Gratuities to be added to sea pass account daily.

[niko40]

Without a doubt, this is the BEST post on this entire thread.

No it would if u posteed it:rolleyes:

[necruiser215]

What RCCL and th eother shoudl do is just raise everyone's fare by $12.00 per day and quietly give this to staff in same distribution manner and no longer call it out as a service charge, tip, or anything else. It is part of your fare and cannot be changed/deleted. It would be a done deal and part of the cost of your cruise - only choice is book and pay or walk away. end the constant whining, complaining, and debates.

 

Then it would also eliminate the cheapos that line up at GS to remove it claiming they are going to tip in cash which occurs on the lines with the autotips.

 

I have always prepaid on RCL, NCL, Princess, HAL, Carnival, and Disney anyway as find the little enevelopes a bit tacky anyway and just consider and factor it as part of trip cost.

[cruisenfever]

Oh please, pay the $12 a day voluntary service charge. It is an additional charge for cruising. If you want go through all your documentation, mark out gratuity and write in Service Charge if that will make you feel better. :rolleyes:

 

FYI - Quit trying to explain to us what a gratuity/tip/lil something extra/bonus, etc is. This is not news to 99.999% of the posters on the boards. :D

Praise the Lord and Pass the Basket!!:)

[Jenn31708]

I'm also not happy that I booked this cruise over a year ago and I find out about mandatory tips being added 17 days before I leave.

[Retired LEO]

No matter what you think RCCL cannot make me tip

As it is a thank you not a surcharge

 

Just go to Guest Services. Tell them you're cheap and want to stiff the staff. I'm sure they'll understand. :rolleyes:

[lexluthor]

I didn't read the whole thread yet, but I just have a quick comment.

 

If this new policy is to assure that everyone pays tips, they must be planning on collecting significantly more tips than previously. So, why is there an INCREASE in the recommended tip per person?

 

People get made at the non-tippers because that means the workers aren't getting the money and that the actual tippers are bearing more of the burden.

 

Well, since everyone is now tipping the full amount and sharing more of the burden, shouldn't the recommended tip per person have gone down some?

[necruiser215]

I'm also not happy that I booked this cruise over a year ago and I find out about mandatory tips being added 17 days before I leave.

 

As anyone booked should have been planning and budgeted for the minimum recommended amounts anyway it should have little impact unless you were planning to stiff the staff.

[cruisenfever]

I didn't read the whole thread yet, but I just have a quick comment.

 

If this new policy is to assure that everyone pays tips, they must be planning on collecting significantly more tips than previously. So, why is there an INCREASE in the recommended tip per person?

 

People get made at the non-tippers because that means the workers aren't getting the money and that the actual tippers are bearing more of the burden.

 

Well, since everyone is now tipping the full amount and sharing more of the burden, shouldn't the recommended tip per person have gone down some?

They probably wanted to round up the number and make bookkeeping easier. We are talking $.35pp per day. That's $2.45 per week in a JS cabin or lower cabin category. Not much of an increase IMHO.

[phish tales]

As anyone booked should have been planning and budgeted for the minimum recommended amounts anyway it should have little impact unless you were planning to stiff the staff.

 

98% of those that have a problem with the mandatory surcharge are the ones that always did the stiffing.:eek:

[cruisenfever]

I'm also not happy that I booked this cruise over a year ago and I find out about mandatory tips being added 17 days before I leave.

At least they notified you.:)

[Fydlstyx]

98% of those that have a problem with the mandatory surcharge are the ones that always did the stiffing.:eek:

 

You know that making up statistics doesn't make them factual, right? :D

 

Cute dog in your sig.

[orville99]

What RCCL and th eother shoudl do is just raise everyone's fare by $12.00 per day and quietly give this to staff in same distribution manner and no longer call it out as a service charge, tip, or anything else. It is part of your fare and cannot be changed/deleted. It would be a done deal and part of the cost of your cruise - only choice is book and pay or walk away. end the constant whining, complaining, and debates.

 

The crew would absolutely love this. Those who currently TWOB would continue to tip (thus giving crew double tips), and those who BWOT wouldn't have to hide anymore on the final night:D

[lexluthor]

They probably wanted to round up the number and make bookkeeping easier. We are talking $.35pp per day. That's $2.45 per week in a JS cabin or lower cabin category. Not much of an increase IMHO.

Yes, not an increase enough to worry about.

 

I guess my point was that RC is a business with a goal to make as money as it can. They wouldn't be implementing this policy unless it made them more money.

 

There are a lot of people who like this policy just so they feel better that they don't have to see people who don't pay full tips now have to pay their share. These people felt that the non-tippers are forcing them to pay an unfair burden of the tips.

 

I'd feel a lot better about the new policy if they lowered the amount or provided some assurance that the extra amount collected was all going to the employees (and that RC wasn't instituting a corresponding pay cut to negate the increased tips).

 

Clearly there's going to be a pretty big jump in total tips collected and clearly it's not all going to the employees.

 

I call that a hidden price increase to their customers.

[Charles4515]

98% of those that have a problem with the mandatory surcharge are the ones that always did the stiffing.:eek:

 

You are really getting out of hand. First of all there is no manadtory surcharge. I think many of the objections are because they don't understand the new policy. After a while it will be a matter of course. You don't seem to understand it either.

[orville99]

Yes, not an increase enough to worry about.

 

I guess my point was that RC is a business with a goal to make as money as it can. They wouldn't be implementing this policy unless it made them more money.

 

There are a lot of people who like this policy just so they feel better that they don't have to see people who don't pay full tips now have to pay their share. These people felt that the non-tippers are forcing them to pay an unfair burden of the tips.

 

I'd feel a lot better about the new policy if they lowered the amount or provided some assurance that the extra amount collected was all going to the employees (and that RC wasn't instituting a corresponding pay cut to negate the increased tips).

 

Clearly there's going to be a pretty big jump in total tips collected and clearly it's not all going to the employees.

 

I call that a hidden price increase to their customers.

 

RCL stands to clear millions on the operational and processing float once this is fully implemented, so I doubt there's any "skimming" going on. When you think about it, the funds float for almost 90 days before the crew's payday from your cruise ever hits their wallets.

[Charles4515]

What RCCL and th eother shoudl do is just raise everyone's fare by $12.00 per day and quietly give this to staff in same distribution manner and no longer call it out as a service charge, tip, or anything else. It is part of your fare and cannot be changed/deleted. It would be a done deal and part of the cost of your cruise - only choice is book and pay or walk away. end the constant whining, complaining, and debates.

 

Then it would also eliminate the cheapos that line up at GS to remove it claiming they are going to tip in cash which occurs on the lines with the autotips.

 

I have always prepaid on RCL, NCL, Princess, HAL, Carnival, and Disney anyway as find the little enevelopes a bit tacky anyway and just consider and factor it as part of trip cost.

 

They don't make it part of the fare because then it would become commisionable.

[Beachin2]

Reading this thread made me realize just how many truely cheap people there are out there.

[temple1]

Yes, not an increase enough to worry about.

 

I guess my point was that RC is a business with a goal to make as money as it can. They wouldn't be implementing this policy unless it made them more money.

 

There are a lot of people who like this policy just so they feel better that they don't have to see people who don't pay full tips now have to pay their share. These people felt that the non-tippers are forcing them to pay an unfair burden of the tips.

 

I'd feel a lot better about the new policy if they lowered the amount or provided some assurance that the extra amount collected was all going to the employees (and that RC wasn't instituting a corresponding pay cut to negate the increased tips).

 

Clearly there's going to be a pretty big jump in total tips collected and clearly it's not all going to the employees.

 

I call that a hidden price increase to their customers.

 

I think recruiting good staff is pretty competitive. With the increase in cruises from SA, AU, GB and Europe, plus cheap Americans they are finding it more and more difficult to get and keep qualified staff. Since they are behind all the other major cruiselines in their gratuity/service charge structure they have had to make the change.

 

As I wrote before - why do you think they are skimming? Do you think Carrabbas is skimming of their employees? Why should a multinational corporation steal from their staff?

 

RCL stands to clear millions on the operational and processing float once this is fully implemented, so I doubt there's any "skimming" going on. When you think about it, the funds float for almost 90 days before the crew's payday from your cruise ever hits their wallets.

 

You are kidding, right? It is 2013 not 1980 as far as income on float.

[orville99]

I think recruiting good staff is pretty competitive. With the increase in cruises from SA, AU, GB and Europe, plus cheap Americans they are finding it more and more difficult to get and keep qualified staff. Since they are behind all the other major cruiselines in their gratuity/service charge structure they have had to make the change.

 

As I wrote before - why do you think they are skimming? Do you think Carrabbas is skimming of their employees? Why should a multinational corporation steal from their staff?

 

 

 

You are kidding, right? It is 2013 not 1980 as far as income on float.

 

For you and me, yes, but if you're a multi-billion $$ corporation that's floating around $300MM in tip collections a year, there are significantly broader investment options than a CD from your local bank. The current prime rate is 3.25%, and RCL can get a lot closer to that rate than the <1% CD rate that you and I can get.

[southstaffs3]

I'm also not happy that I booked this cruise over a year ago and I find out about mandatory tips being added 17 days before I leave.

 

Me to :confused::confused:

[sr4mjc]

I always hated the envelopes. I found them awkward and I dreaded the last night when it was time to give them out, and they almost always contained more than the suggested gratuity amount. I don't need a dog and pony show of 'excellent service' to justify a tip. In fact the best cabin steward I ever had on the Oasis, I NEVER saw.

[pollux]

Its a notice also for the US.

My friend from CA just forwarded the email to me.

I have not received one yet.

[southstaffs3]

For you and me, yes, but if you're a multi-billion $$ corporation that's floating around $300MM in tip collections a year, there are significantly broader investment options than a CD from your local bank. The current prime rate is 3.25%, and RCL can get a lot closer to that rate than the <1% CD rate that you and I can get.

 

Like:)

[sr4mjc]

I'm also not happy that I booked this cruise over a year ago and I find out about mandatory tips being added 17 days before I leave.

 

Why not? Did you not already plan for the amount in your budget?

[Mark_K]

98% of those that have a problem with the mandatory surcharge are the ones that always did the stiffing.:eek:

I knew that. Did you know that 83.5% of statistics are made up by the people relating them?