Poll - Should gratuities be included in the basic cost of a cruise?

[AnOnymously]

I too would appreciate his email address then I can also send him regular emails regarding this subject.

I sent the comments about the poll to Paul Ludlow paul.ludlow@pocruises.com <paul.ludlow@pocruises.com>

[dgs1956]

The word gratuity says it all, I think. So would we have felt better if the amounts had been identified as a "Service Charge"? Many forms of business apply a service charge. Undoubtedly there would have been some opposition but I think not to the scale and degree of the designation of "tips" .

 

I keep saying its a service charge but that is not the issue. The problem is that P&O have decided its optional and it appears that a lot of people are removing them and the latest increase will lead to even more people doing that.

[insanemagnet]

I keep saying its a service charge but that is not the issue. The problem is that P&O have decided its optional and it appears that a lot of people are removing them and the latest increase will lead to even more people doing that.

Well if people couldn't remove them it wouldn't be optional and P&O would have to advertise it in the headline price.

 

What sensible company would choose to increase its advertised price by 10% when the majority of customers will hand over that money anyway.

 

Nothing will change whilst people keep volunteering to hand over money they don't have to. Only when a sufficient number of people stop paying and the crew revolts will P&O change.

 

So you have three options -

- Keep paying and moaning

- Stop paying to force a change

- Keep paying and don't think about it

[dgs1956]

Well if people couldn't remove them it wouldn't be optional and P&O would have to advertise it in the headline price.

 

What sensible company would choose to increase its advertised price by 10% when the majority of customers will hand over that money anyway.

 

Nothing will change whilst people keep volunteering to hand over money they don't have to. Only when a sufficient number of people stop paying and the crew revolts will P&O change.

 

So you have three options -

- Keep paying and moaning

- Stop paying to force a change

- Keep paying and don't think about it

 

 

I totally agree and whilst it remains optional then I for one won't be paying it any more.

[pisces14]

If you could post Christopher Edgingtons email address i and others would appreciate it and also send emails.

Thanks. Graham.

 

The email address I have is christopher.edgington@pocruises.com

[grapau27]

The email address I have is christopher.edgington@pocruises.com

Thanks for posting his email address.

[Josy1953]

Thanks for his address, I have now E-mailed him to express my opinion on this increase.

[grapau27]

The email address I have is christopher.edgington@pocruises.com

I have now emailed Christopher Edgington.

[pisces14]

I have now emailed Christopher Edgington.

Good the more people who think the way we do the better.(y)

[pisces14]

Thanks for his address, I have now E-mailed him to express my opinion on this increase.

Good for you too. I think it's time to let P&O know how we feel.(y)

[grapau27]

Good the more people who think the way we do the better.(y)

I agree.

[grapau27]

Good the more people who think the way we do the better.(y)

Just received a reply basically saying they will look into it and get back in due course!!.?

[Josy1953]

Just received a reply basically saying they will look into it and get back in due course!!.?

I also got a reply from a lady who said that my email had been passed to her dept to look into and she would get back to me when they had done so.

[grapau27]

I also got a reply from a lady who said that my email had been passed to her dept to look into and she would get back to me when they had done so.

Her name was Nicola McIntosh who got back to me from P&O.

[Josy1953]

Her name was Nicola McIntosh who got back to me from P&O.

Same person.

[ONT-CA]

...Only when a sufficient number of people stop paying and the crew revolts will P&O change. ...

 

I’m more familiar with others cruise line boards where this question has been debated ad infinitum. The conclusion I have read is that the charged tip per person is pooled. Distribution is made on the basis of employee position and level, each receiving a percentage of the pool. Canceling tips creates a smaller pool for distribution. But there is an established minimum amount the hiring agency (*) will set and provide should such cancellations create a shortage. The amount of separate tips these agency employees personally receive must be consider part of the pool in an amount calculated on the shortage. Any amount over and above that can be retained. I understand that the list of passengers who had cancel here comes into play. Individuals that withholds personal tips can be dropped by the agency.

 

(*) Staff aboard the ships are not hired by the cruise line. The line uses an agency to supply sufficiently trained and approved staff who remain the employees of the agency.

[AnOnymously]

...Only when a sufficient number of people stop paying and the crew revolts will P&O change. ...

 

I’m more familiar with others cruise line boards where this question has been debated ad infinitum. The conclusion I have read is that the charged tip per person is pooled. Distribution is made on the basis of employee position and level, each receiving a percentage of the pool. Canceling tips creates a smaller pool for distribution. But there is an established minimum amount the hiring agency (*) will set and provide should such cancellations create a shortage. The amount of separate tips these agency employees personally receive must be consider part of the pool in an amount calculated on the shortage. Any amount over and above that can be retained. I understand that the list of passengers who had cancel here comes into play. Individuals that withholds personal tips can be dropped by the agency.

 

(*) Staff aboard the ships are not hired by the cruise line. The line uses an agency to supply sufficiently trained and approved staff who remain the employees of the agency.

 

Circulation of a list simply means people will cancel as late as possible and with P&O I understand that can be at any time. My memory says that Celebrity made one do it early.

 

Not sure that withholding is the only way, I suspect that they might react to customers blitzing them with complaining emails too.

[JoMoe]

...Only when a sufficient number of people stop paying and the crew revolts will P&O change. ...

 

I’m more familiar with others cruise line boards where this question has been debated ad infinitum. The conclusion I have read is that the charged tip per person is pooled. Distribution is made on the basis of employee position and level, each receiving a percentage of the pool. Canceling tips creates a smaller pool for distribution. But there is an established minimum amount the hiring agency (*) will set and provide should such cancellations create a shortage. The amount of separate tips these agency employees personally receive must be consider part of the pool in an amount calculated on the shortage. Any amount over and above that can be retained. I understand that the list of passengers who had cancel here comes into play. Individuals that withholds personal tips can be dropped by the agency.

(*) Staff aboard the ships are not hired by the cruise line. The line uses an agency to supply sufficiently trained and approved staff who remain the employees of the agency.

I asked a waiter a month ago on a cruise this question. If a person has the tips removed, does that mean you get less pay. He said no, they get the same even if someone removes the tips. The service personnel have a contract with the cruise line, or some agency that the cruise line pays. They are employees with a contract. They have benefits like paid vacation. They do not just work on the ship for months and just get whatever people give in tips. They are not just getting tips, like they would at a restaurant in North America. In a shore side restaurant you are not charged for tips if you don't eat, like you are on a cruise ship. I think the most important person in the restaurant is the cook. Does he get part of the tips? Why not?

 

The bottom line is the cruise lines do not disclose how the people are paid. So no one really knows. They imply that they only get what you give them in tips. But I have found this is not true and does not seem logical. If everyone a waiter served for an entire cruise had the tips removed, he would get paid nothing? I don't think so. They want to guilt you into giving generously, when you are really giving the money to the cruise line, who actually pays the wages of all those who work on the ship.

[Selbourne]

JoMoe - Was your cruise last month on a P&O UK ship? The reason I ask is that on this and every other (regular) tipping thread, people make an incorrect assumption that every Cruise line operates an identical remuneration policy. This is not the case. Even within the Carnival group (of which P&O U.K. is a part) the policy is different between brands.

 

As for P&O UK, which this thread is solely about, it is not the case that they get paid holidays. Each prolonged period at sea is a separate contract.

 

As for why do some staff (like cooks) not get a share of the tipping pool, that’s straightforward. Staff who are not included in the tipping pool distribution get paid more, whereas those who receive a proportion of the service charge are paid a lot less.