Tipping Policies

[halbfl2]

Webfoot mentioned that the CD doesn't work all yr. Why is that the problem of the passengers? Just because they've chosen a line of work that has a shorter work time shouldn't mean that we make up the difference so they get a year's salary in 6 mo.

[tiggypooo]

As one Ontarioian to another, I've done 2 river cruises in the last 2 years with Uniworld. They are an incredible vacation experience.

Don't let this forum discourage you from doing a trip that you'll thoroughly enjoy. Gratuities are just a very small part of the trip and after experiencing one, I'm sure that you'll have no problem wanting to tip the crew.

You might decide not to tip the suggested amount, but I can almost guarantee that you'll enjoy the trip imensely and the tip will not change that.

Thisforum has gotten way out of control and it's unfortunate that it's gotten to the point that it's changing your mind on such a wonderful vacation experience.

[steamboats]

Again, tiggypooo,

 

I totally agree with you! You just have to learn/know that tips are part of your cruise fare.

 

halbfl2,

 

You obviously don´t have a clue of the German and European job market. There simply is no job for him during the winter season.

 

Again, I totally agree that the current tipping system is not fair at all and that cruise companies shouldn´t count on tips as part of the wages of their employees but pay them fair and raise the cruise fare. Anyway if we passengers don´t pay the tips anymore it´s the weakest of the chain who are suffering. And I doubt that with this thread we can change the whole system.

 

And again, we Europeans didn´t invent this tipping system. It came from the US (and the ocean cruise ships). In fact German cruise companies do have much lower recommended tips or even none.

 

steamboats

[boards]

tiggypooo, thank you for your recommendations and comments. We will definitely talk further with our TA before making a final decision. She believes that a river cruise is something we would really enjoy.

[orchestrapal]

I spoke to Scenic yesterday and although their prices seem slightly higher they have the nicest ships and include everything (tips) in the cruise fare. It might pay to give them a look.:)

[hansi]

My TA is trying to encourage us to take a river cruise, but this thread is convincing me otherwise. The tipping thing is just insane. I am Canadian from Ontario and we just completed a European cruise on Hal and the tipping suggestions were nowhere near the numbers being suggested here. I guess the thought is if you don't like it, don't do it and so, no thank you we are not going to take one.

 

As I have stated before,tipping is not compulsory. Don't let that put you off travelling. I don't let it put me off, as I don't pay any where near the "recommended" amounts.

[AWED23]

tiggypooo, thank you for your recommendations and comments. We will definitely talk further with our TA before making a final decision. She believes that a river cruise is something we would really enjoy.

:D As opposed to "tiggypoo" I have taken 5 river boat cruises along with 50+ ocean cruises. I started this thread because when I got our documents for a "16 day river cruise" (14 days aboard for tipping) I was shocked when I read this years tipping recommendations. 12 euros + 3 Euros per day per person. Our vessel carries 160 people so the math is not difficult. We have never before encountered such a ridiculous recommended ammount . Last year on a 14 day Amsterdam/Budapest cruise with a different and more upscale carrier there was a recommendation from the cruise director when she was asked

that $100 for the two of us would be greatly appreciated by our cruise staff...She also made it known that She would not accept any tips and if any were somehow left for her they woud be put into the crew pool. I decided to put $150 into the pool and that seems to me to be plenty. AS to both "Tiggypoo" and steamboats reasoning vis a vis dollars versus euros.....15 euros or 24 dollars is the same ammount of money....No matter how you cut it this steep raise in the "Recommended rate " is an insult and after I take this cruise I will book any future river cruises with Tauck River Cruises who are totally all inclusive and superior in every other way. Why did we not use the this year?....Good question and I am going to recommend that my Sister divorce her idiot husband for booking this cruise!...River cruising is great in so many ways that I will always do them. It is a great way to visit the more interior parts of Europe...For me, I prefer it to land tours which we have done a lot of. We will still do our ocean cruises each year also...We are fortunate to have both the time and resources to do this. I will not, however, pay the ridiculous equivilent ammount of $48 per day in tips for the two of us. Not 30 euros or 48 dollars. No sir, No maam, it ain't gonna happen....The end.:) :cool: ;)

[Nippy Sweetie]

AWED23 as we say in Scotland- "Gaun Yersel!". I totally agree with you!

[hansi]

Hear, Hear

[AWED23]

:)

AWED23 as we say in Scotland- "Gaun Yersel!". I totally agree with you!

:) Gee, some one who can "Do the math" and reason as well. I was really at a loss trying to understand the Euro Vs. Dollar comments....Your getting it makes the effort worthwhile and I include Hansi as well.......Now we just have to wait and see what "TiggyPooo" and Steamboats come back at me with. I am sure it will be more brilliant sophistry.:) Oops, I just read tiggypooos' profile, She is a TRAVEL AGENT.............Hmmmmmmmmmm.....

[orchestrapal]

AWED23: You are so right. Take a look at Scenic Tours, also all inclusive.:)

[AWED23]

AWED23: You are so right. Take a look at Scenic Tours, also all inclusive.:)

:D I have just started hearing of them but as yet have not seen any reviews from people who have used them..Hopefully you will let us know. I am familiar with Tauck having been on 9 of their land tours and they were first rate. I was able to go aboard one of their boats last July on the Rhein and I was much impressed with the size and lay out of their suites. The Tour "Director" on board sat with me in the lounge and filled me in on the partnership they have that gives them control of the kichen and menu in order for them to assure quality control throghout the cruise experience. Any way, we shall see....Thanks, Rob.

[tiggypooo]

AWED thinks that the tips are not built into Taucks very expensive price.

oh well....................

And me being a travel agent has nothing to do with this entire thing.

Do you think that I'm getting tips too????

I make less than they do.

Enough said........

[AWED23]

AWED thinks that the tips are not built into Taucks very expensive price.

oh well....................

And me being a travel agent has nothing to do with this entire thing.

Do you think that I'm getting tips too????

I make less than they do.

Enough said........

:) Dear T., please point out to me where I indicated that I thought tips were NOT built into a higher cruise price??? There is a market out there for more "All inclusive" river boat cruising. Both Scenic and Tauck are filling up with people wishing to cruise in a little more room and not being nickle and dimed to death. As a TA you should know that and have your facts better organized....Just my opinion of course....But it is mine!:cool:

[steamboats]

AWED23,

 

I can do my maths too. And I´d stated before that I´d prefer to have the tips included in the cruise fare and I too don´t understand why I as a passenger have to pay parts of the wages of the crew. And I definitely don´t understand why I should pay a mandatory "service charge" as many companies are calling it now (NCL as an example is charging a service charge of 10 USD pp / pn).

 

Anyway 15 EUR = 24 USD, that´s correct. But again those people who are tipped have to pay their expenses in Euro not in USD. That´s why tips are made in EUR not in USD on European river cruise ships. And unfortunately comparing the value of the Euro to the USD I have to say that 1 EUR = 1 USD. Prices are much higher over here and when you spend a dollar for something I have to pay 1 Euro for the same thing. I already told you our current gas price over here in Germany. We are paying app. 8.50 USD for one gallon!!

 

And I´m still surprised that you are surprised by the amount of the recommended tips. Again: These amounts are no secrets! Most cruise companies do publish them on their websites. And if not then simply make a search on this board or ask a question prior to booking!

 

BTW those recommended amounts haven´t changed much since last year. But what has changed is the exchange rate. Last year the exchange rate was app. 1.25 USD for 1 EUR. With that exchange rate your 15 EUR = 19 USD. As for the CD he got 3.75 USD last year and this year it´s 4.70 USD. But for him it´s still 3 EUR, this year and last year.

 

steamboats

 

who BTW is neither a TA nor working in the travel industry.

[AWED23]

AWED23,

 

I can do my maths too. And I´d stated before that I´d prefer to have the tips included in the cruise fare and I too don´t understand why I as a passenger have to pay parts of the wages of the crew. And I definitely don´t understand why I should pay a mandatory "service charge" as many companies are calling it now (NCL as an example is charging a service charge of 10 USD pp / pn).

 

Anyway 15 EUR = 24 USD, that´s correct. But again those people who are tipped have to pay their expenses in Euro not in USD. That´s why tips are made in EUR not in USD on European river cruise ships. And unfortunately comparing the value of the Euro to the USD I have to say that 1 EUR = 1 USD. Prices are much higher over here and when you spend a dollar for something I have to pay 1 Euro for the same thing. I already told you our current gas price over here in Germany. We are paying app. 8.50 USD for one gallon!!

 

And I´m still surprised that you are surprised by the amount of the recommended tips. Again: These amounts are no secrets! Most cruise companies do publish them on their websites. And if not then simply make a search on this board or ask a question prior to booking!

 

BTW those recommended amounts haven´t changed much since last year. But what has changed is the exchange rate. Last year the exchange rate was app. 1.25 USD for 1 EUR. With that exchange rate your 15 EUR = 19 USD. As for the CD he got 3.75 USD last year and this year it´s 4.70 USD. But for him it´s still 3 EUR, this year and last year.

 

steamboats

 

who BTW is neither a TA nor working in the travel industry.

:D :) Steamboats, I know that you are not a TA. I also know how knowledgeable you are about river cruising. I almost always enjoy your posts as a point of interest and education. Somehow, in my opinion, you have seemed to have missed a basic point of fact. 15 euros equals 24 dollars. We apparently agree on that though it can change quickly. My point restated differently would be that I agree to pay in Euros. My cost for 15 euros is $24.....Now do you see it a little differently? To you 30 euros per day per couple may seem entirely fair but to me and some others it looks to be about double what we tip/pay anywhere else aboard a ship.:) The basic economic fact is that I have to buy my suggested 30 euros per day per couple with MY MONEY which happens to be (currently) $48....If I were Canadian that would still be $48.....I earn $.....I payed for the cruise with dollars and no matter the form that they are in they will come from my BANK as a debit in $ to me.....GGG,...get it, got it, good!!!

[smeyer418]

AWED23,

 

And I´d stated before that I´d prefer to have the tips included in the cruise fare and I too don´t understand why I as a passenger have to pay parts of the wages of the crew. And I definitely don´t understand why I should pay a mandatory "service charge" as many companies are calling it now (NCL as an example is charging a service charge of 10 USD pp / pn)....

 

 

whether its part(included) in the cruise fare or its a service charge or its a tip YOU are still paying for it. For the most part(there are some exceptions) the ones that include it in the fare charge the most on a per diem basis. When its included as part of the base fare it costs the cruise company MORE to get the same amount to the crew. They have to pay taxes on it, they have to be commission on it(although they can put it into NCF but the TA's are beginning to complain about how much they are not getting commissions on and at least one cruise line has recognized the value of TA's by decreasing its in house staff) and if they are a public company they are expected to maintain their profit margins. I personally don't want to pay more than I have to to get the money to those that deserve it. and finally even on the all inclusive's for the most part the employees still expect to be tipped.

 

 

So you can do one of three things.

1.stiff the employees because the company should pay

2. Tip the recommended amount if the service is acceptable(and more if it is exceptional

3. be cheap and just tip less because that is your prerogative- a good Christian response to your fellow man(or woman)

[Signor John]

Anyway if we passengers don't pay the tips anymore it´s the weakest of the chain who are suffering.

 

Bingo. Memo to skinflints: Instead of penalizing hardworking cruise-ship employees, why not write to the cruise lines and say you won't cruise with them again until they pay decent wages and eliminate tipping (even if that means higher fares)?

[Nippy Sweetie]

Thats a good idea Signor John. Might well do that. One small point to mention though- the crew are not press ganged. They do have a choice. I realise that for some there may be little alternative but for others its a great training opportunity at the start of more lucrative careers. I suspect that many of us have worked as waiters or shop assistants when we were younger as a means to an end, to make a little money before going on to Further Education. Currencies and economies vary enormously, what might seem a pittance to some is a very substantial wage to thers.

As to commission only cruise directors- no sympathy. If thats how they have negotiated to work on ships fair play to them but they take their chance & can do other work over the Winter.

As I`ve previously stated I`ll pay tips if I am sufficiently impressed to do so and will not be morally blackmailed into anything.

[smeyer418]

Thats a good idea Signor John. Might well do that. One small point to mention though- the crew are not press ganged. They do have a choice. I realise that for some there may be little alternative but for others its a great training opportunity at the start of more lucrative careers. I suspect that many of us have worked as waiters or shop assistants when we were younger as a means to an end, to make a little money before going on to Further Education. Currencies and economies vary enormously, what might seem a pittance to some is a very substantial wage to thers.

As to commission only cruise directors- no sympathy. If thats how they have negotiated to work on ships fair play to them but they take their chance & can do other work over the Winter.

As I`ve previously stated I`ll pay tips if I am sufficiently impressed to do so and will not be morally blackmailed into anything.

 

When they were hired they were told that the passengers would tip. They were showed the guidelines. From the posts here you can see a small group of particularly nasty passengers don't believe in their part of the social contract to tip. The vast majority of the passengers tip generously. The only way to assure that the contract is met is to make the tipping as a service charge mandatory. If enough people don't tip that is what exactly will happen as it as started to happen on some of the cruise ships because of this reason. Perhaps they should form a Union/Guild to make it mandatory..

 

By the way the fact that a certain group has a reputation doesn't mean that an individual within the group will do that. There are obviously skin flit Americans as well as generous Britishers.

 

And tipping is not started by us Yanks. Its a primarily British custom at the turn of the last century.. I know some of you non British Uk-ers obviously don't like it. There is a reason why the Brits have a reputation of non generosity (as opposed to the bloody Americans-you know- over paid over sexed and over there)

 

 

One more point the social contract above includes things like what you wear for dinner, how you behave when people are around you etc. I am always amazed that many(but not all) people who complain about having to tip as something being imposed on them object to what other people wear to dinner. If you feel its totally up to you then you should not object to my wearing shorts to dinner(which I don't do by the way) or talking on my cell phone at a restaurant as I obviously have the same right to obey the social contract as you have not to tip because you didn't feel the service met your subjective feeling of what is "right".

[Nippy Sweetie]

Whats a non British Uker? Obviously I am as ignorant of that fact as some other are of different countries` customs and habits and of the fact that time marches on.

We will never all reach any agreement on this topic & its descending into abuse (see above!) Maybe its time to let this thread quietly fade away?

[smeyer418]

Whats a non British Uker? Obviously I am as ignorant of that fact as some other are of different countries` customs and habits and of the fact that time marches on.

We will never all reach any agreement on this topic & its descending into abuse (see above!) Maybe its time to let this thread quietly fade away?

 

Abuse? Are Scots Brits? Yes obviously logic and facts won't effec t most people who have made up their minds about this. As I have said before most people who ask do we have to tip this much? are looking for an excuse not to. as opposed to what are the tipping guidelines? reasonable people can disagree about the guidelines but not whether you should tip or not.

[steamboats]

The story I´ve told about the Germans who were forced to sign contracts with a company of Romania I need to add something: Those folks didn´t have a real choice. They were all jobless. The employment agency sent them to training classes to get a job on a cruise ship. They all were in high hopes. No one ever told them that they have to work 16 hours 24/7 for more or less nothing and that part of their wages is "free room and food aboard" (which helps a lot when you still have to pay your rent for your land based appartment and a family living there). If they hadn´t signed the contract they´d have also lost the unemployment money (because they denied to sign a job contract). And they were also told that they have to repay the money for their training if they don´t contract.

 

And of course they were told that part of their wages are the tips.

 

Sure I don´t agree with those practices but we have to face reality too. It´s a pretty difficult reality which a web of companies registered all over the world. You as a passenger only see the cruise company. But on the ships you might find three companies involved, one for general management, one for the hotel department, one for the navigation department. And none of the crew is directly working for the cruise company you´ve contracted with.

 

And BTW during the off season in March, early April, November when ships aren´t filled up those who are tipped are also getting less tips.

 

steamboats

[smeyer418]

I assume that for most of the tipped staff when the ship's are not scheduled to be full, they reduce the number of staff. Most cruise leaders aren't cruise directors for the entire ship but a smaller portion. Less people not necessarily smaller groups. On the river cruises I have been on there were multiple cruise leaders for each group. The group size varied by company(Viking was larger others were smaller including some of the Gate 1 groups)

[AWED23]

Whats a non British Uker? Obviously I am as ignorant of that fact as some other are of different countries` customs and habits and of the fact that time marches on.

We will never all reach any agreement on this topic & its descending into abuse (see above!) Maybe its time to let this thread quietly fade away?

:D I agree.....Time to stick a fork in it....It's done.....Some are not here to exchange ideas or opinions anyway and with their blinkers on can only see where their closed view allows.:cool: