I have to share this

[arewethereyet]

It's not HAL specific, and I have to give some background.

 

This guy is a poster on a football board I have belonged to for many years. It's a small group and we are all as familiar with each other as can be. We can say almost anything to each other (things that would be the height of insult here) and no feelings are bruised. Anyway, he was talking about nickle/dime hidden charges on cruises.

 

Again, why not simply state at the time of booking that there is a daily room charge for house keeping??? IF I remember correctly it was like $25/day. No way in hell it should cost $25 to make up my dwarf size bed and put new towels in the bathroom. They do that at hotels and I don't pay them on the side. Why should I do it on a cruise? Thats their job. If the ppl working on the cruise line don't get paid much that's not my problem.

I can't respond to him anymore on this topic because I'm at a loss for words. Maybe it's because I'm 35 years older than him that we have such different attitudes.

[kazu]

It's not HAL specific, and I have to give some background.

 

This guy is a poster on a football board I have belonged to for many years. It's a small group and we are all as familiar with each other as can be. We can say almost anything to each other (things that would be the height of insult here) and no feelings are bruised. Anyway, he was talking about nickle/dime hidden charges on cruises.

 

I can't respond to him anymore on this topic because I'm at a loss for words. Maybe it's because I'm 35 years older than him that we have such different attitudes.

 

Too funny - come on - the hotel service charge goes well past making a bed, etc. It inlcudes your service in the MDR/Pinnacle, wherever, your laundry, all those people shining things, all those people behind the scenes that make your life wonderful on board.

 

Let's put this in perspective - We went out of town for one night and in tips we left over $40 between the meals, the maid, etc. So HAL is actually a bargain:D

 

By the way, the prime rib on HAl beat the heck out of the 'famous' steak restaurant where the prime rib is supposed to be really good:rolleyes:

[sail7seas]

Yah, well....... :rolleyes:

 

Maybe cruising isn't for him? :D

 

[cruz chic]

That guy should not take a cruise.

[lindaler]

When I first cruised I was suprised about the fee but when I found out that it covered all our waiters, entertainment, room cleaning and anything else that you would normally tip for, it seemed reasonable. I never look on it as a room cleaning fee but a universal tip fee for the whole ship from garbage personal, luggage handlers through waitstaff.

[arewethereyet]

I've told him all of the above. He likes cruising, but doesn't want to pay for it. All I can do is shake my head.

[SHERGIB]

I love the daily service charge. We went on the Orient / South Pacific Grand Voyage before they added the service charge. It was a real pain to have to carry enough cash for tipping for 62 days. We tpped every two weeks. It is so much easier with it on the bill.

[LobstersLass]

It's not HAL specific, and I have to give some background.

 

This guy is a poster on a football board I have belonged to for many years. It's a small group and we are all as familiar with each other as can be. We can say almost anything to each other (things that would be the height of insult here) and no feelings are bruised. Anyway, he was talking about nickle/dime hidden charges on cruises.

 

I can't respond to him anymore on this topic because I'm at a loss for words. Maybe it's because I'm 35 years older than him that we have such different attitudes.

 

 

I kind of agree with him. I would much rather that the daily charge was included in the cost of the cruise.

 

I come from a culture where tipping is not the norm and tips are for extraordinary service, not someone just doing their job.

 

In the UK, we have the minimum wage, where people under the age of 21 get as a minimum $7.50 an hour and people over 21 get as a minimum $9.40.

 

I now realise that it's not everywhere that people get paid a proper salary for the work they do and that they rely on tips. I have educated myself in Amercian ways and think I do a reasonable job when in your country or on HAL.

[MadManOfBethesda]

Anyway, he was talking about nickle/dime hidden charges on cruises.

 

The fact that he doesn't tip housekeeping in hotels and uses that as some sort of perverse justification says all you need to know about him.

[3rdGenCunarder]

It's not HAL specific, and I have to give some background.

 

This guy is a poster on a football board I have belonged to for many years. It's a small group and we are all as familiar with each other as can be. We can say almost anything to each other (things that would be the height of insult here) and no feelings are bruised. Anyway, he was talking about nickle/dime hidden charges on cruises.

 

I can't respond to him anymore on this topic because I'm at a loss for words. Maybe it's because I'm 35 years older than him that we have such different attitudes.

 

Have you asked him if he tips the dining room waiter on a cruise? Or is he a non-tipper wherever he goes?

[arewethereyet]

The fact that he doesn't tip housekeeping in hotels and uses that as some sort of perverse justification says all you need to know about him.

Pretty much. He's 34. I would think that by that age, a person would have a clue about those things. He's not likely to change, so I stopped trying to convince him of anything. That's also why we can get along with each other.

[LobstersLass]

The fact that he doesn't tip housekeeping in hotels and uses that as some sort of perverse justification says all you need to know about him.

 

Is the guy British?

I ask because I know to tip housekeeping in the US, but never do so in the UK and I spend about 40-50 nights a year away from home with work within the UK.

[startwin]

I kind of agree with him. I would much rather that the daily charge was included in the cost of the cruise.

 

I come from a culture where tipping is not the norm and tips are for extraordinary service, not someone just doing their job.

 

In the UK, we have the minimum wage, where people under the age of 21 get as a minimum $7.50 an hour and people over 21 get as a minimum $9.40.

 

I now realise that it's not everywhere that people get paid a proper salary for the work they do and that they rely on tips. I have educated myself in Amercian ways and think I do a reasonable job when in your country or on HAL.

 

Me too. Originally from the UK, it took me a long time to adapt to the N. American way of doing things. Paying low wages and hoping that customers tip enough to top it up to a living wage is not ideal, for sure. I'd rather pay more for my cruise and have the crew paid a decent wage.

[LobstersLass]

Me too. Originally from the UK, it took me a long time to adapt to the N. American way of doing things. Paying low wages and hoping that customers tip enough to top it up to a living wage is not ideal, for sure. I'd rather pay more for my cruise and have the crew paid a decent wage.

 

Thank you!

I was sure I was going to get flamed for that post! :)

[Scrapnana]

What cruise line was this guy on where the tips were $25/day?

[arewethereyet]

What cruise line was this guy on where the tips were $25/day?

It's Carnival. The charge was for him and his girlfriend. And, it's $23 per day. He never read anything about Carnival's policies before sailing. He says he shouldn't have to (good grief). I told him I looked up Carnival's policy on the internet within 35 seconds. No reasonable excused for not knowing about it beforehand. Like I said, he's 34 and should be mature enough to pay attention to things.

[startwin]

Thank you!

I was sure I was going to get flamed for that post! :)

 

Oh, there's time yet, I expect we will be:D

[alwaysfrantic]

I read on another board that someone was planning to not go into the main dining room for dinner the whole time so they could remove auto tips. Spend thousands and eat by the pool every meal to save about $10 a person a day. Jeez.

[cruz chic]

I read on another board that someone was planning to not go into the main dining room for dinner the whole time so they could remove auto tips. Spend thousands and eat by the pool every meal to save about $10 a person a day. Jeez.

 

I guess they cook their own meals by the pool.

[expat1948]

I kind of agree with him. I would much rather that the daily charge was included in the cost of the cruise.

 

I come from a culture where tipping is not the norm and tips are for extraordinary service, not someone just doing their job.

 

In the UK, we have the minimum wage, where people under the age of 21 get as a minimum $7.50 an hour and people over 21 get as a minimum $9.40.

 

I now realise that it's not everywhere that people get paid a proper salary for the work they do and that they rely on tips. I have educated myself in Amercian ways and think I do a reasonable job when in your country or on HAL.

 

Sorry, but this is just wrong. Tipping etiquette in the UK is pretty much the same as it is in the US and Canada.

 

In the UK it is standard practice to tip a porter at a hotel about £2.00 ($3.00) per bag for bringing them to your room and to leave a tip for the chambermaids. It is standard practice to tip about 15%-20% of the bill in a restaurant. It is standard practice to tip the guy who deliveries your pizza. Plus, although taxi drivers aren't normally tipped a percentage of the fare, it is normal to tell him/her to "keep the change". And, if you go on a guided tour somewhere in Britain, you definitely give your guide a tip at the end.

 

One thing to watch out for, however, are the "service charges" that some restaurants - particularly the expensive ones in London - automatically add to a bill. If a service charge appears on your bill, you don't need to leave a tip.

 

Now, as far as a lot of other countries are concerned, knowing if and when to tip can be a veritable minefield. In France, for example, you may find a bill in a restaurant with words "service compris" on your bill. This mean that no tip is required. However, locals will leave about a 10% tip in change on the table.

 

Whenever we travel we always make sure that we are up to speed on the tipping etiquette for the country or region that we are visiting just to make sure that we do right by the local people.

[Himself]

Tipping is a way of saying THANK YOU. HAL once had a policy of tipping not required and this board was full of compaints about that.

[buckirj1]

The daily service charge is one of the greatest cruise innovations ever. I'm happy to no longer go through the nonsense of bestowing tip envelopes as though I were some benevolent overlord granting favor to his underlings. That always seemed so pretentious.

 

It's much better now, if only for the anonymity and leveling of the field.

[arewethereyet]

The daily service charge is one of the greatest cruise innovations ever. I'm happy to no longer go through the nonsense of bestowing tip envelopes as though I were some benevolent overlord granting favor to his underlings. That always seemed so pretentious.

 

It's much better now, if only for the anonymity and leveling of the field.

I agree. However, I still tip additionally beyond the service charge when I think it's appropriate.

[rafinmd]

I tend to agree with the guy, that's the way things SHOULD work, but it's not the way things DO work. It would be great if all cruise lines paid the crew more and did not rely so much on tips, but if one did that they would be at a disadvantage in a price comparison with their competitors. It does work with Crystal, Silversea, Seabourn, and perhaps other luxury lines where price doesn't come into the competition, but I could never see it working with Cunard, HAL, Celebrity, etc. unless imposed from above so none could avoid it.

 

As they say, you can pay me now or you can pay me later, but we all at least should pay in the end.

 

Roy

[innlady1]

The fact that he doesn't tip housekeeping in hotels and uses that as some sort of perverse justification says all you need to know about him.

 

As a former innkeeper of 19 years, you'd be surprised at the number of people who did not tip our housekeeping staff....college students from Bulgaria who were incredibly good workers. :rolleyes: