Gratuities?

[Pia1913]

I'm curious. There are a lot of opinions on this thread, especially on that of the culture and environment of cruise ship staff on board. Are there cruise staff members on the thread speaking from experience? There seems to be quite a bit of information here.

 

What you see here are people who cruise very frequently and mostly with Princess. You have folks here with almost 100 cruises under their belt and hundred and hundred of days. Experience counts.

[DPk400]

What you see here are people who cruise very frequently and mostly with Princess. You have folks here with almost 100 cruises under their belt and hundred and hundred of days. Experience counts.

 

I certainly understand that. I've been to over 50 NFL games. I don't know that I could talk to the culture in the locker room though. Opinions on gratuities are one thing, but I am curious how people know about the culture on the staff decks. Like I said, it is interesting hearing various personal perspectives on this.

[Pam in CA]

I'm curious. There are a lot of opinions on this thread, especially on that of the culture and environment of cruise ship staff on board. Are there cruise staff members on the thread speaking from experience? There seems to be quite a bit of information here.

Over the years, there have been blogs written by crew members that I've read plus there are newsletters and online news sources. You might want to read "Cruise Confidential" and similar books.

 

During Muster, one of the things you might want to listen to is the warning to never go into crew quarters, even when invited.

[77Network]

I would suggest that you ask the next time you are on ship. Numerous other people have also verified that at least on some ships the policy allows them to keep all tips. Ask the purser, they will tell you exactly what happens to cash tips, what the distribution break down is for other tips and anything else you want to know. Don’t listen to the people here. No one knows what is happening on the cruise you are going on. Ask the purser. It is their job to tell you.

 

I found a story in USA today where they were asking Dean Brown, CEO of Princess Tours & Executive Vice President of Shore Operations, about tipping and he said, “’Passengers who choose to tip in the traditional manner can continue to do so,’ Brown explains. ‘This program is an addition to our on-board service. We are not taking anything away from our customers' choices.’”

 

So do what you want. If you like to tip cash instead of auto tip go right ahead. The CEO of Princess Tours and the Executive Vice President of Shore Operations said it's fine to do this.

 

 

Link to USA today article:

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/princess-cruise-tipping-policy-17622.html

 

 

.

[RickEk]

I certainly understand that. I've been to over 50 NFL games. I don't know that I could talk to the culture in the locker room though. Opinions on gratuities are one thing, but I am curious how people know about the culture on the staff decks. Like I said, it is interesting hearing various personal perspectives on this.

 

And how often have you had conversations with NFL players at those games? I always engage the crew in conversation, and sometimes that conversation is about their life onboard the ship.

 

I would suggest that you ask the next time you are on ship. Numerous other people have also verified that at least on some ships the policy allows them to keep all tips. Ask the purser, they will tell you exactly what happens to cash tips, what the distribution break down is for other tips and anything else you want to know. Don’t listen to the people here. No one knows what is happening on the cruise you are going on. Ask the purser. It is their job to tell you.

 

I found a story in USA today where they were asking Dean Brown, CEO of Princess Tours & Executive Vice President of Shore Operations, about tipping and he said, “’Passengers who choose to tip in the traditional manner can continue to do so,’ Brown explains. ‘This program is an addition to our on-board service. We are not taking anything away from our customers' choices.’”

 

So do what you want. If you like to tip cash instead of auto tip go right ahead. The CEO of Princess Tours and the Executive Vice President of Shore Operations said it's fine to do this.

 

 

Link to USA today article:

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/princess-cruise-tipping-policy-17622.html

 

 

.

 

He doesn't say a word about the ramifications to the crew by a passenger canceling the auto-tip and tipping the "traditional" way. Yes, you can cancel the auto-tip, it's "the customer's choice", but what everyone else has said will occur... They won't be able to keep any tips given to them in cash. And, from what I understand, tipping policy is absolutely consistent across the fleet.

[cr8tiv1]

WOW, this is much more in depth than I had expected. Thanks to everyone for their honest comments. Somewhere I read that room stewards also appreciated small gifts / tokens of appreciation. I am planning on bringing aboard a gift bag of snacks and other items to be given to him on the first day. They work harder than most on the ship.

 

Renee

[77Network]

And how often have you had conversations with NFL players at those games? I always engage the crew in conversation, and sometimes that conversation is about their life onboard the ship.

 

 

 

He doesn't say a word about the ramifications to the crew by a passenger canceling the auto-tip and tipping the "traditional" way. Yes, you can cancel the auto-tip, it's "the customer's choice", but what everyone else has said will occur... They won't be able to keep any tips given to them in cash. And, from what I understand, tipping policy is absolutely consistent across the fleet.

 

Again, I suggest you ask the purser next time you are on a ship. The ship’s purser is a better source and is more accurate than the people posting on here. If you refuse to do this then you are not getting your information from the best place and are just choosing your source based on what you want to believe. When I was on my last cruise I wanted to know so I asked and I was told the information that the cruisers were posting here was not accurate for the cruise I was on.

 

These boards have a great deal of wrong information on them. The employee will not penalized for having auto tips taken off. The Executive Vice President of Corporate Services says it’s fine to do this. They will never be stranded at the next port. The only time something like this happens is when they are wanted by the police. US immigration does not allow companies to just drop off problem employees they don’t want anymore.

 

I think the reason people make up so much bs around tipping is because they feel as though they are having to pay more to cover those who choose to pay none at all. If you want to know how tipping works then please ask the purser. It is their job to answer questions about money on the ship. They are paid to do this and they know far more than the customers who post on this site.

[Pam in CA]

Where is Bruce Muzz when you need him? :)

[paul929207]

WOW, this is much more in depth than I had expected. Thanks to everyone for their honest comments. Somewhere I read that room stewards also appreciated small gifts / tokens of appreciation. I am planning on bringing aboard a gift bag of snacks and other items to be given to him on the first day. They work harder than most on the ship.

 

Renee

Not sure where you got tje idea that stewards like little gifts. They have very small cabins with little room to store stuff. They come from different cultures, so things that may be of value to Americans could be worthless to them. Give them cash

[philswifelikestocruise]

Hello,

First time posting. Well, I can tell you its very easy to do as I did it on my last cruise. My previous cruises (3 of them) with Princess were fantastic, and we all had a great time. However, by the fifth day of my last cruise I was so fed up with the cabin steward that I cancelled the tip altogether.

I anticipate there will be angry responses but hear me out.....

So, on day three my daughter has a diaper leak on the bed (I don't want to hear anything from cruisers without kids). It happens, and it was a small smear on the sheet. To be polite and helpful, I folded the blanket on the desk to keep it pristine and folded the sheets onto themselves and pulled them to the floor at the base of the bed. Sheets on floor, incident contained.

After dinner that night we put our daughter down and get into bed....with the same soiled sheets taken off the floor!!!! When I went to go find the steward to get the sheets changed, he suggested that I go down the hallway and find the sheets myself and change the bed. Fine, I did it. To make a long story short, on this one trip, the service was simply garbage.

And to make matters worse, when I mentioned it to the front desk (not a complaint, I just asked that the sheets be changed every second night), even this was never done.

My message: taking the tip off is easy. When service is poor, there is no reason to give the tip. There is a wait-list of thousands of people, desperate to work on cruise ships and they should be given a chance to replace those who simply don't pass muster.

[Loonbeam]

77 is actually correct in one respect. If you want to be sure about the process in place on a given ship, ask the purser. As with pretty much every other Princess 'policy' there may be some vagaries in enforcement.

 

Do not ask the crew. Of course, if you ask someone you are about to give money to, they are going to say they keep it, and some will.

 

The STANDARD corporate policy (verified with numerous people there as well as personally with 2 pursers most recently this October) is that if auto-tips are removed, cash tips are shared out up to the amount of the auto-tip. But corporate policy also allows for Adults only pools, No beer on board, etc and we see how that goes.

 

In the absence of reliable info from the Purser, assume cash tips will be shared if no auto, but as the motto goes, feel free to trust, but verify.

 

Again, I suggest you ask the purser next time you are on a ship. The ship’s purser is a better source and is more accurate than the people posting on here. If you refuse to do this then you are not getting your information from the best place and are just choosing your source based on what you want to believe. When I was on my last cruise I wanted to know so I asked and I was told the information that the cruisers were posting here was not accurate for the cruise I was on.

 

These boards have a great deal of wrong information on them. The employee will not penalized for having auto tips taken off. The Executive Vice President of Corporate Services says it’s fine to do this. They will never be stranded at the next port. The only time something like this happens is when they are wanted by the police. US immigration does not allow companies to just drop off problem employees they don’t want anymore.

 

I think the reason people make up so much bs around tipping is because they feel as though they are having to pay more to cover those who choose to pay none at all. If you want to know how tipping works then please ask the purser. It is their job to answer questions about money on the ship. They are paid to do this and they know far more than the customers who post on this site.

[Aus Traveller]

WOW, this is much more in depth than I had expected. Thanks to everyone for their honest comments. Somewhere I read that room stewards also appreciated small gifts / tokens of appreciation. I am planning on bringing aboard a gift bag of snacks and other items to be given to him on the first day. They work harder than most on the ship.

 

Renee

It is hard to know what snacks or other items someone from another part of the world would appreciate. We all have different likes and dislikes. Instead of spending money on things that they might not really appreciate, I suggest you give them the cash. They are working on the ship to make money and will really appreciate the cash. :)

 

Someone posted that they give the stewards the chocolates that Princess gives them every night!! Fine if you want to do that, but don't do it instead of a tip.

[Loonbeam]

Actually in that case I would find it completely within reason to remove the auto-tip. That's the whole reason it IS removable.

 

Hello,

First time posting. Well, I can tell you its very easy to do as I did it on my last cruise. My previous cruises (3 of them) with Princess were fantastic, and we all had a great time. However, by the fifth day of my last cruise I was so fed up with the cabin steward that I cancelled the tip altogether.

I anticipate there will be angry responses but hear me out.....

So, on day three my daughter has a diaper leak on the bed (I don't want to hear anything from cruisers without kids). It happens, and it was a small smear on the sheet. To be polite and helpful, I folded the blanket on the desk to keep it pristine and folded the sheets onto themselves and pulled them to the floor at the base of the bed. Sheets on floor, incident contained.

After dinner that night we put our daughter down and get into bed....with the same soiled sheets taken off the floor!!!! When I went to go find the steward to get the sheets changed, he suggested that I go down the hallway and find the sheets myself and change the bed. Fine, I did it. To make a long story short, on this one trip, the service was simply garbage.

And to make matters worse, when I mentioned it to the front desk (not a complaint, I just asked that the sheets be changed every second night), even this was never done.

My message: taking the tip off is easy. When service is poor, there is no reason to give the tip. There is a wait-list of thousands of people, desperate to work on cruise ships and they should be given a chance to replace those who simply don't pass muster.

[77Network]

It is hard to know what snacks or other items someone from another part of the world would appreciate. We all have different likes and dislikes. Instead of spending money on things that they might not really appreciate, I suggest you give them the cash. They are working on the ship to make money and will really appreciate the cash. :)

 

Someone posted that they give the stewards the chocolates that Princess gives them every night!! Fine if you want to do that, but don't do it instead of a tip.

 

That's kinda strange. They give the same chocolates back as a gift? That's like taking food at the buffet and then giving it back to the cook as a gift to show your appreciation.

 

 

If he really wanted the chocolates wouldn't he just take them?

[paul929207]

That's kinda strange. They give the same chocolates back as a gift? That's like taking food at the buffet and then giving it back to the cook as a gift to show your appreciation.

 

 

If he really wanted the chocolates wouldn't he just take them?

I would certainly think so.

[DPk400]

 

If he really wanted the chocolates wouldn't he just take them?

 

Literally the first thought in my mind. Can't say I wouldn't have one from time to time. It's kind of like an employee of a pizza joint getting tired of pizza though. Your buffet analogy made me laugh. :D

[princessfan12]

This is becoming an interesting thread!

 

First off, let me say that I always leave my auto tip on(due to societal pressure and feeling sympathy for the crew). However, I would like to bring up something that bothers me. To me a tip is for something above and beyond, not for simply performing your job duties. I realize that a lot of the crew work long days but that is in their job description. I feel that the company should pay the employees accordingly and not rely on passengers who may or may not bring their wage up to par with tips. Yes, I realize that this will increase cruise fares but that does not bother me.

 

BTW, on our last cruise one of the waiters told my husband that they make $35000/yr...this makes me feel a little less sympathy for them!

 

philswifelikestocruise:that sounds really gross about the sheets, I would have had a word with passenger services about that...maybe even have written a letter!

[Loonbeam]

The current model is actually to the employees benefit. The majority of them are contracted through agencies which take a percentage of their salaries.. but not tips..

 

So moving the monies from tips to salary would actually result in less income.

 

I just think of the auto-tip as part of the cruise fare I pay later and tip on top of that for above and beyond. And if they mess up badly, it's a chance to reduce my cruise fare..

 

This is becoming an interesting thread!

 

First off, let me say that I always leave my auto tip on(due to societal pressure and feeling sympathy for the crew). However, I would like to bring up something that bothers me. To me a tip is for something above and beyond, not for simply performing your job duties. I realize that a lot of the crew work long days but that is in their job description. I feel that the company should pay the employees accordingly and not rely on passengers who may or may not bring their wage up to par with tips. Yes, I realize that this will increase cruise fares but that does not bother me.

 

BTW, on our last cruise one of the waiters told my husband that they make $35000/yr...this makes me feel a little less sympathy for them!

 

philswifelikestocruise:that sounds really gross about the sheets, I would have had a word with passenger services about that...maybe even have written a letter!

[cr8tiv1]

I would like to clarify my statements since they are not in lieu of: I have always done the automatic tips on past cruises with an additional cash gift at the end for my steward and dining staff. That being said, I was interested in knowing how automatic tips were allocated. In addition...if I chose to do only a percent, I wanted to know what would happen to the cash gift I left at the end.

 

The second issue was a gift bag for my steward. I was raised to bring gifts to homes/hostesses/etc. I consider myself as a guest on my steward's floor and therefore bring a small token of appreciation when I introduce myself. This is not a monetary gift but usually food. I understand that they are from different cultures and their tastes may differ. But these are gifts and they may choose to do whatever they want to do with it once I hand it over to them. I am sure they do not have a lot of discretionary funds for such things.

 

I will continue to leave them with a tip at the end of the cruise; if service is beyond standard expectations. I wanted to make sure they are able to keep these additional funds. Otherwise, it would be a mute point to give them anything if they had to turn it in and not be given back to them.

 

Again, I want to thank everyone who is contributing to this thread. I will definitely inquire at the Purser's desk for a definitive answer when I am onboard.

 

Renee

[77Network]

I would like to clarify my statements since they are not in lieu of: I have always done the automatic tips on past cruises with an additional cash gift at the end for my steward and dining staff. That being said, I was interested in knowing how automatic tips were allocated. In addition...if I chose to do only a percent, I wanted to know what would happen to the cash gift I left at the end.

 

The second issue was a gift bag for my steward. I was raised to bring gifts to homes/hostesses/etc. I consider myself as a guest on my steward's floor and therefore bring a small token of appreciation when I introduce myself. This is not a monetary gift but usually food. I understand that they are from different cultures and their tastes may differ. But these are gifts and they may choose to do whatever they want to do with it once I hand it over to them. I am sure they do not have a lot of discretionary funds for such things.

 

I will continue to leave them with a tip at the end of the cruise; if service is beyond standard expectations. I wanted to make sure they are able to keep these additional funds. Otherwise, it would be a mute point to give them anything if they had to turn it in and not be given back to them.

 

Again, I want to thank everyone who is contributing to this thread. I will definitely inquire at the Purser's desk for a definitive answer when I am onboard.

 

Renee

 

 

That sound like a grand idea. Please come back and let us know what they say too.

[Aus Traveller]

From what we were told on a ship, it depends on the 'management' on the ship at the time (whether they have to hand over cash tips or not).

[rdsqrl]

Obviously, those of you who keep saying it depends on management have never worked in a restaurant. If you're a waiter or steward who depends upon behind-the-scenes people to make your life easier (the busboy clearing plates so you can serve the dessert, the food runners getting the dessert off the line, the laundry elves supplying your linen cart with fresh sheets and towels), then you wouldn't post on here quite so glibly about stewards/waiters not turning in cash tips to be divvied up. The whole point of the auto-tip system is to reward the helpers, too (not to mention the servers at the buffet who I never hear anyone post that they've tipped out of hand), and if they all aren't getting sufficient remuneration due to failure to share out non-autotip gratuities, there are bound to be consequences. No management is going to retain workers for very long if they're blithely allowing an inequitable system like that to stay in place, no matter what they might tell guests.

[Times Prince]

What envelope? The extra monies we tip is just cash in hand; at the table, in the cabin, at the coffee bar, etc. I don't recall the last time I saw someone handing a waiter an envelope.

When tipping wait staff we are always asked for our cabin number, which the crewmember will then log on the envelope (which I've gotten from the Pursor's desk).

 

I have no idea how they handle loose cash - but have they asked for your cabin number?

[Aus Traveller]

Obviously, those of you who keep saying it depends on management have never worked in a restaurant. If you're a waiter or steward who depends upon behind-the-scenes people to make your life easier (the busboy clearing plates so you can serve the dessert, the food runners getting the dessert off the line, the laundry elves supplying your linen cart with fresh sheets and towels), then you wouldn't post on here quite so glibly about stewards/waiters not turning in cash tips to be divvied up. The whole point of the auto-tip system is to reward the helpers, too (not to mention the servers at the buffet who I never hear anyone post that they've tipped out of hand), and if they all aren't getting sufficient remuneration due to failure to share out non-autotip gratuities, there are bound to be consequences. No management is going to retain workers for very long if they're blithely allowing an inequitable system like that to stay in place, no matter what they might tell guests.

On Princess and P&O it is only the service staff who take part in the tips pool. The stewards are not expected to pass tips on to behind-the-scenes people. They have a different pay scale.

 

It is quite a different system to that operating in food service outlets/restaurants where tipping is the way of life. The ships tips pool is divided up on a precise pre-determined schedule. Some time ago one cruise director printed (in the daily paper) the exact figures when the per day tip was lower than it is now, but going by percentages, it was one-third to the cabin steward, one-third to the table steward with the balance divided between bar staff, buffet staff, 25 cents to each head waiter and a small amount (from each passenger) to the maitre d'.

 

I also don't think the stewards have such a lot of helpers. I believe they go to the laundry themselves to retrieve our laundry and get clean sheets; the waiters take the dirty dishes into the correct area of the kitchen and have to get the desserts (and everything) off the line.

 

By the way, now that tipping has finished on the Australian-based Princess ships (1st May 2011) and P&O (a year earlier) the sky hasn't fallen down. :):) Service is as good as it always was. These people are professionals and do their best. I understand that some of the staff working in other parts of the world are asking for transfers to the Australian based ships, so it appears that the staff are also happy with the system.:)

[paul929207]

When tipping wait staff we are always asked for our cabin number, which the crewmember will then log on the envelope (which I've gotten from the Pursor's desk).

 

I have no idea how they handle loose cash - but have they asked for your cabin number?

I also get envelopes from the Purser's desk and they have asked me my cabin number.