gratuities package opt out options.

[kimi99]

When we booked our cruise the consultant from HA told us that we can choose to opt out of onboard gratuities if we wish.Is this true as i have not seen anything that confirms this?

Travelling from Singapore to Vietnam , Thailand , Koh Samui and Cambodia.

[kazu]

10 minutes ago, kimi99 said:

When we booked our cruise the consultant from HA told us that we can choose to opt out of onboard gratuities if we wish.Is this true as i have not seen anything that confirms this?

Travelling from Singapore to Vietnam , Thailand , Koh Samui and Cambodia.

 

If you are unhappy with the service on board, yes, you can opt out.

 

I've always found the crew on HAL provide good service, very warm and hard working and wouldn't dream of depriving them of their HSC (Hotel Service Charge).

[kimi99]

This is our first cruise. Not trying to deprive anyone, just asking about a comment that was made to us.

[kerryincork]

Hi there,

 

Technically you can remove the hotel charge. But this is how the crew get paid. They get very low hourly rate, work for 12 to 14 hour days with no time off.

 

If you genuinely get bad service go to guest services and report the problem, if you are not happy with the result then you can adjust the service charge as you see fit.

 

It is much easier to leave the service charge in place, remember if you pay the service charge there is no need to tip anyone else included in that pool.

as a heads up a tip will be added to every bar bill you get and you cannot remove this, but you are not obliged to give more.

 

Also the Spa is not included in the tip pool, so they will add a tip to their check too.

 

Have fun.

also be advised it is your responsibility to have the correct visa for your journey.

[kimi99]

Thank you for the info. Yes, we will be using the onboard service for our required visas.

So much to think about... but looking forward to it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

HAL has a policy that if you decide to opt out, they will question as to why you want to do so -- just in case they need to address any issues.

 

Now -- if you do decide to opt out of the Hotel Service Charge, your name will be passed onto all supervisors who pass your name onto the staff who work under them.  If you decide to give any personal tips at the end of the cruise, those crew members are required to turn in those extra tips to be divided all the crew.  If they are caught keeping the extra tips, they will get fired.

 

We always keep the Hotel Service Charge in place and know that the crew we do tip extra will be allowed to keep their extra tips from us.

[VMax1700]

If your travel agent told you this, then they are giving you incomplete facts.

Basically your travel agent has told you its ok to stiff the workers.

Tips/HSC or whatever you want to call it, are part of the cruise cost with HAL, so just pay it and enjoy your cruise.

 

[Randyk47]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

If your travel agent told you this, then they are giving you incomplete facts.

Basically your travel agent has told you its ok to stiff the workers.

Tips/HSC or whatever you want to call it, are part of the cruise cost with HAL, so just pay it and enjoy your cruise.

 

 

If I understood the OP’s post it was actually a HAL PCC that told them that.   Not questioning the post but really wonder  why in the world would a in-house consultant even bring that up.   Maybe it was in response to a question so nothing more than an honest answer.

[VMax1700]

17 minutes ago, Randyk47 said:

 

If I understood the OP’s post it was actually a HAL PCC that told them that.   Not questioning the post but really wonder  why in the world would a in-house consultant even bring that up.   Maybe it was in response to a question so nothing more than an honest answer.

 

on re-reading the post, I see what you mean!  I understood that as OP is in Australia, the HSC is added to the advertised price (local law) for cruises booked in Australia.  Maybe OP called Seattle, which would make the comment about removing tips very strange!  I have never seen it mentioned on the boards that HAL has an official office/presence within Australia.

[Randyk47]

20 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

 

on re-reading the post, I see what you mean!  I understood that as OP is in Australia, the HSC is added to the advertised price (local law) for cruises booked in Australia.  Maybe OP called Seattle, which would make the comment about removing tips very strange!  I have never seen it mentioned on the boards that HAL has an official office/presence within Australia.

 

I missed the Australia country of origin.  Makes me wonder if Australia has full disclosure laws that made the PCC bring the HSC up?   I know here in the US that’s not the case and from time to time you see somebody post here or on another travel forum questioning the HSC.   Varies from curiosity to outrage.   

[OlsSalt]

5 hours ago, kimi99 said:

Thank you for the info. Yes, we will be using the onboard service for our required visas.

So much to think about... but looking forward to it.

 

You picked a great cruise. I  can also appreciate the confusion about the "tipping" (hotel service charge), particularly for those coming from countries where there is no tradition of tipping, and  even where it is actively discouraged.  This onboard policy is a bit of a mixed message to first time cruisers.

 

Tipping is a tradition on these more North American clientele ships, but primarily at the end of the cruise, which can be even on top of the voluntary "hotel service charge" addition.  Typically those we give an extra tip to are our cabin stewards and our fixed-time dining room stewards. 

 

So start with the basics - no voluntary onboard tipping in necessary during the cruise, but consider the "hotel service charge" at the end to be part of the cost of the cruise and will cover any thought of extra compensation for onboard service.

 

Then if you want to add anything else, you may.. We just consider this extra "hotel service charge" part of the total cruise price - more of a marketing ploy to make a cruise price appear more competitive at a lower offered price than its final "suggested" price after the addition of the "voluntary" hotel service charge.. Kind of a bait and switch ruse, which is a bit of a trap for the unwary or those coming from outside of the North American (etc) tipping cultures.

 

You were right to ask this question.

Edited November 26, 2018 by OlsSalt

[avian777]

11 hours ago, kimi99 said:

This is our first cruise. Not trying to deprive anyone, just asking about a comment that was made to us.

 

kimi99,  IMO the point of your original Post was crystal clear, so I don't think you deserve to be "scolded" by others who apparently could not understand it.  Hope you enjoy your cruise!

[Stratheden]

The Australian Consultant does not have to tell them about the HSC nor is it added to the advertised price unless it is part of a HAL promotion.  We have one cruise coming up without the HSC included and one with it included so it really is the same as in the US.

 

Some TA's may inform a new cruiser about the HSC and may tell them that it can be removed as it is something that is completely unknown over here.  We simply do not tip and we do not have HSC's nor Resort Fees.  Here it is illegal to advertise a product that is not fully inclusive of everything, including tax.  

I guess as we are purchasing a US product from a US company it is different as far as cruising is concerned, although our prices are different from yours. 

 

PS.  We never remove the HSC and we tip extra because we have travelled a lot and know that it is the accepted thing to do in the US.

 

PPS. Please stop telling Australians that they are "stiffing" the crew.  New cruisers assume that the crew are paid a decent wage like everyone in Australia is paid and unless they read Cruise Critic they wouldn't know any better. 

[oaktreerb]

15 hours ago, kimi99 said:

When we booked our cruise the consultant from HA told us that we can choose to opt out of onboard gratuities if we wish.Is this true as i have not seen anything that confirms this?

Travelling from Singapore to Vietnam , Thailand , Koh Samui and Cambodia.

Maybe the rep was referring to the current promo which includes prepaid gratuities.  The option would be to possibly book a cheaper fare where gratuities were not prepaid.  This option is sometimes available when there is an Explore 4 promo.  I don’t think a HAL rep would encourage you to remove the gratuities that are charged daily to your onboard account.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Oaktreerb, you expressed my thoughts about opting out. It could have been the promotion rather than the actual payment onboard.

[kimi99]

Booked through Australian HAL rep and was not told anything about gratuities at all until we mentioned it after reading about it.The person told us we could simply opt out of the gratuity package, we did not ask about opting out.

Anyway HAL has now applied the cyber sale to our bookings so they are covering the gratuity package .

There was never an issue about not paying the gratuities, it is not expected here in Australia as workers are paid well compared to other parts of the world.

I simply asked about it in this forum as we are first time cruisers and was after some helpful information.

[CineGraphic]

Here's the first rule you should learn before your first cruise.

Don't opt out of the gratuities.

If you can't afford the gratuities, you can't afford to cruise.

[OlsSalt]

55 minutes ago, CineGraphic said:

Here's the first rule you should learn before your first cruise.

Don't opt out of the gratuities.

If you can't afford the gratuities, you can't afford to cruise.

 

Not a fair response under the reported circumstances.  

[Stratheden]

3 hours ago, CineGraphic said:

Here's the first rule you should learn before your first cruise.

Don't opt out of the gratuities.

If you can't afford the gratuities, you can't afford to cruise.

If you live in the US that may be true.  

If you live in the rest of the world, and have never cruised before,  "what are gratuities?"

Edited November 27, 2018 by Stratheden

[cbr663]

11 hours ago, kimi99 said:

Booked through Australian HAL rep and was not told anything about gratuities at all until we mentioned it after reading about it.The person told us we could simply opt out of the gratuity package, we did not ask about opting out.

Anyway HAL has now applied the cyber sale to our bookings so they are covering the gratuity package .

There was never an issue about not paying the gratuities, it is not expected here in Australia as workers are paid well compared to other parts of the world.

I simply asked about it in this forum as we are first time cruisers and was after some helpful information.

 

And the correct answer is yes, you can simply opt out if you choose as the gratuities are not mandatory.  

 

As this is your first cruise, you may find the Know Before You Go booklet by HAL very helpful.  You can find it under FAQs on HAL's website here:  https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.html.  You can also find more information on money and finances onboard under Shipboard Life in the FAQs.

 

Happy Sailing and welcome aboard.

[Barrheadlass]

4 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Not a fair response under the reported circumstances.  

 

Ditto

[Lis2065]

19 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Not a fair response under the reported circumstances.  

 

Ditto

[boards]

I thought I read recently that the HSC is to increase.  Is that fact or fiction?

[Alberta Quilter]

6 minutes ago, boards said:

I thought I read recently that the HSC is to increase.  Is that fact or fiction?

Fact.  The increase is effective Dec 1/18.

[killsport]

5 minutes ago, boards said:

I thought I read recently that the HSC is to increase.  Is that fact or fiction?

I'm assuming you don't mean the increase from 2017 (https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=7544 )

and you mean the one from 2018 (https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=8908)?