Gratuties Compulsory All Sailings after 15 January 2017.

[marci22]

The first time visiting the U.S. we got the shuttle bus to the car hire firm & the driver definitely seemed to want a tip, then the car hire firm had our car driven a few hundred yards so we could pick it up, same thing the man stood there waiting for a tip, another place a girl poured out water in cafe & again stood there, this left us very uncomfortable as we are not used to tipping. My wife has just come back from New York & leaving the hotel she was carrying a case & one of the staff insisted on carrying the case the few yards to the taxi & yes he put his hand out.

 

I think you (and other first time tourists) may have been a little sensitive to tipping expectations.

 

Shuttle drivers and the guys who get your (rental) car do not need to be tipped. I usually only tip if they handle the luggage, which brings me to your other point...the man who carried your wife's case.

 

I do not relinquish my luggage to anyone unless I truly need assistance, and then, I do tip for the bags. So next time she just needs to say, 'no thank you'.

 

The girl who poured the water in the cafe? I think you were imagining things. I can't think of a situation where someone would pour water for you at a restaurant and then wait for a tip. That's just odd.

Edited December 15, 2016 by marci22

[Ba' Datz]

Are you booking this through the Australian or the US site?

 

This is really a hypothetical question to try and understand the new system. Let's assume that is booked on the Australian site

[caribbean sailor]

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.

 

 

Maybe you should worry more about how you spend your money.And we will spend our money as we please.:)

[Ourusualbeach]

So on a more practical level if I booked a cruise in November for a cruise in late 2017 leaving Sydney, are tips included or not? If not at what rate will I be charged?

 

And just a side question, if the base price goes down after I adjust for the tips being included, can I get a price reduction?

 

This is really a hypothetical question to try and understand the new system. Let's assume that is booked on the Australian site

 

Gratuities are only included if you booked via the Australian website or an Australian TA. If you booked a cruise departing from Australia but it was booked from the US your gratuities are not included.

 

If you booked a cruise in November your gratuities are not included as that was before this new program was announced. It applied to all cruises booked after the date it was announced departing after Jsn 15th 2017. Yup would be charged standard gratuity rates of 13.50 or 16.50 if in a suite per person per day.

 

There are more complex rules regarding price reductions / cancellations via the Australian booking rules. I believe that you can cancel over 150 days out but not sure if you lose your deposit.

[Ba' Datz]

Gratuities are only included if you booked via the Australian website or an Australian TA. If you booked a cruise departing from Australia but it was booked from the US your gratuities are not included.

 

If you booked a cruise in November your gratuities are not included as that was before this new program was announced. It applied to all cruises booked after the date it was announced departing after Jsn 15th 2017. Yup would be charged standard gratuity rates of 13.50 or 16.50 if in a suite per person per day.

 

There are more complex rules regarding price reductions / cancellations via the Australian booking rules. I believe that you can cancel over 150 days out but not sure if you lose your deposit.

 

Thanks

[The_Big_M]

There are more complex rules regarding price reductions / cancellations via the Australian booking rules. I believe that you can cancel over 150 days out but not sure if you lose your deposit.

 

Actually, that does lead to an interesting extension.

 

With gratuities charged separately as thy were, if you cancelled your cruise after final payment, you would not need to pay them (or would get them back if already paid).

 

With the new structure with tips charged as part of the base cost, you would now lose that extra amount as well.

 

Of course, this is consistent with any other booking with Australian pricing e.g. hotels, flights where you cancel and lose all the funds so you're not any worse off as per custom. However, it will be a loss compared to the old way - and a gain for the cruise line.

Edited December 16, 2016 by The_Big_M

[liverpoollad]

Marci22.

 

I agree with you regarding the water waitress, it may have been us imagining things, with her standing there she may have just wanted a chat, but having been introduced to tipping with the shuttle & car hire, we may have interpreted her intention. We didn't tip any by the way, as we didn't have change for the shuttle & car hire.

The tipping culture just makes us uncomfortable:o.

 

Cheers.

[liverpoollad]

Sorry " misinterpreted".

[springaussie]

Solo travellers appear to be hit with the gratuities twice when booking on Royal Australian website now.

 

 

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[Seacruise]

 

Why can´t cruise lines pay the crew a decent wage instead of using cheap - untrained - staff from Eastern Europe - Asia and India.

So exactly where should they get the crew from?

 

It certainly wont be from the USA. NCL has been there and done that in Hawaii and gave up on that NCL America experiment except for the one ship they have now.

 

The next question is if you try and put American Standards on the cruise industry are you willing to pay for it?

 

Just asking....

[kerrycoco1]

The cruise companies charge enough

 

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[Goodtime Cruizin]

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

 

They should leave as is but add a seperate line at Guest Services w/ a sign hanging over it that reads, "Tip Removal only". Staff it with just one person, departure day only. Shame those that wish to take away from those that serve them and make it inconvenient as well. If one thinks the service they received is that bad, they still have the option of removal even if it's a hassle.

[grapau27]

Why do people leave it till the last day to remove their tips?.If you want to tip who you want to tip remove tips on first day.I think we know the answer. They shamefully leave little or nothing.I was on the Sunbird many years ago and someone bragged his family of 4 were getting off the ship the next day a day early to us in a bar after dinner.The lovely waiter who was brilliant for the 14 nights was gutted when he found out on the last night as they never told him

Several of us decided to have a whip round to help him.

 

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[caribbean sailor]

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 is just what they will do.TIPS ARE GIVEN NOT TAKEN.:rolleyes:

[kerrycoco1]

That is just what they will do.TIPS ARE GIVEN NOT TAKEN.:rolleyes:

 

Agreed

 

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[gazruss]

They should leave as is but add a seperate line at Guest Services w/ a sign hanging over it that reads, "Tip Removal only". Staff it with just one person, departure day only. Shame those that wish to take away from those that serve them and make it inconvenient as well. If one thinks the service they received is that bad, they still have the option of removal even if it's a hassle.

 

I love this idea, but i find it just as easy to call down to guest services from the cabin to have them removed.

[setsail]

Hope this spreads to Europe,Asia,and the usa

[LMaxwell]

They should leave as is but add a seperate line at Guest Services w/ a sign hanging over it that reads, "Tip Removal only". Staff it with just one person, departure day only. Shame those that wish to take away from those that serve them and make it inconvenient as well. If one thinks the service they received is that bad, they still have the option of removal even if it's a hassle.

 

Providing bad service after experiencing bad service guarantees removal.

 

Providing good service (trying to resolve the issue, for instance) after bad service would encourage people to leave them on.

 

No need to shame anyone. Legitimate service issues happen and sometimes can be rectified, but not in the way you describe. Sad way to go through life thinking that's the right way to treat others.

[kerrycoco1]

I love this idea, but i find it just as easy to call down to guest services from the cabin to have them removed.

Haha great idea lol

[bigbeergut]

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.

 

 

Instead of calling this mandatory fee "gratuities", why don't we start calling it a resort fee or something similar. This worked for the hotels, probably would be good for the cruise lines. It would take all of the emotion out of this fee.

[Baby let's cruise away]

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.

 

 

Finally!![emoji817][emoji817][emoji736][emoji736]

 

Just should be called a SERVICE CHARGE

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Edited December 20, 2016 by Baby let's cruise away

[2irisheyes]

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.

 

In the final 24 hours of our recent cruise I had to go to the Purser's Desk three times. Twice to have my key card reactivated and another time to register for self-disembarkation. Perhaps I should have worn a placard stating my reason for approaching the Purser's Desk on the final day/night so that anyone hanging around wanting to know why I was there would have the correct information and, no, I didn't remove the auto tips nor did I overhear any conversations to that effect from others at the Purser's Desk. I did not hang around longer than necessary as I had better things to do. So you can see (with a little imagination) that there is more than one reason for wasting precious holiday time at the Purser's Desk.

[poncho1973]

another time to register for self-disembarkation.

 

I know this has nothing to do with tipping, but WHAT???? What cruise line makes you do that? I just walk off. Am I breaking the rules?

[brfan]

I know this has nothing to do with tipping, but WHAT???? What cruise line makes you do that? I just walk off. Am I breaking the rules?

 

Don't you need to fill in a disembarkation form near the beginning of cruise where you put in your flight times and whether you have transfers, wish to self-debark, etc.?

 

I was under the impression that there was a maximum number of passengers that were allowed to self-disembark or at least there was when this option first became available.

[Retired LEO]

Don't you need to fill in a disembarkation form near the beginning of cruise where you put in your flight times and whether you have transfers, wish to self-debark, etc.?

 

I was under the impression that there was a maximum number of passengers that were allowed to self-disembark or at least there was when this option first became available.

 

Just take your bags and go. Nothing to fill out and no one to notify.