Sorry ! Tipping Query....

[peteukmcr]

I'm surprised that many on this thread actually enjoy cruising. You get so hot under the collar and appear so stressed about $12 a day, I mean $12 for goodness sake. For UK cruisers that's approximately £8 a day, that's around £56 for a 7 night sailing.

 

Just pay it, it makes your life so stress free, less complicated and that blood pressure must be lower because you won't be slinging insults at each other over cultural differences. :D

[Dorset Cruiser]

Does it matter whether you're on MTD or not? Ok, you won't pay them upfront unless you're on MTD, but they're still adding them automatically daily to your Seapass account now.

 

Yes they are but you can still remove them and 'stiff' the crew. Thought that was what this thread was all about. Make them mandatory and then there will be no more tipping threads - or will there;)

[CRUISEFAN0001]

I'm surprised that many on this thread actually enjoy cruising. You get so hot under the collar and appear so stressed about $12 a day, I mean $12 for goodness sake. For UK cruisers that's approximately £8 a day, that's around £56 for a 7 night sailing.

 

Just pay it, it makes your life so stress free, less complicated and that blood pressure must be lower because you won't be slinging insults at each other over cultural differences. :D

No kidding!

 

We've always gotten top flight service, and have no hesitation to not only do pre-paid gratuities...but we also add other tips for exception things as we see fit. It's a service business, and these nominal amounts are just that.

[rottiebabe]

Well thanks again cc for making me question my decision to go on a cruise :eek: As I'm new to both cc and cruising I have spent a lot of time looking at various boards as most things discussed including tipping are something "us newbies" need advice/clarification on. One thing that stands out is how rude, obnoxious and opinionated people can be................please someone assure me that our cruise is not going to be full of these people! As newbies we have many questions or opinions that you may have heard before and are sick of hearing.................move on! We all had to cruise for the first time

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Well thanks again cc for making me question my decision to go on a cruise :eek: As I'm new to both cc and cruising I have spent a lot of time looking at various boards as most things discussed including tipping are something "us newbies" need advice/clarification on. One thing that stands out is how rude, obnoxious and opinionated people can be................please someone assure me that our cruise is not going to be full of these people! As newbies we have many questions or opinions that you may have heard before and are sick of hearing.................move on! We all had to cruise for the first time

Your post/questions were valid and appropriate.

 

Just ignore those who choose to chastise and troll.

 

Enjoy your cruise - and do what you think is right.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Well thanks again cc for making me question my decision to go on a cruise :eek: As I'm new to both cc and cruising I have spent a lot of time looking at various boards as most things discussed including tipping are something "us newbies" need advice/clarification on. One thing that stands out is how rude, obnoxious and opinionated people can be................please someone assure me that our cruise is not going to be full of these people! As newbies we have many questions or opinions that you may have heard before and are sick of hearing.................move on! We all had to cruise for the first time

 

We're not like it in public, only on these boards. You will love cruising - we do:D

[Ifoundmydream]

Well thanks again cc for making me question my decision to go on a cruise :eek: As I'm new to both cc and cruising I have spent a lot of time looking at various boards as most things discussed including tipping are something "us newbies" need advice/clarification on. One thing that stands out is how rude, obnoxious and opinionated people can be................please someone assure me that our cruise is not going to be full of these people! As newbies we have many questions or opinions that you may have heard before and are sick of hearing.................move on! We all had to cruise for the first time

 

I love Bridgnorth. Anyway, I'm quite new here and my first question was about tips, being from the UK. I nearly didn't come back after being blasted. but I am ... I'm still here .... There actually is no right and wrong, only what RCCI say, so you can pay up front or pay at the end, whatever you feel you want to do. I will be paying at the end, that's my choice. You will love cruisin!!! and there's some really helpful advice. Beware though, it's hard not to get involved in the bun fights.

[Dorset Cruiser]

I love Bridgnorth. Anyway, I'm quite new here and my first question was about tips, being from the UK. I nearly didn't come back after being blasted. but I am ... I'm still here .... There actually is no right and wrong, only what RCCI say, so you can pay up front or pay at the end, whatever you feel you want to do. I will be paying at the end, that's my choice. You will love cruisin!!! and there's some really helpful advice. Beware though, it's hard not to get involved in the bun fights.

 

You are right about being drawn into the discussions. I always tell myself not to, but then I do:p

 

You have to make your own decisions about things. We used to pay tips at the end as that was what was usual when we first started cruising but then they went to the present system, so we went with the flow. I do sometimes wonder just how much goes to the staff though and how much the company might keep.

[Ifoundmydream]

You are right about being drawn into the discussions. I always tell myself not to, but then I do:p

 

You have to make your own decisions about things. We used to pay tips at the end as that was what was usual when we first started cruising but then they went to the present system, so we went with the flow. I do sometimes wonder just how much goes to the staff though and how much the company might keep.

 

I had the tips removed from P&O last year and paid at the end and I had fab service. Our first cruises were Thomson ones and there was a massive difference between the staff and it was nice to tip the hard working staff. from a UK perspective they do need to sort it out as they advertise the rates excluding the gratuities and in the UK you wouldn't then expect to see it added on as that's not the norm. Clever marketing.

[rottiebabe]

Thanks guys, finally nice people ;). Bridgnorth has been beautiful the last couple of weeks...........full of tourists tho ;):D. I'm still on the fence about the whole prepaid tipping thing. I don't believe that someone who works very hard and goes above and beyond should get the same amount as the person just doing the bare minimum :confused: I know I have the choice of giving extra just think it's a little unfair on some crew if people only pay the prepaid.

[mm1251]

There is absolutely no chance of Celebrity changing the way tips are charged on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

 

:D:D:D:D:D:D D'oh!! Thank you, you are correct! "Senior moment"

[nb125]

Well thanks again cc for making me question my decision to go on a cruise :eek: As I'm new to both cc and cruising I have spent a lot of time looking at various boards as most things discussed including tipping are something "us newbies" need advice/clarification on. One thing that stands out is how rude, obnoxious and opinionated people can be................please someone assure me that our cruise is not going to be full of these people! As newbies we have many questions or opinions that you may have heard before and are sick of hearing.................move on! We all had to cruise for the first time

 

I know exactly what you mean. When I first starting reading these boards I could not believe how many judgemental, intolerant and bigoted people there were, enough to put you off the idea of cruising altogether if representative. I soon realised, however, that there are many other people who answer politely and imformatively however many times a question has been asked.

 

Keep asking, the important thing is to get the information you need to plan your cruise and ignore the bigots.

[Paulxyz2004]

This was a European cruise, marketed in the UK - why would USA culture play any part in customer habits or perception?

 

That´s probably why the onboard currency was USD:rolleyes:

[Paulxyz2004]

They could also do away with the system which allows US passengers to take advantage of price drops. This perk is not, in the main, available to UK, European and Australian passengers which means that, in effect, we are subsidising the cruise prices offered to US passengers :(

 

 

I don´t see anyone subsidising cruise Prices offered to US passengers. It´s simply different markets with different rules and regulations as well. T&C´s are apples to oranges and thus Prices can´t be compared directly.

Nobody forces you to book in the UK or respective home Country. I´m from a european Country as well not the UK though and always book my Cruises in the US. No big deal, just a decision you Need to make.

[Dorset Cruiser]

I don´t see anyone subsidising cruise Prices offered to US passengers. It´s simply different markets with different rules and regulations as well. T&C´s are apples to oranges and thus Prices can´t be compared directly.

Nobody forces you to book in the UK or respective home Country. I´m from a european Country as well not the UK though and always book my Cruises in the US. No big deal, just a decision you Need to make.

 

You are not allowed to book with a US travel agent, that is contravening the rules, so yes I am forced to book in the UK. You are supposed to give a US address to book through a travel agent in the US. I prefer to follow the rules.

[caribbean sailor]

Well explained. Whilst some cultures may find it offensive to not pay the gratuities, I find it offensive that employers expect their staff to rely on gratuities. I don't know what the law is, but I find it appalling that a ship sails around Europe marketing cruises for one price and expecting travellers to make up salaries so the company doesn't need to pay so much.mAs yes you are right, I would tip more in countries where tipping was a normal part of life. It is a cultural thing.

 

The only reason I will pay these gratuities up front is so that I can choose my time dining, and even then I'm uneasy about it and I'm sure I could get them removes if I so wish. I am not stiffing, I am not np being mean, but I prefer to pay a different way, and i will carry on doing so, as is my wish.

 

I also find it offensive that Royal Caribbean gives their staff a raise in pay thru gratuities that we pay.But they continue to pay the same fifty dollars a month to staff.DON'T EXPECT ME TO PAY YOUR EMPLOYEES. You pay them i will tip them. :mad:

[Wilda]

Took the advice from fellow passengers of removing the statutory $12 per day tips from my account

 

for the record, I didn't withdraw the tips, nor "stiff" anyone

 

Not sure if you realize it...but you are now contradicting yourself:rolleyes:

[Irene7]

Thanks

Nice to have a sensible answer - Lesson learnt for me - but no doubt many many others made the same call. Even if they weren't called tips it would help, to me a tip is an EXTRA payment, not a basic payment

 

 

Basically for us, it is extra payment but for the workers, it is basic since the money they receive as pay from cruise lines, hotels, restaurants etc is much below minimum wage. As some resorts, at least in my area, tips are added to your bill and it is mandatory and can not be removed and must be paid on the day of arrival, but by the same token, you could lose a lot of good service if the workers are assured that they will receive the money regardless of how good their service is. Kind of a double edged sword.:)

[Paulxyz2004]

You are not allowed to book with a US travel agent, that is contravening the rules, so yes I am forced to book in the UK. You are supposed to give a US address to book through a travel agent in the US. I prefer to follow the rules.

 

Show me that rule please.

I have never ever given a US address to anyone, because I have none.

 

Those bookings are under my real address and the Minute I get the confirmation I go online to the cruiselines Website and all my Information including my real address is there. The cruise line is fully Aware of what I´m doing and does not seem to have a Problem with this, nor have they told me at any Point it would be against a rule. They even sell me NCC´s onboard in USD, linked to my US TA and carrying my home address.

 

I´m someone to stick to the rules as well, but there is no rule against booking with an US TA.

[topnole]

Lets remember why we tip. To reward good/great service. That is why in the US service blows away European countries. I've been to many and it isn't even close. If the ships just added it all in there could be an unintended consequence of lower quality service. I've been to enough non/low tipping countries to know what it does to service. Also I'm sure on avg they know they will get stiffed by x% of people each cruise and probably know what they make in a given month or two. I for one am fine with how they structure it and they are very clear in communicating it.

[caribbean sailor]

Yes they are but you can still remove them and 'stiff' the crew. Thought that was what this thread was all about. Make them mandatory and then there will be no more tipping threads - or will there;)

 

Do you not think Royal Caribbean is stiffing the the crew paying them fifty Dollars a Month? :) :confused: And expecting you to pay their salary.Seems like a good deal for Royal.

[Ifoundmydream]

Lets remember why we tip. To reward good/great service. That is why in the US service blows away European countries. I've been to many and it isn't even close. If the ships just added it all in there could be an unintended consequence of lower quality service. I've been to enough non/low tipping countries to know what it does to service. Also I'm sure on avg they know they will get stiffed by x% of people each cruise and probably know what they make in a given month or two. I for one am fine with how they structure it and they are very clear in communicating it.

 

Apparently, some people tip so that waiters and bar staff don't spit in their drinks. I like to think that generally people are nice and won't do that. I've been to enough none European countries too and sorry I don't agree that the service in tipping countries is any better at all, in fact, I find it unbearably two faced sometimes.

 

Each to their own, I will tip at the end and not even en route, and if my service isn't good enough on my cruise I will simply say so. I don't need to flirt around with wads of cash and a wink or add a hefty tip in order for people to not spit in my drink. I find handing out bits of money very humiliating and degrading to the staff and embarrassing to me. But that's my culture.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Show me that rule please.

I have never ever given a US address to anyone, because I have none.

 

Those bookings are under my real address and the Minute I get the confirmation I go online to the cruiselines Website and all my Information including my real address is there. The cruise line is fully Aware of what I´m doing and does not seem to have a Problem with this, nor have they told me at any Point it would be against a rule. They even sell me NCC´s onboard in USD, linked to my US TA and carrying my home address.

 

I´m someone to stick to the rules as well, but there is no rule against booking with an US TA.

 

As you manage to book in the US, I presume you get the price drops so may be I am subsidising you as well ;)

[Ifoundmydream]

Do you not think Royal Caribbean is stiffing the the crew paying them fifty Dollars a Month? :) :confused: And expecting you to pay their salary.Seems like a good deal for Royal.

 

Hurray. Like. Absolutely. Some of these staff must feel so desperate but they need to make customers feel so superior to get a decent wage.

[dplusd]

Do you not think Royal Caribbean is stiffing the the crew paying them fifty Dollars a Month? :) :confused: And expecting you to pay their salary.Seems like a good deal for Royal.

 

I don't think a company using US standards for service industry compensation is stiffing the crew. This is no different than the thousands of waiters in the US who receive their compensation from customary tips.

 

I think it is only a problem for the crew when a cruiser removes the auto-gratuity either because they are cheap, or come from a culture with a different compensation model for service industry employees.

 

For the sake of the hard working crew, I hope they make removal of auto-gratuities difficult if not impossible.