc]

Just now, tottenhamfc said:

This whole thread is about gratuities. You can spin your narrative any which way you want but it doesnt change the fact that 90% are paying for 100% of passengers

And you are arguing with me and I agree with you however I also know that if you remove grats they will raise fares. So is it all about optics?

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, soremekun said:

When do the remaining 2025 itineraries open up?  After November 11?  If so, perfect timing!

Nov 15 is the release date.  ... or some post the week of nov 12. I'd go with first date.

[cruzvaca]

You just have to have it added to your invoice so will pay for it when you make final payment at the old rate.

Edited October 31, 2023 by cruzvaca
Wording changed

[not-enough-cruising]

4 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

This whole thread is about gratuities. You can spin your narrative any which way you want but it doesnt change the fact that 90% are paying for 100% of passengers

Sooooo no, you didn’t read the post and are just spewing a bunch of nonsense 

 

Got it 

[bucfan2]

4 minutes ago, soremekun said:

When do the remaining 2025 itineraries open up?  After November 11?  If so, perfect timing!

Way to stir up an already stirred up hornets nest...nicely done.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, tottenhamfc said:

And you are arguing with me and I agree with you however I also know that if you remove grats they will raise fares. So is it all about optics?

And now you are quoting yourself. 
 

How many accounts are you running here?
 

Get confused  about which one you are logged on to when you quote and reply?  
 

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, shof515 said:

Every year Norwegian raises their prices and they are currently the highest at 20 dollars per person

 

I wont be surprise to see Royal increase gratuity next year to 20 to match Norwegian. 

 

eventfully most of the major cruises like carnival will follow and also increase their rates 

Carnival is at $16 a day regular, same as rcl. They been following us in this but went to once a day housekeeping before rcl. 

 

Been over a year since last raise. Employees these days everywhere are pushing for more pay. Need a A1 robot to clean cabins.

[Bruin Steve]

First, I've always thought the waiters and cabin stewards--who are, basically, paid by there gratuities are underpaid anyway.  I've NEVER deleted the automatic charges...and never will.  I truly believe a lot of the people who do that, even if they CLAIM to tip directly in cash DON'T...or, at a minimum, they undertip.  What I have always done (atleast since they started automatically charging it) is to leave those in tact...and then ADD assitional cash tips to those who I thought went above and beyond.  I will still do that--though I will likely, subconciously at least, deduct the extra $2 pp per day from my extra tip pool.

 

My only real question now is how to treat that increase in regard to my upcoming cruises.  I have TWO RCCL cruises currently "in the queue"--B2B cruises for a total of 24 nughts during the World Cruise next July/August.  So, under the old standard, $16 x 2 x 24= $768 TODAY versus $18 x 2 x 24= $864 paid almost 9 months from now.  Worth prepaying to save a mere $96 that I'll likely blend into my extra tip pool on the actual cruise anyway?  Or just pay it all out at once in 9 months and give out a few $ less in ectra tips?  Probably the latter.

 

Oh, BTW, extra bar tips?

Do you folks who throw around dollar bills at the bar realize that they ALREADY ADD an extra 18% gratuity to every drink.  It is also added to your drink package cost if you've gone that way. The tip is even already thrown into the pot BY RCCL on freebie voucher drinks?  I do not carry my wallet or wads of cash around on a cruise ship.  I do tip the Diamond Club waiters an extra bit AT THE END OF THE CRUISE for great service the entire cruise...BUT I find zero reason to throw around extra tips to add to the 18% I'm already being charged.  You don't hand out singles to the MDR waiters at every meal, do you?

Edited October 31, 2023 by Bruin Steve

[tottenhamfc]

Just now, UNCFanatik said:

 

 

No, gratuities are clearly optional. I 100% pay for my fare. No one is subsidizing my fare

So lets assume nobody pays grats. Employees are then paid leas regardless of the model. Most are paying grats because they value the employees. You clearly are using the word grats as an an exit strategy to lower your overall cost. Just say that and then we are talking the same language. I believe the model is wrong but I also value service. The service generally goes above and beyond what we we are used to in society these days.

[nelblu]

3 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Carnival is at $16 a day regular, same as rcl. They been following us in this but went to once a day housekeeping before rcl. 

 

Been over a year since last raise. Employees these days everywhere are pushing for more pay. Need a A1 robot to clean cabins.

I usually tip extra to waiter, asst. waiter and cabin attendant, even with once a day turn down service.  With the latest increase, I'll have to reconsider.  I do tip individually the bartenders and servers to my allowable 5 daily drinks.

[UNCFanatik]

1 minute ago, tottenhamfc said:

So lets assume nobody pays grats. Employees are then paid leas regardless of the model. Most are paying grats because they value the employees. You clearly are using the word grats as an an exit strategy to lower your overall cost. Just say that and then we are talking the same language. I believe the model is wrong but I also value service. The service generally goes above and beyond what we we are used to in society these days.

 

Service is a job duty when a crew member takes a job. Providing good customer service is part of their inherent job duties. 

 

Nope, I pay the advertised cruise fare. Everything else, including gratuities is extra. Gratuities should NEVER be mandatory. Especially before even receiving service. Mandatory gratuity should be dropped from all food & beverage packages on the cruise planner because it is BEFORE service is even delivered. The bartenders job is to serve drinks. Why should I have to pay 18% to have a bartender hand me a beer

 

I am all for a higher cruise fare and dropping any mention of gratuities. 

[RoyalC]

16 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

This whole thread is about gratuities. You can spin your narrative any which way you want but it doesnt change the fact that 90% are paying for 100% of passengers

So the people that remove grats do not tip at all? Not true

[tottenhamfc]

3 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

And now you are quoting yourself. 
 

How many accounts are you running here?
 

Get confused  about which one you are logged on to when you quote and reply?  

Just now, UNCFanatik said:

 

Service is a job duty when a crew member takes a job. Providing good customer service is part of their inherent job duties. 

 

Nope, I pay the advertised cruise fare. Everything else, including gratuities is extra. Gratuities should NEVER be mandatory. Especially before even receiving service. Mandatory gratuity should be dropped from all food & beverage packages on the cruise planner because it is BEFORE service is even delivered. The bartenders job is to serve drinks. Why should I have to pay 18% to have a bartender hand me a beer

 

I am all for a higher cruise fare and dropping any mention of gratuities. 

Dont disagree with that model. However the company does because they know higher fares will result in competition that they want to avoid. In the end the employee requires a fair wage for 18 hour days 7 days a week. 

[time4u2go]

10 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:

Oh, BTW, extra bar tips?

Do you folks who throw around dollar bills at the bar realize that they ALREADY ADD an extra 18% gratuity to every drink.  It is also added to your drink package cost if you've gone that way. The tip is even already thrown into the pot BY RCCL on freebie voucher drinks?  I do not carry my wallet or wads of cash around on a cruise ship.  I do tip the Diamond Club waiters an extra bit AT THE END OF THE CRUISE for great service the entire cruise...BUT I find zero reason to throw around extra tips to add to the 18% I'm already being charged.  You don't hand out singles to the MDR waiters at every meal, do you?

Couldn't the same logic be applied to those that tip extra in addition to the daily gratuities?  Why do you think it's wrong to "throw around extra tips to add to the 18%", but it's ok to add extra tips to the daily gratuities?

 

Note that I'm not disagreeing with your tipping decisions...I'm just confused as to why you see these two scenarios as different.