UK cruises, new gratuities

[pablo222]

However, those in tipping positions such as the cabin stewards, dining personnel and bar personnel get a low salary and depend on tips to make much of their income.

 

In the old days, this was true. Waiters got some nominal salary

like $50/month, plus tips.

 

Now, there are many people in dining who's income is totally

from participation in the gratuity pool.

 

Whether it's absolute or not, depends on country of origin.

 

It's pretty easy to google some princess contracts where one

can see the only pay is participation in gratuity pool.

[pablo222]

Pablo222

 

I am curious as to what to mean by they do not get paid.

 

Is there staff on the boats who do not receive a salary at all?

 

Yes.

 

I have read contracts for waiters from South Africa, Ukraine,

Russia and Romania. For those individuals in dining, their

income is solely from the tip pool.

 

I assume other countries are the same, but I don't know for

sure. On the other hand, this is cruise critic, so I should just

make a sweeping pronouncement that what I have said is

true for every person on every ship on every cruise line.

[CarlaBlit]

Yes.

 

I have read contracts for waiters from South Africa, Ukraine,

Russia and Romania. For those individuals in dining, their

income is solely from the tip pool.

 

I assume other countries are the same, but I don't know for

sure. On the other hand, this is cruise critic, so I should just

make a sweeping pronouncement that what I have said is

true for every person on every ship on every cruise line.

 

Hi Pablo,

Never make sweeping comments. If that was the case; all americans area idiots, all immigrants countries are dole bluddgers in other countries......these we know are not to be true.

I am just trying to find out what the situation is and if people do not get paid a salary.

I do come from a culture where tipping in a personal opinion if you receive a good service (yes, I have worked as a bar tender and waitress, etc). You receive the tip if you have done a good job not as a given because you are in that role.

I understand in some countries this is different so just want to clarify the situation before I travel as have been given the advice from previous cruise travellers to cancel the compulsary tipping and just tip that person specifically.

[pablo222]

I do come from a culture where tipping in a personal opinion if you receive a good service (yes, I have worked as a bar tender and waitress, etc). You receive the tip if you have done a good job not as a given because you are in that role.

 

I understand the differences in tipping in different cultures.

 

The problem occurs when the people working on ships are one

culture, and the passengers are a different culture.

 

For instance, a cruise ship waiter who is working solely in

expectation of tips; and a passenger who feels (based on

their culture) that ordinary work does not deserve a tip.

[CarlaBlit]

I understand the differences in tipping in different cultures.

 

The problem occurs when the people working on ships are one

culture, and the passengers are a different culture.

 

For instance, a cruise ship waiter who is working solely in

expectation of tips; and a passenger who feels (based on

their culture) that ordinary work does not deserve a tip.

 

I understand, hence why I was trying to work out the salary base on it. i.e. even though I am not from there I know in the US waitresses are paid a bare mini wage and rely on tips. But where I am currently living a waitress earns more per hour than what I do after a 5year university degree/masters. i.e I am lucky to earn more than 20AU$phr so i find it hard to pay someone AU$18 per day tip for 30mins work max as an extra to a base salary.

 

Plus surely if I pay that person directly it is more beneficial to them as then they dont have to pay tax on cash?

Edited November 11, 2016 by CarlaBlit

[pablo222]

Plus surely if I pay that person directly it is more beneficial to them as then they dont have to pay tax on cash?

 

Residents of many countries do not pay any tax on income

earned outside of the country -- which is one of the things

that makes working on ships appealing.

 

(This is not true for US residents, who in general must pay taxes

on any income)

 

For people in dining, if you tip them in cash, they are required

to turn the tip into the pool.

 

I know one waiter who was working in sabatini's who 'forgot'

to turn in the tip. He was sent home at the end of that cruise.

(his girlfriend was our assistant waiter, and she was crying for

the last 3 days of the cruise).

 

He is now working for celebrity.

[PrincessLuver]

What does living in the united states have to do with anything? Most crew are from countries that are very low income. Crew are very happy with cruise ship jobs which pay significantly more then could earn at home. Princess only offers their suggestion of what they would like to collect from passengers so they don't have to pay any crew related expenses. You are free to accept their suggestion or amend it or abandon it altogether.

 

Where is your survey that shows crew members are happy about being slave labor.....I have never seen one but it seems to be cruise critic lore of some kind....:confused:

[windsurferfirst]

JOHNANDBRIONY

 

I`m glad you made that post as thats what my parents and I intend to do next year when we board the ship...

 

I`m British, I dont tip...

 

Cruisefan2012

 

 

Don't make such a sweeping generalization. Im a Brit and I tip, surely if you are going to make "your own arrangement" with staff on board then you tip as well?

[wowzz]

I'm a Brit, and I also tip (a little) plus leave the auto tip on. But, the size of the auto tips now suggested by Princess are getting out of hand, and that's before taking the exchange rate into account.

Our next cruise will therefore be on P&O, where the auto tip is only £5.50 per person per day ($7)

 

Sent from my SM-T700 using Forums mobile app

[RDC1]

Where is your survey that shows crew members are happy about being slave labor.....I have never seen one but it seems to be cruise critic lore of some kind....:confused:

 

Last time I looked the crew was not kidnapped, locked up and as you put it slave labor. They are not kidnapped crew on fishing boats that are in some case truly slave labor.

 

A good way to determine if most of the crew are satisfied with their jobs, is the number of them that keep coming back on new contracts, the number that have been doing it for years, the number that have children and other family members enter the career.

 

Of course they could stay home, in most cases make far less, under even less desirable circumstances, with even longer working hours.

Edited November 11, 2016 by RDC1

[pablo222]

A good way to determine if most of the crew are satisfied with their jobs, is the number of them that keep coming back on new contracts, the number that have been doing it for years, the number that have children and other family members enter the career.

 

Regardless of how happy waiters are, or are not, what is fair about

a system where I sit at on table in the dining room, pay

the daily charge (which pays the waiter to serve me)...

 

...while someone else sits at the next table, cancels the daily

charge, and gets the same service?

 

What a corrupt system princess has created.

[pablo222]

Simple I refuse to pay it so will be removing gratuities. It has been said that you are making staff suffer when it is not their decision to raise gratuities, but writing to managers or complaining to Princess on Facebook/Twitter falls on deaf ears. This is the second increase this year totally 17% increase in wages and I have not received that amount in total over 5 years so do not believe all the gratuities go to the staff just to boost Princess profits.

 

It is always the same people bragging here about how they cancel tips.

 

This poster says people cancel tips, so they can give less...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=42803847&postcount=28

[livinforcruisin]

Regardless of how happy waiters are, or are not, what is fair about

a system where I sit at on table in the dining room, pay

the daily charge (which pays the waiter to serve me)...

 

...while someone else sits at the next table, cancels the daily

charge, and gets the same service?

 

What a corrupt system princess has created.

 

I fully agree, what a corrupt system Princess have created. The rub is 'the daily charge' which is a replacement for a salary and is therefore not a 'gratuity' which should be for service 'above and beyond'. I have always left all the tips in place and given extra (even as a Brit). However I now feel that Princess needs to be completely transparent with their 'gratuities'. I hear cabin stewards telling us that if they don't get 5 out of 5 on the end of cruise survey they will not receive their gratuities. This leaves me thinking that it must go to the company. It has all become a much easier way to raise salaries without cutting into the cruise lines profit margin. Two price hikes on gratuities in the same year is ridiculous. Especially when (and here I can only talk about the UK, I don't know about other countries) public sector pay has been frozen for the past 5 years due to all the austerity measures. Yet Princess has continued to increase the gratuities year on year. For me it is now becoming a red rag issue and feels very shady indeed.

[EDF]

I don't thinks its excessive either. I always keep the on board gratuities and then tip even more to bartenders,waiters,housekeeping etc.

 

Hi,

 

Do you receive a gratuity for your employment maybe not. Simply answer is to remove all gratuities after all Princess or any other cruise line should not be relying on their customers to reduce their liability of paying staff. Gratuity should not be added without the consent of the customer the amount should be down to the individual to give what they feel appropriate and not be told what should be given.

Each member of the crew is paid a salary the customer should not be expected to add to this.

 

David

[lucksak]

Simple I refuse to pay it so will be removing gratuities. It has been said that you are making staff suffer when it is not their decision to raise gratuities, but writing to managers or complaining to Princess on Facebook/Twitter falls on deaf ears. This is the second increase this year totally 17% increase in wages and I have not received that amount in total over 5 years so do not believe all the gratuities go to the staff just to boost Princess profits.

 

We are Canadian and our $ is low compared to the US $. For our future cruise we will be paying $35.00 a day for a couple . We know that going in. The majority of the staff make low wages. We all know that. Princess could choose to raise the price of the cruise ,pay the staff more and end tipping as we know it. To them it doesn't seem to be good marketing.

When we go to the US we tip more than we do at home. We tip even more in Mexico. Why ? Because we know they make a lot less in the service industry than Canadians. We hardly tipped in Italy because waiters are paid a living wage.

 

We pre pay our gratuities and it seems to be less painful . We look at the tips as part of the price of the cruise same as port fees.

 

We tipped a little extra in cash for excellent service this past cruise.

 

Don't take it out on the staff. Most of them come from 3 rd world countries.

Work very long hours and are away from their families for long periods of time.

[wowzz]

We are Canadian and our $ is low compared to the US $. For our future cruise we will be paying $35.00 a day for a couple . We know that going in. The majority of the staff make low wages. We all know that. Princess could choose to raise the price of the cruise ,pay the staff more and end tipping as we know it. To them it doesn't seem to be good marketing.

When we go to the US we tip more than we do at home. We tip even more in Mexico. Why ? Because we know they make a lot less in the service industry than Canadians. We hardly tipped in Italy because waiters are paid a living wage.

 

We pre pay our gratuities and it seems to be less painful . We look at the tips as part of the price of the cruise same as port fees.

 

We tipped a little extra in cash for excellent service this past cruise.

 

Don't take it out on the staff. Most of them come from 3 rd world countries.

Work very long hours and are away from their families for long periods of time.

 

That is a very reasoned argument, and I would agree totally, apart from the fact that Princess are raising auto tips annually at a rate greater than inflation.

I have always hated the sanctimonious attitude of those who take off the auto tips and stick $20 in an envelope, but should I cruise with Princess again [my next trips are with P&O - yes I know, same company] I will leave the auto tips on,but reduce the amount to a figure that is acceptable to me and hopefully to the crew - it will certainly be more than $20!!

[Colo Cruiser]

Hi,

 

Do you receive a gratuity for your employment maybe not. Simply answer is to remove all gratuities after all Princess or any other cruise line should not be relying on their customers to reduce their liability of paying staff. Gratuity should not be added without the consent of the customer the amount should be down to the individual to give what they feel appropriate and not be told what should be given.

Each member of the crew is paid a salary the customer should not be expected to add to this.

 

David

 

 

Great way to punish the crew.

[lucksak]

Whilst I am quite happy to tip extra for someone who has gone above and beyond to provide a special service and I do tip the room steward/assistance steward, I don't consider that I should tip people for doing their job. Yes, its a rotten job, but (I presume) its their choice. I pay for a certain level of service, which should be provided as standard, not just for those people who tip extra. After all, I don't get tips for doing my day job.

 

I worked in the retail industry for 42 years. Also I belonged to a union. We were paid good wages. We provided good customer service. No

tips were received. When we go out we tip because we know service staff , hairdressers,housekeeping ,bell hops, food delivery people etc. don't make a liveable wage. If your conscience allows you not to tip so be it. Millions work in industries not by choice . They work to survive instead of hand outs and welfare. A person who goes on a cruise was lucky to live in a country with many opportunities.

[EDF]

Great way to punish the crew.

 

Don't think is punishing the crew they choose to do the job and should accept the salary that is offered. How much do you get tipped for your job? I guess nothing. Do the crew receive all that the cruise lines get in gratuities I would probably say no. Get rid of gratuities altogether.

[antsp]

I don't get why ever one on cc is so hung up on what the ships crew earns, if you own an iPhone do you worry what pitifull amount Apple Inc pay to the Chinese workers and there terrible conditions, same if you buy a pair of Nike made in Vietnam.

[USNUZULOOSE]

So the new charge is 13.50 a day for regular rooms? I don't stay in suites.

[BritinSoCal]

Don't think is punishing the crew they choose to do the job and should accept the salary that is offered. How much do you get tipped for your job? I guess nothing. Do the crew receive all that the cruise lines get in gratuities I would probably say no. Get rid of gratuities altogether.

 

Not relevant. I suspect you and I got paid nearly as much in a month than these guys' base annual salary.

 

As to getting rid of gratuities - 'aint gonna happen... Besides employees in the service industry generally get right-royally (I see Michel Roux Jr got called out in the UK press this week) - and unlike the UK (or to an extent here in the US) your taxes aren't being used to subsidise Princess' profits - just your gratuities ;)

 

However, if you feel that strongly, just sail P&O - then again they got mauled a few years back when it was discovered they were paying staff less than a £ / hr...

[delron]

Not relevant. I suspect you and I got paid nearly as much in a month than these guys' base annual salary.

 

As to getting rid of gratuities - 'aint gonna happen... Besides employees in the service industry generally get right-royally (I see Michel Roux Jr got called out in the UK press this week) - and unlike the UK (or to an extent here in the US) your taxes aren't being used to subsidise Princess' profits - just your gratuities ;)

 

However, if you feel that strongly, just sail P&O - then again they got mauled a few years back when it was discovered they were paying staff less than a £ / hr...

Lets get something straight here, tipping is not a culture that us Brits really subscribe to, in fact if we are offered a tip it usually offends most of us Brits.

 

So just because we board an American owned cruise ship that is plying its trade out of Southampton (England) with passengers that mainly consist of UK based people doesn't mean we have to welcome or embrace the act of tipping the crew members.

 

So if us Brits choose to opt out of the automated gratuities that Princess adds on a daily basis to our onboard spending account, doesn't mean we deserve to get any negative remarks on here from those who`s culture it is to tip.

 

Sorry if I offend some people on here, but its all about the different cultures and the USA & UK are totally different countries in so many ways.

 

So what suits one type of passengers doesn't another, so lets just all live with that fact and get on with it.

[RDC1]

Lets get something straight here, tipping is not a culture that us Brits really subscribe to, in fact if we are offered a tip it usually offends most of us Brits.

 

So just because we board an American owned cruise ship that is plying its trade out of Southampton (England) with passengers that mainly consist of UK based people doesn't mean we have to welcome or embrace the act of tipping the crew members.

 

So if us Brits choose to opt out of the automated gratuities that Princess adds on a daily basis to our onboard spending account, doesn't mean we deserve to get any negative remarks on here from those who`s culture it is to tip.

 

Sorry if I offend some people on here, but its all about the different cultures and the USA & UK are totally different countries in so many ways.

 

So what suits one type of passengers doesn't another, so lets just all live with that fact and get on with it.

 

Yet I suspect you would not be happy if Princess raised the fare on the UK web site by equivalent of 13.50 per day due to "the culture".

Edited November 20, 2016 by RDC1

[delron]

Yet I suspect you would not be happy if Princess raised the fare on the UK web site by equivalent of 13.50 per day due to "the culture".

I think we Brits already pay a lot more for our Princess cruises than those based in the USA.