No Gratuities

I heard today that if you stop at reception after embarking and tell them that you are not paying the on board gratuities and will tip out on your own discretion.They have you sign off and thats it.It was a Celebrity line.....any truth to this??

I would be researching this on the Celebrity board, here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

Some cruise lines have the policy that if you cancel the automatic tips, any money you individually give an employee must be put in the pot to be split among all employees. So if you did as you propose, you will not be helping the employee.

I heard today that if you stop at reception after embarking and tell them that you are not paying the on board gratuities and will tip out on your own discretion.They have you sign off and thats it.It was a Celebrity line.....any truth to this??

Why would you want to do this?[emoji35]

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Keep in mind there are people behind the scenes who share in the automatic gratuities.

Ships from all the major cruise lines publish a daily internal report that is circulated to all the service staff. This report gives a daily update on all passengers who have reduced, increased, or removed their daily service charges.

Your intentions may be very honorable, but if you remove the service charges for any reason, the perception of the service staff is that they will not be receiving any money from your cabin on this cruise. Their daily salaries are very small; their earnings come nearly completely from the daily service charges. If you happen to be from Canada, UK, or Australia, the service staff is even more pessimistic about receiving any gratuity from you.

The service you receive - or not - may reflect their unhappiness with your decision.

If you notice a strange smell on your toothbrush, or there appears to be a shoe print on your steak, you will know why.

All the crew getting theses tips MORE than deserve them! Cruise lines pay them very little. Two different waiters told me they are paid $85 a MONTH-not day or week, MONTH!

There is an automatic tip with everything you get from the bar, including soda.

We have tipped, usually $20 cash, for excellent service to our waiters and room steward as well as a bar waiter, above the automatic tips..

I heard today that if you stop at reception after embarking and tell them that you are not paying the on board gratuities and will tip out on your own discretion.They have you sign off and thats it.It was a Celebrity line.....any truth to this??

None whatsoever. Furthermore you would be penalizing many people whom you never interact with personally but receive a portion of the gratuity you pay daily.

The only reason to morally remove the daily charge is if you experience poor service that is not rectified when you complain. The staff knows who removed the gratuities and any cash received from those people must be pooled before being redistributed.

FTR some lines are making it impossible to not pay them at POS and you must request in writing after the cruise ends to get them back

It is better for everyone to leave them in place and pay extra to those you feel deserve it

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The cruise lines have come up with a procedure that the crew and most guests are happy with.

Why upset things and screw behind the scenes crew out of a tip .

If you like to hand an envelope, you can give even a small amount extra and let them know the bulk of the tip is on autopay. This way they may be able to keep that little bit extra.

If you cannot afford the gratuity, you should take a less expensive cabin, or cruise less often.

If you remove the gratuities it is extra work for the staff. It is just part of the cruise fare. I for one am happy that they do not include the gratuities in the cruise price. If enough people remove gratuities, up goes the cruise prices.

It seems very patronising to insist people do not remove gratuities. It's an American culture to tip automatically. There are other cultures in the world where this is not the practice. Some prefer to tip when they receive service above and beyond the norm. What staff are required to do with these chosen gratuities is not the guest's concern. After all there are automatic tips on just about everything else eg drinks and a significant amount is generated from this source. Double dipping is wrong and should be left up to the guest to decide.:mad:

Anyway this subject has been done to death on these boards time and again. There will never be consensus.

I heard today that if you stop at reception after embarking and tell them that you are not paying the on board gratuities and will tip out on your own discretion.They have you sign off and thats it.It was a Celebrity line.....any truth to this??

Shewt, I just don't have enough time available in my life to do something that crummy.

If you like to hand an envelope, you can give even a small amount extra and let them know the bulk of the tip is on autopay. This way they may be able to keep that little bit extra.

 

If you cannot afford the gratuity, you should take a less expensive cabin, or cruise less often.

 

If you remove the gratuities it is extra work for the staff. It is just part of the cruise fare. I for one am happy that they do not include the gratuities in the cruise price. If enough people remove gratuities, up goes the cruise prices.

I agree with your sentiments, but not with your arithmetic.

If gratuities/wages/call=them-what-you-will, were included in the cruise price then everyone - including cheapskates - would be paying, rather than the rest of us subsidising those who don't pay.

And Aussies, Brits like me, and even Americans, would be more inclined to put their hands in their pockets to reward good service because tipping voluntarily on top of automatically-charged "tips" is a nonsensical concept.

I've never tipped over-and-above the auto-tip - and never will unless/until auto-tips are abandoned and replaced by the equivalent fare increase.

On UK ships which "include tips" in the fares the service is at least as good, often better, and I'm happy to put my hand in my pocket for a sum of my choosing at the end of the cruise. And most others do the same.

And tipping on cruise ships isn't even "the American way".

Hotel laundry staff, kitchen staff, & other "background" hotel workers in the US don't usually get a share of tips, tips left in buffet establishments are two or three bucks per table, and other than uncollected small-change I've never seen anyone give a tip in fast-food joint.

Yet on cruise ships all these folk are included in the tips pool.

The reason for auto-tips is simply to maintain the great god, misleading low sticker prices.:rolleyes:

But hey, tipping threads add a bit of spice to Cruise Critic forums.;)

I wonder how long this one will last.:D

JB :)

Just tip....its the right thing to do....put yourself in their shoes.....

Shewt, I just don't have enough time available in my life to do something that crummy.

So far, the best post on this thread.:D

OP, the staff will be informed of your removal. Make sure you keep your toothbrush hidden away.:p;)

It's an American culture to tip automatically. There are other cultures in the world where this is not the practice.

Gratuities are included in the cruise fares sold in Australia. I wish they would do that in the US, but I can't change their marketing with the low price + add on charges. I go with the flow and do not remove gratuities.

There are some lines that include the Gratuities in the fare

if you do not want to tip extra on top of the cruise fare just book on one of those lines

Option 2 pre pay them with your final payment then it becomes part of the fare (in your mind)

I heard today that if you stop at reception after embarking and tell them that you are not paying the on board gratuities and will tip out on your own discretion.They have you sign off and thats it.It was a Celebrity line.....any truth to this??

The concept is that the service charge is considered part of the compensation the crew receives. If you have a valid reason (other than being a cheapskate) for removing the charge: such as unsatisfactory service - which is logically impossible to claim upon embarking - you can remove it.

Whether or not you like (or understand) the concept, it is part of the "deal" you entered into when you booked the cruise.

To answer the question: yes, you CAN remove the charge; but Luddite's post might be re-read.

It seems very patronising to insist people do not remove gratuities. It's an American culture to tip automatically. There are other cultures in the world where this is not the practice. Some prefer to tip when they receive service above and beyond the norm. What staff are required to do with these chosen gratuities is not the guest's concern. After all there are automatic tips on just about everything else eg drinks and a significant amount is generated from this source. Double dipping is wrong and should be left up to the guest to decide.:mad:

 

Anyway this subject has been done to death on these boards time and again. There will never be consensus.

If you insist on doing things like they do it in Australia, then stay in Australia. If you want to travel, you need to accept the customs of the places you visit, including on American run cruise ships. The phrase "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" applies everywhere one travels. It is arrogant to insist that the way things are done in your own country is the only way it should be done world wide.

It seems very patronising to insist people do not remove gratuities. It's an American culture to tip automatically. There are other cultures in the world where this is not the practice. Some prefer to tip when they receive service above and beyond the norm. What staff are required to do with these chosen gratuities is not the guest's concern. After all there are automatic tips on just about everything else eg drinks and a significant amount is generated from this source. Double dipping is wrong and should be left up to the guest to decide.:mad:

 

Anyway this subject has been done to death on these boards time and again. There will never be consensus.

In Europe also tipping isnot that common as in the USA. BUT....that is because a 15% sericecharge is included in the price already! Apart from that it is normal to tip a little extra for good service.

As you know nefore cruising 15% or more service charge isnot included in your cruise price then it is normal to let the tipping charged on your bill. Donot blame the staff, they work hard for it.

Ships from all the major cruise lines publish a daily internal report that is circulated to all the service staff. This report gives a daily update on all passengers who have reduced, increased, or removed their daily service charges.

 

Your intentions may be very honorable, but if you remove the service charges for any reason, the perception of the service staff is that they will not be receiving any money from your cabin on this cruise. Their daily salaries are very small; their earnings come nearly completely from the daily service charges. If you happen to be from Canada, UK, or Australia, the service staff is even more pessimistic about receiving any gratuity from you.

 

The service you receive - or not - may reflect their unhappiness with your decision.

If you notice a strange smell on your toothbrush, or there appears to be a shoe print on your steak, you will know why.

Canada has the same tipping culture as the US.

Standard practice is 20% in restaurants.

We also tip taxi drivers baggages, handlers and pretty much everyone else that is tipped in the US, and we pay the cruise line gratuities and sometimes extra if the service warrants it.

Lois

I heard today that if you stop at reception after embarking and tell them that you are not paying the on board gratuities and will tip out on your own discretion.They have you sign off and thats it.It was a Celebrity line.....any truth to this??

I bet that when you brought up this subject you didn't know how judgemental and rude posters on this forum can be. One even called you a cheapskate. If I were you, I would ignore their rudeness and do what suits you.

Canada has the same tipping culture as the US.

Standard practice is 20% in restaurants.

We also tip taxi drivers baggages, handlers and pretty much everyone else that is tipped in the US, and we pay the cruise line gratuities and sometimes extra if the service warrants it.

 

Lois

Yes, they do. And, at 20%, that is 5% more then the US - although it appears to be going up. However, a lot of Canadians try to get out of it because "it is a US thing". Now, before you slam me, I was born and raised in Canada. I have friends and relatives everywhere in BC.

I can tell you, a lot of them whine at paying tips on the ships. I'm sorry to say my cousin took a cruise with his three kids. He refused to tip for them because they were "kids". These kids were 16 and up. Cheap is cheap. Let's call it what it is. He sits there and brags about his $100,000 plus income, how important his wife's job is (assistant to the CEO - been there, done that) and how much money she makes. His three kids, even though they are now all in their thenties, live a home because they are too lazy to get a job. He has the money to pay yet he uses the same adage - it is a US thing.

Yes, they do. And, at 20%, that is 5% more then the US - although it appears to be going up. However, a lot of Canadians try to get out of it because "it is a US thing". Now, before you slam me, I was born and raised in Canada. I have friends and relatives everywhere in BC.

 

I can tell you, a lot of them whine at paying tips on the ships. I'm sorry to say my cousin took a cruise with his three kids. He refused to tip for them because they were "kids". These kids were 16 and up. Cheap is cheap. Let's call it what it is. He sits there and brags about his $100,000 plus income, how important his wife's job is (assistant to the CEO - been there, done that) and how much money she makes. His three kids, even though they are now all in their thenties, live a home because they are too lazy to get a job. He has the money to pay yet he uses the same adage - it is a US thing.

Sounds like you cousin is an bit of an a$$. Don't assume that rest of Canadians are like that.

i travel with family and friends, our next cruise in Feb there will be 14 of us, on our last one there was 8 and all of us leave on the auto grats and usually tip extra.

Lois

Johnbull, you sound cheap. WE tip according to service. My wife worked in a Hoidy-Toidy Restaurant and the worst tippers-least generous were the rich. Little old ladies from Middleburg Horse Country Where Mellons of Mellon Bank live, would ask for a hot saucer, hot cup and hot cup of water and use their own tea bag. Football players from the Redskins would come in, spend $300.00 on a meal with bottle of wine and tip her 0. She earned $2.42/hr. The more I give away the more it seems I get back to give away. You can't out give GOD. Try it.

My tip for you would be, "Don't read baloney labels!":eek:

I never look at just the base price of a cruise as the cost. It's not only misleading, but inaccurate. And useless for the purpose of budgeting.

Last cruise I paid about $12/day for the daily service charge. I did some rough math regarding this cost vs similar costs on a land vacation. I would have to eat $60 of food per day at a sit down restaurant to equal a $12 at 20%. Not sure if I could do it, at least not every day. But, I bet I could easily spend $9-10 on tips most days.

The other $2? Let's not forget that ever-present guy/gal called a room steward. Where else can you get that kind of service (usually anyway) for a couple of bucks a day. Not only do they clean your room twice a day, but turn down your bed, bring you chocolate, towels, blankets, ice and just about anything else you could think of.

My point is, at $12/day or even $15 you get more than your monies worth. Sure it would be nice and so simple if it where included in the price of the cruise. But it's not, so just pay it. Like a previous poster said, if you need to think of it as "included" than pay it in advance. Easy, peasy.

You are still free to reward extra service with a little extra tip.