Please help me understand gratuities

[caribill]

So yes, tips are pooled and shared fleet-wide.

 

On a recent cruise I asked the Customer Services Director about this. She said that the tips are not shared with other ships.

[caribill]

All this becomes a bit confusing, at least for me. We always leave auto-tip in place and then leave cards with additional tips for our cabin steward and table waiters. Are you saying that those "personal" tips we give are then shared also? If that is the case it certainly changes what we will do in the future.

 

Since you leave the auto-tip in place, any additional money you give your waitstaff or cabin steward will be kept by them and not shared with anyone unless they want to share it for some reason.

[Josy1953]

We have never removed the auto-tips and have only once wanted to.

 

For the most part the people on the ships are very hard working and deserve their tips. The one time that we wanted to remove the tips I went to the pursers desk and asked to remove the portion of tips that went to the dining room staff because the service was so bad, when I was told that this would affect the room steward (who was one of the best that we have come across in 33 cruises) we left the tips on and gave the room steward an additional amount for himself.

 

This experience highlighted to me the main shortcoming of the auto-tip system, if you experience service that is so poor that you would not under normal circumstances tip a certain person there is no way that you can take anything away from the person/persons who are poor without impacting on the other hard working, deserving people.

 

Having worked in USA I believe that this problem is a result of the American culture of tipping regardless of the standard of service, but when in Rome do as the Romans do. If you don't want to tip don't choose an American line to travel with, do not travel with an American line and then moan about their rules.

[caribill]

 

This experience highlighted to me the main shortcoming of the auto-tip system, if you experience service that is so poor that you would not under normal circumstances tip a certain person there is no way that you can take anything away from the person/persons who are poor without impacting on the other hard working, deserving people.

 

 

However, if you do experience poor service, bring that to the attention of the supervisor in that area.

[custompcsys]

On a recent cruise I asked the Customer Services Director about this. She said that the tips are not shared with other ships.

 

OK then if I did misinterpret the statement in the cruise FAQ as Pierlesscruisers suggested, which apparently is the case, I will eat the appropriate amount of crow and walk the plank :)

[Pierlesscruisers]

If you don't want to tip don't choose an American line to travel with, do not travel with an American line and then moan about their rules.

 

Yep.

 

Tom

[Pierlesscruisers]

OK then if I did misinterpret the statement in the cruise FAQ as Pierlesscruisers suggested, which apparently is the case, I will eat the appropriate amount of crow and walk the plank :)

 

Arrrggghhhh! But you'll have to do it with your parrot on your shoulder matey!! (Looking for a pirate smiley somewhere...)

 

Tom

[Linerguy]

Arrrggghhhh! But you'll have to do it with your parrot on your shoulder matey!! (Looking for a pirate smiley somewhere...)

 

Tom

 

Arrrghh....have the corn (it won't cost you a buck-an-ear).

[Pierlesscruisers]

Arrrghh....have the corn (it won't cost you a buck-an-ear).

:eek::eek:

[iceleven]

We have never removed the auto-tips and have only once wanted to.

 

For the most part the people on the ships are very hard working and deserve their tips. The one time that we wanted to remove the tips I went to the pursers desk and asked to remove the portion of tips that went to the dining room staff because the service was so bad, when I was told that this would affect the room steward (who was one of the best that we have come across in 33 cruises) we left the tips on and gave the room steward an additional amount for himself.

 

This experience highlighted to me the main shortcoming of the auto-tip system, if you experience service that is so poor that you would not under normal circumstances tip a certain person there is no way that you can take anything away from the person/persons who are poor without impacting on the other hard working, deserving people.

 

Having worked in USA I believe that this problem is a result of the American culture of tipping regardless of the standard of service, but when in Rome do as the Romans do. If you don't want to tip don't choose an American line to travel with, do not travel with an American line and then moan about their rules.

 

Reporting poor service to their supervisors is a very good way.

[cruisingfanatics]

from one who has been on 76 cruises---all lines. when they started extorting money from us to pay their employees--i cannot tell you how badly that irked me off--i tried every thing in the world to get around it. finally, i can tell you what works best. let me preface this by saying i am a good tipper for anyone who goes above and beyond. i go to the desk and lower our--mine and my husbands--tips to a 100 dollar total. the line can think i am a cheap *****--i do not care. that way they do not go to our waiter and steward to make them give them anything we give them. they just think we are cheap. then we go around and give the people who have been good to us exactly what we want them to have.

the lines guarantee those people a certain amt. per week--say 400 dollars. if passengers tips meet that--they love it and keep the rest--if passengers tips do not meet that, then they have to make it up. believe me, years ago those people made a lot more money when we did our own tipping--and they worked for it. today, they do not work for it-because they know they are going to get x amt. without working for it. we are very, extremely discreet when we give them "their tips". and, they gladly put it in their pocket with no fear because they know we did not mark all off what the line charges.

[Pierlesscruisers]

from one who has been on 76 cruises---all lines. when they started extorting money from us to pay their employees--i cannot tell you how badly that irked me off--i tried every thing in the world to get around it. finally, i can tell you what works best. let me preface this by saying i am a good tipper for anyone who goes above and beyond. i go to the desk and lower our--mine and my husbands--tips to a 100 dollar total. the line can think i am a cheap *****--i do not care. that way they do not go to our waiter and steward to make them give them anything we give them. they just think we are cheap. then we go around and give the people who have been good to us exactly what we want them to have.

the lines guarantee those people a certain amt. per week--say 400 dollars. if passengers tips meet that--they love it and keep the rest--if passengers tips do not meet that, then they have to make it up. believe me, years ago those people made a lot more money when we did our own tipping--and they worked for it. today, they do not work for it-because they know they are going to get x amt. without working for it. we are very, extremely discreet when we give them "their tips". and, they gladly put it in their pocket with no fear because they know we did not mark all off what the line charges.

You may be everything you say that you are but I do find it highly curious that someone who says that they have gone on 76 cruises and have been a member of this community since 2008 has posted only 3 messages in 7 years. Maybe you're just extremely quiet and just sit and read, I don't know. But it seems very odd to me.

 

That said, I would question the source of your information that the sole source of the crewmember's pay is the auto-tips and that the company covers only that amount above and beyond that received from that source. What is the source of that information? This is true of each and every cruise line? As it stands right now, I find your statements to be quite far-fetched and strange and I suspect very strongly that they are way off base.

 

As I said, you may be correct, but based only on your assertions posted here, it just doesn't pass the common sense test.

 

Tom

[Linerguy]

the line can think i am a cheap *****--i do not care.

 

I'd say you got your wish.

[shredie]

from one who has been on 76 cruises---all lines. when they started extorting money from us to pay their employees--i cannot tell you how badly that irked me off--i tried every thing in the world to get around it. finally, i can tell you what works best. let me preface this by saying i am a good tipper for anyone who goes above and beyond. i go to the desk and lower our--mine and my husbands--tips to a 100 dollar total. the line can think i am a cheap *****--i do not care. that way they do not go to our waiter and steward to make them give them anything we give them. they just think we are cheap. then we go around and give the people who have been good to us exactly what we want them to have.

the lines guarantee those people a certain amt. per week--say 400 dollars. if passengers tips meet that--they love it and keep the rest--if passengers tips do not meet that, then they have to make it up. believe me, years ago those people made a lot more money when we did our own tipping--and they worked for it. today, they do not work for it-because they know they are going to get x amt. without working for it. we are very, extremely discreet when we give them "their tips". and, they gladly put it in their pocket with no fear because they know we did not mark all off what the line charges.

Nonsense.

[Shogun]

Hi

Not complete nonsense UK undercover reporter did a show about pay in cruise industry, many were on a guarantee minimum this was made up first in wages from tip pool with cruise line topping up to minimum also on turnaround day room Stewart's hired other staff to assist them in making alotted number

 

Yours Shogun

[msmoger]

from one who has been on 76 cruises---all lines. when they started extorting money from us to pay their employees--i cannot tell you how badly that irked me off--i tried every thing in the world to get around it. finally, i can tell you what works best. let me preface this by saying i am a good tipper for anyone who goes above and beyond. i go to the desk and lower our--mine and my husbands--tips to a 100 dollar total. the line can think i am a cheap *****--i do not care. that way they do not go to our waiter and steward to make them give them anything we give them. they just think we are cheap. then we go around and give the people who have been good to us exactly what we want them to have.

the lines guarantee those people a certain amt. per week--say 400 dollars. if passengers tips meet that--they love it and keep the rest--if passengers tips do not meet that, then they have to make it up. believe me, years ago those people made a lot more money when we did our own tipping--and they worked for it. today, they do not work for it-because they know they are going to get x amt. without working for it. we are very, extremely discreet when we give them "their tips". and, they gladly put it in their pocket with no fear because they know we did not mark all off what the line charges.

 

Probably not alone. :rolleyes:

[Cruisin' Chick]

From the On-Board Experience FAQ on the Princess web site:

 

... This gratuity will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including all waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, and housekeeping staff across the fleet.[/i]

 

So yes, tips are pooled and shared fleet-wide.

 

OK then if I did misinterpret the statement in the cruise FAQ as Pierlesscruisers suggested, which apparently is the case, I will eat the appropriate amount of crow and walk the plank :)

 

I'm wondering if the wording in the FAQ is just poorly written. That "across the fleet" just means that the pooling the tips philosophy is done on all the ships, not that all of the money collected is divided among each crew member in the pool.

[Husky61]

I'd say you got your wish.

 

So what, she said she didn't care.;)

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi

Not complete nonsense UK undercover reporter did a show about pay in cruise industry, many were on a guarantee minimum this was made up first in wages from tip pool with cruise line topping up to minimum also on turnaround day room Stewart's hired other staff to assist them in making alotted number

Yours Shogun

 

 

Crew do this all the time its not new.

 

 

So you can verify that Princess was infiltrated by this undercover reporter?

Or are you just assuming that Princess falls in that lot??

[Colo Cruiser]

I'm wondering if the wording in the FAQ is just poorly written. That "across the fleet" just means that the pooling the tips philosophy is done on all the ships' date=' not that [u']all[/u] of the money collected is divided among each crew member in the pool.

 

 

Pretty sure you are correct on that one.

[shredie]

 

 

So you can verify that Princess was infiltrated by this undercover reporter?

Or are you just assuming that Princess falls in that lot??

 

I thinks it's kind of a UK genre. They seem to like conspiracy theory television. Last time I was there for an extended period, there were a bunch of those kinds of shows on. Of course it's all true because you can believe everything you see on television. :rolleyes:

[Colo Cruiser]

I thinks it's kind of a UK genre. They seem to like conspiracy theory television. Last time I was there for an extended period, there were a bunch of those kinds of shows on. Of course it's all true because you can believe everything you see on television. :rolleyes:

 

 

Oh yes, my parents were well into that viewing.

 

I limited mine to Fawlty Towers.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I thinks it's kind of a UK genre. They seem to like conspiracy theory television. Last time I was there for an extended period, there were a bunch of those kinds of shows on. Of course it's all true because you can believe everything you see on television. :rolleyes:

 

I've never been on that side of the Atlantic, but I winch at the reality shows that are produced over here (Kasadashians, ducks, overbreeders, etc.).

[iceleven]

I'm wondering if the wording in the FAQ is just poorly written. That "across the fleet" just means that the pooling the tips philosophy is done on all the ships' date=' not that [u']all[/u] of the money collected is divided among each crew member in the pool.

 

This topic has come up before, perhaps on a different cruise line thread. And the consensus was that the pooling was done on all ships individually but not collected for the entire fleet.

[PrincessLuver]

from one who has been on 76 cruises---all lines. when they started extorting money from us to pay their employees--i cannot tell you how badly that irked me off--i tried every thing in the world to get around it. finally, i can tell you what works best. let me preface this by saying i am a good tipper for anyone who goes above and beyond. i go to the desk and lower our--mine and my husbands--tips to a 100 dollar total. the line can think i am a cheap *****--i do not care. that way they do not go to our waiter and steward to make them give them anything we give them. they just think we are cheap. then we go around and give the people who have been good to us exactly what we want them to have.

the lines guarantee those people a certain amt. per week--say 400 dollars. if passengers tips meet that--they love it and keep the rest--if passengers tips do not meet that, then they have to make it up. believe me, years ago those people made a lot more money when we did our own tipping--and they worked for it. today, they do not work for it-because they know they are going to get x amt. without working for it. we are very, extremely discreet when we give them "their tips". and, they gladly put it in their pocket with no fear because they know we did not mark all off what the line charges.

 

Nobody knows for sure how crews are paid and what amount....I am sure there are many variables.....but I believe you do have a right to pay how you see fit and there is nothing in the cruise documents that I have ever seen that says you must or are required to tip.....it is nobody's business how you choose to reward or not reward the crew...liked your bravery for posting your opinion though....;)