gratuity increase.....

[big_duck]

Off topic, but on topic, when do they charge the tips to your S&S account. I cannot remember! Is it on the 1st day or do they wait until the end when they close out your account?

 

The charge appears on your account usually the first or second day. Your credit/debit card isn't charged until the end.

[farler05]

Thanks Big Duck!

[skylock]

I think it's a simple solution, you don't like the increase, don't cruise, nuff said.

 

( this was not intented for the original poster as I think he just really thought ppl didn't know)

 

I have another simple solution. If you don't like the increase, go have it removed.

 

 

I agree, mild compared to this. No humor in this pitched battle.

 

Im one who does not care how Carnival distributes my tips.. and I can't understand why others care so much who gets the tips. It makes no sense to me. zero. Thats the problem. .. this battle just makes no sense to me.

 

Boy do I need this cruise tomorrow.

 

And I do not undrstand how people can not care where the money goes. If a $1.50 charge showed up on your cell bill, do you just pay it? Do you think well they give me good service and it is not that much and I can afford it, so I am not bothered by being charged another $1.50.

 

I really wonder how high they could have gone up before some of you would say, now hang on a minute.

 

If this increase was going to the wait staff, room staff, I would let it go too, but since Carnival has so convientiently taken the need to tip out of my hands, that does not let them off of the fact I want to know who the tip is going to. I am still wanting to know who these extra people being added are. John's silence on this is really telling in my opinion. He is usually very fast to answer questions so why not this time?

[Blondie008]

I beleive blondie's point was the delta 1.50/pp so in your example it is a delta of $21.

 

Thank you;)

 

 

We already pre paid our tips at the old rate but have asked about increasing them to the new rate. I dont really care who gets the pre paid tips, I just see it as part of the basic costs of the vacation. Although we are doing 14 nights, I am sure Carnivals tips are less than we have paid before on other lines. That aside, we tip as we go along. We dont usually pre tip, but did this time as we are doing anytime dining and I wasnt sure of the situation there with tipping. At least this way, I know the basics are covered. Extra tips on board usually go to bar staff, cabin steward, and anyone else who is "S"miles Better. We are on a B2B and will need help to move from an aft extended to a suite on leg 2. For sure, I will happily tip grandly to have assistance in this.

I just think the OP was being a bit over dramatic by showing the whole costs. The bottom line is, its an EXTRA $1.50 per day..who cares!!!:rolleyes:

[Blondie008]

7 day cruise

$11.50 per day per person

80.50 per person per room

$161.00 per cabin

times two

$322.00

nuff said..........

 

 

Ours:

14 day cruise

11.50$ per person per day

$161.00 per person

$322.00

 

Am I bothered? :rolleyes:

nuff said

 

Perhaps it is different for us, who are less fortunate in that to cruise Caribbean, we have the added expenses of transatlantic flights, (as well as domestic UK flights). Then there's pre cruise stays in Uk and FL. When it all adds up, the $322 is a mere drop in the ocean. We only cruise when we know we can afford ALL of it. (we work HARD for it BTW and save!) The actual cruise cost itself is amazing...wish we lived closer, I would never be off a ship! For us, we expect an overall spend of around £7K...thats about $10.5K . Perhaps when it doesnt cost so much to cruise, the $322 seems more significant.

BUT at the end of the day..no matter whom..its STILL only an extra $1.5 per day per person..not worth sweating over :)

 

PS! I am the miserable sod praying for the dollar to drop :D

[sparks1093]

I have another simple solution. If you don't like the increase, go have it removed.

 

 

 

 

And I do not undrstand how people can not care where the money goes. If a $1.50 charge showed up on your cell bill, do you just pay it? Do you think well they give me good service and it is not that much and I can afford it, so I am not bothered by being charged another $1.50.

 

I really wonder how high they could have gone up before some of you would say, now hang on a minute.

 

If this increase was going to the wait staff, room staff, I would let it go too, but since Carnival has so convientiently taken the need to tip out of my hands, that does not let them off of the fact I want to know who the tip is going to. I am still wanting to know who these extra people being added are. John's silence on this is really telling in my opinion. He is usually very fast to answer questions so why not this time?

 

I care that it goes to the crew but beyond that, not so much. As long as CCL itself isn't taking a cut then it doesn't matter to me how it gets distributed to the crew. This is the way CCL and all of the mainstream cruise lines operate and I can either accept it or not cruise. As the latter alternative is abhorrent to me, I will accept it;).

[sparks1093]

Maybe, but I don't think the extra compensation for someone earning a couple of grand a month should come from the tip pool of people making $50 a month.

 

Okay, let's look at this from another angle. Do you tip the porter at the pier? Do you realize that said porter is in all liklihood a fully salaried employee of the port authority and that through Union negotiations that salary is an enviable one? So...what's the difference (other than the fact that the porter is probably making 3 to 4 times what a salaried frontline cruise ship employee is making)?

[H82seaUgo]

I know that every hand is doing something, it's the way shipboard ops work. Many of those hands are doing work completely unrelated to their regular job. I think they should receive extra compensation for that. (I probably should have used the term "other crewmembers" for clarity, sorry.)

 

what makes you even think their payscale is not already covering X hours worth of work? they certainly can't do two things at once.

 

the waiters you tip in a restaurant. do you tip them for setting up tables on off hours, or unloading a delivery of food?

 

how about hotel workers? when they are asked to clean down the lobby, or shine those windows, should we tip them extra? how about vacuuming those long halls? surely a tip can cover that extra labor. oh, there's also the elevator. here's another quarter.

 

btw, i'm often surprised to find some don't even tip their maid service in hotels.

[H82seaUgo]

I have another simple solution. If you don't like the increase, go have it removed.

 

 

 

 

And I do not undrstand how people can not care where the money goes. If a $1.50 charge showed up on your cell bill, do you just pay it? Do you think well they give me good service and it is not that much and I can afford it, so I am not bothered by being charged another $1.50.

 

I really wonder how high they could have gone up before some of you would say, now hang on a minute.

 

If this increase was going to the wait staff, room staff, I would let it go too, but since Carnival has so convientiently taken the need to tip out of my hands, that does not let them off of the fact I want to know who the tip is going to. I am still wanting to know who these extra people being added are. John's silence on this is really telling in my opinion. He is usually very fast to answer questions so why not this time?

 

thanks how many business have snuck in fees over the years, the latest scam being that $5 bank debit charge. these fees don't bother people like firefly, stay silent, and the "they" come back for more.

 

it was refreshing this time seeing the uprising against this fee, making the bank quickly rescind it.

 

i should just start collecting a dime from anyone that walks in the door of my store. i mean, it's only a dime.

 

i could dispurse that new pool of money to my workforce, so that i don't have to go into my pockets to give my staff a a raise.

[azpilot]

LOL this will be argued every way possible.. The bottom line its a $1.50 per day PP. As someone else said, if that is going to make you go into poverty or even overdraw your bank account, then you should find something else to do.

 

I may be pretty cheap as my wife says, but I'm not that cheap to complain about $1.50 a day. Heck, at least someone is getting a raise, I haven't seen one in 6 years!

[CaribbeanLife]

I read a post that you get put on the "bad list"if you remove your auto tips. Not quite sure if this is true. All I know is I can't wait to go. We did get better service in the MDR when we left extra tips and also had ice everyday in our room for the extra tips we left to the room steward.

[sparks1093]

what makes you even think their payscale is not already covering X hours worth of work? they certainly can't do two things at once.

 

Their payscale does cover x hours worth of work, their basic job. I'm sure that some of the extra jobs that they do are also covered by their base pay. I am not going to pretend to know all of the ins and outs of their compensation but I'm sure that if they are getting a share of that $2 it's been earned over and above as far as I am concerned.

the waiters you tip in a restaurant. do you tip them for setting up tables on off hours, or unloading a delivery of food?

 

They are paid a paltry hourly wage which is augmented by tips. Yes, I expect that the tip that I leave covers table set-up, etc. If the servers ashore don't end up averaging at least minimum wage through the addition of tips then their employer is required by law to make up the difference. If a crewmember gets shorted then it's too bad, so sad.

 

how about hotel workers? when they are asked to clean down the lobby, or shine those windows, should we tip them extra? how about vacuuming those long halls? surely a tip can cover that extra labor. oh, there's also the elevator. here's another quarter.

 

As I've said before a cruise ship is not a hotel, the manpower is limited onboard ship (and those hotel workers are hourly employees and are paid for every hour that they work so if they work extra they get extra and if they end up working 10 hours every day, which is what the average frontline cruise ship employee works, then they also earn overtime).

btw, i'm often surprised to find some don't even tip their maid service in hotels.

 

Since I've started cruising I've been more inclined to tip the hotel maid:).

 

 

Again, I am not saying that the way CCL does this is the best way to compensate their employees but it is the way that they've chosen. The employees seem to like it, so who am I to argue with it? At the end of the day they've earned their money whether it comes directly from my pocket through the tip program or indirectly from my pocket through a salary.

[H82seaUgo]

I read a post that you get put on the "bad list"if you remove your auto tips. Not quite sure if this is true. All I know is I can't wait to go. We did get better service in the MDR when we left extra tips and also had ice everyday in our room for the extra tips we left to the room steward.

 

you tipped before service was rendered?

[prattmom]

you tipped before service was rendered?

 

This does seem odd.

 

I've (almost) always received great service and only tip at then of the cruise... it doesn't make much sense to tip before the service... I don't want to bribe them, I want to reward them for excellent service :)

[H82seaUgo]

Again, I am not saying that the way CCL does this is the best way to compensate their employees but it is the way that they've chosen. The employees seem to like it, so who am I to argue with it? At the end of the day they've earned their money whether it comes directly from my pocket through the tip program or indirectly from my pocket through a salary.

 

i'm going to cease debating on your speculation, but i guess these people have been getting screwed from the beginning of time through november 30th, 2011, and now the time has come to drink from the proverbial pot.

 

but they won't be getting it from me.

[golfadj]

I read a post that you get put on the "bad list"if you remove your auto tips. Not quite sure if this is true. All I know is I can't wait to go. We did get better service in the MDR when we left extra tips and also had ice everyday in our room for the extra tips we left to the room steward.

 

We leave the auto tips on and do not bribe employees for better service and we get ice in our cabin every day and great service in DR.

 

Bribing the people to do their job is just so unneccesary and in the long run counterproductive.

[sparks1093]

i'm going to cease debating on your speculation, but i guess these people have been getting screwed from the beginning of time through november 30th, 2011, and now the time has come to drink from the proverbial pot.

 

but they won't be getting it from me.

 

Oh, I'm not debating with you:)- I am sure with the most incontrovertible proof your opinion would remain the same, which is your right. I'm just making sure that everyone else at least has the opportunity to see both sides of the issue.

 

It was mentioned on one of these many threads someone opined that the same people who shared in the $1 are the same ones who share in the $2. The only difference is now we know who is getting a share of it- we just don't know exactly what they are doing to earn it. To me it is sufficient to know that they are earning it. You seem to need an itemized breakdown of exactly what they are doing and when;). Again, that's your right.

 

And while much of what I say may be speculation it is speculation based on my own personal knowledge/experience, research and observations (as firefly said she saw a singer distributing loyalty materials door to door. Yep, that is in any basic job description for a singer:)). I have observed people moving luggage who I've later seen dancing, or running a sound board or working another job on the ship, I've seen people working in the buffet who also performed services in other areas.

[firefly333]

I may be pretty cheap as my wife says, but I'm not that cheap to complain about $1.50 a day. Heck, at least someone is getting a raise, I haven't seen one in 6 years!

 

I too thought I was cheap until I started to read these tipping theads. Someone even suggested waiting until the last day to remove your tips so you dont wind up on the print out of those who removed tips... sounds cheap and sneaky to me.

 

Iv decided now Im frugal ...I dont even come close to cheap after some of these threads Iv read. We all know that the majority who remove tips are doing it to tip less, lets be honest here. The pursers desk will be thinking that too when you spend your vacation time standing in line to have your tips removed.

 

Im glad I can afford to cruise and leave the tip as suggested without wasting my time on the ship trying to figure out a alternative way to tip and waste my time on the ship. Lots better things to do. azpilot, we are frugal but not cheap. :D

[H82seaUgo]

Oh, I'm not debating with you:)- I am sure with the most incontrovertible proof your opinion would remain the same, which is your right. I'm just making sure that everyone else at least has the opportunity to see both sides of the issue.

 

It was mentioned on one of these many threads someone opined that the same people who shared in the $1 are the same ones who share in the $2. The only difference is now we know who is getting a share of it- we just don't know exactly what they are doing to earn it. To me it is sufficient to know that they are earning it. You seem to need an itemized breakdown of exactly what they are doing and when;). Again, that's your right.

 

And while much of what I say may be speculation it is speculation based on my own personal knowledge/experience, research and observations (as firefly said she saw a singer distributing loyalty materials door to door. Yep, that is in any basic job description for a singer:)). I have observed people moving luggage who I've later seen dancing, or running a sound board or working another job on the ship, I've seen people working in the buffet who also performed services in other areas.

 

eek! i hope i'm not called a liar.

 

assuming performers only perform performing duties obviously is wrong. i met a guy in the gym hot tub years ago who ran down a list of thing they were responsible for, and we also discussed salary. there's a myriad of thing they are responsible for, and compensated for.

 

and as for proof, the brand ambassador has already announced that the tips will be going to a new group of people which I do not care to tip. I therefore will be tipping directly. I no longer intetested in them doing it for me.

[sparks1093]

eek! i hope i'm not called a liar.

 

 

Don't know where I implied that but if that's the way that you read it then I humbly apologize, that was not my intent at all.

[H82seaUgo]

Don't know where I implied that but if that's the way that you read it then I humbly apologize, that was not my intent at all.

 

no no no!

 

lol!

 

i was talking about myself no longer debating, and coming right back, responding.

 

:)

[sparks1093]

no no no!

 

lol!

 

i was talking about myself no longer debating, and coming right back, responding.

 

:)

 

lol back:D. Sorry that I misunderstood. We now return you to the debate in progress:D.

[big_duck]

Okay, let's look at this from another angle. Do you tip the porter at the pier? Do you realize that said porter is in all liklihood a fully salaried employee of the port authority and that through Union negotiations that salary is an enviable one? So...what's the difference (other than the fact that the porter is probably making 3 to 4 times what a salaried frontline cruise ship employee is making)?

 

Yes I tip the porter because it is customary.

 

It is not customary for a customer to tip bookkeepers and with one exception dancers.

[sparks1093]

Yes I tip the porter because it is customary.

 

It is not customary for a customer to tip bookkeepers and with one exception dancers.

 

When the bookkeeper is moving luggage do they not become luggage handlers and don't you think they deserve something extra for their effort? Customary varies from place to place and from culture to culture and from business to business. On CCL it is customary for certain employees to receive a share of the $2.

[sparks1093]

and as for proof, the brand ambassador has already announced that the tips will be going to a new group of people which I do not care to tip.

 

There are many explanations regarding why a new group of people are now included, but two possibilities come to mind: 1) they collectively complained to the company that they deserved extra compensation for doing work completely unrelated to their job or 2) the company cut back on the number of crew members onboard and as a result the new group of employees now have to do more work in areas which they haven't before and the company decided this was the way they would be compensated. In this economy and with the cuts all of the cruise lines have been making I find #2 to be more likely.