Tipping update

[jamon]

Just read that effective 3/1/15 NCL will be increasing its gratuities from 14.00 to 14.95 daily. Just wondering if this will start a snowball effect on RCCL as well as other cruise lines to raise theirs also...hope not..

[trev71]

They just increased the drink package and drinks from 15% to 18%. So anything is possible I guess

[Ourusualbeach]

It's $12 to $12.95 for regular cabins and $14 to $14.95 for suites.

 

Given that RCI has recently increased the gratuities for drinks and the price of Chops I would expect them to raise the daily gratuities as well.

[GongZuoKuang]

Of course, we'll all get better service, right? :rolleyes:

[Fat Paul]

Might just be the straw that breaks this camel's back😉

[Big_G]

Here we go again! :D

[Sam.Seattle]

Just read that effective 3/1/15 NCL will be increasing its gratuities from 14.00 to 14.95 daily. Just wondering if this will start a snowball effect on RCCL as well as other cruise lines to raise theirs also...hope not..

Another sign of an improved and healthy ecomony when prices increase.

[cb at sea]

Another sign of an improved and healthy ecomony when prices increase.

 

???

[Sam.Seattle]

???

What don't you understand?

[Mjoellnir]

Good that i booked prepaid gratitude then. My fare will stay the same even if they increase the amount in between.

[Merion_Mom]

Might just be the straw that breaks this camel's back😉

 

I hope that that's a winkie! :eek:

[molsonschooner]

I get a pay increase every year. I think most people that work expect and get an increase every year. I don't work any harder or do a better job because I got a raise. Should we expect anything different from the people who look after us on the ship. It has been a couple of years since the last increase in gratuities.

[tserface]

Increasing the per day auto tip makes some sense. It's a fixed fee not based on any other cost. If the tip were 15% of room cost and it went to 18% then that would be a different story since room costs vary so much.

 

Increasing the auto tip for the bars is kind of a double edged sword. It works OK so long as they don't raise the prices, but if they raise the prices of drinks and the percentage of auto tip then it's effectively raised twice. Plus, 18% tip for bar service seems kind of over the top to me. Even restaurants don't charge that kind of tip unless you have a really large group. I suspect many will compensate compensate by doing less extra tipping (so they are kind of stealing that joy), but since you have no choice paying tips for bar service really they've increased the cost of drinks. I assume this also increases the cost of the drink packages. If nothing else they get a bunch of ticked off people over a very small amount of money. For example, a $9 drink now costs $10.62 instead of $10.35 so it's only $.27 difference. It sounds worse than it is, but it's really like a sales tax more than a tip since you have no choice.

 

I remember when tipping used to be 10% and 15% when service was super excellent, but it keeps creeping up.

 

And, a tip that is non-negotiable (like the bar tab) is not a tip. So, basically, this is just a tricky way to increase the price of drinking.

 

Tom

[mark290]

I get a pay increase every year. I think most people that work expect and get an increase every year. I don't work any harder or do a better job because I got a raise. Should we expect anything different from the people who look after us on the ship. It has been a couple of years since the last increase in gratuities.

 

You better be worth more to the company because you are more experienced,

better, more productive, my earnings are up because of you, can't be replaced or some combination of that. I'm not giving you a raise just because.

[tserface]

There are lots of people that get COLA (Cost of Living Adjustments), but the CPI has been pretty low for the last few years and, at least in the U.S., inflation hasn't been a big issue.

 

Even so, not many people get an increase as a percent of the cost of the products the company is selling. I'm sure there are some people that get royalties, but not just "across the board". I haven't ever gotten really bad serve and I usually tip pretty well. The think that bugs me with the RCI scheme is that I have to pay the tip even if I go get the drink from the bar myself. That doesn't make any sense.

 

Tom

 

You better be worth more to the company because you are more experienced,

better, more productive, my earnings are up because of you, can't be replaced or some combination of that. I'm not giving you a raise just because.

[molsonschooner]

You better be worth more to the company because you are more experienced,

better, more productive, my earnings are up because of you, can't be replaced or some combination of that. I'm not giving you a raise just because.

 

I probably am a bit better, just by gaining more experience. I guess what I am really talking about is basically a cost of living increase

[Fat Paul]

I hope that that's a winkie! :eek:

 

Yup a 😉 wink. Its just my way of laughing at this type of thread.

[cx7owner]

Increasing the per day auto tip makes some sense. It's a fixed fee not based on any other cost. If the tip were 15% of room cost and it went to 18% then that would be a different story since room costs vary so much.

 

Increasing the auto tip for the bars is kind of a double edged sword. It works OK so long as they don't raise the prices, but if they raise the prices of drinks and the percentage of auto tip then it's effectively raised twice. Plus, 18% tip for bar service seems kind of over the top to me. Even restaurants don't charge that kind of tip unless you have a really large group. I suspect many will compensate compensate by doing less extra tipping (so they are kind of stealing that joy), but since you have no choice paying tips for bar service really they've increased the cost of drinks. I assume this also increases the cost of the drink packages. If nothing else they get a bunch of ticked off people over a very small amount of money. For example, a $9 drink now costs $10.62 instead of $10.35 so it's only $.27 difference. It sounds worse than it is, but it's really like a sales tax more than a tip since you have no choice.

 

I remember when tipping used to be 10% and 15% when service was super excellent, but it keeps creeping up.

 

And, a tip that is non-negotiable (like the bar tab) is not a tip. So, basically, this is just a tricky way to increase the price of drinking.

 

Tom

 

Correct on all counts.

[Desertbelle]

It wouldn't bother us if there was an increase. We usually give more than recommended anyways. The service we receive on a cruise is almost always very good to excellent and we appreciate the work the crew does to make our cruise a great vacation.

[Fat Paul]

I get a pay increase every year. I think most people that work expect and get an increase every year. I don't work any harder or do a better job because I got a raise. Should we expect anything different from the people who look after us on the ship. It has been a couple of years since the last increase in gratuities.

 

That makes way too much sense. This is cruise CRITIC, please check any tendencies to be reasonable at the door.

[Turtles06]

It's $12 to $12.95 for regular cabins and $14 to $14.95 for suites.

 

 

All cabins are now $12 pp/day. Regular cabins are going up from $12 to $12.95 and suites are going from $12 to $14.95.

[Bamagirl_gina]

Ok, so......my question is----does the entire 15%, soon to be 18%, go to the bar staff, or do they only get a percentage? Even if they split tips, does the entire amount go to the bar staff or does part go for "admin cost", etc. (i.e. the company)?:eek:

[tserface]

I didn't mean to imply that the service isn't typically excellent. Like you, we often give additional and appreciate the crew. I just kind of don't get the logic of calling a tip when really it's a tax. It doesn't mean I wouldn't pay the tip otherwise.

 

Maybe their intention is to move people away from additional tipping because they have more control over the funds and can plan better with it being more like a tax. People can not make de ions up 'not tip' like before.

 

Tom

 

It wouldn't bother us if there was an increase. We usually give more than recommended anyways. The service we receive on a cruise is almost always very good to excellent and we appreciate the work the crew does to make our cruise a great vacation.