WOW ! Up To 400 People Remove Gratuities

[Debde]

But I've learned from this thread that the really cool people don't even eat in the MDR.

 

:D Am I finally at the cool table in the Sr. cafeteria!!:D

[Ocean Boy]

How about people who get bumped to My Time Dining because both early and late seatings are full? And then of course they have to pre-pay their gratuities.

 

And people wear their hats backwards in the MDR to show that they're cooler than you are. But I've learned from this thread that the really cool people don't even eat in the MDR.

 

Mostly I read about MTD being full and people having to stick with traditional but I can't say for sure that it never goes the other way. I think that they limit the MTD seating so that everyone who wants traditional can be accommodated.

 

As for the last sentence of your post I have no clue what you are trying to get to with that.

Edited July 5, 2013 by Ocean Boy

[Charles4515]

Mostly I read about MTD being full and people having to stick with traditional but I can't say for sure that it never goes the other way. I think that they limit the MTD seating so that everyone who wants traditional can be accommodated.

 

As for the last sentence of your post I have no clue what you are trying to get to with that.

 

I have had to do MTD because the traditional seatings were full.

[Irene7]

We know! There is nothing you can do about it. It's none of your business anyway. I always tip extra......cultural differences. Can you wear shorts while you are stiffing staff in the MDR. Do you pay them in euros? Maybe there can be a public announcement of those who remove their tips from their sea pass. They shouldn't be allowed to cruise. We end up paying more. Oops that's none of MY business. Choose another line cheapo! I believe the coffe is awful. I hate threads about threads.

 

Seriously.......what is the answer? There must be one!

 

 

I agree with what you said, but cruise fares are not based on how much tipping is done, so I don't see how we end up paying more if other passenger's do not tip.

[Irene7]

I don't even notice hat's and shorts in the MDR. If it doesn't affect my cruise, then I could care less. Rude passenger's is what ticks me off, chair hogs and people that smoke where they are not suppose to and don't care. A woman actually told me once that she smokes anywhere she wants on deck late at night and just throws her butts in the trash can. I thought I was going to slap her, but told her that if she wanted to start a fire, then do it at home. I did tip off the crew though, so hopefully they caught her.

[Newtoncruise]

I agree with what you said, but cruise fares are not based on how much tipping is done, so I don't see how we end up paying more if other passenger's do not tip.

 

Hi Irene. You are the only one who understood what I was saying!!!!

 

I figure that the cruise line bases their prices on making a profit. Ie cost deducted from revenue.

 

If a high percentage of people dont pay tips, and the wages of the staff are largely made up of tips, then the cost of the cruise will have to go up to maintain the wage level. The staff will still need paying a certain level whatever. So if everyone tipped as requested/suggested then the cruise prices will remain lower........

 

In the extreme.......if we all decided not to tip then the cruise price would rise. It would have to! So my argument is proportionate.

 

I hope this clarifies my thinking but if you believe I am wrong then I will listen to any counter argument .

It's a very general point but valid I feel.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Newtoncruise

[novicetraveller]

Hi Irene. You are the only one who understood what I was saying!!!!

 

I figure that the cruise line bases their prices on making a profit. Ie cost deducted from revenue.

 

If a high percentage of people dont pay tips, and the wages of the staff are largely made up of tips, then the cost of the cruise will have to go up to maintain the wage level. The staff will still need paying a certain level whatever. So if everyone tipped as requested/suggested then the cruise prices will remain lower........

 

In the extreme.......if we all decided not to tip then the cruise price would rise. It would have to! So my argument is proportionate.

 

I hope this clarifies my thinking but if you believe I am wrong then I will listen to any counter argument .

It's a very general point but valid I feel.

 

Whilst I understand and respect your view, I still believe gratuities should be optional. The moment it becomes compulsory, it becomes a service charge. If that is the direction RCI is going, then fair enough. It won't deter me from cruising with them. It is a psychological thing.

[Within temptation]

Well I believe that most people reward staff for their efforts, though the way RCI do it is wrong in my opinion. People who do not want to prepay gratuities are forewarning the cruise line that they do not want to pay gratuities this way. Yet on Mariner gratuities were added to sea pass accounts without prior consent.

When challenged a sheet of paper was produced at guest relations on the counter. You would be lucky to notice this. Again many people cancelled these charges and arguments at guest relations were common. Never been on a cruise with so many complaints and raised voices, management as well.

 

It is interesting that this sheet was only delivered to the state rooms on the last evening, and not the first. I believe that RCI need to be more open and honest with its guests rather than behind the scenes trickery.

 

We actually paid more tips than expected, but only to the people who genuinely were warranted. Some of the staff were very unhelpful and in some guests views poor on the sailing from Singapore to Shanghai.

[Ocean Boy]

Hi Irene. You are the only one who understood what I was saying!!!!

 

 

You got that right!:D

[Ocean Boy]

In the extreme.......if we all decided not to tip then the cruise price would rise. It would have to! So my argument is proportionate.

 

 

So in that case prices would rise but you would now have the money that you would have spent on tips. Don't you pretty much break even in the end?

[Charles4515]

So in that case prices would rise but you would now have the money that you would have spent on tips. Don't you pretty much break even in the end?

 

The price of the cruise is going to be determined by supply and demand. Profits will be determined by the compensation to the crew and productivity of the crew. The cruise lines keep labor costs down by the gratuity system, paying a low salary and having most of the compensation come out of gratuities. They increase productivity by having monster ships and assigning more work or more hours. That affects profits. Supply and demand is going to determine the price they can sell cabins at. Since cruises are a leisure product, there are other choices, resorts, camping,staycations, etc., raising prices could result in a decrease in profit, if people won't buy at the higher price.

[Cuizer2]

How about the chair hogs who bring there chair to the MDR wearing their hat

 

As long as they are actually using the chair then they are not considered chair hogs. Chair hogs are people who reserve a chair and then don't use it.

[Cuizer2]

Mostly I read about MTD being full and people having to stick with traditional but I can't say for sure that it never goes the other way. I think that they limit the MTD seating so that everyone who wants traditional can be accommodated.

 

I booked a cruise last February that departs next January and I good booted into MTD because traditional was full.

[Cuizer2]

So, to sum up this thread ...

 

There is a pool! There isn't a pool! Yes there is!! No there isn't!!

 

Well, as you can see, there are in fact two pools, but nobody is using them ...

 

[Ocean Boy]

The price of the cruise is going to be determined by supply and demand. Profits will be determined by the compensation to the crew and productivity of the crew. The cruise lines keep labor costs down by the gratuity system, paying a low salary and having most of the compensation come out of gratuities. They increase productivity by having monster ships and assigning more work or more hours. That affects profits. Supply and demand is going to determine the price they can sell cabins at. Since cruises are a leisure product, there are other choices, resorts, camping,staycations, etc., raising prices could result in a decrease in profit, if people won't buy at the higher price.

 

So I guess your point is that if people do not tip it won't cause prices to rise. Good news.;)

Edited July 6, 2013 by Ocean Boy

[Ocean Boy]

I booked a cruise last February that departs next January and I good booted into MTD because traditional was full.

 

You must be cruising on one very popular week. Or maybe RCI is now trying to force more people into MDT. Apparently they really want to get their hands on those pre-paid tips.

[Debde]

I booked a cruise last February that departs next January and I good booted into MTD because traditional was full.

 

Perfect example of why I should be able to opt out of the MDR entirely. I pick it because they make me pick something. Then, I have to go through the hassle of releasing my table or be a d^&* and just not show up ever. Although I have never done that and always released my table, I should have the choice ahead of time so Cuizer2 can have my spot early!!:)

[Cuizer2]

Perfect example of why I should be able to opt out of the MDR entirely. I pick it because they make me pick something. Then, I have to go through the hassle of releasing my table or be a d^&* and just not show up ever. Although I have never done that and always released my table, I should have the choice ahead of time so Cuizer2 can have my spot early!!:)

 

I want late - both both were full. However, it has been ages since I had dinner in the Windjammer (I had a buffet dinner once in February 2008 and I cannot remember the last time I had dinner in the buffer prior to that - so this will be something different for me).

[Charles4515]

So I guess your point is that if people do not tip it won't cause prices to rise. Good news.;)

 

That a certain percentage don't tip is built in. It is a problem for their compensation system if people don't tip. All the cruise lines have now moved to automatic deduction of gratuites. That likely reduces the amount that leaves no tip. If a large number do remove those then they will move to the next step. Either a service charge that can't be removed or everyone prepaying gratuities. Royal Caribbean is already farther along than the other cruise lines. I don't know of any other than their sister line, Celebrity that does prepay gratuities. Prepaid gratuities is a genius solution for them. Not only do they get the gratuities but they get them in advance! And they can still advertise the price of the cruise without showing them. And pay comissions without including them.

[awhcruiser]

If you can't have your own way you won't play?

:rolleyes:

Perfect example of why I should be able to opt out of the MDR entirely. I pick it because they make me pick something. Then, I have to go through the hassle of releasing my table or be a d^&* and just not show up ever. Although I have never done that and always released my table, I should have the choice ahead of time so Cuizer2 can have my spot early!!:)

[Ocean Boy]

If you can't have your own way you won't play?

:rolleyes:

 

As long as she keeps booking cruises I'd say she is still playing.;) Why should she have to jump though hoops to opt out of something that she has no intention of using while at the same time making that space available to someone else. It sounds pretty unselfish to me.

Edited July 6, 2013 by Ocean Boy

[steveru621]

Perfect example of why I should be able to opt out of the MDR entirely. I pick it because they make me pick something. Then, I have to go through the hassle of releasing my table or be a d^&* and just not show up ever. Although I have never done that and always released my table, I should have the choice ahead of time so Cuizer2 can have my spot early!!:)

 

Perfect!

 

What happens is new people have to pick something and late dining is usually available. Not knowing what MTD really is.

 

The dining system reservation procedure seems to be total chaos. When you make any reservation now traditional dining is locked out and they force you to MTD. There is a seat in the MDR for everyone, they just haven't figured out the mix yet. I've seen posts where people have picked traditional dining fully expecting to change to MTD on board. Now I'm stuck at a table where no one shows up?

[Debde]

If you can't have your own way you won't play?

:rolleyes:

 

:confused: What??

Where am I not playing and if you mean eating in the MDR- no way. I won't. and-yes, still cruising so I am still playing.

[Debde]

I want late - both both were full. However, it has been ages since I had dinner in the Windjammer (I had a buffet dinner once in February 2008 and I cannot remember the last time I had dinner in the buffer prior to that - so this will be something different for me).

 

You just may like!! :D

[Charles4515]

Perfect!

 

What happens is new people have to pick something and late dining is usually available. Not knowing what MTD really is.

 

The dining system reservation procedure seems to be total chaos. When you make any reservation now traditional dining is locked out and they force you to MTD. There is a seat in the MDR for everyone, they just haven't figured out the mix yet. I've seen posts where people have picked traditional dining fully expecting to change to MTD on board. Now I'm stuck at a table where no one shows up?

 

They have a computer to figure it out. When they did not have computers traditional seating made sense to the cruise lines. Computer software changes everything. I think Royal would prefer if everyone did MTD. They can turn the tables more and get more productivity out of their dining staff. If they don't eliminate Traditional entirely expect them to make more tables MDR and force a higher percent to MTD. As far as a table with no shows that happens all the time. When they have four or five specialty restaurants they are selling and hyping it happens a lot.