New tipping policy/ increase.

[mpfund]

When we were on Europa 2 we tipped a few people. Seeing how expertly palmed our bills were, I think the staff was well practiced!

[Hawaiidan]

And with reasonably priced alcoholic drinks!

DO you think the drinks are high priced? I find them quite the common norm to even very reasonable when compared to hotels and resort charges Pub prices in UK and Wales were to me rather high... and I wont go into London at all as it realize its been made a Saudi and Kuwaiti territory and shopping zone

[ChappChapp]

Drink prices in NYC are now easily $25 to $30 a pop not including tip. Back to tipping aboard Oceania, come on people as someone else pointed out we are talking a couple of $ per day here while we are spending thousands. Let's get the priorities straight!

[Classiccruiser777]

The crew work 70 hour weeks, every week, once on board the ship.

[Joc123]

DO you think the drinks are high priced? I find them quite the common norm to even very reasonable when compared to hotels and resort charges Pub prices in UK and Wales were to me rather high... and I wont go into London at all as it realize its been made a Saudi and Kuwaiti territory and shopping zone

 

I don't think London will miss you

[orchestrapal]

I don't think London will miss you

 

Ditto!!!

Where in the world do you get your wrong and biased information??

Having spent 12 weeks on several visits to London this year it is still one of the greatest cities in the world and they certainly won't miss you.

Edited August 15, 2016 by orchestrapal

[Hawaiidan]

I don't think London will miss you

 

"I wont go into London."...was one way of saying "In this discussion I wont even bother discussing London prices" it had nothing at all with visiting the place... Been visiting and working in London/GLC/ home counties on and off since 1977 !!

[Hawaiidan]

Ditto!!!

Where in the world do you get your wrong and biased information??

Having spent 12 weeks on several visits to London this year it is still one of the greatest cities in the world and they certainly won't miss you.

 

Your comprehension should have followed the syntax...on discussing places. At no time was I or others talking of visiting a place suggested...Grab a Thesaurus ...it might help you

 

I have been visiting and working in the greater London area since 1977... its a great city but since the arab influx during the Gulf conflict the city changed radically and prices went through the roof in Mayfair and Kensington due to the free flowing spending of these cash rich visitors.. Great city....but you need serious cash to stay

 

In your 12 weeks I assume you had someone picking up your tab, or giving you living expenses because I an very aware of london hotel, bar, undergorund, restaurant ,clothing prices., parking etc.. In addition American Express, Zagat and the US govt have all listed London as one of the top 3 most expensive cities in the world for business or living... To chastise widely public information from financial and business services is hardly biase and unfounded foundation... maybe in Brixton it might be a bit cheaper or in Hounslow.. but anything on the inside of the M25 is sky high

Edited August 15, 2016 by Hawaiidan

[durante]

Hawaiidan, haven't you posted several times about how you book your cruises through a travel agent who can put you onto group bookings so you get extra OBC and free gratuities? Strange that you didn't make that clear in this thread...It doesn't seem right that people who don't have to actually pay for their gratuities should pass judgement on the OPs original question.

[Solas36]

I noticed some earlier posts have been removed from this thread. Strikes me that I am not the only one who can see through the misinformed and illogical arguments which are far from helpful. I also notice that they are often written with so many errors and typos that one can be forgiven for doubting their factual accuracy.

 

Might be an idea to proof read and check facts before you post! So much excellent information appears here from helpful fellow travellers. Others seem to see it as a soapbox!

[LHT28]

The OP has not returned to this thread so makes me wonder what his/her motivation is for posting the question ?

[Pet Nit Noy]

In your 12 weeks I assume you had someone picking up your tab, or giving you living expenses because I an very aware of london hotel, bar, undergorund, restaurant ,clothing prices., parking etc..

 

This list is a bizarre grab bag of expenses, few of which are germane to folks on long term stays.

 

No need to stay in a hotel for long periods. There are great rental situations -- beautiful flats in desirable neighborhoods -- which bring down the cost of housing considerably (Check out commercial rentals, AirBnB, and VRBO for specific examples)

 

Why do you imagine anyone who is visiting is will need to buy clothing? The rule of thumb is to pack for a week regardless of the length of your trip.

 

You can't have it both ways -- complaining about parking which implies a having a car in Central London and the price of Underground transportation. (Anyone renting a car during a London stay needs to have his/her sanity questioned but that's topic for a different post.)

 

Food costs are easy to control when visitors have access to a kitchen. And for those days when visitors are out touring the city during lunch, low cost but appealing places like Pret a Manger are widely available. (I recommend the Mature Cheddar, Arugula, and "Pickle" sandwich.)

 

Intelligent choices put a trip to London within reach of many budgets despite your hyperventilating to the contrary.

[Hawaiidan]

This list is a bizarre grab bag of expenses, few of which are germane to folks on long term stays.

 

No need to stay in a hotel for long periods. There are great rental situations -- beautiful flats in desirable neighborhoods -- which bring down the cost of housing considerably (Check out commercial rentals, AirBnB, and VRBO for specific examples)

 

Why do you imagine anyone who is visiting is will need to buy clothing? The rule of thumb is to pack for a week regardless of the length of your trip.

 

You can't have it both ways -- complaining about parking which implies a having a car in Central London and the price of Underground transportation. (Anyone renting a car during a London stay needs to have his/her sanity questioned but that's topic for a different post.)

 

Food costs are easy to control when visitors have access to a kitchen. And for those days when visitors are out touring the city during lunch, low cost but appealing places like Pret a Manger are widely available. (I recommend the Mature Cheddar, Arugula, and "Pickle" sandwich.)

 

Intelligent choices put a trip to London within reach of many budgets despite your hyperventilating to the contrary.

 

I cite my experience as a business and vacation traveler... we fly in go to work, dont go buy groceries, dont have time to cook, eat out all meals, travel around in Taxi or Tube, rent a car to go to outlying areas, We use credit cards and need to track expense. Most travelers dont have the time or want the hassle of housekeeping during and spending time going around shopping for all their needs. The records of American Express and Zagat as well as the US Dept of commerce speak of the cost a business or regular less than a week traveler would face. Intelligent choices your infer are in truth not possible to take advantage of for the vast majority of us...because they involve a lot of time and compromise to take advantage of..

 

"air b&b... or VBRO I would not touch them..no reliability of accuracy and many run by people who are out to cheat the locals and their economy and not where I would do work. Many cities in the US have now passed laws against airb&b and vbro... Hawaii is very upset by these..among others. From pure aesthetics I wont be a party to these bums

 

Seriously you make a good point that IF some one were to go and seek out some suburban studio apt, Cook all your meals go shopping, and pack a lunch then there are all sorts of ways to go cheap. Most of us dont have that luxury of time.... 3 to 5 days short visits sometimes only 36 hours before we have to be on a plane headed back or onward.

 

Yes many American cities done that way would be more expensive too.. But London is a standout among the worlds cities like Tokyo too. You can always do things cheaper if you settle for doing a lot of work and spending a lot of time doing it. By the way a cocktail in a Hotel bar in UK ran around 20 Pounds each hotels can run an easy 350 pounds min. + meals

[Hawaiidan]

Hawaiidan, haven't you posted several times about how you book your cruises through a travel agent who can put you onto group bookings so you get extra OBC and free gratuities? Strange that you didn't make that clear in this thread...It doesn't seem right that people who don't have to actually pay for their gratuities should pass judgement on the OPs original question.

 

That I tip a considerable amount to staff IN ADDITION to what ever I get..., and recognize the hard work and service I receive deserves appreciation. I put myself in their shoes...and realize all that they do would exhaust me.

 

Seriously I see most of the complainer are from cultural groups who traditionally dont tip and are very budget aware .They feel forced to go against their cultural . Those not of those cultures see it as rather selfish and stingy.

[janecambridge]

That I tip a considerable amount to staff IN ADDITION to what ever I get..., and recognize the hard work and service I receive deserves appreciation. I put myself in their shoes...and realize all that they do would exhaust me.

 

Seriously I see most of the complainer are from cultural groups who traditionally dont tip and are very budget aware .They feel forced to go against their cultural . Those not of those cultures see it as rather selfish and stingy.

 

I think I may be one of those from the ' cultural groups ' that you are referring to,being English.I know no other 'culture' that refers to me as selfish and stingy.I am budget aware,true.Im a nurse with poor pay and save hard for the cruises we go on.I have no 'extras'because we are military,previous customers etc but I always pay my gratuities and more if justified.Please don't taint us with the same brush....

[jody75]

..........rather selfish and stingy.

 

Very appropriate comment, I wonder if is a self confession. Yes, I believe it is ! Please don't continue to dig a deeper hole.

[LHT28]

Sometimes you just have to ignore certain posters here

for those that still want to read the thread maybe just skip the posts by specific people ;)

 

CC has a great feature to help you do this

check under USER CP top left look for the IGNORE list

[English Voyager]

Seriously I see most of the complainer are from cultural groups who traditionally dont tip and are very budget aware .They feel forced to go against their cultural . Those not of those cultures see it as rather selfish and stingy.

 

One could criticise a culture in which receipt of a tip is regarded as an entitlement, irrespective of the quality of the service that has been provided, and that said tip must be a minimum of 15-20% of the bill.

 

That there are cultures that do not operate on a principle of mandatory tipping does not mean that the people within them do not tip.

[Pet Nit Noy]

I cite my experience as a business and vacation traveler... Intelligent choices your infer [sIC] are in truth not possible to take advantage of for the vast majority of us...because they involve a lot of time and compromise to take advantage of..

 

Your experience bears no relationship to Orchestrapal's situation. Why use your inapplicable experience to accuse Orchestrapal of having "someone picking up your tab, or giving you living expenses?"

 

Far be it for me to stand in the way of a good rant, but the topic being discussed is whether there are reasonable strategies for dealing with London's high costs for extended stays. Don't like AirBand B or VBRO, then seek out commercial rentals.

 

Seriously you make a good point that IF some one were to go and seek out some suburban studio apt, Cook all your meals go shopping, and pack a lunch then there are all sorts of ways to go cheap. Most of us dont have that luxury of time.... 3 to 5 days short visits sometimes only 36 hours before we have to be on a plane headed back or onward.

 

Sigh. Do you think we don't recognize Reductio ad absurdum, a truly debased form of argument?

 

Bottom line: If you have no personal experience with long term stays in London, why do you have any opinion about the reality of doing so?

[orchestrapal]

Your experience bears no relationship to Orchestrapal's situation. Why use your inapplicable experience to accuse Orchestrapal of having "someone picking up your tab, or giving you living expenses?"

Far be it for me to stand in the way of a good rant, but the topic being discussed is whether there are reasonable strategies for dealing with London's high costs for extended stays. Don't like AirBand B or VBRO, then seek out commercial rentals.

Sigh. Do you think we don't recognize Reductio ad absurdum, a truly debased form of argument?

Bottom line: If you have no personal experience with long term stays in London, why do you have any opinion about the reality of doing so?

 

Thanks for your comments.

We pay our own way and will continue to do so as long as we can.

[gary222]

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

 

Some might see increased tips, service charges, gratuities etc as a reason for the company to pay their employees less, to skim those tips to ensure senior corporate execs are rewarded handsomely and / or reduce the amount of tax the company is liable for.

[gary222]

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

 

Does the company skim anything from the 18%?

[LHT28]

Does the company skim anything from the 18%?

 

You would have to ask them

[Solas36]

Sometimes you just have to ignore certain posters here

for those that still want to read the thread maybe just skip the posts by specific people ;)

 

CC has a great feature to help you do this

check under USER CP top left look for the IGNORE list

 

Thanks for this tip! There are some posters you just know are going to be less than helpful and purely want a platform for their rants!