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QM2 gratuities


bubbe2005
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So I read that $11 PP, per day is automatically charged to your onboard account, and as we are 4 (2 adults, 2 kids) that's $44 per day, $308 for 7 days..do I have a choice to remove this option?

 

The following was copied from http://www.cunard.com/frequent-questions/

 

"How does tipping work?

 

During your voyage, you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. Many more crew support those who serve you directly. A discretionary Hotel and Dining charge will be added to your shipboard account on a daily basis for each passenger (including children). This charge will be shared amongst all those who help provide and support your experience, including the waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards and others. Please note, this is a discretionary charge and should you wish to remove it or make any adjustments, you may contact the Purser’s Desk before the end of the cruise.

 

Grill Accommodations: $13.50 USD per person per day†

Britannia Accommodations: $11.50 USD per person per day†

 

Note: Casino dealers and Spa personnel do not share in the Hotel and Dining charge as not all guests utilise these services.

 

What about gratuities in the bars?

 

A 15% gratuity is added to your bar charges and dining room wine account. This is shared amongst the beverage staff and their support staff.

 

† Charges may vary or change without notice."

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Tipping is a hot button issue here. CruiseCritic has a detailed explanation here: An Insiders Guide to Cruise Tipping.

 

Gratuities are certainly at your discretion. But generally, YES, you should tip for the children. Your children are still eating, drinking, sleeping, bathing, etc. They often use more of the facilities and services than do adults (i.e. Youth programs and activities, for which you are not expected to tip; special meal requests that the staff try to honor to please the children; room service; extra bedding, towels, that need to be cleaned and refreshed). The staff will work very hard to make sure you and your children have a wonderful crossing - reward them accordingly.

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Yes, tips can be removed --- you will be expected to explain why you felt service was unsatisfactory. The cruise lines do this as an incentive pay program - it is made clear to passengers that that is the mechanism by which the crew who provide services are encouraged to provide very good service. Many passengers will give additional cash tips to those crew members who went above and beyond.

 

A number of people do remove/reduce the charge - just because they can. I suppose there will always be people willing to short change anybody any time they can. But it should be seen as part of the cost of your passage - which you can adjust for failure to meet reasonable expectations.

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I was in the US last autumn and some hotels where printing "suggested tips" of 22% on their checks. 22% !!! If America carries on like this it will soon be that the tips are more than the initial cost. It's just a way to keep the price down and then whack it up with the tip - it's fooling no one.

 

Oddly, I've been to the US quite a few times and I just accept that tips are part of the US culture. But last year's holiday pushed me over the edge.

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Yes, tips can be removed --- you will be expected to explain why you felt service was unsatisfactory. The cruise lines do this as an incentive pay program - it is made clear to passengers that that is the mechanism by which the crew who provide services are encouraged to provide very good service. Many passengers will give additional cash tips to those crew members who went above and beyond.

 

A number of people do remove/reduce the charge - just because they can. I suppose there will always be people willing to short change anybody any time they can. But it should be seen as part of the cost of your passage - which you can adjust for failure to meet reasonable expectations.

 

Because a 'guest' (read customer) chooses to tip ship's personnel based on their personal experience does not mean they are "willing to short change anybody any time they can". We've always kept the auto tips and tipped extra for butler or exceptional individual service. However, as a principle, it should be a choice according to service received - or not; OR included in the cruise fare. Different cultures have different attitudes to this issue. We would prefer crew to be paid well by their employer, with tipping reserved for exceptional service on occasions. Azamara and Seabourn do it well.

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If we keep the auto -gratuities on - as we will - would our cabin steward and MDR waiter still expect an envelope at the end of the cruise?

Are they informed that we have paid the auto tips?

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One thing that concerned me on my recent TA on Queen Victoria was that the auto-tips did not appear on the statement until the very last minute, whereas I am used to them showing up on the statement by Day 2. I had received two statements that did not detail them and actually phoned the Purser's office to see if the system was still in place. Passengers who had not read up on this practice, therefore did not know about the auto gratuities. I had one newbie asking me about gratuities. He was pleased to hear of the auto system, but if he hadn't asked me, he would no doubt have given out envelopes to people and then discovered the auto gratuities on top of it.

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If we keep the auto -gratuities on - as we will - would our cabin steward and MDR waiter still expect an envelope at the end of the cruise?

Are they informed that we have paid the auto tips?

 

I understand that they are informed when the auto tip is removed. No they won't expect an envelope but would be pleased if there was one.

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As ours is only a short 2 night leg, I'm unsure as to how much to give extra without appearing patronising, mean or over the top.

 

It's obviously a very personal and subjective thing but I would think $10 each to the various parties would work.

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Thanks Captn P. That's very helpful.

 

Auto TIPS are pooled, including those on cocktail bills. So your favorite waiter in the dining room, for example, might not necessarily receive the amount you believe you are giving him. And— it's been said— that not all monies received in the Auto-Tip pool are actually distributed to crew. I'm finding more and more passengers are opting-out of Auto-Tips so they can be sure their money actually goes to the crew-member they have bonded with, and truly wish to thank.

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Auto TIPS are pooled, including those on cocktail bills. So your favorite waiter in the dining room, for example, might not necessarily receive the amount you believe you are giving him. And— it's been said— that not all monies received in the Auto-Tip pool are actually distributed to crew. I'm finding more and more passengers are opting-out of Auto-Tips so they can be sure their money actually goes to the crew-member they have bonded with, and truly wish to thank.

 

if the auto tips are removed and any money is received from a grateful passenger by a crew member, that crew member is duty bound to hand the payment in and that payment is then added to the pooled auto tips. Therefore the passenger isn't achieving what he set out to do and the whole thing is a waste of time. It is better to leave the tips in place and give a reward to those who deserve it. The 15% on bar bills is only split between the bartenders and the waiters/pantry staff.

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If we keep the auto -gratuities on - as we will - would our cabin steward and MDR waiter still expect an envelope at the end of the cruise?

Are they informed that we have paid the auto tips?

 

Some do give the impression that they expect the envelope but if you have not removed the auto's there is no need to give more unless you wish. Or in fact if you have.

 

Tipping as operated on cruise ships (by no means all) is unfair on all parties, both passengers and hotel staff.

 

Tips could and should be incorporated in the price. Cunard won't because they are racing the competition to the bottom.

 

David.

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The Automatic Tipping policy is now virtually in effect on all cruise lines.

For me it eliminates the pressures of that last night .

For the crew , it is fair to all and eliminates those that skip out of the dining room on that last night.

Please don't fight the system, it works for everyone involved.

For that rare case of bad service , it should be reported and tip adjusted when it happens, not the last day.

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Some do give the impression that they expect the envelope but if you have not removed the auto's there is no need to give more unless you wish. Or in fact if you have.

 

Tipping as operated on cruise ships (by no means all) is unfair on all parties, both passengers and hotel staff.

 

Tips could and should be incorporated in the price. Cunard won't because they are racing the competition to the bottom.

 

David.

 

How else would you suggest incentivizing performance of staff whose primary function is to provide personal service? Paying everyone the same might be seen as fair to the staff, but removing from passengers the ability to objectively and effectively protest unsatisfactory service may not be seen as fair to them -- since service is a major element of the cruise experience.

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removing from passengers the ability to objectively and effectively protest unsatisfactory service may not be seen as fair to them -- since service is a major element of the cruise experience.

 

To me that is where the problem lies. A tip should be something that you give to reward exemplary service, not something that you take away in the event of poor service.

 

It makes no odds to me if the 'tip' is included in the fare or charged separately as we leave the auto tips in place regardless, but it would prevent a whole heap of debate and bad feeling if it was part of the fare and everyone got paid a little more. No other issue seems to take up so much forum time.

 

I've always assumed it was a tax or other fiscal operating issue which somehow saved the cruise companies money by having the auto tips effectively as part of the crew's pay. Can't think of any other reason for it.

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...However, as a principle, it should be a choice according to service received - or not; OR included in the cruise fare. Different cultures have different attitudes to this issue. We would prefer crew to be paid well by their employer, with tipping reserved for exceptional service on occasions. Azamara and Seabourn do it well.

 

In theory it would make more sense to just price a fare "all in". In practice however the slackers among the crew would have no reduction in pay for lousy service and indifferent attitudes.

 

Not having sailed on Azamara or Seabourn I can't comment on how well or poorly that is working although these tend to be more upscale - rather than mass market - lines.

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How else would you suggest incentivizing performance of staff whose primary function is to provide personal service? Paying everyone the same might be seen as fair to the staff, but removing from passengers the ability to objectively and effectively protest unsatisfactory service may not be seen as fair to them -- since service is a major element of the cruise experience.

 

navybankerteacher, good point, but unfortunately, there are passengers who decide to remove the Hotel and Dining Charge not because of unsatisfactory service as illustrated by the OP's original question on this thread.

 

Ideally, I believe tips would be included in the fare, but we need to deal with the reality of the current situation. In my opinion, leaving the H&D charge in place is something that all passengers should do, with the exception of bad service - and should that be the case, I agree with what MCC Retired wrote earlier " For that rare case of bad service , it should be reported and tip adjusted when it happens, not the last day."

 

That some passengers give a gratuity (in addition to the H&D charge) to those who provide excellent service is perhaps one reason why we see some of the same crew members on different voyages over the years: their income is higher because their hard work is rewarded by grateful passengers. -S.

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Who has told you that the auto-tip may not be distributed? It is always stated in the disembarkation programme that we can be assured the crew receive the auto-tip.

 

I didn't say Auto-Tip is not distributed. I said it may not ALL be distributed. I've heard from a few staff/crew members on various cruise lines. Also, check Cruise Law News.

Edited by Island Venturer
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Auto TIPS are pooled, including those on cocktail bills. So your favorite waiter in the dining room, for example, might not necessarily receive the amount you believe you are giving him. And— it's been said— that not all monies received in the Auto-Tip pool are actually distributed to crew. I'm finding more and more passengers are opting-out of Auto-Tips so they can be sure their money actually goes to the crew-member they have bonded with, and truly wish to thank.

 

According to many posts on the HAL line (and I don't know if this applies to Cunard as well), if you choose out of auto-tips, your name goes on a list distributed to your cabin stewards. Not only do you risk not getting their usual excellent service, but if you do tip them personally at the end of the trip, they cannot keep the tip. It does into a general pool. So any good intention of tipping the room steward directly will not be accomplished.

 

We usually tip additional to the room stewards and the DR stewards. Because we do not opt out of auto tips, the stewards are then allowed to keep the tips. Again, I am speaking of HAL, so I would appreciate info as to Cunard's policy.

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