About auto-tipping and "a list"

[califgary]

Neither here nor there but I thought Id share what I found by accident last month.....we were putting our room services dishes in the pantry by our room (they ask that dishes not be placed outside in hallway) and posted on the wall (I know Im nosey) was a list of about 24 cabins by number/name and "autotip" YES or REMOVED very clearly displayed. So dont believe anyone that tells you the staff isnt aware - Im guessing the dinner folks are made aware as well.

 

Im not saying whether I think this is right or wrong Just making an observation..!

[Hobbsey]

Neither here nor there but I thought Id share what I found by accident last month.....we were putting our room services dishes in the pantry by our room (they ask that dishes not be placed outside in hallway) and posted on the wall (I know Im nosey) was a list of about 24 cabins by number/name and "autotip" YES or REMOVED very clearly displayed. So dont believe anyone that tells you the staff isnt aware - Im guessing the dinner folks are made aware as well.

 

Im not saying whether I think this is right or wrong Just making an observation..!

 

That's very interesting information Gary - thx.

 

Make me wonder which they'd work harder to cater to for the rest of the cruise - the sure thing auto tippers, or those who want to hold out till the last night.

[califgary]

Exactly I really dont understand why its important enough to know that information during the cruise - but fact is, there was a list for whatever reason. Maybe a more experienced CC'er can shed some light.

[ironin]

Neither here nor there but I thought Id share what I found by accident last month.....we were putting our room services dishes in the pantry by our room (they ask that dishes not be placed outside in hallway) and posted on the wall (I know Im nosey) was a list of about 24 cabins by number/name and "autotip" YES or REMOVED very clearly displayed. So dont believe anyone that tells you the staff isnt aware - Im guessing the dinner folks are made aware as well.

 

Im not saying whether I think this is right or wrong Just making an observation..!

 

Wasn't aware that anyone thought crew weren't promptly informed as it has always been the policy to alert the crew so that any cash tips from those passengers can be just as promptly deposited into the pool and not kept (as they could otherwise be kept if "autotip" were in place).

[califgary]

Wasn't aware that anyone thought crew weren't promptly informed as it has always been the policy to alert the crew so that any cash tips from those passengers can be just as promptly deposited into the pool and not kept (as they could otherwise be kept if "autotip" were in place).

 

Not according to this excerpt right from CC itself:

 

Carnival quickly responded with a statement that read: “It is not standard protocol for information regarding which guests have removed the pre-paid gratuities from their shipboard accounts to be provided to crew members during the course of a voyage. Crew members do not receive this information until after the voyage is completed and guests have disembarked.”

 

hence my "dont believe everything you hear/read" comment.

[ironin]

Not according to this excerpt right from CC itself:

 

Carnival quickly responded with a statement that read: “It is not standard protocol for information regarding which guests have removed the pre-paid gratuities from their shipboard accounts to be provided to crew members during the course of a voyage. Crew members do not receive this information until after the voyage is completed and guests have disembarked.”

 

Interesting! Was this was a statement made on behalf of Holland America Line? Link please. More than one active and former high-level ship's employee has said differently, both here and elsewhere.

[catl331]

Was this near the end of the cruise? I would think that most people that remove or lower the HSC would do so on/near the last full day, and an interim list would not be all that useful anyway.

[Hobbsey]

Tipping Threads can run as long and become as contentious as smoking threads....

 

What you are describing, what you saw, seems a poor way to manage the room stewards, and I can see it cutting in one of two ways.

 

1. I know cabin A is in for the auto-tip, so I better pay more attention to cabin B so I get something from them as well.

 

2. I know cabin A is planning on paying a tip so they deserve better service than the dead-beat in B who is just looking for a reason to stiff me.

 

In either case it could cause service to lack uniformity. I miss the days of "tipping not required" on HAL.

[califgary]

Yup Im with you for sure - second guessing and working the odds seems like so much extra stress on them. If everything was uniform, life would be much better in my opinion Either everyone's in the pool or out no in-betweens!

[cruz chic]

Was this near the end of the cruise? I would think that most people that remove or lower the HSC would do so on/near the last full day, and an interim list would not be all that useful anyway.

I thought that you couldn't remove it until the end because that's when you see the big lines at the front desk.

[califgary]

I thought that you couldn't remove it until the end because that's when you see the big lines at the front desk.

 

Im thinking you can do it anytime during the cruise which makes it even more confusing to me as why there would even be a list since it could change daily! oh well time to move on......

[Hobbsey]

Was this near the end of the cruise? I would think that most people that remove or lower the HSC would do so on/near the last full day, and an interim list would not be all that useful anyway.

 

I'm not sure a list is useful at all until the last night. And then just so the staff knows that management knows who MIGHT be handing out an envelope that is due to the pool.

 

I know that there are those who turn off the auto deduct on boarding day so that they can have full control over how much and to whom, and it's based on the service experience. I tend to agree with that impulse but find it much easier to charge them as auto up front and not carry all that extra cash. I also know (have seen) under the old envelope policy 10% or more absenteeism in the dining room on the last night of the cruise because the cruiser had no intention of tipping. It'd be far better, I believe, to add the auto tip amount into the cruise fare and pay the staff a higher wage (as was once done on HAL) and then go back to the tipping not required policy.

 

Under that old policy I gave out some of my highest individual gratuities of any of my 18 cruises because the service rendered by those individuals warranted it.

[catl331]

I thought that you couldn't remove it until the end because that's when you see the big lines at the front desk.

The policy is "If our service exceeds or fails to meet your expectations, you are free to adjust this amount at the end of the cruise.", but like so many other HAL policies I doubt that's enforced. I remember reading some time ago on CC that cruises in Australia frequently have many passengers opting out on the first day.

[Boytjie]

I don't think you are supposed to enter the pantry...

 

Leave the dishes in your room or call room service to collect it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Neither here nor there but I thought Id share what I found by accident last month.....we were putting our room services dishes in the pantry by our room (they ask that dishes not be placed outside in hallway) and posted on the wall (I know Im nosey) was a list of about 24 cabins by number/name and "autotip" YES or REMOVED very clearly displayed. So dont believe anyone that tells you the staff isnt aware - Im guessing the dinner folks are made aware as well.

 

Im not saying whether I think this is right or wrong Just making an observation..!

 

Yes -- I believe you -- I saw a list on a ship some time ago when we took a few items to the pantry rather than leave them in the cabin when we were done with a snack out on our verandah.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't think you are supposed to enter the pantry...

 

Leave the dishes in your room or call room service to collect it.

 

On one cruise we called room service TWICE -- no one came.

So after 2 hours we took our dishes down to the pantry -- knocked on the door -- no one answered -- just put the dishes in there.

[sail7seas]

Exactly I really dont understand why its important enough to know that information during the cruise - but fact is, there was a list for whatever reason. Maybe a more experienced CC'er can shed some light.

 

I've always been under the impression the stewards are asked if they know a reason their guests would want to have automatic hotel service charge removed from their accounts. If there is something they can do to make the cruise better for the guest, they want the stewards to to do that as early in the cruise as possible.

 

I always expected dining and cabin stewards and, of course, their supervisors woulds be advised. The goal is to please as many of the guests as much as possible.

 

The fact the list was posted in the pantry comes as little surprise to me.

[califgary]

Exactly - rather than leave dirty dishes in your cabin and wait, it is so much easier to help and put the dishes in the pantry - i dont see anything wrong in doing that.

[sail7seas]

Tipping Threads can run as long and become as contentious as smoking threads....

 

What you are describing, what you saw, seems a poor way to manage the room stewards, and I can see it cutting in one of two ways.

 

1. I know cabin A is in for the auto-tip, so I better pay more attention to cabin B so I get something from them as well.

 

2. I know cabin A is planning on paying a tip so they deserve better service than the dead-beat in B who is just looking for a reason to stiff me.

 

In either case it could cause service to lack uniformity. I miss the days of "tipping not required" on HAL.

 

 

Don't you need to factor in pride in their work when you are analyzing 'the way they see things'? They take great pride in pleasing their guests.

 

It is also pertinent to remember most want a future contract with the company. If they do not please their guests, they will not be asked to return to work again.

[maxmia]

We are Australians, and have never removed the auto tip. We also tip our cabin staff. Since anytime dining, we have never had the same waiter so that is a difficult one, but we don't feel guilty, as we know he will get a share from the auto tip pool. We prefer anytime dining as it is so much more flexible for us. Some Australians have a different outlook on tipping, it is not so mandatory in Australia, but a number of us will tip happily if we receive good service. As bar staff and wait staff earn at least $18 per hour here, they are not so reliant on tips to make up their wages.

[maxout]

Maxima

 

If you go into your signature and add one [ bracket in front the the "URL" in signature block it will fix it to read and link correctly.

[Typhoon1]

Great, the staff should be aware of which passengers are stiffing them.

[judy3972]

We liked the Lido for Breakfast and Lunches and found that two of the staff where extremely helpful to us.

They also asked our names and cabin number.

They would then say hello Judy cabin 7037 to me when I came in and offer to help.

At the end of the cruise I tipped both extra and told them that we auto-tipped and that the extra was just for them.

They were very appreciative of the extra tip that they could keep.

[Jo-Bob]

Unless you saw the date on the list (or dates of current cruise) it is entirely possible that the list was left up from the previous cruise.....and was, as you all agree, not posted until the end of that cruise.Perhaps the steward(s) hadn't taken it down yet.

 

Makes sense to me.

[catl331]

... it is entirely possible that the list was left up from the previous cruise.....and was, as you all agree, not posted until the end of that cruise.Perhaps the steward(s) hadn't taken it down yet.

OP: was your name on the list for your cabin?