Tipping in addition to added gratuity

[paulista1950]

"I will just kid myself that these gratuities are a percentage of the total cost of the cruise and I don't look at it as being a tip"

So why no add it to the fare? Why has it to be the only thing separated from the total.

 

Would I work those exceedingly long hours for nothing??

Would you?

No, but what about the company paying for those long hours and add the $11/day to the fare?

 

"As far as I am concerned those gratuities make up a substantial and significant part of their income and it saddens me when we try to dodge paying this charge."

I NEVER opted out and I usually overtip in restaurants ashore, but the question remains: why nobody tip air-stewards or bus drivers?

[NeilT66]

"I will just kid myself that these gratuities are a percentage of the total cost of the cruise and I don't look at it as being a tip"

So why no add it to the fare? Why has it to be the only thing separated from the total.

 

...

 

I NEVER opted out and I usually overtip in restaurants ashore, but the question remains: why nobody tip air-stewards or bus drivers?

 

I suspect the reason this charge is not included is that it would classed as income and be subject to the company taxation if it was. By taking it separately and passing it directly to the staff the tax liability goes to those staff.

 

Tipping is a strange thing. It mostly occurs in the hospitality industry, but also odd places such as taxi or coach travel. I suspect the criterion is that the service must be perceived as personal, hence you wouldn't think of tipping the train driver or the airline pilot.

 

As for those who loudly proclaim they over tip - that to me is bragging and doesn't impress me one jot. I tip appropriately when I feel I've received excellent service, above and beyond what I should expect at the cost I have paid for the service. Why else would I?

 

Neil

[fantasy51]

I have just returned from a cruise and have only read the last 2 pages, so please excuse me if I repeat things that have already been said.

 

On either this thread or a previous one, someone wrote that if you do not pay the auto-tip, then anything you give to your room steward (or anyone else) goes into a general pot. It is only if you have paid the full amount that any cash can be kept by the steward. I asked my room steward about this and he confirmed it.

He thanked me for the money I'd left in my room in an envelope.

'You do know, don't you, that I've paid the full gratuities?'

'Yes, Ma'am.'

I then asked if I was correct that any money given goes in a general pot if I hadn't paid it.

'Yes, Ma'am.'

 

I am horrified by the amount of people who don't pay the gratuities but think it's enough just to pay a few people. Often the amount they give is even less than the room steward would receive from me by the time he got his percentage of the gratuities plus the little bit extra I give him.

 

By the way, I was told by a previous room steward that his take out of that $11 per day was $1.90. I don't know what the amount is now.

[paulista1950]

"I suspect the reason this charge is not included is that it would classed as income and be subject to the company taxation if it was. By taking it separately and passing it directly to the staff the tax liability goes to those staff. "

Sounds reasonable to me.

 

"Tipping is a strange thing. It mostly occurs in the hospitality industry, but also odd places such as taxi or coach travel. I suspect the criterion is that the service must be perceived as personal, hence you wouldn't think of tipping the train driver or the airline pilot."

Not entirely true. A waiter waits on many customers, the same as a flight attendant or a tour guide. Truth is the rules are arbitrary and make no sense whatsoever, hence each country has its owns

 

"As for those who loudly proclaim they over tip - that to me is bragging and doesn't impress me one jot."

I didn't mean to impress anybody just stating a fact, but I must add that I overtip only when I'm abroad (see below)

"I tip appropriately when I feel I've received excellent service, above and beyond what I should expect at the cost I have paid for the service. Why else would I?"

I can't answer that, perhaps to be sure that I'm not stiffing since I'm not 100% sure about the rules. ;)

[Whitemarsh]

I suspect the reason this charge is not included is that it would classed as income and be subject to the company taxation if it was. By taking it separately and passing it directly to the staff the tax liability goes to those staff.

 

Tipping is a strange thing. It mostly occurs in the hospitality industry, but also odd places such as taxi or coach travel. I suspect the criterion is that the service must be perceived as personal, hence you wouldn't think of tipping the train driver or the airline pilot.

 

As for those who loudly proclaim they over tip - that to me is bragging and doesn't impress me one jot. I tip appropriately when I feel I've received excellent service, above and beyond what I should expect at the cost I have paid for the service. Why else would I?

 

Neil

 

You think people are interested in impressing you? That to me is bragging.... :D

[keithm]

Hi Neil. Just a couple of points:

 

The Hotel & Dining charge is $11.50 per day per person, not $11.

 

I think you will find that the majority of posts agree with your position: leave the H&D charge in place and tip additional where warranted. If you are embarassed by tipping, don't tip. I don't think anyone wants you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.

 

BTW, wages in the United States have nothing to do with the wages paid on Cunard. Tipping customs vary across the globe. Happily, while on board we are only dealing with that one place in time.

 

As to the history of tipping:

"The word "tip" started to be commonly used for a gratuity around the 1700s in England, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, although Cornell University professor Michael Lind found evidence of a craftsman asking a customer for trinkgeld or "drink money" in German, for an apprentice dating back to 1509, so the practice emerged before its current name.." copied from http://culinarytravel.about.com/od/planningculinarytravel/qt/History_of_Tipping.htm

 

Regards,

-S.

I always remember the word tip.."To Insure Promptness".

[keithm]

You think people are interested in impressing you? That to me is bragging.... :D

Being in the service industry we always preferred tips in cash. A very simple reason for this..It's harder for the 'ole tax man to figure it out! Some will hate me for that, but with so many slackers out there, I don't care to see my money going to support them! A prime example here in the US(and in Canada) are these "homeless" bums who hang out at road intersections bridges, etc. They have these signs showing how poor they are & "anything" helps. Give them a can of food(I've done this)& watch them refuse it. We had a guy behind our kitchen begging. We offered to fix him a meal. No! he wanted a $20! To many Onslows in this world, expecting the rest to care for their lazy butts.

[Cruachan]

I always remember the word tip.."To Insure Promptness".

 

I've also heard that explanation for the word. However, like many backronyms, it's somewhat improbable. For a start "insure" is incorrect usage - the correct word would be "ensure". But, even more importantly, as a tip is awarded after the service for which it is given has already taken place, it couldn't ensure anything.

 

J

[MsDeva]

You think people are interested in impressing you? That to me is bragging.... :D

 

Now why should anyone need to brag? Or indeed be interested in impressing one.

One pays one's money and takes one's choice, whatever cruise line one selects.

Would one tip less on any of the package cruises....such as Thomson....of course not. The name Cunard appears to ring tipping bells of the highest degree.

DH and l always left the auto tip in place, then always tipped extra according to service received, even though at times we were reluctant to do so as the Cunard service fell down on many an occasion.

For that reason, we no longer travel with Cunard or indeed any other cruise line.

 

Best, Judy

[Salacia]

]Now why should anyone need to brag?[/color] Or indeed be interested in impressing one.

One pays one's money and takes one's choice' date=' whatever cruise line one selects.

Would one tip less on any of the package cruises....such as Thomson....of course not. The name Cunard appears to ring tipping bells of the highest degree.

DH and l always left the auto tip in place, then always tipped extra according to service received, even though at times we were reluctant to do so as the Cunard service fell down on many an occasion.

For that reason, we no longer travel with Cunard or indeed any other cruise line.

 

Best, Judy

 

From what I've read, people have a need to brag for various reasons. I suppose there are also reasons why people post on cruise line forums despite their having no intention of ever taking another cruise again. Life is a mystery. :) Cheers, S.

[pepperrn]

I suppose there are also reasons why people post on cruise line forums despite their having no intention of ever taking another cruise again.

Hi Salacia,

I would hope that if I ever stopped taking cruises, either by choice, because of severe illness, or lack of money, that I would still want to post on this board and pass on my memories and experiences from the past. Either to try and assist someone new to cruising with Cunard, or to tell them how it used to be... :) :eek: :)

What I don't understand are those with very firm opinions and ideas, who inform, lecture & pass on their wisdom, without ever having boarded a Cunard vessel (and in some cases, any cruise-ship at all), and therefore with no relevant experience whatsoever. I occasionally get the impression that these "arm-chair" sailors will never make a booking on any ship.

They are the mystery, IMHO. :)

All best wishes.

[Cruachan]

...What I don't understand are those with very firm opinions and ideas, who inform, lecture & pass on their wisdom, without ever having boarded a Cunard vessel (and in some cases, any cruise-ship at all), and therefore with no relevant experience whatsoever. I occasionally get the impression that these "arm-chair" sailors will never make a booking on any ship.

They are the mystery, IMHO. :)

All best wishes.

 

Couldn't agree more. See also my post about those who feel that they are qualified to denegrate the appearance of "ugly" ships without ever having set foot on a vessel larger than the Gosport Ferry.

 

J

[Salacia]

Hi Salacia,

I would hope that if I ever stopped taking cruises, either by choice, because of severe illness, or lack of money, that I would still want to post on this board and pass on my memories and experiences from the past. Either to try and assist someone new to cruising with Cunard, or to tell them how it used to be... :) :eek: :)

What I don't understand are those with very firm opinions and ideas, who inform, lecture & pass on their wisdom, without ever having boarded a Cunard vessel (and in some cases, any cruise-ship at all), and therefore with no relevant experience whatsoever. I occasionally get the impression that these "arm-chair" sailors will never make a booking on any ship.

They are the mystery, IMHO. :)

All best wishes.

 

Hi Pepperrn. I agree with you. And I certainly hope we all have many years of happy voyages in our future. As you indicated, continuing to post on this board to pass on memories and experienes from the past even after we've taken our last voyage is a good thing. But in those rare cases when it turns into barrage of negativity for the present, well, that's not very constructive in my opinion.

 

Frankly, most of life is a mystery to me...all I know is that people have reasons for doing the things they do as I wrote earlier. I'm just too dumb and distinterested to figure out what those reasons are --most of the time, it's none of my business anyway :)

 

Regards,

Salacia

[Whitemarsh]

Hi Pepperrn. I agree with you. And I certainly hope we all have many years of happy voyages in our future. As you indicated, continuing to post on this board to pass on memories and experienes from the past even after we've taken our last voyage is a good thing. But in those rare cases when it turns into barrage of negativity for the present, well, that's not very constructive in my opinion.

 

Frankly, most of life is a mystery to me...all I know is that people have reasons for doing the things they do as I wrote earlier. I'm just too dumb and distinterested to figure out what those reasons are --most of the time, it's none of my business anyway :)

 

Regards,

Salacia

 

Agreed, we can't go back in time to when it was 'allegedly' better, so what purpose does it serve?

[MsDeva]

From what I've read, people have a need to brag for various reasons. I suppose there are also reasons why people post on cruise line forums despite their having no intention of ever taking another cruise again. Life is a mystery. :) Cheers, S.

 

Life is indeed a mystery and ignorance is also bliss, but what do l know.

 

Best, Judy

[MsDeva]

Hi Salacia,

I would hope that if I ever stopped taking cruises, either by choice, because of severe illness, or lack of money, that I would still want to post on this board and pass on my memories and experiences from the past. Either to try and assist someone new to cruising with Cunard, or to tell them how it used to be... :) :eek: :)

What I don't understand are those with very firm opinions and ideas, who inform, lecture & pass on their wisdom, without ever having boarded a Cunard vessel (and in some cases, any cruise-ship at all), and therefore with no relevant experience whatsoever. I occasionally get the impression that these "arm-chair" sailors will never make a booking on any ship.

They are the mystery, IMHO. :)

All best wishes.

 

Hello Pepperrn, Very well said. We all have our memories and experiences to share and quite freely do so to help and assist the new wave of passengers that wish to sail Cunard in this day and age.

 

Having sailed with Cunard since the late fifties and early sixties on many of their wonderful vessels and indeed in the days when we then enjoyed the true White Star Service l sometimes find it very difficult to adjust to the current mode on this board with all the bickering et al and also those contributors who appear to 'know it all'.

 

Guess l am getting well past my sell by date!! -:)

QM2 is indeed a lovely ship and l do sincerely hope many folk to come have a very enjoyable voyage on her.

 

Best, Judy

[pmb1]

... Guess l am getting well past my sell by date!! -:)

QM2 is indeed a lovely ship and l do sincerely hope many folk to come have a very enjoyable voyage on her. ...

Happily for everyone, QM2's "sail by" date is decades in the future.

[Salacia]

Life is indeed a mystery and ignorance is also bliss, but what do l know.

 

Best, Judy

 

That must explain why I'm such a happy person! :D

[westlocust]

Lexically speaking of course you are perfectly correct. I was using it in a much less rigid connotation to mean the left hand side, or the other side. I could perhaps have referred to 'the side sinister' but maybe I should have just said what I meant in the first place and written 'the American side'.

Gab

 

 

I'm an American. I understood exactly what you meant.......exactly.

[MsDeva]

Happily for everyone, QM2's "sail by" date is decades in the future.

 

Absolutely agree with you and for long may she reign as the only true ocean liner we have.

 

Best

Judy

[Salacia]

I have just returned from a cruise and have only read the last 2 pages, so please excuse me if I repeat things that have already been said.

 

On either this thread or a previous one, someone wrote that if you do not pay the auto-tip, then anything you give to your room steward (or anyone else) goes into a general pot. It is only if you have paid the full amount that any cash can be kept by the steward. I asked my room steward about this and he confirmed it.

He thanked me for the money I'd left in my room in an envelope.

'You do know, don't you, that I've paid the full gratuities?'

'Yes, Ma'am.'

I then asked if I was correct that any money given goes in a general pot if I hadn't paid it.

'Yes, Ma'am.'

 

I am horrified by the amount of people who don't pay the gratuities but think it's enough just to pay a few people. Often the amount they give is even less than the room steward would receive from me by the time he got his percentage of the gratuities plus the little bit extra I give him.

 

By the way, I was told by a previous room steward that his take out of that $11 per day was $1.90. I don't know what the amount is now.

 

 

Hi fantasy51. Thanks for your post.

 

Question for all: Please, what is your experince with the booking benefit of "pre-paid gratuties"? Does this show on your folio statement? It might sound silly, but I really wouldn't want the staff to think I "stiffed" them by removing the auto H&D charge, or that any added gratuity given to the cabin steward or servers for service over and above not theirs to do with what they wished. Thank you. -S.

[Fifer]

Whilst not specifically related to cruising, here - http://today.yougov.com/news/2013/04/23/us-uk-tipping-guide/ - is some research into tipping from a respected polling organisation. It may help to illustrate how different practice is on the two sides of the pond. No insights into other nationalities, I'm afraid.

[seasidegal]

Hi fantasy51. Thanks for your post.

 

Question for all: Please, what is your experince with the booking benefit of "pre-paid gratuties"? Does this show on your folio statement? It might sound silly, but I really wouldn't want the staff to think I "stiffed" them by removing the auto H&D charge, or that any added gratuity given to the cabin steward or servers for service over and above not theirs to do with what they wished. Thank you. -S.

 

 

On the QE in March/April, I asked at the purser's desk about how the tips are handled due to wanting to understanding what would be better for the crew. I was told that the daily $11.50 is shared between Housekeeping Services and Food Services. Food services get 60 percent and housekeeping get 40 percent. Those that work in food services (waiters and kitchen staff are given a percentage of what they will receive from the 60 percent. (i.e. dishwashers get 1 percent..think I'm remembering that correctly:confused:, etc.) Hotel staff also get a percentage of the 40 percent housekeeping (laundry, etc.) In othe words: There are hundreds of hard working people we will never see but who also benefit from the gratuties.

 

I also asked if staff know if tips have been pre-paid since we are not given a card to hand to them as on other lines. I was told they know if tips have been paid. I asked if I tip a waiter/room steward above the pre-paid gratuties if they are allowed to personally keep that tip. The reply was yes.

 

I also asked this question on QM2 when we sailed on April 26th and the answer was the same.

 

Personally, I really don't understand what difference it makes to my pocketbook if the gratuties are added up front to the cruise price or on my

folio statement on board it all comes from the same pocketbook just at different times, however, I do feel that the cruise companies do this so as to present a lower selling price for a cruise. What I do object to is their stance that 'you can remove' the gratuties. If the gratuties were added into the price of the sailing there would be no removal offered and the staff would not suffer.

 

I think the Cruise Companies need to be braver (if they are not going to add this to their cruise prices) and remove the ability to opt out of the pre-paid gratuties as they are harming the very people who work so hard in making their company a success.

 

I give cards out since Cunard doesn't give anything to hand out (and RCCL has now taken away their card and given you an empty envelope to hand out :eek:) and present the cards to the waiters/room steward thanking them for making our trip so enjoyable and if I add additional I say it is additional above the pre-paid tips so they know it is for them personally.

 

"Please, what is your experince with the booking benefit of "pre-paid gratuties"? Does this show on your folio statement"

 

Yes it does. It appeared, I believe, on the first or second day, but I will check that when I unpack that bag :rolleyes:

 

best regards,

seasidegal

 

glojo: your post #100 was spot on. :o

[Scrapnana]

Whilst not specifically related to cruising, here - http://today.yougov.com/news/2013/04/23/us-uk-tipping-guide/ - is some research into tipping from a respected polling organisation. It may help to illustrate how different practice is on the two sides of the pond. No insights into other nationalities, I'm afraid.

 

Thanks for posting this. It's very interesting to see how each of the variables influence the final tip.

[Salacia]

On the QE in March/April, I asked at the purser's desk about how the tips are handled due to wanting to understanding what would be better for the crew. I was told that the daily $11.50 is shared between Housekeeping Services and Food Services. Food services get 60 percent and housekeeping get 40 percent. Those that work in food services (waiters and kitchen staff are given a percentage of what they will receive from the 60 percent. (i.e. dishwashers get 1 percent..think I'm remembering that correctly:confused:, etc.) Hotel staff also get a percentage of the 40 percent housekeeping (laundry, etc.) In othe words: There are hundreds of hard working people we will never see but who also benefit from the gratuties.

 

I also asked if staff know if tips have been pre-paid since we are not given a card to hand to them as on other lines. I was told they know if tips have been paid. I asked if I tip a waiter/room steward above the pre-paid gratuties if they are allowed to personally keep that tip. The reply was yes.

 

I also asked this question on QM2 when we sailed on April 26th and the answer was the same.

 

Personally, I really don't understand what difference it makes to my pocketbook if the gratuties are added up front to the cruise price or on my

folio statement on board it all comes from the same pocketbook just at different times, however, I do feel that the cruise companies do this so as to present a lower selling price for a cruise. What I do object to is their stance that 'you can remove' the gratuties. If the gratuties were added into the price of the sailing there would be no removal offered and the staff would not suffer.

 

I think the Cruise Companies need to be braver (if they are not going to add this to their cruise prices) and remove the ability to opt out of the pre-paid gratuties as they are harming the very people who work so hard in making their company a success.

 

I give cards out since Cunard doesn't give anything to hand out (and RCCL has now taken away their card and given you an empty envelope to hand out :eek:) and present the cards to the waiters/room steward thanking them for making our trip so enjoyable and if I add additional I say it is additional above the pre-paid tips so they know it is for them personally.

 

 

 

Yes it does. It appeared, I believe, on the first or second day, but I will check that when I unpack that bag :rolleyes:

 

best regards,

seasidegal

 

glojo: your post #100 was spot on. :o

 

seasidegal, thank you very much for your detailed response. Since my next QM2 voyage will be my first experience with "pre-paid gratuties", I was concerned about how the system worked. Again, thank you very much for your response. Regards, -S.