gratuities on Princess

[FlorenceItaly]

In a previous thread I got tired of hearing so many different stories about how the system worked that I sent an email to Princess and asked about it. According to what I received from them, this is basically the way the system works. You tip a dining room waiter or seward. That money is turned in by the person. At some point at the end of the cruise, the system is checked to see if you have removed the auto-tip. If it has been removed, then the tips are added to the pool. If the auto-tip is still in place, then the tip is returned to the employee and it is his/hers to do with as they wish. (Note: I have been asked by dining room personnel for my name and room number which they then wrote on the envelope I had given them. This would tend to support what I just wrote, I believe.) At some point or points over the year, using some internal Princess procedure, the tips from all the ships in the Princess fleet are pooled and distributed equally to all of the eligible employees system-wide. How this distribution is computed I do not know and it seems that it would be difficult to do since employees are constantly joining/leaving the crews since they are all on individual contracts but that's another subject completely.

 

Anyway, that is the way that the system was explained to me. Take it for what it's worth.

 

Tom

 

We were on board the CB earlier this month. We had Anytime dining and left ALL pre-paid gratuities in place. For most of the cruise we had the same waiter and asst. waiter. We tipped them both extra at the end of the cruise. We were not asked our room number(or name). I believe the tips are pooled. I also think the cruiseline does not want the guests to know this because they may be inclined not to tip extra. This is only MY opinion.

Edited October 13, 2015 by FlorenceItaly

[Maraprince]

If you prepay your gratuities PRIOR to boarding the ship, do you receive a voucher to give to your cabin steward and dining room staff?

 

I printed out my confirmation of payment as directed by Princess but what about proof of it to the staff? Do they get a list of passengers who pre-paid gratuities? Some travel agencies also pre-pay gratuities for passengers as well.

 

MARAPRINCE

[fishywood]

If you prepay your gratuities PRIOR to boarding the ship, do you receive a voucher to give to your cabin steward and dining room staff?

 

I printed out my confirmation of payment as directed by Princess but what about proof of it to the staff? Do they get a list of passengers who pre-paid gratuities? Some travel agencies also pre-pay gratuities for passengers as well.

 

MARAPRINCE

 

 

That is what RCI used to do before their auto-tip became automatic. But there is no need for this on Princess; your steward and dining staff automatically assume you are participating in the tipping scheme--whether by pre-pay or daily charge to your stateroom account--unless you visit the purser's desk and opt out. Rather than a list of who pre-pays a list is (allegedly) kept of who opts out.

[emmak8]

Very simple!!! We keep the auto gratuities. ALWAYS. Then we give extra to those who do extra for us. Only once did we not give extra to our cabin steward. That was when we had someone who obviously hated the job.

[Maraprince]

That is what RCI used to do before their auto-tip became automatic. But there is no need for this on Princess; your steward and dining staff automatically assume you are participating in the tipping scheme--whether by pre-pay or daily charge to your stateroom account--unless you visit the purser's desk and opt out. Rather than a list of who pre-pays a list is (allegedly) kept of who opts out.

 

Thanks! I board this Saturday and decide to pre-pay them ahead of time so the amount of my billing will be a little less at the end of the sailing.

 

MARAPRINCE

[Renmar]

I am new to Princess cruising, normally go with P&O & they have an option to opt out of gratuities & pay who you want it to go to. Can you do this on Princess?

 

Yes.

[GUT2407]

On Princess in Australia gratuities are not added to your bill as other cruise lines so just slip your tip to whoever you feel deserves it. You will find this listed in your terms & conditions. This applies to Dawn, Sea & Sun Princess.

 

Or any other Princess cruising starting and ending in Aus.

[SadieN]

.........-pay or daily charge to your stateroom account--unless you visit the purser's desk and opt out. Rather than a list of who pre-pays a list is (allegedly) kept of who opts out.

 

 

Here ya go

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3218

 

Google will pull up a pic. It was taken down when the boards were purged a while back.

Edited October 14, 2015 by SadieN

[Colo Cruiser]

We were on board the CB earlier this month. We had Anytime dining and left ALL pre-paid gratuities in place. For most of the cruise we had the same waiter and asst. waiter. We tipped them both extra at the end of the cruise. We were not asked our room number(or name). I believe the tips are pooled. I also think the cruiseline does not want the guests to know this because they may be inclined not to tip extra. This is only MY opinion.

 

 

They already know your name/cabin #. Its not a secret. ;)

[Steelers36]

Tell Princess that. I'm telling you what the people at Princess told me.

 

Tom

 

I hear that, but I also have read of other differences between what goes on on the ship versus what HQ thinks goes on.

 

Perhaps the fleet-wide thing is a bonus system of sorts?

 

If each ship doesn't divvy up the tips in a timely manner, they have issues of staff coming and going on/off leaves, etc.

 

Not that I know anything.

 

I just wish there could be a sticky up top we could point these seemingly endless postings of the same question.

 

Rule #1 - You cannot give a tip to a staff member covered by daily auto-tip unless you leave the auto-tip on - and expect that tip to go into their pocket. All such tips are required to go into the share pool.

 

Rule #2 - If you leave the auto-tip on, then you are covered and you can also handout additional tips if you feel so inclined and they will eventually go to the person intended.

 

Rule #3 - I am quite sure if one thought the auto-tips were insufficient one could visit the PSD and make additional donation to the common pool.

 

Rule #3 Corollary - If a passenger cancels the auto-tip because they think it is too much money, they could give whatever they think is appropriate over to the PSD for adding to the common pool.

[caribill]

 

 

Rule #1 - You cannot give a tip to a staff member covered by daily auto-tip unless you leave the auto-tip on - and expect that tip to go into their pocket. All such tips are required to go into the share pool.

 

 

Rule #1 applies to your dining room staff and your cabin steward.

 

It does not apply to other staff that are in the tipping pool such as room service delivery persons and specialty restaurant wait staff. They can keep cash tips even if the auto-tip had been removed.

Edited October 14, 2015 by caribill

[Steelers36]

Rule #1 applies to your dining room staff and your cabin steward.

 

It does not apply to other staff that are in the tipping pool such as room service delivery persons and specialty restaurant wait staff. They can keep cash tips even if the auto-tip had been removed.

 

Really? Those are some of the same waiters work elsewhere in DR's as well (from personal experience running into the same ones - unless an exception situation).

 

Suffice to say, life is a LOT simpler to just leave the tips on and then decide if anyone deserves extra for personal service above and beyond.

[SteerageJack]

Gratuities are just a part of the cost of a cruise. I have enough to worry about without taking on the job of equitable crew compensation.

Edited October 14, 2015 by SteerageJack

[tailspintom]

Gratuities are just a part of the cost of a cruise. I have enough to worry about without taking on the job of equitable crew compensation.

 

Well said Steerage. We just leave the auto tip, including the 2016 rates, on as part of the cruise cost. Any additional tipping is done based upon above average service levels.

Regards,

Tom

[AZbeachboy]

With the automated system, isn't it time to stop calling them tips or gratuities. It is neither one. It is a system for us to pay the help and not the cruise line. A gratuity is my appreciation for the service rendered. I don't mind doing that, but it is time to stop pretending it is something it is not.

[Pierlesscruisers]

With the automated system, isn't it time to stop calling them tips or gratuities. It is neither one. It is a system for us to pay the help and not the cruise line. A gratuity is my appreciation for the service rendered. I don't mind doing that, but it is time to stop pretending it is something it is not.

 

A tip/gratuity is a voluntary financial reward to a person. The automated tip is a volunatary payment since it is something that you can go in and delete if you so desire. If the $X/day amount were multiplied by the number of days and added into the cost of the cruise, then it seems to me that would be a non-voluntary amount and would not, therefore, be a tip. At least in its present configuration, you do have the ability to go in and remove the auto-tip and save $X every day of your cruise if you so desire.

 

Is this an apples vs oranges situation? I guess you could say so, but it seems that it still fits into what I would consider to be the definition of a tip/gratuity. On the other hand, it doesn't really seem to me that the 15% added to your drink charges would really fall into the category of a tip since you have no choice in the matter...you order a drink and that surcharge is going to be added in whether you like it or not and regardless how great (or poor) the server does his/her job!! :confused:

 

Tom

[AZbeachboy]

A tip/gratuity is a voluntary financial reward to a person. The automated tip is a volunatary payment since it is something that you can go in and delete if you so desire. If the $X/day amount were multiplied by the number of days and added into the cost of the cruise, then it seems to me that would be a non-voluntary amount and would not, therefore, be a tip. At least in its present configuration, you do have the ability to go in and remove the auto-tip and save $X every day of your cruise if you so desire.

 

Is this an apples vs oranges situation? I guess you could say so, but it seems that it still fits into what I would consider to be the definition of a tip/gratuity. On the other hand, it doesn't really seem to me that the 15% added to your drink charges would really fall into the category of a tip since you have no choice in the matter...you order a drink and that surcharge is going to be added in whether you like it or not and regardless how great (or poor) the server does his/her job!! :confused:

 

Tom

 

Some good points, thanks for the discussion.

[GUT2407]

Yes but.........

There are crew that you don't have contact with. How will you compensate them?

 

 

The same way they get compensated on land I presume.

[Pierlesscruisers]

Some good points, thanks for the discussion.

 

Yep, it was a good discussion! No winner, no loser, just a discussion!

 

Thanks!

 

Tom

[Steelers36]

On the other hand, it doesn't really seem to me that the 15% added to your drink charges would really fall into the category of a tip since you have no choice in the matter...you order a drink and that surcharge is going to be added in whether you like it or not and regardless how great (or poor) the server does his/her job!! :confused:

 

Tom

 

Your statement raises a question for me. I wonder if a passenger who was inclined to remove tips can also ask to have the 15% removed? (That would not be me BTW).

[caribill]

Your statement raises a question for me. I wonder if a passenger who was inclined to remove tips can also ask to have the 15% removed? (That would not be me BTW).

 

Cannot be removed.

[babygoo]

With the automated system, isn't it time to stop calling them tips or gratuities. It is neither one. It is a system for us to pay the help and not the cruise line. A gratuity is my appreciation for the service rendered. I don't mind doing that, but it is time to stop pretending it is something it is not.

Second that! :)

[Frogemax]

Being a Brit we are not as accustomed to tipping as you guys in the USA and although I understand your tipping culture I do not understand thus 'double tipping' that seems to be common place. If you leave the auto tip in place , why are you tipping again ?

 

I feel that I would be scorned upon, or worse, if I even suggested that I would take off the auto tip by people on here even though I disagree with being told that I must tip people that I don't feel have given me particularly great service. If I just tip those I want to, it gets put in the pool anyway so that doesn't work either.

 

In my opinion the whole system is flawed. Disgraceful that passengers feel they have to tip to give ship crew a decent living wage.

 

For the record, I have already prepaid gratuities for our upcoming trip so I know that the people that do work / assist me will get something but I will not double tip at the end .

I also expect that there will be people that will disagree with what I have said, but all of us have different cultures and it's what makes the world go round .

[kayelbee]

Just to back what other 'Brits' have said. We do tip, when someone has treated us well through their work, i.e. bar staff, taxi driver, hairdresser etc. What we don't do as a matter of course is feel the need to top up low wages for no or half hearted 'service'. Pay a living wage and tip for extra 'service' if you feel you wish to, it should not be assumed. Having said that I do keep my auto gratuity on as the service I generally receive is very good.

Edited October 16, 2015 by kayelbee

[Frogemax]

Here here kayelbee, well said