New tipping policy/ increase.

[kmsmith123]

What is the justification supporting the new "tipping policy?" How is it divided? Exact percentages please, by person. For example, of the $23 dollars, how much goes to butler etc. It seems rather excessive when compared to other lines.

 

Thanks you.

 

Kent

[Paulchili]

Cost of living increase?

Salaries (and tips) have to/should keep pace with increase of prices in other facets of our lives.

My guess.

[LHT28]

What is the justification supporting the new "tipping policy?" How is it divided? Exact percentages please, by person. For example, of the $23 dollars, how much goes to butler etc. It seems rather excessive when compared to other lines.

 

Thanks you.

 

Kent

I am guessing the difference in the regular rate of $16 to $23 goes to the butler pool

 

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/faq/

How much you choose to tip is a personal matter and completely at your discretion. For your convenience, the following gratuities are automatically added to your shipboard account.

 

• For guests occupying staterooms, gratuities of $16.00 per guest, per day will be added.
  
• For guests occupying Penthouse, Oceania, Vista or Owner's Suites where Butler Service is provided, gratuities of $23.00 per guest, per day will be added.
  

 

 

For exact amounts to each member you would need to contact the cruise line

it all depends on how many hours they work among other calculations during their contract with the cruise line

[auldlassie]

Perhaps you already know this, but this gratuity is actually not mandatory, but voluntary. The amount stated is only added to your account as Oceania's "suggestion". Most people just assume it is mandatory, but that is not in fact the case.

 

It seems to me to be extremely difficult to assess a rate for these things as it all hangs on so personal an experience or opinion or principle or a combination of those things.

 

If you think it is excessive, you can pay as much or as little (or none) of it as you please when you settle your account at the reception desk.

 

Likewise, if you think it is too little, you can pay more.

 

If you wish to make payments to individual members of staff who have particularly assisted or impressed you there is nothing to prevent you from doing that, either instead of or in addition to paying Oceania's "suggestion."

 

These payments are all actually entirely up to you and the reception staff will amend your account to do as you wish on this point.

[Hawaiidan]

Or is this a excluded class for the auto tips

 

You can drive yourself and others crazy trying to breakdown every expense..

as for the tipping the 16 or 23...

 

It dosent matter.. because its just part of the fare....a s I see it, dont like it then dont book.... Like arguing with an airline because of what they pay for fuel.. Its moot.

 

Besides, the tips to the people who make your trip and life aboard their mission . Its the very last place I would ever consider scrimping or shorting the daily remuneration... I dont care what your reasoning this is sticking it to the working men and women on the cruise

[LHT28]

Perhaps you already know this, but this gratuity is actually not mandatory, but voluntary. The amount stated is only added to your account as Oceania's "suggestion". Most people just assume it is mandatory, but that is not in fact the case.

 

.

I have never considered it mandatory but do feel the crew earn every penny of the "suggested " amount

We even give extra to some of the crew at the end of the cruise

 

YMMD

 

If you do not like the suggested gratuity then just change the amount to suit yourself

People will do what they like no matter what anyone else has to say about it

There are too many tipping threads that all end up the same way ....

Edited August 13, 2016 by LHT28

[alexandra cruiser]

but glad my TA gives that to us as a perk.

We also give extra to our butler,if in PH.or room steward in others.

Good service should mean good tips.

Guess many don t like auto add,even if not mandatory.

Sure others would leave little or nothing,sad but true.

[ChappChapp]

We the are all paying thousands and tens of thousands of dollars for these cruises and as Hawaiidan says " this is the last place I would scrimp" . When was the last time anyone tipped the men helping you into the tender and keeping you from falling into the water? Who tips the workers tirelessly cleaning every inch of the ship? Who tips the people in the kitchens or the men who drop the anchor every morning and raise it every evening. I think this is a paltry sum to pay and generally give much more to our housekeeper and certain wait staff. They are working men and women and for the most part do a tremendous job of ensuring we all have a wonderful experience . And done with a smile too!

[LHT28]

We the are all paying thousands and tens of thousands of dollars for these cruises and as Hawaiidan says " this is the last place I would scrimp" . When was the last time anyone tipped the men helping you into the tender and keeping you from falling into the water? Who tips the workers tirelessly cleaning every inch of the ship? Who tips the people in the kitchens or the men who drop the anchor every morning and raise it every evening. I think this is a paltry sum to pay and generally give much more to our housekeeper and certain wait staff. They are working men and women and for the most part do a tremendous job of ensuring we all have a wonderful experience . And done with a smile too!

 

The gratuity goes to wait staff & housekeeping the other crew members are paid a salary

The basic suggested gratuity is $16 pp pd

if you have a butler it is $23 pp pd

the barmen get a share of the 18% added to the drinks

Edited August 13, 2016 by LHT28

[ChappChapp]

If it is being suggested that most of the crew is paid a salary and the housekeepers and wait staff rely more on tips then all the more reason to tip and tip generously. I go back to my original thought we are all paying thousands and tens of thousands so I do not see why it is necessary to quibble here. Unseemly comes to mind.

[potterhill]

In my mind you have to be very small minded to decrease or eliminate the tips. We now have them included, but have always given extra to many who have made our cruise a happy place.

 

Mo

 

 

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[Wendy The Wanderer]

So remind me, what did the tip levels used to be? (I've only been on O once, in a PH, but gratuities were pre-paid.)

[Cruseforme]

It was $15 and $22 until mid 2015. The change took effect "winter season 2015-2016" to make it $16 and $23.

[azam71209]

My understanding is that when you give an extra tip to one person, they are supposed to turn it over to the pool, so everyone gets a fair share. If that's true, then shouldn't we just increase the total tip to acknowledge great service, rather than handing out extras to a few people?

 

I'm thinking that the "share and share alike" approach is fairer and makes staff want to function collaboratively and not competitively. It also makes it less likely that guests will feel there is a "class" system where some people get better treatment than others throughout the ship venues, because they are handing out "side tips."

 

Mary

[LHT28]

My understanding is that when you give an extra tip to one person, they are supposed to turn it over to the pool, so everyone gets a fair share. If that's true, then shouldn't we just increase the total tip to acknowledge great service, rather than handing out extras to a few people?

 

 

Mary

I am not sure that is the case if you have left the Daily Gratuity on your account

Will have to ask on our next cruise how that works

[globevest]

I asked and was told that if you add additional gratuity to your onboard account it goes to the 'pool'.

If you give a tip directly to cabin staff, restaurant staff etc it is a personal tip and is kept by the receiver.

[Paulchili]

It was $15 and $22 until mid 2015. The change took effect "winter season 2015-2016" to make it $16 and $23.

 

A gigantic increase of $1 :D - well worth bi***ing about :D

[Hawaiidan]

A gigantic increase of $1 :D - well worth bi***ing about :D

 

Reminds me of Scrooge Md Duck ith penny pinching miser.

 

What is totally incomprehensible, is that some one spending multi to mega thousands would get pushed out of shape by a $1 raise in the daily price.... I mean do sit at home pinching every last penny and wringing their hands in woe...

 

How they are being "robbed by Thieves" masquerading as doting servants, pandering shamelessly for my money.... My MONEY , oh my precious precious darlings ...my money......GET back dont touch it...its MINE...all mine not a dime for you because its mine

[English Voyager]

It says something about a Company's staff remuneration levels that it feels the need to suggest a daily gratuity amount, and add a mandatory 18% service charge to a bar bill.

[Hawaiidan]

It says something about a Company's staff remuneration levels that it feels the need to suggest a daily gratuity amount, and add a mandatory 18% service charge to a bar bill.

 

Yes it would be great if we all paid everyone huge salaries. and didnt tip like they do in many commonwealth countries. It can be seek in a negative light by people from regions which are more socialist economuc feelings reign.

Yes those workers get big dollar /pound paychecks.... but in doing so the government takes back huge amounts which benefit the government not the worker.High pay in those countries /p;aces is just another government smoke and mirror tax/profit scheme for politicians.

 

In the long run the worker is no better off than before but he gets to file a bigger tax return to give it back. UK is famous for this as is Australia

 

Paying a worker a salary is all taxed and double taxed. Giving the cruise workers a tip donation is revenue which the greedy government cant get their paws on is beneficial to the workers. in their home countries.

 

Speaking of which the salaries paid the service staff by O by far exceeds highly paid teaching, engineering and even medical professionals back home. So ,it is really not fair to judge the pay of someone based on the pay in your country... Should a farmer in Somalia make the same as an Engineer in London? The cruise workers are paid, by their home countries value system..extremely high end salaries.

 

Too, in providing services and accepting tips their is a strong motivation to provide services that will result in tips. Personal pride and moitvation self improvement and the ability to improve your life while improving your clients... Win Win

 

In countries that have little of no tipping, but high wages, the result is an unmotivated worker/force who see no point in doing anything but just enough to get by and generally service is minimal to non existent in those places. When I was In UK years ago the saying was " I dont got to work hard..I got a union card"

Our recent absurd minimum wage of 15 and hour for unskilled un eduicated people to remain as such...why try to get a better job.... the government will just get me more money....

[jody75]

.........In countries that have little of no tipping, but high wages, the result is an unmotivated worker/force who see no point in doing anything but just enough to get by and generally service is minimal to non existent in those places. When I was In UK years ago the saying was " I dont got to work hard..I got a union card"

 

What a jaundice view you have, open your eyes, life is never black and white.

Tipping should be discretionary, spontaneous and given in good faith with a warm hand for the service provided. Why don't Oceania and all other cruiselines replace it with a service charge which everyone pays. I expect many from the land of the free and the brave would be deadly against, sorry now I am generalising.

[hypercafe]

I have to disagree that paying a living wage and not tipping makes for a poor work force. I was on the Europa2 which has a all German service staff with no tipping or service charge. Apparently tipping is not done or expected in Germany. Service was at a extremely high level and the crew was a very happy group.

[Jay23]

There is no tipping expected or required on Seabourn Cruise and the service on board is exemplary, (in my experience)

[JimandStan]

There is no tipping expected or required on Seabourn Cruise and the service on board is exemplary, (in my experience)

Before coming over to Oceania, we were long time Holland America passengers, back in the days when their "tipping not required" policy was a revolutionary concept in the cruise industry.

 

Over time, we naturally became friendly with many of the service personnel, and literally all of them confided eventually that it was amazing how much saliva a person could ingest, without having any idea that they were doing so. :p

 

Still, people believe want they desperately want to believe, so be it. :D

[English Voyager]

I have to disagree that paying a living wage and not tipping makes for a poor work force. I was on the Europa2 which has a all German service staff with no tipping or service charge. Apparently tipping is not done or expected in Germany. Service was at a extremely high level and the crew was a very happy group.

 

And with reasonably priced alcoholic drinks!