Tipping

[Milo_27]

When paying for my cruise (1st time) I was informed that I had to pay a set amount per day in Gratuity / Tips. I realise after reading these boards the pre payment of tips is the accepted way of doing things. I just found it strange because tipping here in the Uk is a discretionary thing which is given to reward good service. Wouldn't it be better to simply charge a higher fare for the cruise instead of compulsory gratuities and pay the staff a higher salary.

More likely it's just what people are used to and 'if it ain't broke don't try to fix it'.

[Ine]

When paying for my cruise (1st time) I was informed that I had to pay a set amount per day in Gratuity / Tips. I realise after reading these boards the pre payment of tips is the accepted way of doing things. I just found it strange because tipping here in the Uk is a discretionary thing which is given to reward good service. Wouldn't it be better to simply charge a higher fare for the cruise instead of compulsory gratuities and pay the staff a higher salary.

More likely it's just what people are used to and 'if it ain't broke don't try to fix it'.

 

To europeans this tipping is indeed confusing. Holland America Line nowadays calls it a service charge, which is better I think as the salary of manoy of the crew is based on the tips.

In the USA and some other countries the tip is never included, so it is normal to give about 15% extra on the bill.

If you order drinks on board there will be a 15% service charge added.

Tips cannot be included in the fare because of tax-reasons as far as I know.

[Project_gal]

When paying for my cruise (1st time) I was informed that I had to pay a set amount per day in Gratuity / Tips. I realise after reading these boards the pre payment of tips is the accepted way of doing things. I just found it strange because tipping here in the Uk is a discretionary thing which is given to reward good service. Wouldn't it be better to simply charge a higher fare for the cruise instead of compulsory gratuities and pay the staff a higher salary.

More likely it's just what people are used to and 'if it ain't broke don't try to fix it'.

 

It really is no different to restaurants adding a service charge to the bill as is becoming more and more common here in the UK. If it is your first cruise you may not realise that the staff on board are paid nothing like to minimum wage in the UK and depend hugely on the tips. If the basic gratuity is included in the price, passengers may not think to add additional tips for good service. These additional tips are also really important to the staff.

 

Just how I see it as a fellow Brit.

 

Sue

[dkjretired]

The concern that I have with adding tips into the price is then it will start over again. People will start tipping and in a few years we would be asking the same question again...

[Chicago Boy]

When paying for my cruise (1st time) I was informed that I had to pay a set amount per day in Gratuity / Tips. I realise after reading these boards the pre payment of tips is the accepted way of doing things. I just found it strange because tipping here in the Uk is a discretionary thing which is given to reward good service. Wouldn't it be better to simply charge a higher fare for the cruise instead of compulsory gratuities and pay the staff a higher salary.

More likely it's just what people are used to and 'if it ain't broke don't try to fix it'.

 

 

Tipping means "To Ensure Prompt Service." My experience is that many Europeans are unaccustomed to tipping because a tip is built into the bill. Not so in the states or on the cruise lines. That is why tips are added to your ship board account. If you have selected dining you will pay your tips upfront because you will most likely not have the same waiter every evening. It's just the cruise lines way of making sure the staff is taken cae of.

[lvcruiser]

Tipping means "To Ensure Prompt Service." My experience is that many Europeans are unaccustomed to tipping because a tip is built into the bill. Not so in the states or on the cruise lines. That is why tips are added to your ship board account. If you have selected dining you will pay your tips upfront because you will most likely not have the same waiter every evening. It's just the cruise lines way of making sure the staff is taken cae of.

 

Sorry to disagree, but after spending over 30 years in guest service industries, I can tell you with certainty that the acronym, TIPS, meaning To Insure (not ensure) Prompt Service, is an old wive's tale. Very simply, if you were trying to insure prompt service from the wait staff, you would tip in advance, not at the end of the service. In modern days, about the only time this would happen would be if you tipped a maitre'd upon your arrival at a restaurant to insure he would find you a good table and do so quickly. On only one occasion have I seen something like this done to a waiter. While dining in a very nice restaurant in Little Italy in New York City with a Wall Street attorney one evening, I watched my dining partner give the waiter $200 for a $132 bill. I asked him why he was tipping so much and he replied, "Because we're going to dine here again while you're in town and I want him to remember us so we will get outstanding service on our next visit."

 

In most cases in today's world, if you tip your server in advance, you will receive worse service than if you didn't, simply because most people don't tip as much as servers feel their service is worth. If they know in advance that they are going to receive 10 or 15% when they feel their standard service is worth 20%, you will actually get a decrease in service, not an increase. However, if you want give an advance tip of 25%, I am sure you will receive good service. But here's the other kicker in that equation - how do you know how much your final bill is going to be so you can figure out the percentage you want to give? It simply isn't done. After you have slipped the maitre'd $100 for a good table, slip your server another $100 and I'm sure you'll get good service. Aside from that, TIPS isn't the acronym you may think it is. Proper grammar would dictate the use of the word you used - ensure - rather than insure, and if that were the case, the word in question would then be spelled teps instead of tips.

 

Tipping, or providing gratuities to ones service staff for good service is primarily an American tradition, which is why it isn't seen very much outside of the United States. That is because servers in the U.S. make less than the standard minimum wage. Currently the minimum wage in the States is $7.25, but server's minimum wage is only $4.23. It is my understanding that most establishments in Europe pay their service staff considerably more than that. On the cruise ships, the service staff make even less than that. Like their American counterparts, but even more so, they live off of their tips and cannot rely on what is received as base pay. Please remember that the next time you cruise or dine in an American restaurant.

[Milo_27]

$4.23 an hour minimum wage !! I thought slavery had been made illegal !! I will make sure I take plenty of additional money with me for tips because that kind of salary for the job they do is a disgrace.

[GeneD]

My TA has given me a quote with pre paid gratuity included. I think I read somewhere that Celebrity cruises automatically includes gratuity but a person can opt out and do individual tipping on their own. I always found at the end of cruises that tipping individuals was a big pain so I do like the prepaid gratuity. I always can leave an added tip on my own anyway for the room steward which I tend to use most for services.

[dzcruisers]

From what I have been told it is for tax reasons that the tips are done separately. If included there would have to be corporate profits, etc. so the bottom line was not diminished.

We really like the prepaid tips. There is no extra aggravation at the end of he cruise looking for correct change, envelopes, etc. And our service has not diminished at all!

[lvcruiser]

Milo - I have repeatedly said on these boards that the cruise lines should cease tipping practices and simply add the amount they think is appropriate to the cruise fare, or in the alternative, call it a service charge, since that is what it really is. You'll never get them to add it to the fare because it will make their fares appear too high, but a mandatory service charge would work. When you think about it, that is what it really is anyway. A gratuity is something given to another out of respect for their service. What is happening on the cruise lines nowadays does not qualify as a gratuity by definition because it is a forced issue, thereby having it fall into the definition of a service charge.

 

As you probably suspect from my previous post, I am a big proponent of tips and gratuities from my wife and I having worked in tipped positions for many years, and have no problem paying what is forced. For the usually great service I receive from my cabin stewards and wait staff, I usually tip more than what is expected. However, I am disappointed with Celebrity forcing me to pay gratuities to particular people who I suspect may not deserve them. For one, I don't really know what the asst. head housekeeper does for me since I have never met one on any of my cruises, so I'm not really sure if I want to tip the individual. For another, I don't usually tip asst. maitre' d's unless they actually do something for me. I guess from now on, I'll have to ask them to do something for me so I can feel like I'm getting my money's worth. And for a third, according to Celebrity's website, part of the gratuity that is paid goes to "Other Service Personnel." Pray tell: who is that? I had my TA check into it and she said that Celebrity told her it was for the wine steward and other behind the scenes personnel. I have a real problem with that since I don't use sommeliers and have never tipped dishwashers or linen folders on either cruises or land based hotels and restaurants. These positions are not tipped positions; therefore, Celebrity is essentially demanding that I subsidize them in paying these people's wages. There is something inherently wrong with that, but I have conceded to the fact that it must be done if I want to cruise, and I accept it - I just don't like it. Calling something like that a service charge instead of a gratuity would make paying it a lot easier to swallow for many people.

 

Dianne - I agree with you that the service on Celebrity has not diminished one bit since the prepaid grats were put in place. I really have to believe that on a land based facility in the States, that would not be the case, but on the cruise ships, particularly Celebrity, the service personnel really take pride in their jobs and have a great desire to please their guests.

[Chicago Boy]

Sorry to disagree, but after spending over 30 years in guest service industries, I can tell you with certainty that the acronym, TIPS, meaning To Insure (not ensure) Prompt Service, is an old wive's tale. Very simply, if you were trying to insure prompt service from the wait staff, you would tip in advance, not at the end of the service. In modern days, about the only time this would happen would be if you tipped a maitre'd upon your arrival at a restaurant to insure he would find you a good table and do so quickly. On only one occasion have I seen something like this done to a waiter. While dining in a very nice restaurant in Little Italy in New York City with a Wall Street attorney one evening, I watched my dining partner give the waiter $200 for a $132 bill. I asked him why he was tipping so much and he replied, "Because we're going to dine here again while you're in town and I want him to remember us so we will get outstanding service on our next visit."

 

In most cases in today's world, if you tip your server in advance, you will receive worse service than if you didn't, simply because most people don't tip as much as servers feel their service is worth. If they know in advance that they are going to receive 10 or 15% when they feel their standard service is worth 20%, you will actually get a decrease in service, not an increase. However, if you want give an advance tip of 25%, I am sure you will receive good service. But here's the other kicker in that equation - how do you know how much your final bill is going to be so you can figure out the percentage you want to give? It simply isn't done. After you have slipped the maitre'd $100 for a good table, slip your server another $100 and I'm sure you'll get good service. Aside from that, TIPS isn't the acronym you may think it is. Proper grammar would dictate the use of the word you used - ensure - rather than insure, and if that were the case, the word in question would then be spelled teps instead of tips.

 

Tipping, or providing gratuities to ones service staff for good service is primarily an American tradition, which is why it isn't seen very much outside of the United States. That is because servers in the U.S. make less than the standard minimum wage. Currently the minimum wage in the States is $7.25, but server's minimum wage is only $4.23. It is my understanding that most establishments in Europe pay their service staff considerably more than that. On the cruise ships, the service staff make even less than that. Like their American counterparts, but even more so, they live off of their tips and cannot rely on what is received as base pay. Please remember that the next time you cruise or dine in an American restaurant.

 

 

Actually ensure and insure are interchangable so I am not incorrect. If you read my statement I think you will find I was not advocating tipping in advance but offering an explanation as to why Celebrity might require prepaid tipping for Select Seating. As to how and when Celebrity distributes those tips is us to them and not me. I am keenly aware that most waiters depend on their tips. That being said, we reward them by the level of service they provide. Great service, great tip. Poor service poor tip. Actually we have always had great service on Celebrity and have taken appropriate care of those who take care of us.

 

Here is wish you a wonderful time on your next cruise

[marinerq]

I would have to agree. This should be a mandatory service charge. I believe that it is unfair to have an advantage to advertise a cruise at an unrealistic rock-bottom price.

If people do not drink alcohol - and there are many - why should they tip wine personnel? Because it is a service fee, not a gratuity.

[Albert Ross]

When paying for my cruise (1st time) I was informed that I had to pay a set amount per day in Gratuity / Tips. I realise after reading these boards the pre payment of tips is the accepted way of doing things. I just found it strange because tipping here in the Uk is a discretionary thing which is given to reward good service. Wouldn't it be better to simply charge a higher fare for the cruise instead of compulsory gratuities and pay the staff a higher salary.

More likely it's just what people are used to and 'if it ain't broke don't try to fix it'.

If one cruise is advertised in a shop window at £1100pp and another identical cruise on a different line is advertised in the same window as £1000 aren't you more likely to book the cruise for £1000 (and then find out afterwards about the £100 service charge!).

But at least the £1000 cruise company has got a booking and tied them into the contract so they cannot cancel without penalty and the £1100 one has not! It's all about pricing and attracting the business in the first place.

Prepay them up front and then you have nothing to worry about is my recommendation

[lvcruiser]

If one cruise is advertised in a shop window at £1100pp and another identical cruise on a different line is advertised in the same window as £1000 aren't you more likely to book the cruise for £1000 (and then find out afterwards about the £100 service charge!).

But at least the £1000 cruise company has got a booking and tied them into the contract so they cannot cancel without penalty and the £1100 one has not! It's all about pricing and attracting the business in the first place.

Prepay them up front and then you have nothing to worry about is my recommendation

 

Albert - your analogy and reasoning are right on target. This is precisely why we will not see service charges or increases in fare to cover the cost of gratuities in the near future, or until the industry goes to it as a whole.

[lvcruiser]

Actually ensure and insure are interchangable so I am not incorrect. If you read my statement I think you will find I was not advocating tipping in advance but offering an explanation as to why Celebrity might require prepaid tipping for Select Seating. As to how and when Celebrity distributes those tips is us to them and not me. I am keenly aware that most waiters depend on their tips. That being said, we reward them by the level of service they provide. Great service, great tip. Poor service poor tip. Actually we have always had great service on Celebrity and have taken appropriate care of those who take care of us.

 

Here is wish you a wonderful time on your next cruise

 

Goodness! Please accept my apology if my post offended you. No offense was meant in any way. I fully realized that you were not advocating tipping in advance. I was only providing an explanation of why the word TIPS really did not mean what you had originally posted. You stated something that many people, as well as yourself, believed to be true when it is not. I was only trying to set the record straight and not offend you or anyone else.

 

But again to set the record straight, while some dictionaries suggest that the words insure and ensure can be used interchangeably, in most common usage, the words are used in different contexts.

 

The word insure is used mostly in a financial context as it relates to insurances. For example,

 

It is required by law that you insure your car.

I use the same company to insure both my home and my car.

 

The word ensure usually means "to make sure, safe or certain" or "to guarantee". For example,

 

Leaving your car unlocked in this neighborhood will ensure your stereo gets stolen.

Sequestering the jury will ensure that the defendant gets a fair trial.

 

As a legal liaison for a Federal Bank who was in charge of creating loan documentation, it was my job to know the difference between those two words and how they were to be used in various contexts within the legal documents. Again, no offense is meant.

[lvcruiser]

If you read my statement I think you will find I was not advocating tipping in advance but offering an explanation as to why Celebrity might require prepaid tipping for Select Seating.

 

If you have selected dining you will pay your tips upfront because you will most likely not have the same waiter every evening. It's just the cruise lines way of making sure the staff is taken care of.

 

You asked me to reread your statement, so I did and quoted it here. If you don't mind, I would like to ask you some questions. This is not an attack of any kind, so please do not go on the defensive. I am simply trying to get your opinions and thoughts on the matter at hand. For that reason, this is open to anyone reading this thread who would like to respond with their own thoughts, opinions and comments.

 

You feel, by your above statement, that Celebrity's act of forcing people who choose Select Dining to prepay their gratuities is their way of making sure their staff is tipped properly.

 

1) Do you feel this is the only reason Celebrity is doing this?

 

2) If Celebrity is going to force the people who choose Select Dining to do this to make sure the staff is tipped properly, why aren't they forcing everyone to do the same thing? People in traditional dining still have the ability to cancel their automatic gratuities that are added to their shipboard account and then stiff the staff at the end of the cruise. These people comprise the majority of the passengers since Select Dining is only a small section of one floor of the MDR.

 

3) Do you think there is a possibility that what is happening now to the Select Diners is only a market test and if successfully accepted, Celebrity will expand this practice to include all diners, forcing prepaid gratuities on everyone who sails?

 

4) If they are doing this as you suggest, do you think the wait staff will fight over who gets to serve in Select Dining, since they will know in advance that they will receive the proper tips, while in traditional dining, the staff will have no guarantee of receiving anything? Or will it be assigned by pecking order, with the most experienced and successful servers getting the best positions in Select Dining? (That's a really important question to be answered because it will tell you where to sit for the best service.)

 

5) Here are some figures to ponder for the next question: The gratuity per person for standard cabins is $11.50, for CC cabins, it is $12.00, and for suites, it is $15.00. For argument sake, let's say the average is $11.75pp per day. Now let's say the average booking on the typical Celebrity ship is 2,000 passengers since the M class ships hold 1950 and the S class ships hold 2850 and in this economy, they are not sailing at capacity on every cruise. (I will readily concede that these figures are guesses off the top of my head, in the event anyone wants to argue them.) If Celebrity were to make prepaid gratuities mandatory for all passengers instead of just the Select Diners, they would be receiving $23,500 per ship, or $235,000 for all ten ships per day. They will accumulate a total of $85,775,000 in prepaid gratuities over the course of one year, albeit they will be paid out at differing times. They will hold this money for over 90 days on average since it must be prepaid along with the final payment for the cruise fare 75 days in advance, and the staff does not get paid after every cruise. I have heard they get paid monthly, and have also heard bimonthly, so I am not sure which is correct. But in either case, one can assume that Celebrity will be holding this money for at least three months. Do the math and figure out what the contribution to Celebrity's bottom line will be if this occurs and the money is invested properly. Then ask yourself if maybe they are doing this for reasons other than to ensure their staff gets paid.

 

You will realize that with only one or two exceptions, these questions all lead to the same spot, so many of them are simply rhetorical and stated to make you think rather than respond. But since I chose Select Dining for my upcoming cruise, I'm really interested in knowing if I'm going to get better service by more experienced servers. If anyone definitively knows the answer to that one, please share.

[dag144]

I always tip my cabin steward of when I first meet him or her regardless of whether my tips are prepaid through the line or not. i have found that $20 at the beginning of a trip is the best $20 that I can spend. I presume that most people don't do this, since the stewards that I have met are most appreciative and can't do enough for me.:)

[Mr. Luckytoo]

2) If Celebrity is going to force the people who choose Select Dining to do this to make sure the staff is tipped properly, why aren't they forcing everyone to do the same thing? People in traditional dining still have the ability to cancel their automatic gratuities that are added to their shipboard account and then stiff the staff at the end of the cruise. These people comprise the majority of the passengers since Select Dining is only a small section of one floor of the MDR.

 

3) Do you think there is a possibility that what is happening now to the Select Diners is only a market test and if successfully accepted, Celebrity will expand this practice to include all diners, forcing prepaid gratuities on everyone who sails?

 

 

You've posted some very good posts on this subject - greatly appreciated. with regard to the requirement of Select Dining to pre-pay gratuities did you consider this - it is made mandatory in order to limit the number of cruisers taking advantage of Select Dining?

 

Most of the cruiselines, NCL excepting, were originally set up for 2 main seating in their dining rooms. Everything was designed to run it at maximum efficiency. That was then...

 

Now with Select Dining it throws a monkey wrench into the works. Since its introduction more and more cruisers want to take advantage of dining on their time - heck the entire NCL Freestyle program is built around this.

 

By making passengers who want to choose Select Dining pre-pay it will limit some cruisers from paying their service charges in advance.

[lvcruiser]

You've posted some very good posts on this subject - greatly appreciated. with regard to the requirement of Select Dining to pre-pay gratuities did you consider this - it is made mandatory in order to limit the number of cruisers taking advantage of Select Dining?

 

Most of the cruiselines, NCL excepting, were originally set up for 2 main seating in their dining rooms. Everything was designed to run it at maximum efficiency. That was then...

 

Now with Select Dining it throws a monkey wrench into the works. Since its introduction more and more cruisers want to take advantage of dining on their time - heck the entire NCL Freestyle program is built around this.

 

By making passengers who want to choose Select Dining pre-pay it will limit some cruisers from paying their service charges in advance.

 

Thank you very much for the compliment. Yes, I have considered your question because it has been brought up in different threads before now and unless we can get someone from Celebrity to answer it, along with several of mine, I don't think we'll ever truly know the answer. The scenario you painted was very good and contained solid logic. However, I am not sure if it is the answer to why they force prepaid grats on Select Diners for anything other than the short term.

 

You may have answered your own question when discussing the various other cruise lines. Since NCL is basically pure anytime dining and Princess is leaning more and more that direction, it only makes sense that RCCL will be forced to follow to keep up with the Jones'. What, if any, steps has Carnival made in this arena? Does anyone know, because I haven't sailed on that line in decades. You may be correct in your thinking when you state the prepaid gratuities are to keep Select Dining to a relatively small few due to the efficiency of the dining room and kitchen being geared around two dining sessions. However, if this is the case, I believe it would survive in its present incarnation for only a limited period of time until they can determine peak efficiency for the new style of dining and then make the appropriate changes in both kitchen and dining room arrangements. I would think this would have a greater impact on the kitchen than the dining room.

 

If that is the case, I would imagine that ships that have been converted to anytime dining from traditional, such as Princess, have separate kitchens for the anytime dining and the traditional dining, or at the very least, segregated areas for each, allowing the traditional facilities to continue to run at their already proven peak efficiency because they are used to putting out hundreds or thousands of dinners at the same time, whereas the anytime dining facilities would be forced to prepare meals on an individual basis. Of course, there is always the possibility that both facilities will use the same prepared meals since both forms of dining use the same menus. The meals for Select Dining may also be prepared in advance just like the traditional side and kept warm, although I would doubt this since there would be too great a time frame involved for diners being sat. Since I am completely unfamiliar with the operations of the ship's kitchens, I may be completely off base, but if this is true, it raises another question: why isn't Celebrity designing their new ships to accommodate Select Dining on a larger scale? Since Celebrity is known for their traditional flavor, I would doubt they will ever forego traditional dining completely, but you would think that if Select Dining is going to be a permanent fixture, which it really should be considered since it appears to be the way the industry is headed, they would at least build their new ships with separate facilities to assist in both styles of dining. You said it yourself - more and more cruisers are wanting to take advantage of anytime dining. If Celebrity wants to continue to expand their market base and market share, they will be forced to appease these cruisers by expanding their Select Dining accommodations.

 

With that logic, it would appear that if Celebrity is forcing prepaids for Select Dining in order to keep the numbers small, it will only be for a limited time. Eventually, they will have to open the doors to larger Select Dining areas in order to accommodate the growing public wanting that venue. And if that happens, there will be no reason, at least as you have stated, to force prepaid gratuities. Maybe your thought is one of many reasons for the prepaid grats, but I don't think it is the only or primary reason.

 

BTW, I have come to respect your posts when I read them. Well thought out, on topic and oftentimes humorous, although many don't see them that way. You know what I mean - there are those posters who you ignore because you already know what they are going to say before you read it, and there are those posters who you dive into every word because they have proven to you they possess intelligence and you will exit their posts with greater knowledge and/or foresight. Where in Florida do you reside?

[Chicago Boy]

Goodness! Please accept my apology if my post offended you. No offense was meant in any way. I fully realized that you were not advocating tipping in advance. I was only providing an explanation of why the word TIPS really did not mean what you had originally posted. You stated something that many people, as well as yourself, believed to be true when it is not. I was only trying to set the record straight and not offend you or anyone else.

 

But again to set the record straight, while some dictionaries suggest that the words insure and ensure can be used interchangeably, in most common usage, the words are used in different contexts.

 

The word insure is used mostly in a financial context as it relates to insurances. For example,

 

 

 

It is required by law that you insure your car.

I use the same company to insure both my home and my car.

 

The word ensure usually means "to make sure, safe or certain" or "to guarantee". For example,

 

Leaving your car unlocked in this neighborhood will ensure your stereo gets stolen.

Sequestering the jury will ensure that the defendant gets a fair trial.

 

As a legal liaison for a Federal Bank who was in charge of creating loan documentation, it was my job to know the difference between those two words and how they were to be used in various contexts within the legal documents. Again, no offense is meant.

 

 

You are nit picking and I do not need a lesson in English. You really need to let go of the matter. I owned a very successful salon for many years so I am well aware of what tipping means and what is appropriate. No you did not offend me. I rather find your dialogue amusing but is time to move on. I hope you can do that.

[flygirl 123]

I found the posting from the two of you to be very enlighting, I travel on a smaller ship med. 13 day cruise several years ago were that company used the added tips as the servers salary, the employees weren't told thats the way it would be till after they signed their 9 month contracts. I felt terrible for them and tipped a lot more directly. We always give extra to waiter and his assitant and to room stewart and assitant, but not till after. Starting in 3 weeks, (next cruise) we will do it right away and see if it makes a difference. Thank you for all the information you've shared.

[lvcruiser]

You are nit picking and I do not need a lesson in English. You really need to let go of the matter. I owned a very successful salon for many years so I am well aware of what tipping means and what is appropriate. No you did not offend me. I rather find your dialogue amusing but is time to move on. I hope you can do that.

 

If I did not offend you, why are you attacking me as though I did? I have already moved on because I don't have the time to spend bantering with people who cannot admit when they have made a mistake. Follow your own words and let it go. I do not like off topic posts and will not respond to this matter again.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

Having been a waiter in college I know I have biased feelings on this subject. When it comes to a cruise ship it really isn't tipping in the same sense as when we go into a restaurant here in the US. It may seem that way but in reality it isn't.

 

The daily service charge (DSC) is used to paythe workers wages (at least a portion) on the ship not just the waiters and stewarts but the people in maintenance, laundry, etc.,

 

One of the reasons the cruiselines keep it separate is to give the overall appearance of lower costs - just like Spirit airlines does. You look at the initial low costs and decide to book, however, after paying for carry-on luggage, checked bags, paying for an onboard drink, etc., you wind up paying as much if not more than its competitors -UNLESS you know that going in aheard of time.

 

I highly doubt the cruiselines will make the DSC pre-payment mandatory as it would cause a rebellion from the cruising public. In addition it would raise the initial costs and therefore cost the cruiselines more commissions to the TA's, along with higher taxes.

 

Just my thoughts....

[bplazo]

$4.23 an hour minimum wage !! I thought slavery had been made illegal !! I will make sure I take plenty of additional money with me for tips because that kind of salary for the job they do is a disgrace.

 

Some places the minimum wage for servers is still $2.13 an hour. Depends where you live.

[Dowunder]

Although the tips are important to the staff, what seems more important is mentioning their names (especially the cabin staff) in the cruise reports. These reports are read out at their staff meetings and a good report can result in a renewed contract.

I hate the whole business of tipping as I live in a country where tips are not mandatory and everyone is paid a decent wage. Tipping is very much an American thing. I also only tip staff who have given me service and if I choose not to eat in the MDR, but in the specialty restaurants where the food is superior, I don't prepay as the MDR staff have done nothing to deserve my tips.