Automatic Gratuities on Princess

[ggo85]

We hadn't cruised on Princess for several years -- usually go on RCL. On RCL, when you do the automatic gratuity, they give you a little slip that you can put in an envelope so you have something to hand the waiter, room steward, etc. on the last night. And, of course, you can add extra cash if you so desire.

 

We were surprised on our last night that we didn't get any slips or envelopes. When we inquired about it, we were told that the slips didn't exist (envelopes were available at the passenger info desk). We were told that 40% of our gratuity went to the cabin steward and that the remainder would somehow be split among our waiter, busboy, maitre'd, and others who provide service.

 

We have no issue with automatic tipping or equitable distribution, to include those who work "behind the scenes." However, we felt somewhat obligated to provide additional tips so that we had something to give those who had provided excellent service. We probably would have done so regardless, but didn't like what we perceived to be implied pressure.

 

And, when we did hand out the envelopes, we felt we needed to explain that the cash was in addition to the automatic tip -- and that we had not canceled or reduced the automatic tip.

 

In sum, we found it all very awkward and somewhat a bitter ending to an otherwise excellent cruise. Is what happened to us the norm now on Princess and, if so, how do others handle the situation if you choose not to provide an additional gratuity (beyond the automatic)?

[rdsqrl]

Any pressure you felt was, I'm sure, purely internal, coming from your own experience on another line. The staff on Princess are well aware of how auto tips are handled and they don't expect to be handed anything at the end of the voyage confirming that the auto tips are still in place. They do welcome (obviously) any additional gratuities, which is why the envelopes are at the Purser's Desk. Generally, the steward or waiter will ask for your cabin number and note it on the envelope (I usually write it on there for them in advance) so they can verify that the auto tips are still in place and so therefore they don't have to tip out (share) the extra tip with their helpers but can keep it.

 

It's really a very simple system. Since the introduction of anytime, I can't imagine what a confusing mess it would be the last night to have to go find every waiter you had over the course of the week, not to mention buffet staff, to hand them just a slip of paper!

[Pam in CA]

I agree that the pressure you felt was based on procedures on another line, not Princess. Princess has had the "auto-tip" for well over ten years so the staff knows exactly what to expect. Your cabin steward and waitstaff also know whether you have removed the auto-tip or left it on as their supervisor will have told them.

 

Not sure who told you that the cabin steward got 40% but that's not true. Every person who has performed a service, whether at dinner or the dining room for breakfast or lunch, the buffet staff, your cabin steward and his/her helper gets a percentage. The only exceptions are the bar staff and you are charged 15% for every beverage that's distributed among all the bar and lounge staff.

 

If someone has given you exceptional service or you have asked for or received special services, it's up to you whether to tip them extra. I have never been pressured to tip extra above the auto-tip. It's highly unusual if you are.

[Tralynn]

I much rather the way it is on Princess over the voucher in the envelope system on Royal. I felt more uneasy handing out envelopes at the end of the cruise. I felt fine if I was giving extra in the envelope with the voucher, but felt awkward when handing the voucher to someone I did not feel deserved extra. It's quite obvious that there isn't extra money included with the voucher.

 

On Princess, you don't hand anything out UNLESS you are tipping extra above the normal amount. To me, that's way more pleasant.

 

It's all in what you get used to doing on a cruise.

[KruzPrincess]

I've never felt awkward. The staff knows what's going on. No worries.

[caribill]

On RCL, when you do the automatic gratuity, they give you a little slip that you can put in an envelope so you have something to hand the waiter, room steward, etc. on the last night. And, of course, you can add extra cash if you so desire.

 

 

The odd thing on RCCL is that if you their equivalent of Anytime Dining, you must prepay the daily gratuity before the cruise starts.

 

However, they give you the little vouchers to give to the staff and if you really had different waitstaff each evening, there is no way to properly reward them with these vouchers as there is just one slip for a waiter and one for an assistant waiter.

[paul929207]

I feel no pressure to give extra the last night. If the cabin steward or waitstaff has gone beyond what I expect I will, but not otherwise.

[hubofhockey]

We have an upcoming cruise on RCI and have to pre-pay tips at final payment. But I am not going to play the envelope game at the end of the cruise. If the steward is attentive, I will hand him extra cash the night before we disembark the same as we'll do on our princess cruise this July.

[WVBill]

.... The only exceptions are the bar staff and you are charged 15% for every beverage that's distributed among all the bar and lounge staff.

.

 

Not to hijack the thread - but I don't want to start another whole thread for a simple question...

 

Is 15% added to the cost of a bottle of wine purchased in the dining room for dinner consumption?

[ggo85]

Thanks for the replies. I must admit this was the first time (including a Princess cruise several years ago) that we haven't received envelopes but, as noted, we don't usually cruise Princess. In our case, we did traditional dining in an Anytime restaurant (go figure, but that's where we were assigned) so did have the same waiter each night.

 

Also, in our dining room (a mix of traditional and anytime as noted), we saw quite a few people handing out envelopes on the last night -- in fact, almost everyone who left before we did provided one. That may help explain why we were quite confused.

 

In any event, we don't regret the extra tips -- the folks deserved them. And it was the passenger info desk who provided the data on the 40% to the cabin steward.

 

And to the above poster -- yes, 15% is added to bottles of wine.

[paul929207]

Not to hijack the thread - but I don't want to start another whole thread for a simple question...

 

Is 15% added to the cost of a bottle of wine purchased in the dining room for dinner consumption?

Yes, the 15% is added to the cost of a bottle of wine purchased onboard and for all other beverage purchases

[ONT-CA]

While presenting personal gratuities to ship staff over and above the Hotel Charge, we simply say to the individual, "Here is a little something extra for you" He/she then understands that the charges were left in place.

[camofwilliamsburg]

Our cabin stewardess on Grand was very pleasant and told us that she only gets 25% given to the cabin stewards and the 10% given to the laundry personnel. We were told 2 different things from the front desk. First we were told it was a 60/40 split with dining/cabin and then we asked again and were told 65/35 %. We felt our cabin stewardess did a much better job than the dining for us on this cruise, and we took off automatic tips for the first time and gave her double what she would have gotten and then gave others we felt earned it.

[chrysalis]

Our cabin stewardess on Grand was very pleasant and told us that she only gets 25% given to the cabin stewards and the 10% given to the laundry personnel. We were told 2 different things from the front desk. First we were told it was a 60/40 split with dining/cabin and then we asked again and were told 65/35 %. We felt our cabin stewardess did a much better job than the dining for us on this cruise, and we took off automatic tips for the first time and gave her double what she would have gotten and then gave others we felt earned it.

 

How were you able to tip the various buffet personel?

[MustangGT]

How were you able to tip the various buffet personel?

 

And the laundry personnel?

[paul929207]

And the cooks and dishwashers?

[Times Prince]

While presenting personal gratuities to ship staff over and above the Hotel Charge, we simply say to the individual, "Here is a little something extra for you" He/she then understands that the charges were left in place.

We do a similar thing, making sure the envelope has our cabin number on it as well. Never a problem and those who have given us extraordinary service appreciate it.

[Pam in CA]

Our cabin stewardess on Grand was very pleasant and told us that she only gets 25% given to the cabin stewards and the 10% given to the laundry personnel. We were told 2 different things from the front desk. First we were told it was a 60/40 split with dining/cabin and then we asked again and were told 65/35 %. We felt our cabin stewardess did a much better job than the dining for us on this cruise, and we took off automatic tips for the first time and gave her double what she would have gotten and then gave others we felt earned it.

When you remove the auto-tip, everything you tip goes into the pool. Neither she nor anyone else you tipped got to keep it. If she or anyone else keeps the tip and are found out (very likely), they can be immediately fired and have to make their own way home from the next port.

 

I don't know the percentages but a lot of people get a small percentage. Your cabin steward, his/her helper, Traditional/Anytime dining room staff no matter whether they work breakfast, lunch or dinner, all of the buffet staff including the helpers and those working in the Grill, pizza, and outdoor tables. Specialty restaurant staff also receive a percentage. Perhaps if you see a percentage, that would mean all of the waitstaff and helpers in every dining area combined; it doesn't mean your specific dinner dining staff gets that percentage.

[fishywood]

We hadn't cruised on Princess for several years -- usually go on RCL. On RCL, when you do the automatic gratuity, they give you a little slip that you can put in an envelope so you have something to hand the waiter, room steward, etc. on the last night. And, of course, you can add extra cash if you so desire. We were surprised on our last night that we didn't get any slips or envelopes.

 

As the other responders have said, Princess just finds it easier to internally notify the stewards and servers which passengers have removed the automatic hotel charges, rather than have you notify them on the final evening that you chose to keep it on. Maybe RCC does it their way for just the reason that you say makes you uncomfortable: the need for everyone to have envelopes to give out the final night makes you fear that you will be judged if there is only a voucher and not cash enclosed. On Princess the exact opposite is true.

 

As as to how much one's cabin steward's share is: The original auto-charge was $6.50/pp/pd and covered dining room service only. When it was enhanced to include the steward it was initially raised to $9/pp/pd (and a few months later to $9.50/pp/pd to include Lido staff as well). Thus initially the cabin steward's cut was $2.50/pp/pd. Multiply that out by the average number of people under each one's stewardship and it is not an insubstantial amount--though for working every single day 14-15 hours they certainly deserve whatever extra you may wish to give (and I sure hope their daily cut has increased over time now that we pay $11.50/pp/pd--and Princess no longer publishes what the breakdown is, and if the front desk knows they are reluctant to share as others here have said).

[ONT-CA]

We doubt if anyone on this board truly knows just how much of our Hotel Charge does where. We have been told that it is all based on a percentage system whereby everyone gets a piece of the action, right up to the maitre d' and down to the dishwashers. That is why we totally ignore the Hotel Charge for who could say that the better employee got their deserved share. That is why it is important for us to reward those directly involved with our cruise in additions to the Hotel Charge. They get to keep it and the next time we board a ship (and not necessarily the same one) and they recognize us, and they do, you can bet we will be more than well treated.

 

It is because we have noted the manner in which a gratuity is placed in the recipient's pocket, envelope or not, a real Houdini manoeuver, is why we have discarded the envelope and transferred our appreciation in a simple handshake.

[5326jan]

We doubt if anyone on this board truly knows just how much of our Hotel Charge does where. We have been told that it is all based on a percentage system whereby everyone gets a piece of the action, right up to the maitre d' and down to the dishwashers. That is why we totally ignore the Hotel Charge for who could say that the better employee got their deserved share. That is why it is important for us to reward those directly involved with our cruise in additions to the Hotel Charge. They get to keep it and the next time we board a ship (and not necessarily the same one) and they recognize us, and they do, you can bet we will be more than well treated.

 

It is because we have noted the manner in which a gratuity is placed in the recipient's pocket, envelope or not, a real Houdini manoeuver, is why we have discarded the envelope and transferred our appreciation in a simple handshake.

 

Agree. Somehow with a handshake or a hug, it seems more personal without the envelope. However, I'm sure it is very much appreciated either way!:)

[cat-tav]

We always leave the auto-tip on to make sure that everyone gets their fair share. I know that there are lots of people involved in taking care of us on-board that we never see. We also give a little extra to our cabin steward on the last night and let him know how much we appreciate his hard work. I've only been on 3 cruises so far (2 more scheduled! :D), but in that little bit of experience, I've had nothing but excellent service and friendly staff. I certainly don't mind tipping a bit extra to express my appreciation. We also give an extra tip to waitstaff who have given exceptional attention.