Have P&O finally lost the plot

[carolian]

I've been following this thread since the beginning and as an exercise (I had nothing better to do!:D) I have looked up 12 cruise lines to see their tipping costs.

 

The result of this is that P&O are the second cheapest of the ones I looked up. Fred come in cheaper at £4, and, funnily enough, Cunard are only just above P&O at between £8-10. The most expensive was Oceania - between £13 and £18 pppd depending on the category of cabin. Most were around £10-£13; Costa are slightly different in that they charge in Euros and Dollars depending on where their cruises go, but their costs are around £8-£14. Some lines (Azamara, Carnival, Thomson) include it in the price of the cruise and, in the brief time I was looking, I couldn't find a breakdown of what that was.

 

These prices are based on the current exchange rate, and are all pppd.

 

There is, however, one huge difference between P&O and nearly every other cruise line I looked at.

 

They do not charge a 'service charge' of 15% on drinks, spa services, etc. This would, over a two week cruise, be extremely pricey, and makes P&O extremely good value compared to the rest of them.

 

My husband and I don't think that £6 pppd is an extortionate tip when compared to others!

 

 

I was charged 10% gratuity on my spa bill on Ventura recently.

[Selbourne]

I was charged 10% gratuity on my spa bill on Ventura recently.

 

Just one of the reasons my wife and I stopped using the Spa on P&O ships many years ago. When a service charge is added automatically, it isn't a gratuity, it's dishonest pricing. And then you have to contend with the 'hard sell' that you get at the end of a treatment, when they try (very forcibly) to tell you that you need exorbitantly overpriced products. Given that the prices are very high compared to land based treatments to start with, I find that it all leaves a very bad taste in the mouth. I am quite capable of firmly saying 'no thank you' but many people will feel pressured into spending money that they don't need to and I think it is all very underhand and not in keeping with the rest of the P&O experience.

[Presto2]

We've booked a cruise on the Celebrity Reflection for 2018 having had a break from Celebrity. Have to admit, reading all of this has made me realise just how expensive Celebrity is going to be in terms of gratuities, tips and how much alcohol we can take on board compared with P&O. :eek:

[Clodia]

A fascinating, if incendiary, discussion.

 

Unfortunately, tipping is part of cruising. You can disagree or agree with this, but at the end of the day it will still either be included in the cruise price, or added on to your bill (at the moment).

 

I suspect that eventually every cruise line will include it in the price and nobody will be able to take it off.

 

I agree. There will be a point reached, as the gratuity prices go up to compensate for those who don't pay, when so many will find them unacceptable that they will simply be incorporated into the fare. Then we will all pay more to cruise.

[Malcolm142]

I have just had mailer and link from P&O outlining their service reward

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If you’re not familiar with it, the Service Reward Programme (previously Service Reward Scheme) is simply a way to ensure that your ship’s crew are fairly rewarded for the great service they provide. During your time on board, you'll be looked after by people who will go out of their way to make each moment special, from restaurant and buffet staff to your cabin stewards and butlers.

 

We understand that rewarding good service every time it happens isn’t always convenient, which is why we have a Service Reward Programme in place. It helps simplify things and makes it so much easier for you to say thank you to each crew member for their special care and attention during your time with us.

 

We’ll simply add a discretionary daily amount to your on-board account during your cruise (per guest aged 12 and over). For cruises departing 27 March 2017 onwards, this amount will change from £5.50 to £6 per day and will be listed on your folio as a ‘service charge’ (rather than ‘Auto-gratuity’, as it was before).

 

All tips are distributed fairly among the cabin stewards, butlers, and restaurant and buffet staff – and we’re delighted to know you think the system works well, too. We are proud to have won the Fairest Tipping Policy award at the People’s Cruise Awards 2017.

 

‘Day in, day out, our crew do a brilliant job of looking after our guests,’ says P&O Cruises senior vice president Paul Ludlow. ‘We hope you agree and that you will continue to reward our crew’s efforts. From their feedback, we know how much they appreciate your generosity.’

 

Of course, if you want to reward a crew member in addition to this, feel free to do so. And if you wish to vary the amount, or let us know about the service you receive on board, please contact reception.

 

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Three days into my last cruise I said I want the auto-tips taken off and reception gave me a form to fill in which I duly returned. It asked how much I would like to pay and also wanted my comments on why a reduction. So I put £3 per day.

The reasons I gave were

1. Tips should be included in the fare price

2. A 80% increase since I was on Azura in Sept 2012 was not justified (£3.10 to £5.50)

3. I was annoyed with P&O for reducing the cost of my cruise and increasing OBC 12 hours after I booked. After many protestations by my TA they would not budge.

 

The full amount of the tips were taken off but nothing was set up with my proposal of £3 per day.

I paid cash to my steward on the last day

[zoe sproodle]

I received the same email, followed the next day by one correcting it to GBP. My first thought was 'oh no it wont' and I'll be straight to reception when I get on board to remove the charge. It's not that I object to tipping and but I won't be told how much...