Can someone tell me if this is true?

[LabGuy64]

Is this friend getting everyone some OBC for everyone going on the trip?

 

while you can remove the auto tipping it does make giving the tips easier.

and if this "friend" dabbling in TA isn't getting any OBC your friend should transfer the booking.....getting the credits can partially or compleatly offset the gratuities depending on the level of the cabin and length of cruise (and maybe more besides)

 

 

 

I have a friend who is going on Celebrity with a group of friends. One of the friends makes all the travel arrangements...he's dabbling in TA.

Anyway, this is her first cruise and the group had a meeting to finalize plans and the guy that planned the cruise said they do not have to pay gratuities and they could tip staff as they saw fit...i.e., if someone isn't deserving of a certain % tip and someone is more deserving. Anyway the guy said if they go to the ship's purser when they board, and they can have the daily gratuities removed. :confused: Is this possible?

My common sense tells me it isn't....otherwise a lot of pax could do that and say they are going to tip and then don't.

No flames please...I told her I would post the question.

[LabGuy64]

Have to say that is a really crappy way to look at things.....and if people are so hard up for money that they feel the need to stiff the staff then they have more important uses for their money than taking a cruise.

 

 

My TA in Australia advises people that they can have all grats removed, see the Guest Relations when onboard. This is correct. As we here tend to pay (for a cruise) in excess of what US folks pay, the TA uses this as an equaliser. I am not saying this is morally right but it happens and I have spoken to cruisers who do have all grats removed on the basis of "we paid more than many for the cruise so why should we pay additional". At the end of the day, cruise staff still receive way more money than they ever could earn at home and they sign up in droves for these jobs.

[vunico]

I hope the tip amounts to the crew for 123 are the same as autobill

[donaldsc]

The basic answer is that you can cancel all of your tips and walk off without leaving anything. You can also walk out of a restaurant and leave no tip. Can you - yes. Should you - no.

 

With that attitude, I suspect that your "friend" will make a really great travel agent.

 

I sure that his travel agency fails and he has to get a job as a waiter where he will get the tip that he deserves. Even better, the IRS will assume that he has received a specific level of tips based on the restaurant and he will have to pay taxes on the tips that he did not receive.

 

DON

[GUT2407]

Unless they have anytime dining he is totally correct, some people say that is exactly what they do, some say that they prefer to give it out individually, some just don't tip.

 

Personally I think that he is right to tell them that they have that option, in fact Celebrity advertise the deadline for removing tips in the newsletter.

 

If it is right for them to remove the tips is another question but I am a strong believer in the right to know.

[emmas gran]

From the UK where we do not have the same booking conditions or low prices BUT would never remove tips

[jveevers]

Have to say that is a really crappy way to look at things.....and if people are so hard up for money that they feel the need to stiff the staff then they have more important uses for their money than taking a cruise.

You have to remember that if you are from Nth America, you have probably paid substantially less for your cruise, often received more OBC and in many cases, obtained cheaper Air costs to departure destination. The total cruise package may have cost you up to $2000 less than others from a not so mass market and you dont have to pay conversion fees on expenses charged to Credit Cards which typically runs at 3%. So to say that some stiff the staff is a bit rich if that person has already had total costs far in excess of what you paid. It is also stretching things to try and impose 1 countrys tipping traditions onto the rest of the world.

[GUT2407]

From the UK where we do not have the same booking conditions or low prices BUT would never remove tips

 

 

Ahhhh but that's a different issue to being told that you CAN remove them.

[Cooso]

I'm from the UK too. I've been told in the past we can remove them (never have though) my biggest bug bear with American cruise lines is the gratuities being paid separately. Why not just factor them into the price of the cruise like English lines do?!

 

Whilst I understand some people removing them and then tipping the people who they see worthy, what about those behind the scenes? Your waiter is excellent at his job because the kitchen staff run a well organised kitchen. (From the pot washers, to those who chop vegetables to the chef who coordinates all the timings)

 

Having worked in hospitality, (although not as heavily tip dependent as America) we always shared our tips as everyone is involved with making the customers experience enjoyable.

 

We do tip extra too although being a brit, it probably isn't enough but hope the staff appreciate the gesture :)

Edited January 29, 2015 by Cooso

[GUT2407]

I'm from the UK too. I've been told in the past we can remove them (never have though) my biggest bug bear with American cruise lines is the gratuities being paid separately. Why not just factor them into the price of the cruise like English lines do?!

 

Whilst I understand some people removing them and then tipping the people who they see worthy, what about those behind the scenes? Your waiter is excellent at his job because the kitchen staff run a well organised kitchen. (From the pot washers, to those who chop vegetables to the chef who coordinates all the timings)

 

Having worked in hospitality, (although not as heavily tip dependent as America) we always shared our tips as everyone is involved with making the customers experience enjoyable.

 

We do tip extra too although being a brit, it probably isn't enough but hope the staff appreciate the gesture :)

 

 

But do those "behind the sceners" share in the grats? On one cruise we were provided in cabin a list of those who shared n them and how much each got, it totaled to what we were paying and those people that we never see were not mentioned.

[Wiltonian]

You have to remember that if you are from Nth America, you have probably paid substantially less for your cruise, often received more OBC and in many cases, obtained cheaper Air costs to departure destination. The total cruise package may have cost you up to $2000 less than others from a not so mass market and you dont have to pay conversion fees on expenses charged to Credit Cards which typically runs at 3%. So to say that some stiff the staff is a bit rich if that person has already had total costs far in excess of what you paid. It is also stretching things to try and impose 1 countrys tipping traditions onto the rest of the world.

 

All that is totally irrelevant to the issue that the staffs' remuneration package, for better or worse, depends on the gratuities system. Don't penalise them for where you live or exchange rates or Celebrity's differential pricing.

 

Logically, if you'd paid more, grats are a smaller %age of the total, so the argument is mathematically dubious as well as morally corrupt.

 

Stuart

[Cooso]

But do those "behind the sceners" share in the grats? On one cruise we were provided in cabin a list of those who shared n them and how much each got, it totaled to what we were paying and those people that we never see were not mentioned.

I was under the impression that they do. I'm sure someone will know for definite. If they're not pooled to everyone then I'm even more confused by tipping! It really isn't such a big thing in the UK.

[GUT2407]

All that is totally irrelevant to the issue that the staffs' remuneration package, for better or worse, depends on the gratuities system. Don't penalise them for where you live or exchange rates or Celebrity's differential pricing.

 

Logically, if you'd paid more, grats are a smaller %age of the total, so the argument is mathematically dubious as well as morally corrupt.

 

Stuart

 

I leave grats on and tip.

 

But surely the thing that is morally corrupt, to use your term, is the company that sets it up so staff have to rely on tips/gratuities/hotel service fees (call them what they choose) and then allows you to remove them.

[gopro63]

Travel agent arranged our trip, you be surprised what they get. NOT TRUE.

 

And our TA given us the best services ever, with cut backs that regular guest may not see. so I check to see what they are NOT giving you

 

 

I have a friend who is going on Celebrity with a group of friends. One of the friends makes all the travel arrangements...he's dabbling in TA.

Anyway, this is her first cruise and the group had a meeting to finalize plans and the guy that planned the cruise said they do not have to pay gratuities and they could tip staff as they saw fit...i.e., if someone isn't deserving of a certain % tip and someone is more deserving. Anyway the guy said if they go to the ship's purser when they board, and they can have the daily gratuities removed. :confused: Is this possible?

My common sense tells me it isn't....otherwise a lot of pax could do that and say they are going to tip and then don't.

No flames please...I told her I would post the question.

[goodycruising]

I leave grats on and tip.

 

But surely the thing that is morally corrupt, to use your term, is the company that sets it up so staff have to rely on tips/gratuities/hotel service fees (call them what they choose) and then allows you to remove them.

 

Well said!

[jveevers]

I have a friend who is going on Celebrity with a group of friends. One of the friends makes all the travel arrangements...he's dabbling in TA.

Anyway, this is her first cruise and the group had a meeting to finalize plans and the guy that planned the cruise said they do not have to pay gratuities and they could tip staff as they saw fit...i.e., if someone isn't deserving of a certain % tip and someone is more deserving. Anyway the guy said if they go to the ship's purser when they board, and they can have the daily gratuities removed. :confused: Is this possible?

My common sense tells me it isn't....otherwise a lot of pax could do that and say they are going to tip and then don't.

No flames please...I told her I would post the question.

 

Yes it is true. Of course you can remove gratuities, they are voluntary not compulsory.

You dont need an excuse or have to fib.

[gek]

I leave grats on and tip.

 

But surely the thing that is morally corrupt, to use your term, is the company that sets it up so staff have to rely on tips/gratuities/hotel service fees (call them what they choose) and then allows you to remove them.

 

Bingo! Just charge more for the cruise, pay the staff extra and eliminate tips altogether. The cruise line can then reward deserving staff based on passenger feedback. With the increasing number of cruise passengers coming from countries where tipping is not part of the culture (e.g. China) this is the only way I can see it working in the future.

[Iamcruzin]

I don't have any particulars about group rates or OBC. I do know originally someone in the group was worried about how they would know their gratuities would actually be given to the crew and that's how the option was brought up about going to the purser and having the gratuities removed. I have used 2 TA's for cruises and this had never been brought up as an option.

With that in mind, how does the crew actually know if they are receiving the gratuities and how would they know who is not paying?

Maybe some of the cruise lines should adopt a policy that the grats are just part of the cruise fare. I know some cruise lines do it and it works well.

I'm still wondering how and why the staff would know this. Educate me, please.

On my last and future cruise, I do anytime dining and I actually had to pre-pay for my gratuities and now I have to wait for that credit to be applied, since I have all 3 perks for the 1,2,3 promo.

If you have all three perks you can't remove gratuities that the cruise line is paying for.

[excitedofharpenden]

I have a friend who is going on Celebrity with a group of friends. One of the friends makes all the travel arrangements...he's dabbling in TA.

Anyway, this is her first cruise and the group had a meeting to finalize plans and the guy that planned the cruise said they do not have to pay gratuities and they could tip staff as they saw fit...i.e., if someone isn't deserving of a certain % tip and someone is more deserving. Anyway the guy said if they go to the ship's purser when they board, and they can have the daily gratuities removed. :confused: Is this possible?

My common sense tells me it isn't....otherwise a lot of pax could do that and say they are going to tip and then don't.

No flames please...I told her I would post the question.

Nancy, all I can say is I'm glad he's not leader on my cruise. I'd be telling him exactly what I thought of his "advice"!

 

Phil

[Iamcruzin]

You have to remember that if you are from Nth America, you have probably paid substantially less for your cruise, often received more OBC and in many cases, obtained cheaper Air costs to departure destination. The total cruise package may have cost you up to $2000 less than others from a not so mass market and you dont have to pay conversion fees on expenses charged to Credit Cards which typically runs at 3%. So to say that some stiff the staff is a bit rich if that person has already had total costs far in excess of what you paid. It is also stretching things to try and impose 1 countrys tipping traditions onto the rest of the world.

I understand your point. Do you think that the fares in Australia are inflated because they know through past experience that the tips will be removed?

[dkjretired]

Bingo! Just charge more for the cruise, pay the staff extra and eliminate tips altogether. The cruise line can then reward deserving staff based on passenger feedback. With the increasing number of cruise passengers coming from countries where tipping is not part of the culture (e.g. China) this is the only way I can see it working in the future.

 

Problem with that thinking is that people start giving tips and the whole process starts over. It's already been tried.

[jveevers]

I understand your point. Do you think that the fares in Australia are inflated because they know through past experience that the tips will be removed?

Not sure if that is a serious question.

I dont think that tips are removed very often. I never remove them, but I can understand why someone would. Cruise costs I think are inflated here because of the small market, on a Euro cruise I was one of only 6 Australians on the Equinox. In my opinion the Cruise lines think " if you want to be on our cruise you need to pay this much".

[gek]

Problem with that thinking is that people start giving tips and the whole process starts over. It's already been tried.

 

Crew members could be instructed to refuse tips and encourage the passenger to provide good feedback instead. I'll admit it would be a difficult cultural shift for some people but ultimately it would be a fairer system. From recent experience in the Asian market I suspect there may be moves afoot in this direction already.

[Wiltonian]

I leave grats on and tip.

 

But surely the thing that is morally corrupt, to use your term, is the company that sets it up so staff have to rely on tips/gratuities/hotel service fees (call them what they choose) and then allows you to remove them.

 

I wouldn't argue with that in the slightest. But that doesn't mean removing the tips is OK!

 

Stuart

[Oakton Girl]

You have to remember that if you are from Nth America, you have probably paid substantially less for your cruise, often received more OBC and in many cases, obtained cheaper Air costs to departure destination. The total cruise package may have cost you up to $2000 less than others from a not so mass market and you dont have to pay conversion fees on expenses charged to Credit Cards which typically runs at 3%. So to say that some stiff the staff is a bit rich if that person has already had total costs far in excess of what you paid. It is also stretching things to try and impose 1 countrys tipping traditions onto the rest of the world.

 

First of all, we all know that tipping has nothing to do with the price one pays for a cruise to begin with. Those of us that travel frequently to other countries have a credit card that services our needs in foreign countries without a 3% conversion fees-nothing to do with tipping. To stiff hard working individuals, when you KNOW this is calculated by the cruise line as part of their pay is poor behavior by any country's standard. If you can afford the price of a cruise, you definitely need to afford the tipping costs involved. Vacation another way. Don't take it out on the crew because you disagree with the policy.