WOW ! Up To 400 People Remove Gratuities

[Keel Haul]

Just pay the staff on the ship a proper living wage!

 

Not paying such a wage is degrading and inhumane.

 

Where I live (Australia) it is also not legal

 

If anyone is "stiffing" anyone its the cruise lines failing to pay its staff and expecting you as a customer to pay for its staff in addition to your cruise fare.

 

What I would like to see is a cruise fare that is structured to ensure all staff get paid a proper wage , the current "TIP" is no such thing , it is an on board semi mandatory service charge.

 

Its not an honest way to do things.

 

A cruise fare that honestly covers the true costs is what should be offered.

 

 

Best regards

John

Bravo!

NB for those that bypass prepayment and give cash, this may cause a good cash earner to be "held up" by those he/she relies on to be able to provide excellent service to the chickens.

[pfm18]

Personally I think, no massive gratuities, no "service charge", no mandatory tips, the answer lies in what Australia has done.

 

 

Simply make the cruise more expensive. Now they want $12 plod so instead of charging you $1000 for your 7 night cruise, it would cost $1084.

 

It won't be labelled as a "service charge", it will simply be higher prices.

 

 

RCI can use this extra money to pay their staff properly.

 

Then passengers can offer small cash gratuities to reward the staff members who go above and beyond.

[Yillup]

I agree. Australia has struck such a good balance in the service industry.

 

People are paid a wage that is perfectly livable. If a person in a service industry gives exceptional service they can supplement their income with tips. It's an extra. A "bonus" for being so good at their job.

 

If a cruise company pays their staff a reasonable wage, the price of the cruise will increase slightly, and the living conditions of their staff will increase. The staff won't lose the drive to please the customer - tips will be a great extra! Those who perform exceptionally will be rewarded, you'll get the best staff possible - those with a great customer focus.

 

You know, I love living in Australia.

 

Until the rest of the world catches up, I'll have the gratuities added automatically and reward that who treat me exceptionally well. Hopefully the rest of the world will catch up eventually...

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

[Ausmo]

I agree. Australia has struck such a good balance in the service industry.

 

People are paid a wage that is perfectly livable. If a person in a service industry gives exceptional service they can supplement their income with tips. It's an extra. A "bonus" for being so good at their job.

 

If a cruise company pays their staff a reasonable wage, the price of the cruise will increase slightly, and the living conditions of their staff will increase. The staff won't lose the drive to please the customer - tips will be a great extra! Those who perform exceptionally will be rewarded, you'll get the best staff possible - those with a great customer focus.

 

You know, I love living in Australia.

 

Until the rest of the world catches up, I'll have the gratuities added automatically and reward that who treat me exceptionally well. Hopefully the rest of the world will catch up eventually...

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

 

This comment has it nailed - +1 for me!

 

Erik

[asylum575]

You might think that tipping "up front" on RCI is giving you an edge...but more often that's not the case....Did you ever think that you might be insinuating that they are going to give you poor service unless you "grease" their palm...

 

I think to feel you need to do this to the Maitre'd is a bit demeaning to his position onboard. The crew/staff of RCI is there to make sure you have an amazing cruise...Relax...offer your gratuities when they are expected and not considered a bribe for service...After many many years of loyally cruising with RCI, I personally have never felt the need to do this and am sorry you have.. ;)

 

For the record. I have had requests fulfilled without tipping. I worked in the restaurant business years ago and know how crazy it can get. Actually, I've always been impressed with how the MDR works. That being said, I always say "thank you". I may be wrong, but I don't think they make that much and it's how I show appreciation.

 

BTW, I wear a tux on formal night and never put a towel on a lounge chair at 7am and remove it at 5pm without actually sitting in it.

In fact, I may actually say "Good Morning" TO YOU in the elevator without ever meeting you.

I guess I'm the type of cruiser many on this board will avoid. :eek:

[EVALUATOR]

In fact, I may actually say "Good Morning" TO YOU in the elevator without ever meeting you.

:

 

So you're the one leaving the happy faces on the mirrors in the elevators.:D

[Newtoncruise]

This comment has it nailed - +1 for me!

 

Erik

 

Me too.....let's play catch up

[aquanaut1]

On our last cruise we paid our gratuities on our account and that seemed to work fine . We tipped the suite steward and head waiter and maitre d the suggested gratuity and a bit more . But our regular table waiter was awful so we did give him gratuity but only a small amount as we didn't feel he deserved it .

Some people may frown on this but I'm sorry he really did not deserve it !!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[trojan3000]

On our last cruise we paid our gratuities on our account and that seemed to work fine . We tipped the suite steward and head waiter and maitre d the suggested gratuity and a bit more . But our regular table waiter was awful so we did give him gratuity but only a small amount as we didn't feel he deserved it .

Some people may frown on this but I'm sorry he really did not deserve it !!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

What are the suggested gratuities for the waiter, head waiter, assistant waiter, room steward.

Thanks

[NorbertsNiece]

What are the suggested gratuities for the waiter, head waiter, assistant waiter, room steward.

Thanks

 

That's a really good question.... I've had a look at the UK site and am having difficulty finding them now.... they used to be there but I guess with the new system they have removed them :rolleyes:

[Clarea]

What are the suggested gratuities for the waiter, head waiter, assistant waiter, room steward.

Thanks

These were the amounts just before March 2013:

 

$5.00pp per day for Housekeeping Staff ($7.25 if in a GS or above)

$3.75pp per day for Waiter

$2.15pp per day for Assistant Waiter

$0.75pp per day for Head Waiter

Total: $11.65pp per day ($13.90pp per day if booked in a GS or above)

 

 

This past March, the total was raised $0.35 per day.

[Towncar T]

I agree. Australia has struck such a good balance in the service industry.

 

People are paid a wage that is perfectly livable. If a person in a service industry gives exceptional service they can supplement their income with tips. It's an extra. A "bonus" for being so good at their job.

 

If a cruise company pays their staff a reasonable wage, the price of the cruise will increase slightly, and the living conditions of their staff will increase. The staff won't lose the drive to please the customer - tips will be a great extra! Those who perform exceptionally will be rewarded, you'll get the best staff possible - those with a great customer focus.

 

You know, I love living in Australia.

 

Until the rest of the world catches up, I'll have the gratuities added automatically and reward that who treat me exceptionally well. Hopefully the rest of the world will catch up eventually...

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

 

I don't know anything about Australia, but we have had minimum wage legislation in all industries for quite some time now, so no catching up needed here. Also, Thomson Cruises, which has a predominantly British clientelle has no mandatory tipping last time I cruised with them. No gratuities were added either to our bar bill or our cruise cost and you only tip if service is exceptional. I absolutely agree that all cruise lines should pay their staff a proper wage and not rely on the generosity of passengers, but while maritime law allows shipping lines to sail under flags of convenience it will never happen. Coming from a seafaring city I know only too well that seafarers have always been given a bad deal right across the world.

[spookwife]

Why jump to the conclusion that everyone who has pre paid gratuities removed does it to avoid paying any tips? We had ours removed from our Sea Pass on our recent cruise because we preferred to give the cash directly to the crew members who had served us personally. They got the recommended tips plus a little extra.

 

yes many people claim this is why they remove the tips.

 

doesn't mean this is the normal practice or that it is done consistently or fairly. for everyone that swears on their sainted mother's grave that they pay in cash directly( more than recommended )very loudly on these and other websites, there are probably just as many who do not actually follow through on that claim.

 

there are lines that do make it a non removable charge.. they just couch it in higher base fares and then advise the passengers that tipping is not required.

[swoonx]

Why jump to the conclusion that everyone who has pre paid gratuities removed does it to avoid paying any tips? We had ours removed from our Sea Pass on our recent cruise because we preferred to give the cash directly to the crew members who had served us personally. They got the recommended tips plus a little extra.

 

Same on my last cruise. I did not know that there is a new system and asked for envelopes. But on future cruises I will pay the gratuities via Sea Pass.

[packedandready]

Seems it would be easier to just add them as a "service fee", similar to the "resort fees" added to many hotel rooms.

[04cruises]

Why do tipping posts get so ugly.Since we don't know who is telling the truth about how they tip, what is the use of going over and over the same nastiness.Personally,we give our cabin steward $500,00.00 and our waiters $50,000.00 each.

[Doug R.]

Why do tipping posts get so ugly.Since we don't know who is telling the truth about how they tip, what is the use of going over and over the same nastiness.Personally,we give our cabin steward $500,00.00 and our waiters $50,000.00 each.

 

Cheapskate!!!! :D

[aquanaut1]

On rccl it's on their website

Suite attendant: $7.25 USD a day per guest

Stateroom attendant: $5.00 USD a day per guest

Dining Room Waiter: $3.75 USD a day per guest

Assistant Waiter: $2.15 USD a day per guest

Headwaiter: $0.75 USD a day per guest

 

I think it varies from cruise line to cruise line though

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Royals Carol]

My buddy is on the AOS at the moment and has a friend in GS.

 

On the current AOS sailing at 11.59pm last night (9 days into the 12 day cruise) 124 people (not staterooms) had asked for all gratuities to be removed from their Seapass accounts. His friend at GS said they also expect more people to request this tommorrow (the last day before disembarkation) as people tend to do it last minute as they assume their stateroom attendant/waiter/asst waiter won't find out (that's shocking and dishonest !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - that makes my blood boil :mad:)

 

Interestingly she did say that despite this happening with sometimes up to 400 passengers per cruise, there are now a lot more gratuities being paid than under the old system. Many more people would not pre-pay gratuities and then not pay anything in cash while on the cruise under the old way of administering gratuities. She said the worst cruises for this used to be the 6 day Caribbean sailings.

 

WOW ! :eek:

 

That is extremely selfish of these people. Wow!! If a person has a problem with the service, complain, but make sure it is not you in a bad mood but instead the person doing the service. Unbelievable!!! There are no words to describe how horrible this is..

[awhcruiser]

I agree. What a bunch of ingrates!

That is extremely selfish of these people. Wow!! If a person has a problem with the service, complain, but make sure it is not you in a bad mood but instead the person doing the service. Unbelievable!!! There are no words to describe how horrible this is..

[Newtoncruise]

I think that this current discretionary tipping system should be abolished. It should be replaced with a service charge and that should be compulsory. It should be part of the cruise price so globally the vacation can be marketed on a like for like basis from continent to continent. We would all know exactly what we are paying an that we are all paying the same. Unlike now!

 

Different tipping cultures around the world not be offended by each other and the staff would get a basic living wage.

 

Then as we will still be in a service related tipping environment with no actual obligation to tip .......the servers will benefit. They will still get tips for good service. Maybe not for doing a mediocre job but service levels would soar as more money can be made with excellent service.

 

I would be far happier if this was the system.

[Keel Haul]

I don't know anything about Australia, but we have had minimum wage legislation in all industries for quite some time now, so no catching up needed here. Also, Thomson Cruises, which has a predominantly British clientelle has no mandatory tipping last time I cruised with them. No gratuities were added either to our bar bill or our cruise cost and you only tip if service is exceptional. I absolutely agree that all cruise lines should pay their staff a proper wage and not rely on the generosity of passengers, but while maritime law allows shipping lines to sail under flags of convenience it will never happen. Coming from a seafaring city I know only too well that seafarers have always been given a bad deal right across the world.

I never disagree with a fellow scouser. America also has a min wage, well apart from waiting staff so when you go to your local "outback" restaurant and find they pay $2.50 an hour you can understand why the poor beggars are so subservient and hidden camera prog about spitting in food are common.

My wife started her career as a salaried assistant Maitre D with Celebrity.The stories she and her friends tell about the "TREATMENT" given to obnoxious chickens are amazing.:eek:

Edited June 24, 2013 by Keel Haul

[ryano]

Im not surprised. Carnival, as far as i know, has always billed them to your onboard account. On my first cruise I went on with them, "friends" went to Guest Services and while they didnt totally have them removed, they DID have them cut in half :mad: Their reasoning was they felt like that was too much money :rolleyes: Mind you it was only a 5 night cruise and at that time gratuities were only 10.00 per person per day so 100.00 total for the whole cruise.

 

I was pretty mad about it all and told them how I felt. I wont be cruising with them again.

[Newtoncruise]

I never disagree with a fellow scouser. America also has a min wage, well apart from waiting staff so when you go to your local "outback" restaurant and find they pay $2.50 an hour you can understand why the poor beggars are so subservient and hidden camera prog about spitting in food are common.

My wife started her career as a salaried assistant Maitre D with Celebrity.The stories she and her friends tell about the "TREATMENT" given to obnoxious chickens are amazing.:eek:

 

I'm a fellow scouser too. No wirral jokes please......Tell us some stories........About chicken treatment!!!!!

[Keel Haul]

Disclaimer, my wife sailed with several lines from 89 to 99.

In those days in the Caribbean you could buy pure crystal powder Phenolphthalein. This was used at breakfast when the chicken were going on a nice long tour, it made the tour run smoothly.:)