Gratuities to be added to sea pass account daily.

[cruisenfever]

How do you know this? How does anyone know anything about how money is distributed.

If I believed everything everone said on this site-one of the tipping threas someone said the cook gets part of the MDR tips.:eek:

If I ask my stateroom attedant if he'd rather have cash or auto tip and he says cash, you bet your bottom dollar I'm on that line of shame!!

We ask questions when on board because we want to know where our money is going. Have been asking the same questions for 2 years on various ships and have gotten the same answer. Now that's what I call consistency!!:p

 

Did you know that with MTD, if you sign up but don't show up, those gratuities are distributed among those that work in the WJ and Specialty Restaurants. All you have to do it eat 1 night in MTD to keep the gratuities there.

[Brit-Cruiser]

Please pay attention to what "crusinfever" said.

 

The cabin attendant has to pay a percent of what the guidelines said he SHOULD be receiving...not a percent of what he actually received. Keep this in mind if you decide to stiff the cabin attendant. If he gets less than the assessed amount he makes up the difference.

 

If everyone gave the recommended amount or more then the attendant would be happy...if not, the cheepos may be penalizing him more than they anticipated.

 

The "other housekeeping staff" includes those who schlep your suitcases to and from your cabin.

 

It matters nothing to me which way I pay the tips. However, those who short the crew should be ashamed of themselves no matter what rhetoric they use to justify themselves.

 

I did pay attention. Thank you so much for correcting me for your perceived lack of it.

 

My post covers all tips...not just those over and above the norm. I have always paid in cash & if my room attendant/waiter/assistant waiter chose to pocket that cash and not declare it (therefore keeping the full amount), then that's fine with me.

 

On the undercover documentary for Celebrity shown here a while ago, should an attendant not receive a tip from a particular room #, then they had to submit paperwork to this effect. If they are paid in cash, it is their choice whether they declare it or claim to have not been paid.....I am happy to let my attendant make that choice. As long as I have paid him, what he chooses to do with it should be HIS choice and no one else's.

[orville99]

Looks like I sold my popcorn stock too soon:eek:

[JasonV1]

As I understand it, it works this way for waiters and waitresses in the US (called tip allocation, although I'm assuming it is more for large chains).

 

They are expected to earn a certain amount of tips a night, and are taxed on it unless they can provide that the allocation is wrong.

 

http://www.ehow.com/list_6676391_federal-taxes-waitress-tips.html

 

Very interesting...but really doesn't seem fair. If what you're saying is true then those that tip above are subsidizing the deadbeats who don't tip the full amount...does that mean that the 10.00 or 20.00 that some slip the attendant the first day may not be all his to keep?

[alexkrn46]

We ask questions when on board because we want to know where our money is going. Have been asking the same questions for 2 years on various ships and have gotten the same answer. Now that's what I call consistency!!:p

 

Did you know that with MTD, if you sign up but don't show up, those gratuities are distributed among those that work in the WJ and Specialty Restaurants. All you have to do it eat 1 night in MTD to keep the gratuities there.

 

thanks for the info.

[cruisenfever]

are you sure of the $50 a month figure, on ocean village the bar waiters received $400 a month

if it is $50 i am appalled

That is all RCI is required to pay them.

[JasonV1]

There have been people on this board who proclaim that they never tip anyone for anything, as they feel that their base cruise rate should be all they pay. Of those who like to tip in person, there are a subset who use that as an excuse to tip less even when there were no issues with the service.

 

The loss of tips from just one person for dining room staff or stateroom attendant hits them card, now imagine it is a family of 6.

 

For me this was a non issue since I book my time dining which requires prepaid gratuities.

 

If everyone was honest and fair, this would not happen. They aren't, so it has. You know that they aren't going to build this into the fare, so if you don't like it your only option will be to cruise elsewhere. Only issue is that NCL and CCL both do the same thing.

[pcur]

I am pretty sure that any attendant with an ounce of sense would just pocket the cash and deny any tip was received. What incentive do they have to declare it if a percentage of it is taken away from them?

 

Their incentive is they will lose their job if seen or found out, and about 99% of the crew would rather keep their jobs than pocket a few extra dollars.

 

The vast majority of them, even if single, are helping to support family members at home, or are saving to start a business after working for RCCL. This has been a constant since I started cruising in 1973.

 

It's not worth the risk to be caught pocketing tip money that is supposed to go into the tip pool.

 

My husband and I have thought for 40 years that RCCL should somehow included tips in the cost of the cruise, since WE have always considered it as such. They are just making it easier for us.

 

I don't think the "I'll pay in cash" group posting here realize they are actually making like HARDER on the very people they are trying to reward. Cash tips INSTEAD of the daily charge don't necessarily stay with the person they are given to. Read cruzinfever's posts again: she is absolutely correct.

[Debde]

We ask questions when on board because we want to know where our money is going. Have been asking the same questions for 2 years on various ships and have gotten the same answer. Now that's what I call consistency!!:p

 

Did you know that with MTD, if you sign up but don't show up, those gratuities are distributed among those that work in the WJ and Specialty Restaurants. All you have to do it eat 1 night in MTD to keep the gratuities there.

 

thank you Patti and that above statement makes me feel a little better as for the MTD tipping.

[NantahalaCruiser]

Just curious - does anyone know whether the auto tip is for the number of nights or number of days

 

For example on a 14 night cruise there are parts of 15 days - are the auto tips applied 14 or 15 times

 

Has anyone checked their invoice to confirm which it is?

 

Thanks

Larry

[macruisefan]

Just curious - does anyone know whether the auto tip is for the number of nights or number of days

 

For example on a 14 night cruise there are parts of 15 days - are the auto tips applied 14 or 15 times

 

Has anyone checked their invoice to confirm which it is?

 

Thanks

Larry

 

Everything is counted as the number of nights.

[poncho1973]

It is amazing what can be accomlished when a country is actually able to control the flow of people across its borders.

 

1. a giant island in the middle of the ocean, near islands which tend to be staunchly tribal

2. several times they have tried programs to pay people to move there

3. they pay people to have babies, so the population doesn't fall

4. has one of the lowest population growths of "western" societies

 

While I really hope to visit Australia one day and have met some amazing people from there over the years... the fact that insane amounts of the country are completely unlivable because of deserts/constant wildfires/no water and everyone is basically plastered to the shore AND how basically everything there can either kill you, eat you, or kill AND eat you... I'm good not moving there.

 

I'm not sure if your comment was just a statement or a "WE NEEDZ BETTER MERKA!" in disguise.

[pcur]

1. a giant island in the middle of the ocean, near islands which tend to be staunchly tribal

2. several times they have tried programs to pay people to move there

3. they pay people to have babies, so the population doesn't fall

4. has one of the lowest population growths of "western" societies

 

While I really hope to visit Australia one day and have met some amazing people from there over the years... the fact that insane amounts of the country are completely unlivable because of deserts/constant wildfires/no water and everyone is basically plastered to the shore AND how basically everything there can either kill you, eat you, or kill AND eat you... I'm good not moving there.

 

I'm not sure if your comment was just a statement or a "WE NEEDZ BETTER MERKA!" in disguise.

 

You seriously need to visit Australia.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I haven't had time to read this whole thread, so this has probably been discussed. I apologize if that is so.

 

For our 2014 cruise we currently have late traditional dining. However, we have decided to change to MTD. I know that would require pre-paid tips and I am ok with that. Does that mean that if I were to request the change today that we would be locked in at the lower rate? That is how I understand the original post.

 

Personally I detest stuffing those stupid envelopes. We have opted for daily tips to be added to our Sea Pass account for quite awhile now. So this is nothing new for us.

 

BTW - we do believe in tipping above and beyond when service warrants a higher tip. That will not change with the new policy. That may or may not be to the traditional "envelope recipients".

[99florida]

So-I sail Oasis. Eat breakfast and lunch in the CL. Eat all my meals in specialty restaurants-where is my tip money going now that it is pre-paid?? Are they giving some of the tips to the CL staff for me??

what if i do room service for breakfast and lunch-and specialty dining for dinner, are they giving part of my to tip to the room service staff??

 

This kinda su%^&!! Big time!! :mad:

 

Add room service tipping for service then I would ask the same question.... why tip when you truly are not using the service?

 

CL or D lounge for breakfast, room service for lunch or specialty dining for lunch, and specialty dining at night..... I would only want to tip my room attendant and those that go the extra mile rather than those who have not serviced me.... This does have a point for sure.... I would simply go down to the pursers office and have the auto daily tip taken off minus my room attendant. Simple enough ~ a bit of an inconvenience but would do if warranted to do so. end of discussion for me;)

[Ocean Boy]

We ask questions when on board because we want to know where our money is going. Have been asking the same questions for 2 years on various ships and have gotten the same answer. Now that's what I call consistency!!:p

 

Did you know that with MTD, if you sign up but don't show up, those gratuities are distributed among those that work in the WJ and Specialty Restaurants. All you have to do it eat 1 night in MTD to keep the gratuities there.

 

Are you sure about this? If that is the case then you may have just sold me on signing up for MTD and pre-paying the gratuities. My whole issue has been taking care of the Windjammer staff since that is where we eat.

[poncho1973]

You seriously need to visit Australia.

 

I look forward to it. I have several Aussie internet friends and they are very, very PRO their homeland, but they are quick to point out the wide open spaces which are growing more and more unlivable every single year. One of them has promised to show me a rainforest and something he describes as "the most amazing view known to a man with his feet on the ground."

 

I need to find that picture one of them linked me. It shows a satellite view of the country over the past 40-50 years... where the brown gets bigger and bigger and bigger.

 

It doesn't change the population facts. Those are purely numbers and not subjective opinions. The government has made various active decisions to try to increase the population and they still have really low numbers.

 

That poster's comments seemed like a veiled "them brown people coming and taking our jobs, GO MERKA!" while praising Australia. Not knowing that they actively try to get extra people and are not trying to keep people out.

[Ocean Boy]

 

That poster's comments seemed like a veiled "them brown people coming and taking our jobs, GO MERKA!" while praising Australia. Not knowing that they actively try to get extra people and are not trying to keep people out.

 

First of all, you seem to be developing a habit of finding things in my posts that never even crossed my mind. Secondly, if the Australian govenment is trying to get people to move there they have an odd way of going about it. I have had the occasional patient of mine move there. It is amazing what kind of medical documentation we have to do to demonstrate that they are bringing no issues with them. I guess they don't want any pre-existing conditions moving in and placing a drain on their medical system.

 

Australia seems to pick and choose who it will, and won't let in. I was not making any other point.

[Charles4515]

Are you sure about this? If that is the case then you may have just sold me on signing up for MTD and pre-paying the gratuities. My whole issue has been taking care of the Windjammer staff since that is where we eat.

 

When you use MTD they know the days you eat n MDR. Also when you have dinner in the Windjammer someone will ask your cabin number. They do keep track of where passengers have dinner.

[Ocean Boy]

When you use MTD they know the days you eat n MDR. Also when you have dinner in the Windjammer someone will ask your cabin number. They do keep track of where passengers have dinner.

 

No one has ever asked my cabin number in the Windjammer. Now how am I supposed to believe that my tips will really go there based on what I am reading here when you just provided false information to me? And I am not trying to be offensive but I know your info is incorrect as we stopped using the MDR several cruises ago and started using the Windjammer so I am speaking from experience.

[Clarea]

I haven't had time to read this whole thread, so this has probably been discussed. I apologize if that is so.

 

For our 2014 cruise we currently have late traditional dining. However, we have decided to change to MTD. I know that would require pre-paid tips and I am ok with that. Does that mean that if I were to request the change today that we would be locked in at the lower rate? That is how I understand the original post.

 

Personally I detest stuffing those stupid envelopes. We have opted for daily tips to be added to our Sea Pass account for quite awhile now. So this is nothing new for us.

 

BTW - we do believe in tipping above and beyond when service warrants a higher tip. That will not change with the new policy. That may or may not be to the traditional "envelope recipients".

Yes, I believe the date to prepay at the old rate is Feb 28th. Note that there's only $0.35 per person per day difference between the old and new rate.

[setsail]

Add room service tipping for service then I would ask the same question.... why tip when you truly are not using the service?

 

CL or D lounge for breakfast, room service for lunch or specialty dining for lunch, and specialty dining at night..... I would only want to tip my room attendant and those that go the extra mile rather than those who have not serviced me.... This does have a point for sure.... I would simply go down to the pursers office and have the auto daily tip taken off minus my room attendant. Simple enough ~ a bit of an inconvenience but would do if warranted to do so. end of discussion for me;)

 

Won't happen, you have to have had bad service, thats the only excuse one can use

 

post 862

[PattyG12]

I don't think the "I'll pay in cash" group posting here realize they are actually making like HARDER on the very people they are trying to reward. Cash tips INSTEAD of the daily charge don't necessarily stay with the person they are given to.

 

I voted that because I think that's what people will use as an excuse. I would NEVER make any excuse to not pay tips, as we also consider it part of our cruise fare. The question asked what WE thought the excuse would be, not what we would do.

[Charles4515]

No one has ever asked my cabin number in the Windjammer. Now how am I supposed to believe that my tips will really go there based on what I am reading here when you just provided false information to me? And I am not trying to be offensive but I know your info is incorrect as we stopped using the MDR several cruises ago and started using the Windjammer so I am speaking from experience.

 

The last two times which was on an 11 day cruise when I had dinner in the Windjammer they did ask my cabin. I don't know why they asked. Perhaps they don't ask on every ship and it isn't about the tips. In any case with pooled tips the whole service crew is going to share out of the pool. No passenger is expected hand out tips in the Windjammer. Now with the automatic gratuities it is all going to be pooled. There won't be any reason to ask after March 1. Whatever cash you hand out will be pooled by a set formula. It won't matter if you eat in the Windjammer once or seven times. The Windjammer staff will get a share, the MDR staff a share etc. That share will be affected by total pool collected from the passengers every sailing. Not by where you had dinner. That is the reason the cruise industry has moved to pooled tips. There are so many dining options that individual tips no longer make sense. The crew works as a team and shares as a team.

[UNV-IT!!!]

So I guess the idea of this is now you won't have to tip anyone at all unless you want to go above the auto $12