Is tipping mandatory

[bonsai3s]

On the Spectrum of the Seas earlier this year, we visited Kobe, Japan.

 

All of us (of course) wanted to taste Kobe beef. (Where's a better place to try Kobe beef than in Kobe.)

 

There was a popular street vendor selling and cooking Kobe beef...that redolent aroma pulled us in...it was worth the wait.

 

After we all paid, one of the employees came out...first we thought we didn't pay enough. Then someone explained to us that the gentleman was only, and politely, returning the small change we left as Tip.  We all went "Oops"...tipping not customary in Japan.

 

 

[not-enough-cruising]

57 minutes ago, gmerick said:

Time for some math:

Quantum class ship:

4000+ guests, $18.00 per day in prepaid grats, 30 days = ~2.25 million per month.

Divided equally between 1500 crew members = $1500 per month.

I've left out suites, and the 18% added on to everything.  Not all the crew gets money from the tip pool.

 

Each guest that cancels grats affects the total tip pool by 0.025%.

If grats were evenly distributed between all crew, canceling grats affects a crew salary by 1.2 cents per day.

 

Handing a crew member a $20 on a 7-day trip could be a hundred times more than they see from one guest's prepaid gratuities.

EXCELLENT POST

 

I wish I could like it more than once!!

[bretts173]

1 hour ago, not-enough-cruising said:

EXCELLENT POST

 

I wish I could like it more than once!!

So if everyone cancelled and handed it to one person, which would always be their room steward or dining attendants. Some would be way better off and some way worse off. How does this help.

[not-enough-cruising]

2 minutes ago, bretts173 said:

So if everyone cancelled and handed it to one person, which would always be their room steward or dining attendants. Some would be way better off and some way worse off. How does this help.

Probably room steward AND dining attendants. 
 

I doubt anyone would be worse off, the “behind the scenes” people that everyone seems all up in arms about would do just the same as they do now; getting the contracted minimum wage, more from Royal’s pockets and less from ours. 

[bretts173]

1 minute ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Probably room steward AND dining attendants. 
 

I doubt anyone would be worse off, the “behind the scenes” people that everyone seems all up in arms about would do just the same as they do now; getting the contracted minimum wage, more from Royal’s pockets and less from ours. 

So, according to the original post you liked so much cancelling your $18 a day per person will make everyone better off by giving a once off $20 tip to one person on a 7 day cruise (and probably per room). Maths 101.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, bretts173 said:

So, according to the original post you liked so much cancelling your $18 a day per person will make everyone better off by giving a once off $20 tip to one person on a 7 day cruise (and probably per room). Maths 101.

It makes the people I deal with personally better off. That’s really all I care about. 
Dishwashers, maintenance and laundry staff don’t even enter my equation. 

[uvadover]

8 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

It makes the people I deal with personally better off. That’s really all I care about. 
Dishwashers, maintenance and laundry staff don’t even enter my equation. 

All you really care about is paying less.  For all of the people gloating about removing auto-gratuities, and focusing on the few people they choose to "reward," not a single cruiser ever says they pay anything close to the same amount overall.  Instead, we have math about giving a guy $20 and pretending that is generous.  On your next cruise, I hope that your dishwashers and laundry staff do a job on-par with your gratuities.

[Joe33472]

4 hours ago, uvadover said:

All you really care about is paying less.  For all of the people gloating about removing auto-gratuities, and focusing on the few people they choose to "reward," not a single cruiser ever says they pay anything close to the same amount overall.  Instead, we have math about giving a guy $20 and pretending that is generous.  On your next cruise, I hope that your dishwashers and laundry staff do a job on-par with your gratuities.

 

I’ve been really thinking about this tipping issue and definitely see both sides of the debate.   As far as tips for the dishwasher and laundry staff, I don’t think that tips for these types of workers are typical for land-based holidays.  When you go to a restaurant on land, your tip is for the waiter or waitress for their personal service.  The dishwasher, busboy, hostess, head waiter, chef, restaurant manager, etc. are all receiving a standard wage that is at least a minimum wage and are not part of the tips provided to waiters and waitresses.  You leave the tip because the waiter or waitress is making $2/hour and we know that.   And presumably the waitstaff provided you with a nice experience.  

 

When you stay at a hotel, you leave a tip in the room at the end of your stay for the cleaning staff that cleaned your room during your stay and not the person who washed the sheets, the front desk people, the groundskeeper, janitors, the person who set up the morning breakfast, etc.  Now, the cleaning person isn’t making $2/hour, but there is still a tip because he/she are doing tough manual labor and making our stays more enjoyable (and is probably making a minimum wage).   

 

The problem with these auto-gratuities is that it seems like the pool of people making $2/hour has been expanded and we’re just not sure who’s included.   And it’s possible that RCI is subsidizing some salary costs of positions that are typically salaried with auto-gratuities.   I certainly don’t tip my dry cleaner, although they do a good job on my laundry and are very personable.  I’ve never tipped a dishwasher.  His or her salary is the cost of the restaurant providing my meal.   I’ve never tipped the company/person that provided the tablecloths for the restaurant or the person who washed the sheets at a hotel. 

 

If RCI is including people washing laundry in the pool that receives gratuities and pays them $50 a month with a guaranteed minimum salary, then shame on RCI.   

[not-enough-cruising]

5 hours ago, uvadover said:

All you really care about is paying less.  For all of the people gloating about removing auto-gratuities, and focusing on the few people they choose to "reward," not a single cruiser ever says they pay anything close to the same amount overall.  Instead, we have math about giving a guy $20 and pretending that is generous.  On your next cruise, I hope that your dishwashers and laundry staff do a job on-par with your gratuities.

Wow, you have me all figured out. I am really ashamed and quite embarrassed now.  You have certainly made me reconsider my evil ways.

 

By the way, you obviously don't understand the math if you consider the $20 anything but incredibly generous. No one claimed to tip only the $20, but to show a 1600X increase in daily salary of one person by simply not participating in a silly scheme 

Edited December 22, 2023 by not-enough-cruising

[time4u2go]

6 hours ago, uvadover said:

For all of the people gloating about removing auto-gratuities, and focusing on the few people they choose to "reward," not a single cruiser ever says they pay anything close to the same amount overall. 

Where did anyone that's removing auto gratuities state that they weren't paying anything close to the same amount overall?  Or is it just your opinion that those people pay less?

 

Edited December 22, 2023 by time4u2go

[A&L_Ont]

28 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Is a weekly tipping thread mandatory?  Apparently it is.  🙄

 

It certainly seems to be.  The gratuity/tip “dog whistle” brings both sides out to battle.

 

Hopefully on Christmas both sides of the debate will take a break.  They did it in 1914, so there is hope.

 

 

 

[neverbeenhere]

Ratt sang: Round and round what comes around goes around

[cruiseboy89130]

On 12/18/2023 at 4:13 AM, Another_Critic said:

They get a report.

Not true at all!

[cruiseboy89130]

On 12/18/2023 at 12:41 PM, gavvy said:

and I have asked various staff members if they get a list of those who have taken off the stateroom tips and they had no idea what I meant.

You can take off grats until you walk the plank to leave the ship.....so they have 5-6 minutes to inform the staff before you are gone 😝🤣

[cruiseboy89130]

On 12/18/2023 at 1:51 PM, glentally said:

I was on a MSC cruise this year and another "tip expert" told me MSC uses the tips for their wages first and if the tips are not enough to meet the contracted wage MSC adds more.

That is exactly what Royal does too!

[cruiseboy89130]

On 12/18/2023 at 11:18 PM, ONECRUISER said:

Been a while, preCV, but I did the list those that had Tips removed. Whats that saying dont mess with people that prepare/serve your Food. 😁

You can avoid any angst by removing just before you leave the ship!

[jean87510]

23 hours ago, Joe33472 said:

 

I’ve been really thinking about this tipping issue and definitely see both sides of the debate.   As far as tips for the dishwasher and laundry staff, I don’t think that tips for these types of workers are typical for land-based holidays.  When you go to a restaurant on land, your tip is for the waiter or waitress for their personal service.  The dishwasher, busboy, hostess, head waiter, chef, restaurant manager, etc. are all receiving a standard wage that is at least a minimum wage and are not part of the tips provided to waiters and waitresses.  You leave the tip because the waiter or waitress is making $2/hour and we know that.   And presumably the waitstaff provided you with a nice experience.  

 

When you stay at a hotel, you leave a tip in the room at the end of your stay for the cleaning staff that cleaned your room during your stay and not the person who washed the sheets, the front desk people, the groundskeeper, janitors, the person who set up the morning breakfast, etc.  Now, the cleaning person isn’t making $2/hour, but there is still a tip because he/she are doing tough manual labor and making our stays more enjoyable (and is probably making a minimum wage).   

 

The problem with these auto-gratuities is that it seems like the pool of people making $2/hour has been expanded and we’re just not sure who’s included.   And it’s possible that RCI is subsidizing some salary costs of positions that are typically salaried with auto-gratuities.   I certainly don’t tip my dry cleaner, although they do a good job on my laundry and are very personable.  I’ve never tipped a dishwasher.  His or her salary is the cost of the restaurant providing my meal.   I’ve never tipped the company/person that provided the tablecloths for the restaurant or the person who washed the sheets at a hotel. 

 

If RCI is including people washing laundry in the pool that receives gratuities and pays them $50 a month with a guaranteed minimum salary, then shame on RCI.   

This right here.  I personally think it's a marketing ploy by Royal to play up the poor dishwashers behind the scenes to play the sympathy angle to get more money.  This isn't new.  Think of the little kids you "adopted" in those TV commercials.  It's a play on emotions.  It's why there is such disbelief and yes, at times, venomous responses to those who choose to remove the gratuities and directly tip.  Because the people who do see the man behind the curtain see the cutting of room service, the 2x increase in one year of gratuities, the insane price gouging on PDCC, the high pricing on excursions, the spa, specialty restaurants, no more OBC on online bookings, gym classes, ice cream.  ROYAL should reward their staff as well.  And I don't know if they do.  I don't even know if the dishwasher gets the gratuities.

[Joe33472]

On 12/22/2023 at 8:04 AM, time4u2go said:

Where did anyone that's removing auto gratuities state that they weren't paying anything close to the same amount overall?  Or is it just your opinion that those people pay less?

 

 

Exactly this ^^^

 

To me, the auto-gratuities are "cheap".  It's really not a lot of money.  If we ate out three meals a day on a land-based vacation, I'd definitely be on the hook for more tips than the auto-gratuties, nevermind the hotel tip.   So, if I leave auto-gratuities on, and don't open my wallet all cruise long, I'm doing "better" for the staff?   Or, bettter yet, I'm supposed to leave on auto-gratuities and also generously tip in cash. 

 

I'd be more ashamed to leave on auto-gratuities and never open my wallet.  I'm sure that there is a large portion of the 80-90% that leave on auto-gratuties do exactly that.  They feel satisfied that they've provided sufficient tips and walk on the ship on embarkation without giving the cabin steward a dime.  Now that's cheap, but I'm not sure if those folks are called out.  

[Joe33472]

53 minutes ago, Joe33472 said:

 

Exactly this ^^^

 

To me, the auto-gratuities are "cheap".  It's really not a lot of money.  If we ate out three meals a day on a land-based vacation, I'd definitely be on the hook for more tips than the auto-gratuties, nevermind the hotel tip.   So, if I leave auto-gratuities on, and don't open my wallet all cruise long, I'm doing "better" for the staff?   Or, bettter yet, I'm supposed to leave on auto-gratuities and also generously tip in cash. 

 

I'd be more ashamed to leave on auto-gratuities and never open my wallet.  I'm sure that there is a large portion of the 80-90% that leave on auto-gratuties do exactly that.  They feel satisfied that they've provided sufficient tips and walk on the ship on embarkation without giving the cabin steward a dime.  Now that's cheap, but I'm not sure if those folks are called out.  

 

I should have said "walk off the ship on disembarkation" without giving the cabin steward a dime....

 

 

[craig01020]

Ahhh, back to the good ol' days of debating gratuities.

Sure beats arguing about vaccines and masks!  😂😷

[grandgeezer]

2 hours ago, Joe33472 said:

 

Exactly this ^^^

 

To me, the auto-gratuities are "cheap".  It's really not a lot of money.  If we ate out three meals a day on a land-based vacation, I'd definitely be on the hook for more tips than the auto-gratuties, nevermind the hotel tip.   So, if I leave auto-gratuities on, and don't open my wallet all cruise long, I'm doing "better" for the staff?   Or, bettter yet, I'm supposed to leave on auto-gratuities and also generously tip in cash. 

 

I'd be more ashamed to leave on auto-gratuities and never open my wallet.  I'm sure that there is a large portion of the 80-90% that leave on auto-gratuties do exactly that.  They feel satisfied that they've provided sufficient tips and walk on the ship on embarkation without giving the cabin steward a dime.  Now that's cheap, but I'm not sure if those folks are called out.  

The amount of auto gratuities is set by the cruise line. That tells me that is the appropriate amount for the services performed. If they would do something above and beyond their normal duties, then maybe something extra should be rewarded. Smiling and knowing my name doesn’t count.

[craig01020]

On 12/18/2023 at 3:20 PM, livingonthebeach said:

The way I see it is the Cruise Industry resembles more All Inclusive Resorts than just restaurants. Almost all AI resorts include gratuities in the rate (they don't charge you a daily extra for tips). People do tip over this amount, as I do, in the form of cash and it is very much appreciated by the staff that serve you.

EXACTLY!

[buckeyefrank]

On 12/19/2023 at 7:06 AM, Joe33472 said:

 

Interesting that you mentioned race.   I was just googling tipping culture in the US to better understand where all this tipping is coming from and apparently tipping in the US finds its origins in racism and sexism.   

 

If you wait here in the US long enough, everything will be claimed to be racist.  SMH

[glentally]

6 hours ago, craig01020 said:

 

Sure beats arguing about vaccines and masks!  😂😷

Praise the Lord on that Quote.

[shandryl]

On 12/17/2023 at 8:24 PM, Debgra6057 said:

By whom and why, I wonder? And what purpose does prove. If the steward or waiter knows they are not getting a gratuity from me, and they do a crummy job, they then risk reprimand if I complain.  So no advantage to them.

Anyway, I've always done my cruise tipping this way, to reward the people I choose to.  

I have done that too.  Removed the gratuities.  When Guest services/they asked why? I said I have made my own arrangements. Had no problems. 🤷‍♀️