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Service charge ending!

Prefdavid

By Prefdavid,
in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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cruisefan2012

cruisefan2012

Posted
Posted

I`m not scared of voicing my opinion on here - Whether I`m right or not is another matter...

 

Dont even get me started on the P&O drinks packages - I sailed with Princess in May 2018, I dont do alcohol in any shape or form.. I had what Princess call "Unlimted Soda & More" I paid £45 something for as many fizzy drinks and hot chocolates as I wanted .... P&O want £19 a DAY !!

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daiB

daiB

Posted
Posted
My only comment on this matter is

 

 

 

Its about time !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Never saw the point of paying extra to somebody for doing their job when they get paid by P&O already !!

 

 

 

Love people who rejoice hen they are going to have to pay more, one way or the other.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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P-L-B

P-L-B

Posted
Posted
Come to think of it there were no sweets in our cabin last week on Britannia. We did have chocolates and a “flower” though!

Actually I think they stopped the sweets some time ago.

No sweets on Oceana in April and none on Aurora last November.:(

Still chocolates though.:)

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P-L-B

P-L-B

Posted
Posted
Hubby tried the P and O chocolate, he said it was bleugh

They are not that bad.

As I consider myself to be a chocoholic I can assure you I have tasted a lot worse.:)

When on board I always make a point of looking in the Horizon to find out when the Chocolate buffet is available, yummy.:D

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blueboo

blueboo

Posted
Posted
Like many others, I feel that you are just being provocative for the sake of it and whilst I almost cannot be bothered to rise to the bait, I would like to make a few points that challenge your assertion that staff will lose out and service levels will drop as a result of this change, as I believe that the opposite may be the case.

 

Yes, some people who opted out of auto grats and tipped in cash may well no longer do so. I would suggest, however, that many (like us) will continue to cash tip for 'over and above' service. BUT I would suggest that for everyone who used to opt out and tip in cash but now stops, an equal (or more likely greater) number will start to cash tip when they didn't before. These will, in the main, be people who paid the auto service charge (either willingly or because they didn't know that you could remove it - or didn't feel comfortable doing so), were very happy with the service but felt no need to cash tip anyone as the service charge had 'taken care of it'. Many of these people are likely to feel awkward that they aren't recognising good service from those they have got to know (cabin stewards, waiters etc) and are, I would suggest, now more likely to now offer a cash tip, even though P&O state that it isn't expected. It's just human nature.

 

The truth is that we just don't know, but P&O aren't daft and they would have thought all this through. It would not be in their interest to implement something that would cause their staff to be worse off as they will vote with their feet and leave.

 

As for service, I think this policy change will result in an improvement in service. With no passengers having paid a service charge, the likelihood of individual staff members receiving cash tips for good service will increase IMO and there will be a great incentive for them to go 'above and beyond'.

 

I have been critical of P&O over many things over the years, but for once I applaud them. They have listened to the not insignificant numbers of us who have written to them, called them or articulated on the 'opt out' forms on board why we have felt that service charges should be removed and incorporated into the fare. Frankly, I don't care how they recoup this money - I suspect that it will be through a number of things (though not a compulsory service charge) but it means that, at long last, every passenger pays equally and anyone who wishes to cash tip on top can do so if they wish and it need be of no concern to anyone else.

 

The only people who I can see would object to this policy change are those who opted out of the service charge and paid no cash tips, but I'm afraid that I have no sympathy with those people. So, nothing to argue about really, but then again.........

 

Brilliantly put...you have summed it all up so well,

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MrMan

MrMan

Posted
Posted
As someone else said, that would be a PR disaster

 

It's way more likely they would just increase future fares to cover it, as that isn't so obvious and will cause less complaints.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

 

 

 

What many on here don’t realize is fares can’t be raised to cover this. Now that the tips you pay are part of the price, when P&O compete on the reservation systems the prices for P&O include tips while other lines exclude mandatory tips. This will put P&O at a competitive disadvantage on online reservation systems.

 

 

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NSWP

NSWP

Posted
Posted
What many on here don’t realize is fares can’t be raised to cover this. Now that the tips you pay are part of the price, when P&O compete on the reservation systems the prices for P&O include tips while other lines exclude mandatory tips. This will put P&O at a competitive disadvantage on online reservation systems.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Carnival will raise fares to pay for included tips, they did in Australia for Princess/P&O. No way Carnival will pay the service crew a cut from revenue as gratuity allotment. User Pay !!! The Pax !!

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NSWP

NSWP

Posted
Posted
Good news, for us as we are booked for July next year.

 

I am wondering though will they be as generous with OBCs or will they become a thing of the past?

 

OBC could go or be reduced and god forbid the tea making facilities in the cabin might even go too, or the bikkies at least. Ye Gods, there will be a riot at Southampton.:loudcry:

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NSWP

NSWP

Posted
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Nevertheless, earlier I could not resist checking out what a balcony cabin I have already booked, (for post this new innovation), costs today.

 

Wow, a cool £911.00 per person: an increase of 25.3% on the original.

 

Of course Sir Richard, your donation to the tipping pool, called User Pay. No way Carnival will wear it from the general revenue.

 

Can we blame Brexit ? :loudcry:

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