Yet another tipping question

[CrusinCouple]

Hi all...I am an American who currenlty lives in Australia. First I will clarify, I have no problem tipping and usually do tip individually on top of the automatic tips (room stewards, servers, etc). My daughter recently cruised on the Celebrity from Australia to New Zealand. She was told that she should remove auto tip (she did tip individually) as it was "built into her cruise fare" as Australians do not customarily tip. I questioned this and was told by Celebrity that the fare was higher to compensate for this for the Australia market. I was told that Carnival does it for its Australia guests as well...

 

My question is now, we are planning a cruise on HAL (Singapore to Hong Kong). I live in Australian, booked via HAL in Australia and paid the fare in AU dollars.

 

So...does anyone know if HAL does the same thing as Celebrity and Carnival?

 

I'm happy to tip and will do so either way, just don't want to have auto tip if it's built into my fare.

 

Regards

[PASSENGERES]

The auto tip is not built into the cruise fare on HAL. There is a daily charge to your on board account of US$ 12 per person for tips, (known as hotel service charge) and any additional tips may be given in cash.

[jtl513]

If you price the cruise anonymously (i.e. without logging in and giving a Mariner number) is it the same? That might not work, since it may "geolocate" you. Tell us the cruise ship, date, and cabin type and we'll get a US anonymous price for you.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have not heard of any of the Australian people here saying that the Hotel Service Charge for the cruises in that area.

[Topsham]

On some cruise lines that passengers from Australia are booked on, yes, the auto tip is included in the cruise fare. You need to contact your travel agent... be it agent or cruise line and ask them to clarify the situation... in WRITING. Take this with you. You will not get a straight answer from anyone once you board the ship because they will only give you the standard answer that is given to N. American passengers.

 

Stephen

[ellieanne]

I would definitely talk to your travel agent. I am an American living in Australia as well and when I was looking to book my upcoming cruise, it was suggested that I book through my US travel agent, and pay with my US credit card to avoid higher fees imposed on Australians. The higher fees are either paid up-front with the cruise fare, or have been charged at the time of check-in pier-side. I never enquired as to whether these higher fees included the Hotel Service Charge, because I had the option of making a US booking, but I will definitely ask in the future.

[sail7seas]

If you price the cruise anonymously (i.e. without logging in and giving a Mariner number) is it the same? That might not work, since it may "geolocate" you. Tell us the cruise ship, date, and cabin type and we'll get a US anonymous price for you.

 

That is the best but, of course, it gets muddied as we've read here how two people have priced the same cruise in order to travel together. One is a one star mariner and gets a lower price than the other who might be three star. Sometimes! We've heard how people living in the same state, booking at the same time, get different prices. To determine whether a possibly higher price is because OP is in Australia and the price might be higher due to HSC being included in the fare is almost impossible to be sure about.

 

If OP wants to give her Mariner number and date of sailing, someone in the states could do a test booking and see if they get a different price.

 

OP,,,,,, if you know and trust someone to do that, as far as I can see it is the only way to know for sure the price is different for Australians BUT keep in mind, as I commented above, we've read where two sisters, in U.S., living down the street from each other have gotten different prices. A test booking would give you some idea though.

 

Speaking to TA, IMO, is not necessarily absolute to be accepted as fact. They may have trade confidences, motivations etc why you do not get the 'whole story'. Call me a cynic. :o

 

 

[jtl513]

One is a one star mariner and gets a lower price than the other who might be three star.

This is why I suggested doing it anonymously ... no Mariner number ... no stars ... compared against "no stars" in Australia. But that wouldn't rule out the possibility of area promotions in the US. It a few of us from different parts of the US do it, that variance could probably could be eliminated too. Edited July 17, 2013 by jtl513

[Barkevko]

My question is now, we are planning a cruise on HAL (Singapore to Hong Kong). I live in Australian, booked via HAL in Australia and paid the fare in AU dollars.

 

So...does anyone know if HAL does the same thing as Celebrity and Carnival?

 

I'm happy to tip and will do so either way, just don't want to have auto tip if it's built into my fare.

 

Regards

 

 

Other than our first cruise in 1991 when we met, all of our HAL cruises have been booked from Australia. HAL charges us the Hotel Service Charge as for any other passenger. Yes, our fares will be different that those quoted in the US for a variety of reasons. I've have friends here who used to book through a US travel agent but are no longer able to. Also as an American now living in Australia, I'm surprised anyone here could have a US bank account, etc. without living in the US unless they are here on a temporary posting and will be returning to the US - used to be able to have an account there until the financial services laws changed but that is an entirely different story.

[Randyk47]

Maybe this isn't exactly the right or correct thread but I wish HAL would just roll the hotel service charge (aka tips or gratuities) into the basic fare get it over with. To me it's like the old Fram oil filter ads with their "pay me now or pay me later" slogan. Barring just horrible service, which I've personally only experienced once in a dozen cruises with one person on HAL, I don't see the need to show it as a separate charge that can be removed by the passenger. That may not be very popular here but that's how I feel. Our cruise last year, not on HAL, was a "tips included" fare, actually stated in terms of them paying higher than average salaries, and the cruise line strongly discourages tipping. If you insist on tipping then the line suggests you give the tip to the "crew fund" that is used for crew parties, crew member emergencies, etc. Our cruise next year is on Seabourn which is also a "no tips expected or required" line so it's not like it there isn't some experience with that approach under the larger Carnival Corporation umbrella.

[arewethereyet]

I don't know if this sheds any light on pricing, but....I went into the HAL site frrom a Florida IP address and got US pricing on that Singapore to HK cruise. Then I cleared my HAL cookies and went back in using an IP address in Sydney. The pricing on the cruise was in Aussie $ and reflected the US pricing exactly, given the current exchange rate.

 

Are you getting something different?

[barriedavis]

I am sure it will not help but the CD on last week's Ryndam cruise specifically said at the disembarkation briefing that the hotel service charge meant that any decisions on tipping were removed from the passenger. No mention of any additional tips in cash. I think there are issues regarding the different conventions arising with certain nationalities who believe they must/must not tip. Those paying the service charge feel that they must tip above it and this makes it difficult for everyone else who pays the charge alone.

[CaveDiving]

I have been told directly by agents of Holland America that the Australian price for a cruise is assuredly higher than the US price for the same cruise. And the reason for this is specifically because so many Australians choose to eliminate the HSC.

 

This is why HAL attempts to prevent Australians from booking cruises using a US address and a US travel agent.

 

Scott & Karen

[jtl513]

I have been told directly by agents of Holland America that the Australian price for a cruise is assuredly higher than the US price for the same cruise. And the reason for this is specifically because so many Australians choose to eliminate the HSC.

So the Australians who don't remove the HSC on board are paying twice! :eek:

[sail7seas]

This is why I suggested doing it anonymously ... no Mariner number ... no stars ... compared against "no stars" in Australia. But that wouldn't rule out the possibility of area promotions in the US. It a few of us from different parts of the US do it, that variance could probably could be eliminated too.

 

 

I agree the best way to 'test' the pricing is to have several people from different parts of U.S. and Canada check the price anonymously and then compare to the anonymous pricing done by someone in Australia. Could do the same for someone in GB as I suspect their pricing also could be higher for HSC. We really don't know until we do something of an in depth comparison.

[rafinmd]

Maybe this isn't exactly the right or correct thread but I wish HAL would just roll the hotel service charge (aka tips or gratuities) into the basic fare get it over with. To me it's like the old Fram oil filter ads with their "pay me now or pay me later" slogan. Barring just horrible service, which I've personally only experienced once in a dozen cruises with one person on HAL, I don't see the need to show it as a separate charge that can be removed by the passenger. That may not be very popular here but that's how I feel. Our cruise last year, not on HAL, was a "tips included" fare, actually stated in terms of them paying higher than average salaries, and the cruise line strongly discourages tipping. If you insist on tipping then the line suggests you give the tip to the "crew fund" that is used for crew parties, crew member emergencies, etc. Our cruise next year is on Seabourn which is also a "no tips expected or required" line so it's not like it there isn't some experience with that approach under the larger Carnival Corporation umbrella.

 

Was that a luxury line? The difference there is that they do not need to compete on price. When HAL's head to head competitors do not include tips/HSC in the fare, doing so on their own would make it harder to sell their cruises. Since it seems certain that all cruise lines as a group will never roll this into their fares without government intervention, what I would like to see happen is the HSC treated like port charges... An extra that's listed and not removable.

 

Roy

[Randyk47]

Was that a luxury line? The difference there is that they do not need to compete on price. When HAL's head to head competitors do not include tips/HSC in the fare, doing so on their own would make it harder to sell their cruises. Since it seems certain that all cruise lines as a group will never roll this into their fares without government intervention, what I would like to see happen is the HSC treated like port charges... An extra that's listed and not removable.

 

Roy

 

Yes, last year's cruise was on Silversea. At some level I understand HAL not including the HSC in the basic fare because their competition isn't and it would make their cruises look more expensive. On the other hand maybe the government ought to step in because it is a little misleading. Your idea about showing it as a separate non-removable fee works for me. :)

[arewethereyet]

I agree the best way to 'test' the pricing is to have several people from different parts of U.S. and Canada check the price anonymously and then compare to the anonymous pricing done by someone in Australia. Could do the same for someone in GB as I suspect their pricing also could be higher for HSC. We really don't know until we do something of an in depth comparison.

Like I posted, I checked prices on HAL with an US IP address and an Australian IP address. The HAL site recognized that I was in Australia. The price in Australian dollars was equivalent to the US price.

[catl331]

Like I posted, I checked prices on HAL with an US IP address and an Australian IP address.

How do you do that? :confused:

[arewethereyet]

How do you do that? :confused:

I use a proxy service like Witopia. It lets me connect through almost anywhere in the US, or anywhere in the world. I connect through Sydney, delete my HAL cookies (just so they have no idea who I am), then as far as they know, I am a person unknown to the residing in Australia. My wife uses it all the time through London so she can get all the BBC programming that is blocked to people outside the UK. It works flawlessly. It's easy - just a few clicks of the mouse and you are somewhere else.

[sail7seas]

Do you have to pay a provider fee to Witopia?

[arewethereyet]

Do you have to pay a provider fee to Witopia?

Yes, I pay $50 per year. For that, only one computer can be using the service at a time in your household. DW uses it almost exclusively in our house. I only use it for special stuff, like what was discussed here. Otherwise, she is on the proxy, and I'm on my normal connection. It's a great service, IMO.

Edited July 17, 2013 by arewethereyet

[sail7seas]

Thanks so much for mentioning it. I had no idea such a thing existed.

The things we learn on CC. :)

[Typhoon1]

I thought the auto tip was always applied fleet wide.

[Randyk47]

I thought the auto tip was always applied fleet wide.

 

It is.