Crew Appreciation

[hlk08003]

Is Crew Appreciation mandatory? How much is it?

 

[doghog]

6 minutes ago, hlk08003 said:

Is Crew Appreciation mandatory? How much is it?

 

https://www.princess.com/html/global/disclaimers/crew-appreciation/

[555]

If you don't have a "package" it can be removed if you feel service wasn't up to expectations.

I have yet to feel the need since all our trips have been satisfactory. 

If you have a package, you have no choice to having it removed no matter what the reason.

[1965]

They're not mandatory. You can remove them. But I never have, never will. I don't tip extra, but I leave the automatic daily grats in place. 

[cruzsnooze]

2 hours ago, hlk08003 said:

Is Crew Appreciation mandatory? How much is it?

 

It's suggested. You can adjust the amount upper. lower or eliminate it at guest services. I reduce the amount to $10 PP PD which is my choice, not everyone feels the same but it's your option.

Edited May 14 by cruzsnooze

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Princess has the same situation with gratuities as NCL... since you asked this same question last year on NCL board: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2965822-daily-service-fees/

 

[555]

3 hours ago, 1965 said:

They're not mandatory. You can remove them. But I never have, never will. I don't tip extra, but I leave the automatic daily grats in place. 

It is if you have a package. Then you're SOL if you do have a major complaint. 

[memoak]

25 minutes ago, 555 said:

It is if you have a package. Then you're SOL if you do have a major complaint. 

The people I see at guest services have complaints about waiting 10 minutes for a table in the MDR when they had a reservation or complaining about how an order wasn’t delivered from the app. I don’t consider those as major or even have anything to do with service

[TRLD]

57 minutes ago, 555 said:

It is if you have a package. Then you're SOL if you do have a major complaint. 

If you are that concerned about potential service issues where you might want to cut the CA amount, then the answer is keep your powder dry and do not buy a package.

[ChemistBabe]

Not mandatory, but customary, expected, and part of the crew's anticipated compensation.

[JimmyVWine]

39 minutes ago, memoak said:

The people I see at guest services have complaints about waiting 10 minutes for a table in the MDR when they had a reservation

The definition of insanity.  Waiting in a 20 minute line at Guest Services to complain about having had to wait in a 10 minute line at dinner the night before.

 

Never quite understood the whole "reduce the crew gratuity because one issue arose or one crew member failed" thingy  Since the gratuity is spread across the entire crew, the act of trying to punish one crew member results in the entire crew feeling it.  Better to leave the gratuity in place and blast the one crew member on a comments card.  Reducing the gratuity is an invisible gesture and does nothing to improve service.  Calling out a failing crew member by name will not be ignored by their manager.      

[MacMadame]

18 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

Never quite understood the whole "reduce the crew gratuity because one issue arose or one crew member failed" thingy  Since the gratuity is spread across the entire crew, the act of trying to punish one crew member results in the entire crew feeling it.  Better to leave the gratuity in place and blast the one crew member on a comments card.  Reducing the gratuity is an invisible gesture and does nothing to improve service.  Calling out a failing crew member by name will not be ignored by their manager.      

The pool is also fleet-wide so you are punishing crew on ships you aren't even on.

[Potstech]

Plus you are also paying crew who have never served you in any way on your current cruise. No one is being " punished".

[cruzsnooze]

2 hours ago, MacMadame said:

The pool is also fleet-wide so you are punishing crew on ships you aren't even on.

And also tipping crew that didn't even serve you. The whole system as implemented is a rip off. Crew keep very little of the money passengers are charged for "appreciation".

[JimmyVWine]

7 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

Crew keep very little of the money passengers are charged for "appreciation".

All the more reason to ensure that they get every crumb they can, no?

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, Potstech said:

Plus you are also paying crew who have never served you in any way on your current cruise. No one is being " punished".

Only in the same way others are contributing to the pool the crew on your ship is paid from.

 

Princess went to the fleet wide pool a number of years ago because there was a difference in tipping on some routes based upon the nationality mix  of the passengers. Cruises based out of Southampton with a larger number of UK passengers, for example, would tip less overall, than would a cruise itinerary out of Fort Lauderdale. That resulted in some resentment from crew members assigned to some itineraries.

 

As a result Princess changed from a ship based pool to a fleet wide pool where the payouts were level across the fleet determined by performance and position, instead of which itinerary the ship was on.

[TRLD]

2 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

And also tipping crew that didn't even serve you. The whole system as implemented is a rip off. Crew keep very little of the money passengers are charged for "appreciation".

Upon what do you base your claim.

 

I can list the US accounting and reporting regulations that would indicate differently.

 

Please find anything in any of the financial filings of any of the big 3 cruise holding companies that indicates that they are processing any of the crew appreciation money as revenue.

 

In otherworlds show anything that supports your claim.

Edited May 15 by TRLD

[Shippy]

I tend to feel that people who have to ask.....do not want to pay it & probably will not..

just an old persons thought....

Nothing new...in the OLD days, you were given a bunch of envelopes to put money in & hand out the last night. Amazing how some people skipped out of the dining room dinner that night & some actually handed out empty envelopes to look to everyone like they were kind & generous.

I think that is actually why they started automatically including the gratuities.

[TRLD]

Just now, Shippy said:

I tend to feel that people who have to ask.....do not want to pay it & probably will not..

just an old persons thought....

Nothing new...in the OLD days, you were given a bunch of envelopes to put money in & hand out the last night. Amazing how some people skipped out of the dining room dinner that night & some actually handed out empty envelopes to look to everyone like they were kind & generous.

I think that is actually why they started automatically including the gratuities.

Was kind of amazing how the dining room was full every night, until the last night, then it would be half full the last night back then.

 

 

[tothemall&beyond]

2 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

All the more reason to ensure that they get every crumb they can, no?

Nope. Actually, what means the most to them are the post-cruise surveys. They get bonuses, promotions and time off for good comments. Have confirmed this with many crew members!

[TRLD]

5 minutes ago, tothemall&beyond said:

Nope. Actually, what means the most to them are the post-cruise surveys. They get bonuses, promotions and time off for good comments. Have confirmed this with many crew members!

Yes and no. Yes in that the post cruise surveys can have the biggest impact on crew recognition, promotions, bonus awards, etc. So they clearly have the biggest impact on what passengers on board can do for crew members that do an excellent job.

 

No, in that a substantial percentage of total compensation, as well as funding for bonuses and other awards come from the pool funded by crew appreciation and service charge payments. 

 

A crew favorable mention in the post cruise survey is probably worth more to them than a single tip handed to them.

Edited May 15 by TRLD

[Teechur]

Crew appreciation is simply a way the cruise lines can offer lower initial prices for cruises and remain competitive. It is part of the overall cost of cruising, just like baggage fees, and "preferred" seats on airlines. Hotels do the same thing with resort fees, and separate parking fees.

 

The biggest offenders are VRBO-type agencies where a room for one night is $99 and at the end of the booking, you discover that the taxes and fees add an additional $500. I recently had this happen in Maui. 🤬

 

California is enacting a law that will require booking agencies to show the exact cost at the beginning of each booking (tax not included).

[tothemall&beyond]

On 5/14/2024 at 5:25 PM, memoak said:

The people I see at guest services have complaints about waiting 10 minutes for a table in the MDR when they had a reservation or complaining about how an order wasn’t delivered from the app. I don’t consider those as major or even have anything to do with service

You obviously haven't heard what most people are actually complaining about. On the 32 night cruise we just finished, lines were long because people had issues ranging from not being able to get into any of the 5 dining rooms until after 8pm, to mold and mildew in cabins, to floods from broken pipes, to balcony doors that literally fell off. Those are major issues although admittedly not related to service! But many people also had valid complaints about staffing with insufficient numbers of crew members, which did negatively affect service

[memoak]

25 minutes ago, tothemall&beyond said:

You obviously haven't heard what most people are actually complaining about. On the 32 night cruise we just finished, lines were long because people had issues ranging from not being able to get into any of the 5 dining rooms until after 8pm, to mold and mildew in cabins, to floods from broken pipes, to balcony doors that literally fell off. Those are major issues although admittedly not related to service! But many people also had valid complaints about staffing with insufficient numbers of crew members, which did negatively affect service

After 35 years and 60 cruises I have heard it all and almost  none of them have to do with service. Yes I have missed ports, had mold in cabins etc and accepted discounts but never lowered my tops since none of them are really faults of crew members