rolloman

Very simple...as I already stated...go to the Captains (and his officers) Q/A session which occurs on most 5+ night voyages and ask the question. There is no need to inundate the crew with questions. Go straight to the source.

Clearly it is not a Disney reference as you replied to the poster #288...it is called "pixie dust" in Disney vernacular and is used as a term which meaning is to create magic for a guest. Secondly, just for starters... the Captain and his officers onboard do not accept tips...

You are basing your logic on a tiny sample of people who have access to this web site and narrowing it down further...the few commenting on this particular thread? Truth is that the vast majority of people on any given cruise have never heard of this website. Now, I do not dismiss the idea there are some who tip at or above guidelines with cash...however, going by human nature and vast experience in the industry.... those that remove auto tips proceed to tip less than suggested or nothing at all. The logical thinking comes into play as follows...at the end of the cruise, the average cruiser has spent their allotted discretionary cash on souvenirs, drinks and casino leaving zero behind to tip with (even if they wanted to). Again, I agree there are a few Mr. Got Rocks out there who skip down the passageways tossing 5 and 10s in the air...but those types are few and far between. Now to answer your question... Out of my many years of cruising, believe me I have seen a few cabin stewards who did not perform up to standards. I remember on at least one occasion a cabin steward being fired mid-cruise. There is a cruise true crime series with about 40 episodes playing out there on one of the popular apps...a lot of those incidents involve crew members...therefore...yes, of course I think an employee of a cruise line could act inappropriately...there are countless documented cases of it. If someone feels cheated...history has proven anything can happen. Personally, I treat the crew with respect and go out of my way to engage them in a positive manner...I was once a sailor, so I can fully understand what they are going through. Unfortunately, this whole tipping thing, coupled with cheap fares, has evolved into a mess and the losers wind up being the crew.

That's what I thought...unsubstantiated. Anyone out there onboard right now? A simple Q/A at the Captains show should clear this up...of course you will have to get your response notarized and signed by the officer who fields the question... or perhaps of video of the session would suffice. As for me, there is a famous blogger... la lido loca who put out a video on the topic...pretty much falls in line with what I have stated. The room steward, dining staff know. As someone else mentioned...might be a good idea to pack 7 sealed toothbrushes for your next week long cruise if you decide to pull those tips early lol....

Please share your source? I gave a source who says they can (albiet a non-royal cruise line).

What a reach... anyway....sorry your pancake fetish has resulted in higher prices. Nobody is suggesting stiffing anyone...in reality what is being said is due to the economy and a recent rate hike in auto gratuities there is a perfect storm being created in which something has to give...and it would only make sense auto gratuities will suffer a higher percentage of passengers removing them.

You are going way out there...Cooks, Laundry...are not in line for the auto gratuity. You can think what you want...but the fact is the room steward and your wait staff know if you removed the tips. They can log in and look it up for themselves. Next time you are on a cruise...ask your room steward. I am not aware of the average removal rate but to dismiss 10% is naive. As I mentioned before...the removal rate will be on the rise...especially with inflation and the fact the cruise lines are now trying to squeeze more out of each passenger.

It is the same on Royal...

The crew are made aware if the auto gratuity has been removed. They are allowed to check this for themselves. I have been told this several times over the years from crew and recently John Heald Loyalty Ambassador for Carnival replied directly to this specific question by saying YES. In fact they know towards the end of the cruise how much they will receive in total and the first Tuesday after the voyage is completed they are paid the sum. I would therefore suggest if someone wants to remove the tips early on and just pay cash I would complete both steps sooner rather than later during the voyage.

A few more observations. For those that want this thread and all tipping discussion nipped. Quick reminder, this is a message board dedicated to cruising discussions. Tipping is currently a hot topic due to recent rise of auto deductions. In addition, there are several who feel that not only is auto tipping not enough or feel the need for random crew performing non-customer facing duties being further compensated...How about this idea??? How about the cruise line tipping me or rewarding me with a fare reduction for my stellar performance as a passenger? How about tipping me if I report to the pier check- in at my stated boarding pass time? How about tipping me for doing a great job of going to my muster station in a timely manner? How about tipping me for treating the crew respectfully? The list can go on and on...proper use of the snoozing and cruising magnet for my cabin door...washing my hands prior to entering the buffet...following debarkation rules...As you can see with these examples there are a lot of expectations put on passengers and since we live in a tipping frenzy world...maybe I deserve a piece of the action too? It certainly makes as much sense as me roaming the passageways and grabbing a random crew member and begin stuffing dollar bills into his shirt while he on his way to repair the plumbing system.

Please supply information to validate your statement.

With respect to cruising and assuming you actually cruise... when it comes to gratuities, it very much so is your "business". In essence, the cruise lines are putting the onus on the passengers. Sorry for you Viktor and Sanjid...the evil passenger removed the tips...nothing we can do...better luck next time, maybe you need to work on your panhandle technique. Personally, the game is getting old. Pay the crew what they should be paid and raise the price of the cruise if necessary. Quit trying to hide the cost of cruising by using the passengers as pawns. Just my two cents.

Oh boy...personally I have never removed auto tips...probably should have a couple times in the past but that is another story in itself. I do find it annoying for those who are worried the guy in the boiler room should be getting tips from me. The whole premise of tipping is to reward someone who you have encountered during the cruise and who has gone above and beyond to take care of you. Let's face it, I am not privy to who is doing a good job in the boiler room. However, I am well aware of people who personally interact with me throughout the voyage and make my stay a pleasant one. I tip extra to those crew members. Royal needs to pay the guy in the boiler room...in my view I have already paid him via the cost of the cruise. If Royal feels the boiler room guy needs a raise... then Royal needs to raise the price of the cruise. Increasing tips to accommodate an employee raise is abusing the whole premise of tipping. This out-of-control tipping thing is reaching its breaking point. Those of you who think the removal rate is 3 percent lol...not even close...and as time goes by...that removal rate will continue to rise...trust me on that.

Keep in mind, from the ship, you will not see with the naked eye what is depicted in those photos without some type of scope or binoculars. I am confident those pictures were taken with a very nice camera.

No, it should not effect the departure...I was on a recent Independence of the Seas cruise where the rocket lifted off around 12pm and I stood next to the Captain on the Lido deck watching the lift off. So, yes, you will clearly see it.

Pretty small when you bet the minimum...put a healthy bid in and then get back to me.

Lol...it is a race to the click...deal or no deal.

That stand-by price you speak of can go away with a simple click from the passenger bailing out of the system. I say they have a set algorithm they follow and if everything lines up the system won't hesitate to implement the upgrade. My previous post was only an example to explain a full ship will not necessarily halt the program. Through the Royalup program they can effectively squeeze as much juice out of the lemon as they can until the bitter end. Personally, I like the current system as the old way back in the day was to talk to the pier coordinator at check in and see what kind of a deal you could work out. This system also eliminates a few thousand people standing in line on day one at Guest Services asking the same question lol....

It does not matter if the ship is full... whoever came up with the idea is a corporate genius. For example, all they need to do is hold back one suite in the inventory...then the process begins of upgrading cabins begins bottom to top with the existing passengers. Creating found revenue on an otherwise sold-out sailing.

That is what they call an anomaly.

Calm down...I was being sarcastic about the suite lounge...however...I am serious about the waste of space Diamond Lounge. The anytime drink vouchers have all but eliminated the once fun perk.

Since they have effectively killed the Diamond Club...maybe it would make more sense to move the Casino there? It is actually a few steps closer to the main casino than the Jazz venue. Give D+ access to the Suite lounge for those who just have to have the free coffee machine and light snacks in the evening.

Are there any noticeable enhancements since the return? I understand it was mostly technical but there were a few minor upgrades. New machines in the casino perhaps?

It may show on your list but I doubt if it shows points received. The one you just returned from will show points in about a week or so.

When I purchase a carnival cruise using the card...yes...I get double points for that purchase. When I go on the aforementioned cruise and use my same Carnival Mastercard for onboard purchases I do not get double points for those purchases. For example if my sign and sail card final bill is $500.00 and charged to my carnival Mastercard I should get 1000 points. I do not and have not for quite some time.