What's going on with P&O UK with TIPPING

[pete14]

Replacement Oriana cruise to Canary Islands after its unscheduled dry dock, 12 nights for £500 less 5% discount, so yes under £40 a night (plus about £140 OBC each, so actually about £30 a night).

 

Sorry I doubted you. That is a good deal. We are booked onto the second Canaries cruise and taken a different approach. Rather than going for the cheapest, we have booked a mini suite which ordinarily we couldn’t afford, especially on Oriana where they sell at a premium because there are so few of them.

[grapau27]

I can see the cruise line thinking on this process, even if I were not to agree with the ethics. If you have removed auto-tips and give cash instead the "tip pool" has been depleted and if your recipient pocketed the cash then it might be perceived; rightly or wrongly that he/she has taken money from the staff group. If you keep the auto-tips on and give additional cash in the form of tips no money is removed from the tips pool and any cash is extra for the recipient without others losing out through the way the system has been organised by the cruise line.

 

Regards John

Thats how i understand the tips process too.

[Gymbod]

They are only allowed to keep it if you have left auto tips in place if you have removed this then they have to hand in any cash tips given to them.

I'm not doubting you but just wonder how the crew (that ones we tip extra) know who left autotips on or reduced the amount and by how much or who removed competely? With so many cabins and tables to attend how would they know how much to hand in? Would they even remember how much each person has given them at the end cruise if there are a lot of people individually tipping and they have a pocket full of cash [emoji32]? Or do they have to keep a strict record of this and hand it all in to be given back once it's all been worked out? Seems like a lot of extra work?

 

The whole system is flawed - I think it either needs to be compulsory as service charge or included in the fare or removed and people tip as they want.

 

I leave mine on - write excellent just so they get full tips and will give extra to certain individuals. But every year the crew have more tables and cabins to attend so sometimes things are less than excellent. I think this extra workload is due to ticking 'excellent' and maybe if we didn't do this the management may think twice about staff cutting?

 

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[insanemagnet]

I'm not doubting you but just wonder how the crew (that ones we tip extra) know who left autotips on or reduced the amount and by how much or who removed competely? With so many cabins and tables to attend how would they know how much to hand in? Would they even remember how much each person has given them at the end cruise if there are a lot of people individually tipping and they have a pocket full of cash [emoji32]? Or do they have to keep a strict record of this and hand it all in to be given back once it's all been worked out? Seems like a lot of extra work?

 

The Carnival corp contract I posted a while back said that all cash tips had to be handed in so they could be included in the tip pool.

 

However lots of people on here will only believe what they want to believe, despite the fact those beliefs are completely illogical, and as you have pointed out, if the cash tips are not handed in you get all sort of strange anomalies.

 

The whole system is flawed - I think it either needs to be compulsory as service charge or included in the fare or removed and people tip as they want.

 

Not going to happen as P&O make too much money from it.

 

It will only change when a critical mass of people stop paying the optional charge or it is legislated against. I give it 10 years at most.

[pisces14]

I think the cash tips are definitely handed in. On our last cruise my husband gave one of the wine waiters a tip as she'd been really good. The next day the bar manager thanked him for the tip. I'm sure the same applies to the MDR waiters and the cabin stewards too.

[Caravan 37]

I think the cash tips are definitely handed in. On our last cruise my husband gave one of the wine waiters a tip as she'd been really good. The next day the bar manager thanked him for the tip. I'm sure the same applies to the MDR waiters and the cabin stewards too.

 

 

 

If you handed a crew member a tip and did this deliberately private then no one else would know and it wouldn’t need to be pooled. We have done this with a handshake/in a menu/in our cabin etc

 

 

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[pisces14]

If you handed a crew member a tip and did this deliberately private then no one else would know and it wouldn’t need to be pooled. We have done this with a handshake/in a menu/in our cabin etc

 

 

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It was done very privately. That's my point the only way the Bar manager could have known about the tip was that the wine waiter was obliged to hand it in. My husband has always given cabin stewards, waiters and butlers a tip on our cruises and all done very discreetly. Until that last cruise we thought they were allowed to keep them. I'm not convinced now that they are.

[Gymbod]

I think the cash tips are definitely handed in. On our last cruise my husband gave one of the wine waiters a tip as she'd been really good. The next day the bar manager thanked him for the tip. I'm sure the same applies to the MDR waiters and the cabin stewards too.

If this is the case then there's no point in tipping individually as well as leaving autotips on [emoji15]

 

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[insanemagnet]

If this is the case then there's no point in tipping individually as well as leaving autotips on

 

Or tipping in cash at all.

[grapau27]

If this is the case then there's no point in tipping individually as well as leaving autotips on [emoji15]

 

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Brilliant point.

[mercury7289]

What if the Bar Manager, and wine waiter, had been a couple?

 

Just Saying!

[grapau27]

What if the Bar Manager, and wine waiter, had been a couple?

 

Just Saying!

Possible but probably unlikely.

[scpowell]

any form of tipping should be stopped the cruise lines should pay there staff a proper wage,why should you tip people who only speak to you on the last day of the cruise

[Millers]

any form of tipping should be stopped the cruise lines should pay there staff a proper wage,why should you tip people who only speak to you on the last day of the cruise

 

 

 

You must have massive cojones for daring to say this on here

 

 

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[majortom10]

You must have massive cojones for daring to say this on here

 

 

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Perhaps but very true and the thoughts of many cruisers.

[Bonnie J.]

I am just deleting these posts! There are 16 Pages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am post #318!!!!!There is nothing new and most of the posters are from UK. How many posters here on CC use or have been on any PO cruises?

After 16 pages what new can be posted and who cares now???????????

[grapau27]

I am just deleting these posts! There are 16 Pages!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am post #318!!!!!There is nothing new and most of the posters are from UK. How many posters here on CC use or have been on any PO cruises?

After 16 pages what new can be posted and who cares now???????????

The thread is on P&O UK thats why it is predominantly UK posters. On here there are more anti tipper's whereas i predominantly post on RCI where the tipping threads have more pro tippers.

The bottom line though is that most people are concerned about crew being rewarded properly whether through our tips or by the cruise lines paying them more..

[Josy1953]

The thread is on P&O UK thats why it is predominantly UK posters. On here there are more anti tipper's whereas i predominantly post on RCI where the tipping threads have more pro tippers.

The bottom line though is that most people are concerned about crew being rewarded properly whether through our tips or by the cruise lines paying them more..

Well said. The poster is from North Carolina so probably has a totally different take on tipping to some posters on this thread. I could not understand why she was posting on a UK thread when she is US based and looking at her profile seems to have never cruised with P&O.

[gadabout60]

My own view is that the vast majority of staff work really hard to make my holiday special and I want them to be properly rewarded

Currently for me that is by leaving auto tips on and usually paying some extra to certain staff

I an not casting aspersions on anyone posters on here but I do believe some passengers remove autotips and don’t pay anything individually quoting the oft used “no-one tips me in my job” and it’s up to P&O to pay their staff - nothing to do with me. Or occasionally “I can’t afford to pay tips”

Of course these passengers are then quite happy that those of us who do tip are subsidising their cruise

And don’t they understand - if P&O paid the staff “properly” (which personally I would love) then prices would go up

[Strawberry field]

Well said. The poster is from North Carolina so probably has a totally different take on tipping to some posters on this thread. I could not understand why she was posting on a UK thread when she is US based and looking at her profile seems to have never cruised with P&O.

 

Just going to post the same thing after looking at the profile. As they said 'who cares now' well perhaps the uk members do? :(

[majortom10]

My own view is that the vast majority of staff work really hard to make my holiday special and I want them to be properly rewarded

Currently for me that is by leaving auto tips on and usually paying some extra to certain staff

I an not casting aspersions on anyone posters on here but I do believe some passengers remove autotips and don’t pay anything individually quoting the oft used “no-one tips me in my job” and it’s up to P&O to pay their staff - nothing to do with me. Or occasionally “I can’t afford to pay tips”

Of course these passengers are then quite happy that those of us who do tip are subsidising their cruise

And don’t they understand - if P&O paid the staff “properly” (which personally I would love) then prices would go up

 

Nobody denies that the staff do not work really hard but do you think senior management of Carnival plc feel guilty about there hard working staff being paid poorly by them and having to rely on tips to get a decent wage. I very much doubt it all they are bothered is maximising profits for Carnival plc. For information I have never been in a hotel where the staff do not work hard and majority are poorly paid as the catering trade is notorious for, but never had £6pppn or as much as $15pppn as on some American lines added to my hotel bill automatically by hotel management so why should cruising be any different. There should be a system in place where tipping can be left in cash and pooled and shared fairly amongst staff without interference of management.

[gadabout60]

Nobody denies that the staff do not work really hard but do you think senior management of Carnival plc feel guilty about there hard working staff being paid poorly by them and having to rely on tips to get a decent wage. I very much doubt it all they are bothered is maximising profits for Carnival plc. For information I have never been in a hotel where the staff do not work hard and majority are poorly paid as the catering trade is notorious for, but never had £6pppn or as much as $15pppn as on some American lines added to my hotel bill automatically by hotel management so why should cruising be any different. There should be a system in place where tipping can be left in cash and pooled and shared fairly amongst staff without interference of management.

Or just add it to the price

Basically you are getting a cheaper cruise if some staff remuneration is not in the headline price

[insanemagnet]

Or just add it to the price

Basically you are getting a cheaper cruise if some staff remuneration is not in the headline price

Don't forget that P&O also get to advertise a cheaper cruise when they deliberately exclude their employees wages from the fare.

 

People wouldn't be able to remove the optional service charge if P&O behaved honestly and didn't create this situation.

[grapau27]

Don't forget that P&O also get to advertise a cheaper cruise when they deliberately exclude their employees wages from the fare.

 

People wouldn't be able to remove the optional service charge if P&O behaved honestly and didn't create this situation.

There are lots of people in the UK who are on zero contract, minimum wage or commission only etc where it could be argued their employers take advantage.

We all know about tipping on ships but the crew don't complain so although tipping threads are popular lets not kid ourselves that exploitation is potentially only on ships.

 

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[jay888]

If I’ve read the information correctly, if you leave your automatic tips in place as I do and then tip individual crew members as well, which I do. This money then goes into the tipping pool as well and not to the individual.