Tipping?

[GandM-nq]

With the Celebrity ships coming over to this Region for the season, i.e. Solstice and Millenium, it will be interesting to see the attitude of wait/cabin staff towards the end of the season as most of know that more than a few Aussies will not be tipping either by auto tip or personally.

 

This reminds me of a letter regards tipping that someone happened upon (and took a photo of), whilst onboard a Carnival USA ship.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1180762/Outrage-cruise-passengers-dont-tip-revealed-staff.html

 

Not saying this is common practice or that it has ever happened on Celebrity....

[tillydog]

If you dont like the tipping thing, dont cruise on lines that still have it. Having said that, I dont understand the need to tip for everything all the time as in the USA. But hubby and I are cruising again with Royal Caribbean, and we accept that they they have the tipping system in place. We just pre-pay them and then dont have to worry about it.

[NSWP]

This reminds me of a letter regards tipping that someone happened upon (and took a photo of), whilst onboard a Carnival USA ship.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1180762/Outrage-cruise-passengers-dont-tip-revealed-staff.html

 

Not saying this is common practice or that it has ever happened on Celebrity....

Relevant staff on Princess ships are made aware of those reducing or taking off their auto tips, why? Because then they are required to hand in cash tip's to the gratuity pool. Failure to do so..dismissal. I have no doubt a similar practice exists on most cruise lines.

[Mikey22]

Relevant staff on Princess ships are made aware of those reducing or taking off their auto tips, why? Because then they are required to hand in cash tip's to the gratuity pool. Failure to do so..dismissal. I have no doubt a similar practice exists on most cruise lines.

 

I have heard this theory again and again.

It seems so implausible to me.

When I have tipped staff, its been slight of hand by the recipient to the point they could be Magicians.

Are there Cameras in the Staterooms? I tip my Steward in our room, why would he hand it in.

Of all of the Cruise Ship bull**** I believe this theory the least.

[Aus Traveller]

I have heard this theory again and again.

It seems so implausible to me.

When I have tipped staff, its been slight of hand by the recipient to the point they could be Magicians.

Are there Cameras in the Staterooms? I tip my Steward in our room, why would he hand it in.

Of all of the Cruise Ship bull**** I believe this theory the least.

I wouldn't put it so bluntly, but I agree with you.

 

When the auto-tip still applied on Australian cruises, I asked one of our waiters if they had to hand it in. She said "Only if someone sees". Another waiter said that they used to (have to hand it in), but with the new Manager, they didn't have to.

[NSWP]

I have heard this theory again and again.

It seems so implausible to me.

When I have tipped staff, its been slight of hand by the recipient to the point they could be Magicians.

Are there Cameras in the Staterooms? I tip my Steward in our room, why would he hand it in.

Of all of the Cruise Ship bull**** I believe this theory the least.

Depends on their integrity and conscience. They are 'dudding' their workmates if they don't hand it in to the gratuity pool.

[thied]

we do not tip

[NSWP]

we do not tip

You don't tip? Oh dear.

 

I could not sleep at night if I did not tip all those nice staff on the ships, they deserve it.

[GandM-nq]

Depends on their integrity and conscience. They are 'dudding' their workmates if they don't hand it in to the gratuity pool.

 

Why are they 'dudding' their workmates? Their workmates did not provide the good service to which the tips were given in acknowledgement and appreciation of that service. If I tipped individually, I would expect that the monies given to a particular person who provided that good service, are for them ONLY.

[NSWP]

Why are they 'dudding' their workmates? Their workmates did not provide the good service to which the tips were given in acknowledgement and appreciation of that service. If I tipped individually, I would expect that the monies given to a particular person who provided that good service, are for them ONLY.

The laundry people, the dishwashers, the buffet staff, the galley staff, all get a cut of the gratuity pool. They all in some way serve the pax, not just your cabin steward and MDR waiter/assistant water. So if you give money direct to the latter two whilst knocking out your auto tips, the others have their wages reduced because there is less in the gratuity pool.

 

This is the best way I can address the issue. For further clarification you could go over to the Princess, HAL, RCI, Celebrity boards, the Americans on there love discussing tipping and why one should not take their auto tips off. In fact many of them increase the auto tip and still give cash personally to service staff around the ship. I think that is a bit extreme.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

we do not tip

 

 

That's disappointing to read your post Thied.

I know you cruise a lot and in Suites with crew who I am sure look after you and your family very well.

Surely you must have a little extra in your pocket to leave for the good service you receive.

Jilly:)

[NSWP]

That's disappointing to read your post Thied.

I know you cruise a lot and in Suites with crew who I am sure look after you and your family very well.

Surely you must have a little extra in your pocket to leave for the good service you receive.

Jilly:)

Yes sad it is, perhaps that is why our Thied can book suites and us mere mortals who tip stay in Obstructed View cabins or Insides. Sad indeed.

 

I have a conscience.

[Mikey22]

Depends on their integrity and conscience. They are 'dudding' their workmates if they don't hand it in to the gratuity pool.

 

I am not having a go at you Les. I apologise if it came across that way.

Just the whole tipping scenario gives me the xxxxs.

We have been on P&O, Princess and P&O UK, we always tip our Cabin steward and our Dinning room staff what we think is fair, around $250-$300 between them for a 7 night Cruise.

 

Often we have struck up a conversation with the people that look after us, as many do.

Two things that stick in my head.

One Cabin Steward on P&O oz when I asked did he prefer the old auto tips or the current system was adamant he never saw a cent from the auto tip system.

Another Steward pulled me up and demanded I paid him directly and whatever I do please do not hand a tip into the Pursers desk as he would not get anything.

 

I would imagine a trust system where staff handed in tips would have a crew almost fighting in the public areas as to whether they were holding out or handing in tips.

 

I am only young, but I would believe in the Tooth Fairy first.

 

Regards,

 

Mikey

[Sutho]

Just briefly above what you mention about being young, I find the youger people are the more trouble they have accepting tipping or understanding what it is. I am only 31 and I honestly never heard of tipping till I was 20. All these tv shows from America right in front of me where it had people tipping I had no idea what it was for. Just like crocodile dundee scene "do you have to pay for the room in advance". My cousin did a two year working holiday in England back in 2010. She is 1 year younger than me and when she left she was 28 and did not even know what tipping was at that age. She grew up in Newcastle and Grafton. She was so against tipping that where she started work as a beauty therapist she felt uncomfortable taking tips and refused them or handed them over to the boss. That is how uncomfortable it made her. She became qualified in that line of work the year she left for England. She is back now. Hates the tipping situation. Refuses to work in Sydney and prefers honest wages here in Newcastle.

[bazzaw]

Just briefly above what you mention about being young, I find the youger people are the more trouble they have accepting tipping or understanding what it is. I am only 31 and I honestly never heard of tipping till I was 20. All these tv shows from America right in front of me where it had people tipping I had no idea what it was for. Just like crocodile dundee scene "do you have to pay for the room in advance". My cousin did a two year working holiday in England back in 2010. She is 1 year younger than me and when she left she was 28 and did not even know what tipping was at that age. She grew up in Newcastle and Grafton. She was so against tipping that where she started work as a beauty therapist she felt uncomfortable taking tips and refused them or handed them over to the boss. That is how uncomfortable it made her. She became qualified in that line of work the year she left for England. She is back now. Hates the tipping situation. Refuses to work in Sydney and prefers honest wages here in Newcastle.

 

I think you are right Sutho -- any Aussie who has never travelled overseas (or been on a cruise) would not have really thought much about the concept of "tipping" at all. It is essentially alien to Aussie culture.

 

What I don't understand about this (largely) American practice - is why do they tip some people and not others. eg they will tip a bartender for serving them a beer, but would not tip a Postal worker who gives them a service in a Post Office.

 

Barry

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Just briefly above what you mention about being young, I find the youger people are the more trouble they have accepting tipping or understanding what it is. I am only 31 and I honestly never heard of tipping till I was 20. All these tv shows from America right in front of me where it had people tipping I had no idea what it was for. Just like crocodile dundee scene "do you have to pay for the room in advance". My cousin did a two year working holiday in England back in 2010. She is 1 year younger than me and when she left she was 28 and did not even know what tipping was at that age. She grew up in Newcastle and Grafton. She was so against tipping that where she started work as a beauty therapist she felt uncomfortable taking tips and refused them or handed them over to the boss. That is how uncomfortable it made her. She became qualified in that line of work the year she left for England. She is back now. Hates the tipping situation. Refuses to work in Sydney and prefers honest wages here in Newcastle.

 

 

In a nutshell Sutho are you saying that Newcastle does not have tipping?:confused:

Don't quite understand what you mean by 'honest' wages in Newcastle?

 

Jilly:)

[NSWP]

I am not having a go at you Les. I apologise if it came across that way.

Just the whole tipping scenario gives me the xxxxs.

We have been on P&O, Princess and P&O UK, we always tip our Cabin steward and our Dinning room staff what we think is fair, around $250-$300 between them for a 7 night Cruise.

 

Often we have struck up a conversation with the people that look after us, as many do.

Two things that stick in my head.

One Cabin Steward on P&O oz when I asked did he prefer the old auto tips or the current system was adamant he never saw a cent from the auto tip system.

Another Steward pulled me up and demanded I paid him directly and whatever I do please do not hand a tip into the Pursers desk as he would not get anything.

 

I would imagine a trust system where staff handed in tips would have a crew almost fighting in the public areas as to whether they were holding out or handing in tips.

 

I am only young, but I would believe in the Tooth Fairy first.

 

Regards,

 

Mikey

Mikey, no worries with your reply at all. The whole tipping issue on the ships, whatever the line, is messy. I just do what I want to do, however I do not reward poor service.

 

I just wish all the cruise lines would put the auto tips into the cruise price, perhaps 'concealed somewhere in the cruise fare' like P&O Australia and the 3 Princess ships operating from here, Sun,Dawn and Sea Princess.

[Sutho]

In a nutshell Sutho are you saying that Newcastle does not have tipping?:confused:

Don't quite understand what you mean by 'honest' wages in Newcastle?

 

Jilly:)

 

From what little my cousin has told me she is happier working here in Newcastle as a beauty therapist rather than in Sydney. She said she gets paid a salary here based on the minimum wages/penalties set out in government guidelines. She did not go too much into it but said in Sydney she was not offered decent salary pay or hourly rates. That is all I know. I am not her and cant comment further. She lived in Sydney for close to a year after she got back from England and is now living in Newcaslte again. I just found her comments as a good example that young Australians have no idea of what tipping is.

 

As for all inclusive fares. I am all for that. I have no problem pre paying the gratuities as part of my upcoming Celebrity fare. All lines should do it that way.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

From what little my cousin has told me she is happier working here in Newcastle as a beauty therapist rather than in Sydney. She said she gets paid a salary here based on the minimum wages/penalties set out in government guidelines. She did not go too much into it but said in Sydney she was not offered decent salary pay or hourly rates. That is all I know. I am not her and cant comment further. She lived in Sydney for close to a year after she got back from England and is now living in Newcaslte again. I just found her comments as a good example that young Australians have no idea of what tipping is.

 

As for all inclusive fares. I am all for that. I have no problem pre paying the gratuities as part of my upcoming Celebrity fare. All lines should do it that way.

 

Celebrity Cruises only do that if you have booked 'Celebrity Select dining' if I recall is what they call it.

 

Jilly:)

[NSWP]

Celebrity Cruises only do that if you have booked 'Celebrity Select dining' if I recall is what they call it.

 

Jilly:)

Is it called 'Celebrity Select Dining on Celebrity Cruises? Yes, you have to pre pay gratuities and I believe non negotiable if you choose that.

 

We are MDR traditional diners, on Solstice on March 4, second sitting @ 8.30pm. Better for me, so as I can pre order my gluten free choices from the menu the previous night from the waiter.

[Aus Traveller]

The laundry people, the dishwashers, the buffet staff, the galley staff, all get a cut of the gratuity pool. They all in some way serve the pax, not just your cabin steward and MDR waiter/assistant water. So if you give money direct to the latter two whilst knocking out your auto tips, the others have their wages reduced because there is less in the gratuity pool.

 

This is the best way I can address the issue. For further clarification you could go over to the Princess, HAL, RCI, Celebrity boards, the Americans on there love discussing tipping and why one should not take their auto tips off. In fact many of them increase the auto tip and still give cash personally to service staff around the ship. I think that is a bit extreme.

The excuse that passengers should leave the auto-tip on so the behind-the-scenes people get their tips is incorrect. The laundry people, the dishwashers and the galley staff are not part of the gratuity pool. Neither are the officers or cruise staff. The tips pool is only for the cabin stewards, the dining room waiters/head waiters/maitre d', the buffet waiters and the bar staff.

 

This is not just my opinion. One on of our cruises a couple of years ago, the Cruise Director printed in the Pacific Daily exactly where the tip went and who got what. I believe the situation would be the same on Princess cruises.

[cassamanda]

The excuse that passengers should leave the auto-tip on so the behind-the-scenes people get their tips is incorrect. The laundry people, the dishwashers and the galley staff are not part of the gratuity pool. Neither are the officers or cruise staff. The tips pool is only for the cabin stewards, the dining room waiters/head waiters/maitre d', the buffet waiters and the bar staff.

 

This is not just my opinion. One on of our cruises a couple of years ago, the Cruise Director printed in the Pacific Daily exactly where the tip went and who got what. I believe the situation would be the same on Princess cruises.

You are absolutely correct. RCL is the same. Captain of the Radiance explained that to us back in March. There are different pay categories for behind the scenes staff.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Is it called 'Celebrity Select Dining on Celebrity Cruises? Yes, you have to pre pay gratuities and I believe non negotiable if you choose that.

 

We are MDR traditional diners, on Solstice on March 4, second sitting @ 8.30pm. Better for me, so as I can pre order my gluten free choices from the menu the previous night from the waiter.

 

 

That's right I've always known it as 'My Time dining' on all the Celebrity cruises we've done, however, today I received an email where they referred to it as 'Celebrity Select Dining'. I wonder if that because of the 'Solsticefication' that has been happening across their fleet?

 

Yes, 8.30pm second dining is also our preferred dining if we're not doing 'My Time'.

 

Jilly:)

[The_Big_M]

Celebrity Cruises only do that if you have booked 'Celebrity Select dining' if I recall is what they call it.

 

Jilly:)

 

No, you can pay tips upfront (all inclusive) for any type of dining. It's just with that option it's compulsory to be paid upfront.

[robinph]

The excuse that passengers should leave the auto-tip on so the behind-the-scenes people get their tips is incorrect. The laundry people, the dishwashers and the galley staff are not part of the gratuity pool. Neither are the officers or cruise staff. The tips pool is only for the cabin stewards, the dining room waiters/head waiters/maitre d', the buffet waiters and the bar staff.

 

This is not just my opinion. One on of our cruises a couple of years ago, the Cruise Director printed in the Pacific Daily exactly where the tip went and who got what. I believe the situation would be the same on Princess cruises.

 

Yes Aus Traveller, this is what I have heard to be correct also, they are on completley different wage structures, and the gratuities are not shared, as for tips given to individuals, any that we have asked have said that they are allowed to keep it for themselves. Robin:)