How/when do I remove gratuities

[kayhold]

In some cultures it is not customary to tip. I generally do not leave a tip when I stay in hotel rooms in the US. I never get the room cleaned, on a daily basis. I leave the room clean, trash in the receptical. All I need is towels. I would assume working in a hotel room, as a legal legit employee you must be making at least minimum wage.

I do tip on cruises, but I am not a big fan of the rising suggested tipping amount.

 

Do whatever works for you.

 

In those cultures, employees do not live off tips.

[stormynow]

Love the auto tips and wouldn't have a problem if they raised them. Still going to cruise.

[boo214]

gee, why am i not surprised that op has not come back? :rolleyes:

[MrPete]

You've been on this site a while, right? You've read why auto tips are there, right? You know you are omitting other important people necessary for your cruise comfort and enjoyment if you remove auto tips, right? If you were a "behind the scene" worker and lost out wages because you removed auto tips, and knew only your steward got a tip and you helped that steward get that tip, how would you feel getting shut off?

 

This certainly is not why auto tips were created.

 

Auto tips were created shortly after alternative dining was offered, and began being opened on tip night.

 

Prior to that, you would have had to skip your meal and starve if you wanted to stiff your staff.

 

When alternative dining started and was open on tip night, the dining room would be half-empty.

 

This was promptly countered with auto tips, making one have to look someone in they eye to alter them in any way.

 

The other problem was people running out of cash by tip night, and then stiffing them because they hadn't properly put enough aside.

 

Two birds killed with one stone.

[Musky Ike]

Another false statement.

 

Any cash given to your service staff is kept 100% by them.

 

And you know this how? are you a current CCL employee?

[MrPete]

gee, why am i not surprised that op has not come back? :rolleyes:

 

She's online now, but got her answer on post 2.

[MrPete]

And you know this how? are you a current CCL employee?

 

No, we were informed by a CCL employee, who is also the Senior Cruise Director. This was cleared up when people started posting what they thought happened when auto tips were being removed, and an accusation the Carnival kept a cut of the tips.

[Florings]

Perhaps you should bring a roll of dimes or nickles to pass out in the Lido buffet to tip what ever service staff happens to be there during the meals or snacks you plan on having up there or at any of the other venue's where you might have to be picked up after.

 

Dimes and nickels?

[INTERLINER13]

See, I would take that as a clue I couldn't afford to cruise at that time.

 

I said willing not cant. I like going on cheaper vacations, and more of them.

Just got back from Orlando going to Seaworld, and Universal. I go back Monday for 3 Disney parks, Seaworld, and Universal. Doesnt cost too much as I have Season passes to Universal, and Seaworld. I have the Elation booked the end of April, and hope to book the Glory in June from Boston soon. And then camping in between. I try to go away just about every weekend. The last 3 cruises I was on I paid 159.00, 179.00, and 239.00upcoming.

 

I always leave the autotips on. I just think it is a tip, and optional. I also think

-people in suites should pay more.

-the rise in price was excessive.

-carnival knows the percentage of people who do not pay, and figure that into the 11.50. So basically you are paying other tips. Thats why I believe it should be added to the fare, and everyone should pay. But carnival most likely have there employees get crappy tips, rather then raise there fares scaring people away.

[michelle1836]

I wish people would learn to use the search tab. It really does work

[Snowball]

I said willing not cant. I like going on cheaper vacations, and more of them.

Just got back from Orlando going to Seaworld, and Universal. I go back Monday for 3 Disney parks, Seaworld, and Universal. Doesnt cost too much as I have Season passes to Universal, and Seaworld. I have the Elation booked the end of April, and hope to book the Glory in June from Boston soon. And then camping in between. I try to go away just about every weekend. The last 3 cruises I was on I paid 159.00, 179.00, and 239.00upcoming.

 

I always leave the autotips on. I just think it is a tip, and optional. I also think

-people in suites should pay more.

-the rise in price was excessive.

-carnival knows the percentage of people who do not pay, and figure that into the 11.50. So basically you are paying other tips. Thats why I believe it should be added to the fare, and everyone should pay. But carnival most likely have there employees get crappy tips, rather then raise there fares scaring people away.

Why do you think that people in suites should pay more for gratuities than the rest of the guests? The service that is provided from the cabin steward is no different than what someone staying in an inside cabin would receive.

[INTERLINER13]

Why do you think that people in suites should pay more for gratuities than the rest of the guests? The service that is provided from the cabin steward is no different than what someone staying in an inside cabin would receive.

 

Bigger rooms, large mirrors, jacuzzi tubs. All takes much more to clean. Royal charges more per day for guests in suites.

[H82seaUgo]

Bigger rooms, large mirrors, jacuzzi tubs. All takes much more to clean. Royal charges more per day for guests in suites.

 

not much, but the room steward was cute when we stayed in a jr. suite. he gave us the form for the higher rate.

 

jr. suites pay the regular rate.

 

i also think that they have less rooms to maintain as far as those grnad suites are concerned, so that is made up with the difference.

 

in any case, they aren't charged. the suggestions are different, and is all cash unless you intiate it to be charged to your sea pass.

[Cristallo]

I miss the old days when tips were earned and not expected like a salary. :(

[Time2CruiseAgain]

Last year we had unexpected financial issue right before our cruise -which left us extremely shorter funds than what we had budgeted. However, we knew we were getting paid while on the cruise with our funds direct deposited. So - I did go down to the guest services and removed tips at the beginning of the cruise (and they noted it was only temporary until Thursday) and then went back down that Thursday and put them back on. I was sick just doing that, but had no choice. But I did put them back on as promised and also was blessed enough to be able to tip some extra! I couldn't imagine completely not doing the auto-tipping.

[Tapi]

Royal charges more per day for guests in suites.

 

They also have concierge service. On Royal I believe that the additional tip is justified since you receive a much higher level of personal service, but on Carnival, you are just another passenger, just traveling in a bigger cabin.

[diamondgirl54]

I find auto tips a very easy way to tip...BUT tipping should be done to those who provide a direct service not to those behind the scenes. The ones who cook the meals or wash the linens should be paid by the cruiseline. I never remove the auto tips but I think they should only be given to those who provide direct service.....they deserved more than they get. How far does the behind the scenes go????. I hope the captain doesn't have to depend on this for his paycheck.

[Cool Waters]

Just curious how you would feel if your boss walked in one day and said...

 

"I don't want to pay your salary this week. It is just to much for me to pay. So you only get half this week...ok?"

 

:rolleyes:

 

 

Yes, we are a family of 4 and have always understood that even at $320 a week...that is the cost of cruising.

 

 

Well that's funny....because that's EXACTLY what Carnival (the employer) is saying! :rolleyes:

[Cool Waters]

See, I would take that as a clue I couldn't afford to cruise at that time.

 

Smh......can't people do what they want to do....when they want to do it on their vacation? It's their money......and they can spend it ANY WAY THEY WANT.

 

Do you read what CARNIVAL writes? :confused:.......They say it's SUGGESTED and be adjusted at your discretion! They don't say.....don't cruise our line if you can't or don't want to pay the SUGGESTED amount.

 

PLEASE stop the madness!

[okgirl]

Dimes and nickels?

 

Yes, dimes and nickles which when you divide up the portion of your autotip that doesn't go to dining room and cabin personel, the remaining $2 goes to Alternative Services including kitchen, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff and I betting that there are at least 20+ of those people that it's distributed among, so that it's really pennies per day per guest that they are getting.

 

So if the OP wants to tip in cash then they need to carry around some change so that everytime they stop at guest services they can say "Thank you for assisting me, here is a dime tip", and then when the kitchen prepares a special request they can send a dime back to the kitchen too, and when they are in the buffet and a crewmember clears a table, they can toss them a nickle.......I sure had to share my tips with the bus boys when I was a waitress, and I also had to share them with the kitchen and the front of the house. Because if all of those background people weren't doing their jobs it had a direct impact on how well I was serving my customer and how big of a tip that I got.

[H82seaUgo]

Yes, dimes and nickles which when you divide up the portion of your autotip that doesn't go to dining room and cabin personel, the remaining $2 goes to Alternative Services including kitchen, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff and I betting that there are at least 20+ of those people that it's distributed among, so that it's really pennies per day per guest that they are getting.

 

So if the OP wants to tip in cash then they need to carry around some change so that everytime they stop at guest services they can say "Thank you for assisting me, here is a dime tip", and then when the kitchen prepares a special request they can send a dime back to the kitchen too, and when they are in the buffet and a crewmember clears a table, they can toss them a nickle.......I sure had to share my tips with the bus boys when I was a waitress, and I also had to share them with the kitchen and the front of the house. Because if all of those background people weren't doing their jobs it had a direct impact on how well I was serving my customer and how big of a tip that I got.

 

you must think those people are getting tips. that $2 is distributed to them as part of their salary, and certainly not elligible as a tip, as there is no personal service performed.

 

we were hoodwinked when they added $1 to tips, for alternative dining, for the same people you were tipping downstairs. if you ate all your meals in the mdr, why would one have to even have $1 taken from them, and now increase it 100% to $2. and we certaainly can't eat in 2 places, yet your daily mdr suggested tips are for three service meals.

 

giving cash ensures your money goes directly to the people you want it to go to, not to augment salaries for full salaried personel.

[Ksea1961]

I prepaid my gratuities happily. I have been thinking though.:eek:

If I go on a land vacation I tip the taxi drivers, baggage handlers, wait staff and sometimes housekeeping if they do what they are supposed to do every day.

I do not tip dishwashers, bus persons, people who entertain me (bands, dj's, singers and dancers).

I don't tip the people who clean the parking lot, paint the walls, clean the carpets, etc.

I do not tip a hostess in a restaurant unless they do me a special favor or something.

If my table has two waiters, I leave one tip and expect them to split it up however they see fit.

The reason I dont balk at the $241.50 I prepaid for tips is because I think we would tip that much or more on a 7 day land vacation all things considered. That is an average of $34.50 per day for the 3 of us. I'm glad I don't have to worry about tipping on the ship, unless I want to tip extra.

[okgirl]

you must think those people are getting tips. that $2 is distributed to them as part of their salary, and certainly not elligible as a tip, as there is no personal service performed.

 

we were hoodwinked when they added $1 to tips, for alternative dining, for the same people you were tipping downstairs. if you ate all your meals in the mdr, why would one have to even have $1 taken from them, and now increase it 100% to $2. and we certaainly can't eat in 2 places, yet your daily mdr suggested tips are for three service meals.

 

giving cash ensures your money goes directly to the people you want it to go to, not to augment salaries for full salaried personel.

 

Were never going to agree on this, you call it a salary and I call it a tip/gratuity. If it's something that I have the power to withhold, then it's a tip to me regardless of how it's distributed to them.

 

$ 2.00 - Per Day Alternative Services: distributed to kitchen, entertainment, guest services and other hotel staff members.

 

Those are Carnival's words not mine. I'm certainly not going to try to go find who the people are in the kitchen or entertainment staff or front desk vs. back desk guest services or what other hotel staff members that are getting part of that $2 per day salary/tip/gratuity.

 

But if the OP is taking the high ground and is really going to redistribute the $11.50 a day to all the people that the autogratuities are designed to cover then she certainly should.

 

That's why I suggested in my original post that she leave the $2 on the autotips and tip in cash to the other 6 people that the rest of the tip is supposed to go to.

 

And I hope she doesn't assume that the tips that she gives to one person on the team is necessarily going to be shared with the rest of the team. If they really do get to keep what they are handed (and I don't believe that they do), then in their situation if a tip was handed to me and I wasn't specifically instructed to share it with the team I wouldn't. (unless it really does have to be pooled)

[FlipFlopCruiser]

I don't normally post on these tipping debate threads but this one kinda ticks me off.

#1- The op didn't ask for advice on who to tip or how much to tip or how all of you tip and why you think your way is so much better. They simply asked how to remove the tips.

I never understand all of the people who automatically jump on their soap boxes and shout their opinions as if they are the only opinions worth considering. Why can't you do your thing and be happy with your decisions and let everyone else decide their own way of doing things.

#2- In almost every thread about tipping, people end up posting how all cash given to the crew has to be handed over to Carnival. This has been addressed on John Heald's FB page, he says it's not true. And how would Carnival know who got cash and how much they were given to be able to enforce this?

#3- For the people who insist that the behind the scenes crew will be cheated if tips are removed and insist that the cooks, laundry workers, guest services people etc. deserve their tips.....i would love for you to tell us that in everyday life when you go out to eat, you make sure the cook gets a tip from you, and the person who wraps your silverware and cleans your table gets a tip from you and you of course hand over a buck or 2 to the hostess when she takes you to your seat, oh and i'm just sure that you give the cashier an extra dollar when you pay your bill.

puhleeeeeeze!

Get over yourselves and let other people make their own decisions.

[srlafleur]

giving cash ensures your money goes directly to the people you want it to go to, not to augment salaries for full salaried personel.

 

When there was no auto-tipping, cash tips were pooled. Period. You may have given the envelopes to a few of the people you saw face-to-face, but if they were caught not turning in the cash, there would be hell to pay. Works the same in most, if not all land-based restaurants (in the US). At the end of the night, the waitstaff has to tip-out the bartender, busboys, etc.

Ignore, if you will, the laundry folks, kitchen staff, and other people you have no contact with, and think about the buffet servers, the busboys in the buffet, the folks handing out towels at the pool, the assistant to your room steward (they exist - I've seen them) and others that you may not even realize you've had contact with during the cruise.

Hope you have a lot of envelopes!