Gratuities Prices

Can someone confirm what the gratuities prices are pp? Do they vary depending on cabin type. We are looking at inside & Balcony cabins on Azura.

Read that it may be £5 each please advise.

Can someone confirm what the gratuities prices are pp? Do they vary depending on cabin type. We are looking at inside & Balcony cabins on Azura.

 

Read that it may be £5 each please advise.

Yes it is £5 each per day, and when we were in a mini suite it was still £5pppd.

The only time you would pay more is in a suite, if you had a butler, as you would pay them as well. These are the auto amounts, you can make them larger or smaller, or take them off as your heart desires (and pay the old way using envelopes)

Thanks for confirming that. Seems reasonable so would leave auto tips on

Believe it or not, the Butlers are included in the £5pppd as well....

Believe it or not, the Butlers are included in the £5pppd as well....

My goodness you are right...I always thought you had an amount on top for them.....

My goodness you are right...I always thought you had an amount on top for them.....

Surely you have to add extra in cash.

Regards John

I saw that about Butlers being included. We have had a suite several times and we have always given extra to the Butler depending on how much extra we asked him to do. On one occasion where we entertained our table to pre dinner drinks on the day when one of the couples had got married on board and we had all been to the ceremony, the Butler went to great lengths to decorate the suite with silver and pink balloons, provided lots of Cds to give background music and served the drinks and canapes. We felt this deserved extra and I think we will still give him extra if we have another suite in the future.

Can someone confirm what the gratuities prices are pp? Do they vary depending on cabin type. We are looking at inside & Balcony cabins on Azura.

 

Read that it may be £5 each please advise.

Hello,

As others have already said £5 per person per day is correct regardless of the type of cabin you book.

Having travelled on a couple of other cruise lines I think P&O tips are by far the cheapest & unlike other cruise lines they don't increase with the type of cabin you have.

I can also confirm that if you're in a suite then the Butlers tips are included.

We leave the auto tips on but we normally give additional tips not only the Butler but the cabin steward as well.

Joan

Hello,

 

As others have already said £5 per person per day is correct regardless of the type of cabin you book.

 

Having travelled on a couple of other cruise lines I think P&O tips are by far the cheapest & unlike other cruise lines they don't increase with the type of cabin you have.

 

I can also confirm that if you're in a suite then the Butlers tips are included.

 

We leave the auto tips on but we normally give additional tips not only the Butler but the cabin steward as well.

 

Joan

"like" .......but oh to have a butler ! In my dreams......:)

Hello,

 

As others have already said £5 per person per day is correct regardless of the type of cabin you book.

 

Having travelled on a couple of other cruise lines I think P&O tips are by far the cheapest & unlike other cruise lines they don't increase with the type of cabin you have.

 

I can also confirm that if you're in a suite then the Butlers tips are included.

 

We leave the auto tips on but we normally give additional tips not only the Butler but the cabin steward as well.

 

Joan

Thanks yes they do seem a lot cheaper than other lines who do increase by stateroom. We also tip extra if we feel extra service has been given.

Unfortunately a suite is pushing it too far lol. Especially when dd is travelling solo

Totally agree, I only wish they would change the name to service charge and make it compulsory and add it to the cruise fare. That would avoid the long line of skinflints at Guest Relations !!

Do you ever think that perhaps people are at reception for other things not just to remove the tips?....

As people on this forum are aware, I`m against paying tips...

Have a great holiday - there is no holiday like a cruise holiday - its incredible !!

Do you ever think that perhaps people are at reception for other things not just to remove the tips?....

 

As people on this forum are aware, I`m against paying tips...

 

Have a great holiday - there is no holiday like a cruise holiday - its incredible !!

Do you ever consider the amount of hours and work that the staff do for a low wage? Don't know about p&o but most cruise lines rely on tips to pay staff a min. Wage. Min wage doesn't apply to cruise staff.

Do you ever consider the amount of hours and work that the staff do for a low wage? Don't know about p&o but most cruise lines rely on tips to pay staff a min. Wage. Min wage doesn't apply to cruise staff.

The low wages are precisely the reason why we leave the auto tips on and then give extra if someone goes the extra mile for us. That said I would prefer that ALL cruise lines would add what is really a service charge on to the cost of the cruise and them pay a decent wage to the crew, that way everyone would be paying and no one would be able to remove the "tips" and the crew would be properly paid rather than relying on the conscience of passengers.

Totally agree, I only wish they would change the name to service charge and make it compulsory and add it to the cruise fare. That would avoid the long line of skinflints at Guest Relations !!

yes!!! you are so right! I had mine in when booking the cruise. it's just a part of cruising

Exactly right. It is not my role as a passenger to,supplement the crews wages. We tip as we feel, not as P&O say we should, and that tip should be a reward NOT a compulsory charge.

Couldn't agree more. By the way Fred Olsen does the same. Same tips whatever cabin you are in.

Babs02 - I`m on holiday when I`m on a ship, I couldnt care less what the staff are paid, nor should they care what I`m paid or how much I paid for my cruise

Before this turns into another tips arguement, I`m on an hourly rate in my job, I work bloody hard to ensure I can have my holiday, I dont care who pays tips and who doesnt, how much the next person paid for their holiday or how much onboard spending money they have aslong as we all have a great time and enjoy ourselves.

Please can we now have NO more discussion on tips please, gets rather boring after a while...

Do you ever consider the amount of hours and work that the staff do for a low wage? Don't know about p&o but most cruise lines rely on tips to pay staff a min. Wage. Min wage doesn't apply to cruise staff.

Actually it does!. Not our UK version though. There is an international minimum wage which I think every relevant country has now ratified. It is a UN thing? It is just over $600 per month which means they are probably on about a £1 per hour :eek:

As for tips, they should be part of the fare. If Thomson can do it anyone can ;)

Actually it does!. Not our UK version though. There is an international minimum wage which I think every relevant country has now ratified. It is a UN thing? It is just over $600 per month which means they are probably on about a £1 per hour :eek:

 

As for tips, they should be part of the fare. If Thomson can do it anyone can ;)

I guess Thomson can do it as they were relatively late to the cruising game, and could set it up how they wanted it (our first 2/3 cruises were with them)

P and O ,going that much longer, with older age demographic, and the old set up with envelopes would find it harder to suddenly change.

Can you guess what would happen if they suddenly put all their prices UP enough to accommodate the grats being included.

I have noticed on other lines that it actually states tips are neither included OR expected and will be refused if offered.

That is the best option.

Even on P and O you get people who leave auto tips on and still feel they need to tip on top...up to them I know, but there is no need.

Do you ever think that perhaps people are at reception for other things not just to remove the tips?....

As people on this forum are aware, I`m against paying tips.

You say you are a cruise fan and are proud of the fact that YOU don't pay tips.

You should be glad that others have principles which enable you to enjoy cruising, because without them there would be very few staff to service YOU.

It is because some people adopt your attitude that a compulsory service charge in place of tips is essential such that cruising standard are maintained and not allowed to fall even further.

Even on P and O you get people who leave auto tips on and still feel they need to tip on top...up to them I know, but there is no need.

I know, I am one of those people......

Although I know there is no need to tip on top, I still feel guilty leaving the dining room on the last night if on fixed dining without leaving a small extra or explaining that I have left the tips in the system. Same with the cabin steward.

Yes, I know there is no need, but I still feel it.

PS I didn't feel the need on my Cunard trip though as the tips were so much more expensive and I didn't feel we had got the same personal treatment!

I know, I am one of those people......

 

Although I know there is no need to tip on top, I still feel guilty leaving the dining room on the last night if on fixed dining without leaving a small extra or explaining that I have left the tips in the system. Same with the cabin steward.

 

Yes, I know there is no need, but I still feel it.

 

PS I didn't feel the need on my Cunard trip though as the tips were so much more expensive and I didn't feel we had got the same personal treatment!

Great minds think alike! We always write a note to thank our waiters and cabin steward and give them a little bit extra. Like you, we didn't do the same on Cunard and for the same reasons.

Mickey89, Thank you for your comment regarding cruising, yes I`m a cruisefan, I LOVE cruising, been on 6 cruises on 4 ships - In case you were wondering my favourite ship is Azura - She holds a lot of memories for me, I got to visit the Baltics last year on Britannia, an incredible part of the world - If you havent done the Baltics I highly recommend it !!

I have NEVER once said I was proud of not paying tips, I dont pay them because I dont believe in paying tips. I`m British not American.

As for the the principles comment, Thank you to you personally for paying tips so that there are staff onboard the ships for me to (obviously...) have run around after me.

Great minds think alike! We always write a note to thank our waiters and cabin steward and give them a little bit extra. Like you, we didn't do the same on Cunard and for the same reasons.

Another one here. We also found the service on Cunard not as welcoming, possibly something to do with there being more Eastern European staff?

Whilst they were efficient, they lacked the personal touch which we have always enjoyed on P &O.