ATTN: Oceania crew members

[zteamtwo]

OR anyone else with Oceania knowledge!  What is the policy toward receiving cash tips on board Oceania?  If I give a cash tip to a cabin steward, bartender, room service, Concierge person, butler or anyone else, do they get to keep it or does it have to be turned in to a "Tip Pool"?  We appreciate all of the hard work that the Oceania crew people do for us.  You can identify yourself if you are able to.

[zteamtwo]

There has been various replies to this question.

[MEFIowa]

We give a private envelope to our Steward and Attendant, with a card inside saying THANKS and with cash inside the card. I would assume they'd keep the envelope, card and cash entirely privately. Only they know they received it and it is intended ONLY for them.

[zteamtwo]

9 minutes ago, MEFIowa said:

We give a private envelope to our Steward and Attendant, with a card inside saying THANKS and with cash inside the card. I would assume they'd keep the envelope, card and cash entirely privately. Only they know they received it and it is intended ONLY for them.

I agree with you, BUT, there have been other posts about crew members having to turn in their cash tips.

[LHT28]

AFAIK   as long as you leave the daily gratuity on you account   then the staff will get to keep any extra tips

We always give an envelope to  room staff  with note of thanks & our name/cabin #

also the Barrista & if we have the same waiters  in the GDR for several meals

 

How they handle it  is up to them

JMO

[zteamtwo]

OK LHT--what if you have been given free gratuities as part of your cruise package?

[DeanoNorthPerth]

Can't remember where I heard it but I was told by an Oceania crew member that all tips go into a type of crew benevolent fund to help out any that are struggling. I was told this years ago.

[zteamtwo]

That is the comment I have heard in the past.  Why can't we get an official explanation from Oceania about their policy?  Some of you travel agents that read CC have access to higher ups at Oceania--can you get a straight answer?

[davencl]

9 minutes ago, zteamtwo said:

That is the comment I have heard in the past.  Why can't we get an official explanation from Oceania about their policy?  Some of you travel agents that read CC have access to higher ups at Oceania--can you get a straight answer?

Why not ask a crew member on your next cruise?

[SeaWatch12]

IMHO, I feel we should tip whatever crew member we believe deserves above the preset gratuities. Crew in any department we wish to give extra thanks to. Handing it to them directly will show the extra appreciation for what they do. What happens after that is both theirs and their employers decision. If they are required to share it, so be it. They might wind up sharing it with other crew members we would never have the opportunity to give extra to but still deserve it. It may also depend on what department they work in as to them sharing it. It's entirely a HR concern that I don't think the cruise line would officially share with guests. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

40 minutes ago, zteamtwo said:

OK LHT--what if you have been given free gratuities as part of your cruise package?

That's still the same as if you paid for it; both go on your invoice. So that money goes into the gratuities pot, and you could still tip your steward (or anyone).

[pinotlover]

45 minutes ago, davencl said:

Why not ask a crew member on your next cruise?

I have twice. Two different Butlers. Both replied “ what’s paid into the pool, goes into the pool and Oceania decides how to distribute it. What’s given directly to individual staff is theirs to keep.”

[davencl]

3 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

I have twice. Two different Butlers. Both replied “ what’s paid into the pool, goes into the pool and Oceania decides how to distribute it. What’s given directly to individual staff is theirs to keep.”

Yes when I've asked I've gotten the same response.  Not sure what the OP's concern is.

[Harry Lake]

1 hour ago, davencl said:

Why not ask a crew member on your next cruise?

Why not call 'corporate'?

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, zteamtwo said:

OK LHT--what if you have been given free gratuities as part of your cruise package?

Then the gratuity is paid  right??

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, zteamtwo said:

That is the comment I have heard in the past.  Why can't we get an official explanation from Oceania about their policy?  Some of you travel agents that read CC have access to higher ups at Oceania--can you get a straight answer?

So you will withhold the tips if you do not like  their policy??

I do not understand 

Leave a tip or not  personal choice

[zteamtwo]

I will always tip people who give us great service.  I will always commit to the required gratuities. It's just nice to know that the people we tip,  get to keep the money. That's all I'm trying to know.

[zteamtwo]

I do think there's an official Oceania policy on this. Just trying to get the "inside info". My OP was trying to get "inside" info from crew members if possible.

[Harry Lake]

3 minutes ago, zteamtwo said:

I will always tip people who give us great service.  I will always commit to the required gratuities. It's just nice to know that the people we tip,  get to keep the money. That's all I'm trying to know.

Did you not see my post above about "why don't you call corporate"?

[Harters]

1 hour ago, zteamtwo said:

It's just nice to know that the people we tip,  get to keep the money.

On the other hand, if it did go into a tip pool then staff, who have not received cash tips from the likes of me, would also benefit. So, your generosity would be touching more people than you realised. 

[chineplate]

Ha tipping, that old chestnut. Easy solution.

1. Remove all automatic gratuities from on board account.

2. Cash tip individuals who give service above the expected norm.

[edgee]

11 minutes ago, chineplate said:

Ha tipping, that old chestnut. Easy solution.

1. Remove all automatic gratuities from on board account.

2. Cash tip individuals who give service above the expected norm.

How is that an easy solution if staff cannot keep your tips since they must turn into the pool money they receive from "removers?"

Edited December 3, 2023 by edgee

[Harry Lake]

22 minutes ago, Harters said:

On the other hand, if it did go into a tip pool then staff, who have not received cash tips from the likes of me, would also benefit. So, your generosity would be touching more people than you realised. 

Like in restaurants, there are FOH and BOH - front of house and back of house. I'm betting the ones who wash dishes work just as hard as the ones who clean your room.

[davencl]

3 hours ago, zteamtwo said:

OK LHT--what if you have been given free gratuities as part of your cruise package?

zteamtwo:   Maybe I can clarify.   The free gratuities that is part of the package is distributed among all the crew.  You cannot give these to individuals.  If you want to tip a particular crew member it's no problem giving them cash they can keep for themselves.  They don't have to share it.

[Harters]

2 minutes ago, Harry Lake said:

Like in restaurants, there are FOH and BOH

Where I am in the world, it's commonplace for service charges or tips to be pooled and distributed amongst all members of the crew. At one of my regularly visited restaurants, the conditions of employment mean that tips paid by card are distributed to the whole, but cash tips are distributed to just FoH. But then a recent survey here reports that only about 30% of people tip in restaurants and the practice has all but died out amongst the under-30s.