Floflegs

Everyone is in agreement that the tip money is pooled and goes to staff. Mist folk agree it is steward, dining waiters and maybe head waiter and butler. However none of us really know how this money is allocated. Let us say one steward has 18 cabins. 8 people remove the auto gratuity and 10 don't. Do P and O only give the steward 10x his share instead of 18x? If they don't they may get more than their fair share. Is there someone sitting saying Bob gets 10x his money, Fred gets 11x his money etc? All cruise lines should incorporate service charge, gratuity, tips whatever you want to call it into the fare as this, excuse the pun, is the only fair way for everyone to contribute as they will never increase wages enough to abolish it.

It isn't the same money, they get paid twice.

 

If you leave the service charge on then your money and everyone else's money ends up in the tip pool. The tip pool is shared out amongst the stewards and waiters, with everyone getting a share.

 

If you hand your steward and waiters cash, according to the wisdom here they keep the cash and would still get a share of the tip pool (so double pay).

 

Meanwhile every else in the tip pool gets a bit less as there is less money in the tip pool as you double paid the staff serving you.

I really don't think this will happen. P and O know who take off the charge so will omit giving it to those not down to receive it or that would be the fair way, we have no way of knowing. I agree with the other poster about staff being deprived of full tips if they get a poor review. Nit everyone would have the same opinion. That is why on our last cruise we removed the tip for the first time ever and gave it in cash.

As an aside I read somewhere that staff are told who remove tips. Whether this is true or not I have no idea.

On Princess whether you pay the service charge or give money to individual crew members who served you makes no difference, as the staff have to hand the money in; as you can see from this document -

 

http://www.crew-center.com/princess-cruises-crew-wages-details

 

The relevant section is -

 

E. DISCRETIONARY HOTEL & DINING CHARGE POOL

 

Now that is Princess, but is it really likely things are different in the other brands in the Carnival group.

As far as I knew having sailed many times on Princess if you left the auto charge on any extra tip given was allowed to be kept by crew member.

We only saw one large queue in May and that was in La Rochelle where security was very tight. We took passports ashore and bags and passports and cruise cards were checked before we went through to the ship. To be honest I have no problem with this at all - I think that Europe is on red alert and the French have had their share of sorrow over the last 12 months and are just ensuring that we are safe.

 

Re Brexit - really does not bother me at all and I can't see any major problems. Security etc and checks doesn't seem to affect the Americans and Canadians we have cruised with in the past.

A few years ago, long before Brexit etc was envisaged we had real hassle at La Rochelle. We were there overnight. Day 1 checked copy of passports. No problem. Day 2 big problem even after telling them it was ok the day before. Showed travel cards as well and were eventually and reluctantly allowed to board.

Until our last cruise on Azura we had never removed gratuity charge on any line. However I read somewhere that if the recipient did not get an excellent score all round they lost some money. We removed charge and gave the equivalent amount. As far as I know the money collected goes to cabin steward, waiter and assistant, head waiter (who's that? We never see him) and butlers. (We are never in a suite) .

You cannot prepay tips unlike on other lines so any onboard credit is immediately cut by subtracting tip amount. On our next cruise of 14 days that would be £168 off right away for a couple.

I would much prefer tips to be included in the cruise fair. That way everyone pays so much fairer.

They are find if you don't like to walk much. We used them in Tenerife and Gran Canaria.

Further to my previous posts this time when we went, again on a Sunday, we walked along the front to the tall hotel. It is green and the only one that is tall. We took the lift to the top floor where there is a coffee/snack bar. Brilliant views. You are above the planes taking off from the airport.

I agree that roll calls on other lines are more lively than with P and O. Like others we have made friends and shared many private tours. The roll call for our P and O cruise in November on here seems dead in the water. There is some slight interest on FB but not much.

I don't know what it is about shoes....

 

 

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A lady can never have too many shoes;)

Having done the toboggan and cable car and also a tuxki tour of the city last time we booked a private tour to Nun's Valley and Camara de Lobos. We were collected at the ship but got dropped off in town so we could get our custard tarts!

Another Mocktail fan. I like the Nohito but have tried them all!

In Cadiz you can get a map which shows you walking routes round the town. Different coloured lines are painted on the ground and are esy to follow.

As well as DIY cable car in Gibraltar we did the WW2 tunnels. We booked it in advance and took the local bus most of the way and walked the rest to the entrance. We were there early and had a guide to ourselves.

Lisbon is great. Lots of ways to see the city. Hoho bus, tram, tuttuk, metro and walk. Lots to see. Don't miss the famous custard tarts!

In Dubrovnik I would walk the walls early as it gets very busy and very hot. Also you will need Kuna for that. Not sure about cable car. We changed a little money at the place on the dock and used the last of it plus Euros for a snack.

A few pegs to hang stuff on the line in the shower.

We have always done the coach from Glasgow but have friends who have flown on the day with no problem as they were too late to book the coach. You could snooze on the coach rather than worry about getting to the airport on time.

A few observations which I hope helps.

Elite get 10% discount in the shops and it is applied whether or not you are using OBC unlike the P and O discount.

The mini bar can be changed.you can get all gin for example instead of mixed miniatures or a bottle of wine or 2 coffee cards, all soft drinks or all water.

Laundry is slow as so many folk are Elite.

Internet minutes are good for folk who are PAYG on their phone. Signals good in cabin and elsewhere.

Ships like the Ruby are almost the same layout as Azura though you can go right round the promenade deck on Princess although there are a flight of stairs at one end.

I know the OP asked about the Baltic but on looking at the ports P and O. charges for I noticed one was Barcelona. In case anyone is going there and has to pay look for the port shuttle, blue, which is usually cheaper and takes you to the same place. It might be the same in otter ports. I don't know so always worth looking or googling.

Enjoy your last evening, Bob. Hope there are no holdups tomorrow and you get home on time.

Yes it is available on the pool deck. Lots of nice choices.

Really enjoying following along with your travels, Bob. Enjoy the last days and safe travels home.

Hope you enjoyed your excursion,Bob. Did you see the big crocodile? The guy jumped out of the boat to feed it when we went. Rather him than me!

Great to be following you on your trip, Bob. Look forward to hearing about life on a small ship and how you find the ports and canal. Give Holli our best wishes for a great cruise. Enjoy!

Flora

If you want to go into St Marks go early as there are often huge queues. It is nice to wander from St Marks Square through the little streets following the signs to the Rialto bridge. If you sit in St Marks Square for coffee it will cost you an arm and a leg. Go off the square and it is very reasonable. Don't worry if you get lost in the little streets. All lead to either St Marks or the Rialto.

Last time we were there we did the Eecret Tour of the Doges Palace which takes you to places you don't normally go. You can book it online but make sure you get the English speaking one.

Yes, I suspect many people thought "those people are in the know" breakfast time.

 

I ordered Cranberry Juice at breakfast on Princess Cruise after someone else did it successfully one morning. The next day a lady said, "that's not on the menu" to which I simply said "I know". I suspect she thought I had known this for years not from the day before.

 

Regards John

I did a similar thing on Princess when I asked for and got mixed berries at breakfast as they were not on the menu. Most cruise lines try their best to accomodate passengers requests.

Brown is available in the thick format too. It arrives as a single slice on it's own plate. Additionally because it is handled as a "special" brown or white it turns up hot!

 

Regards John

Thanks, John, got it every morning. We always share a table and the thick toast instigated many comments. I had the Eggs Benedict and got 2 eggs without asking.