Please help me understand gratuities

[Prinzkonig]

I do wonder at times that gratuities are costed per person, yet still fit example, still just 1 Bed to make, 1 shower and toilet to clean, think tips should be per cabin not per person

 

 

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[bhopal21]

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.

 

The cruise line's assessment is correct.

 

Mike:)

[bhopal21]

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??

 

People who don't get attention at home will go to any extreme.:rolleyes:

 

Mike:)

[dchinski]

This may have been mentioned before, Sharing tips fleet wide is explained this way, All "grand class" ships doing the same length cruise (7 days) the tips are added up and shared with all the eligible staff performing the same cruise. In the dinning rooms are listing of who has auto tipping and who does not. If you tip above and beyound auto tipping I have been told that yu have to inform the individuals that auto tipping is in place and this is for them. I put this in writting on a Thank You card and place special "tip" inside.

[awesome girl]

Oh boy, after reading this thread I'm pleased I only sail on Princess out

of Australia, We may pay a little more in fares and drinks but at least

we know where we are, and we always tip our cabin steward and wait

staff. Our dining staff were so bad on our last cruise though that they

got zilch.:D:D

[Pierlesscruisers]

The cruise line's assessment is correct.

 

Mike:)

 

I'm unable to determine what you mean by that.

 

Tom

[Pierlesscruisers]

This may have been mentioned before, Sharing tips fleet wide is explained this way, All "grand class" ships doing the same length cruise (7 days) the tips are added up and shared with all the eligible staff performing the same cruise. In the dinning rooms are listing of who has auto tipping and who does not. If you tip above and beyound auto tipping I have been told that yu have to inform the individuals that auto tipping is in place and this is for them. I put this in writting on a Thank You card and place special "tip" inside.

 

I question whether there is any such "listing of who has auto tipping and who does not" in the dinning (sic) rooms or anywhere else. I have never had to inform any individual of any information concerning tipping. I have had waiters ask me for my cabin number and watched them as they wrote that on the envelope I gave them with their tip.

 

As to your explanation of tip sharing across the fleet, where did that information come from? As I stated in an earlier message here, I have submitted an email to Princess explaining the two theories (fleet-wide sharing and sharing only on individual ships) that have been stated here and asking which explanation is correct. I will post the information I receive back as soon as I get it.

 

Tom

[GUT2407]

Oh boy, after reading this thread I'm pleased I only sail on Princess out

of Australia, We may pay a little more in fares and drinks but at least

we know where we are, and we always tip our cabin steward and wait

staff. Our dining staff were so bad on our last cruise though that they

got zilch.:D:D

 

 

Got to agree with that, and even when tipping is raised on the Aus section none of the abuse starts. [Well once].

[caribill]

I question whether there is any such "listing of who has auto tipping and who does not" in the dinning (sic) rooms or anywhere else. I have never had to inform any individual of any information concerning tipping. I have had waiters ask me for my cabin number and watched them as they wrote that on the envelope I gave them with their tip.

 

 

And the waiter will give that envelope with cabin number to supervisors who will check if the auto-tip is in place. If it is, the envelope gets returned to the waiter. If not, the $$$ goes into the pool that the giver thought he/she was avoiding.

 

A list may not be in the dining rooms, but the supervisors have access to that information.

[caribill]

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 think I would have interpreted the statement the same way you did. However, that would not be the first poorly worded statement on the Princess web site.

[Pierlesscruisers]

And the waiter will give that envelope with cabin number to supervisors who will check if the auto-tip is in place. If it is, the envelope gets returned to the waiter. If not, the $$$ goes into the pool that the giver thought he/she was avoiding.

 

No disagreement here. I have made that statement before. I agree that the envelope is turned in and, at the end of the cruise, checked against the guest's folio to determine whether the auto-tip has been eliminated or not. I had interpreted your statement as saying that there was a list in the dining room that was checked. If I misinterpreted your statement, pass the crow...I'll pass on the gangplank walking though as that's not a good way to end a cruise! ;)

 

Tom

[ontheweb]

No disagreement here. I have made that statement before. I agree that the envelope is turned in and, at the end of the cruise, checked against the guest's folio to determine whether the auto-tip has been eliminated or not. I had interpreted your statement as saying that there was a list in the dining room that was checked. If I misinterpreted your statement, pass the crow...I'll pass on the gangplank walking though as that's not a good way to end a cruise! ;)

 

Tom

 

I was going to write "Is there actually a good way to end a cruise?", but then I realized my DW and I actually found one on our last cruise. Our British Isles cruise on the Ocean Princess disembarked in Dover, and we had to get to Heathrow Airport in London. We took the Princess excursion to Canterbury to the airport. We had a lovely time, and it was almost like we were still on the cruise. There were even familiar faces on the excursion as a couple from our roll call and their two college age daughters were also on the same excursion.

 

BTW, we gave a nice tip to our guide as he was very. very good.

Edited August 6, 2015 by ontheweb
last paragraph added

[Colo Cruiser]

No disagreement here. I have made that statement before. I agree that the envelope is turned in and, at the end of the cruise, checked against the guest's folio to determine whether the auto-tip has been eliminated or not. I had interpreted your statement as saying that there was a list in the dining room that was checked. If I misinterpreted your statement, pass the crow...I'll pass on the gangplank walking though as that's not a good way to end a cruise! ;)

 

Tom

 

 

Yes they have access to a list (passenger name and cabin #) and yes its checked.

[1stime88]

I always wondered if the auto gratuities really go to the staff? It is not another way for cruise line to make more money is it?

Edited August 6, 2015 by 1stime88

[Husky61]

Yes they have access to a list (passenger name and cabin #) and yes its checked.

 

You're saying that Princess knowingly allows the staff to see who has removed the auto-tip? So if someone doesn't want the staff to know they removed the tip, they can do it on the last day of the cruise if they so desire.

 

Personally I would be surprised if Princess actually did allow that.

 

Where did you get that information?

[Husky61]

And the waiter will give that envelope with cabin number to supervisors who will check if the auto-tip is in place. If it is, the envelope gets returned to the waiter. If not, the $$$ goes into the pool that the giver thought he/she was avoiding.

 

A list may not be in the dining rooms, but the supervisors have access to that information.

 

So where did you get that piece of information?

[RocketMan275]

So where did you get that piece of information?

 

There are multiple posts in this, and other forums, detailing personal knowledge of that kind of information. Some even report having seen such lists posted in crew spaces. It's up to you whether you believe these posters are credible.

Edited August 6, 2015 by RocketMan275

[Husky61]

There are multiple posts in this, and other forums, detailing personal knowledge of that kind of information. Some even report having seen such lists posted in crew spaces. It's up to you whether you believe these posters are credible.

 

That's the point! I am aware of the different posts on this subject and I didn't believe they were credible. So, I contacted the corporate offices of Princess and asked them. They adamantly stated that there is no such list ever posted anywhere on any of their ships at any time.

 

Now I know that others on the forum will say you can't believe the corporate office, but I can't imagine a major cruise line doing that to their passengers.:)

[Pierlesscruisers]

That's the point! I am aware of the different posts on this subject and I didn't believe they were credible. So, I contacted the corporate offices of Princess and asked them. They adamantly stated that there is no such list ever posted anywhere on any of their ships at any time.

 

I can believe that there are no such lists and that would make sense to me. However, I do believe that there are personnel who can and do check to see whether or not any cruiser has canceled their auto-tip.

 

Tom

Edited August 6, 2015 by Pierlesscruisers

[Steelers36]

That's the point! I am aware of the different posts on this subject and I didn't believe they were credible. So, I contacted the corporate offices of Princess and asked them. They adamantly stated that there is no such list ever posted anywhere on any of their ships at any time.

 

Now I know that others on the forum will say you can't believe the corporate office, but I can't imagine a major cruise line doing that to their passengers.:)

 

It is certainly believable that Passenger Services does not print and post lists in crew areas. That wouldn't be credible. OTOH, some supervisors must be able to check whether Cabin X999 has auto-tip ON or OFF.

 

Now whether Stewart happens to learn that one of his cabins has it turned off and let's his friends know behind the scenes, that's another story altogether.

Edited August 6, 2015 by steelers36

[Colo Cruiser]

You're saying that Princess knowingly allows the staff to see who has removed the auto-tip? So if someone doesn't want the staff to know they removed the tip, they can do it on the last day of the cruise if they so desire.

 

Personally I would be surprised if Princess actually did allow that.

 

Where did you get that information?

 

 

I have seen the list posted.

Why is that a surprise?

Of course they would wait until the last day.

 

How else would they work with crew where improvement is needed?

Edited August 6, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[Colo Cruiser]

There are multiple posts in this, and other forums, detailing personal knowledge of that kind of information. Some even report having seen such lists posted in crew spaces. It's up to you whether you believe these posters are credible.

 

That's the point! I am aware of the different posts on this subject and I didn't believe they were credible. So, I contacted the corporate offices of Princess and asked them. They adamantly stated that there is no such list ever posted anywhere on any of their ships at any time.

 

Now I know that others on the forum will say you can't believe the corporate office, but I can't imagine a major cruise line doing that to their passengers.:)

 

 

Apparently nobody believes anything about tipping from start to finish.

Do you think that corporate is going to share anything with you?

Did you say you were from Cruise Critic and demand a truthful answer?

[bigguy1]

I can believe that there are no such lists and that would make sense to me. However, I do believe that there are personnel who can and do check to see whether or not any cruiser has canceled their auto-tip.

 

Tom

 

On the Princess income statement, there is a line called "Gratuity Revenue". All of the monies collected under gratuity ($11.50/12.00) are placed in that bucket. The waiters, cabin attendants, and all persons who "share" the gratuity are salaried. All waiters, for example, are NOT salaried the same. Longevity and "attaboys, etc. play a role in determining a salary. Of course, the waiter/cabin attendant will keep any additional tip as long as the auto tip has not been cancelled. Just my two cents.

[shredie]

Did you say you were from Cruise Critic and demand a truthful answer?

 

Tee hee. :D

Edited August 7, 2015 by shredie

[bhopal21]

Apparently nobody believes anything about tipping from start to finish.

Do you think that corporate is going to share anything with you?

Did you say you were from Cruise Critic and demand a truthful answer?

 

I am boarding Monday and think that I will demand to see the list:rolleyes:

 

Mike:)