Breakdown of Gratuities since latest increase

[footzz]

Fun Fact: RCG corporate could choose to be 100% transparent and publically document the actual breakdowns of the pre-paid gratuitiy distributions, yet they do not. That begs the question; Why? 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

18 minutes ago, footzz said:

Fun Fact: RCG corporate could choose to be 100% transparent and publically document the actual breakdowns of the pre-paid gratuitiy distributions, yet they do not. That begs the question; Why? 

They feel they don't need to?  They're still filling the ships, with the increased gratutities, decreased service, and increased base costs that people have been lamenting on here.  

 

Most people don't care what the gratuity distribution is.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

I really have no interest in the Graturites breakdown.

Pay it or dont pay it, totally up to the individual.

Cruise with royal or go else where 🤷.

Constant threads about Graturites is become very tiresome. 

[not-enough-cruising]

51 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

They feel they don't need to?  They're still filling the ships, with the increased gratutities, decreased service, and increased base costs that people have been lamenting on here.  

 

Most people don't care what the gratuity distribution is.

Especially the growing numbers that are opting out

[Candocruises]

Just finished Thanksgiving cruise and for the first time traveled with extended family to include children, ages 11-16. We paid full gratuities for each one.  Probably opening a can of worms on a subject that has been previously discussed but do you all pay full gratuities for children.  BTW the program for the kids was poorly staffed and almost nonexistent. Thanks

[The Fun Researcher]

10 minutes ago, Candocruises said:

Just finished Thanksgiving cruise and for the first time traveled with extended family to include children, ages 11-16. We paid full gratuities for each one.  Probably opening a can of worms on a subject that has been previously discussed but do you all pay full gratuities for children.  BTW the program for the kids was poorly staffed and almost nonexistent. Thanks

Yes, we paid full gratuities for our kids when they were younger and still do now that they are grown. Never really considered it.  My thoughts... They still take up a bed each, and are just as much work or more for the room steward.  Depending on the kid they can also be just as much work or more for the wait staff.

 

Just my $0.02

[S.A.M.J.R.]

48 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Especially the growing numbers that are opting out

Do you have a source for that, or is that your hope?

 

I'm assuming you're basing that on anecdotal information, not actually hard facts. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

49 minutes ago, Candocruises said:

Just finished Thanksgiving cruise and for the first time traveled with extended family to include children, ages 11-16. We paid full gratuities for each one.  Probably opening a can of worms on a subject that has been previously discussed but do you all pay full gratuities for children.  BTW the program for the kids was poorly staffed and almost nonexistent. Thanks

Why would you not?  Room steward has do the same amount of work for kids (if not more) as for adults, as do wait staff and other "hotel services".  

 

Now, this is assuming you pay full gratuities for adults.  If you opt out for one, opt out for all.  

[not-enough-cruising]

16 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Do you have a source for that, or is that your hope?

 

I'm assuming you're basing that on anecdotal information, not actually hard facts. 

No, no hard facts (there isn't a hard fact on this entire thread).  I do, however, have a rather large circle of cruise addicted friends across the nation; and there is no doubt, in this cross section, there has been a major shift in participation.

 

We have a travel group that cruises together every February, 23 couples.

Historically all but 3 couples participate in the auto gratuity.  For 2024, Odyssey sailing that number has shifted dramatically, currently only 7 are planning on utilizing the plan. This is a multifactorial issue, no doubt, but the latest increase was the straw that broke the camel's back for many.

Edited December 2, 2023 by not-enough-cruising

[steveru621]

23 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Also, even though it says so, we can't assume the stateroom attendant gets 100% of the gratuity for that category.  Who knows how much Royal skims

 

15 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

I did not say that Royal skims, I said, how do we know that they don’t? Too very different things. How do you know with absolute certainty that they don’t?

 

OK, you made it very clear that you believe RCI skims.  I told you they don't.  Can you say with absolute certainty they steal from their employees?  It's a binary choice; you said RCI skims.

 

We pay every penny of every crew member's salary.  Doesn't matter to me how.

 

Safe travels

[time4u2go]

6 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

I told you they don't.

I'll ask again.  How do you know?

 

Note that I'm not agreeing with either position (skimming or not skimming).  It's just that when somebody indicates one way or the other in absolute terms, it would be nice to know where they got their information from.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

2 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

No, no hard facts (there isn't a hard fact on this entire thread).  I do, however, have a rather large circle of cruise addicted friends across the nation; and there is no doubt, in this cross section, there has been a major shift in participation.

 

We have a travel group that cruises together every February, 23 couples.

Historically all but 3 couples participate in the auto gratuity.  For 2024, Odyssey sailing that number has shifted dramatically, currently only 7 are planning on utilizing the plan. This is a multifactorial issue, no doubt, but the latest increase was the straw that broke the camel's back for many.

So in your travel group, 6 people had removed gratuities before.  Now 32 people are removing gratuities (I think I have the math right).

 

But, without knowing how many new cruisers there are who keep gratuities and how many people who did remove gratuities have given up cruising, you really don't know how many more (if any more) are opting out.  

 

Even assuming no new people, no new dropouts, while 26 more people are opting out, that's a pretty small drop in the bucket on an Oasis class ship, to say nothing about fleet wide. 

[steveru621]

4 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

I'll ask again.  How do you know?

 

Note that I'm not agreeing with either position (skimming or not skimming).  It's just that when somebody indicates one way or the other in absolute terms, it would be nice to know where they got their information from.

 

Because my sister's boyfriend's mother has a second cousin who works for a TA and has a brother who has a friend in Carnival management, they all say RCI is an evil corporation that steals from their crew.

 

I can assure you I have more reliable sources.  Why are you even questioning this?

 

Safe travels...

[not-enough-cruising]

11 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

So in your travel group, 6 people had removed gratuities before.  Now 32 people are removing gratuities (I think I have the math right).

 

But, without knowing how many new cruisers there are who keep gratuities and how many people who did remove gratuities have given up cruising, you really don't know how many more (if any more) are opting out.  

 

Even assuming no new people, no new dropouts, while 26 more people are opting out, that's a pretty small drop in the bucket on an Oasis class ship, to say nothing about fleet wide. 

Maybe

Maybe not 

I don’t care, doesn’t change what I do either way 

[yogimax]

3 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

the latest increase was the straw that broke the camel's back for many.

So $14 per week for a seven night cruise “broke the camel’s back for many.”  
 

If that’s true, it seems like “many” should find a cheaper form of vacation.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, yogimax said:

So $14 per week for a seven night cruise “broke the camel’s back for many.”  
 

If that’s true, it seems like “many” should find a cheaper form of vacation.

Very nice selective quote. It’s convenient that you failed to include the first part of the sentence stating that in my group, this is a multi factorial issue. 
It is NOT just $14 per week

[yogimax]

8 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

It is NOT just $14 per week

Either the $14 was the straw that broke the camel’s back or it wasn’t.  So now you’re changing your answer.  Please make up your mind.

[time4u2go]

31 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

Why are you even questioning this?

Because you state it as though it were fact.  Obviously it's not, or you would provide sources.

[not-enough-cruising]

7 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Either the $14 was the straw that broke the camel’s back or it wasn’t.  So now you’re changing your answer.  Please make up your mind.

I don’t think you understand the idiom, that’s OK. You do you. 

[steveru621]

4 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Because you state it as though it were fact.  Obviously it's not, or you would provide sources.

 

Have you provided sources?  It's a binary choice.  Just state your opinion!  Do you believe RCI is stealing?  You are simply hiding behind my posts.

 

Safe travels,

[time4u2go]

9 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

Have you provided sources?

Provided sources for what?  I'm not making any claims.  You are.

 

As far as whether I believe they are "stealing" (skimming), I honestly don't know.  You stated that they aren't as though it were fact.  I'm simply asking how you know this?  If you have actual sources and can back up your statement, then I might agree with you, and others might also.  But until you do, your statement has no credibility.

[springfire]

46 minutes ago, yogimax said:

So $14 per week for a seven night cruise “broke the camel’s back for many.”  
 

If that’s true, it seems like “many” should find a cheaper form of vacation.

Or continue to cruise as usual, remove the automatic gratuities and tip those that you feel deserve your gratuities!  

[yogimax]

51 minutes ago, springfire said:

Or continue to cruise as usual, remove the automatic gratuities and tip those that you feel deserve your gratuities!  

Sadly, too many will justify in their own minds not tipping at all.  I would speculate that a good proportion of those who remove tips don’t tip at all.

[FamilyCruiserUK]

14 hours ago, yogimax said:

Sadly, too many will justify in their own minds not tipping at all.  I would speculate that a good proportion of those who remove tips don’t tip at all.

But thats completely up to them and shouldnt they shouldnt be judged by others. Why should they tip if they havent received the service they wanted or expected  no one knows the reasons why and its no one else business. IMO. 

[HappyTexan44]

17 hours ago, steveru621 said:

 

Have you provided sources?  It's a binary choice.  Just state your opinion!  Do you believe RCI is stealing?  You are simply hiding behind my posts.

 

Safe travels,

Well, Royal skims or doesn't skim, no one has a source so the statement "Royal Skims" has equal validity with your "Royal does not skim."   You stating it over and over and over again isn't a source.   

These are things that I think we can all agree on.   

1)  Royal isn't transparent about gratuities.  

2)  What the employees actually get is impacted by the surveys.  

 

I doubt they are actually skimming, as in I don't think an evil accountant is pocketing the money. 

 

But, using the gratuity to pay the wages of non-tipped positions, that is possible.  

 

Putting the gratuity money into a big pool and distributing it based on their formula without regard to who earned it.  Yup, totally possible.   So, I could totally see a cabin attendant that had a majority of their cabins with 4 people in each being overworked from all the mess, then getting a bad review in a survey and therefore getting the shaft in the tip distribution.   

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by HappyTexan44