duquephart

The bottom line here is: What are you OK with? If you are OK with whatever they call it going into a fund which becomes part of the pay of all service staff fleetwide then you are OK with however that happens be it pre-paid "gratuities", a "gratuity" charge added to your bill at the end of a cruise, or included in the fare. If you are not OK with the above system and wish to tip the people who actually provide the services you enjoy/appreciate on a particular cruise you must do so by reaching into your pocket. You can do one or the other. Or both. Your call.

It's a bit spartan but it is wilderness Alaska. The Alaska government wants to leave as small a footprint on it's natural beauty as possible.If you are looking for golden arches 200 feet in the air you will be disappointed. You will also most likely be disappointed if you think you are going to see Denali. The train ride is stunning.

Ah yes ----- the "Everybody does it" defense. As soon as they start calling it a service charge/fee, which is what it is, I think folks will be more inclined to let things be. They can accept it or not accept it rather than being fooled by a corporate entity. I think the deception/dishonesty of the company leading people to believe they are actually tipping the service staff is where the trouble starts. "Gratuity" is a buzz word that gets juices (particularly American juices) flowing. We like to tip and constantly seek out additional opportunities to do so - the psychologists probably have a term for this - and Viking (and others, Viking did not invent this) is aware of this phenonema. Calling it a fee/charge simply would not work as well. The deceptions other lines employ get pretty creative - "Staff Appreciation" for example.

The "Head in the Sand" approach is what Viking hopes for - and relies on.

How does it penalize some staff if everyone is paid according to contractural agreement and "gratuities" are already figured in?

That said I would have no problem with anyone refusing to pay the "gratuities" (and hopefully tipping on his/her own) on the grounds that Viking refuses to account for what it does with the money. I don't think anyone needs to be upfront with a company that is not upfront with them.

We are very good tippers, and have always tipped stewards and favorite bartenders above and beyond. This is due, in part, to the fact that my wife: 1. Is very American 2. Was a drunken sailor in a previous life 3. Is in charge of tipping

As I said up at the top, you will have the same luck asking your foot.

Probably a good plan so long as you recognize that you are not paying a gratuity.

I have "strong feelings" about any entity that is not upfront in it's pricing. How many first time Viking customers are surprised/distressed to find out that they have not yet paid all that they are expected to pay? Viking would do well to asterisk their published fares.

I have no knowlege. I merely pass along information.

The thread I refer to above: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2630344-gratuities/

In regard to the "hidden fee" aspect of the "gratuity" fairy tale here's what I wrote in a previous post: When it comes to advertising bogus/teaser cruise prices Viking is no better than the rest of the pack - and they should be. As in the case of "resort fees", "convenience fees", "processing fees", etc., etc., etc., if you can't purchase the product for the price advertised the advertised price is a fraud. Viking is not upfront about what it calls gratuities, the average customer finds out about them in "Oh, by the way" fashion. They even get away with the "prepaid gratuities" nonsense.

Find the "Gratuities" thread started by Missymssy and read it - paying particular attention to the post by Jim Avery and what follows.

Do river cruises now have auto gratuity? It has been reported here by regular posters that they were told by service staff that they do not receive a gratuity "bonus" at the end of a cruise and that when hired they were told that "gratuities" are figured in to their agreed upon pay.

If Viking was more forthcoming there wouldn't be all these "thought(s)" flying around. I think it's pretty clear that Viking is not going to account for how your money is used. Those who like to know what is being done with their money have the option of making it so.

The subject has been well covered/discussed in many posts/threads here. I remember Jim Avery being among those who disproved the "pot" fantasy. And where did that story come from in the first place? Where is the proof?

"The wait staff shares in the suggested gratuity at the end of the cruise." I don't think so. I believe it's been well established that you are not contributing to a pot which is divided up at the end of a particular cruise (based on some unknown formula/ratio) but rather depositing money in the company payroll fund. In other words, you are further assisting Viking in paying their employees. "Gratuities" are really a service charge - and a hidden fee to boot.

You could try asking Viking. Or ----- you could just talk to your foot.

Crime?

Welcome to Viking Cruises.

How do the tours, private or otherwise, get around?

Reading the instructions is a good start.

Yeah. High quality materials and very well made. They really ought to still supply them.

Last one we got was '19 - the brown one.