Gratuity Removal Too Easy?

[Langley Cruisers]

There is a LOT of judgment in these replies. We have no idea what the passengers OP mentioned actually did. It's none of our business. Since gratuities are optional at this point in time on this cruise line, they can be removed. Pretty simple stuff.

[Rjh8842]

Here of a few thoughts I have.

 

1) the definition is according to merriam webster

"something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service" key word voluntarily

2) people are saying that people are lowlives for not tipping. How about the cruiselines? Are they lowlives for not paying more?

3) I know servers that make over $100,000 a year. I also know alot of people in these industries are happy to mislead you that they make a lot less than they actually do.

4) they have free room and board. So they can go without spending a dime.

 

 

 

 

[deliver42]

If the cruise lines paid more, then you'd be paying more. It's called trickle down economics. Then you'd be complaining about the cruise price.

[rukkian]

I wish the gratuity would be made mandatory. Even if you give cash to the room steward and to the dining room staff. About $4 of the gratuity goes to other staff you don’t see to tip individually. 4,000 people on a ship times $4. That is $16,000 to be divided amount staff. They need that money.

 

 

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Part of the reason that the system is like it is in the US is due to the tipping culture we have. If they just made the current tips part of the cruise fare, unless they also said no tips are allowed (or at least say that no tips are expected, as it is included), many would just assume they now have to leave tips for everybody. In the end, it would probably just be a higher charge and still tipping for most people. I am not sure I would believe that if they raised the fare to cover that the employees would actually get it all. While I would love to not have to worry about it, I actually see why the current system makes sense.

 

In other countries that don't have the same tipping culture, then adding it to the cruise fare makes more sense imo.

[Gloworm2]

There is a LOT of judgment in these replies. We have no idea what the passengers OP mentioned actually did. It's none of our business. Since gratuities are optional at this point in time on this cruise line, they can be removed. Pretty simple stuff.

 

 

 

Hmmm. It’s none of our business. Yet the OP posted in a public forum.

 

 

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[Gloworm2]

The grand prize goes to the first person who can state why the USA has the type of tipping policy it does for restaurant servers. Below minimum wage pay and make money in tips. 3...2...1...Go!

 

 

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[George C]

I think its RCCL fault should be part of the cruise fare

[Gloworm2]

I think its RCCL fault should be part of the cruise fare

 

 

 

Then it becomes their revenue instead of income to employee. I think

 

 

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[geomancer]

I’ve noticed this as well. On our Alaska cruise this summer, we missed the last night in the MDR because we were in the medical unit with my wife being treated for asthma and acute bronchitis. I suspected that all the table mates we’d made friends throughout the week figured we were cheapskates avoiding tipping the waitstaff.

 

Why? If you left auto-grats in place you and your wife paid $27, the same you paid every other night.

 

No one was 'cheapskates', and no one 'avoided tipping the waitstaff'.

[OCruisers]

Does seem RCCL would want to know WHY the gratuity was being removed. :confused:

[HicksRA]

There is a LOT of judgment in these replies. We have no idea what the passengers OP mentioned actually did. It's none of our business. Since gratuities are optional at this point in time on this cruise line, they can be removed. Pretty simple stuff.

The pot calling the kettle black.

[Rjh8842]

The grand prize goes to the first person who can state why the USA has the type of tipping policy it does for restaurant servers. Below minimum wage pay and make money in tips. 3...2...1...Go!

 

 

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It was a result of the great depression. Resturant owners went from paying servers well enough to depending on patrons.

[BNBR]

It was a result of the great depression. Resturant owners went from paying servers well enough to depending on patrons.

 

Nope. Prohibition.

[HicksRA]

Why? If you left auto-grats in place you and your wife paid $27, the same you paid every other night.

 

No one was 'cheapskates', and no one 'avoided tipping the waitstaff'.

Technically, you’re right, but we usually give the waiter, his assistant and sometimes the head waiter extra on the last night.

[mafig]

If the cruise lines paid more, then you'd be paying more. It's called trickle down economics. Then you'd be complaining about the cruise price.

 

 

If the cruise line paid more you would definitely pay more. Then you'd also pay more in the taxes. Then the cruise line would have to pay more for the TA commission.

 

Also, in some countries, the workers would have to pay more in taxes since income is taxed but gratuities are not.

[Gloworm2]

It was a result of the great depression. Resturant owners went from paying servers well enough to depending on patrons.

 

 

 

Nope. It happened way before the depression. Try again[emoji16]

 

 

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[Robo1098]

I believe all of the cruise lines price without gratuity. If Royal Caribbean included the service as part of the fare they would not be competitive. Unfortunately until they all change that's the way it is. If it was included or not the end would be the same. I prefer to leave the tip as it is and tip additional to people that provide service above and beyond.

[DirtyDawg]

If the cruise line paid more you would definitely pay more. Then you'd also pay more in the taxes. Then the cruise line would have to pay more for the TA commission.

 

Also, in some countries, the workers would have to pay more in taxes since income is taxed but gratuities are not.

 

The TA's would not get more commission because the Cruise lines would simply change the commission rate. Ask yourself, who has the power in that relationship?

 

Not paying income taxes on income is illegal in most jurisdictions. I'm not sure why the gratuities under the current system would avoid tax while if the cruise lines made these payments non-optional, they would attract tax. Most gratuities that are not taxed is because they is no paper trail ( i.e. cash).

[Gloworm2]

It was a result of the great depression. Resturant owners went from paying servers well enough to depending on patrons.

 

 

 

Nope. It happened way before the depression. Try again[emoji16]

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

It is an optional charge, and so should be easy to modify. I do believe it would be best practices of the staff to ask if there was a service related issued that way they have the ability to make a service recovery and leave a favorable impression. If someone is mad and removes them and the company doesn't know why or bother to ask, the problem won't be resolved.

[oldguysandgalls]

It is an optional charge, and so should be easy to modify. I do believe it would be best practices of the staff to ask if there was a service related issued that way they have the ability to make a service recovery and leave a favorable impression. If someone is mad and removes them and the company doesn't know why or bother to ask, the problem won't be resolved.

 

Exactly..., and as we posted earlier, discuss the 'problem' with Guest Services before removing any or all gratuities for the entire cruise and crew.

 

When there's a service related issue, discuss it with Guest Services right away. Don't wait until the last day and in one sweep remove the daily service charge. It's not fair to the hard working crew and the company.

 

Given the chance, Guest Services will do their utmost to address and rectify any and all 'valid' and 'fair' service related issues wherever possible/reasonable.

 

Remember, the crew is not our enemy....

Edited November 14, 2017 by oldguysandgalls

[BNBR]

Exactly..., and as we posted earlier, discuss the 'problem' with Guest Services before removing any or all gratuities for the entire cruise and crew.

 

When there's a service related issue, discuss it with Guest Services right away. Don't wait until the last day and in one sweep remove the daily service charge. It's not fair to the hard working crew and the company.

 

Given the chance, Guest Services will do their utmost to address and rectify any and all 'valid' and 'fair' service related issues wherever possible/reasonable.

 

Remember, the crew is not our enemy....

 

Again, they don't do that because there is no valid complaint. So pestering guests to give a reason, that they will simply make up, is not beneficial to anyone. The guest can easily let the cruise line know about unhappy experiences, but they are just there removing grats. These reps work day in and out dealing with this. They know. Everyone knows. And guests inventing fake reasons like throwing their stew under the bus isn't helping anyone.

 

Anyone unhappy enough to stand in line and remove grats will gladly tell the rep all about it.

 

Consider if you ask about serice

related issues, you make the cheap low life guest uncomfortable. They have to now either fake reasons and explain it, or say no and clearly be a cheap low life. As much as that makes me happy, making guests uncomfortable is not good business.

 

So they just remove the grats and move on, as they should.

[Langley Cruisers]

...making guests uncomfortable is not good business... So they just remove the grats and move on, as they should.

 

^ Agreed. As I said earlier, since the grats are still considered optional on this cruise line, they should be removed if a guest so requests.

 

(For the record, we do not remove gratuities and have never done so. It's simply a matter of the guest's discretion.)

[DirtyDawg]

Exactly..., and as we posted earlier, discuss the 'problem' with Guest Services before removing any or all gratuities for the entire cruise and crew.

 

Again, they don't do that because there is no valid complaint.

 

Quite frankly none of us can know if 100% of tip removers have no valid reason. I used to know what everybody thought but then that evil Lex Luthor got me with that Kryptonite. ;)

 

If I ever got really bad service that resulted in me wanting to remove tips I don't think I'd be willing to stand in a guest services line, or wait on hold to speak to a g.s. representative when I was already pissed off. I sure as heck would not want to miss my dinner for it, or a show, or cancel an excursion in order to inform Guest Services.

 

My preference is to have it mandatory, call it a daily service charge, and be done with it. I'll let the MBA's and CPA's at corporate figure out the tax situation for the crew members. But if they continue to make the tips optional, continue to make it relatively easy to remove them.

[LMaxwell]

Exactly..., and as we posted earlier, discuss the 'problem' with Guest Services before removing any or all gratuities for the entire cruise and crew.

 

When there's a service related issue, discuss it with Guest Services right away. Don't wait until the last day and in one sweep remove the daily service charge. It's not fair to the hard working crew and the company.

 

Given the chance, Guest Services will do their utmost to address and rectify any and all 'valid' and 'fair' service related issues wherever possible/reasonable.

 

Remember, the crew is not our enemy....

 

I agree, but I am also not in favor of forcing people to do one thing or the other.

 

Again, they don't do that because there is no valid complaint. So pestering guests to give a reason, that they will simply make up, is not beneficial to anyone. The guest can easily let the cruise line know about unhappy experiences, but they are just there removing grats. These reps work day in and out dealing with this. They know. Everyone knows. And guests inventing fake reasons like throwing their stew under the bus isn't helping anyone.

 

Anyone unhappy enough to stand in line and remove grats will gladly tell the rep all about it.

 

Consider if you ask about serice

related issues, you make the cheap low life guest uncomfortable. They have to now either fake reasons and explain it, or say no and clearly be a cheap low life. As much as that makes me happy, making guests uncomfortable is not good business.

 

So they just remove the grats and move on, as they should.

 

That's a pretty broad, and negative assumption and speaks much more about you than any other guest. Your assumptions may apply in some cases, but not all.

 

I don't think it is bad form for the staff to ask if there was an issue that could be resolved, or things aren't meeting expectations. They may just find some very valid issues with a team member. Remember, the staff that are eligible to participate in the gratuity pool are really only as strong and successful as their weakest link and so they have a vested interest in their colleagues providing good service. And the service personnel are brand ambassadors so the company has a vested interest (you returning) in addressing issues.

 

But, like I said, I do not believe in forcing people to do things, and as such I would not set a minimum barrier, nor would I insinuate anything about or towards a person if they simply said "I choose to spend my money my way, you choose yours". For all I know that person is leaving much more cash for someone that you or I might. It's best not to go through life with negative assumptions.