Squawkman Posted January 23, 2020 #76 Share Posted January 23, 2020 1 hour ago, deec said: We are on a 2 VO cruises in the upcoming months and I really don't know what to do....certainly we are NOT a non-tippers...but the thought that Viking is just pocketing the extra money is upsetting! I am convinced this is not the case based on my discussion with our room steward 2 months ago. Why not just give Viking the benefit of the doubt and go for $15pp per night? I'd be more upset if a lot of folks adjusted their tip bill downward and deserving staff received less. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiminyC_fan Posted January 23, 2020 #77 Share Posted January 23, 2020 48 minutes ago, Squawkman said: I am convinced this is not the case based on my discussion with our room steward 2 months ago. Why not just give Viking the benefit of the doubt and go for $15pp per night? I'd be more upset if a lot of folks adjusted their tip bill downward and deserving staff received less. I agree with you 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveSJ711 Posted January 23, 2020 #78 Share Posted January 23, 2020 (edited) I agree with Squawkman. Give Viking the benefit of the doubt here. Besides, $15 pp per night is chump change compared to the cost of the cruise (which all of us can afford). Dig a little deeper into your wallets and purses and pay the gratuity, willingly and gratefully -- it's peanuts to us, but a big deal to those who provide the stellar service on Viking ships. Edited January 23, 2020 by DaveSJ711 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanoj Posted January 23, 2020 #79 Share Posted January 23, 2020 58 minutes ago, DaveSJ711 said: I agree with Squawkman. Give Viking the benefit of the doubt here. Besides, $15 pp per night is chump change compared to the cost of the cruise (which all of us can afford). Dig a little deeper into your wallets and purses and pay the gratuity, willingly and gratefully -- it's peanuts to us, but a big deal to those who provide the stellar service on Viking ships. Until I read @Jim Avery's comments in posts #29, 32 & 44, I was of this sentiment. But if gratuities are never paid to the staff, then my opinion is different, especially if I hand a steward, waiter, etc. a cash tip and they are expected to turn it over to their supervisor, without every receiving what I intended as a display of gratitude for service received. Tip accounting and compensation reporting may not be readily transparent to the crew. For example, if tips get allocated to a crew member but the net pay doesn't change, there may be explanations for which the crew member did receive an economic benefit (e.g., it went to tax withholdings or it was transferred in a separate payment a family member back home, etc.). It is also possible staff compensation is unaffected by the gratuities charge or guest to staff direct tips. I would like an explanation from Viking. If Viking doesn't clarify what happens with the $15 pp per night gratuities (adjusted up, down or unadjusted), all we have are anecdotal explanations and prejudices. Viking already markets these differently across its markets, so I would like Viking to remove the doubt by wrapping the charged gratuities into the cruise fare. I would also like explanation about what happens to the direct tips to staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lackcreativity Posted January 23, 2020 #80 Share Posted January 23, 2020 Even if the gratuities that we pay do not go directly to the crew members as many of us assumed, that doesn't mean that Viking is "keeping" the money. Money that passes through Viking's hands can still make its way to the crew as salary. If the crew member's are satisfied with their wages and benefits, perhaps that should be good enough for us. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duquephart Posted January 24, 2020 #81 Share Posted January 24, 2020 Service staff turnover might tell a tale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiminyC_fan Posted January 24, 2020 #82 Share Posted January 24, 2020 17 hours ago, duquephart said: Service staff turnover might tell a tale. I have a friend and her husband who both work for Viking. They told me that Viking is an excellent company to work for. They have worked for other companies that she doesn't claim to be great. That's good enough for me! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zitsky Posted January 24, 2020 #83 Share Posted January 24, 2020 8 minutes ago, jiminyC_fan said: I have a friend and her husband who both work for Viking. They told me that Viking is an excellent company to work for. They have worked for other companies that she doesn't claim to be great. That's good enough for me! I hope you left them a good tip?! 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiminyC_fan Posted January 24, 2020 #84 Share Posted January 24, 2020 8 minutes ago, zitsky said: I hope you left them a good tip?! 🙂 Without hesitation! Not sure why I wouldn't?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duquephart Posted January 24, 2020 #85 Share Posted January 24, 2020 1 hour ago, jiminyC_fan said: I have a friend and her husband who both work for Viking. They told me that Viking is an excellent company to work for. They have worked for other companies that she doesn't claim to be great. That's good enough for me! There was a little drama on a river cruise we were on that resulted in at least one fewer face. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mich3554 Posted January 25, 2020 #86 Share Posted January 25, 2020 21 hours ago, duquephart said: Service staff turnover might tell a tale. All I can tell you is that we were on Viking Jupiter in Oct. We were also on the same ship in Dec. The vast majority of the staff was the same, and remembered us. Our old cabin steward was going home after the Dec. cruise for a few months. He told me that when he came back, he’d be on the Orion instead. Many of the staff leaving for a break had plans of coming back after their break....maybe not the same ship, but back to Viking. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_alan_ Posted January 26, 2020 #87 Share Posted January 26, 2020 On 1/20/2020 at 3:12 PM, Hockeyump said: UK prices include gratuities and I believe the same applies in Australia. If these countries can do it why can't it happen in the US? I guess it is the whole "incentive" concept. Exceptional service from one waitress should begat exceptional tips. At least that is the concept. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redtravel Posted January 28, 2020 #88 Share Posted January 28, 2020 Can we use a OBC to pay the gratuitous? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deec Posted January 28, 2020 #89 Share Posted January 28, 2020 Last time we were onboard YES. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted January 28, 2020 #90 Share Posted January 28, 2020 We have used our OBC in four VO cruises to pay gratuities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith Posted February 6, 2020 #91 Share Posted February 6, 2020 On 2/5/2019 at 3:21 PM, Hockeyump said: In the UK gratuities are included in the price. The tipping culture in the UK is so very different to that in the USA. From reading many posts tipping in the USA seems almost mandatory whenever a service is received, very different in the UK. Are you saying that the cruise fares are higher in the UK? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrina651 Posted February 6, 2020 #92 Share Posted February 6, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, blacksmith said: Are you saying that the cruise fares are higher in the UK? Same product, different packaging. In the UK market, prices include round trip air and gratuities. In the US, cruise and air travel are priced a la carte and gratuities are not usually part of the package but expected to be paid by the guests. Here is an example of pricing. I choose to price a cruise in Australia because it means a long haul flight from either country. January, 2021. If we compare, cruises in Europe or the Caribbean, he who lives closer to the destination is going to save on the overall cost of the trip because of the difference in airfare costs. Price today for the cheapest cabin is £6790 ($8718) in the UK market (includes air and grats) and $6499 cruise + $1999 air + $225 gratuities = $8723 in the US market. In other words, regardless of how things are package, we end up paying about the same price for cruise, air and gratuities --at least for this cruise and under today's promos. Other comparisons may yield different results. Edited February 6, 2020 by Peregrina651 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Clay Clayton Posted February 6, 2020 #93 Share Posted February 6, 2020 What promos do the Brits get when Viking uses air (free or a few hundred bucks) to fill the ship close to sailing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nippy Sweetie Posted February 6, 2020 #94 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Silver spirits package included, tips included (although that's becoming pretty standard here) OBC etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyump Posted February 6, 2020 #95 Share Posted February 6, 2020 Had an email this week reducing cabin prices for an April cruise. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deec Posted February 6, 2020 #96 Share Posted February 6, 2020 hockeyup, Was this a cruise you were already booked on? or was it an advertisement? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hockeyump Posted February 6, 2020 #97 Share Posted February 6, 2020 It was an advert for one in April this year, not booked on it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fudgbug Posted February 8, 2020 #98 Share Posted February 8, 2020 On 2/3/2019 at 3:55 AM, Parsley Cruises said: Firstly, unless we have received outstanding service, we do not tip. Secondly when we have booked a cruise which states that gratuities are included we don't tip. End of story - it's not a matter of finances, it's just how we are. I really don't get this 'compulsion' to show-off with tipping. We were on one particular cruise (not a VO) cruise, and the competition to tip more than others became really vulgar; in the end it all got rather offensive. It's not a matter of showing off. If in the end tipping became really vulgar, JMO you must have been on one of the monster ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parsley Cruises Posted February 8, 2020 #99 Share Posted February 8, 2020 4 minutes ago, fudgbug said: It's not a matter of showing off. If in the end tipping became really vulgar, JMO you must have been on one of the monster ships. Wrong. Size was irrelevant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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