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new gratuities charges

davecttr

By davecttr,
in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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davecttr

davecttr

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Does anyone know how you remove the tips? I presume you go to reception but at the start or end of the cruise? Do they challenge you? I much prefer to give a good amount personally to my room steward and waiters and some of the drinks staff. Thanks. :o

drinks staff not included in the auto tip as apparently they get money according to the bar takings.

 

You go to reception and join the much to be longer queue.

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jeanlyon

jeanlyon

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It was easy on Fred O. We were undecided as to what to do, but made friends with a lady who had been with Fred a lot. She always removes autotips (which are more than P&O) and tips in cash. After 4 days, we did the same. Actually at the end of the cruise she put back her autotips as she had loads of OBC. There wasn't a problem, a form to sign and that was it.

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jenny wren

jenny wren

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We went to reception on the first day of our recent Oriana cruise and removed the tips...no problem whatsoever and the reception staff were very pleasant when asked...no queue either!!

 

In the end all the people on our table of eight removed tips and paid in cash direct to the waiting staff and they did say they actually prefer it that way....:)

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BrianI

BrianI

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Thanks for the help. Do I need to do it on the first day or does it not matter? Can they remove them if they've been charged to you daily? :)

The tips are not charged daily. They are put on your account as one lump sum at the start of your cruise.

Brian

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Host Sharon "Live from...." Rare

Host Sharon

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The main difference as I see it, by sticking with the auto tipping is that many unseen and other workers get a share that way too - such as the buffet and kitchen staff. Although I suspect that if you tip personally it still goes into the big pot anyway. £3.50 is pretty reasonable compared with US ships.

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smithy62

smithy62

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Brian is right, they are charged as a lump sum. As relative newbies it was only after week one we discovered we were able to this and there was no problem - a little form to fill in but then all charges (four of us) were removed. Personally I felt that I wanted to reward the people that had looked after us, specifically and we ended up spending more on tips than this added amount however it went to the people who had gone out of their way for us. I do feel a little guilty regarding the 'unseen' staff though and may not remove this again - just tip on top.

HTH

 

Sx

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jaydonny

jaydonny

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At least we have that choice to either give cash or use auto tips

 

When auto was recently introduced we gave it a go, apparently all the staff get to know that you auto tipp. and for us its just one thing less to sort out.

 

But for dinner we was on a table of eight and all the first time cruisers said they changed it to cash, so on the last night all but the two of us (two single cabins) gave the envelopes at first it did seem a little embarrassing but as yorkshire folk that soon went haha

 

Plus there are no gratuites added to drinks that makes a big difference too

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dsrdsrdsr

dsrdsrdsr

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The main difference as I see it, by sticking with the auto tipping is that many unseen and other workers get a share that way too - such as the buffet and kitchen staff. Although I suspect that if you tip personally it still goes into the big pot anyway. £3.50 is pretty reasonable compared with US ships.

Unless P&O are lying, tips to waiters go to waiters, tips to stewards go to stewards, and kitchen staff (one presumes) get paid more in compensation. Tips, by and large, are a way of rewarding people for good service. Not a crafty way of reducing the apparent price of the cruise, as American ships seem to use it. If a tip is shared out by all the staff, it's not a tip.

 

After all, why should the second sous-mushy peas chef lose out because the waiter is incompetent? Or the other way round, how on earth am I supposed to assess the value of all staff right down to the second sous-mushy peas chef and decide how much they're all worth?

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davecttr

davecttr

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the only logical way of handling this is to have the tips included in the headline price for the cruise, and not itemised so you can't get them removed.

 

If you have bad service complain, that is what the mangement procedures are for.

 

You like to tip personally, fine, continue to do so

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Sutho

Sutho

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In my opinion it is probably an increase to compensate for those having the charge removed. My last cruise was on Aurora for the Grand Event last July and the reception desk had a mountain of forms that passengers had filled out to remove them the entire cruise. When changing money I did ask how many people removed them and he pulled out a pile of forms for the morning only and said they expect more to be filled out requestiing them removed.

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bazzaw

bazzaw

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I think that you will find that ALL staff onboard these cruiseships (except those who have face to face contact with passengers) are on a fixed contract wage . This would include the deckhands, the entertainment staff as well as kitchen staff,etc.

 

There is no need to worry about the Mushy peas Chef's remuneration - or the tender boat Coxswain's.

 

In fact-- the MDR waiters "tip" certain people in the galley (money comes out of the waiter's received tips) eg the man who makes up the cheese platters - so that they ( the waiters) get good service from him.. It's a funny world.

 

Barry

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davecttr

davecttr

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passengers queue to get the autotips removed. the total take for the tip pool reduces. they increase the amount of the tip. more people queue to get the tips removed. the amount in the tips pool reduces............

 

The inevitable conclusion is only one passenger will pay the tips, the daily amount will be about £6000 plus depending on the size of the ship :eek::eek:

 

 

P&O need to make the tip mandatory ASAP

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cruisebore

cruisebore

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Or remove it altogether -- which P&O (and Princess) have done in the Australian market.

 

Barry

 

 

......and presumably include it in the upfront brochure price? ...much better IMHO than the present charade.

Any staff then receiving a tip will know that the giver appreciated their service rather than was expected to tip.

 

Cb

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Butterfly Dreams

Butterfly Dreams

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On our cruise in September, I asked reception who received the auto tips. Their response was only two people the cabin Steward and the senior waiter for your table. It is up to the senior waiter to pass some of his tips to his assistant waiter. No other crew members receive any of the auto tip.

 

We decided to remove the auto tips and tip in person. In the end we gave out a greater amount than we would have been charged, but were happy that the people who looked after us received a thank you from us. We will be doing this on our next cruise.

 

The process of removing the tips was very easy and we were not questioned or frowned upon by the reception staff. As previous posts suggest, many many passengers remove the auto tips.

Looking forward to our next cruise, only 7 weeks to wait :)

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