P&O/Australia ends autotip

[jleq]

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=620003021.blog&csp=34

[Glaciers]

It will be interesting to see how this shakes out. Diminishing customer service comes to mind. I have to think that tips make up over 50% of cruise staff wages. Not sure I would work for P&O when I could go to another cruise line doing the same thing for quite a bit more money.

[MMDown Under]

Australians already pay much more than their American equivalent for the same cruise, yet many tip the amount recommended by the cruise company in the fine print.

 

The cruise lines lost credibility when they commenced auto tipping to be shared amongst all employees who provide service, when we'd been led to believe it was for personal service (individual amounts given for room stewards and waiters).

 

Maybe it is time for the cruise industry to produce a confidential spreadsheet for their staff showing just how much each cruiser actually pays for their cruise - fare, plus tips - so they can see what people are paying and who really is paying the most towards their salaries.

 

Congratulations to P&O Australia for doing away with the auto tipping facade.

[Kinkacruiser]

Perhaps the auto-tip will be hidden in the fare now? I don't think there will be any difference in the service...but time will tell.

[karmac]

I would think the service would improve rather than diminish. The staff know they have to provide good service in order to get a tip whereas with the auto tipping, they're getting it anyway. There are a lot of passengers (me included) who pay the auto tip regardless of the service.

As kinkacruiser said........time will tell.

 

I leave on a cruise the day before this starts so will be interesting to see if we are autotipped for one day or the whole cruise because we leave before it starts:confused:

[Skyrules]

I leave on a cruise the day before this starts so will be interesting to see if we are autotipped for one day or the whole cruise because we leave before it starts:confused:

 

Hmm, I suspect you'll be out of luck... Somewhere in the fine print it will probably say for cruises departing on/after xxxx ! Once the cruise has started it will be for the whole cruise :(

[aussie57]

Hmm, I suspect you'll be out of luck... Somewhere in the fine print it will probably say for cruises departing on/after xxxx ! Once the cruise has started it will be for the whole cruise :(

Yes but you can remove the autotip yourself anyway, especially when you know the company has abandoned the policy.

[rkmw]

they should include the tips in the fare and then there would be none of some pay and some dont.....jmo

 

rkmw

[Jodez]

Yes but you can remove the autotip yourself anyway, especially when you know the company has abandoned the policy.

 

 

I agree, if P & O have abandoned the policy, what is that telling all of us that are about to cruise??? I know what I will be doing now, just tipping the staff that really deserve it, I do however, feel sorry for the staff that are behind the scenes, surely P & O will have to compensate them somehow, especially if they are used to getting a share in the auto tipping :confused:

Does anyone know when this comes into effect?? couldn't see it on the link.

 

Jodie

[suexxx]

Hi. I think it is 1st October 2010. Suexxx

[karmac]

The link on here didn't mention a date but as Sue said it's the 1st Oct. I read that on another site and it said..........from 1st Oct P&O will no longer auto-tip. It didn't say any cruise sailing after 1st Oct. That's why I'm unsure what will happen with ours as we sail on 30th Sept.

I can't find anything on the P&O site about it.

[Glaciers]

In the USA tipping is not only for good service but to supplement horrible wages. We’ve learned to tip from an early age. It sounds as though service individuals in Australia make a livable wage so tipping isn’t the customary thing to do. There’s a recent post out there from an Aussie that implied that we should not tip in Australia because then they start to expect it.

 

If Australians are not used to tipping because they have grown up with it that way, wouldn’t it make sense that they will follow that thought and not tip on a cruise as well?

 

Most of you here appear to be seasoned cruisers and used to tipping on cruises. Of 2000 passengers on the Sun Princess last month out of Sydney, all but about 160 of us were from AU/NZ, about half were first time cruisers. That’s a lot of people who usually don’t tip. Sure, some will notice that the crew doesn’t earn a good wage and will tip based on this and exceptional service but have to think most will not because that is what they are used to.

 

They obviously implemented this policy as they had so many complaints in the AU/NZ region. Since this is a geographic policy, it’s not as much due to the way the tips are collected but that they are collected at all. The net will be a reduction in the amount of tips the staff receives.

 

Another post indicates that all tips are to be pooled and distributed to all. If you give a tip to an individual for their exceptional service, it goes to everyone, even the person who provided lousy service. Not much of an incentive to tip if the person you give it to can’t keep it.

[buggsy62]

You're right, Chilkoot, tipping in Aus is nothing like in the US and to be honest I always find it hard to know what to do when I am in the US, to know whether I am not tipping enough and when to tip and when not to.

 

On our cruises we have always gone along with the auto-tipping, mainly so they all get a share of something but for the crew that have given us special service we have always discretely handed a thank you card with something in it on the last day or evening. I hope they have been able to keep it, they have got it because of their service. They have certainly been discreet enough not to open it in front of us.

 

Buggs

[TJSMP]

What is the Date correct date that the auto tips stop

[yeaders]

Does this apply to Princess Cruises

[The_Big_M]

I agree, if P & O have abandoned the policy, what is that telling all of us that are about to cruise

 

That remuneration for staff is still based on tips.

 

They will be allocated an amount of the funds for cruises from that date to staff to pay them a salary. However, until that comes into effect, the crew's compensation is still based on tips.

[The_Big_M]

all its saying P&O have tried the auto tipping to get money from ozzies and it didnt work. so if they stop auto tipping they will the money in a different way

 

Yeah, almost every other cruise line in the world collects tips, but P&O are just doing it to be greedy. :rolleyes:

 

No need to pay staff is there.

 

the same as our goverment dose a new tax, leavie. carborn trading.

 

A) it's foolish to claim it's a tax

B) the purpose is to reduce carbon emissions, and it doesn't go to government revenue

 

But as per above, better to just complain about any increase in costs, regardless of the facts or reason...

[The_Big_M]

but they are based in oz we dont tip

 

Exactly - which is what this change is about.

 

so o hang on we arent australians any more are we.

 

I'll stay quiet on this one!

[floatie]

Diminishing customer service comes to mind.

 

It shouldn't... The article I read in an Australian travel industry news letter stated that P&O intend increasing the pay of service staff to cover the shortfall.

 

They also said that this decision had come about after much complaining from "British" passengers. I imagine it would irk almost every other non US passenger as well.

 

The cop out of employers paying absolute minimum salaries and leaving staff to beg for extra and taking pot luck of being successful is a US tradition based somewhat from the old custom of tipping slaves. It is 2009 and time for a change.

 

Such employment conditions in most civilised countries is illegal and out of comon decency is just not done.

 

To those who want to rid themselves of their mountain of cash asap you CAN still tip if you feel inclined.

 

The simple solution to the whole fiasco is to pay service staff a proper salary and increase fares where necessary, if needed.

 

Tipping does not ensure better service.

 

:):):)

[floatie]

B) the purpose is to reduce carbon emissions, and it doesn't go to government revenue

quote]

 

Every cent will go into govt coffers i assure you.

Taxing will not help global pollution one little bit.

... like the increased petrol taxes for better roads that never see the light of day.:mad:

[The_Big_M]

B) the purpose is to reduce carbon emissions, and it doesn't go to government revenue

quote]

 

Every cent will go into govt coffers i assure you.

Taxing will not help global pollution one little bit.

... like the increased petrol taxes for better roads that never see the light of day.:mad:

 

Unless there's a massive backflip, the last proposal was to provide permits for free to industry, so it's industry that gains, not the government/taxpayer.

 

Adding charges is clearly one way of reducing pollution, though not the only way. Look at when petrol prices rose, car usage fell, public transport increased and pollution consequentially fell. Now that prices have fallen and confidence grown, heavy vehicle sales are on the up again though.

 

People will choose the more economic option, there's no doubt there, which means if charges are higher for those pollution causers there will be a fall-off.

 

And which increased petrol taxes? Petrol taxes have been stable for about 5 years now.