Gratuity Removal Too Easy?

And by what 'clairvoyance' method do they know how much Ca$h was given to the attendant or waiter?

 

How do they know...:confused: ... when instead of turning $100.00 into the pool, the attendant/waiter "pockets" $20.00 and puts $80.00 into the pool??

The only way they would know is if the crew member and his cabin is searched daily.

This could just be a threat by the cruise line to make sure everybody leaves their autotips in place and tip extra cash on top.

We always pre pay tips and give extra cash tips.

They are both stupid about tipping IF AND WHEN they impose their cultural norms in a culture that has different norm.

 

When in Rome . . .

The easiest solution is stick to what the cruise lines policy is and if anyone gives exceptional service use your discretion if you want to give an additional tip.

The easiest solution is stick to what the cruise lines policy is and if anyone gives exceptional service use your discretion if you want to give an additional tip.

Exactly, because that is mass market cruise line culture. It isn't the American system, nor is it the British system.

The easiest solution is stick to what the cruise lines policy is and if anyone gives exceptional service use your discretion if you want to give an additional tip.

Good, because the policy on most lines allows for the removal auto grats.

If you remove your auto tips and then tip your waiter/stateroom attendant separately if you think they made your holiday a good one, you are not doing them any favors. If you remove auto tips then tip separately, they have to turn in those tips to the "pool." So, for example, you remove your tips and give your stateroom attendant $100 at the end of the cruise, he has to turn in that $100 to the pool, so he may only end up getting $50. Same with your waiter. The only exception is a bartender. If you tip them individually, they get to keep it all.

 

.

Can you please verify this rumor with real facts and where to read this policy.

The only way they would know is if the crew member and his cabin is searched daily.

This could just be a threat by the cruise line to make sure everybody leaves their autotips in place and tip extra cash on top.

We always pre pay tips and give extra cash tips.

Same here. We always Pre-Pay tips and something Extra. ;)

Can you please verify this rumor with real facts and where to read this policy.

Seriously doubt that would be any kind of public document. 😉

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Can you please verify this rumor with real facts and where to read this policy.

I placed a call to the ships 'clairvoyant' but he or she was busy polishing up his or her crystal ball for the next cruise to see what'$ in the pocket$ of the crew. HA HA.

:D

Seriously doubt that would be any kind of public document. 😉

 

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ALL hands on Deck!

Single Line!

Empty Pockets!

Stand Back!

:D

Sorry Sir, I forgot this Nickle.

Forgot?? Forgot???

:evilsmile:

Seriously doubt that would be any kind of public document. 😉

 

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If there was such a document I feel sure it would have been leaked by a disgruntled crew/ex crew member by now.

Some of the names people are calling others is quite shocking.

Here is what we do.

SOMETIMES we pre pay gratuities, maybe because we got a deal with the T/A.

SOMETIMES we leave the auto grats on, maybe we have onboard credit to use.

SOMETIMES we remove them, if we get a good exchange rate, or maybe on our previous cruise we have a lot of dollars left, we will give cash as we can’t spend it at home.

IF we decide to remove them (see above) we always do it at the beginning of the cruise and have never seen a drop on service. If the cash is then turned in then that’s ok by me.

So, am I being called names because I want to use my dollars? Please don’t make assumptions. Just be happy that you are doing what you consider to be the right thing and let others decide for themselves.

Some of the names people are calling others is quite shocking.

You have not read enough CC threads.

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You have not read enough CC threads.

 

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Maybe CC Forums need a 'pre-reading' warning?

"This thread (and/or other threads) may contain messages that may be offensive to some readers" "Readers' discretion is advised.''

:halo:

Maybe CC Forums need a 'pre-reading' warning?

 

"This thread (and/or other threads) may contain messages that may be offensive to some readers" "Readers' discretion is advised.''

:halo:

TBH the saying, 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but calling will not hurt me!

rings true.

It is best to take it in good fun and if necessary give it back.

You have not read enough CC threads.

 

 

 

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I have read plenty and am always shocked to see some of the comments. Unnecessary I think.

I have read plenty and am always shocked to see some of the comments. Unnecessary I think.

The tipping threads for all cruiselines offer extreme views and attitudes.

As a matter of fact , I do. And they appreciate it alot and take excellent care of me.

Same here..we always prepay our grat before stepping foot onboard so we don't have to mess with it later...and yes,we leave a thank you note along with cash for room steward daily and tip bartenders on top of the 18%...always get a kick out of hearing the complainers on board who gripe and moan that they receive sub par service because people like me tip...its just common sense if you were a service person, would you gravitate to people who tip or those who don't? We just factor Daily Service Charge and extra tips into the cost of vacation before leaving home,and we don't even miss it during the cruise because we already set it aside...The crew works very hard to make your vacation relaxing and worry free and we have no problem showing our appreciation in return

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I Always have my gratuities removed. I then ask for the envelopes, insert monies and pass them out on the last day. I always tip my waiter, assistant waiter and stateroom attendant, well above the standard and tonight was the very 1st time I have tipped the maitre' d.(sp). I am currently on The Voyager of The Seas and have never seen a maitre'd work as hard as Roosevelt has this past week.

I am sure that I will be vilified like the devil himself, but the cruise line should include gratuities if the purchase price if they are essential to the bottom line. I include paying the crew in the bottom line. After booking and full paying for the cruise, my child support payments were reduced to less than half because x lost his job. So I had very little money to spare. I realize some say if you can't afford the gratuities then don't go. Well, I could not afford them but I went anyway with my two preschoolers. I decided I would reduce the gratuity payment to $100 because that was what I could afford. The woman a customer service kindly told me that she could not do that but she could just remove it completely which is what she did with no questions asked. I then gave cash tips to the room steward and both waiters. I realize that there are others behind the scenes, but gratuities are not for persons behind the scenes. When you go to a restaurant you tip the waiter not the line cook, chef, or people who puss the tables. When you go to a hotel, I tip the housekeeper, not he people who do the laundry.

..... After booking and full paying for the cruise, my child support payments were reduced to less than half because x lost his job. So I had very little money to spare.

Umm perhaps you want to rephrase?

I am sure that I will be vilified like the devil himself, but the cruise line should include gratuities if the purchase price if they are essential to the bottom line. I include paying the crew in the bottom line. After booking and full paying for the cruise, my child support payments were reduced to less than half because x lost his job. So I had very little money to spare. I realize some say if you can't afford the gratuities then don't go. Well, I could not afford them but I went anyway with my two preschoolers. I decided I would reduce the gratuity payment to $100 because that was what I could afford. The woman a customer service kindly told me that she could not do that but she could just remove it completely which is what she did with no questions asked. I then gave cash tips to the room steward and both waiters. I realize that there are others behind the scenes, but gratuities are not for persons behind the scenes. When you go to a restaurant you tip the waiter not the line cook, chef, or people who puss the tables. When you go to a hotel, I tip the housekeeper, not he people who do the laundry.

What's the "puss" doing in the restaurant?? Begging for people food????

;)

You only tip "she people" ??

i said it before and ill say it again. not 1 of you "tippers" truly know where the tips go. if you feel inclined to leave the DSCs, so be it. at the end of the day, I guarantee every single one of you would give a smaller tip at a restaurant for bad service. but its OK to accept bad service in your room?

 

ill leave tips on every cruise from here on out if someone can tell me 100% where all the tips go and have proof to back it up.

I agree. From what I have been able to glean (and I could be wrong) cruise ships don't a large portion of the staff from their general revenue. They use the auto tips as the pool of money to pay the staff. The fair thing to do would be to include in the price of the cruise, drinks, extra services, etc the amount of money that would allow them to pay their staff without charing auto greatuities to wach passengers account. Then when passengers give a tip it would really be extra. I prefer to tip in cash and I know that the person gets the exact amount I gave. I undersatnd that there are bhind the scens stff but tips are not for behind the scenes staff.

I realize that there are others behind the scenes, but gratuities are not for persons behind the scenes.

I tend to agree. Tips are for the people you interact with providing you good service. The support staff behind the scenes are part of the businesses cost of operating a floating hotel. They do not see or interact with the guest and therefore their wages should be paid fairly for their work they do for the employer, not made to tied to customer thank yous. The company gets away with putting them in the tip pool because it's easy to guilt guests into paying it. I have never heard of a laundry worker or maintenance person in another industry needing to rely on a tip pool from guests they never see or interact with. Flawed system

I realize that there are others behind the scenes, but gratuities are not for persons behind the scenes. When you go to a restaurant you tip the waiter not the line cook, chef, or people who puss the tables.

Actually when you tip your waiter in a restaurant you are also tipping those behind the scenes. Waiters often give a percentage of their tips to the cook and busser as they are helping them with their job.

Bartenders often give a percentage of their tips to the dude who is hauling up the cases of beer and keeping the bar stocked. They're referred to as a bar back.

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/onboard-service-gratuity-expense

“Standard Staterooms:

$6.10 - Dining Services

$3.45 - Stateroom Attendant

$3.95 - Other Hotel Services

Suites:

$6.10 - Dining Services

$6.10 - Suite Attendant

$4.30 - Other Hotel Services”

And it goes on to discuss taking them off onboard.

...and yes,we leave a thank you note along with cash for room steward daily and tip bartenders on top of the 18%...always get a kick out of hearing the complainers on board who gripe and moan that they receive sub par service because people like me tip...its just common sense if you were a service person, would you gravitate to people who tip or those who don't?

Fwiw when I was a service person I worked the same for everyone. I hated those who didn’t tip well, once they had proven themselves to be poor tippers, but I still treated them well. Hope springs eternal in my mind! (Bigger issue was that the worst tippers were the cronies of the owner)

Then again, I live in WA and we don’t have server minimum wage here. So we were getting paid at least normal minimum.

Couldn't believe the room steward that we complained about several times that wanted us to mention him by name on the survey. We obliged him.

Oops on his part. Or maybe he was trying to get fired and sent home?

If there was such a document I feel sure it would have been leaked by a disgruntled crew/ex crew member by now.

Where do we think the LONG discussed knowledge comes from???

Umm perhaps you want to rephrase?

Why should she rephrase just bc you think the worst?

If you had a certain budget for your kids and kids portion of housing, etc, and you budgeted for something extra based on that, then you suddenly lose a quarter of that kid-budget, the money for the kids and the extra has to come from somewhere, right? Combatting budgets.

that is your opinion, but to others it is not, to each their own, why is that so hard?? Period.

The person you’re replying to literally said that it was his (and his family’s) opinion. He didn’t say it was absolute.

at the end of the day, i guarantee every single one of you would give a smaller tip at a restaurant for bad service. but its OK to accept bad service in your room?

 

Why do you think people are accepting poor service?

On land or on sea if were receiving poor service, we tell someone. We give them the opportunity to change.

I do not prepay gratuities as if I had to cancel my cruise my credit card insurance would not cover the tips, it only the cruise and taxes. I know, because we had to claim previously and we did not get tips repaid to us.

Insurance wouldn’t have covered it because insurance covers nonrefundable costs. Prepaid tips are refunded.

Exactly, because that is mass market cruise line culture. It isn't the American system, nor is it the British system.

Good point.

We are definitely not in favour of removing the Daily Service Charge but.... how would the ship management know if a crew member, i.e. attendant, waiter etc. received a tip in Ca$h and how much?

 

Do Ca$h tips have GP$ tracker???

;)

If I trust an employee to touch my food and go into my room when I’m not there, I need to trust that they are following their employer’s rules. If their employer (and govt’s taxation service) demands that they declare all cash tips, I expect them to do that. If I think they are cheating, then I can’t trust them with my food or belongings.

What do you do if you receive genuinely bad service on a ship though?

 

 

 

What do you do if you receive genuinely bad service at a restaurant? Do you tip the same amount no matter what? is it a percentage or a dollar amount? Are you being a good person rewarding bad and good service the same? if you want to feel entitled to pat your own back, please explain your logic.

What do you think people do? You talk to them, talk to their boss. There are steps you take way before it gets to the tips.

And at the end of all that, if you don’t tip a person, the management knows why.