tips

[melli_fera]

The OP said on another post that they will take their own soda into the dining room, so yeah... they've moved beyond frugal and cheap and taken residence in the tasteless and classless category.

 

Who's gonna get ice to keep the soda cold? :confused:

[melli_fera]

Contact your PVP and let them know you want to prepay-- it's painless. :)

 

Thanks!! If I booked through a TA, do I have to do it through them? I'm already paid in full.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

mahgobbi isn't the OP. From what someone else said, the OP is already on her cruise...

 

 

[MrsHeart]

mahgobbi isn't the OP. From what someone else said, the OP is already on her cruise...

 

 

 

 

Oops, you are correct. Mahgobbi is the one that posted about taking drinks into the MDR:

 

I am also a cheapskate and I would have no problem bringing my own soda to dinner. We will have five of us (two adults/three teens) sharing one room. The room cost for our 5-night cruise is $985 total for all five of us (before taxes, port charges, tip, etc.). The addition of five soda cards is significant in relation to our room cost. I'd much prefer to drink lemonade, iced tea, and soda brought from home. The savings from not buying soda cards pays for our excursion in Grand Cayman.

 

Yes, I can "afford" to get ripped off on soda and bar drinks, but I choose to be frugal and spend my money elsewhere. If Carnival felt as strongly as everybody suggests about people being "expected" to buy bar drinks, soda cards, etc., there would be a mandatory, non-refundable OBC requirement for every passenger, and passengers would be prohibited from bringing soda and wine on board.

[B and C Blake]

Do they charge everyone the 10 per day fee. Kinda forgot about it and now just realized that at the end of the cruise I will owe 350!! I have smaller children, do they pay too?? Just seems like a lot.

 

:eek:anjanetted

Cool Cruiser

 

Join Date: Jan 2011

Posts: 58

 

We would have liked to do a whole day but I have a 7 year old daughter and we were afraid it would be too much for her. I have sons 21 and 15 also and know they would love it but we were all worried about our little one. Right now we are only booked for half day.:eek:

 

 

STOP BEING CHEAP just TIP and STOP lying to us

[halos]

 

 

So why is it your business what this poster is doing?

'....

 

 

Probably because he posted it here for everyone to see and comment on.

I don't see any crew discussing their income here, do you?

 

 

 

 

 

......$52 to the other poster may be major money in the bank.

Major??

Really??????

:rolleyes:

[bplazo]

People make it our business when they post on a public message board!

[MissDiva1]

Major??

Really??????

:rolleyes:

 

I got a chuckle out of that one too:D

 

Just the room steward portion, and only because we are 5 in a tiny inside room which takes no more time to clean for a tidy family of five than it would take to clean up after a messy couple. And I'm sure it takes LESS time to clean than any larger room with balcony, regardless of the number of occupants.

 

 

Would it be different if you had 5 people in a suite:confused: Then would you tip for 5 people? Ya know bigger room so it would take more time.....

[CruzinCrazyLady]

Even if I accepted ALL of the included services (which I don't plan to, since I don't care if our beds are made or the room is vacuumed...all I need are clean towels each day), the steward would spend AT MOST 15 minutes in my room twice each day. That's 30 minutes per day MAXIMUM, and an experienced steward could do it in a lot less. So $17.50 times 30 minutes is an hourly rate of $35 on top of whatever base pay they are receiving (which I know isn't much, but I don't believe to be $0.15 per hour). I'm sorry, but while I appreciate the work that they do, I don't believe it warrants an annual salary in excess of $75,000 per year! Most college graduates, professionals, and skilled laborers don't make that kind of money.

 

These people are away from their families about 8 months of the year-----Are you? Probably not. Their isn't enough money for the time they are away from kids, wives and other loved ones. By the way they work 7 days a week about 10 hours aday for these 8 months. Chances are you don't. So I would say that this amount of money is fair in IMO! They don't make much of anything and depend on tips to make it. Why don't you work for about $50 a month and then have someone think you don't need all the tips that CCL suggest? :rolleyes:

[Cruzin2paradise09]

I understand what a lot of you are saying but for me its still a lot. I don't let other people watch my kids, I take care of them myself. Also, except for dinner the other meals are buffet type and I usually clean up after myself when I am done. I realize a lot of people do use the kids programs and such though, and with so many guests I guess they have to even it out someway. Oh well, not going to fret over that...too excited to be cruising!

 

Ok, I'm sorry if this has been said, but I only made it past entry #18, and saw this and well .....

 

Really? You clean up after yourself? Do you wash the dishes? Make beds every morning? Turn down the beds in the evening? Make your own towel animals? Launder the towels and such? C'mon .... please don't make excuses to get out of paying these people who are basically there to kiss your hiney! I'm sorry I sound rude, but this post sounded so selfish and especially with you traveling with kids! The $10/day per person does not go to the kids club. It is soley for wait staff, housekeeping and other staff. Seems pretty minimal when you think about how many hours these people are working to make YOU happy!!! Suck it up.

[pizzaprncss]

I've done payroll for the restaurant/casino industry for 20+ years and have seen workers declared tips for tax purposes first hand. I will tell you they make very good money. That being said they also work very hard and put up with alot of rude and even abusive behavior from patrons. Not sure how carnival gets away with paying their employees so low without the IRS getting their hands in the pot (payroll taxes? Federal income taxes?) I would truely be interested to hear how they got around that one.

[melli_fera]

You seem to know everyone's financial status. $52 to you may be change in the pocket......$52 to the other poster may be major money in the bank. It's not fair to assume that he is nit picking over $52. Some people just want their kids to experience what everyone else does....and that is to enjoy life to the fullest. I'm just sayin'....

 

$52 out of $2500 (cruise only) IS change in the pocket. If your bank account is going to go into the red over $52 on top of a $2500+ cruise, well...maybe living life to the fullest needs to be in a little smaller glass to be "full".

[prattmom]

You seem to know everyone's financial status. $52 to you may be change in the pocket......$52 to the other poster may be major money in the bank. It's not fair to assume that he is nit picking over $52. Some people just want their kids to experience what everyone else does....and that is to enjoy life to the fullest. I'm just sayin'....

 

 

I want to give my kids great experiences, too... but I waited until I could afford to do so... of course that's one of the problems with this generation... they want things NOW instead of saving up for them....

[Ceece911]

Do they charge everyone the 10 per day fee. Kinda forgot about it and now just realized that at the end of the cruise I will owe 350!! I have smaller children, do they pay too?? Just seems like a lot.

 

Just go down to the service desk and have the tips adjusted/removed on the last day however you see fit. Don't let these people push their moral beliefs on you.

[MidlothianCruiser]

I've done payroll for the restaurant/casino industry for 20+ years and have seen workers declared tips for tax purposes first hand. I will tell you they make very good money. That being said they also work very hard and put up with alot of rude and even abusive behavior from patrons. Not sure how carnival gets away with paying their employees so low without the IRS getting their hands in the pot (payroll taxes? Federal income taxes?) I would truely be interested to hear how they got around that one.

 

That's why they flag them in Panama. They don't have to follow U.S. tax/pay rules.

[prattmom]

It's one thing to remove tips for sub-par service... its entirely different to remove them because you don't feel like paying them...

[Cruzin2paradise09]

It's one thing to remove tips for sub-par service... its entirely different to remove them because you don't feel like paying them...

 

GREAT analogy! (wish there was a 'like' button):D

[baymadsus]

Wrong, by all means. The service people ARE expecting a tip because they performed a task for your personal benefit. They are paid much below minimum wage because tips are EXPECTED. I am grateful for their services and the fact that they do the job they were hired to do for me, so I will compensate them fairly, as EXPECTED.

 

This is so wrong. (I don't mean you, but the concept) It is the same with wait staff in land restaurants. No one should be paid less than MINIMUM wage!! :mad:

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

Thanks!! If I booked through a TA, do I have to do it through them? I'm already paid in full.

 

Yep, just call your TA.

[mahgobbi]

$52 out of $2500 (cruise only) IS change in the pocket. If your bank account is going to go into the red over $52 on top of a $2500+ cruise, well...maybe living life to the fullest needs to be in a little smaller glass to be "full".

 

 

Please let me know where this $2,500 figure came from??? Our total cost for 5 of us was $985. Our auto-tips will be $250, or 25.38%! After I reduce the room steward gratuity to $10/day, our family of 5 will still be paying 21.57% in total gratuities!

 

I guess the real cheapskates are those of you who spend thousands on your double occupancy rooms, but then only pay the standard $10/day in tips, which results in a total gratuity of far less than 10%.

[Pee-ah]

Please let me know where this $2,500 figure came from??? Our total cost for 5 of us was $985. Our auto-tips will be $250, or 25.38%! After I reduce the room steward gratuity to $10/day, our family of 5 will still be paying 21.57% in total gratuities!

 

I guess the real cheapskates are those of you who spend thousands on your double occupancy rooms, but then only pay the standard $10/day in tips, which results in a total gratuity of far less than 10%.

 

Hmm... the tips aren't based on cabin.. but based on Pax.. so even if you had 5 pax spread between 3 cabins the tip would be the same as 5 in one cabin

[melli_fera]

Please let me know where this $2,500 figure came from??? Our total cost for 5 of us was $985. Our auto-tips will be $250, or 25.38%! After I reduce the room steward gratuity to $10/day, our family of 5 will still be paying 21.57% in total gratuities!

 

I guess the real cheapskates are those of you who spend thousands on your double occupancy rooms, but then only pay the standard $10/day in tips, which results in a total gratuity of far less than 10%.

 

I apparently have you confused with OP... I thought you or OP had mentioned that it was $500 per person... my bad.

[melli_fera]

Please let me know where this $2,500 figure came from??? Our total cost for 5 of us was $985. Our auto-tips will be $250, or 25.38%! After I reduce the room steward gratuity to $10/day, our family of 5 will still be paying 21.57% in total gratuities!

 

I guess the real cheapskates are those of you who spend thousands on your double occupancy rooms, but then only pay the standard $10/day in tips, which results in a total gratuity of far less than 10%.

 

I apparently have you confused with OP... I thought you or OP had mentioned that it was $500 per person... my bad.

 

FWIW, I'm paying $500 pp/do for an interior midship cabin during hurricane season, and so $70 is very close to 15%. You're paying the same amount for twice the people... Sounds like you got a fantastic deal on a 7 day cruise ($197 pp!!!!!) kudos on that.

[MrsHeart]

Hmm... the tips aren't based on cabin.. but based on Pax.. so even if you had 5 pax spread between 3 cabins the tip would be the same as 5 in one cabin

 

 

Exactly, which the OP and mahgobbi fail to recognize. The tip amount to the room stewards isn't a percentage of the fares paid... it is computed as a flat rate.

[wannago35]

I am speechless.........yes even me.....speechless:rolleyes:

 

 

Say it so! :eek:

 

Seriously, say what you will, people in the service industries count on tips to make a decent living. Everyone knows this is so. All the prices you pay are based on that.

 

My daughter works as a waitress while in college and makes $2.58 an hour. Is that minimum wage? No! She gets taxed on $9.00, based on what the IRS estimates based on tips. When you tip below the customary amount, you are taking from someones pocket.

 

While I won't tip for bad service, I don't balance my checkbook on the backs of my server and then say "It didn't knock my socks off" so I tipped below the customary amount. Don't try to make feeble justifications for reducing your tips unless you experienced truly BAD service.

 

Most of the people who reduce or eliminate tips are just cheap. IMHO

 

Based on a lot of comments here we should not only leave the tips on but tip extra because Carnival isn't paying decent salaries.

 

Nobody ever comments when I ask this question on a tipping thread, and for the record we do intend on leaving tips on before you assume otherwise. BUT considering all the money Carnival makes, why don't they just pay their workers a livable wage? Why is it up to Carnival customers to subsidize salaries when we're already paying for the vacation?

 

Further, it's great that Carnival cleans the rooms 2x day, but is that really necessary? Personally, we don't plan on being in it long enough to require two cleanings and the average person is used to once a day anyway.

 

I obviously don't know the rules, but how do restaurants get away with paying under minimum wage? Is Carnival not a U.S. company & that's why they get away with it?