sitraveler Posted December 13, 2011 #1 Share Posted December 13, 2011 While on Insignia, we had a Q&A with several of the officers. During the discussion the breakdown of the tips was explained. I never gave it any thought, but the wait staff gets their tips from the pool, the bar staff from the 18% gratuity. Therefore while the bar staff is happily providing the free beverages to all, there are no tips allocated for this. Now I feel obligated to show some appreciation. Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickey 88 Posted December 13, 2011 #2 Share Posted December 13, 2011 While on Insignia, we had a Q&A with several of the officers. During the discussion the breakdown of the tips was explained. I never gave it any thought, but the wait staff gets their tips from the pool, the bar staff from the 18% gratuity. Therefore while the bar staff is happily providing the free beverages to all, there are no tips allocated for this. Now I feel obligated to show some appreciation. Any thoughts? There's absolutely no reason why you should feel obligated. The session you attended was a "ship' sponsored event, and the cost of beverages was borne by Oceania. The exception would be if someone were to provide you with some sort of specially requested service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love.II.Cruise Posted December 13, 2011 #3 Share Posted December 13, 2011 *Sigh* The grasshopper wants to know what n/c means. :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted December 13, 2011 #4 Share Posted December 13, 2011 So are they saying if you ask for a soda or coffee in Horizons the crew do not get a share of the tip pool??? Seems they need to change their pool system or go backwards & charge for the sodas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted December 13, 2011 #5 Share Posted December 13, 2011 *Sigh* The grasshopper wants to know what n/c means. :o no charge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love.II.Cruise Posted December 13, 2011 #6 Share Posted December 13, 2011 no charge Thanks, I should have known. There's absolutely no reason why you should feel obligated. The session you attended was a "ship' sponsored event, and the cost of beverages was borne by Oceania. The exception would be if someone were to provide you with some sort of specially requested service. I agree with this, but if I had "just heard" their breakdown of the tips, while drinking a n/c drink... I think I would have tipped the bartender. I would have felt a little guilty by not tipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted December 13, 2011 #7 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Thanks, I should have known. I agree with this, but if I had "just heard" their breakdown of the tips, while drinking a n/c drink... I think I would have tipped the bartender. I would have felt a little guilty by not tipping. I've been saying the same thing about "n/c" room service food, forever :o Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted December 13, 2011 #8 Share Posted December 13, 2011 So Oceania should just charge for sodas, specialty coffee, room service meals, specialty dining rooms & bottled water just like the other lines It will certainly put them in a different class of cruise lines Let's tip the guys that help you into the tenders while we are at it ..I am sure they do not share in the tip pool but are providing a service Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitraveler Posted December 13, 2011 Author #9 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I always tip room service. No charge doesn't mean its not appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orchestrapal Posted December 13, 2011 #10 Share Posted December 13, 2011 So Oceania should just charge for sodas, specialty coffee, room service meals, specialty dining rooms & bottled water just like the other linesIt will certainly put them in a different class of cruise lines Let's tip the guys that help you into the tenders while we are at it ..I am sure they do not share in the tip pool but are providing a service Lyn Well put as usual!:) N/C means no charge and if taken to the extreem you would be tipping everyone that says "good morning"...;) Tips at the end of your cruise, in appreciation for good service, can always be given. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Acrusa Posted December 13, 2011 #11 Share Posted December 13, 2011 We have room service every morning coffee juice danish and I always tip . Also afternoon ice tea and cookies we get delivered by room service always tip them. That is a no brainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribbeansun Posted December 13, 2011 #12 Share Posted December 13, 2011 I've always felt the Aussies and Kiwi's (amongst others) have it right - charge more, pay your people well for the job they do - no tip. Takes all the guess work out of the equation and I personally think it is far superior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredFL Posted December 13, 2011 #13 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Since Oceania is a "cashless" system how do you add 18% on to a non existent chit? I certainly do not want to carry a bag of small change around and besides what do you take 18% of? I think no charge is no charge. The waiters have been delivering ice tea for years with no charge and no tip expected. That should apply to all free beverages. I would hope Oceania took that into consideration when they instituted the free drinks. We were recently on Regent and since most beverages are free we did not see anyone try and tip each time they got a drink. We have always assumed the automatic tip added onto the bill covered everyone including room service and only tip for extraordinary service. We have never had a room service waiter "linger" in anticipation of a tip and again since room service is free what is 15 or 18%? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted December 13, 2011 #14 Share Posted December 13, 2011 If you can afford to cruise on Regent or Oceania, yet you prefer to bicker over the semantics of "no charge", or crack smart about fifteen versus eighteen percent of "nothing" in preference to offering an additional tip, then I don't expect that you will understand my point of view. :( My position remains, however, that there are a number of very hard working employees who are not covered by the tip pool. The few dollars that we may offer, in the way of those "extra tips" makes a great deal of difference to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redmanflorida Posted December 13, 2011 #15 Share Posted December 13, 2011 Spoken by a True Gentleman! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hondorner Posted December 14, 2011 #16 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Jim and I have had numerous friendly discussions on this point and while we differ somewhat, it largely reflects the difference in our home lifestyles -- rural, inland Florida versus New York/Connecticut sophistication. Having said that, however, there appears to be two different themes running through this thread -- crew who do not participate in the tip pool and those who do. The original post seemed to imply that those who serve no charge beverages do not participate in the tip pool and are working for no tips. That's not exactly true -- they still participate in whatever tips have been received, but it is true that the size of the overall pool has most likely been reduced because items which previously included a gratuity percentage are no free and thus no longer generate tips. To have an informed discussion about this, one would have to know the significance of previous tips for sodas, bottled water and such. Based on no-scientific observation, I would have to say that there is not much of a change, because adult beverages continue to far outsell sodas and such, and the dollar value on which the percentages are based is much greater. The other thing we would have to know is whether Oceania has increased base compensation to make up for the difference. Their sister line, Regent, is entirely gratuity-free with nearly all beverages included at no charge (only the most outrageously priced wines or spirits carry a premium, and even there, I don't think any gratuity is extracted (I don't know because, even though I have sailed Regent, I have never ordered anything that carries a premium price). Yet crew is routinely rotated between Oceania and Regent, and I have never heard any of them complain that their income was affected. (Tipping is actively discouraged in all phases of Regent; anyone who feels a compulsion to tip is encouraged to donate to the crew benefits fund). I continue to agree that on Oceania, those who feel tipping is appropriate should continue to do so. I don't think cash envelopes to crew is appropriate, however; it tends to single out crew members who essentially were lucky enough to be assigned to someone who likes to tip, and leaves out the others. I believe Oceania has worked out an equitable tipping plan with their automatic gratuities, and suggest that whose who feel compelled to tip extra should make arrangements with the purser to increase the amount of their cruise-end gratuity and let the cruise line distribute it according to that plan. Personally, I believe that plan already takes room service into consideration (or should, if it does not), and I don't tip for routine room service such as breakfast. I might, for extraordinary service or service in the middle of the night, but probably never will because neither event has ever occurred in my experience. I tend to be a fairly generous tipper, leaving tips for take-out servers, for example, because almost know one does and they deserve some recognition. If there is a tip jar on a bar I tend to leave something. On board ship, however, I stick my cash inside the safe until getting ready to leave the ship, and I truly believe they really mean it when they say it is a cashless ship. How, then, could I tip for the occasional free soda? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted December 14, 2011 #17 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Well said Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted December 14, 2011 #18 Share Posted December 14, 2011 How, then, could I tip for the occasional free soda? Occasional soda?? Really? :rolleyes: That is the biggest misstatement since you called me sophisticated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yorkiemomjn Posted December 14, 2011 #19 Share Posted December 14, 2011 Occasional soda?? Really? :rolleyes: That is the biggest misstatement since you called me sophisticated! I like to read the posts between you guys! You always make me laugh! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TERRIER1 Posted December 14, 2011 #20 Share Posted December 14, 2011 In all my cruises with Oceania I have noticed that the waiters/waitresses rotate between venues and services so wouldn't be part of the tipping pool for no charge versus charged items even out in the end? Just a question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonardray Posted December 14, 2011 #21 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I also live in rural inland Fl. and would never consider not giving a tip for room service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted December 14, 2011 #22 Share Posted December 14, 2011 In all my cruises with Oceania I have noticed that the waiters/waitresses rotate between venues and services so wouldn't be part of the tipping pool for no charge versus charged items even out in the end? Just a question. I believe that the "entry level" people do rotate, but not the more established crew members, and that has to do with "working ones way up" to a position that is more lucrative. Up until a certain level of seniority, employees who are "in trouble" may also be relegated to the "no tip" positions for varying amounts of time. I have noticed this, particularly, with staff who have problems with English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wripro Posted December 14, 2011 #23 Share Posted December 14, 2011 I want to start by saying that even though O adds gratuities to my onboard account I always tip extra to the butler and room attendants as well as to certain other staff members if I feel they have performed some special service. Having said that I must also say that with a cruise line of Oceania's caliber it feels like a mass market procedure to have to do so. And unfortunately, many Americans cannot sleep at night if they do not overtip. This is why the all inclusive lines are so attractive. It removes the worry and the stress of wondering if you are doing the right thing. The most one should do on those lines is donate to the crew welfare fund which benefits every crew member, not just the ones with whom you come in contact. As an example I always stay in a PH suite. Oceania adds $10 a day to my account as a tip for the butler. On a three week cruise that's $210, not a bad tip imo. But people seem to think it's necessary to give another $50 or $100. I do that even when I get very little value out of the butler other than some extra restaurant reservations. On Seabourn or Silversea this is never an issue and I like the feeling of that. To say that if you can afford to sail on Oceania you should not worry about extra tips defies the logic of what tipping is all about. Personally, I would prefer it if Oceania paid its crew a decent salary and did not rely on us to supplement it. Again, that's why I like the all inclusive lines. I know I can have the gratuities removed from my account but then I would be punishing those crew members who work so hard and whom I do not see on a daily basis. Why should I give the butler an extra $100 when the person who washes my sheets and towels every day does more to make my cruise pleasurable? JMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredFL Posted December 14, 2011 #24 Share Posted December 14, 2011 And when the beverage packages are available and all drinks are "n/c" at the time of service how much is the tip. Americans seem to believe that over-tipping is a moral obligation. We are certainly generous with our tips at restaurants, etc if the service is good but since Oceania adds a daily tip charge onto our account we believe that covers the standard level of service we expect on Oceania. If a crew member is being 'punished" by being put in a no tip sharing position is it our obligation to change that situation? Being a good employee and doing things such as learning English should have its rewards. Having sailed 10 time on Oceania we have gotten acquainted with several crew members and they have all expressed their satisfaction being on an Oceania ship. They take pride in their work, get decent compensation, especially compared to their home country economy, and are learning skills that will hopefully assure them a good future when they leave Oceania. As others have said, it is a personal decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribbeansun Posted December 15, 2011 #25 Share Posted December 15, 2011 I would expect them to add the tip to the cost of the package as they do on Celebrity. And when the beverage packages are available and all drinks are "n/c" at the time of service how much is the tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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