new gratuities charges

[winniesbestm8]

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.

 

I often wonder if it is best to keep auto tip on as people forget about the staff in the background and they work just as hard, do they actually receive the auto tip?

[bazzaw]

......and presumably include it in the upfront brochure price?

 

Well-- yes, that could happen in theory. But here in Aussie, it has not been found to be happening in practice. If anything, since this new policy was announced, cruisefares have COME DOWN!!:eek: - due to much increased competition in the market.

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

I often wonder if it is best to keep auto tip on as people forget about the staff in the background and they work just as hard, do they actually receive the auto tip?

 

The "staff in the background" ie ones that do not have contact with passengers are all on fixed wage contracts. Has anybody who has done a galley tour noticed how happy the kitchen staff appear to be?? Has anybody noticed how busy the deck staff keep themselves and they also seem quite contented.( I met one English deckhand who had been with P&O for something like 30 years)

 

Barry

[alvin moondust]

Why not scrap tipping all together, it used to be a reward for exceptional service, now its just a tax

[NSWP]

check the P&O website

The daily gratuites charge is increasing to £3.50 per day from 28 March!

Still very cheap, compared to the American Lines. I think we paid £3.25 per person on Arcadia, March/April last year - Sydney to Southampton. No problem with that. At that time it was the 'suggested tip.' Not put on your account, but now it is.

[Britboys]

The P&O charges are very reasonable imho. I don't think the mainstream lines in the US or Europe will ever add them on to the base cost as they always want to market at the lowest possible price.

 

For anyone reading this that has not cruised with P&O,let me assure you that the reception desk does not have a permanent queue for tip removal - or any other reason :). It has busy times of course but you can often walk straight up!

[Sutho]

I still think hardly anyone pays tips. All we get on here is spin from people trying to "big note" themselves in the typical social climbing manner.

 

Seriously when you come on these boards and see comments like

• cheapest deals
  
• cancel and rebook for better price
  
• cheapest hotels
  
• lets book private shore excursions
  
• BYO wine, spirits and beer onboard
  
• is the shuttle free
  
• share a cab
  
• how much is it from a certain airport to the ship
  

All I see is constnatly how cheap people want to make a cruise. It says to me that people who cruise are cheap and cheap people DO NOT TIP. Come on seriously something is wrong here. With all the above comments on how to reduce prices and get things cheap do you honestly think people make the above comments and then go out and generously reward people with exhorbitant tips????

 

In my opinion the tips on P&O were introduced and now the price increased is:

1. Because no one paid them
   
2. Because too many passengers had the auto deductions removed.
   

[davecttr]

I still think hardly anyone pays tips. All we get on here is spin from people trying to "big note" themselves in the typical social climbing manner.

 

 

Seriously when you come on these boards and see comments like

• cheapest deals
  
• cancel and rebook for better price
  
• cheapest hotels
  
• lets book private shore excursions
  
• BYO wine, spirits and beer onboard
  
• is the shuttle free
  
• share a cab
  
• how much is it from a certain airport to the ship
  

All I see is constnatly how cheap people want to make a cruise. It says to me that people who cruise are cheap and cheap people DO NOT TIP. Come on seriously something is wrong here. With all the above comments on how to reduce prices and get things cheap do you honestly think people make the above comments and then go out and generously reward people with exhorbitant tips????

 

 

In my opinion the tips on P&O were introduced and now the price increased is:

1. Because no one paid them
   
2. Because too many passengers had the auto deductions removed.
   

 

I must agree there may be some truth in this. Maybe not enough paid them and now an increasing number are getting them removed.

[cruisebore]

I still think hardly anyone pays tips. All we get on here is spin from people trying to "big note" themselves in the typical social climbing manner.

 

Seriously when you come on these boards and see comments like

• cheapest deals
  
• cancel and rebook for better price
  
• cheapest hotels
  
• lets book private shore excursions
  
• BYO wine, spirits and beer onboard
  
• is the shuttle free
  
• share a cab
  
• how much is it from a certain airport to the ship
  

All I see is constnatly how cheap people want to make a cruise. It says to me that people who cruise are cheap and cheap people DO NOT TIP. Come on seriously something is wrong here. With all the above comments on how to reduce prices and get things cheap do you honestly think people make the above comments and then go out and generously reward people with exhorbitant tips????

 

In my opinion the tips on P&O were introduced and now the price increased is:

1. Because no one paid them
   
2. Because too many passengers had the auto deductions removed.
   

 

The attributes you describe above are not the preserve of those with the least money, who in my experience tend to be the most generous. However, to people who earn only £100 a day the rate of tips expected can be quite challenging. Include them in the upfront price. It is unfair if as you infer, tips are being increased to compensate for those who do not tip.

 

Cb

[Pennbank]

I still think hardly anyone pays tips. All we get on here is spin from people trying to "big note" themselves in the typical social climbing manner.

 

Seriously when you come on these boards and see comments like

• cheapest deals
  
• cancel and rebook for better price
  
• cheapest hotels
  
• lets book private shore excursions
  
• BYO wine, spirits and beer onboard
  
• is the shuttle free
  
• share a cab
  
• how much is it from a certain airport to the ship
  

All I see is constnatly how cheap people want to make a cruise. It says to me that people who cruise are cheap and cheap people DO NOT TIP. Come on seriously something is wrong here. With all the above comments on how to reduce prices and get things cheap do you honestly think people make the above comments and then go out and generously reward people with exhorbitant tips????

 

In my opinion the tips on P&O were introduced and now the price increased is:

1. Because no one paid them
   
2. Because too many passengers had the auto deductions removed.
   

 

You have hit the nail on the head

I read forums here which say, we removed auto tips to tip more generously

Why not just give a little extra and keep auto tips.

How much do persons tip and to whom

I gave my steward, incompetent waiter and Bar man of my favourite bar £20 each and kept auto tips on.

Should I have removed auto tips and given them £40 I would have been in pocket but kept auto tips on. It is was you feel in your self to be right.

 

But I agree the auto tips should be compulsory or removed completely.

[dsrdsrdsr]

All I see is constnatly how cheap people want to make a cruise. It says to me that people who cruise are cheap and cheap people DO NOT TIP. Come on seriously something is wrong here. With all the above comments on how to reduce prices and get things cheap do you honestly think people make the above comments and then go out and generously reward people with exhorbitant tips????

 

Not everyone has so much money that they can pay the first price they see without thinking about it. It doesn't necessarily mean they won't tip, it just means that they prefer to save a bit now so they can go on another cruise next year.

 

Besides, where's the merit in paying exorbitant tips? I don't see there's any moral advantage in paying tips way above what the service deserves.

[jeanlyon]

I remove the auto-tip and tip the same as I would have been charged. I also usually tip the barman in the bar where we spend most time, as usually they are excellent.

[Suzieanna]

I have noticed that the more money someone has, the less likely they are to "tip"............... but maybe thats why they have money?? I remember being told look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves, and a penny saved is a penny earned and all that sort of thing

 

However - money just slips through my fingers! I can make it disappear quicker than the blink of an eye!

 

I personally wouldn't remove auto-tip. If something was bad enough I would complain straight away and have it sorted. I would rather it be included as part of the "ticket" price, but I just put it in my head that its not a tip... its that persons wages, just being paid in a different way.

 

I have held many jobs in the service industry where my tips have made a reasonable living into a good one... so, yes I do tip. Not heavily perhaps, but regularly and fairly.

[Redstar46]

Having asked my cabin steward about this very subject he informed me that the passenger surveys that lands in your cabin towards the end of your cruise are used to decide wether or not HE will get the auto tips from the cabins he has looked after ie less that a 100% fill out and return or less that a 100% score on all surveys will result in loss of all auto tips from the cabins he has looked after. so where does your auto tip go then? Also to consider your table waiter is informed I was told of your request to remove auto tips, he's not going to know if your going to slip him an envelop at the end! I was also told that any envelops or moneys given to staff has to be put the pot for all to share, my advise would be keep auto tipping and if you feel people have gone the extra mile give them a little extra discretely.

Sorry to affended some of you but 1/5 of my salary is gratuitous and dealing with people from all over the world the Australians are by far the very worst tippers on the planet

[Sutho]

Having asked my cabin steward about this very subject he informed me that the passenger surveys that lands in your cabin towards the end of your cruise are used to decide wether or not HE will get the auto tips from the cabins he has looked after ie less that a 100% fill out and return or less that a 100% score on all surveys will result in loss of all auto tips from the cabins he has looked after. so where does your auto tip go then? Also to consider your table waiter is informed I was told of your request to remove auto tips, he's not going to know if your going to slip him an envelop at the end! I was also told that any envelops or moneys given to staff has to be put the pot for all to share, my advise would be keep auto tipping and if you feel people have gone the extra mile give them a little extra discretely.

Sorry to affended some of you but 1/5 of my salary is gratuitous and dealing with people from all over the world the Australians are by far the very worst tippers on the planet

 

I think what your cabin steward told you is a load of BS. It is jusy a ploy to make gullible people give them a high score.

 

I dont get any tips in my line of work and find the idea of it a reprehensible act of snobbery and elitism.

[Cristaltips]

We've recently come off Ventura where we had Freedom Dining.

 

We always leave the auto tips on - these people work their socks off to ensure we all have a good holiday AND they're away from home for months on end.I really don't begrudge them a penny of it.

 

We also gave our cabin steward a tip as she was really good

[howard18]

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

Royal Caribbean from the 1st. of March will be adding grats to the onboard account on a daily basis. They will also increase by a small percentage from March.

[Tizzy]

Well said Cristaltips.

I wish more people shared your attitude to tips.

Having a family member working for P&O I obviously get to hear all the stories !

It beggars belief the lengths some people go to to get out of paying tips.

The favourite I understand is to remove tips at the beginning of the cruise, telling everyone you will tip on the final night of the cruise and then MISS dinner the last night and eat in one of the speciality restaurants or the Buffet. It is for your conscience only to decide whether this is acceptable behaviour. I think it is disgusting to do this when the staff work so hard.

I for one think tips should be mandatory! Perhaps the time has come for them to be part of the initial holiday cost.

[dorsetlad]

According to P&O, all gratuities go to the staff concerned. The score on the questionnaire relates to a bonus payment, funded entirely by P&O. In order to qualify for the bonus, staff must achieve a high mark on the questionnaire. I would take all statements made by staff members with a huge pinch of salt.:p P&O couldn't afford not to give passenger gratuities to the staff, it woulld be tantamount to fraud or theft.:rolleyes:

 

Brian

[jeanlyon]

The autotip system simply makes it easier for those who don't tip. Before, they simply didn't go to the last night meal. Now they can go to the meal because the others at the table aren't giving envelopes.

 

Having said that, we removed the autotips on Fred O and tipped with an envelope - just the same amount as we would have paid with auto-tipping.

[Redstar46]

I think what your cabin steward told you is a load of BS. It is jusy a ploy to make gullible people give them a high score.

 

I dont get any tips in my line of work and find the idea of it a reprehensible act of snobbery and elitism.

 

 

 

Where are you from Sutho?

[bazzaw]

Where are you from Sutho?

 

Sutho is at the extreme end of non-tipping Australians. :) I partly understand where he is coming from, because in this country (Australia), tipping is not the norm at all . Not that long ago - maybe a decade or so, the only knowledge Aussies would have had of tipping was that it was something done in America. All workers - regardless of the industry they work in - receive a living wage in Australia. The whole concept of "tipping" comes mostly from the Americas where employers employing staff who interact closely with customers realise that they will probably receive gratutities, hence the employees receive lower (and indeed VERY low) base wages. This is the very nature of the employment agreement between employer and employee in America. This has never (up until recent times) happened in Australia -- nor I believe in the UK.

 

The problem now lies in the fact that these cruiselines (most of which are American based) adopt American employment practices for SOME of their staff (note that I only said SOME) on their ships. This is fine while these ships operate in American waters and/or passengers are mostly American. However this management practice falls down whenever the ship enters foreign waters. In some foreign waters, the practice falls over completely. However, SOME other nationalities have adopted the American practices more so than others.

 

There is no doubt that American culture has spread all over the planet - some of that culture is good -- but some is bad.

 

Barry

[bazzaw]

Well said Cristaltips.

I wish more people shared your attitude to tips.

Having a family member working for P&O I obviously get to hear all the stories !

It beggars belief the lengths some people go to to get out of paying tips.

The favourite I understand is to remove tips at the beginning of the cruise, telling everyone you will tip on the final night of the cruise and then MISS dinner the last night and eat in one of the speciality restaurants or the Buffet. It is for your conscience only to decide whether this is acceptable behaviour. I think it is disgusting to do this when the staff work so hard.

I for one think tips should be mandatory! Perhaps the time has come for them to be part of the initial holiday cost.

 

In Australia we have Laws that require businesses to advertise their products with the ALL UP COSTS included. This prevents a kind of false advertising - where a Company can advertise some product at a low price, but then when you purchase it, extra charges are added to the so-called purchase price. The overall price must include, for example, all taxes.

 

Barry

[shrinkingsue]

Personally I would rather give the envelope as now I give the auto tips but feel guilty not giving an envelope as there is always someone at the table giving one therefore now I do both. I leave auto tips as recommended even though I know they be be adjusted and give an extra £20 or € 20 to dining staff and cabin steward then 10 to bar person we have befriended and wine waiter at table. I also feel the need to write them a thank you note and tell them they will also get the auto tips in case they think I am being mean. I just feel guilty otherwise but there again if I go to a beauty salon or hairdressers I always feel I need to give a tip. I am a nurse and never get tips but would never expect them in my job. I just feel nowadays its expected you tip in restaurarants to taxi drivers etc

[Sutho]

Where are you from Sutho?

 

It does not matter where you come from to realise what BS is when someone tries to spin it to you.

 

Even though I come from Australia I am smart enough to realise that cruise lines would not hold off handing out auto tips unless the steward got marks of 100%! - Come on I was not born yesterday and someone would have to be extremely gullible to believe that one.