Service charge ending!

[wowzz]

P&O state that "the discretionary daily Service Charge on board will be removed in May 2019"

 

 

Psychic Sally says;

 

 

 

What they've failed to mention is that "a compulsary daily gratuity will be added from September 2019" :rolleyes:

A compulsory service charge would have to be included in the fare price, under UK legislation, so just as easy to increase the price in the first place.

 

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[molecrochip]

A compulsory service charge would have to be included in the fare price, under UK legislation, so just as easy to increase the price in the first place.

 

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P&O have confirmed on social media that a compulsory charge or fare increase is not happening.

 

Other than price increases already done, adjustments to base level on board spend are most likely route to recoup difference. That said, if as many people have been removing the auto charge as suggested, P&O have been paying the majority all along and just now choose to admit it!

[kalos]

Yay - no more tipping threads!

 

Hold on there !

 

We could have ...The history of Tipping

 

... Bring back tipping

 

... Do you miss tipping

 

.... Hi I'm new to cruising and need advice on not tipping

 

All to be repeated every six weeks

 

;);););p

 

Should keep you going :D

[SquishTheWhale]

Hold on there !

 

We could have ...The history of Tipping

 

... Bring back tipping

 

... Do you miss tipping

 

.... Hi I'm new to cruising and need advice on not tipping

 

All to be repeated every six weeks

 

;);););p

 

Should keep you going :D

 

Don't forget the classic 'Do you tip in cash now the auto tips have been stopped (and if you don't then you're cheap)'

 

Plenty of mileage to be had with that!

[grapau27]

Flo, apparently not, this is a reply from P&O a few minutes ago on FB.

 

Hi Philip, we are not planning on increasing any of our fares. The discretionary daily Service Charge is no longer applicable. ‘Tipping’ staff is neither required nor expected but if you choose to do so then

that's entirely your decision. We hope this helps [emoji846]

 

That is a seismic change.

 

 

 

 

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Myself and a few others on here emailed P&O several times and got to speak to their Guests Relations manager regarding adding tips into the price because we were paying autogratuities but plenty of people were very happy to stop theirs.

I am delighted that what was told to me is actually being implemented albeit not until May 2019.

I will still tip very well in cash to everyone who makes our cruise Special.

[grapau27]

Hallelujah. :)

 

 

 

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I agree.

[grapau27]

I got the email this morning.

 

I think that prices will probably rise slightly to cover the loss of tips but I don't mind that as it means that everyone pays their share.

Totally agree.

[grapau27]

Hallelujah! People power has won.

 

Clearly prices can't increase for those already booked but, in spite of what P&O are saying, they will obviously need to recoup the lost revenue somehow, most likely through price rises (although, due to P&O's constantly changing 'fluid pricing' it will be nigh on impossible to detect, hence their claim). I'm fine with that though, as it's only fair that everyone pays their way, something that doesn't happen at present. With the numbers currently removing the auto charge, the actual revenue that they need to recoup will probably only equate to around £3 per passenger per day and that's not really going to register.

 

There's no way that they would trumpet the abolition of a discretionary service charge only to impose a compulsory one. That would be a catastrophic PR own goal. They will use this as a marketing message to attract new (younger) cruisers who would find the current system completely alien to them. They are going to have to rely on that demographic to fill the vast capacities of the new mega ships, so it's a very sensible move.

 

Well done P&O for listening to customer feedback and responding to it. We shall continue to tip the hard working staff if they go over and above.

I agree and am happy P&O customer relations who rang me after my emails and hinted things would change are coming to fruition.

I think the high levels of obc will be reduced to cover this eg we are getting £100 obc for 2 nights in a Suite on Oceana.

[Clodia]

Long long overdue. I will still give a cash tip, but only for really excellent service.

[grapau27]

If they are clever then this should be part of their new mantra for selling the company.

 

‘Tipping’ staff is neither required nor expected but if you choose to do so then you can.

 

Be very surprised if this is not used in the blurb for the new cruises on sale next month.

 

 

 

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Again I'm happy if it happens because that was a suggestion I made in my phone conversation with P&O Guest relations.

[madmacs]

I wrote to P&O about a month ago suggesting exactly this - they sent me a holding reply. Think I will claim it is as a result of my letter this has happened, but I do know it is coincidental. Ironically have two P&O cruises booked before May 2019 and has made me more inclined to remove the gratuities for these cruises.

 

 

There is a British website that shows how cruise prices change over time but as they sell cruises won't mention its name. The first cruise which we are on was sold to us at under £1000 each - now selling at £1500 for similar cabins. P&O seem to change much more than other lines.

[Tablelamp]

I have just received this reply from P & O

 

Automatically added Gratuities will be removed from our cruises. You will be under no obligation to tip the crew at all.

The discretionary daily Service Charge collected helped to fund crew variable pay and we always made sure that we paid out everything that was collected. This change simply means that we will in future be funding all crew variable pay ourselves.

[AJ22]

It will be interesting to see what people booked before next May will do. I suspect that even more people will remove auto tips in the coming months. We're booked for April!

[Cruise Puss]

Hallelujah. :)

 

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Quite!!!! :D

[jeanlyon]

Yes, we are booked for April too. We shall do what we always do, remove the auto tip and tip ourselves.

[crompton21]

I have just received this reply from P & O

 

 

 

Automatically added Gratuities will be removed from our cruises. You will be under no obligation to tip the crew at all.

 

The discretionary daily Service Charge collected helped to fund crew variable pay and we always made sure that we paid out everything that was collected. This change simply means that we will in future be funding all crew variable pay ourselves.

 

 

 

The always made sure we paid out everything that was collected is interesting. If it is “true” then that would mean that all the bonus was always paid irrespective of the satisfaction scores. I am sure the crew would have worked that out sometime ago were it to be true, not how it has seemed over the last few years.

 

Doesn’t say who it was paid to I suppose....

[P-L-B]

Yes, we are booked for April too. We shall do what we always do, remove the auto tip and tip ourselves.

We are booked for December 18 and June 19 and hopefully IONA when available.

Yes, that’s what we have always done, so no procedural change for the likes of us. Just saves us in future from requesting the form from reception.:D

Also, I wonder if P&O would have gone ahead with this change if it wasn’t for so many passengers deciding not to pay the auto grats.;)

[picsa]

Yes, we are booked for April too. We shall do what we always do, remove the auto tip and tip ourselves.

 

And will you continue to do that after the change?

 

At the moment the staff get their bonus whether you pay the service charge or not, so if you stop tipping in cash they will lose out.

[P-L-B]

I fear any one hoping for the end of tipping threads should think again.:evilsmile:

[Slugsta]

I fear any one hoping for the end of tipping threads should think again.:evilsmile:

 

I suspect you are correct :(

[terrierjohn]

I wonder what the staff think of the new system? If we believe that P&O allow them to keep all cash tips and also give them their share of the auto grats, and if we believe that a significant number of those removing auto grats also pay the same in cash, then some staff will currently be receiving double tips!

Under the new system they will need to work extra hard to earn anywhere near the same amount in tips, .........just saying.

[picsa]

I wonder what the staff think of the new system? If we believe that P&O allow them to keep all cash tips and also give them their share of the auto grats, and if we believe that a significant number of those removing auto grats also pay the same in cash, then some staff will currently be receiving double tips!

Under the new system they will need to work extra hard to earn anywhere near the same amount in tips, .........just saying.

 

So unless P&O want service standards to collapse due to the reduction in what the staff get from the current double payments, they will have to increase pay which will mean higher fares.

[Stevedalton]

Just came back from a 7 nighter on Oceana. We were charged £49 each for gratuities. I still gave our cabin steward a €40 tip because he was a hard working and very nice fella. Trouble is, where I knew (hoped) our auto tips were being shared throughout the whole ships staff, when the auto tips are removed and we can freely tip, how will all the backroom staff fare compared to those on the front line? We normally go freedom dining as we go to a few of the 'pay extra' restaurants so the only person we have regular contact with on a daily basis is our cabin steward. Doesn’t seem fair for the majority of staff in my opinion.

[daiB]

Just came back from a 7 nighter on Oceana. We were charged £49 each for gratuities. I still gave our cabin steward a €40 tip because he was a hard working and very nice fella. Trouble is, where I knew (hoped) our auto tips were being shared throughout the whole ships staff, when the auto tips are removed and we can freely tip, how will all the backroom staff fare compared to those on the front line? We normally go freedom dining as we go to a few of the 'pay extra' restaurants so the only person we have regular contact with on a daily basis is our cabin steward. Doesn’t seem fair for the majority of staff in my opinion.

The rest of the staff do not get a share only your steward and waiters.

 

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[picsa]

when the auto tips are removed and we can freely tip,

 

And the problems start...