Sorry ! Tipping Query....

[CharlesSilver]

To the specific staff who served and looked after us.

[BeachChik]

Automatic gratuities are the minimum amount. If you are looking for excuses not to tip more, then you have it. Sounds like tipping ruins your entire cruise experience.

 

One extreme to the other here. First people saying they won't tip now people saying everyone should tip extra.

 

Everyone IMO should pay the suggested amount. However anything over that is at each persons discretion and not required. I agree with the other poster. The cruise lines have established an amount they feel is fair and provide that amount. Nothing else is expected or required (with the exception of bar and room service tips) and people don't need an excuse to not tip more other than they don't want to or feel it is not necessary.

[Dorset Cruiser]

My list of cruises booked in the US includes several Princess cruises, recently as well.

 

All I can say is that on the Princess boards they say you definitely cannot use a US TA unless you have a US address and you have to use a US credit card. Who knows what is correct! They also say that if you do book through the US, then you do not get the safeguards which we get in the UK such as ABTA cover.

[Big_G]

Glad to see we moved from stiffing the staff to everyone needs to pay more. Just remember, even if you solve the question of proper tipping here on Cruise Critic, you still need to convince the company and staff that there is a problem. :rolleyes:

[cruzeluvr]

To the specific staff who served and looked after us.

So, did you actually tip the specific staff who served and looked after you? If you did actually tip them what you deemed to be appropriate, then I'm not clear on what the dilemma is?:confused:

[cmaygar]

Note that gratuities are included in very high end 5 star lines (i.e. Silversea, Regent, Seabourn, etc.). The commercial lines add on the gratuities charge. The gratuities charge is clearly stated on the website of every line that I've sailed. I've made a practice of pre-paying the gratuity fee so it's nothing to add on to my bill when I sail.

 

It truly is not appropriate to remove the gratuities. Those gratuities are shared with all of the staff in the service areas. We provide additional cash to our cabin steward and outstanding service staff that provide exceptional service.

 

There are so many behind-the-scenes folks that make a cruise great that it's simply not fair to make them suffer because a cruiser decides to tip only those that he/she actually has established a relationship with.

 

Welcome to the Board and welcome to the world of cruising.

[Giorgi-one]

Note that gratuities are included in very high end 5 star lines (i.e. Silversea, Regent, Seabourn, etc.). The commercial lines add on the gratuities charge. The gratuities charge is clearly stated on the website of every line that I've sailed. I've made a practice of pre-paying the gratuity fee so it's nothing to add on to my bill when I sail.

 

It truly is not appropriate to remove the gratuities. Those gratuities are shared with all of the staff in the service areas. We provide additional cash to our cabin steward and outstanding service staff that provide exceptional service.

 

There are so many behind-the-scenes folks that make a cruise great that it's simply not fair to make them suffer because a cruiser decides to tip only those that he/she actually has established a relationship with.

 

Welcome to the Board and welcome to the world of cruising.

 

Totally agree. Note that fares for 5 star lines are generally 2 or 3 times the fare on mass market lines which makes it very easy to include gratuities. By the way, many travel sites provide prepaid gratuities when you book with them. I have received prepaid gratuities on the last 5 cruises I have booked on Celebrity and RCCL.

[CharlesSilver]

So, did you actually tip the specific staff who served and looked after you? If you did actually tip them what you deemed to be appropriate, then I'm not clear on what the dilemma is?:confused:

 

 

There wasn't a dilemma in my view.

Removing the automated "tips" and issuing my own seems to be a heineous crime according to some of the vitriolic responses I've received though

[Giorgi-one]

So, did you actually tip the specific staff who served and looked after you? If you did actually tip them what you deemed to be appropriate, then I'm not clear on what the dilemma is?:confused:

 

Royal Caribbean states that gratuities go to Dining Staff, Stateroom Attendants and Other Housekeeping personnel. Just wonder how one would tip the Other Housekeeping Personnel and people who work in the buffet.

[marielco]

Nope, sorry. Doesn't work that way. They decided I wasn't capable of making my own decision about tipping and therefore included it. As such, I happily will pay WHATEVER they ask me to. And I in turn am happy to not have to think about it again.

 

I'm with you macruisefan. We took tips off last cruise so we could give cash to crew who had served us (adding a little extra where applicable). Having read and taken part in a lot of the discussions on this forum I am now thoroughly confused. From here on in I will leave the pre paid tips untouched and forget about the whole issue after that. Those whom the Cruise line feel should be tipped will receive the amount they feel they should be tipped. End of trying to work out, who? when? how much? Simples......:)

[Paulxyz2004]

All I can say is that on the Princess boards they say you definitely cannot use a US TA unless you have a US address and you have to use a US credit card. Who knows what is correct! They also say that if you do book through the US, then you do not get the safeguards which we get in the UK such as ABTA cover.

 

I don´t know or care what they say on the Princess boards, I know I have cruises booked on Princess with US TA´s without a US address and/or US credit Card.

 

One thing though is true if you book in the US you book under US rules and regulations, so there is noe safeguards like ABTA cover or other EU stuff protecting you.

 

You can´t have it all, it´s everyones personal decision what´s more important to you and where to book.

 

You think those safeguards don´t cost Money? Maybe that´s the reason why sometimes (not always) there can be cheaper offers to be had in the US and why they can get some stuff like Price Drops up until final which you can´t get booking in the US. Just think about it.

[m*u*g*]

Probably tax reasons that tips are not included in cruise cost. It benefits the CL or they wouldn't do it this backwards way.

 

But when they make us pay in advance or add it to our room charges, it ceases to be a tip.

 

Call it what it is. Staff salary.

[CharlesSilver]

Probably tax reasons that tips are not included in cruise cost. It benefits the CL or they wouldn't do it this backwards way.

 

But when they make us pay in advance or add it to our room charges, it ceases to be a tip.

 

Call it what it is. Staff salary.

 

EXACTLY

Tip = Extra Payment not Basic Payment

[tlatrice]

What difference does it make what it's called?

 

I'm trying to figure out what you even wanted to accomplish by starting this whole thread.

 

You ended up tipping anyway, so what was the point of asking?

[JohnSnowGOT]

We used to always tip the recommended amounts and half as much more to our cabin steward and wait staff. Now that it is added we don't tip any extra anymore...........It's cheaper for us this way. Plus I agree with our Irish poster.............no worries anymore we just pay what we are charged and do not give it another thought.

 

The crew does not concern themselves with my income or social economic situation and I do not concern myself with theirs.:)

[CharlesSilver]

What difference does it make what it's called?

 

I'm trying to figure out what you even wanted to accomplish by starting this whole thread.

 

You ended up tipping anyway, so what was the point of asking?

 

It's all there for you in the third paragraph of the original post.

Ignore the digressions within the thread, the biggest clue is in the word "Query"

[Giorgi-one]

We used to always tip the recommended amounts and half as much more to our cabin steward and wait staff. Now that it is added we don't tip any extra anymore...........It's cheaper for us this way. Plus I agree with our Irish poster.............no worries anymore we just pay what we are charged and do not give it another thought.

 

The crew does not concern themselves with my income or social economic situation and I do not concern myself with theirs.:)

 

So you are basically blaming the cruise staff that the cruise line decided to add tips to your account to decrease the number of people who stiffed the cruise staff by not tipping? Yep, that makes a lot of sense to me.

[JohnSnowGOT]

Here's how I put it in a tipping thread a few months ago. Maybe this sums it up a little better:

 

"When it comes to tipping on cruises, I've been broken. I used to care, and I used to tip generously, usually above the standard. Generally that is what I do on land, and I figure why do it any different on cruises. But the fact that it has just become this constant issue has worn me out. So I officially no longer care. I pre-pay the tips, or have them put on my account, or whatever the option is that involves absolutely NO effort on my part, and I'm done with it. I have decided wasting any more of my mental energy on this issue is pointless. The cruise line has told me what is expected, okay, I'll do that. End of story."

 

Yes I am with you !

[Giorgi-one]

Probably tax reasons that tips are not included in cruise cost. It benefits the CL or they wouldn't do it this backwards way.

 

But when they make us pay in advance or add it to our room charges, it ceases to be a tip.

 

Call it what it is. Staff salary.

 

If the cruise lines collect it, it goes thru their books. Problem is that cruise lines do not pay US taxes but, according to statements made today in US Senate, that may soon be changing. Paying in advance actually hurts the staff, since the tip now ends up in salary which is taxed.

[JohnSnowGOT]

So you are basically blaming the cruise staff that the cruise line decided to add tips to your account to decrease the number of people who stiffed the cruise staff by not tipping? Yep, that makes a lot of sense to me.

 

No, No blame.............I am just following the customs and expectations of the cruise industry. Not going to waste any of my precious vacation...I will tip what is asked and life goes on.......without my thinking about tips...because they are paid...:)

[Ifoundmydream]

I'm wondering how much people care about the cruise staff when they are not on a cruise :cool:

 

People could donate a whole load of money to RCCI to give to their staff if they wanted to, year round.

[tlatrice]

It's all there for you in the third paragraph of the original post.

Ignore the digressions within the thread, the biggest clue is in the word "Query"

 

 

Well, I guess my thing is is this: You DID, in fact, tip. So, you did what you were supposed to do. Now, what the cruise line pays them, how the cruise line allocates the auto-gratuities and all that, that's neither here nor there. You were supposed to tip and you tipped. To me, once I give someone something, what they do with it is out of my hands. If you pay the tips to the cruise line, and they don't allocate the monies fairly (and whose to say what that is) then that's between the crew and the cruise line.

 

I don't see where you did anything wrong or penalised anyone and I don't understand how people come to that conclusion. You paid the people who served you.

[DirtyDawg]

Tipping or daily service charge, or whatever they call it is just one on the quirks of the cruise line industry. Sure it's weird but most people who have cruised more than once have gotten used to it. I just do a mental calculation and add the 'tip' to the base fare, along with taxes, and the cost of booze (with the 15%) :eek: etc. to figure out that the cruise will cost us.

[Giorgi-one]

I'm wondering how much people care about the cruise staff when they are not on a cruise :cool:

 

People could donate a whole load of money to RCCI to give to their staff if they wanted to, year round.

 

Really!

[macruisefan]

So you are basically blaming the cruise staff that the cruise line decided to add tips to your account to decrease the number of people who stiffed the cruise staff by not tipping? Yep, that makes a lot of sense to me.

 

No. He's following the guidelines set by the cruise line. I do business with the cruise line and I pay what they tell me to pay. I don't take my car into the shop and then spend time wondering if they are paying the person who cleans the garage enough. I don't fret over how much the mechanic who does the work is getting paid. I do business with the shop. The management (owner, whomever) sets the fee for the work, and if I am amenable to it, we do business. How he pays his staff is up to him. I would imagine if they didn't find it acceptable, they would make it their own issue, not mine.

 

RCI has said "here's how much to tip, and we will automatically charge it". And I say "Great! I'm going to enjoy my cruise!". How hard is that to understand????