The New Tipping Rate ...it appears Carnival has there own tipping concept

[GottaLuvCruising]

Just treat it as a service charge, which is what it really is.

 

I wish it would just be rolled into the base price like the port taxes are before the "REAL TOTAL" is posted.

 

I pay it and more, they all work so hard to make our vaction a enjoyable one.

 

Exactly How we feel. It's a service charge; we pay it up front and don't give it another thought. We bring cash to extend true gratuities.

 

Mandatory service charges eliminate the cultural challenges regarding travelers from places where "tipping" isn't customary and resolves the issues with folks who want to cruise but don't want to pay their share. NCL instituted them and I hope other lines follow suit and put this nonsense to rest.

[H82seaUgo]

Exactly How we feel. It's a service charge; we pay it up front and don't give it another thought. We bring cash to extend true gratuities.

 

Mandatory service charges eliminate the cultural challenges regarding travelers from places where "tipping" isn't customary and resolves the issues with folks who want to cruise but don't want to pay their share. NCL instituted them and I hope other lines follow suit and put this nonsense to rest.

 

is it possible that was set up as a prerequisite to freestyle dining with 22 restaurants?

 

different business model.

[sparks1093]

again, they have not been working for free up till now. any curiosity can be satisfied immediately should you see any of these blue overall individuals.

 

on ctn's, you have to carry your luggage on and off the ship, without the opportunity to visit a bell captain.

 

and one should check out disney, and their land / sea vacations. you never see your bags after you check them in at your airport, and the actually take them out of your room and they show up somehow on the ship.

 

now, that's service.

 

Nope, they had a share in the alternative services rate of $1. Now they have a share in $2.

 

And if it's worth 2-3 times the cruise fare to cruise on Disney for you to not have to worry about the $2 then go for it:D.

[H82seaUgo]

Nope, they had a share in the alternative services rate of $1. Now they have a share in $2.

 

And if it's worth 2-3 times the cruise fare to cruise on Disney for you to not have to worry about the $2 then go for it:D.

 

this is incorrect.

 

the brand ambassador has already stated that the new tips go to oeople not previously, nor traditionally, tipped.

 

also, your disney assumption is incorrect. we paid on disney what we pay normally on carnival. We just needed to sail on off season to do it.

[DFW Airwolf]

I consider Tipping something you do for service beyond the norm or for something extra etc. I also consider the Waitstaff, Room steward & everyone else to be part of the BASE RATE I pay for my cruise. Because of this, I have no problem lowering or removing my tips if nothing Extra or special is done for me or asked by me. While I know many will strongly disagree with this, you are entitled to your opinion & we all know what is said about opinions.

 

I would have no problem paying more than I do now for a cruise if they dropped tipping. In fact I would actually think more highly of the company for doing it. As the OP stated, it is just a gimmick by the company to try & make their price appear as low as possible. After working in the airline industry for over 15 years, I actually predicted many years ago that airlines would go to the Ala-Carte system they have moved toward. People have shown they have no brand loyalty, all they are interested in is the price. Have actually heard passengers say they would fly any other airline if the price was a penny cheaper. These are also the same type of people who will stuff everything possible into a carryon & do whatever else they can to game the system by following the rules exactly as they are written. (Watch for the next big thing. Charging for Carryons & Overhead Bin space)

 

Anyway, back to tipping. Tip if you want to. Leave the Automatic tips alone if you feel it is deserved or whatever. But dont criticize me or others if we dont like the system and play it like it has been setup.

 

Now I am waiting for all the Tipping Advocate/GODS to reign theiur Wrath down upon me. Whatever, dont care. I will be on the Boat the same as you & paying $10.00 or whatever it is less per day than you. We will both enjoy the same service & experience. And I wont fell bad about it either. Tipping is OPTIONAL from everything I have ever read or seen. And I choose wether I feel it is justified or not. The same way you are entitled to do.

[sparks1093]

this is incorrect.

 

the brand ambassador has already stated that the new tips go to oeople not previously, nor traditionally, tipped.

 

also, your disney assumption is incorrect. we paid on disney what we pay normally on carnival. We just needed to sail on off season to do it.

 

You yourself have already amply demonstrated that the mouth is unreliable and yet....

 

You are fortunate in being able to sail off season, most can't.

[golfadj]

I consider Tipping something you do for service beyond the norm or for something extra etc. I also consider the Waitstaff, Room steward & everyone else to be part of the BASE RATE I pay for my cruise. Because of this, I have no problem lowering or removing my tips if nothing Extra or special is done for me or asked by me. While I know many will strongly disagree with this, you are entitled to your opinion & we all know what is said about opinions.

 

I would have no problem paying more than I do now for a cruise if they dropped tipping. In fact I would actually think more highly of the company for doing it. As the OP stated, it is just a gimmick by the company to try & make their price appear as low as possible. After working in the airline industry for over 15 years, I actually predicted many years ago that airlines would go to the Ala-Carte system they have moved toward. People have shown they have no brand loyalty, all they are interested in is the price. Have actually heard passengers say they would fly any other airline if the price was a penny cheaper. These are also the same type of people who will stuff everything possible into a carryon & do whatever else they can to game the system by following the rules exactly as they are written. (Watch for the next big thing. Charging for Carryons & Overhead Bin space)

 

Anyway, back to tipping. Tip if you want to. Leave the Automatic tips alone if you feel it is deserved or whatever. But dont criticize me or others if we dont like the system and play it like it has been setup.

 

Now I am waiting for all the Tipping Advocate/GODS to reign theiur Wrath down upon me. Whatever, dont care. I will be on the Boat the same as you & paying $10.00 or whatever it is less per day than you. We will both enjoy the same service & experience. And I wont fell bad about it either. Tipping is OPTIONAL from everything I have ever read or seen. And I choose wether I feel it is justified or not. The same way you are entitled to do.

 

If that is your attitude suggest you do not go back to a restaurant a second time.

[sparks1093]

I consider Tipping something you do for service beyond the norm or for something extra etc. I also consider the Waitstaff, Room steward & everyone else to be part of the BASE RATE I pay for my cruise. Because of this, I have no problem lowering or removing my tips if nothing Extra or special is done for me or asked by me. While I know many will strongly disagree with this, you are entitled to your opinion & we all know what is said about opinions.

 

 

This may be your opinion but the fact remains that tipped employees, both at sea and on land, receive most of their compensation from their tips (whether you like it or not is irrelevant). Therefore, their basic tip is not for something extra, it is for their basic service.

 

If that is your attitude suggest you do not go back to a restaurant a second time.

 

+1

[agabbymama]

Tipping was originally conceived as a way to acknowledge a personal face-to-face service over and above what was to be expected.

 

 

• A waiter should be tipped for things like thorough knowledge of the menu, the city, local attractions, etc.; not for bringing me the food or keeping my glass full, that is to be expected that is there job and should be adequately compensated through their salary.
  
• A cab driver should be tipped for his knowledge of the local area and suggestions that might help me in my travels; not for taking me to the address I told him to, that is there job and should be adequately compensated for in their fare.
  
• Room service should have never required a tip. I am ordering food which before hand you know needs to be delivered to my room. It should already be in the price and that should cover someones salary to deliver it. I should not be tipping someone I see for less than 30 seconds typically - it should never have been a tipped service.
  
• The pizza delivery guy should have never required a tip. I am ordering a pizza that you know needs to be delivered, the price should include delivery in it. I should not be tipping someone I see for less than 30 seconds typically - it should never have been a tipped service.
  

 

Yes, I understand that tipping in these situations above have now become the norm. I just bring them up to show the slippery path we started down. It is only going to get worse.

 

Tipping is getting totally out of control. We are paying for "tipping" because businesses are trying to keep their prices from appearing higher. The airlines got in on it with baggage service and restaurants and cruises are doing it with tipping. Pulling services that should be compensated for in the base prices and expecting us to pay for the service on the backend making their prices appear lower.

 

Does the $1.50 additional a day bother me at all? NO

 

Does it bother me that people complain about it? YES, in a way.

 

Why?

Because most of the ones that are complaining about it are complaining about THE WRONG THING. You shouldn't be complaining about the extra $1.50 a day it costs you (your cruise is very reasonably priced in most cases and some of this has to do with staff who are inadequately compensated to begin with). That $1.50 a day should have already been in the cruise price, and it should probably be a lot more than that. What you should be complaining about is that now the cruise is asking you to "tip" for many services that should not require a tip.

 

What has now become of "Tipping" on Carnival and shouldn't be....

 

The old tipping levels were broken down as follows (per day): $5.50 to the headwaiter/waiter, $1 to the assistant waiter/cooks and $3.50 to the cabin steward.

 

 

• Other that the cooks listed above, I believe the other people listed above should be "tipped" for service over and above there job.
  

 

The new guidelines allocate $5.80 to dining room services, $3.70 to cabin services and $2 per day for alternative services, which include kitchen, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff members.

 

 

• Yeah, this whole thing has gotten convoluted. We should only be "tipping" for those people who we interact face-to-face with and who give us a service which is over and above what is expected by their job which should be adequately compensated by a salary.
  

 

"Tipping" even as obscured as it has gotten has always been for a face-to-face service. Yes, it has gotten away from just being a compensation for over and above service, now to a supplement for an inadequate salaries. But Carnival has now taken it a step further and now requesting tips for staff we may never even see and will most likely have no personal interaction with. Yes, I believe the laundry staff does a great job and I'm always appreciative of the clean sheets and towels, that does not mean I should tip them - this is there job. They should get an adequate salary for it. The entertainer on stage who performs for his job, yes he entertains me but also should be adequately compensated in his salary for this.

 

 

 

Do I blame Carnival for this? No. At least not completely.

 

 

• I do like the idea of not having to worry about paying tips continually throughout the day on my vacation and a reasonable daily flat rate is a great idea!!! I commend you for offering this service Carnival! ...I'm not going to give you a tip for it - so don't ask!
  
• My issue is with who they are going to! At a minimum if I don't interact with you face-to-face you should not be getting a tip. You should be getting adequately compensated for it in your base salary.
  
• Until people complain about it (and in the right way, for the right reasons) this will continue to happen and will only get worse.
  

 

NOPE, NOT JUST CARNIVAL. I believe all the main stream cruiselines have the same tipping policy. NCL, RCCL, etc. Again I've heard that the elite cruiselines like Silversea, Regency, etc. include the tip in the fare. You don't like the tipping policy, maybe try another line that does include it.

 

Most of the lines I've cruised on now call it "a hotel service charge" rather than tipping anyway. I just consider it part of the cruise fare.

 

Even a lot of hotels in resort areas now charge a daily service fee. Don't book a Sheraton or Hyatt Regency hotel in Maui ($25 per day) added to your hotel bill. Parking at hotels used to be included in your night's boarding, but not anymore. It's just a sign of times to me.

 

We either pay it, or stay home!:eek:

[cruzn buckeye]

I have to preface what I say by saying we have always tipped the minimum and tipped those we felt deserved more additionally. I also have to say that the dollar value of the increase itself, doesn't bother us.

 

I do have to say that I don't feel that the ones who really serve us, ie, the waitstaff, the cabin stewards receive a tiny bit of the increase. Carnival has now decided that additional staff needs to be tipped and that's why I disagree with the new tipping policy.

 

I don't feel that the entertainment staff needs a tip, nor do I feel guest relations needs a tip. To us, we paid for entertainment on the ship and I have never heard that customer relations people get tipped. As far as entertainment staff goes, I am guessing, and I say guessing as I asked John Heald and he said he had never heard of it and I wrote to Gerry Cahill and haven't received a response, that that includes the Carnival program for kids. If that is true, why do we, who don't use the program, have to pay for this? If it is for those who run karaoke, trivia etc. why is that not part of the cruise fare?

 

As far as guest relations people, and I have gotten my info from the Carnival website, why should we/anyone pay to have questions answered or problems straightened out? We have never had to pay for that in any other business.

 

We have never, ever removed the auto-tips, but we resent having to pay for these services. Won't it be embarrassing to walk up to guest services and tell them we want tips removed? It will be when we ask why and we say it's because we feel the new tipping policy is tipping for people we feel don't serve us or shouldn't be tipped in the first place. But, we still might do it. The one thing that makes us feel sad about doing the above is that people that work in the buffet or other services might not get their fair share, and I don't know if Carnival will allow us to remove entertainment staff and guest services only.

 

This just seems to me another way for Carnival to cut back and make us feel guilty when in fact they could still pay the staff make a profit as they do now. The people who really work hard and deserve an increase, are getting the short end of the stick. JMO.

I agree also. I don't mind the increase... but would like it to go to those other than entertainment and guest services. They get paid for their services from Carnival. The others need and deserve the tips. I wish I could just tip those I want to tip, including the extra $. That would be okay with me, but how do you go to guest services and ask them to remove a tip that would include them?

[golfadj]

I agree also. I don't mind the increase... but would like it to go to those other than entertainment and guest services. They get paid for their services from Carnival. The others need and deserve the tips. I wish I could just tip those I want to tip, including the extra $. That would be okay with me, but how do you go to guest services and ask them to remove a tip that would include them?

 

Wondering about going up to guest services and adjusting the $ 2 while the person helping you knows it is costing them money.

[DFW Airwolf]

If that is your attitude suggest you do not go back to a restaurant a second time.

 

I dine many times at certain restaurants. They are the ones I get Super service at.

 

Once again I see you have the attitude that your way is the right & only way.

 

People need to remember, it is YOUR MONEY, You choose how you spend it. And you shouldnt pay for something when you dont recieve it. (I.E. Poor Service is worth NOTHING)

[DFW Airwolf]

This may be your opinion but the fact remains that tipped employees, both at sea and on land, receive most of their compensation from their tips (whether you like it or not is irrelevant). Therefore, their basic tip is not for something extra, it is for their basic service.

 

It is THEIR choice to choose that job/career. They accepted whatever rate that was offered. It is the same, I choose whatever Cruise Rate is offered or I decide not to cruise. They are free to look for other employment. So dont try & put the Guilt on me & others who choose what we spend our $$$ on. I dont choose to subsidize poor service.

[deborahjo]

Just treat it as a service charge, which is what it really is.

 

That is the thread I started. Not amount but who gets it. But of course it changed to money. I could care less about the 1.50. My issue is your exact issue.

[sparks1093]

It is THEIR choice to choose that job/career. They accepted whatever rate that was offered. It is the same, I choose whatever Cruise Rate is offered or I decide not to cruise. They are free to look for other employment. So dont try & put the Guilt on me & others who choose what we spend our $$$ on. I dont choose to subsidize poor service.

 

So if you agreed to a job for $40k a year you would be okay if your employer arbitrarily reduced it to $35k a year (and don't try to make the analogy that wages can be reduced for non-performance because that isn't true except in very limited circumstances)? Yes, this is the job they chose but they chose it with the expectation of making a living from the tips they receive.

 

All I did was state a fact- if that "puts the guilt on you" then that's your issue, not mine;).

[golfadj]

I dine many times at certain restaurants. They are the ones I get Super service at.

 

Once again I see you have the attitude that your way is the right & only way.

 

People need to remember, it is YOUR MONEY, You choose how you spend it. And you shouldnt pay for something when you dont recieve it. (I.E. Poor Service is worth NOTHING)

 

My way is the right way for me. What you do is your business.

 

OK service should be tipped. Just no reason to add to the suggested tip but to give nothing is not right.

[golfadj]

That is the thread I started. Not amount but who gets it. But of course it changed to money. I could care less about the 1.50. My issue is your exact issue.

 

I understand the principal completely and agree with you.

[hillbillycruisers]

Just mentioning tipping on these boards will get a lot of people stirred up...and I guess thats ok since everyone is entitled to their opinion, as long as they respect others opinions too. As far as this current tipping issue goes, I almost could care less...and I'll tell you why: First...its really not much of an extra expense to an already reasonably priced vacation...unless you are paying for several people. Second...as for my situation...I've already saved well over $100 off the original price that I booked my upcomming cruise, and since I was happy with the original booked price, I can hardly get too bent out of shape with a few dollars more for tips since the original rate dropped that much. Third...I guess if carnival was to just raise the extra money by charging us more, we'd all be paying the extra cost anyway ...probably without near this much talk about it. And lastly...We love cruising and think the price is right...if we didnt, we'd either find another cruise line...or another type of vacation. One more thing...we are by no means wealthy and have to save all year just for one cruise...but we really try to pack as much fun into the cruise vacation as we can. So, although money matters to me, I figure for the value of a cruise, all those people who work so hard on the ship can have a few more of my dollars. Just my opinion.:)

[golfadj]

Just mentioning tipping on these boards will get a lot of people stirred up...and I guess thats ok since everyone is entitled to their opinion, as long as they respect others opinions too. As far as this current tipping issue goes, I almost could care less...and I'll tell you why: First...its really not much of an extra expense to an already reasonably priced vacation...unless you are paying for several people. Second...as for my situation...I've already saved well over $100 off the original price that I booked my upcomming cruise, and since I was happy with the original booked price, I can hardly get too bent out of shape with a few dollars more for tips since the original rate dropped that much. Third...I guess if carnival was to just raise the extra money by charging us more, we'd all be paying the extra cost anyway ...probably without near this much talk about it. And lastly...We love cruising and think the price is right...if we didnt, we'd either find another cruise line...or another type of vacation. One more thing...we are by no means wealthy and have to save all year just for one cruise...but we really try to pack as much fun into the cruise vacation as we can. So, although money matters to me, I figure for the value of a cruise, all those people who work so hard on the ship can have a few more of my dollars. Just my opinion.:)

 

I completely understand you. Have no problem with the extra tips just whom it is going to.

 

Do not tip the folks behind the counter at a hotel and do not think Carnival should expect me to do so on the ship. Would rather see the extra buck going to the steward and waitstaff.

[foxesden1]

I used to be DOS of a hotel. We did not have bell men, but rather when groups came to our hotel, they paid $2.00 a bag. Bags were unloaded, sent to their rooms, and picked up in the AM, and returned to the tour bus.

 

.50 cents went to the hotel

1.50 went to the houseman for this service. it was paid out the day of departure.

[gtaylor]

<snip>

 

The one example that I've used consistently (because it's the most obvious) is the loading and distribution of luggage. CCL doesn't have a crew of people onboard dedicated to this function. The "traditionally tipped" staff are busy at this time getting cabins ready and getting the dining rooms ready, so they need to use staff from other departments (i.e. entertainment staff, guest services). For doing this those employees receive a share of the $2 alternative services "tip". How much? I don't know and I don't care. We may not see their faces while they are doing this but it's not being done by the luggage fairy, now is it?;)

 

<snip>

 

Do you really believe that the salaried dancers and musicians and staff behind the purser's counter are moving that luggage?

 

gary

[sparks1093]

Do you really believe that the salaried dancers and musicians and staff behind the purser's counter are moving that luggage?

 

gary

 

Front line, not the stars, yes and the not on duty staff, yes. Getting the ship ready to sail is an all hands evolution. (Other posters have also mentioned dancers working the buffet and handing out loyalty literature from door to door.)

[bplazo]

I think I will delete what I posted.

[golfadj]

Front line, not the stars, yes and the not on duty staff, yes. Getting the ship ready to sail is an all hands evolution. (Other posters have also mentioned dancers working the buffet and handing out loyalty literature from door to door.)

 

I can pretty much guarantee that dancers are not working the buffet. They will direct you when you first get on the ship and also help with safety briefing.

[durdenpb]

Tipping was originally conceived as a way to acknowledge a personal face-to-face service over and above what was to be expected.

 

 

• A waiter should be tipped for things like thorough knowledge of the menu, the city, local attractions, etc.; not for bringing me the food or keeping my glass full, that is to be expected that is there job and should be adequately compensated through their salary.
  
• A cab driver should be tipped for his knowledge of the local area and suggestions that might help me in my travels; not for taking me to the address I told him to, that is there job and should be adequately compensated for in their fare.
  
• Room service should have never required a tip. I am ordering food which before hand you know needs to be delivered to my room. It should already be in the price and that should cover someones salary to deliver it. I should not be tipping someone I see for less than 30 seconds typically - it should never have been a tipped service.
  
• The pizza delivery guy should have never required a tip. I am ordering a pizza that you know needs to be delivered, the price should include delivery in it. I should not be tipping someone I see for less than 30 seconds typically - it should never have been a tipped service.
  

 

Yes, I understand that tipping in these situations above have now become the norm. I just bring them up to show the slippery path we started down. It is only going to get worse.

 

Tipping is getting totally out of control. We are paying for "tipping" because businesses are trying to keep their prices from appearing higher. The airlines got in on it with baggage service and restaurants and cruises are doing it with tipping. Pulling services that should be compensated for in the base prices and expecting us to pay for the service on the backend making their prices appear lower.

 

Does the $1.50 additional a day bother me at all? NO

 

Does it bother me that people complain about it? YES, in a way.

 

Why?

Because most of the ones that are complaining about it are complaining about THE WRONG THING. You shouldn't be complaining about the extra $1.50 a day it costs you (your cruise is very reasonably priced in most cases and some of this has to do with staff who are inadequately compensated to begin with). That $1.50 a day should have already been in the cruise price, and it should probably be a lot more than that. What you should be complaining about is that now the cruise is asking you to "tip" for many services that should not require a tip.

 

What has now become of "Tipping" on Carnival and shouldn't be....

 

The old tipping levels were broken down as follows (per day): $5.50 to the headwaiter/waiter, $1 to the assistant waiter/cooks and $3.50 to the cabin steward.

 

 

• Other that the cooks listed above, I believe the other people listed above should be "tipped" for service over and above there job.
  

 

The new guidelines allocate $5.80 to dining room services, $3.70 to cabin services and $2 per day for alternative services, which include kitchen, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff members.

 

 

• Yeah, this whole thing has gotten convoluted. We should only be "tipping" for those people who we interact face-to-face with and who give us a service which is over and above what is expected by their job which should be adequately compensated by a salary.
  

 

"Tipping" even as obscured as it has gotten has always been for a face-to-face service. Yes, it has gotten away from just being a compensation for over and above service, now to a supplement for an inadequate salaries. But Carnival has now taken it a step further and now requesting tips for staff we may never even see and will most likely have no personal interaction with. Yes, I believe the laundry staff does a great job and I'm always appreciative of the clean sheets and towels, that does not mean I should tip them - this is there job. They should get an adequate salary for it. The entertainer on stage who performs for his job, yes he entertains me but also should be adequately compensated in his salary for this.

 

 

 

Do I blame Carnival for this? No. At least not completely.

 

 

• I do like the idea of not having to worry about paying tips continually throughout the day on my vacation and a reasonable daily flat rate is a great idea!!! I commend you for offering this service Carnival! ...I'm not going to give you a tip for it - so don't ask!
  
• My issue is with who they are going to! At a minimum if I don't interact with you face-to-face you should not be getting a tip. You should be getting adequately compensated for it in your base salary.
  
• Until people complain about it (and in the right way, for the right reasons) this will continue to happen and will only get worse.
  

 

 

OK, so lol wow ... angry person huh ...lol ok so I agree that the tipping people that do their jobs is stupid, short way of saying it. BUT you made an example of the pizza guy.. Do you realize that this person uses, his own car, his own gas, and is bringing you something so you dont have to get off your butt and cook? better yet letting you be lazy. you may not know this but they DO NOT get paid gas or anything or a company car.. its all theirs and its all out of pocket.. i know. Ive worked for 3 different pizza company's. they all work the same..

 

AGAIN I agree 200% with the carnival doing their tips.. but it must be different on each boat because I am scheduled to go on a 4 night Bahamas cruise on 11-27-11 and it was $10 pp per day so it cost us $80 bucks in tips. I wont be tipping any more than what I have already paid.