Changes to waitstaff tipping policy

[phoenix_dream]

You really CANNOT take what tipped employees tell you about "how they get paid" to heart...

 

Some of these folks work for the cruise lines for years and years...they must do ok, or they wouldn't stay! They are not "slave labor"...they can leave if they feel they aren't fairly treated.

 

The best thing to do is pay the tips as the cruise line suggests...and stop asking the service personnel about their pay!!!!

 

Yes, they can leave if they aren't happy with the compensation. But often other than other cruise lines who may pay worse for all we know, they often come to cruise ships because it is the only place they can make anything close to resembling a living wage. Do you think they leave their families for literally months at a time because they like to do that??? No, they are not 'slave labor' in the very technical sense. But in another sense they are. They are on ships because their other options are so very limited. I don't ask them questions about their salaries (nor did the OP I understand) but I have talked to many of them at length about their families and countries back home. I just felt this point was worth making as this is not like the US where if you don't like a job just quit and find another (or at least how it used to be and hopefully will be again:))

[gek]

My guess is that there has been some tweaks made to the system to ensure a fairer distribution. The ones that are complaining are the crew who have been working the system to their own benefit at the expense of others - not necessarily working harder but focussing on passengers who look like easy marks and using well-worn techniques to encourage extra tips. Call me a cynic but I'm always suspicious of waiters who strike up conversations which are aimed at gaining your sympathy.

 

If I'm giving out extra tips I look for the waiters who do their job in a friendly and efficient manner without favouring particular tables. They often get forgotten when tips are handed out and perhaps the new system is designed to make sure they get their fair share.

[junetraveler2014]

Hi Orator:

 

Your post reminded me of something. In 94 we took the Horizon out of NYC to Bermuda and our waiter had just the week before been given the award of waiter of the month or something like that, I know this because his picture was somewhere on the ship, don't remember where. He said it was important to them because it allowed them to pick a location to serve in the dining room. At the time the primary locations were near the kitchen doors which may not be the primary location for many cruisers to sit. The reason for choosing by the kitchen doors was simple, less lugging of plates, dishes, etc. Of course at the time, the only place you could eat was in the dining room so there were no empty seats.

 

Don't know how true the story was but his picture was hanging up and frankly it makes sense.

 

I think the confusion with some on this thread with the pooling is I don't think everyone in the past has pooled their tips. I can see Select Dining but I have been told the traditional dining does not pool.

 

Hello Don,

What you say is the way it was told to me. Select Dining tips are pooled and divided amongst all the waiters but traditional dining does not pool. Though if traditional dining wait staff did have to share with others that don't pull their weight, I can see the producers making it miserable for the non-producers IMHO.

Gary

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

Add me to the list of those who thought that tips were pooled for years.

 

I also agree that it's not a wise idea for waiters to get into compensation coversations with guests. Nor, would I ever bring up a compensation discussion with anyone who works on the ship. IMO, what they make, is none of my business.... just as what I make, is none of their business :)

 

Maybe I'm missing something... but my guess is, there's nothing new here.

[MicCanberra]

Are we talking about all tips here or just the auto tips ? It was my understanding that all the auto tips were pooled anyway.

[wallie5446]

I bused my first table in 1968, left the restaurant business in 1982, never worked in a tip pool system. Or Managed a store that had one.

 

My wife did her first gig at Waffle House in 1974, and has been with Hyatt for 14+ years. There has never been a tip pool, ever.

 

Our DD has been in the business since 1998, with more high end 5 Star steak houses in Dallas than I can count, ( yea, she is hard to manage! ) and again, never worked where there was a tip pool. She did 1 1/2 contracts with RCCL, in 2004, roomed with a server, there was not a tip pool then.

 

The great servers will not work in a tip pool system, too many slackers.

Edited March 17, 2015 by wallie5446

[Hapytocruise]

I always thought the auto tips were pooled depending on your dining arrangement being Select OR Blu - but MDR was a calculation on the folks assigned to their tables.

I have heard a waiter comment that if they were sick and unable to work it affected their salary as a pro ration of the tip share. I do think it is easier for the MDR servers to get extra due to the opportunity to develop a more personal relationship and provides them opportunity to know their guests preferences...ie soft drink waiting at the table before guest arrives, knows who takes coffee vs tea vs something else.

For our stateroom we usually (unless service is really bad which has happened only once in all our years of cruising) tip extra to both the steward and their assistant making a point of giving the envelopes while they are together.

[miched]

Personally I feel that it is not something to be discussed with the passengers and really shouldn't be our concern.

 

happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[cruise47]

Sounds like someone has talk to a union representative or someone is trying to start discord among ship personnel. What ship personnel earns should not be discuss with cruise passengers.

Edited March 18, 2015 by cruise47

[dkjretired]

I think that this thread brings out what I have thought for a long time. On this board, we just don't know how the internal Celebrity tipping policy actually works. I still am happy to go my cruise, pay my tips and let Celebrity worry about it, not my job.

[NLH Arizona]

I think that this thread brings out what I have thought for a long time. On this board, we just don't know how the internal Celebrity tipping policy actually works. I still am happy to go my cruise, pay my tips and let Celebrity worry about it, not my job.

+1. Very well said.

[wallie5446]

I think that this thread brings out what I have thought for a long time. On this board, we just don't know how the internal Celebrity tipping policy actually works. I still am happy to go my cruise, pay my tips and let Celebrity worry about it, not my job.

 

+1. Very well said.

 

Yup!

[MicCanberra]

Ditto.:D

[A Sixth?]

Hi Everyone,

 

Add me to the list of those who thought that tips were pooled for years.

 

I also agree that it's not a wise idea for waiters to get into compensation coversations with guests. Nor, would I ever bring up a compensation discussion with anyone who works on the ship. IMO, what they make, is none of my business.... just as what I make, is none of their business :)

 

Maybe I'm missing something... but my guess is, there's nothing new here.

 

X2

 

What the heck is going on with the obsession with how much money a wealthy worker (by their own country standard) makes

 

Shut up!

[Leviathan2772]

That extra tip you put on ticket you sign, it's pooled.

Is that server recognized for it, who knows? Probably not.

If you enjoy tipping extra, bring some extra cash with you.

Those cash tips are not pooled, that's their personal reward.

I don't think my room butler throws his cash tips into a tip pool.

[cookiersmom]

We have been cruising for quite a number of years. Back on RCL, and I think our first Celebrity cruise, there was only tipping directly. Then "auto tips" kicked in. We definitely noticed a degradation in some service, but still fairly good. Cabin staff still mostly very friendly, clearly working for their own tips. But, on our last Celebrity cruise, just over the holidays, we were shocked at how poor our MDR service was. We had a large family of 13 of us, at the same two tables every night. Our main waiter was slow, inattentive, and often got things wrong. Our assistant seemed to work hard, but over a week long cruise, never got the idea of having drinks (ice tea, etc) for us in advance. The wine steward? Forget it, he was no where to be found even though we ordered 2+ bottles of good wine per night. I am not sure why the service had degraded so much, but I truly believe that when cruise staff knew they were getting tipped by the people that they were taking care of, there was more care. Not 100% of the staff, but a general rule. I agree that waiters should not be talking about that, or, as happened on our last cruise, urging positive comments on the end of cruise survey. This was as annoying. I really am thinking of taking off the auto tips, and telling our dining staff that we tip in cash at the end. But, not sure if that backfires, too? I do understand that some passengers (and some nationalities) don't tip as generously as others, and that is a large reason for the changes. But, still don't like the result.

[MicCanberra]

It is just some people that remove their tips (altogether or just part) and others that do not tip as well as most, it has absolutely nothing to do with nationalities.

Edited March 18, 2015 by MicCanberra

[Project_gal]

There;s a post in another thread someplace talking about guests trying to cash tip the assistant cabin steward who told them the cash must go to the lead, who will then split with them.

 

That was me. Others on the thread disagreed but we have been told this, for certain, on at least 4 cruise. I believe on our latest cruise, we just addressed the envelope to both attendant AND his assistant. Let me stress that these were additional tips over and above the standard gratuity which, as is common practice in the UK, we pay up front.

 

However, I am equally certain that, even on our latest cruise, our assistant state room attendants have received additional tips because they invariably find us on the last evening or final morning and thank us personally.

 

We have not eaten on the MDR since 2009 [and chosen Select Dining to avoid ruining a table in traditional dining] but have always left our pre-paid tips in place because we have always understood that they were pooled for all wait staff. We always asked our additional tips in the specialty restaurant [which we signed for on our on board account] to be shared between all staff because it is clear in these restaurants that service is very much a team effort. Our understanding, from speaking with the Maitres d', is that it is the norm for this to happen and this has been reinforced when we have been thanked by staff who have not served us directly.

 

Like other posters, I think that the OP may have been spoken to by disgruntled staff fishing for additional cash tips. We see this often in the UK when restaurant staff attempt to get diners to give cash tips rather than adding them to the final bill. I would be extremely concerned if additional gratuities made through our on board account are shared with people for whom they are not intended. This would be going against our specific, written instruction. Although we prefer to give additional tips in cash, we have, in the past, done this through our on board account. [As we are not from the US, sometimes it make economic sense to purchase OBC when the exchange rate offered is good.]

Edited March 18, 2015 by Project_gal

[derekjp47]

When you go to a restaurant, grocery store, shopping in general, do you get into the businesses methods of operating, I don't think so. That being the case, why should we try and get into the business of interfering with how the cruise line operates its business. They have set gratuities you either pay in advance or have added to your account, and if you want to give additional, it's your business. It is not our business how they distribute, the market will dictate wether it's working correctly or not.

[dkjretired]

It is just some people that remove their tips (altogether or just part) and others that do not tip as well as most, it has absolutely nothing to do with nationalities.

 

Of course it has to do with nationalities but I don't look upon it as a bad thing, just that some countries such as yours don't have a tipping philosophy or a history of tipping. Look what happened several years ago when Eclipse was launched and homeported in England. The first year they did the normal percent added to drinks purchased on board and there were loads of complaints from the Brits. Second year, Celebrity just folded the gratuity into the price and there were very few complaints. Also, have seen numerous complaints on here since Solstice is down under, definitely a nationality thing but as I said and please don't take this wrong, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

[Wine-O]

When you go to a restaurant, grocery store, shopping in general, do you get into the businesses methods of operating, I don't think so. That being the case, why should we try and get into the business of interfering with how the cruise line operates its business. They have set gratuities you either pay in advance or have added to your account, and if you want to give additional, it's your business. It is not our business how they distribute, the market will dictate wether it's working correctly or not.

 

I totally agree. I leave on the automatic tips and let the cruise ship sort it out, then I seek out those who have gone above and beyond and tip them in cash at the end of the cruise.

[ClaudiaB]

In town here at one local Italian restaurant, tips have been done like this for years and our daughter worked there two summers in college. She made much more money that way. All the wait staff at this restaurant love it and they stay as long as they can, while others at other restaurants always try to get work there.

They have it figured out on a per hour so that shift lengths come into play and it works out. I always figured it was done like this on X but I certainly don't worry about how they run their business or how tips are divided. We pay our regular tips and tip more in cash.

[navybankerteacher]

Because auto-tipping has been pooled for some time, it would seem that OP misunderstood what the waiters said, or the waiters misunderstood something they had heard, or the waiters were intentionally trying to mislead OP.

 

In any event the auto-tips should be seen as compensating wait-staff for providing acceptable service - as passengers have the right to remove them if they give the reason: unsatisfactory service. To the extent passengers feel that they have received exceptional service they can give additional tips to the individuals providing such exceptional service -. and those additional tips can be kept by the staff so recognized.

[cle-guy]

In any event the auto-tips should be seen as compensating wait-staff for providing acceptable service - as passengers have the right to remove them if they give the reason: unsatisfactory service. To the extent passengers feel that they have received exceptional service they can give additional tips to the individuals providing such exceptional service -. and those additional tips can be kept by the staff so recognized.

 

Anyone who "prepays" gratuities or elects Select dining (and thus has to prepay them) can not modify them on board.

 

But anyone who allows them to be applied to their seeps account on a daily basis on board, CAN make modifications.

[Ontario Cruiser]

My understanding is that all auto tips are pooled but if a passenger removes these tips and give money to their steward he or she has to put the amount that is equal to the daily auto tip into the pool but can keep the amount that is over. They have a list of people who removed their auto tips. I think that these should be added into the cruise pricing or not allowed to be removed.

Ontario Cruiser