Crew Compensation, Auto-Tips, and Loyalty Status - An Honest discussion

[Loonbeam]

Pretty much - the way it is supposed to work (or so I have been told) is that any cash tips for pooled employees are to be placed in an envelope with the cabin number of the person who provided the tip on the front and sealed. The envelope is given to the purse's officer, who AFTER disembarkation is complete compares it against the list of modified auto tips. If the cabin in question is not on the list, the envelope is initialed by the purser or other officer and given back to the employee unopened. Some pursers may have a slight variance on that procedure I suppose.

 

 

 

I would say it would depend if that person was the one who tipped as they take down a cabin number or numbers.

[Cauzneffct]

They always cruise in the cheapest cabin- I think I know how they manage to cruise so much.

 

Not sure what this has to do with the rest of your discussion (which I agree with). My wife and I also tend to choose inside cabins, but it doesn't impact our tipping (which we tend to do in excess of the 15% for drinks, etc). People choosing to save money is one thing; shafting the staff is another, and they're not necessarily linked.

[Cauzneffct]

We are not in the UK and the cruise staff dont have the protection of UK laws - they rely solely on the "gratuities" although they are the service charge - there is a difference. Saying that we are "British" is no excuse when we are using the services in another jurisdiction. Its the way they are paid. Tipping is a different issue and should be treated separately. The British restaurant includes a service charge within the bill which is obligatory and, of course tipping is discretionary. When in Rome ........

 

That's my take as well. Being aware of a custom and willfully choosing to ignore it on the basis of its not how one does it in their own country is, at best, a lame excuse for proud cheapness if not absurd arrogance. I grew up going to a laid-back church where shorts and sandals were fine; if I go somewhere where that is not acceptable, I adapt. I don't spout off how its not my custom.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Cauzneffct

[Colo Cruiser]

We are not in the UK and the cruise staff dont have the protection of UK laws - they rely solely on the "gratuities" although they are the service charge - there is a difference. Saying that we are "British" is no excuse when we are using the services in another jurisdiction. Its the way they are paid. Tipping is a different issue and should be treated separately. The British restaurant includes a service charge within the bill which is obligatory and, of course tipping is discretionary. When in Rome ........

 

That's my take as well. Being aware of a custom and willfully choosing to ignore it on the basis of its not how one does it in their own country is, at best, a lame excuse for proud cheapness if not absurd arrogance. I grew up going to a laid-back church where shorts and sandals were fine; if I go somewhere where that is not acceptable, I adapt. I don't spout off how its not my custom.

 

 

Excellent post!! :)

[MamaTene]

That's my take as well. Being aware of a custom and willfully choosing to ignore it on the basis of its not how one does it in their own country is, at best, a lame excuse for proud cheapness if not absurd arrogance. I grew up going to a laid-back church where shorts and sandals were fine; if I go somewhere where that is not acceptable, I adapt. I don't spout off how its not my custom.

 

BRAVO for saying what sooo many of us are thinking!!!!

[Wehwalt]

So we follow the tipping customs of Hamilton, Bermuda?

[bhopal21]

So we follow the tipping customs of Hamilton, Bermuda?

 

 

If you travel there, yes.

 

Mike:)

[baldercash]

My compliments to the OP a timely and informative thread.

The other day while speaking with a friend who is a TA I learned she was not aware that for one to attend anytime dinning on Royal Carribean and Celebrity one needs to do prepaid gratuities and that they can not be canceled.

 

I told her I considered anytime dinning on Princess almost punitive if one does not know how to navigate it. I have seen too many people upset and angry waiting in line or handed a beeper like they are at the Cheese Cake Factory plus waite staff and competency can vary from night to night.

 

As a general rule we do prepaid gratuities as well our TA often offers it as a booking perkand my wife enjoys handing out extra cash tips to those who supply exemplary service on the cruise.

I usually tip our room Steward with $20.00 on our 1st meeting after introduction and a cabin explanation and we have specified our requirements and expectations.

 

When Automated Gratuities was 1st introduced on Princess it was stated on threads that staff knew who had prepaid, were paying a daily gratuity and those that had stopped it. There were questions as too whether it impacted on service, this would account for the line up at the service desk the last night with people canceling their gratuities at the end of the cruise not the start.

Having a rating system in place prevents a server from supplying poor service if the cruiser can award a punitive rating to the individual that impacts their overall tip renumeration.

 

On our last X cruise one day our Room Steward was very distraught and we asked if he was okay and he explained one of his cabins had given a negative comment to the front desk something he had never received before.

We did not delve into specifics but he did not believe it was warranted, regardless he was in a panic as he had been called in and warned by the Head of House Keeping that 2 more complaints and he would be demoted.

We were not sure if the demotion meant he would be taken off the Aqua Class level and sent down to work on deck 3 or worse.

 

On our most recent Princess cruise this past fall we had a major service problem in the anytime dinning room which now in hind sight I should have gone to the Service Desk and placed a complaint and cancelled our tip for the day would have been the correct recourse to take.

We were served a basket of bread that had a bun that had a bite out of it, very off putting as they were obviously recycling the table bread from one dinning to the next in the anytime dinning room.

 

We always fill our review cards and on line surveys and take note of the spelling of the names of those we want to compliment.

It is my understanding that letters or emails that are sent to head office they are forwarded to the ship and if complimentary they are posted and read to staff at general meetings to acknowledge exemplary individual service.

[englishbird]

Lots of very judgemental people on this thread. Tips are discretional and if I or anyone elsr chooses to remove them, then that is their business and nobody elses.

 

My partner is a bar steward with Princess and makes very little from auto tips. He makes more from what passengers give him in the envelopes, as bar staff do not have to pool their tips.

 

Crew would much rather a positive comment card about them or a mention on the survey that Princess email you on your return.:D

[CCFC]

I was told the crew are made aware of the people who have removed auto-tips and a list is made available to them, how true this I don't know but I wonder what the purpose of that list is for.

 

I'm from the UK too and leave auto-tips on, hand out Xmas cards to the staff with money in as a GIFT not a tip (whether they had to hand that in I am not sure) and as said before when in Rome.....

[Colo Cruiser]

I was told the crew are made aware of the people who have removed auto-tips and a list is made available to them, how true this I don't know but I wonder what the purpose of that list is for.

 

I'm from the UK too and leave auto-tips on, hand out Xmas cards to the staff with money in as a GIFT not a tip (whether they had to hand that in I am not sure) and as said before when in Rome.....

 

 

Yes a list is provided during the cruise with the names of those who have removed the auto tip.

If you give extra $$ it is a tip not a gift in their world.

[Kabes]

Yes a list is provided during the cruise with the names of those who have removed the auto tip.

 

Really?? That is just asking for trouble. It promotes a circle of fewer tips because anyone who turned it off will probably receive even worse service the next time.

 

I will admit that I had no idea how the tipping service worked until reading this thread and was misinformed at the purser’s desk when I had it removed. We were sick through the majority of our cruise and left the DND sign on our door. I regrettably left cash on the desk at the end of our trip.

 

I tipped the Outriggers crew generously and a couple of the waitresses at the buffet. I also filled out cards for them and provided their names on the online survey.

 

Call me old fashioned but I prefer to hand my tips to my new found friends. IMHO Princess should just charge you more for the cruise and pay their crew accordingly. Calling it an auto-tip leaves room for confusion.

[PescadoAmarillo]

I'm from the UK too and leave auto-tips on, hand out Xmas cards to the staff with money in as a GIFT not a tip (whether they had to hand that in I am not sure) and as said before when in Rome.....

Many crew members are not Christian, and while the money will still be meaningful, the Christmas cards probably won't be.

[tjwa]

As CCFC has asked exactly what is the purpose of the list - passengers to be keel hauled.:eek:

[Loonbeam]

As I understand it, there is no published list per se, but crew can inquire. If the hotel charge is removed for a negative reason, the crew member is informed as soon as practical.

[cantwaitfornextcruise]

Sorry to upset our American cruisers but tipping in America and the UK is a culture thing and totally different where staff working in bars and restaurants already get a minimum wage so are not reliant on tips in the UK. Very few people when going to a "pub" for a drink would think about leaving a tip and some but not all might leave a tip in a restaurant depending on the establishment and the service they get. For what it is worth and I know upsetting a lot of people when we cruise with Princess it is usually on 14nt cruises and to pay for a couple £200 and then add on top 15% tip for every drink is excessive. We remove our tips and then as the whole idea of tips is to give tips for good service received either it be by waiters or cabin stewards and not have it automatically taken whether you have had good service or not. Before everybody jumps on the bandwagon and say you never get poor service on Princess last year we had appalling service in Crown Grill and walked out of meal halfway through the meal with wife in tears, special meal to celebrate a special birthday which is why we booked the cruise.

 

We are from the UK and have NEVER removed the tip and we do tip in restaurants, not pubs as you say - but it is not customary here to buy the bar man/woman a drink - isn't that a form of tip. Princess Cruises is an American Line, when in Rome and all that

 

Sometimes booking with a US TA can be cheaper than the ones in the UK. Deposits are non refundable in the UK and gratuities are the same. There can be drawbacks if anything goes wrong as officially it is not allowed by the cruise lines and any consumer protection we have here would be lost. I can only assume that if an Aussie booked through a US TA then they would have to pay the same gratuities

 

The none refundable deposit rule changed approx 2 years ago, we can now get a refund up to 180 from sailing and get any price drops :D. Unfortunately not many people read the small print or book with TA who ooops forget to tell them that nougat of information

 

May be that's why we never stop the tips because I'm a savvy cruiser :rolleyes:

[Colo Cruiser]

As I understand it, there is no published list per se, but crew can inquire. If the hotel charge is removed for a negative reason, the crew member is informed as soon as practical.

 

There is a list, the supervisors have it.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Really?? That is just asking for trouble. It promotes a circle of fewer tips because anyone who turned it off will probably receive even worse service the next time.

 

I will admit that I had no idea how the tipping service worked until reading this thread and was misinformed at the purser’s desk when I had it removed. We were sick through the majority of our cruise and left the DND sign on our door. I regrettably left cash on the desk at the end of our trip.

 

I tipped the Outriggers crew generously and a couple of the waitresses at the buffet. I also filled out cards for them and provided their names on the online survey.

 

Call me old fashioned but I prefer to hand my tips to my new found friends. IMHO Princess should just charge you more for the cruise and pay their crew accordingly. Calling it an auto-tip leaves room for confusion.

 

If you look at your folio, it's called something else (can't think of the term right now, but I'm sure someone else will).

 

Not sure what this has to do with the rest of your discussion (which I agree with). My wife and I also tend to choose inside cabins, but it doesn't impact our tipping (which we tend to do in excess of the 15% for drinks, etc). People choosing to save money is one thing; shafting the staff is another, and they're not necessarily linked.

 

We usually get insides too, but we have never removed the auto-tip, and often will give an extra one above that.

 

As for one post concerning if you have problems, take down the names of the staff you've dealt with if things aren't resolved. If among all the staff (passengers services desk, hotel manager, even the Captain Circle's rep), things are resolved, then contact Princess at Santa Clarita after your cruise, but with a concise accounting of what you did and the staff you've talked to. But it should be among the level of the shower or toilet not working and not that your ice bucket wasn't filled every day.

[louden]

We always tip and will definitely leave the auto-tip and reward extra those who do a nice job. But this is why I would love to see restaurants and cruise lines just add the tip into the cost (since it technically is anyway) and just pay the staff more. Less hassle, less bookkeeping, and overall happier employees who will probably stay longer.

 

I heartily agree. Having visited Australia and New Zealand where tipping is uncommon because they have a very high minimum wage I wish North America would move in this direction.

[Colo Cruiser]

If you look at your folio' date=' it's called something else (can't think of the term right now, but I'm sure someone else will).[/color']

 

 

Looking at it now, $$NIGHTMGR HC-HOTEL CHAR

[Loonbeam]

Yes, but the crew has to ask. They are not supposed to be posting them or going to a person and saying hey, cabin X removed their tips unless for a specific reason involving that employee.

 

The supervisors get the lists so they can identify issues.

 

That said, I am sure some supervisors are more 'proactive' than others.

 

There is a list, the supervisors have it.

[caribill]

On our most recent Princess cruise this past fall we had a major service problem in the anytime dinning room which now in hind sight I should have gone to the Service Desk and placed a complaint and cancelled our tip for the day would have been the correct recourse to take.

 

We were served a basket of bread that had a bun that had a bite out of it, very off putting as they were obviously recycling the table bread from one dinning to the next in the anytime dinning room.

 

 

I am not sure why you think your cabin steward should receive less tip for that day because there was a problem in the dining room.

[Happy2cruise]

I just consider it part of the cost of the cruise and feel that it makes things very simple for me. If I want to tip extra I can do so and know that the money will go where I wanted it to go. If I don't tip extra I know that staff is still getting tipped without the hassle of having to decide how much to give to the various people.

This is how we do it too! We just consider the gratuities part of the cruise fare and would never think to remove them.

[BrandiGreg]

Many times, the 15% bar gratuity is LESS than I would have paid if I bought a similar drink on land. I normally tip 15-20% for restaurants and bars and round up. If I order a beer for my wife and I, at let's say $4 each (we drink cheap beer), I usually give them $1 tip for each drink. If 15%, that is only 60 cents per beer. SO it is less than a normal tip. In the dining room, similar dinners (prime rib, NY steak, lobster plus dessert) on land might cost $30-40 or more each (depending on location of course), so dinner tip alone would be about $6 per person. That is already half of our daily auto-tip. So, auto-tips are less tips than we would average on a land based vacation of similar quality.

One question I always have had is "What if you tip them with a gift rather than cash? How is that divided up?" In the old days before cell phones, we used to give our cabin steward a $20 calling card that they could use at pay phones ashore to call home, etc. These days, I am wondering about perhaps some candies or something similar.....anyone had experience with non-cash gift giving (on top of auto-tip, of course)?

[Loonbeam]

Items like gift cards are considered cash for purposes of the pool. If you give someone a $20 card and take off the auto tip, they get the card back but $20 is deducted from another cabins tip or similar to go into the pool.

 

At least that's the way its supposed to happen.

 

Food gifts of nominal value are not counted - they are often shared anyway.

 

Many times, the 15% bar gratuity is LESS than I would have paid if I bought a similar drink on land. I normally tip 15-20% for restaurants and bars and round up. If I order a beer for my wife and I, at let's say $4 each (we drink cheap beer), I usually give them $1 tip for each drink. If 15%, that is only 60 cents per beer. SO it is less than a normal tip. In the dining room, similar dinners (prime rib, NY steak, lobster plus dessert) on land might cost $30-40 or more each (depending on location of course), so dinner tip alone would be about $6 per person. That is already half of our daily auto-tip. So, auto-tips are less tips than we would average on a land based vacation of similar quality.

One question I always have had is "What if you tip them with a gift rather than cash? How is that divided up?" In the old days before cell phones, we used to give our cabin steward a $20 calling card that they could use at pay phones ashore to call home, etc. These days, I am wondering about perhaps some candies or something similar.....anyone had experience with non-cash gift giving (on top of auto-tip, of course)?