Tips- who gets them and how much is included in the price we pay?

[Flopsy]

I know that Thomson advertise their cruises with 'all tips included' but I often wonder how much of the price we pay is allocated to tips?

 

I asked a waitress on the Dream if they got these tips- she said they do but it is dependent on how many passengers are on board and the total is divided between everybody working on the ship so they 'just get a little amount'.

 

We gave our cabin boy £20 which he seemed delighted with, and the same to our favourite waitresses. Someome told us the staff earn six times the pay they could earn back home in the Phillipines, I don't know how true it is?

 

Flopsy

[WeeCountyMan]

I've no idea how the tips are calculated or distributed.

 

I understand that on other lines the "naval" (for want of a better name) section of the crew that sail and maintain the vessel do not share in the tips.

 

I was told that was the case for Princess, so I assume it's an industry norm.

[kruzseeka]

What you have said Flopsy very much agrees with what I have been told or believe to be the case from snippets we've picked up over the years. We too tip our cabin steward and waiters if we have the same table all holiday which we usually do, so I think the staff who come face to face with the passengers probably do quite well with their extra tips.

 

They work so hard though and have to spend so long away from their families that you have to feel for them but there's no doubt they're providing a much better standard of living for their families back home by being prepared to make the sacrifice of their own family life. (I was once told 50% of their salary is paid directly to their family back home - suppose that's only the case for those with family responsibilities though)

[davecttr]

One thing we can be sure of is we won't be able to find out the amount that goes towards tips. If it was itemised you can be sure than some cruisers would try to get it removed. :rolleyes:

 

I asked the casino staff about tips, 'the company take some of the tip' was the reply, 'anyway we like chocolates'. OK, make a list said I, As they are all slim I don't know what they do with the chocolates :confused:

 

ps - made a handsome profit in the casino :D

[geomagot]

 

ps - made a handsome profit in the casino :D

 

pleased to hear that dave (thumbup)...any changes in the casino? at all? (i.e even less tables/seats/room?)

[davecttr]

pleased to hear that dave (thumbup)...any changes in the casino? at all? (i.e even less tables/seats/room?)

There were changes from when i was last aboard 4 years ago. Just 3 tables, roulette, blackjack and 5 card poker plus far too many ancient slot machines. I don't think 3 tables is enough. On two evenings they wanted to close the blackjack table so they could run a texan hold 'em and 5 card poker tournament. The tables were busy with people queueing for both card tables. With 4 dealers plus the manager they could have another table, just get rid of a few slots. The table limits are very low, I suspect because they are scared that someone will have a lucky streak and make lots of money :rolleyes: For example the single number limit for roulette is £5, contrast this with £25 on P&O! for blackjack it was minimum £2, maximum £20? P&O is minimum £3, maximum £100.

 

I managed to grind out 2 good sessions of blackjack for a healthy profit overall so treated myself to a nice Tissot watch :)

[dronnygirl]

I think it only fair that the tips are distributed between all the staff - after all the kitchen staff and cleaners all work so hard behind the scenes to ensure we have a good holiday. However, we do tip cabin staff and a few others. Last cruise I tipped a very pleasant lady who kept the toilets near the theatre immaculately clean. She was there every night and could not speak English but always had a smile.

[campolady]

I think it only fair that the tips are distributed between all the staff - after all the kitchen staff and cleaners all work so hard behind the scenes to ensure we have a good holiday. However, we do tip cabin staff and a few others. Last cruise I tipped a very pleasant lady who kept the toilets near the theatre immaculately clean. She was there every night and could not speak English but always had a smile.

 

We also tip the toilet cleaning staff if we see the same person regularly - they do a thankless job and yet always have a smile on their face.

[highlandlassie]

I asked the casino staff about tips, 'the company take some of the tip' was the reply, 'anyway we like chocolates'. OK, make a list said I, As they are all slim I don't know what they do with the chocolates

 

I always take out chocolate for the crew - got 2 tubs of heroes to go in my case

[Flopsy]

Chocolates will go down well but...

 

the Cruise Director on the Dream this week told us excitedly that 'there's a Morrison's in Gibraltar'!

 

He said after 7 months at sea you'd give anything for a steak bake from Morrison's' lol.

 

Flopsy

[campolady]

Chocolates will go down well but...

 

the Cruise Director on the Dream this week told us excitedly that 'there's a Morrison's in Gibraltar'!

 

He said after 7 months at sea you'd give anything for a steak bake from Morrison's' lol.

 

Flopsy

 

 

Will be getting chocolates from Morrisons when we dock in Gib to leave for the crew.

 

A word of warning though for anyone expecting to do much shopping there - if you are used to Morrisons UK prices, the store in Gib is very expensive

[davecttr]

Will be getting chocolates from Morrisons when we dock in Gib to leave for the crew.

 

A word of warning though for anyone expecting to do much shopping there - if you are used to Morrisons UK prices, the store in Gib is very expensive

Oxo cubes are cheaper than my local Tescos:D

 

the deputy entertainment manager on P&O (no cruise director anymore) told me he buys all his booze in Morrisons. At least there you know the booze is the real thing.

 

How to get to Morrisons

 

You can see it from the ship

 

Walk 700 yards from the cruise terminal towards the town. Turn right at the first roundabout, the one with the Evacuees monument on it. Walk 400 yards to the second roundabout. On your right is the Morrisons car park.

 

simple :D

Edited November 9, 2014 by davecttr

[campolady]

Oxo cubes are cheaper than my local Tescos :D

 

You do surprise me Dave - I get my Oxo cubes from a local shop near where we live that is cheaper than at Morrisons! You are right about alcohol being good value there though - shame we can only bring 1 litre of spirits back over the border.

[joeholiday2]

We got some hula hoops for a crew member and thought they were dear compared to home.

The Bombay sapphire was cheap though :D

 

Sent from my Hudl HT7S3 using Forums mobile app

[holiday ahoy]

My understanding is that the casino staff work for a uk based company supplying all the casino needs to the Thomson fleet. That sounds ok, but the staff are recruited from a Phillipine based company so are paid in Dollars. $250 a month!!

Yes, when I won I made sure they got a some (just wish it had been more often).

[WeeCountyMan]

"One thing we can be sure of is we won't be able to find out the amount that goes towards tips. If it was itemised you can be sure than some cruisers would try to get it removed. :rolleyes:"

 

Clients who object to the level of prescribed gratuities (a service charge by any other name) are quite entitled to opt out IMO.

 

Thomsons don't come into this scenario.

 

Princess (for example) don't share the tips with the seagoing crew and they add 15% to drinks on top of the daily cabin occupancy rate for tips.

 

That includes minors who are not in receipt of income - that's $161 (when I last checked) for one kid on a 14 night cruise (before they "buy" a drink) - in addition to what the parents are charged.

 

We opt out on Princess and I deposit an envelope with a more realistic tip in the drop box at the end of the cruise.

Edited November 10, 2014 by WeeCountyMan

[kruzseeka]

"One thing we can be sure of is we won't be able to find out the amount that goes towards tips. If it was itemised you can be sure than some cruisers would try to get it removed. :rolleyes:"

 

Clients who object to the level of prescribed gratuities (a service charge by any other name) are quite entitled to opt out IMO.

 

Thomsons don't come into this scenario.

 

Princess (for example) don't share the tips with the seagoing crew and they add 15% to drinks on top of the daily cabin occupancy rate for tips.

 

That includes minors who are not in receipt of income - that's $161 (when I last checked) for one kid on a 14 night cruise (before they "buy" a drink) - in addition to what the parents are charged.

 

We opt out on Princess and I deposit an envelope with a more realistic tip in the drop box at the end of the cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree that some cruiselines do have very high gratuity charges. I find that anachronistic - and quite wrong that employees have to rely on 'extra' payments from customers to make up a decent wage. It's not a 'thank you' for extra good service but a guilt trip in terms of you doing down these poorly paid, hardworking staff if they don't get the tips. That's distasteful and not on! Pay a proper wage and let it be reflected in the cruise price - then we know what we're paying for!

 

On other forums there's a hot debate about whether to remove auto tips and give your own tips (the 'envelopes'!) and it goes on to the extent that some passengers are feeling uncomfortable because they have left the auto tips in place but then still feel uncomfortable not tipping on the last night when others on their table do (also having supposedly left auto tipping in place).

 

It's about time cruiselines were upfront and paid their staff a proper wage whether they have face-to-face contact with passengers or not. Much of it has to do with the different cultures - the American view on tipping tends to be at odds with the British take on this issue. We tend to look at the cruise price add on auto gratuities where applicable then we have a realistic view of the cruise cost. We need transparency but as you say we'll never get it - it suits the crusielines to keep us in the dark and make us feel uncomfortable so that we'll just let it ride.

 

I much prefer the Thomson way of including tips - then it's a genuine 'bit extra' should you wish to give personal tips but that is entirely up to the individual.

Edited November 10, 2014 by kruzseeka

[geomagot]

there's a good article on the industry guidelines re tipping here

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=261

[kruzseeka]

there's a good article on the industry guidelines re tipping here

 

http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=261

 

 

Makes interesting reading geo - but do you think those wages are typical? I've read some horror stories of crew who, after paying their agency and other costs (memory very hazy here) are on a pittance. Have I imagined that or is this article true of just some cruiselines????

[dronnygirl]

I totally agree about tipping Kruzseeka - we did a cruise with Princess and were put off by the tipping situation. Every time we sat down for a drink or meal, people were constantly talking about whether or not they had removed the tips. We personally don't want to spend our holidays discussing money and much prefer the Thomsons approach.

[davecttr]

Interesting article. I believe the reason P&O introduced auto tips was that passengers were tipping less than before and less of them were tipping.

 

The best solution is to have the tips included in the fare as a non-itemised amount. That way people can't get thtips removed and stiff the staff by bunging a tea bag in the envelope. Or tipping a steward 10 euros for a 14 night cruise. If i was that steward i would have been tempted to tell the passenger to stick the tip where the sun don't shine.

 

Don't tip at the start either, it is insulting and a bribe.

[geomagot]

tbh I am a little confused by this article??

 

the article states that there is a governing body that issues guidelines

 

quote: 'International Transport Federation identifies the minimum salaries that can be paid by the cruise lines'

 

....so cruise lines must adhere to minimum salary guidelines?

 

from what I can make of it.... if onboard tips/service charges (that are meant to be voluntary) dont bring a crewmembers salary up to the minimum salary guidelines set by the governing body, then that crew member must be compensated by the cruise line

 

so.....on princess or p&o if someone removes the onboard service charges then the cruise line has to make up that shortfall??

 

passengers benefit from cheaper fares because tips are not factored into the fare, tips are charged daily, its voluntary, passengers can remove the charge and tip in cash (if they want) and the cruise line has to ensure all crew earn at least the minimum

 

on thomsons, all tips are factored into the fare, thomsons have the cash up front so no crewmember will ever earn less than the minimum salary set by the governing body for the position that they hold onboard and thoms will never have to compensate any crewmember to make up any shortfall

 

we have basically paid (a surcharge) to bring a crewmembers salary up to the minimum wage that thomsons are obliged to pay their crewmembers

 

I can see how this works in thomsons favour;)

 

not really tips imo and definitely not voluntary as tipping should be, we cant remove the tips and tip crew individualy (although many do tip in cash as well)

 

complicated??:confused:

Edited November 10, 2014 by geomagot

[kruzseeka]

Yes, absolutely clear as mud - to me at least. :confused:

We do tip - even if it's included as with Thomson but I just do hate auto tipping (which we leave on btw) as it's clearly just an addition to the crusie cost - at least for those who choose not to have them removed and seems to be tied up with the crew's wages in some instances. How then is that a generously offered thank you for good service? It's a surcharge on the cruise!

I don't begrudge giving tips - I just want to know what I'm paying - is it an extra or part of wages (to protect the cruise line from having to 'top up')?

I would like transparency - include what's necessary to give the crew proper remuneration in the cruise price then it's up to us to give a genuine 'extra' payment for excellent service.

[CRUISIN LINDA]

I had read somewhere that there is a minimum wage for people working on cruise ships, but the companies pay less than that and top up with the auto-tips. So.... if the tips are removed, the company has to make up the shortfall to the minimum wage. Therefore, if you tip them at the end of the cruise, they are better off as they get their wages plus a tip.

 

Does that make sense?

 

BTW, I agree about tipping at the beginning. Very insulting!

[campolady]

 

BTW, I agree about tipping at the beginning. Very insulting!

 

Couldn't agree more!