Tips going Up

[rukkian]

Guaranteed wage = contracted wage. Whichever way you do the maths Royal Caribbean is taking a hefty chunk of our tips!

 

Here we go again - got proof of this? I keep hearing some conspiracy nuts saying they are stealing all our tips, but nobody ever produces documentation. If you think the company you are patronizing is stealing from you and their staff, don't patronize that business.

[cruisinfanatic]

Guaranteed wage = contracted wage. Whichever way you do the maths Royal Caribbean is taking a hefty chunk of our tips!

You don't know any such thing

[Vegcurry]

No proof just the figures don’t add up as shown earlier in this thread. If the crew got all the tips we pay the stateroom attendants would be earning nearly $1000 a week which I’m sure isn’t the case so where is all the money going?

 

RCI aren’t stealing from me and I’ll continue to sail with them as I like their product.

 

RCI are US based with US policies and I understand the whole tipping culture as I also have a home in the US. So how about making it fair By having US pricing for the rest of the world instead of greatly increased prices in the UK. And I do have proof of that!

[poncho1973]

Poncho, if they aren't in your house you need to amend your marriage contract or get one. It has been written into mine.

 

Edit: for those of you that didn't get it, that was written in joke font, "Comic Sans MS".

 

I laughed and I wish it was! This thread needs MOAR FUNNAY!

 

 

 

I don't disagree with the increase, however, I normally do have them remove the gratuities from my account; not to get out of paying, but I prefer to pay the gratuities in person and make sure the workers I have been in contact with are the ones that are getting the money.

The classic "if I don't see them, they don't deserve my money" approach. The odd part is that they still are SUPPOSED to pool the cash for the unseen folks, so your money didn't actually avoid the people you are supposedly avoiding by going to cash. I don't get this approach at all.

[haply]

If they do in fact have a "guaranteed wage," it's peanuts. There's a few reasons RC is based in Liberia and one is to avoid those pesky American laws like minimum wage, health insurance, workers comp, ya know, the basics. If the workers had no incentive to actually work for their tips because there was a guaranteed wage, RC would simply do away with tips altogether, pay an hourly rate, and charge more for cruise fares.

 

It's $14.50 a DAY for crying out loud, you'd spend more than that on a tip for one meal at a nice restaurant. Pay the auto grat and tip on top like the rest of us, bunch of stingy bastards.

 

So a company that avoids giving it's employees a fair wage and fair benefits will do the right thing and can be trusted to distribute all of the auto gratuities that it collects?......

[jewopaho]

If the price of auto-tipping is an issue, perhaps you shouldn't be cruising ... it's such a miniscule portion of the overall cost. We always tip our steward and dining room personnel additionally. My Time Dining presented a logistical problem, but we resolved it by taking care of the staff at each dining room meal. There are lots larger cruising issues to challenge ... this one's no big deal.

[proggieus]

No proof just the figures don’t add up as shown earlier in this thread. If the crew got all the tips we pay the stateroom attendants would be earning nearly $1000 a week which I’m sure isn’t the case so where is all the money going?

 

 

You do understand that there are staff that you will never see that also play a large role in you cruise experience that deserve to be tipped out of that pool.

Cooks. Dish washers, laundry workers, etc.

 

In fact i would bet that if you added up all of the people on the crew that in some way helped take care of your needs for the day it would be far less then $1 each per day.

[Biker19]

No proof just the figures don’t add up as shown earlier in this thread. If the crew got all the tips we pay the stateroom attendants would be earning nearly $1000 a week which I’m sure isn’t the case so where is all the money going?

I think you incorrectly assume that the whole "Cabin Steward" category money which RCI lists in the break down of grats goes to the Cabin Steward. As was mentioned, that is divided among other back of the house crew. I believe in previous versions of RCI listing of the grats details, they listed laundry and some other crew (no longer listed).

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Our TA was kind enough to lock in the reduced rates due at final payment.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Here we go again - got proof of this? I keep hearing some conspiracy nuts saying they are stealing all our tips, but nobody ever produces documentation. If you think the company you are patronizing is stealing from you and their staff, don't patronize that business.

Please proof they are not keeping a hefty chunk of the tips for their "wage - guarantee"!

 

Why do you think there is so much secret around this? :confused:

[Vegcurry]

But the bottom line is that RCI should be paying them a decent wage. They’re not so we are guilted into topping it up through our gratuities.

[Biker19]

Why do you think there is so much secret around this? :confused:

Since when do companies routinely publish the details of their staff compensation?

[RiotAct]

and how many of those american workers salaries have line every pay day with customers asking for the employees money back because the soup was cold one night and it took 3 whole minutes to get cream for their coffee.

 

6,924.

[ReneeFLL]

My feeling in all of this is that I certainly do not mind paying an extra $1 ppd. No issue at all. In fact, I ALWAYS tip the room steward and assistant, waiter and assistant waiter and favorite bartenders extra, considerably extra. My only issue is, as another poster mentioned, the admin portion of the tip. Frankly that is disgusting and the practice should be stopped immediately.

Totally agree.

 

You are assuming that RCI takes any part of the grats - no one has ever shown any proof that happens.

I haven't seen proof, but as greedy as RC is I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they did.

 

They just need to build it into the cruise price so others can't remove them.

[TC1957]

So you are upset they are making $47,720 a year working 70+ Hours a week(which works out to $13 an hour)? And that's only if they don't take a vacation. Anyone know how much they actually make from the cruise line per hour?

 

Well...if they don't like the job or think they are getting paid unfairly they can always decline the next contract offer. I seriously doubt the cruise line is holding a gun to their head and making the sign.

[TC1957]

But the bottom line is that RCI should be paying them a decent wage. They’re not so we are guilted into topping it up through our gratuities.

 

Who gets to define "decent wage"?

[DonTheRadioGuy]

The lengths some people will go to in order to avoid tipping is amusing.

[cruisinfanatic]

Please proof they are not keeping a hefty chunk of the tips for their "wage - guarantee"!

 

Why do you think there is so much secret around this? :confused:

That would be a lot harder than simply finding someone who can actually confirm they don't get it

The rates are broken down. Prove it isn't so

[rukkian]

Please proof they are not keeping a hefty chunk of the tips for their "wage - guarantee"!

 

Why do you think there is so much secret around this? :confused:

 

That is not how this works. You come in and say it is guaranteed that Royal is stealing our tip money, and are asked for proof, now you claim that others have to show proof against your wild accusation because you can't back up your claim.

 

There is a difference between saying, they may take a cut, but saying you know they are is a completely different thing. The only way you know that is if you have proof, or have seen it first hand - ie were an account for corporate and would personally take money that was paid as tips, and then redirecting that money to some other place.

 

There are some that have said they take some of that money to give to employee of the month. That is still going to employees and is a way to reward those doing a good job. This is not stealing from the employees, it is simply giving more to higher performing employees.

[proggieus]

But the bottom line is that RCI should be paying them a decent wage. They’re not so we are guilted into topping it up through our gratuities.

 

 

Sure, but i bet those that are worked up over the tip sgoing up a dollar a day would be the first to bitch when their cruise fares start averaging $20 to $30 more per day.

[FLACRUISER99]

Instead of spending time on the phone trying to "sort it out" why not just pay the increased auto-grat and then subtract the difference from the amount you'd normally add on top in cash? I couldn't imagine calling and dealing with the cruise line to nickel and dime over the gratuity.

Why not RCI has no trouble nickel and dimming me?:rolleyes:

[gailforce2000]

Why not RCI has no trouble nickel and dimming me?:rolleyes:

 

 

 

Exactly !!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Redrobo]

The lengths some people will go to in order to avoid tipping is amusing.

 

What would those lengths be?

Picking up a phone and calling guest services to remove gratuities is not an arduous task, neither is standing in a line at guest services, although perhaps a little more time consuming.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

The lengths some people will go to in order to avoid tipping is amusing.

OH it's very easy to remove the gratuity:

1. Pick up your stateroom phone

2. Dial guest services

3. Tel them you want the grats removed

4. Done!

 

No standing in line necessary! :p

[tnt10]

To get back to the topic of this thread:

If someone is truly concerned and willing to make a big fuss over an additional $1 (or $2 per cabin)/day, $14/week, then perhaps they should ask themselves Why?

Frankly, I don't get it. I can afford it. If I couldn't, I wouldn't cruise. I consider it an additional service charge to be paid with cruise fare, port fees etc.

I wish RCI would just change this charge from "tips" to "service charge" like many other cruise lines are doing. And make them mandatory. That would stop a a large percentage of the threads on these boards.....;)

JMHO