Tipping question

[rdsxgrl28]

The rest of the world doesn't pull guns on each other because they don't like what you've said, do we really have to continue in this game of why Americans need to get back down off their soap box and adapt to how the modern world has made changes for the betterment of all humans? We no longer have slave labour.

 

No you don't pull a gun - You get on your high horse & feel superior, narcissist much:cool:

 

You do know that most cruise ships are not "American" registered so we are not setting policy.

 

And here we go, once again.

 

YUP YUP YUP!!

[Thetrail]

If tips are included, and a particular service is terrible, can you have the included tip removed?

I tend to tip extra for good service and less for not so good service.

Is there any flexibility?

I ask because we have always had great service on RCI and have come to expect that it would never be any different, so we always make it a point to tip extra.

However there have been mixed reviews on consistency of food quality and service on Anthem.

My In-laws don't read the boards and so they didn't have any pre-disposition or thoughts about the service on their recently completed Oasis cruise.

They loved the ship compared to their previous Royal cruises, but said that the food quality had dropped and the service was not that great, compared to what they had experienced before on other Royal cruises.

So, it got me thinking that maybe the issue wasn't limited to Anthem, but maybe changes made higher up across the fleet.

There are definitely some great staff working for Royal, so I'm hoping that we're fortunate and this won't be an issue.

Should it be, I want to find out if there's a way to have guest services communicate that back to our waiter by decreasing their tip. I know that I have the option to increase it when they have me my check.

Can I put a negative number on the additional gratuity line?

Again, this may be a non-issue, but I'm curious what my options are.

With all your "experience" on CC and posts, this is the best you can do???? This has been beaten to death as I have a sneaky suspicion that you already know. So if your looking for any reason to tip less before you even board the ship, oh well. Maybe you should board the ship and find out for yourself......:rolleyes:

[Thetrail]

It would be nice if statements like this would come with supporting evidence. I've read that there is a list and I've read there is no list, always written with no evidence but usually conviction. Since a list makes little sense I suspect it is a figment of someone's imagination.

 

If such a list exists, someone please produce it. With all of the cruises on all the ships that is a lot of lists, surely someone will have seen one.

also would love to actually see this list?.....:D

[Thetrail]

The stewards do have a list and there's a list posted in the galley. I've seen them both.

now the crew won't be disappointed, they will already know who the folks are that a miserly non-tippers or last night tip skippers...

[Thetrail]

TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU 1OO %.We always take off so called auto tips. Tips are given not taken.With the high price of a Royal cruise,they should be included.:)

At least now the crew knows who you are....:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[DrD]

One reason we still do traditional dining is we find the service to be better when you have the same team every night.

 

In my experience, service seems to be better across the board when there's tip involved. There's no tipping in Europe and service is pretty poor overall. Last time I was there I loved the food but had to allow at least 2 hours for even a simple lunch.

 

Having been a waiter I understand. The better service you provide and more importantly the more tables you handle the more money you make. If you make the same no matter what there is no motivation to hustle. I was able to turn my tables quickly so made more than the average.

 

It seems to me that service on cruise ships has gone downhill since auto tipping started.

 

Of course there are exceptions and I know some high-end lines provide excellent service without tips, but those are the exceptions not the rule.

 

Also, I find it ironic that people complain about the same topics coming up again and again, but if one posts to an old thread then you're called Lazarus.

[Tatka]

I don't know how they wouldn't have known, but I'm sorry that happened to them. If they worked with a TA, the TA should have told them. Or if they called RCI and booked over the phone, the certified vacation planner should have told them. If they booked online, it should have been mentioned somewhere, although it may or may not have been very prominent (these days it's pretty obvious during booking when the site asks you if you want pre-paid gratuities).

 

Anyway this just goes back to my point about advertising an inclusive price, to avoid situations like this :(

We shold realize that most of cruisers are booking on line now, plus there are so many international cruisers who are not accustomed to tipping, they do tip sometimes, but in much smaller amounts.

This system worked perfectly when cruising was predominantly North American thing, but then tipping was not automatic, and suggested gratuity amounts were paid by majority anyway.

[Overtyme]

Some general thoughts/opinions on this tinder box of a discussion:

RC has created this debate by creating a concept of pre-paid gratuities. If they simply built it into their base cruise fare then this wouldn't be an issue.

Alternatively, they could go to an optional tipping policy with merit based rewards.

I know there are some people that won't tip, but the vast majority tip in the states.

I recognize that the culture in many places outside of the US is not to tip because people in the hospitality industry are compensated properly for their job.

Under this structure, that is a risk.

I just think that RC needs to pick a lane. Either leave the tips entirely in the hands of the customer or provide a solid salary structure for crew and build costs into the base cost for a cruise.

Ideally, rewards and recognition for good (and bad) work need to be provided through the Hotel Manager, who, if they're doing their job right, would have their finger on the pulse of the ship.

The staff need to know that the manager recognizes both good and bad things and more importantly, that the manager always has their back.

Even the best of the best have a bad day.

We all do.

If they know that there are consequence to bad service and reward for good service, people will provide you with the best service that they can.

Those that can't, will ultimately be weeded out.

[yogimax]

TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU 1OO %.We always take off so called auto tips. Tips are given not taken.With the high price of a Royal cruise,they should be included.:)

 

Are you actually saying you remove the tips and don't give any because of the "high price of a Royal cruise?"

 

You live in New Jersey and don't understand how tips work in American culture? You seem to be arguing that if you eat at Olive Garden you should tip, but if you eat at a steakhouse you should not. Am I missing something?

[The Sunset Glow]

It would be nice if statements like this would come with supporting evidence. I've read that there is a list and I've read there is no list, always written with no evidence but usually conviction. Since a list makes little sense I suspect it is a figment of someone's imagination.

 

If such a list exists, someone please produce it. With all of the cruises on all the ships that is a lot of lists, surely someone will have seen one.

 

I've seen two such lists. And it was not a figment of my imagination.:p

[north29]

Leave the tips as is...get the problem corrected, if there is a problem. There is no need to tip additionally in almost ALL cases...the pre-paid, or daily tips are suffiicient for normal service.

 

I agree, I have no great expectations for service. I have never had bad service that was not corrected,(except the OASIS TA after dry dock and they gave everyone a 20% discount) . 99% of the time service on every cruise has been normal good to Great and some exceptinal.

[John&LaLa]

Some general thoughts/opinions on this tinder box of a discussion:

RC has created this debate by creating a concept of pre-paid gratuities. If they simply built it into their base cruise fare then this wouldn't be an issue.

Alternatively, they could go to an optional tipping policy with merit based rewards.

I know there are some people that won't tip, but the vast majority tip in the states.

I recognize that the culture in many places outside of the US is not to tip because people in the hospitality industry are compensated properly for their job.

Under this structure, that is a risk.

I just think that RC needs to pick a lane. Either leave the tips entirely in the hands of the customer or provide a solid salary structure for crew and build costs into the base cost for a cruise.

Ideally, rewards and recognition for good (and bad) work need to be provided through the Hotel Manager, who, if they're doing their job right, would have their finger on the pulse of the ship.

The staff need to know that the manager recognizes both good and bad things and more importantly, that the manager always has their back.

Even the best of the best have a bad day.

We all do.

If they know that there are consequence to bad service and reward for good service, people will provide you with the best service that they can.

Those that can't, will ultimately be weeded out.

 

HAL had a no tipping required policy back when we sailed them. But guess what, on the second to last night they delivered tip envelopes. ;)

 

RC did not create this system. They are following what all the major lines do. BTW, didn't RC do away with tips and just raise the price on drinks when Indy is in Southampton

[Tatka]

HAL had a no tipping required policy back when we sailed them. But guess what, on the second to last night they delivered tip envelopes. ;)

 

RC did not create this system. They are following what all the major lines do. BTW, didn't RC do away with tips and just raise the price on drinks when Indy is in Southampton

As I understand in HAL's case envelopes were for an additional tipping.

 

Agree that tipping system was not invented by RCI. We sail with all major lines. It is the same. Royal actually used cash tipping longer than anybody else including Celebrity.

[tserface]

I used to really with they'd just switch the tips to a "service charge" as many have suggested, but then I realized that would just raise the base price of the cruise and it would cost more taxes for many and they'd have not control over adjusting the amounts, etc. It would also cause the cruise line who did it first to appear to have more inflated prices than others. It would only work if everyone did it at the same time.

 

So, I just decided to treat it like it's a service charge since the semantics don't make any difference to me. We pay the gratuity/service charge so that the workers can get their fair wage (perhaps more because of the tax implications) and the we do actual tips where appropriate. In other words, we just pretend the cruise costs a couple hundred $$$ more and decide whether we want to do it or not based on that total price.

 

I agree it would be nice if the implied, expected, gratuities were a little easier to find and figure out for newbies. I think they should make them all prepaid like they do with My Time dining and then that would remove any mystery around it.

 

Tom

[John&LaLa]

As I understand in HAL's case envelopes were for an additional tipping.

 

Agree that tipping system was not invented by RCI. We sail with all major lines. It is the same. Royal actually used cash tipping longer than anybody else including Celebrity.

 

As far as HAL goes, that may be the official line, but believe me, it was expected. So do the European lines like P&O, Thompson, etc.. expect tips.

[molly361]

HAL had a no tipping required policy back when we sailed them. But guess what, on the second to last night they delivered tip envelopes. ;)

 

RC did not create this system. They are following what all the major lines do. BTW, didn't RC do away with tips and just raise the price on drinks when Indy is in Southampton

 

As I understand in HAL's case envelopes were for an additional tipping.

 

.

 

I also remember HAL's no tipping required policy. (back in the day)

[Sitzmark]

I think they should make them all prepaid like they do with My Time dining and then that would remove any mystery around it.

 

Tom

 

My Time Dining does not require Prepaid "tips"

[John&LaLa]

I also remember HAL's no tipping required policy. (back in the day)

 

Ok, but did you still tip the amount that was suggested on the other lines? I also seem to remember you tipped the cabin steward assistant. I think it was half of what you tipped the steward. Very similar to the breakdown between waiter and assistant

[gerif]

HAL had a no tipping required policy back when we sailed them. But guess what, on the second to last night they delivered tip envelopes. ;)

 

OMG - I remember that! In addition, at the meeting with the cruise director that evening about disembarking, she said "now, we do say no tipping required BUT if you LOVE your (waiter/assistant waiter/room steward, etc.), and who doesn't love them - you will have envelopes in your cabins to reward them. ***? Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth. I have no problem tipping - and tipping well - but if you advertise no tipping required, that should be it. Quite honestly, we weren't exactly crazy about the service.

 

I've been to an AI that advertised no tipping and you couldn't tip anyone if you tried - it was just not accepted - and service was wonderful. I'm sure tips were "built-in" to the cost as it was pretty pricey, but you should get what you expect.

[John&LaLa]

OMG - I remember that! In addition, at the meeting with the cruise director that evening about disembarking, she said "now, we do say no tipping required BUT if you LOVE your (waiter/assistant waiter/room steward, etc.), and who doesn't love them - you will have envelopes in your cabins to reward them. ***? Talk about leaving a bad taste in your mouth. I have no problem tipping - and tipping well - but if you advertise no tipping required, that should be it. Quite honestly, we weren't exactly crazy about the service.

 

I've been to an AI that advertised no tipping and you couldn't tip anyone if you tried - it was just not accepted - and service was wonderful. I'm sure tips were "built-in" to the cost as it was pretty pricey, but you should get what you expect.

 

That reminds me of when we took Bella to get neutred and the vet tells my wife that for $200 more they can use a laser, and there would be less pain in recovery. "You don't want her to have pain, do you?". What was she supposed to say? Went with the laser. ;)

[Sitzmark]

I've been to an AI that advertised no tipping and you couldn't tip anyone if you tried - it was just not accepted - and service was wonderful. I'm sure tips were "built-in" to the cost as it was pretty pricey, but you should get what you expect.

 

I too have been to AI resorts that had no tipping policies, while they were not cheap they were less expensive than cruising. Service was excellent and not only was tipping not required, it was specifically not permitted.

[Overtyme]

HAL had a no tipping required policy back when we sailed them. But guess what, on the second to last night they delivered tip envelopes. ;)

 

RC did not create this system. They are following what all the major lines do. BTW, didn't RC do away with tips and just raise the price on drinks when Indy is in Southampton

 

 

I wasn't trying to suggest that they invented this. I'm suggesting that a hybrid approach which they have chosen to implement is creating this issue.

They used to just deliver envelopes.

My guess is that the issue with this system is that staff in specialty restaurants are not compensated by the envelope system.

My suggestion is that their tips should be built-in as a portion of the additional charge for that restaurant.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

I used to really with they'd just switch the tips to a "service charge" as many have suggested, but then I realized that would just raise the base price of the cruise and it would cost more taxes for many and they'd have not control over adjusting the amounts, etc. It would also cause the cruise line who did it first to appear to have more inflated prices than others. It would only work if everyone did it at the same time.

 

So, I just decided to treat it like it's a service charge since the semantics don't make any difference to me. We pay the gratuity/service charge so that the workers can get their fair wage (perhaps more because of the tax implications) and the we do actual tips where appropriate. In other words, we just pretend the cruise costs a couple hundred $$$ more and decide whether we want to do it or not based on that total price.

 

I agree it would be nice if the implied, expected, gratuities were a little easier to find and figure out for newbies. I think they should make them all prepaid like they do with My Time dining and then that would remove any mystery around it.

 

Tom

 

How would it raise the taxes?

 

Bill

[LMaxwell]

All this talk about "lists". What difference does it make if they have a list of those on auto-tipping or not ? :confused:

[Merion_Mom]

We shold realize that most of cruisers are booking on line now, plus there are so many international cruisers who are not accustomed to tipping, they do tip sometimes, but in much smaller amounts.

This system worked perfectly when cruising was predominantly North American thing, but then tipping was not automatic, and suggested gratuity amounts were paid by majority anyway.

 

When you book online, the gratuities are right there when you fill out your information. It may even be an "opt out" not an "opt in" choice.