Distribution of Gratuities

[Beanb41]

From time to time the question of distribution of gratuities comes up so I did some research on previous threads and found the following:

 

Gratuity of 12.50 per day

 

Waiters : 3.65

Asst Waiters 2.10

Dining Rm Management 1.00

Stateroom 3.50 extra 50 cents for concierge and Aqua

Other service personnel 1.25

 

Total 12.50

 

We were on the Century in December 2014 and were informed by our MDR waiters that their sole income is determined by the amount of gratuities paid. The more tables they look after the more gratuities get paid. One can take that comment at face value or whatever.

 

It will be interesting now that rumours are abound that select diners don't have to prepay gratuities how many customers will remove gratuities in toto

[az_tchr]

Everyone except those dining in select have always been able to remove the standard gratuity. You had an interesting comment from a waiter and would think it is not correct as if Celebrity did not pay a wage then the person would not legally be an employee, but gratuities are definitely a large part of their income.

 

It certainly is true the more tables a waiter and assistant have the more gratuities they receive. Lately discussions about pooling gratuities and/or sharing. Probably there is some sort of system of sharing in the MDR with the back staff.

 

Will more people not tip the staff? Probably will stay much the same as some tip more and others a bit less. Was told by a butler with some 20 years on Celebrity that the biggest difference was where they cruised. Americans tend to be heavy tippers and Australians where tipping is foreign to them - no pun intended - tip significantly less.

 

I personally object to a standard tip amount as it seems really good service should be rewarded and if you have lousy service why should you give anything? I also think a bit at the beginning of a cruise goes a long way to receiving good service. Also an often forgotten service of talking with the staff and remembering some kind words and things like picking up a few things in your cabin go a long way. Always ticks me when passengers treat crew as indentured servants.

[Fouremco]

Past threads have outdated information. The current rates are:

 

• $12.95 per person, per day in standard staterooms

• $13.45 per person, per day in Concierge Class and AquaClass® staterooms

• $16.45 per person, per day in Suite Class

 

I assume that the distribution is similar.

 

As for the 2014 comments, I suspect that the waiters were hoping to elicit a larger tip from you as they are salaried employees, albeit with low wages.

[LabGuy64]

i don't see how we are going to have access to that information...

 

From time to time the question of distribution of gratuities comes up so I did some research on previous threads and found the following:

 

Gratuity of 12.50 per day

 

Waiters : 3.65

Asst Waiters 2.10

Dining Rm Management 1.00

Stateroom 3.50 extra 50 cents for concierge and Aqua

Other service personnel 1.25

 

Total 12.50

 

We were on the Century in December 2014 and were informed by our MDR waiters that their sole income is determined by the amount of gratuities paid. The more tables they look after the more gratuities get paid. One can take that comment at face value or whatever.

 

It will be interesting now that rumours are abound that select diners don't have to prepay gratuities how many customers will remove gratuities in toto

[Bo1953]

Very good information, overall, yet my concern and dislike of those who generally like to withdraw tips on automatic is, that there will be individuals who, behind the scene or not seen and share in the pool, are ultimately penalized for a situation where an individual/couple want to tip whom they want to tip, which in my opine is not fair to those not seen.

 

There are supporting arguments for and against the 'process' acceptable and unacceptable to me, alas one of the things I miss in all my many months of cruising is the permitting of 'gratuity' withdrawal when one need only go to the Hotel/Beverage Director early and on-going if there is a particular challenge with service.

 

From an age when gratuities were not often an issue and were just paid to modern day fellow passengers think of it as a rite of passage to stop or withdraw them is an anathema to me, especially when directed towards those who are in service for you.

 

Each our own and philosophy on this topic, which is quite varied as are topics on status level not showing on documents, amenities in various staterooms and etc... as to when and where to discuss.

 

JMO on it all...

 

bon voyage

[Rossinidancer]

This debate goes on and on the cruise lines should pay a proper wage ,and not rely on tips .they should be for good service over and above the norm .People should not be guilt tripped into paying them

[20pluscruises]

While I hope not one person removes the gratuities, I have to wonder if the new change was put into effect due to several posts on the how service has declined. It may be managements way of keeping the staff on their toes.

 

My DH's bonus is determined by performance. Depending on the bonus program and your level within the organization, your bonus may be determined not only by your own performance, but also by the performance of your team or work group.

 

Customer Satisfaction can reflect not only your primary responsibility, but also the team performance, and your bonus becomes what is known as a "balanced scorecard."

[Bo1953]

This debate goes on and on the cruise lines should pay a proper wage ,and not rely on tips .they should be for good service over and above the norm .People should not be guilt tripped into paying them

 

 

Then the screamers about pricing abounds, just like here in the U.S. screamers wanted health care, we now have health care mandatory for all, the problem now is, it costs too much for those who wanted it, where will any of this end? I keep forgetting this is a 'Mass Market' line and should expect such comments, but still find it daft, this is just me though.

 

I sail X in great solitude and with like minded friends which make the experience wonderful, despite what I read about the internet.

 

X prices it, if I like it I buy it, if I do not I wait or pass... or go to another line of my liking or itinerary.

 

bon voyage

[dandee2]

A bit of search on the web turned this for the MSC crew salary.

 

Position

Waiter Assistant Utility US$ 1000,00

Waiter FF US$ 1200,00

Buffet Boy US$ 1000,00

Officer Waiter US$ 657,00

Staff Waiter US$ 657,00

Crew Mess Boy US$ 657,00

Those are monthly salary.

[mvaughan]

You know what...I have been on two cruises in my life, the ruby princess and the Disney fantasy. I paid my grats on both as they were put automatically on my account. Not once did I hear wait staff talk about tips and how much they make etc. I pay the recommended tips and if my server or stateroom attendant goes out of their way I slip them an extra bit of cash.

 

 

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[cb at sea]

Yes..the tips are distributed similarly on all the mainstream cruise lines. I'm not sure why everyone is so concerned with the salaries of the ship worker....are they also concerned with the hotel employees (and how many actually tip their housekeeper in a hotel???!!) or their wait staff in their favorite restaurants.....I don't get it!

[Beanb41]

Tipping is very much a culture thing. If the cruise lines paid their staff $100 per hour there would still be many who would tip staff on top of that because it is inbred in their culture. I come from a culture where tipping is not the norm and expect that there is a minimum standard for a job and the money paid. That said I accept the American culture on US based ships and pay my gratuities in advance normally as part of some promo.

 

Again having now done three Celebrity cruises and two more in the pipeline for this year I have never found anyone onboard who gave the impression that if I was to cross a palm with silver I would get better service. I have found service ( by this I mean attitude) to be exemplary.

 

What I have been pressured about is at the end of a cruise is to write favourable comments about an individual on the end of cruise reports. Apparently it is these reports that affect future contracts.

 

If what I have read about additional tips being pooled I can now understand why my little envelope is quickly stowed away so it cant be seen thus the individual is able to retain it. Pooling of tips does not do anyone any favours, it rewards the inefficient and penalises the efficient

[littlelulu01]

I have prepaid tips as a perk for a suite booking. We plan on ordering a dinner package to try a few speciality venues. It sounds like we will pay a gratuity on the package when we purchase vs when we dine.

 

So it sounds like our grats are covered for dining and if we want to give someone a little more we can but not expected. I assume the tip follows us depending on where we eat. perhaps main dining one night, blu one night, and luminae one night?

 

And if we use room service do we tip extra each time or is that delivered by butler who is also included in tip pool but who we would probably give something to at end of cruise depending on how much we used and appreciate him. Thanks

[Iamcruzin]

This debate goes on and on the cruise lines should pay a proper wage ,and not rely on tips .they should be for good service over and above the norm .People should not be guilt tripped into paying them

 

They can pay a proper wage but Celebrity won't be paying it. We will with the increased fares. The only difference between paying out of your right pocket or your left pocket is the additional sales tax and increased cost of travel insurance that will be associated with the increased fare.

[Keith1010]

On many of the cruise lines those who rely on tips make very little money beyond that.

 

It is the tips that contribute to the vast majority of their income.

 

Keith

[Flamencacha]

You know what...I have been on two cruises in my life, the ruby princess and the Disney fantasy. I paid my grats on both as they were put automatically on my account. Not once did I hear wait staff talk about tips and how much they make etc. I pay the recommended tips and if my server or stateroom attendant goes out of their way I slip them an extra bit of cash.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

 

So do I. I thought this was the norm,I have also realized why they charge up front. I have a dear friend (European) who cruises about once a year with hubby. She had an issue on her last cruise with her food quality. MSC refunded her the Prepaid gratuities. She said her servers were wonderful, so I asked didn't you leave an additional tip, NO they charge me up front already.

 

It is a cultural thing, my American side tips very well, and my European side of me not so well. Thus cruise lines added the gratuities for all.

 

 

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[rjrpar]

Yes..the tips are distributed similarly on all the mainstream cruise lines. I'm not sure why everyone is so concerned with the salaries of the ship worker....are they also concerned with the hotel employees (and how many actually tip their housekeeper in a hotel???!!) or their wait staff in their favorite restaurants.....I don't get it!

 

 

Never understood this either. Some people need more to do with their time.

[davekathy]

Yes..the tips are distributed similarly on all the mainstream cruise lines. I'm not sure why everyone is so concerned with the salaries of the ship worker....are they also concerned with the hotel employees (and how many actually tip their housekeeper in a hotel???!!) or their wait staff in their favorite restaurants.....I don't get it!

 

I don't either and agree.

[dkjretired]

I don't either and agree.

 

Me neither, I pay my tips, sometimes tip more, its up to the cruise line to dole them out.

[NLH Arizona]

Me neither, I pay my tips, sometimes tip more, its up to the cruise line to dole them out.

Totally agree.

[Rob the Cruiser]

Me neither, I pay my tips, sometimes tip more, its up to the cruise line to dole them out.

 

Absolutely. If an employee is not happy with their pay then he/she is free to leave at the end of their contract.

[cruising46]

Totally agree.

With the 18% tax on Beverages what do the bartenders get? If a staff member makes our vacation more enjoyable we give them extra tips.

[NLH Arizona]

With the 18% tax on Beverages what do the bartenders get? If a staff member makes our vacation more enjoyable we give them extra tips.

I don't care what the bar tenders get from the 18%, that is between the crew members and the cruise line. I also tip more if I get above and beyond service.

[davekathy]

I don't care what the bar tenders get from the 18%, that is between the crew members and the cruise line. I also tip more if I get above and beyond service.

 

Agree!

[Beanb41]

If a bar tender or waiter does there job and that is looking after the customers and gets paid for doing so why the customer stump up with extra in the way of tips considering as there appears to be consensus a rate for the job.