Full gratuities for children?

[MicCanberra]

Thank you! You were the only person on this whole thread who didn't assume I was trying to circumvent paying the gratuity for my 14 year old!

 

In fact, I often double the staff gratuity. How come you're the only one here who didn't jump to conclusions?

Some of us just lurk until we have the information required, or don't jump in at all, if we don't know the answer.:D

[vermonter16]

I think that it's important not to forget that contributors to this board come from around the world, so what you view as perfectly normal may well seem quite strange to others. I personally sense that people are asking questions to better understand the process, not to find ways to get out of tipping. (Yes, there are exceptions. :() The OP expressed surprise that a child would be charged the same gratuity as an adult, but I don't recall reading about any attempt or desire on the OP's part to circumvent policy.

 

True....the OP did say that she cruised with P&O and didn't know that this was the norm....however...

[spookwife]

Thank you! You were the only person on this whole thread who didn't assume I was trying to circumvent paying the gratuity for my 14 year old!

 

In fact, I often double the staff gratuity. How come you're the only one here who didn't jump to conclusions?

 

because based on the direct past threads about this have gone, you are firmly in the very SMALL minority..as in the vast majority of people who start these types of threads are very vocal about their displeasure and are very arrogant about their *proudly stated* intent to reduce or eliminate tips for their kids because they personally do not believe it is warranted, despite many well thought out logical arguments to the contrary.

 

on occasion, rare though it is, an OP will come back and concede that their opinion was was skewed and they had not thought about things from the other point of view. some admitted they learned their lesson and promised to tip at least the suggested amount, some didn't care.

[skittl1321]

Celebrity offered a free drink package, it sure filled the ship :).

 

I bet that costs Celebrity more to offer though.

[teajak]

Thank you! You were the only person on this whole thread who didn't assume I was trying to circumvent paying the gratuity for my 14 year old!

 

In fact, I often double the staff gratuity. How come you're the only one here who didn't jump to conclusions?

Not the only one. I remember the first time we took our grandchildren on a cruise I had no idea what the tipping policy was. I didn't reply because I assumed you would receive the information. Welcome to cruse critic.;):D

[megfla]

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.

 

When our son went to the kid's program we would always give the staff a gratuity the last night of the cruise. They do work hard!

[SusieV]

I was kind of surprised by this too on the first cruise we took our son. He was only 14 months old and we had to pay $799 as a third person to bring him along, before tips.

 

But, when in Rome... it's the way the system works, and yes, our son definitely made more work for the waitstaff and stateroom attendant than just the two of us would have. They definitely earned their tip for him and then some!

[Chicago Boy]

Only just realised this with Celebrity.:(

 

 

I don't have a problem for full gratuities for children. They are no less work. Sevices is services regardless of the age. In my book kids don't get a pass.

[AndrewM]

Tipping should only be for over and above service. If we are paying a stipulated fee beforehand, it's not a tip. We are merely supplementing their income. That is why I like to tip accordingly on top of paying the mandatory gratuity.

 

Think of the discrepancies that will occur between heavy tipping cultures like the US vs. non customary tipping cultures like Australia, if this fee is considered a tip.

[MicCanberra]

Tipping should only be for over and above service. If we are paying a stipulated fee beforehand, it's not a tip. We are merely supplementing their income. That is why I like to tip accordingly on top of paying the mandatory gratuity.

 

Think of the discrepancies that will occur between heavy tipping cultures like the US vs. non customary tipping cultures like Australia, if this fee is considered a tip.

Agree, I look at it as a service charge and then, at the end of the cruisea, I actually tip the staff I want to(those who made my cruise great).:D

[Germancruiser]

There is a name for not wanting to pay service charge for kids- penny pinching!

[jackdiamond]

There is a name for not wanting to pay service charge for kids- penny pinching!

You are correct.

[jackdiamond]

I think full tips for children are fair. I also tip quite a bit above and beyond when my children receive extra attention, which so far, has very much been the case. My children do not however make messes in the stateroom. I cleaned hotel rooms in college and taught my children at a young age that overworked, underpaid hotel workers are NOT there to clean up after them, just like their overworked, unpaid mom isn't there to pick up after them at home!

Great points. By the way, I suspect that you would be a very good person to teach classes in parenting.

[davekathy]

It's about time!

[mahdnc]

I was kind of surprised by this too on the first cruise we took our son. He was only 14 months old and we had to pay $799 as a third person to bring him along, before tips.

 

There was a time when kids under 2 yrs old sailed for free with Celebrity (but had to pay fees + port charges).

[Chicago Boy]

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!

 

 

My dear,:D the staff who took care of your chikldren probably deserved triple tips.

[MicCanberra]

There was a time when kids under 2 yrs old sailed for free with Celebrity (but had to pay fees + port charges).

That would please some people and not others.:D

[The_Big_M]

There was a time when kids under 2 yrs old sailed for free with Celebrity (but had to pay fees + port charges).

 

Sounds very reasonable.

[Flo71]

I think that it's important not to forget that contributors to this board come from around the world, so what you view as perfectly normal may well seem quite strange to others. I personally sense that people are asking questions to better understand the process, not to find ways to get out of tipping. (Yes, there are exceptions. :() The OP expressed surprise that a child would be charged the same gratuity as an adult, but I don't recall reading about any attempt or desire on the OP's part to circumvent policy.

 

As for the staff working hard, I couldn't agree more. Their work ethic would shame many service industry employees.

 

 

 

Thank you, it was a genuine surprise, I think more so as we are pre-paying due to select dining. I am not asking how to get out of it or saying I wouldn't pay it if it was the cruise lines policy just that I was surprised as we weren't automatically charged gratuities for her on P&O.

[MicCanberra]

Thank you, it was a genuine surprise, I think more so as we are pre-paying due to select dining. I am not asking how to get out of it or saying I wouldn't pay it if it was the cruise lines policy just that I was surprised as we weren't automatically charged gratuities for her on P&O.

I can understand your surprise but the difference in cruiselines are not limited to their policies but also to many other aspects. This is what makes cruising so interesting as there is a type of cruiseline/ship/ etc to suit nearly everyone.:D