Fred Osen - Braemar - Gratuities

[Cruzcritik]

That rather ignores the fact that staff are working 7 days a week for the duration of their contract with little or no time off, then have breaks between contracts when they earn nothing at all.

 

Not sure I'd regard that as 'lucrative' but I'm sure it is worth more than they could easily get at home in most cases or they would not choose to work such unsocial hours and such long periods away from their families.

 

Well if you were in Britain -The going rate in the UK is £6.31 per hour. Now times that by 10 hours a day x 30 and you get just under £2000 tax free, which equates to a net income equivalent in the Uk of around £1600 pounds. But you are not in the UK, you are in international waters.

 

As I have said previously this is 3-4 times the salary that they receive at home, so may equate to the spending power of £5,000 - £8,000 per month if you compare prices in Asian small towns and suburbs. Hence a non stop supply of staff. You also have to take into account that in the Middle East and Far east, it is usually a six day week anyway in this trade. They work a maximum of 11 hours a day and do get breaks and lunch off etc. this industry provides a huge outlet to enable people from third world or emerging countries to learn a trade and skill, feed their families well, house them and for the most part children are put through private schooling.in addition most buy or create a business which will pay them a healthy pension. We cannot continually compare their lifestyles with everyone else's in the West . If you want to have staff on your cruise ships having any benefits and similar working hours as the West then you would have to substantially increase the price of your cruise…. after all, we don't go to Mexico, Thailand or China and demand the hotel industry pay Western salaries with benefits. The staff are more than happy with this arrangement..

Edited November 7, 2013 by Cruzcritik

[Cruising Nomads]

Sorry if I am missing the point here. But in comment #11 you worked out that the waiters could on average make £3500 in tips per month.

I presumed that putting that statement on the Fred Olsen section of the forum you were talking about Fred Olsen waiters. Also you mention about being able to remove the tip on Fred Olsen.

In comment #15 you give a breakdown of your workings of the £3500. Which again I presume is regarding tips as against a basic salary as you work on guests per day.

As stated previously in comment #20 you copy a passage per the website which states a figure of £2 for the waiters not £4 per day as used in your calculations in comment #15.

In comment #24 you make the point that your statement is in regards of the staff not being paid `the going rate` by this I presume you mean the basic UK hourly rate. Which I totally agree.

My point is that you then go on to work out an average waiters tips per month at £3500 tax free by doubling the suggested rate. Which I am sure will be well over what a lot of passengers are earning after deductions and therefore would bring a rush to reception to change or even cancel the tips. So I think care must be taken when quoting figures that other people may take as gospel.

[Cruzcritik]

Sorry if I am missing the point here. But in comment #11 you worked out that the waiters could on average make £3500 in tips per month.

I presumed that putting that statement on the Fred Olsen section of the forum you were talking about Fred Olsen waiters. Also you mention about being able to remove the tip on Fred Olsen.

In comment #15 you give a breakdown of your workings of the £3500. Which again I presume is regarding tips as against a basic salary as you work on guests per day.

As stated previously in comment #20 you copy a passage per the website which states a figure of £2 for the waiters not £4 per day as used in your calculations in comment #15.

In comment #24 you make the point that your statement is in regards of the staff not being paid `the going rate` by this I presume you mean the basic UK hourly rate. Which I totally agree.

My point is that you then go on to work out an average waiters tips per month at £3500 tax free by doubling the suggested rate. Which I am sure will be well over what a lot of passengers are earning after deductions and therefore would bring a rush to reception to change or even cancel the tips. So I think care must be taken when quoting figures that other people may take as gospel.

 

1 The reason for comments were based on the comment of "not getting the going rate" as you agree yourself - there is no such thing world wide.

 

2- FO staff do get the £2 per waiter/asst waiter per day, plus extra gratuities if the guest wants to, they may also be entitled to sales commission.

 

3 - I agree the the waiters on FO do not receive £3500 per months but that is the possible total of the gratuities at 100% compliance (some people can go for weeks and leave no tip) As per 15, this is a generic if what waiters can earn in the industry, sorry if it was confusing.

 

4 - I doubt wether the guests will run to reception - FO is still the cheapest gratuity program out there. As you mention yourself it is on the FO website the actual amount paid.

It was not me who mention dyeing able to remove the tip, so you must have read it from someone else.

 

This is in trying dispel the disillusionment that staff from other countries are forced to take poor pay for long hours and no opportunities or further career development. Thats is the point and not the variance that different cruise lines pay staff..

 

I hope this clarifies

Edited November 8, 2013 by Cruzcritik

[Cruising Nomads]

Sorry but you comments do not fully clarify the points you made.

 

You are now stating that the £3500 is a generic figure of what the waiters can earn in the industry but you are posting it on the Fred Olsen section of the forum giving the impression that is what Fred Olsen waiters earn.

 

Regarding point 4 in your latest comment I think if you read comment #11 you say "you can remove it and this will affect the waiters salary but not his service". Also in comment #20 you included a website quote "Please however contact Reception once on board should you wish to vary this amount.

[Cruzcritik]

Sorry but you comments do not fully clarify the points you made.

 

You are now stating that the £3500 is a generic figure of what the waiters can earn in the industry but you are posting it on the Fred Olsen section of the forum giving the impression that is what Fred Olsen waiters earn.

 

Regarding point 4 in your latest comment I think if you read comment #11 you say "you can remove it and this will affect the waiters salary but not his service". Also in comment #20 you included a website quote "Please however contact Reception once on board should you wish to vary this amount.

 

LOl I give up! yes I have clarified that waiters can earn that in the industry,, I am not giving the impression, you are assuming . the FO quite clearly states £2 and I corrected that, So thats clear. now I have better things to do...

Edited November 8, 2013 by Cruzcritik
typos

[jantoby]

Well - that's certainly more comment than I expected when I asked my original question. I've had my answer - thank you.

 

Please can we close this thread now before someone gets hurt by toys being thrown out of prams!

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Well - that's certainly more comment than I expected when I asked my original question. I've had my answer - thank you.

 

Please can we close this thread now before someone gets hurt by toys being thrown out of prams!

Never wise to mention tips on here jantoby. I have had all sorts thrown at me on Celebrity boards :eek::eek::D

[Flamenco98]

It is advisable to state your preference for personal tips and not automatic percentage when you first register at the Purser's Desk when going on board. They will not then add it to your final account which is taken off your credit card. I have done this on every cruise and think it works better. The ship's argument is that all the behind the scenes crew don't actually mix with passengers and may lose out but we don't know how the automatic deductions are shared either, so just choose your own option.

[Flamenco98]

Yes just ask at the Reception Desk when boarding and they will remove the automatic percentage deduction, leaving you free to tip as you wish. I have always done this as the percentage charge is way too high and you do not know how it is shared out. I realise that many crew are never seen but I still want to do my own tipping.

[Marshalltraveler]

On Balmoral, you can ask that the gratuities be taken off your bill at the end of the cruise and you can leave a gratuity to individuals, like cabin stewards, waiters, etc. as you wish.

[jeanlyon]

That is exactly what we do. tips get taken off on the first day and we tip £2.00 per day pp to our steward and the same to the waiters in envelopes. I asked my steward whether he had to hand it in, he said no with a big grin.