Is tipping mandatory

[time4u2go]

12 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

I only think of 7 days. 

There's plenty of those too for under $725:

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by time4u2go

[A&L_Ont]

9 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

There's plenty of those too for under $725:

 

That means the one individual can still cruise and afford to give some tips that assist them first hand. 

[time4u2go]

2 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

That means the one individual can still cruise and afford to give some tips that assist them first hand. 

Ok.

[yogimax]

4 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

You said what I was thinking. All the folks here on CC who remove auto grats say they still tip.

Yes, they say they still tip but how much?  We've seen one person mention $20 a week for their room steward and waiter. 

 

Do you honestly think someone who doesn't tip at all is going to post that publicly?  Of course not.  Nor have the vast majority of those who remove tips given any indication of how much they actually tip.  A lot of the so-called justification for removing tips is simply that... a rationale to make them feel better when they know their actions are actually hurting others. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

5 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Yes, they say they still tip but how much?

 

And there is no way for RCCL to verify that they in fact DO tip. So I'm sure there are more than a few who say they'll do it on their own and then do absolutely diddly over squat about it.

[not-enough-cruising]

42 minutes ago, yogimax said:

Yes, they say they still tip but how much?  We've seen one person mention $20 a week for their room steward and waiter. 

 

Do you honestly think someone who doesn't tip at all is going to post that publicly?  Of course not.  Nor have the vast majority of those who remove tips given any indication of how much they actually tip.  A lot of the so-called justification for removing tips is simply that... a rationale to make them feel better when they know their actions are actually hurting others. 

Stating in a public forum how much you tip

is very much lacking in taste. 

[HappyTexan44]

As far as them having to share their cash tips too.   I agree that you can't really go by what anyone says.   But, the lawsuits are convincing.   When people are upset enough to sue about being moved from a cash-tip position to a behind-the-scenes position, that tells me that the cash tips aren't being shared.  

 

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

On 12/24/2023 at 2:51 PM, tvo7 said:

Just got off Harmony of the Seas and for 6 people interior, total around 725 in gratuities.  To me that sounds ridiculous.  

$725/6 = $120pp / $18/day = ~7 days.  

120/725 = 16.5% tip

On 12/24/2023 at 2:51 PM, tvo7 said:

 

What would happen if I do not autopsy gratuity but just give the MDR guy a 20 and the stateroom guy a 20 qt the end of the cruise.  

Would I be flagged in their computer for the next trip?

I personally don't THINK you'd be flagged in the computer.  Unless some one here works for RCI, no one knows for sure.  I think tipping the waiter $20 to handle six people over seven days is very cheap, same with the cabin steward.  

 

IMO, if that's all you can afford to tip, you should find a cheaper vacation. 

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

5 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

As far as them having to share their cash tips too.   I agree that you can't really go by what anyone says.   But, the lawsuits are convincing.   When people are upset enough to sue about being moved from a cash-tip position to a behind-the-scenes position, that tells me that the cash tips aren't being shared.  

 

Wouldn't that depend on the rates?  I don't think that's enough facts to make such a conclusion.  

[Joe33472]

1 minute ago, HappyTexan44 said:

As far as them having to share their cash tips too.   I agree that you can't really go by what anyone says.   But, the lawsuits are convincing.   When people are upset enough to sue about being moved from a cash-tip position to a behind-the-scenes position, that tells me that the cash tips aren't being shared.  

 

 

I was wondering if RCI's written policy is that if a guest removes auto-gratuities that if a crew member receives cash from one of these guests that he or she is "supposed" to give any cash tips to RCI so that those tips can be made part of the pool, hence the need to share with the crew which guest keep or remove auto-gratuities.  I can't imagine that RCI would share the list with crew with the intent that the crew would provide less service or sub-standard service.  That doesn't make sense.   Trying to claw back the cash tips seems like a corporate move and pausible.  But, I were a service person on a ship, I don't think I'd give my cash tips to RCI.  

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

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

I personally don't THINK you'd be flagged in the computer. 

 

You may not be flagged in the computer, but I'm pretty sure your name would be passed around the crew so if you dared to go back on a RCCL ship word would get around. The "telephone line" among the crew would be stronger than any flag in the computer.

[Joe33472]

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

$725/6 = $120pp / $18/day = ~7 days.  

120/725 = 16.5% tip

I personally don't THINK you'd be flagged in the computer.  Unless some one here works for RCI, no one knows for sure.  I think tipping the waiter $20 to handle six people over seven days is very cheap, same with the cabin steward.  

 

IMO, if that's all you can afford to tip, you should find a cheaper vacation. 

 

I was thinking the same thing but didn't want to be judgmental.  It would be the same like going out to a service restaurant and not leaving any tip.   Or going out to dinner with a six people and leaving $6.  Just cook at home.  That's probably why restaurants add a gratutity for large parties, so the staff doesn't get stiffed.  

[yogimax]

50 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Stating in a public forum how much you tip

is very much lacking in taste. 

It's also a very convenient excuse.

Edited December 26, 2023 by yogimax

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 minute ago, Joe33472 said:

was wondering if RCI's written policy is that if a guest removes auto-gratuities that if a crew member receives cash from one of these guests that he or she is "supposed" to give any cash tips to RCI so that those tips can be made part of the pool, hence the need to share with the crew which guest keep or remove auto-gratuities.

 

That's been my understanding. If a crew member receives cash tips, they have to turn it in and report which guest - if the guest has left autogratuities on, the crew is allowed to keep the cash; if the guest has removed the autogratuities, the cash up to the amount the autogratuities would have been is kept for the standard division and they get the remaining cash back

[not-enough-cruising]

2 minutes ago, yogimax said:

It's also very convenient.

How much do you tip above and beyond the automatic gratuity?

[Morecruisesplz]

9 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

That's been my understanding. If a crew member receives cash tips, they have to turn it in and report which guest - if the guest has left autogratuities on, the crew is allowed to keep the cash; if the guest has removed the autogratuities, the cash up to the amount the autogratuities would have been is kept for the standard division and they get the remaining cash back

That's a lot of "understanding." Cash can't be tracked. Period.

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

4 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

You may not be flagged in the computer, but I'm pretty sure your name would be passed around the crew so if you dared to go back on a RCCL ship word would get around. The "telephone line" among the crew would be stronger than any flag in the computer.

I thought about that, and figure it's unlikely.  I mean are they going to say "Hey, TVO7 cheaped out on their tip!" And someone six months, a year, two years(?) later has TVO7 has a passenger and is going to remember that?  And what about duplicate names?  Then you need something to distinguish them.  Home towns?  Seems like a stretch to me. 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Just now, Morecruisesplz said:

That's a lot of "understanding." Cash can't be tracked. Period.

 

If they're required to turn it in, it can be. And if they're caught not turning it in, they can be terminated. And they'd have to be super careful about hiding it if they were going to try and not turn it in - crew watch others, and if someone suddenly is buying extra stuff in the crew bar, loose lips, etc.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

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

I thought about that, and figure it's unlikely.  I mean are they going to say "Hey, TVO7 cheaped out on their tip!" And someone six months, a year, two years(?) later has TVO7 has a passenger and is going to remember that?  And what about duplicate names?  Then you need something to distinguish them.  Home towns?  Seems like a stretch to me. 

And yet look at all the reports on these boards of people who go on a ship and their server or cabin steward, etc. remembers them. If they remember the good ones, they'll most definitely remember the bad ones.

[Morecruisesplz]

8 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

If they're required to turn it in, it can be. And if they're caught not turning it in, they can be terminated. And they'd have to be super careful about hiding it if they were going to try and not turn it in - crew watch others, and if someone suddenly is buying extra stuff in the crew bar, loose lips, etc.

'Can be' - how?

'Terminated" - really? Terminated, Terminated or employment terminated?

You obviously do not tip cash on cruises. Watch and learn.

 

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

1 minute ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

And yet look at all the reports on these boards of people who go on a ship and their server or cabin steward, etc. remembers them. If they remember the good ones, they'll most definitely remember the bad ones.

I'm assuming the people who get remembered either cruise often, ** OR ** do the workers get a list of who they're supposed to be serving and their cruise history?  Or something else to hint they've been together before?  Just a thought. 

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

2 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

'Can be' - how?

'Terminated" - really? Terminated, Terminated or employment terminated?

You obviously do not tip cash on cruises. Watch and learn.

 

What do you see when you give someone cash for the tip?  They put it in their pocket.  You have NO idea what they do when they get out of sight.  

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

'Can be' - how?

'Terminated" - really? Terminated, Terminated or employment terminated?

You obviously do not tip cash on cruises. Watch and learn.

 

Because the amount is recorded by the crew member's name. TRACKING.

 

Ok, technicality. They face employment termination.

 

Not that it's your business, but I leave my gratuities on AND add cash. But at the end. I don't bribe (aka "tip cash in advance" as I've seen a lot on these boards try to justify their bribery).

[Saab4444]

25 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

You may not be flagged in the computer, but I'm pretty sure your name would be passed around the crew so if you dared to go back on a RCCL ship word would get around. The "telephone line" among the crew would be stronger than any flag in the computer.

Sure, with all the thousands of guests and several ships the crew has nothing better to do... 

[Joe33472]

8 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

'Can be' - how?

'Terminated" - really? Terminated, Terminated or employment terminated?

You obviously do not tip cash on cruises. Watch and learn.

 

 

If giving back cash tips to RCI for guests who waive auto-gratuities is actually the policy, then I think some crew might be scared to keep cash gratuities.  Especially if GS notes on the account that the guests indicated they tipped on their own, but that would probably end after the crew member’s first cruise.  With cash there is always plausible deniability.   

 

RCI could always ask the crew member if they received a cash tip from a certain cabin or passenger, and I hope that the answer from the crew member would be NO, even if they had received a cash tip.