Full gratuities for children?

[Flo71]

Only just realised this with Celebrity.:(

[MyDogRudy]

Why wouldn't there be full gratuities for children? They are messier than adults at restaurants and in hotel rooms.

 

Sent from my Motorola Electrify using Tapatalk 2

[Fouremco]

Seems fair to me.

 

[tfrcal]

Is there a main stream cruise line that charges less for kids? I have not heard of one that does.

 

Why would you be surprised to be charged full gratuities for a child?

[bplazo]

Well, I think they should charge double tips for children.

[Nanannjen]

I have to admit, that's one that I felt was fair, after the cruise! My children were not the neatest in the world in the stateroom, and the waiters always took exceptional care of them. All deserved full tips!

[dkjretired]

Until a few years ago, Celebrity's tips for children as 3rd or 4th in a room were half of the 1st. and 2nd tips. They changed it to be a full tip which is the same as most cruise lines charge.

[Denny01]

We took our daugher and 3yr old granddaughter on a cruise and had a great time. Our MDR waitstaff always had her chair and food ready when we showed up. Snacks and so on, and a sippy cup all ready.

 

In our SR, the steward went the extra mile cleaning up and taking out all the 'necessities' quickly. Vacuuming and cleaning up.

 

We went with a large grouop, and the coordinator went to the Front Desk and had our gratuities removed for the kids on the cruise. I was upset because she never asked me before doing it, and my opinon was, we owed the full gratuity. I went and had it reset, and then added extra due to all the work they did.

 

Equal gratuities are right on. This has been discussed on other threads and I realize it can be a bit of a surprise that you pay for your kids at an equal rate, but it is right to do.

 

When we go to a restaurant, I don't cut the gratuity because I have kids with me, I pay the standard amount based on the bill.

 

Den

[wvufan]

Would you be OK with only getting half a deduction for kids on your income tax?;)

 

I agree with full tips.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[DrivesLikeMario]

Our sons went on 18 cruises by the time they were 18 and we paid full gratuities for them every time and additional tips on top of that when it was deserved. It's just part of the cruise expenses. :(

[teajak]

Ditto on all of the above posts.

[benjoon]

I hope when you are paying full gratuities for a child that some of it goes directly to the staff at the kids club.

 

They work hard to entertain our kids with a smile of their faces.

[Scrapnana]

Last cruise we tipped extra because the servers/steward were so good with the kids. No way I would have considered tipping less because they were not adults.

 

P&O (UK) is the only major cruise line that I've heard of that does not include an autotip for children under 12.

[AndrewM]

But what about a neat 14 year old who sleeps on the cabin sofa and always eats with her teen club friends up at the buffet on Lido deck?

[Califonria cruiser]

They used to charge less, but I think most of the cruise lines have switched to full tips.

 

Also, just be aware, if you have a young child and want baby food, they will not provide it unless you contact them far ahead. I just found out that even though I am paying full tips since we want anytime dining and am paying $1199 for my 3rd passenger child, I have to pay to bring our own baby food on board since they won't provide since I am less than 80 days out. (a Europe cruise)

 

Jenn

[cruzsnooze]

But what about a neat 14 year old who sleeps on the cabin sofa and always eats with her teen club friends up at the buffet on Lido deck?

You have to make your own assessment. Don't expect anyone on these boards to admit tipping less then an arm and a leg and then some. :rolleyes:

[Flo71]

Last cruise we tipped extra because the servers/steward were so good with the kids. No way I would have considered tipping less because they were not adults.

 

P&O (UK) is the only major cruise line that I've heard of that does not include an autotip for children under 12.

 

Ah, this is why I was surprised, we from the UK and usually cruise P&O, I just assumed this was the norm.

[cafediem2]

But what about a neat 14 year old who sleeps on the cabin sofa and always eats with her teen club friends up at the buffet on Lido deck?

 

Is there extra work involved in setting up the sofabed in the evening then putting it away again next morning? I might be wrong, but I thought tips - although labelled as covering certain staff - were shared among those working behind the scenes, and in the buffet. The service level is different there, but there is still work to be done.

 

I would like to know how you managed to train your 14-yr old to be neat though!

[terrierjohn]

Is there a main stream cruise line that charges less for kids? I have not heard of one that does.

 

Why would you be surprised to be charged full gratuities for a child?

P&O only charge gratuities for 12 yr olds and above and gratuities are only £3.50pppd, whether you consider P&O are a main stream cruise line is another matter, but they are the largest cruise line in the UK.

[drarill]

Would you be OK with only getting half a deduction for kids on your income tax?;)

 

I agree with full tips.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

 

Great post!! We usually tip extra on every cruise. The staff goes above and beyond with their service, especially with our children.:)

[The_Big_M]

Would you be OK with only getting half a deduction for kids on your income tax?;)

 

I agree with full tips.

 

You get a deduction for kids on your tax? Wow!

 

On that basis, guess I should campaign for no tips for kids. ;)

[hassop]

Only just realised this with Celebrity.:(

 

You used to be able to opt out and then pay what you think fit ?

Don't know if this is still the case.

It always comes as a surprise to we folks in the UK who are not used to tipping for everything :confused:

 

Regards H

[Cruise a holic]

Why wouldn't there be full gratuities for children? They are messier than adults at restaurants and in hotel rooms.

 

Sent from my Motorola Electrify using Tapatalk 2

 

I agree. In fact on most ships, the children get special attention. When we travel with kids, the dining room staff goes out of their way to ensure the kids have everything they want. The same of the cabin staff. More work for them.

 

If anything, and the staff does a great job, perhaps a bonus would be more in order.

[Lsimon]

This goes back to the general tipping threads.

 

Whether we like it or not all (or most) of the major mass cruise lines, including Celebrity, base the majority of the compensation for their service staff on "gratuities" from passengers. This differs from the compensation model of providing an adequate base salary used in most other places in the world.

 

The staff that rely on the "gratuities" as a key part of their basic compensation include not only the waiters and room attendants but also the service staff in the buffet and a lot of behind the scenes staff through management in both the dining areas and housekeeping. So even if one does not eat in the main dining room, or feels they don't use much stateroom service, they are still being serviced by staff who rely on the base "gratuities" for their pay.

 

Because of this the ship's base recommended gratuity is really more of a service charge and not really a gratuity at all. It is charged for every passenger regardless of age and must be prepaid for some passengers and for others is automatically billed to their on-board account.

 

The bottom line is that it is just a cost of cruising and if you don't want to pay it your choice is to not cruise Celebrity or the other lines which access this charge.

 

From what I've seen this practice is followed by all of the mass cruise lines which include the USA as part of their main target markets. The only lines I've heard that do not follow this model are those that market primarily to countries where similar service workers receive a more adequate base compensation and where tipping is less common and a less significant portion of their earnings.

 

Given the service charge nature of the "gratuities" and that these represent the base compensation of the related staff, most of us also give additional true tips where we feel it is earned through great service. But because of the structure it is not necessary if you are not inclined to do so for any reason.

 

On the other hand, passengers whose "gratuities" are auto charged can have them removed on request with the presumption that the passenger will pay the gratuities in cash. This option is not available for those whose gratuities are prepaid - including all those who choose the select dining (a/k/a anytime dining). Most of those who post on these forums, including me, believe removing the tips with the intention of reducing the total amount is not a proper thing to do because it amounts to stiffing the staff out of their basic compensation.

[MEcruzr]

I don't think age matters. If someone is booked in a cabin on a cruise, that person receives service from staff and tipping is appropriate. We're not messy adults by any stretch (I'm a neat freak, actually) but I don't reduce my tip because I wipe down the bathroom counter myself. So I don't get why it matters if a 14 year old is messy or neat. If the 3rd person was a "neat adult" would you not expect that adult to pay the minimum tips?

 

As for the waiters in the MDR... if there's a chair at a table for your child then you should be tipping, whether she's there or not. If you know she'll never be in the dining room for any meal, then tell M'D that... have her removed from the table and adjust your tips if you want. I don't think it's fair to hold a spot for her... and then not tip for her. The waiters have a set number of places they count on for tips. They shouldn't be penalized, IMHO, because someone chose to not use it.

 

And yes, I GET IT... it means that a family is paying a lot more tips than a couple or a person sailing solo. That family is also paying a lot more for airfare. There are ways to save $ on a family cruise... I just don't think it should be not paying tips.

 

And yes, I have taken my two sons on cruises when they were kids and paid full tips for them. They have to pay their own now. LOL