Kids' gratuities and costs

[notentirelynormal]

I believe everyone should pay their gratuities/service charge and being an experienced cruiser, the OP knew what they were signing up for when they booked the cruise. If the OP decides to reduce/remove the tips for the twins, he should make sure he tells the Cabin Steward not to worry about making up the sofa bed they will be sleeping on, not to bring extra towels for the twins and that the family will clean up any mess they should make.

 

Don't forget to let the waiters know that they only need food every other day and that they will be washing their own dishes.

 

Anyone who claims to be an experienced cruiser knows they are expected to pay gratuities for everyone in the party - with the exception that some lines have for under 2.

[navybankerteacher]

It is easy to see how this might happen with people from the UK, although sailing with RCCL for years this was probably as a couple with wife and not with children.

 

If they had sailed with P&O UK for years children up to twelve years of age will not be charged auto tips.

 

Then all of a sudden an extended family cruise occurs with daughter, partner and step children of 5 years old when you are of a different mindset from past experience.

 

How much does the average American tip a London bus driver for a normal local bus ride?

 

Regards John

 

Claiming extensive experience with RCCL tends to undermine OP's claim to not understand RCCL's tipping policy.

 

Average American children are generally exempt from mandatory tips on local bus rides in the US, so their parents can be given the benefit of the doubt in not tipping LT drivers for them.

[spookwife]

Claiming extensive experience with RCCL tends to undermine OP's claim to not understand RCCL's tipping policy.

 

Average American children are generally exempt from mandatory tips on local bus rides in the US, so their parents can be given the benefit of the doubt in not tipping LT drivers for them.

 

umm NO ONE Pays tips on 'local bus rides' in the US. it's mass transit. we also don't tip the subway drivers on the El or in NYC or DC as again, mass transit.

 

 

 

its just entitled people thinking that children are just so speshul and precious that they should be free in all things until they turn 18 and can be kicked out of the house to fend for themselves.

 

they seem to forget that everyone regardless of age uses resources.

[ithaca gal]

We have just booked a RCL cruise for next year on the 'Navigator.' Our party will be my wife and myself, my stepdaughter, her husband and their 5 year old twins. We have booked adjoining Junior Suites - one for my wife and I and the other for my stepdaughter and her family. The twins will use the sofa bed.

 

We prefer Mytime Dining and to do this we had to pre-pay our gratuities. We don't have a problem with this in principle as it's what my wife and I always do when we cruise on our own (and we always give extra tips to those who deserve it) but we're not happy that we had to pay gratuities for the twins. The cruise overall is costing a lot of money and we didn't get, in our opinion, much of a discount for the twins (about 25%). Also, because of RCL's current pricing structure, we were obliged to take the so called 'free' drinks package which is not of any great benefit to us. On top of all this, my stepdaughter will have to pay Kids' Club and babysitting charges. So, it goes against the grain to have to pay gratuities for the twins.

 

Our travel agent says that nothing can be done about the twins' gratuities at this stage and we should take it up with Guest Services when we're on board. My question is: has anyone done this and, if so, what was the outcome? Or are we being unreasonable in our views?

I'm sure that there must have been previous comments on this topic in these boards but the search facility isn't detailed enough to narrow down the results to avoid having to trawl through many, many posts.

 

I will just answer the question you posed. Yes. You are being unreasonable in your views. Absolutely. Definitely. Shamelessly.

[navybankerteacher]

umm NO ONE Pays tips on 'local bus rides' in the US. it's mass transit. we also don't tip the subway drivers on the El or in NYC or DC as again, mass transit.

 

...

 

 

I hope you did not take really, seriously, literally my contention that only children were exempt from mandatory tipping on local US bus rides.

 

Context is significant.

[captainrupertbear]

Americans don't tip normal local or long haul bus drivers, only tour bus drivers.

 

Ouch, you walked right into that one,

[SadieN]

Ouch, you walked right into that one,

 

 

With my eyes wide open ;)

[neoncandle]

My twins are just as much work if not more than adults. The folks who work the cruise ships are paid so little. Can't believe you want to stiff the poor people working them. Save some money another way!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[neoncandle]

If you can spend that kind of money on the trip you can pay a little more for service. I am not going to lie, when I was 22 I may have stiffed the help a bit, but that was a mistake. I hope you won't repeat it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ducklite]

umm NO ONE Pays tips on 'local bus rides' in the US. it's mass transit. we also don't tip the subway drivers on the El or in NYC or DC as again, mass transit.

 

 

 

 

When I commuted to NYC, my morning train was at a terminus. Same conductors every morning as a result. The one guy was great, cheerful and just a nice guy. There were a dozen of us "dailies" who took turns buying him a coffee from the cart at the station each morning. I gave him a Christmas present as well. Nothing extravagant, one year it was a fun pair of socks with a motif of something I knew he liked. I knew that the law prohibited him from accepting anything with a value of over $20.

 

He brightened our days, and to be honest, I was sad when I left the NYC job for one in NJ and knew I would probably never see him again.

[declansdad]

These threads would disappear if the cruise lines stopped calling these charges gratuities. They are not gratuities, they are service charges.

[Underwatr]

In fact, on Cunard's site the daily charge is called a Hotel & Dining charge.

[navybankerteacher]

These threads would disappear if the cruise lines stopped calling these charges gratuities. They are not gratuities, they are service charges.

 

To the extent that they are removable - presumably because of unsatisfactory SERVICE - they are not simply charges. And, because they are passed through to the staff when not removed - in recognition of satisfactory SERVICE - it is not altogether incorrect to consider them gratuities.

 

Yes, these threads would disappear - if posters did not continually obsess about how cruise lines (upon which they choose to sail) conduct their business.

[Arzeena]

We have just booked a RCL cruise for next year on the 'Navigator.' Our party will be my wife and myself, my stepdaughter, her husband and their 5 year old twins. We have booked adjoining Junior Suites - one for my wife and I and the other for my stepdaughter and her family. The twins will use the sofa bed.

 

We prefer Mytime Dining and to do this we had to pre-pay our gratuities. We don't have a problem with this in principle as it's what my wife and I always do when we cruise on our own (and we always give extra tips to those who deserve it) but we're not happy that we had to pay gratuities for the twins. The cruise overall is costing a lot of money and we didn't get, in our opinion, much of a discount for the twins (about 25%). Also, because of RCL's current pricing structure, we were obliged to take the so called 'free' drinks package which is not of any great benefit to us. On top of all this, my stepdaughter will have to pay Kids' Club and babysitting charges. So, it goes against the grain to have to pay gratuities for the twins.

 

Our travel agent says that nothing can be done about the twins' gratuities at this stage and we should take it up with Guest Services when we're on board. My question is: has anyone done this and, if so, what was the outcome? Or are we being unreasonable in our views?

 

I'm sure that there must have been previous comments on this topic in these boards but the search facility isn't detailed enough to narrow down the results to avoid having to trawl through many, many posts.

 

Gratuities are for everyone, even kids. Someone has to do cook for them, clean for them, make their beds, launder their sheets and towels, etc, just like they have to do yours. Hope you understand.

[Kiran]

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=266

[iheartbda]

These threads would disappear if the cruise lines stopped calling these charges gratuities. They are not gratuities, they are service charges.

But, NCL calls it a service3 charge and the same "discussions" continue on that board as well. What anyone gives over and above that charge is considered a gratuity.

[Shmoo here]

But, NCL calls it a service3 charge and the same "discussions" continue on that board as well. What anyone gives over and above that charge is considered a gratuity.

 

Yeah. Holland America calls it a Hotel Service Charge, also. But the same discussions go on over on the HAL board as anywhere else.

[navybankerteacher]

What makes so little sense is the fixation so many people have on what the charge is called. Like it or not, it is a reality of sailing on U S oriented cruise ships. There is a charge - lets just call it the "charge" - which is added to peoples on board accounts: be it $12, or $13.50, or whatever --- there is a charge - which passengers have the right to remove - usually on giving some explanation - in the case of NCL, only after leaving the ship at the end of the cruise.

 

We are told that this " charge" is allocated among the crew serving the passengers. Some protest the whole concept, others see it as the cruise lines' business - perhaps to be able to advertise lower fares, possibly to put more untaxed income in staffs' pockets.

 

Does it really matter? Is anyone who is a reasonably intelligent consumer really not aware of the "charge"? Yes, to the extent it is a removable element of crew compensation, it may run against the grain of people who insist that a "living wage" should be paid - and should be incorporated in the advertised fares..

 

OK - we all know, or should know, about the "charge". Perhaps we should all either live with it, or take our business elsewhere - but let's at least try to cut down on some of the blather about it.

[Shmoo here]

What makes so little sense is the fixation so many people have on what the charge is called. Like it or not, it is a reality of sailing on U S oriented cruise ships. There is a charge - lets just call it the "charge" - which is added to peoples on board accounts: be it $12, or $13.50, or whatever --- there is a charge - which passengers have the right to remove - usually on giving some explanation - in the case of NCL, only after leaving the ship at the end of the cruise.

 

We are told that this " charge" is allocated among the crew serving the passengers. Some protest the whole concept, others see it as the cruise lines' business - perhaps to be able to advertise lower fares, possibly to put more untaxed income in staffs' pockets.

 

Does it really matter? Is anyone who is a reasonably intelligent consumer really not aware of the "charge"? Yes, to the extent it is a removable element of crew compensation, it may run against the grain of people who insist that a "living wage" should be paid - and should be incorporated in the advertised fares..

 

OK - we all know, or should know, about the "charge". Perhaps we should all either live with it, or take our business elsewhere - but let's at least try to cut down on some of the blather about it.

Yep.

[iheartbda]

Yes, it is a charge that is a part of cruising.

 

I've been searching for hotels at a few places, mainly Key West. The hotel I like has a $33 a day resort fee, most of which we would not use. I have no option of reducing or deleting it and if I want to stay there I have to pay it.

[john watson]

US doesn't have a national cruise line But kids do tip on our national train system, Amtrak.

 

The US used to have an excellent national cruise line; United States Lines which ran cruises until about 1969. Ships were called America and the SS United States etc. Very good line and I understand they are restoring the SS United States and cruise line has taken interest in the project.

 

Regards John

[BlueRiband]

The US used to have an excellent national cruise line; United States Lines which ran cruises until about 1969. Ships were called America and the SS United States etc. Very good line and I understand they are restoring the SS United States and cruise line has taken interest in the project.

 

Regards John

 

You're right but Crystal isn't going to more forward as announced here.

 

To get back on topic, navybankerteacher stated, "What makes so little sense is the fixation so many people have on what the charge is called. ..." So many people fixate on what the charge is called because they choose to parse words in order to justify an excuse not to pay it.

[slidergirl]

Yes, it is a charge that is a part of cruising.

 

I've been searching for hotels at a few places, mainly Key West. The hotel I like has a $33 a day resort fee, most of which we would not use. I have no option of reducing or deleting it and if I want to stay there I have to pay it.

 

You'd be surprised how many people come to a hotel Front Desk and try to get the resort fee reduced or deleted. My current hotel fortunately doesn't have one. But, when I worked at places that did, there were people every day asking to have the charge removed. One hotel had a mandatory beach charge from the local government (all hotels on the island had to charge it) - people would scream that they never used the beach so why should they have to pay...

Personally, I abhor resort fees. I think everything should be "pay for play." But, then, people complain about nickel & dime-ing... But, if I go somewhere that has a resort fee, or a daily service charge, I pay it. You have a choice of paying or not staying at the hotel or going on the cruise since it is spelled out in your reservation or contract..

[ducklite]

When on a leisure trip I never mind paying it. On a business trip I hate it, because I pretty much never have time to use the covered amenities, and corporate accounting always has an issue with it. Fortunately most business trips at a resort are under a group block where the resort fee and parking have been contractually eradicated for the group.

[cml4958]

My b!tch about the hotel resort fee is that if you have to pay it on the room, why not just include it in the price of the room and not call it a fee.