Are Gratuities going up AGAIN next week ?

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-blogs/hannahsharbours/gratuities-why-oh-why-oh-why/?affref=crukfb&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social-online&utm_campaign=hannah-grats-blog-250317

Just read this on Facebook....

Yes, there is a thread [emoji4] Have P&O finally lost the plot

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2471051

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Put it down to inflation, I can see the 'remove auto tip line' at the Pursers desk getting longer, just like ye olde Conga Line.

It is still one of the cheapest cruise lines for tips. Cunard/Royal Caribbean/ Celebrity are all $11.95 or even $12.50.

Unfortunately I agree the 'take the tips off line' is going to get bigger and those of us who pay the tips will be subsidising everyone else. I just wish they would include in the price.

It is still one of the cheapest cruise lines for tips. Cunard/Royal Caribbean/ Celebrity are all $11.95 or even $12.50.

 

NCL is $13.99 now! It's starting to take the p. I can live with what P&O charge compared to that.

The sooner tips are included in the price the better. An extra 50 quid a week is nothing really and would stop all this moaning and whinging. Some posters wouldn't know what to write about, another bonus methinks.

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The sooner tips are included in the price the better. An extra 50 quid a week is nothing really and would stop all this moaning and whinging. Some posters wouldn't know what to write about, another bonus methinks.

 

 

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The problem with doing that, as seen on some lines that already do it is that passengers then get guilt tripped into tipping unscrupulous staff who milk the situation.

Leave it as is and make auto-tipping compulsory.

Why do people queue to remove their tips? Why not do it while you're passing when the reception desk is empty. Surely you can do this at any time, is there a set time limit?

It is still one of the cheapest cruise lines for tips. Cunard/Royal Caribbean/ Celebrity are all $11.95 or even $12.50.

 

Unfortunately I agree the 'take the tips off line' is going to get bigger and those of us who pay the tips will be subsidising everyone else. I just wish they would include in the price.

My sentiments too.

love sailing with RCCL

The sooner tips are included in the price the better. An extra 50 quid a week is nothing really and would stop all this moaning and whinging. Some posters wouldn't know what to write about, another bonus methinks.

 

 

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Yes then your tip would be a proper tip rather than a service charge with a guilt trip attached.

love sailing with RCCL

It is still one of the cheapest cruise lines for tips. Cunard/Royal Caribbean/ Celebrity are all $11.95 or even $12.50.

 

Unfortunately I agree the 'take the tips off line' is going to get bigger and those of us who pay the tips will be subsidising everyone else. I just wish they would include in the price.

Why do people queue to remove their tips? Why not do it while you're passing when the reception desk is empty. Surely you can do this at any time, is there a set time limit?

My opinion is that you should only be able to cancel auto-tips from now. If you embark and feel that you wish to pay tips in cash then this should be done first day. Most people leave the auto-tips on until the last couple of days lulling staff into the belief that there service has been regarded as very good and they will get the full auto amount. Then last day or so the whole amount for the cruise is removed. This is inappropriate in my opinion especially when people put the reason for stopping the tips as something totally unrelated to the standard of service staff have given.

Regards John

I would never remove my tips as i understand how the crew are paid.I personally dont understand how people could be so cruel as the crew deserve every penny especially when most of them go months without seeing their loved ones.

love sailing with RCCL

I intend to remove the auto tips on the first day and tip in cash daily to those whom I consider have given us good service.

Will probably be around the same if not slightly more but it is something that I feel strongly about. Tips are for good service not poor or average but good

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I have always paid my auto-gratuities but we heard from a member of the crew on our latest cruise that he'd lost his tips because of complaints by a couple of passengers. He was a lovely person but pretty new to his role so very much at the learning stage so I though that was too harsh. It would really upset me to think that say my waiters or steward lost their tips because other people complained despite the fact that I was happy with the service I got.

For that reason we will not be paying the auto-gratuity charge on our next cruise but we've been collecting £5 notes so we can tip whichever waiter we have in Freedom dining every night. We will also tip our breakfast waiter and our steward at the end to more than the equivalent amount we would have been charged. BTW I've always collected £1 / £2 coins to tip room service which we use quite a lot so this is NOT because I disagree with the concept of tipping. These guys deserve every penny they get

If you want to remove the tips you can only do it on the day P&O say so it used to be first sea day now it's in middle of cruise you have to go to reception where they hand out the forms on a certain day then return it when they say to do that's why there's a queue on that day

I have always paid my auto-gratuities but we heard from a member of the crew on our latest cruise that he'd lost his tips because of complaints by a couple of passengers. He was a lovely person but pretty new to his role so very much at the learning stage so I though that was too harsh. It would really upset me to think that say my waiters or steward lost their tips because other people complained despite the fact that I was happy with the service I got.

 

For that reason we will not be paying the auto-gratuity charge on our next cruise but we've been collecting £5 notes so we can tip whichever waiter we have in Freedom dining every night. We will also tip our breakfast waiter and our steward at the end to more than the equivalent amount we would have been charged. BTW I've always collected £1 / £2 coins to tip room service which we use quite a lot so this is NOT because I disagree with the concept of tipping. These guys deserve every penny they get

We prepay our tips on the understanding that the relevant crew members are rewarded and the fact this crew member did not opens a bag of worms as to where his tips went and begs the question why should we autogratuity? If that person was our waiter we deemed he gets a tip and would be upset if he didn't and gives justification to why some people stop their autogratuities.

love sailing with RCCL

If you want to remove the tips you can only do it on the day P&O say so it used to be first sea day now it's in middle of cruise you have to go to reception where they hand out the forms on a certain day then return it when they say to do that's why there's a queue on that day

Not so. You can have them removed at any time. You do have to fill in a form but it's not restricted to one day only.

Not so. You can have them removed at any time. You do have to fill in a form but it's not restricted to one day only.

Thats what i thought.If you have a genuine reason you should be allowed to stop them but to date i never have.

love sailing with RCCL

I don't like the idea of auto tips being removed at all. However P&O tips are lower than the US lines but I have to say we are constantly bowled over by the exceptional service on the US lines such that despite their higher gratuities we've always tipped extra in cash.

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We prepay our tips on the understanding that the relevant crew members are rewarded and the fact this crew member did not opens a bag of worms as to where his tips went and begs the question why should we autogratuity? If that person was our waiter we deemed he gets a tip and would be upset if he didn't and gives justification to why some people stop their autogratuities.

 

love sailing with RCCL

Exactly how I feel and I complained to P&O when I got home about this system. Apparently it si distributed amongst other staff. I don't want that. I want the person who's served me to get what they deserve - hence my change. I have long been an advocate of auto-gratuities so this is a big about-face for me

Exactly how I feel and I complained to P&O when I got home about this system. Apparently it si distributed amongst other staff. I don't want that. I want the person who's served me to get what they deserve - hence my change. I have long been an advocate of auto-gratuities so this is a big about-face for me

I agree i want my tips to go to people that have waited on us not someone who hadn't.It really has me thinking of this now with P&O for the future.

love sailing with RCCL

My opinion is that you should only be able to cancel auto-tips from now. If you embark and feel that you wish to pay tips in cash then this should be done first day. Most people leave the auto-tips on until the last couple of days lulling staff into the belief that there service has been regarded as very good and they will get the full auto amount. Then last day or so the whole amount for the cruise is removed. This is inappropriate in my opinion especially when people put the reason for stopping the tips as something totally unrelated to the standard of service staff have given.

My understanding from hearing conversations at the reception desk, is P&O tell people asking to cancel the optional gratuities is the forms are not available until a few days into the cruise and then need to be submitted a few days later.

I could speculate on the reasons on why P&O want to delay customers removing the optional charge, but you can't blame the customers for following the process.

I have always paid my auto-gratuities but we heard from a member of the crew on our latest cruise that he'd lost his tips because of complaints by a couple of passengers. He was a lovely person but pretty new to his role so very much at the learning stage so I though that was too harsh. It would really upset me to think that say my waiters or steward lost their tips because other people complained despite the fact that I was happy with the service I got.

 

 

 

For that reason we will not be paying the auto-gratuity charge on our next cruise but we've been collecting £5 notes so we can tip whichever waiter we have in Freedom dining every night. We will also tip our breakfast waiter and our steward at the end to more than the equivalent amount we would have been charged. BTW I've always collected £1 / £2 coins to tip room service which we use quite a lot so this is NOT because I disagree with the concept of tipping. These guys deserve every penny they get

This is what we are going to do from now on, removing the gratuity doesn't mean not tipping, for many it means taking back control.

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