New gratuities by May 1st, 2016

• Security, who controls who can get on the ship.
  
• The person that pops a cap off a bottle and hands it to you.
  
• The person working the coffee counter, who patiently listens and fulfills orders for a medium triple soy latte with room but served in a large cup with whipped cream, half a pump or caramel, one sugar, etc, etc,
  
• A waiter who takes your order with a smile and brings your food.
  
• The phone rep who spends a half hour with you, patiently tuning your reservation to make you happy.
  
• The staff on the bridge, who actually gets the ship where it needs to be on time, safely.
  
• The room steward, who spends 3 times more effort on one room versus another for any number of reasons.
  
• The bar back schleping heavy buckets of ice.
  
• The dock worker schleping heavy ropes and hoses all day.
  

Some work for tips, others don't. Some that get the tips you never actually interact with. Some that don't get tips spend a lot of time interacting with you. It makes no sense.

Why do some positions arbitrarily pay an inadequate amount? Why does a waiter popping a cork on a $200 bottle of wine get tipped 5 times more (typically) then the waiter popping a cork on a $40 bottle? Why does the attendant on a Suite housing two neat freaks get tipped more, automatically, then the attendant on a non suite housing 2 slobs?

Ugh. That I didn't know. I despise being nickel and dimed to death on vacation. And people wonder why I prefer all-inclusives in Mexico...

On our past cruise on Oasis I bought a glass on the Royal Promenade. The dude gets 18% for picking it up and handing it to me. He didn't even package it in anything to help it survive the trip home.

Would not be CC without them.:)

Nature does not like vacuums. Something most assuredly would fill the void. The brainiak that started the presently running thread on revising the C&A point system comes to mind.:rolleyes:

On our past cruise on Oasis I bought a glass on the Royal Promenade. The dude gets 18% for picking it up and handing it to me. He didn't even package it in anything to help it survive the trip home.

Now that I know that, all my souvenirs will be bought off the ship.

I am getting a bit tired of RCI telling me how much I'm going to tip. I always say I'm going to stop handing out extra on top of the auto tips but so far I keep right on doing it. Maybe I should start worrying about my own pockets just as RCI takes care of theirs.

I agree with you, tip the way you want.I don't need Royal telling me what to tip. Tips are given not taken.

Tipping threads can be pretty entertaining but in the end they tend to leave you wondering why some people even cruise. I understand some don't like the system and there's no problem expressing that but isn't it a little hypocritical to call a corporation uncaring, robbers, and thieves and still give them you're hard earned money. Very bizarre behavior.

NCL tried this experiment with a ship that they had sailing around Hawaii as they did not want to have to make a stop at a foreign port. As I recall it was a total failure. I forget what the name of the ship was.

It's the NCL Pride of America. She sails the Hawaiian Islands year round from Honolulu.

Judy

Tipping threads can be pretty entertaining but in the end they tend to leave you wondering why some people even cruise. I understand some don't like the system and there's no problem expressing that but isn't it a little hypocritical to call a corporation uncaring, robbers, and thieves and still give them you're hard earned money. Very bizarre behavior.

Why bizarre behavior, as a shareholder I love the corporate is keeping cost down and making fools of the passengers by making them believe this is somehow normal. Fantastic marketing like what De Beers did with diamonds, how much should you pay for a diamond engagement ring? Most will say two months salary, were did this number come from? De Beers advertising campaign. Were does the idea of auto gratuities come from? Same place corporate doing a great job for shareholders.

But this is a cruise passenger board so when I post it is from the passengers side. I know most people will not listen but the information is correct. I get myself the best price and the happy cruisers who want to overpay put profits in my pocket. Really need to love the system.

Most corps are like that. It's capitalism

 

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Liberal blather. :rolleyes:

Why bizarre behavior, as a shareholder I love the corporate is keeping cost down and making fools of the passengers by making them believe this is somehow normal. Fantastic marketing like what De Beers did with diamonds, how much should you pay for a diamond engagement ring? Most will say two months salary, were did this number come from? De Beers advertising campaign. Were does the idea of auto gratuities come from? Same place corporate doing a great job for shareholders.

 

But this is a cruise passenger board so when I post it is from the passengers side. I know most people will not listen but the information is correct. I get myself the best price and the happy cruisers who want to overpay put profits in my pocket. Really need to love the system.

I get a sense that you're just here to stir it but it's a public forum so you're entitled to it. Have fun.

NCL tried this experiment with a ship that they had sailing around Hawaii as they did not want to have to make a stop at a foreign port. As I recall it was a total failure. I forget what the name of the ship was.

There were 3 (for a while). Norwegian Sky was reflagged in the US and renamed Pride of Aloha in 2004; reflagged in Bahamas and renamed back to Norwegian Sky in 2008. Pride of America launched in 2005 and still operates under US flag. Pride of Hawaii launched in 2006 under US flag; reflagged in Bahamas as Norwegian Jade 2008.

You will be charged an additional 18% on just about anything on the ship that has a price unless it is bought in one of the actual shops. This includes just about anything being hawked on the Promenade or pool deck.

In March bought t shirt on pool deck - no extra 18% tax. So there is a tax on drinks - no different from tipping for a drink in the bar or lounge at home.

They charged me 18% on a packet of tums anti acid in the gift shop.

Interesting, because the shop people are not even Royal employees, they work for a contractor.

They charged me 18% on a packet of tums anti acid in the gift shop.

 

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Their computer system probably adds that 18% to any purchase that they use the computer for.

I paid for some CDs, and was given a handwritten receipt. No extra tip.

In March bought t shirt on pool deck - no extra 18% tax. So there is a tax on drinks - no different from tipping for a drink in the bar or lounge at home.

Typically, if the sale is being sponsored by one of the shops the gratuity is not added just like the shop sales that spill out onto the Promenade. But if RCI is selling something with its crew you will get hit with the 18% just like with the glass sale that I mentioned.

And did I say anything about the gratuity, it is NOT at tax, being added to drinks?

They charged me 18% on a packet of tums anti acid in the gift shop.

 

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I have never had a gratuity added to anything bought from one of the shops.

You are allowed to do what you want, these fees are voluntary and optional and that means I can do what I want.

HA - so, what it is?? are these "voluntary and optional" or are they "stealing" -- BY DEFINITION, they can't be both. Of course, I know it is all a matter of the question you are answering -- because truth doesn't matter so much as "being right". :rolleyes:

We have no problem with the current tipping system but it's obvious many do not like it at all. The most sensible solution would be to simply inflate the price of ALL cruises by $25-$30 a day per person and advise all passengers that "any additional tipping is appreciated but not expected or required".

 

If implemented, the price of the cruising might have to increase more than $30. The reality is the cruise lines will have to pay a wage that is high enough to attract crew willing to work 12-15 hours every day, seven days a week for six to nine consecutive months and leave their families and loved ones at home.

 

What I really find obscene, in many of these posts, is the attitude of many posters that the crew is treated with utter disrespect. These people are not our slaves. In most cases they work far harder, and for substantially less pay than any of the passengers they care for.

 

For those of you who do not understand the concept of "if some pay no tips, it increases the price of cruising for all the rest of us". It is an extremely simple economic reality. Crew must receive a level of compensation that attracts them to the job. The more people who tip nothing the lower the pool of compensation for the entire crew. The only way to keep the pool money at a level that is acceptable to the crew is to increase the contributions from passengers who DO PAY THE TIPS.

Well said I totally agree.

hi to all

just been reading whats been said about tipping. I will be honest, we had our tips removed, and paid has and who to. I totally and utterly praise all the staff, they do a most amazing job, and, I certainly do not look upon them has slaves!!!!! (has someone said). they are all very pleasant, our cabin was spotless everyday. we certainly gave our cabin attendant a very good tip. like I said before, its a shame they do not get the wages they deserve.

Why bizarre behavior, as a shareholder I love the corporate is keeping cost down and making fools of the passengers by making them believe this is somehow normal. Fantastic marketing like what De Beers did with diamonds, how much should you pay for a diamond engagement ring? Most will say two months salary, were did this number come from? De Beers advertising campaign. Were does the idea of auto gratuities come from? Same place corporate doing a great job for shareholders.

 

But this is a cruise passenger board so when I post it is from the passengers side. I know most people will not listen but the information is correct. I get myself the best price and the happy cruisers who want to overpay put profits in my pocket. Really need to love the system.

This has to be one of the most asinine things I've read. You like that they are doing it, yet you don't.

You say they are thieves, yet, as a a shareholder, you are one of those thieves!

I know I shouldn't keep feeding a troll, but really, you have to get your story straight!!! Either you like it or your don't? Either it's voluntary and optional or it's theft??

I agree with an earlier poster that if you have such antipathy toward a company, don't use it and CERTAINLY don't invest in it, else you look, well, at best, hypocritical.

M

This has to be one of the most asinine things I've read. You like that they are doing it, yet you don't.

You say they are thieves, yet, as a a shareholder, you are one of those thieves!

 

I know I shouldn't keep feeding a troll, but really, you have to get your story straight!!! Either you like it or your don't? Either it's voluntary and optional or it's theft??

 

I agree with an earlier poster that if you have such antipathy toward a company, don't use it and CERTAINLY don't invest in it, else you look, well, at best, hypocritical.

 

M

You are always allowed to have a opinion. I can still invest and travel as I see fit. Your opinion has no effect on what I have done or will do. I do not need to like the policies of a company to make a profit from them. I do not need to always agree with everything they do. But they do need to be accountable to me as a shareholder. My goals as a shareholder and my goals as a client are not the same and never need to be the same.

I was one of the people who after 911 shorted RCCL stocks, was that a statement about what happen? No it was a investment choice. I can and do follow two paths/

In chops and Giovanni and chefs table we had 1 waiter.. Know why? Less tables

 

Of course. But when you're in the MDR catering for 3000+ people that's not exactly the case is it.

oQUOTE=Ocean Boy;49600845]NCL tried this experiment with a ship that they had sailing around Hawaii as they did not want to have to make a stop at a foreign port. As I recall it was a total failure. I forget what the name of the ship was.

NCL pride of America still does this route and the pricing is pretty high

So not sure it is a failure for the one ship doing it:confused:

The more I think about this issue the more I am cynical about what RCL is doing. I will probably never know the truth BUT I do know.

1) Auto Tips have risen far far above the CPI in recent years. (anyone care to argue that?)

2) Staff levels have decreased in recent years and service levels have not improved. (again any arguments?)

3) RCL state that all the tips are spread passed on. (no proof either way)

SO If 3 is a fact then one of these MUST be occuring:

a) the staff ( who presumably were quite content with their previous wages) have gained substantial pay increases of late.

b) RCL have dropped their base wage and using the auto grats to subsidise the salary at the same level.

c) far more people are opting out and those that are paying (ME) are subsidising the opt outers cruise while the staff are no better off.

If 3 is not a fact RCL are playing me for a fool.

For the first time I am actually thinking of how to deal with my grats because each (now regular) increase is a slow drip to a larger total increase.

It is like the drinks or any gratuity rise from 15% to 18%. There is no need to increase the percentage as the inflationary price rise of the product takes care of the increase in grat returned to the server in line with inflation.

So I should pay more in tips because royal gets away with less staff and in turn makes service worse?

 

Great idea.. You should go work for royal

No, if you want boutique service choose a boutique line!

Or we could go your model and just have a 150 seat dining room cater for 4000 passengers. Without assistant waiters.

Guess you can forget about eating... unless you go to the buffet. Which you should probably do - no tips there!