Pre-Paid, and auto tips. I'll just say it

[NH Cruisers]

[quote name='kittyluvrnurse']Do people realize that the cruise industry as a whole is not even paying these people minimum wage for their 6-day work weeks, working 10-12 hours/day? I think it's wrong for the customers to be forced to pay that price after paying for cruise fare (i.e. cruiseline should pay better), but I can't imagine not paying that amount! Pre-paid, that's debatable. I get all the exchange rate arguments, etc. Just make sure you finish out the wage that these people work toward. I can't imagine how it feels to pour your heart out as a waiter and then find out at the end of the cruise that 8 out of the 10 people gave you 1/2 the "tips" you were supposed to get. :/[/quote]
Go sail on a cruise line that you don't have to tip/service charge. Way too expensive for me. I am willing to pay the extra $100 per person tip/servicecharge at the end of the cruise, so as not to pay 75% or more for the cruise.

Jon,

[jagoffee]

[quote name='NH Cruisers']The nice thing about the tip/service charge is that it is [I][U]reversable[/U] [/I]unless one pre-pays. Is'nt nice to know that your waitstaff and room attendants know that their pay is not guarranteed. Bad service, bad pay. I don't usually pre pay, although I have a time or two. I have always got excellent service, in return I have always given fair tips, above the normal "guidelines".

Jon,[/QUOTE]

Actually I do not think that is a humane way to guarrantee excellent service. Comment cards, evaluations, and elevation of any issues not resolved should be effective tools for improving service if needed. Personally I am just not comfortable with the concept of holding back a "service charge" as a punishment for poor service. I have confidence that Celebrity management will resolve any issues and deal with anyone that is not performing.

[unixgeek]

[quote name='Denny01']So in order to 'make a point' with the managment who isn't impacted, you screw over the waitstaff........and of course you understand management is trying to protect the waitstaff since they usually add the 15% to large-party bills. Having worked 'the tables', I've been screwed over by the classic 10-person, $500 bill with a tip of $25. Yup, could have not filled his water fast enough...don't know, but it occured enough that the added 15% tip was Required.[/quote]

It's my hope that they'll point out to their boss how they got screwed, and convince them to change the policy. I've got no grounds to force them to change the policy, but enough people getting screwed by the system can convince them to try and change the system themselves.

Just because some bad apples will undertip doesn't give anyone the right to assume I am a bad tipper and FORCE me to tip. What a mandatory tipping policy tells me is "The management doesn't trust me not to be an undertipping dick, so they're going to assume that I am one, and treat me like one." Well, I'm sorry, but I don't much fancy being punished for other people's sins.

[dmwnc1959]

[quote name='ter1050']I've never heard of tipping the maid in a hotel either.[/quote]

I have been getting my haircut at one of those hair clippery places in the local mall, not a beauty salon mind you, just a hair cut place. Been using different ones of course over the period of 30 years, didnt know you were suppose to 'tip' the person cutting your hair either!

I worked at a pizza delivery place and it was a crap shoot on if you got a decent tip or none at all, now most delivery places add a 'delivery surcharge' which the driver gets half of.

Suppose to 'tip' the mail service delievery person come Christmas? The guy who changes my oil at the jiffy lube now has a 'tip cup' out in plain sight. Am I suppose to tip him?

[i]Comment cards, evaluations, and elevation of any issues not resolved should be effective tools for improving service if needed.[/i] If you get bad service this doesnt do jack for me and my cruise now, maybe if implemented several weeks after I leave they take notice and mail me an apology letter?

People that tip 'exceedingly well'? Thats all fine and dandy for you, but there are some folks that have saved up for years and years for this cruise and they [i]will[/i] tip, but those who tip exceedingly well make the rest who tip the 'norm' like were are cheapskates as well.

[i]Do people realize that the cruise industry as a whole is not even paying these people minimum wage for their 6-day work weeks, working 10-12 hours/day? [/i] Like I've said before I am sure these folks didnt take shipboard jobs with a promise of an 'expected income' based on tips. Sounds like the local pizza delivery place where you can /make up to $20 an hour'.

[i]Personally I am just not comfortable with the concept of holding back a "service charge" as a punishment for poor service.[/i] So you tip them anyway? For poor service?

[mrbbb]

Am I missing something here? I have never been on a cruise where tipping was mandatory. You do not have to auto tip if you do not want to. You may go to the service desk and opt out and on most cruises you have to sign up for auto tipping. The only place I know of where you have to prepay or auto tip is if you select my time dining. For me I like auto tipping and I also personally give my waiters and stewards a little extra at the end of the cruise.

[Cindy G]

[quote name='Freecall']Yeah, let's talk about tipping for a change! [I](very good ha, ha)[/I]

I still think a far more interesting topic would be......'I never pay my tips because........<INSERT REASON>...............'

Come on, let's hear from some serious stiffers!

.[/quote]


[B][I][COLOR=sienna]Go for it...it would be an entertaining thread, if nothing else. I want to be clear, we are tippers, we even tip the "ice cream lady" It's a good way to get generous scoops and lots of M&M's. We tip the "stir fry guy too." He'll add extra "whatever" with a smile. Those people work just as hard as the waitstaff in the dining room. [/COLOR][/I][/B]

[B][I][COLOR=sienna]Cindy G. [/COLOR][/I][/B]

[Sail Girl]

[quote name='lovesublime']I'm American and have never tipped a hotel maid (housekeeper) and nor do I know anyone who ever has. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I've even seen the housekeeper at any hotel we've stayed with. They clean the room, leave towels and that's it. They are paid a wage and do not depend on tips as part of their income. There will always be those who say they tip the housekeeping staff at hotels, but it's far from the norm in North America and don't let anyone convince you of otherwise. I also find it strange that you call the cleaning staff "room attendants". They are not attendants in the same sense as cruise line stewards. For the most part, if you have any needs at a hotel, you would call the front desk-not the maid. Of course there are other hotel employess who you may wish to tip....bell boys, room service delivery, concierge...etc if you utilize those services. Otherwise, there is no need to tip hotel employees.[/quote]

Verrrrry interestng.
I'm also an American and have [U]always[/U] tipped housekeepers when staying in hotels, condos, etc., no matter where in the US I've stayed.
In fact, tiping at hotels is a reimbursible expense from the company for which I work
I don't believe it would be reimbursible unless it were a standard type of expense. This is a large company with locations in all areas of the US, so this expense reimbursement for tipping at hotels isn't just a regional issue.
It's easy to see why visitors from outside the US are unsure of our tipping customs when those who live here view them so differently!

[Sail Girl]

[quote name='mapsmith']How about they rename it from "Gratuities" to "Service Charge". Since in many parts of the world, "Service Charges" are added to the final Bill, maybe the passengers from the other parts of the world (and North Americans) might not be as upset about "Mandatory Gratuities"[/quote]

In fact, on NCL the daily "Gratuity" is called the "DSC - Daily Service Charge". Calling the auto charge by a different name doesn't cause any less disagreement and discussion on the NCL Board than it does on this Board!
I'm not active on any other cruise lines' boards, but would suspect the issues would be similar.
Any others of you know if this is the case?

[smeyer418]

as I said I hate tipping threads mostly because there is so much misinformation(in some cases deliberately so by people who have an ax to grind or a particular view of the world).

The service people on most of the tipping cruise lines are paid a base salary of something around $100 per MONTH plus on board room and board and some on board medical care) here is a thread from someone who works/ed in the dinning room that talks about this.

[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1107696[/URL]

They do take home more because they get a draw against the tips and the tips themselves.

This method of paying the traditional tipped crew goes back to at least the early 1900's and was continued by Samuel Cunard who was born in Canada and immigrated to England.

In fact in the 1910-30 there was a movement in the US to do away with tipping-which obviously failed.

Because of the fare structure now the remuneration for the traditionally tipped crew is NOT included in the fare. Generally those cruise lines that do include it charge more than the difference between the cost of tipping non tipping(Azamara announced a 25% increase and included the "basic" tipping and some other items-none of which when added together could justify a 25% increase-but I don't know if the full increase has held this is an example I realize that Celebrity is not Azamara or Seaborn or other of the luxury lines where in general you pay a premium to get the base tip included-do you really think that people no longer tip on these lines).

Whether its in the fare or the expected tip, its you are paying it anyway. I really don't see why you may want to pay more to have it included in the fare.

On most cruise lines when you remove the auto -tip all or most of the cash tip is put back into the pool anyway so in fact you make it more difficult for those who you want to reward. The best way to reward these people is to either write a note to their supervisors explaining how they went over and above or giving them a little extra(at your discretion of course).
The auto tip takes care of what the employees were required to do anyway(called tipping out). The rooms stewards traditionally tipped out the laundry room supply room staff and asst head housekeeper(the name for this varies among cruise lines); and the waiters tipped out the bus boys, dishwashers, line cooks and asst head waiter/maitre d(also varies by cruise line).
Do the employees just pocket the cash? mostly no. If the auto-tip is removed and they don't turn it in(BTW I have been told by some staff they sometimes convert extra tips left by some which they don't have to turn in at all to pay for the cheapos/stiffers because they ARE marked down when people keep taking the auto-tip off and leave nothing or less than the suggested amount-rightfully or wrongfully its held against them). The employees live in close quarters 3-4 in a room and they don't want large amounts of cash lying around either. The employees know pretty quickly who are the slackers and pocketers and since the supervisor is one of the people being stiffed by the employees they get a. fired b. non renewed or c the worst assignments....and also have been known to be visited by their own countries of origin mafia on board.
Ships are clearly a different culture with somewhat different rules. The tipping culture is a tradition on board. I know some people dis like being told when in Rome....but you aren't in Kansas either.
If you don't like the auto-tip you are of course free to chose another cruise line that includes it but if you like Celebrity's product and the service you really SHOULD follow the tradition.

There is also not one iota of evidence that the entire auto tip doesn't make it to the traditionally tipped and tipped out crew. The cruise lines even absorb the credit card charge. Cruise employees sue cruise lines all the time and there is NOT one report of any crew member that the entire amount doesn't eventually get to them and not one reported lawsuit...yet(I monitor a number of cruise lawyers reports who would report any such lawsuit)


BTW In the past the people who seem to complain about this the most are sometimes from the UK and Australia. But what I have learned is even in these places, tipping rules are not that clear cut(ie no tipping)
here is what the BBC says
[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A640018[/url]


So in England at a restaurant tipping is the custom. In Oz its changing and in the large cities its becoming more normal to tip, although the BBC still says no tipping in Oz...




Although in the past I promised when in Oz I won't tip, I am now not so sure. I will remove the auto tip in England but if the service warrants I will tip.


I always leave a couple of dollars at motels/hotels for the maid...every day not just at the end. So that the person who does the work gets the money. (ignorance is no excuse, in most cases its intentional or fits in with your preconceived notions of tipping anyway).


Now them is the facts. If you would like to discuss the facts please do but just like you may complain when someone on formal night wears shorts, traditions should be obeyed.

[Denny01]

[quote=dmwnc1959;25981912.......but those who tip exceedingly well make the rest who tip the 'norm' like were are cheapskates as well.....[/quote]

What? If I tip at at higher % than you, I'm making you look like a cheapskate? So I'm suppose to canvas the restaurant or ask my tablemates how much they tip and then tip the same so they don't 'look like a cheapskate'. OK......but there's nothing I can do if you are such.

I've dined with a buddy for years who thinks 10% is the 'norm' and makes sure it never goes above - usually less. Nice guy, but he Is a cheapskate when it comes to tips - his choice. He's generous in many situations, but I guess he has an issue over tipping. The only reason I was aware of his 'tipping level' is we'd pay the billl combined and I realized I was taking up the slack for him. From then on, always got individual bills. When I tip at my rate, whatever it makes him look like is his issue, not mine.

What I've noticed is those that seem to be bothered by tipping or make it an issue usually are very critical of any slight in service and jump at the chance of cutting/not tipping because their glass wasn't filled when it left their lips. Seems they spend more time looking for an excuse to not tip instead of enjoying the meal and friends. Just an observance. For those that think being critical of service shows you as a sophisticated diner, it doesn't.

When I have an issue, I bring it up with the Server or with the management, instead of just through the tip - trust me, most waitstaff who didn't provide proper servce don't make the connection. They just think you are a stiffer and write it off, so the rationale of just using a lower tip doesn't seem to float too well - better to say something specific. But I'd do it After the meal so some idiot doesn't retaliate!

Denny

[Momorider]

Wondering what peoples opinions are on a child or third or fourth person in a stateroom?

Should the same "service charged" be used which it is $24/day for couple vs $48/day for family of four with very young children say 4 and 2. ?

[teajak]

[quote name='smeyer418']as I said I hate tipping threads mostly because there is so much misinformation(in some cases deliberately so by people who have an ax to grind or a particular view of the world).

The service people on most of the tipping cruise lines are paid a base salary of something around $100 per MONTH plus on board room and board and some on board medical care) here is a thread from someone who works/ed in the dinning room that talks about this.

[URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1107696[/URL]

They do take home more because they get a draw against the tips and the tips themselves.

This method of paying the traditional tipped crew goes back to at least the early 1900's and was continued by Samuel Cunard who was born in Canada and immigrated to England.

In fact in the 1910-30 there was a movement in the US to do away with tipping-which obviously failed.

Because of the fare structure now the remuneration for the traditionally tipped crew is NOT included in the fare. Generally those cruise lines that do include it charge more than the difference between the cost of tipping non tipping(Azamara announced a 25% increase and included the "basic" tipping and some other items-none of which when added together could justify a 25% increase-but I don't know if the full increase has held this is an example I realize that Celebrity is not Azamara or Seaborn or other of the luxury lines where in general you pay a premium to get the base tip included-do you really think that people no longer tip on these lines).

Whether its in the fare or the expected tip, its you are paying it anyway. I really don't see why you may want to pay more to have it included in the fare.

On most cruise lines when you remove the auto -tip all or most of the cash tip is put back into the pool anyway so in fact you make it more difficult for those who you want to reward. The best way to reward these people is to either write a note to their supervisors explaining how they went over and above or giving them a little extra(at your discretion of course).
The auto tip takes care of what the employees were required to do anyway(called tipping out). The rooms stewards traditionally tipped out the laundry room supply room staff and asst head housekeeper(the name for this varies among cruise lines); and the waiters tipped out the bus boys, dishwashers, line cooks and asst head waiter/maitre d(also varies by cruise line).
Do the employees just pocket the cash? mostly no. If the auto-tip is removed and they don't turn it in(BTW I have been told by some staff they sometimes convert extra tips left by some which they don't have to turn in at all to pay for the cheapos/stiffers because they ARE marked down when people keep taking the auto-tip off and leave nothing or less than the suggested amount-rightfully or wrongfully its held against them). The employees live in close quarters 3-4 in a room and they don't want large amounts of cash lying around either. The employees know pretty quickly who are the slackers and pocketers and since the supervisor is one of the people being stiffed by the employees they get a. fired b. non renewed or c the worst assignments....and also have been known to be visited by their own countries of origin mafia on board.
Ships are clearly a different culture with somewhat different rules. The tipping culture is a tradition on board. I know some people dis like being told when in Rome....but you aren't in Kansas either.
If you don't like the auto-tip you are of course free to chose another cruise line that includes it but if you like Celebrity's product and the service you really SHOULD follow the tradition.

There is also not one iota of evidence that the entire auto tip doesn't make it to the traditionally tipped and tipped out crew. The cruise lines even absorb the credit card charge. Cruise employees sue cruise lines all the time and there is NOT one report of any crew member that the entire amount doesn't eventually get to them and not one reported lawsuit...yet(I monitor a number of cruise lawyers reports who would report any such lawsuit)


BTW In the past the people who seem to complain about this the most are sometimes from the UK and Australia. But what I have learned is even in these places, tipping rules are not that clear cut(ie no tipping)
here is what the BBC says
[URL]http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A640018[/URL]


So in England at a restaurant tipping is the custom. In Oz its changing and in the large cities its becoming more normal to tip, although the BBC still says no tipping in Oz...




Although in the past I promised when in Oz I won't tip, I am now not so sure. I will remove the auto tip in England but if the service warrants I will tip.


I always leave a couple of dollars at motels/hotels for the maid...every day not just at the end. So that the person who does the work gets the money. (ignorance is no excuse, in most cases its intentional or fits in with your preconceived notions of tipping anyway).


Now them is the facts. If you would like to discuss the facts please do but just like you may complain when someone on formal night wears shorts, traditions should be obeyed.[/quote]I wish the cruise lines would take the pertinet information you gave us, print, and place a copy in every cabin.Excellant post and very informative, thank you.

[TomTN]

[quote name='JEDIKNIGHT']Since there aren't any threads on tipping I thought I'd be original and write about this topic ;)

Anyway, I read that some people aren't "used to" the concept of tipping.

Well, sorry....but if you are in a culture, geography, or entity where tipping is the norm, get used to it. Deal with it. I am always told that as an American, I should be oooooh so careful to blend in, to respect other people's customs...and I agree with that 100%[COLOR=red]...nevermind that I live in a nation where a segment of the population doesn't bother to speak the native language. [/COLOR]But all that accounted for, I agree...when I'm abroad, I should follow the rules.

[COLOR=cyan][COLOR="DarkOrange"]Which native language do you speak? I'm 1/16 Cherokee, and Ill have to admit I cannot speak a native language. Isn't that true of 99.9% of us? We speak a language that is not native to N America. Either English, French or Spanish.[/COLOR][/COLOR]

If someone isn't "used to" tipping, it's best they take a cruise based in their home country and write glowing reviews about it.

And finally......

I'm GLAD that auto-tipping, and PRE-PAID tipping in some cases is now the norm, as long as there's a mechanism to dispute it in case of poor service.

If people are doing well enough in life to where they can take a cruise, AND they don't think enough to TIP the hard-working people who are waiting their tables, or cleaning their cabins .....I'm pleased there's a method to police those passengers.

And yeah, I'll say it....

The fact that it annoys non-tippers....is HILARIOUS to me.

Questions, comments, insults welcome.[/quote]

BTW, we tip!

[TomTN]

[quote name='dmwnc1959']At no point did I say that I [I]don't[/I] tip, and [I]never[/I] have I [I]not[/I] tipped. The cruise lines add it as a [I]convenience[/I] for those who otherwise would not tip, tip less, and/or forget to tip. I wonder how many people stay for a week at a Las Vegas hotel or at a Walt Disney World resort, stay in the same room and eat at the hotel restaurants, and [I]don't[/I] tip their hotel maids and waitstaff?

And at no time [I]ever[/I] in any of my 3+ dozen cruises have I ever treated the staff any less than equals. I still tip, and even help out by cleaning and straightening my room and tidy up my bed before leaving for the day, making it easier for them to maintain my room. Did I mention that [I]I still tip[/I]? I just do not feel the need to tip them in [I]advance[/I]. I remember when giving the tip at the end of the cruise was a one-on-one expression of gratitude, my way of personally thanking them for a job well done. If we bond with our stewards and waitstaff the way some of us do for a week, why not show that gratitude [I]in person[/I], and not just as a name on a list of those that already pre-tipped and auto-tipped in advance?[/quote]

Our societies differ when it comes to some jobs. In most of the US waiters and bartenders are paid about $2-3 per hour on average while the minimum wage for other jobs is $7-8+ per hour. It is a stupid system, and I think most people would rather pay these folks minimum wage, and tip only for exception service. Or at least only leave a small tip for average service and not tip for poor service. Simply, if we do not tip they cannot survive.
My understanding is the workers on the ships are also poorly paid.

[Denny01]

[quote name='Momorider']Wondering what peoples opinions are on a child or third or fourth person in a stateroom?

Should the same "service charged" be used which it is $24/day for couple vs $48/day for family of four with very young children say 4 and 2. ?[/quote]

Yes.

Den

[ORV]

[quote name='teajak']I wish the cruise lines would take the pertinet information you gave us, print, and place a copy in every cabin.Excellant post and very informative, thank you.[/QUOTE]

Hopefully they would edit it for clarity.

[smeyer418]

[quote name='ORV']Hopefully they would edit it for clarity.[/quote]
you found something unclear?

[Conrycol]

[quote name='Momorider']Wondering what peoples opinions are on a child or third or fourth person in a stateroom?

Should the same "service charged" be used which it is $24/day for couple vs $48/day for family of four with very young children say 4 and 2. ?[/quote]


No!

[PhoenixCruiser]

[quote name='lovesublime']I'm American and have never tipped a hotel maid (housekeeper) and nor do I know anyone who ever has. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I've even seen the housekeeper at any hotel we've stayed with. They clean the room, leave towels and that's it. They are paid a wage and do not depend on tips as part of their income. There will always be those who say they tip the housekeeping staff at hotels, but it's far from the norm in North America and don't let anyone convince you of otherwise. I also find it strange that you call the cleaning staff "room attendants". They are not attendants in the same sense as cruise line stewards. For the most part, if you have any needs at a hotel, you would call the front desk-not the maid. Of course there are other hotel employess who you may wish to tip....bell boys, room service delivery, concierge...etc if you utilize those services. Otherwise, there is no need to tip hotel employees.[/QUOTE]


WOW, really?? Leaving a tip for the Housekeeping staff is actually very common, even in TX...

###

[2blueyam]

[COLOR=#666666]Those concerned about pre-paying for tips should take this from the Celebrity site:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#666666]For your convenience, we will automatically add gratuities for your restaurant and stateroom services to your on board Seapass account on a daily basis in the following amounts, which may be adjusted at your discretion[/COLOR]

That last part of the last sentence pretty much says it all. Nothing is really pre-paid. You can adjust this at your discretion. You can adjust it up or down.

If I get really good service and get some extras or if I have special requests, I will tip more. If I feel the service was lacking or not used, I do feel like I can adjust it down. On my first cruise the Maitre d never even said hi to me. His tip was downgraded from the suggested amount, as I felt he had done little to nothing for me. On my second cruise, I gave the Maitre d a larger tip than suggested because he helped get my wife and I moved from a table of complaining curmudgeons to a table with others that were there to enjoy the cruise.

Personally I like the fact I don't have to bring extra cash on board for tipping the staff. It can add up to more cash than I care to carry for a two week cruise.

[lvcruiser]

Out of 69 posts on this thread by a large number of posters, discussion has been made about many various positions within our culture who are tipped, who should be tipped, who are not tipped, and who are undertipped. However, one tipped position onboard most cruise ships has conspicuously been left out of the conversation and I am wondering if it is because most people do not know it is a tipped position. How many people contributing to this thread realize that you are supposed to tip your casino dealers because they, like the rest of the tipped personnel, make peanuts from the cruise line and survive only from their tips?

JackDiamond - Please do not make the blanket assumption that everyone who has complained in some fashion on these boards about tipping are stiffs. Having been in the guest service industries for decades, my wife and I are quite generous with our tips, usually tipping 20-25% at land based restaurants, but I have voiced my discontent with the forced prepaid gratuities for Select Dining that Celebrity now imposes. If the people who choose Select Dining are to be forced to pay a service charge, which is what it really is since it cannot be altered or removed, 75 days in advance under the pretense that it is to ensure the service staff are not stiffed, then that service charge should be in effect across the board for everyone. If Celebrity is attempting to curtail stiffing their service staff, why are they still providing the opportunity to do so to the passengers who choose traditional dining? You are right in the respect that in most cases, someone complaining about service unnecessarily is looking for an excuse to not tip their service staff; I see it everyday on my job. But there are some legitimate reasons to voice complaints about the system presently in place.

[lvcruiser]

[quote name='2blueyam'][COLOR=#666666]Those concerned about pre-paying for tips should take this from the Celebrity site:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#666666]For your convenience, we will automatically add gratuities for your restaurant and stateroom services to your on board Seapass account on a daily basis in the following amounts, which may be adjusted at your discretion[/COLOR]

That last part of the last sentence pretty much says it all. Nothing is really pre-paid. You can adjust this at your discretion. You can adjust it up or down.

If I get really good service and get some extras or if I have special requests, I will tip more. If I feel the service was lacking or not used, I do feel like I can adjust it down. On my first cruise the Maitre d never even said hi to me. His tip was downgraded from the suggested amount, as I felt he had done little to nothing for me. On my second cruise, I gave the Maitre d a larger tip than suggested because he helped get my wife and I moved from a table of complaining curmudgeons to a table with others that were there to enjoy the cruise.

Personally I like the fact I don't have to bring extra cash on board for tipping the staff. It can add up to more cash than I care to carry for a two week cruise.[/QUOTE]

Sorry to disagree, but I believe you are incorrect on two points. First, your quote refers only to traditional dining, not Select Dining, where you are required to prepay your entire amount of gratuities at the time of final payment and the amounts cannot be altered or removed. Second, I believe the practice of allowing passengers to alter an amount down or alter one person's amount has been discontinued. It is my understanding that now, you can only alter an amount higher, and if you want a tip removed, you must request the entire auto-pay be removed from your shipboard account and you will then be expected to tip each individual at the end of the cruise on your own.

[Denny01]

[quote name='lovesublime']I'm American and have never tipped a hotel maid (housekeeper) and nor do I know anyone who ever has. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I've even seen the housekeeper at any hotel we've stayed with. They clean the room, leave towels and that's it. They are paid a wage and do not depend on tips as part of their income. There will always be those who say they tip the housekeeping staff at hotels, but it's far from the norm in North America and don't let anyone convince you of otherwise. I also find it strange that you call the cleaning staff "room attendants". They are not attendants in the same sense as cruise line stewards. For the most part, if you have any needs at a hotel, you would call the front desk-not the maid. Of course there are other hotel employess who you may wish to tip....bell boys, room service delivery, concierge...etc if you utilize those services. Otherwise, there is no need to tip hotel employees.[/quote]

Since I'm a business traveler and stay at many hotels, it is the 'norm' among professionals to tip the housekeepers. They clean my room, set a few things aside properly, turn my bed down that night and so on. Sometimes I leave more than a normal 'mess' and they take care of it. So I tip, just as many of my collegues do.

by the way, I'm also an American, whatever that had to do with it. And as to your statement that 'there is no need to tip' them, I'd suggest, a better statement would be there is no reason for You to tip them. Your choice. And since this isn't something most of us talk about outside this very strange community of CC posters, I bet a number of your friends do leave a tip for the 'room attendant/house keeper/maid....' whatever.

Denny

[jackdiamond]

visa

[jackdiamond]

I agree that the auto tipping, or whatever nomenclature, is appropriate, should be mandatory and should equally apply to everyone. I also feel that the amount of the tips should apply equally to very passenger, irrespective as to their age, race, gender, sexual orientation, or prior condition of credit card.