Gratuties Compulsory All Sailings after 15 January 2017.

[springaussie]

All cruises bought on the Australian Royal Caribbean website now for travel after 15 January 2017 include gratuities.

No option for removal.

Does not matter if cruise leaves from Sydney. Brisbane. Fort Lauderdale. Southampton, San Juan. Singapore etc.

[SF Ex-Pat]

I just did a 39 day cruise at $12.50 per person per day. The crew works very hard and long hours. They always had a smile and deserve every cent.

This was on HAL but think most cruise ships are similar.

This cost needs to be figured into the cost of the cruise.

 

 

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[gerif]

Good to hear - sadly, people from countries where paying gratuities is not the norm often remove their gratuities and pay what they "feel" is right, usually to the detriment of the workers.

[The Scurvy Pirate]

I am sure there is some corporate tax reason for this, but if they are now mandatory, why not just increase the price of the cruise and do away with them? Other than the possibility a few years later they may magically "re-appear" without a corresponding reduction in the cruise price.

[jamesboat]

I am sure there is some corporate tax reason for this, but if they are now mandatory, why not just increase the price of the cruise and do away with them? Other than the possibility a few years later they may magically "re-appear" without a corresponding reduction in the cruise price.

 

Same reason airlines charge 200 extra fees.

 

When you search websites that advertise multiple cruise lines, you get one low price per person

[sfaaa]

I am sure there is some corporate tax reason for this, but if they are now mandatory, why not just increase the price of the cruise and do away with them?

 

Isn't this exactly what's happening here?

[time4u2go]

Isn't this exactly what's happening here?

 

Not quite. The advertised price will still be deceptively lower than the real (total) price.

[markeb]

I am sure there is some corporate tax reason for this, but if they are now mandatory, why not just increase the price of the cruise and do away with them? Other than the possibility a few years later they may magically "re-appear" without a corresponding reduction in the cruise price.

 

And rob a tax attorney of his income??!! How dare you! :)

 

Somewhere out there is a totally brilliant lawyer who's figured out how to 1) keep them gratuities for tax purposes, 2) make them mandatory to ensure they're paid, and 3) include them in the cruise price to meet requirements outside the U.S. That's the person who's probably making a killing on this!

[katiel53]

I wish this applied on ALL cruise lines. I have seen people in line on the last night, not just on Royal Caribbean, but on other lines, removing their tips because they spent their money on other things, felt they shouldn't have to tip for kids, didn't know that they had to pay gratuities etc.

 

The biggest excuse is that I want to tip those who served me. From my experience, the amount tipped to the wait staff, cabin stewards etc is nothing near what the suggested amounts are.

 

If all cruise lines did the same thing, either including the tips in the price, or making them non-removable such as the hotels do with a resort fee, everyone would have to pay, not just some of us. I do feel that if there is a problem with service, if it's reported and not fixed, then a partial reduction should be possible. If not reported, no adjustment.

 

I am not the least bit empathetic to those who find excuses to not tip in full or at all. Sorry if you fit into that category.

[Ocean Boy]

The issue I have with including gratuities in the price is that any OBC someone may have can't used to defray the cost.

[Ocean Boy]

I wish this applied on ALL cruise lines. I have seen people in line on the last night, not just on Royal Caribbean, but on other lines, removing their tips because they spent their money on other things, felt they shouldn't have to tip for kids, didn't know that they had to pay gratuities etc.

 

The biggest excuse is that I want to tip those who served me. From my experience, the amount tipped to the wait staff, cabin stewards etc is nothing near what the suggested amounts are.

 

If all cruise lines did the same thing, either including the tips in the price, or making them non-removable such as the hotels do with a resort fee, everyone would have to pay, not just some of us. I do feel that if there is a problem with service, if it's reported and not fixed, then a partial reduction should be possible. If not reported, no adjustment.

 

I am not the least bit empathetic to those who find excuses to not tip in full or at all. Sorry if you fit into that category.

What experience? Do you actually watch and count how much money someone is handing to the staff or are you part of the crew on a ship?:confused:

[markeb]

The issue I have with including gratuities in the price is that any OBC someone may have can't used to defray the cost.

 

I'll agree with this. If you either get an OBC promotion, or something from your TA, it offsets your bill, including gratuities. With more and more people seeming to pre-pay drink packages, etc., there are fewer places to apply OBC (obviously there's the spa, specialty dining, etc.).

 

Otherwise, I'd frankly just as soon they included it in the price of the cruise and just be done with it!

[Arzeena]

All cruises bought on the Australian Royal Caribbean website now for travel after 15 January 2017 include gratuities.

No option for removal.

Does not matter if cruise leaves from Sydney. Brisbane. Fort Lauderdale. Southampton, San Juan. Singapore etc.

 

That is great news!

[nelblu]

I'll agree with this. If you either get an OBC promotion, or something from your TA, it offsets your bill, including gratuities. With more and more people seeming to pre-pay drink packages, etc., there are fewer places to apply OBC (obviously there's the spa, specialty dining, etc.).

 

Otherwise, I'd frankly just as soon they included it in the price of the cruise and just be done with it!

 

Any unused TA OBC's I was able to convert to cash. I could have pocketed it, but I used for any WOW tips.

[Ourusualbeach]

The issue I have with including gratuities in the price is that any OBC someone may have can't used to defray the cost.

 

You can always take the OBC out at the casino in cash.

[brady19]

This is not a great idea. Remember Gratuities/Tipping should not be mandatory. Im not saying that the crew does not deserve it, I always tip deserving crew member. I prefer the old way in cash.

 

What if someone experiences terrible service, why should they tip?

 

I have cruised on lines where the tip was mandatory and I can say that the service is no where near as good as lines where they have to work for it.

 

People should as why this is being done, its most certainly not because too many people remove the tips. It benefits the cruise line. They hold the tips back if they feel performance and service is not what they want

[shaggyofwv]

Gratuity: A small sum of money given for a service over and above what is due. -Merriam-Webster

 

So if it is "compulsory" is it really a Gratuity? Sounds more like a tax.

 

 

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[robtulipe]

Gratuity: A small sum of money given for a service over and above what is due. -Merriam-Webster

 

So if it is "compulsory" is it really a Gratuity? Sounds more like a tax.

 

 

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Actually it is more like a service charge. ;)

Edited December 13, 2016 by robtulipe

[spookwife]

This is not a great idea. Remember Gratuities/Tipping should not be mandatory. Im not saying that the crew does not deserve it, I always tip deserving crew member. I prefer the old way in cash.

 

What if someone experiences terrible service, why should they tip? they should be FIXING THE PROBLEM ON BOARD, not grumbling to themselves all week in an effort to justify removing gratuities.

 

I have cruised on lines where the tip was mandatory and I can say that the service is no where near as good as lines where they have to work for it.

 

People should as why this is being done, its most certainly not because too many people remove the tips. It benefits the cruise line. They hold the tips back if they feel performance and service is not what they want

 

it just makes it easier for everyone involved to do it this way.

[The_Big_M]

I am sure there is some corporate tax reason for this, but if they are now mandatory, why not just increase the price of the cruise and do away with them? Other than the possibility a few years later they may magically "re-appear" without a corresponding reduction in the cruise price.

 

That would work cruise line wide, but since this only applies to bookings in one region it makes it clear they are covered. Otherwise you get people on booking/boarding who say I just paid a fare and other are paying gratuities - do I need to pay them as well?

[BekkaW]

I'm not unhappy about it, I have also seen many of my fellow Aussie remove the gratuities because it's not a common thing here. I feel this is unfair to the workers. I will miss being able to defray the cost with OBC though

[stephenp]

I just did a 39 day cruise at $12.50 per person per day. The crew works very hard and long hours. They always had a smile and deserve every cent.

This was on HAL but think most cruise ships are similar.

This cost needs to be figured into the cost of the cruise.

 

 

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I believe each person has the right to tip or not.

On the few times my tips have been prepaid, the Service was bad, the waiters know thier tips are in the bag. They also know you cannot cancel them.

Before, when we gave the tips at the end of the cruise the Service was much better. They earned them and GOT THEM.

 

Why can´t cruise lines pay the crew a decent wage instead of using cheap - untrained - staff from Eastern Europe - Asia and India. Tips would be a Bonus and we would all receive the super service we were used to !!!!

 

On some 5 * ships the waiters and head waiters have no idea what they are doing.

 

Happy cruising

[MaritimeR&R]

Does anyone know how the percentage of the pooled tips are actually distributed?

[BekkaW]

I believe each person has the right to tip or not.

On the few times my tips have been prepaid, the Service was bad, the waiters know thier tips are in the bag. They also know you cannot cancel them.

Before, when we gave the tips at the end of the cruise the Service was much better. They earned them and GOT THEM.

 

Why can´t cruise lines pay the crew a decent wage instead of using cheap - untrained - staff from Eastern Europe - Asia and India. Tips would be a Bonus and we would all receive the super service we were used to !!!!

 

On some 5 * ships the waiters and head waiters have no idea what they are doing.

 

Happy cruising

 

I'm surprised by this as I have only ever seen the staff continue to work hard in the hope of receiving additional tips. We have had the occasional incident of bs service which has always been addressed promptly by senior staff. I've never seen the crew en masse decide not to try.

[time4u2go]

I believe each person has the right to tip or not.

On the few times my tips have been prepaid, the Service was bad, the waiters know thier tips are in the bag. They also know you cannot cancel them.

Before, when we gave the tips at the end of the cruise the Service was much better. They earned them and GOT THEM.

 

Why can´t cruise lines pay the crew a decent wage instead of using cheap - untrained - staff from Eastern Europe - Asia and India. Tips would be a Bonus and we would all receive the super service we were used to !!!!

 

On some 5 * ships the waiters and head waiters have no idea what they are doing.

 

Happy cruising

Probably because people don't want to pay more for their cruises.