Gratuities to be included with Simply More for British & Irish cusotmers

[Harters]

Good news. Following the lead in the Australian & New Zealand market, Oceania is to include gratuities in the main cruise price for British & Irish customers, and the wider  European market.  Good for O,  in recognising the not insignificant differences in attitudes towards tips/gratuities between Europe and North America.

 

https://www.ttgmedia.com/cruise/oceania-cruises-bakes-gratuities-into-cruise-fare-following-agent-feedback-44098

[Vallesan]

23 minutes ago, Harters said:

Good news. Following the lead in the Australian & New Zealand market, Oceania is to include gratuities in the main cruise price for British & Irish customers, and the wider  European market.  Good for O,  in recognising the not insignificant differences in attitudes towards tips/gratuities between Europe and North America.

 

https://www.ttgmedia.com/cruise/oceania-cruises-bakes-gratuities-into-cruise-fare-following-agent-feedback-44098

I agree.

BUT … as a silver member I would expect an equal reduction in the price of my cruise as gratuities are included!

[Harters]

Maybe that will be in the small print, Vallesan. You raise a good point. 

[patty1955]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

Good news. Following the lead in the Australian & New Zealand market, Oceania is to include gratuities in the main cruise price for British & Irish customers, and the wider  European market.  Good for O,  in recognising the not insignificant differences in attitudes towards tips/gratuities between Europe and North America.

Please keep in mind that most Americans would like to do away with tips.

[Harters]

7 minutes ago, patty1955 said:

Please keep in mind that most Americans would like to do away with tips.

I hadnt realised that was the case. But, if anti-tippers are now in a majority, I look forward to seeing the practice disappear in the States. It's significantly disappeared here in the UK and that's down to cultural changes, so I assume similar will happen where you are. Progress, IMO. 

[patty1955]

3 minutes ago, Harters said:

I hadnt realised that was the case. But, if anti-tippers are now in a majority, I look forward to seeing the practice disappear in the States. It's significantly disappeared here in the UK and that's down to cultural changes, so I assume similar will happen where you are. Progress, IMO. 

Don't count on seeing change. IMO, the restaurants have a vested interest in the status quo.  I was a waitress a very long time ago. Because I was a tipped employee they were allowed to pay under the minimum wage. I was a horrible waitress and got very few tips but that didn't increase my pay. 

[Harters]

17 minutes ago, patty1955 said:

Don't count on seeing change.

Pressure your politicians to abolish the "less than minimum wage" arrangements. Tell the owners of your favourite restaurants that you object to the tipping. Stop tipping. Encourage restaurant workers to unionise and fight for better pay and conditions as valued employees of a business. All will contribute to change. And, if your right about the majority of paying customers wanting change, it will happen. 

 

A recent survey in the UK has shown that only 30% of customers now tip and the practice has all but died out amongst the under-30s. Change can and does happen. 

[susiesan]

So UK and Irish cruisers will end up paying less overall, the value of the tips, than American passengers. That's not right.😠

[Tranquility Base]

2 minutes ago, susiesan said:

So UK and Irish cruisers will end up paying less overall, the value of the tips, than American passengers. That's not right.😠

Read post # 1.

[susiesan]

31 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

Read post # 1.

Does that mean UK and Irish cruisers will see a higher fare by the amount of the gratuities than Americans do? When you look at the O web site for prices there is only one column of fare showing.

 

I would not want to see this happen for Americans booking in the US. I use the OBC from my TA to pay gratuities. If they are included at a higher fare then there is nothing of interest to me to use the OBC on.

Edited January 9 by susiesan

[ORV]

1 hour ago, patty1955 said:

Please keep in mind that most Americans would like to do away with tips.

I don't agree with this at all. I think Americans are becoming more tip happy that ever. Especially the younger generations. The "suggested" tip on most restaurant receipts I see start at 18% and go up to 25% or more. 

'

Everywhere you go, tip jar at the convenience store, tip jar at the counters where all they do is take your order then call your name, tip jar at the butchers counter in the grocery store, tip the hairdresser, tip the barber, tip the cab and Uber drivers, tip the postman, tip the delivery driver, tip the guy that rings up my wine at the wine store, and this list doesn't even begin to take in half of it. I don't see us Americans doing away with the tipping culture anytime soon. Just my take. 

 

I'm not sure at all where you got this idea from?

[patty1955]

1 minute ago, ORV said:

I don't agree with this at all. I think Americans are becoming more tip happy that ever. Especially the younger generations. The "suggested" tip on most restaurant receipts I see start at 18% and go up to 25% or more. 

'

Everywhere you go, tip jar at the convenience store, tip jar at the counters where all they do is take your order then call your name, tip jar at the butchers counter in the grocery store, tip the hairdresser, tip the barber, tip the cab and Uber drivers, tip the postman, tip the delivery driver, tip the guy that rings up my wine at the wine store, and this list doesn't even begin to take in half of it. I don't see us Americans doing away with the tipping culture anytime soon. Just my take. 

 

I'm not sure at all where you got this idea from?

"Suggested Tip" is part of the programming on the POS devices. It doesn't reflect the company/employee's wishes.

Most people would love to receive tips, not so much give them. If I could get tips for shopping, it would pay for itself.

Even Fox agrees that most American's don't like tipping.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/americans-are-getting-tired-of-tipping-survey-shows-heres-why I don't really consider them a reliable source but they are quoting Bankrate who is reliable.

[ORV]

Yeah, I can't put any stock in that media company or the way they spin things. A survey is only as good as the people that write it and those that take it. Many survey and poll writers come up with the conclusion first, then find "facts" to support it. FYI, I didn't read it. 

 

I'll agree to disagree on this subject. Just look at all the people here on CC that tell us how much extra they are always tipping on cruises. It's a voluntary thing, no one is holding a gun to anyone's head to tip, yet people fall all over themselves to hand out money all the time. I see it as an obligation, but I'd rather not do it. 

[jazznruby]

Pay people a decent living wage, including on cruise ships, and it becomes more of a moot issue. Will there always be those who like to tip for exceptional service? Sure, and let them have at it. I don't disagree that, most often, it feels obligatory; and it shouldn't. But if I've received good or exceptional service, then obligatory or not, I'm going to tip accordingly. Service industries deserve to be and should be duly compensated...by the respective employer!

[Harters]

2 hours ago, susiesan said:

Does that mean UK and Irish cruisers will see a higher fare by the amount of the gratuities than Americans do?

That's how I understand the new arrangements - the value of the gratuities will be simply incorporated into the published fare. We won't be paying any more or less for our cruise but the fare on O's website will be "what you see is what you pay". As I mentioned in my OP, Australia and and New Zealand customers have had this arrangement for some time. 

[susiesan]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

 As I mentioned in my OP, Australia and and New Zealand customers have had this arrangement for some time. 

So if I was booking the same cruise in the same cabin I'd see a different price than the Aussies do? Interesting. 

[1985rz1]

11 minutes ago, susiesan said:

So if I was booking the same cruise in the same cabin I'd see a different price than the Aussies do? Interesting. 

The Aussies see the pricing in AU$, so the comparison is not straightforward as you need to know the exchange rate that is being used. 

[patty1955]

2 hours ago, jazznruby said:

Pay people a decent living wage, including on cruise ships, and it becomes more of a moot issue. Will there always be those who like to tip for exceptional service? Sure, and let them have at it. I don't disagree that, most often, it feels obligatory; and it shouldn't. But if I've received good or exceptional service, then obligatory or not, I'm going to tip accordingly. Service industries deserve to be and should be duly compensated...by the respective employer!

Exactly!

[cruiseaholic78]

Well let an European chime in to this thread! Do not forget that booking a cruise in my case (The Netherlands) is completely different to the USA/Canada, OBC from you trusty T.A. ? forget it we pay them.

Many of you say your gratuities are given by the same T.A. nope none of that extra OBC nope cash back don’t even think of it. Try another T.A. for a different quote? no their prices are all the same, occasionally one may have a special offer but thats all.

Our final booking payment is only due 6 weeks before sailing but once booked thats it, very difficult and expensive to cancel. We also have to take insurance from the day of booking even if the possible penalties don’t kick in until much later. At the start of Covid all we had been paying was insurance premium and after a cancellation we never got that back or could roll it over to a (possible) new booking.

 

So you will say why not book in USA, well been there done that however the currency rate is something to be considered, on a very long cruise the difference between time of booking and payment was considerable.

 

So fellow cruisers give us a break I am sure that Oceania will figure the tips into their Simply More pricing as they have done with reducing excursions etc. At least that way their prices are slightly more transparent!

I also have a feeling that your prices are less than ours anyway!

Edited January 10 by cruiseaholic78

[Vallesan]

8 hours ago, susiesan said:

So if I was booking the same cruise in the same cabin I'd see a different price than the Aussies do? Interesting. 

 
That is the situation now. US prices were usually lower than elsewhere when you could opt for ‘cruise only’ but that was never an option in the UK. Now that SM has replaced OLife I’m not sure that the same will be true.

[Harters]

10 hours ago, 1985rz1 said:

as you need to know the exchange rate that is being used. 

I recently had a similar issue with the SM excursion credit. As I recall, that had been given in USD but the pricing for excursions was in GBP, so it was difficult to try and work out what was going to be our best "value for money" excursions. In due course, however, the system caught up with itself and quoted the credit in GBP. 

[Harters]

2 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

Try another T.A. for a different quote? no their prices are all the same, occasionally one may have a special offer but thats all.

That's also been my experience in the UK. Our travel agency industry seems to operate differently from those in the States that folk often refer to on this forum. Part of that, I think, is the difference in regulation. British TAs operate in a legal framework that protects customers if they have been sold a "package" (two or more elements - say, cruise and flight). Most will also have to fund their contribution to the industry  (ABTA) bond scheme which, again, protects customers in case of the collapse of a business.

 

And, I suspect, a significant difference is that British specialist cruise TAs do not receive the same incentives from O. As far as I know, all of O's preferred TA group (I forget the actual name of the group) are all North American. I understand that. Britons form a smallish % of O's customer base - I recall seeing something suggesting we are only the fifth largest nationality group - smaller than the number of customers from New Zealand. On our recent Nautica cruise, there were only 66 Britons on board.

[Redtravel]

.  You are going to pay tips one way or the other. It’s automatic.  Including tips in fare is ok.  For those loyalty levels that include tips, offer equivalent discount or OBC.