Gratuities

[Scottygirl1]

3 hours ago, USCcruisecrazy said:

The idea of tipping someone for their service is a way to reward those who are more conscientious workers and do a better job at serving the customer.  If the tip is already included, what is the incentive to work hard?  I understand that in some cultures people work hard because they have pride in what they do.  Unfortunately, many in the American culture tend to do only what they need to do to get by.  Those are the folks that get little to no tip.  The ones that work with enthusiasm to please the customer, they get bigger tips...that is the concept!!  Can't say it always works that way...some people don't tip anyone very much regardless of service and others tip everyone the same.  But, that is the general rule of thumb and works quite nicely when properly used.

 

Thanks, yes I totally understand the concept of tipping but think it is out of hand in US.  Here in New Zealand service staff receive a good living wage and don't expect tips.  We get great service based on the fact that the employees take pride in their work, enjoy their work and are rewarded well.  We do tip in very rare circumstances where the service has been extraordinary but not because we have to.  My original comment really was directed at the idea of tipping a barman for serving me a drink when that is their job.  There is no way I'd leave an extra amount for that.  

[Ep010835]

4 hours ago, KatieMac67 said:

I know you all have been to restaurants that add gratuity on check.

 

Never.  That is the prerogative of the customer. 

[pobox1067]

Just one tiny little point of order...semantics if you will.  Going from a 15% gratuity to an 18% gratuity is a 20% increase, not a 3% increase.  OK?  Am I the only one who sees that?

[bemis12]

7 minutes ago, pobox1067 said:

Just one tiny little point of order...semantics if you will.  Going from a 15% gratuity to an 18% gratuity is a 20% increase, not a 3% increase.  OK?  Am I the only one who sees that?

 

It’s not a 20% increase in the cost of the drink.

[pobox1067]

No, it's a 20% increase in the gratuity.  On a $10 drink, you used to pay $1.50. Now you pay $1.80.  20% more.  Someone had made the comment, well, how many other things went up 3% last year?  Well, probably lots of things.  20%?  Not so much.

[bemis12]

The cost of your drink only went from $11.50 to $11.80.  The % the gratuity went up Is a useless number. Your drink didn’t go up anywhere near 20%.

[pobox1067]

Except most of the discussion has centered around the amount the gratuity went up, figures that we have access to.  I know the drinks had gone up the last time we sailed but probably none of us knows how much and it probably varies by drink. So that actually becomes a useless number.  It seems that most of the contributors are tired of just slowly getting squeezed more and more and chose to focus on these drink gratuities.  I'm certainly in basic agreement with all of this.  It just rubs me though when a couple of people talked about a 3% increase when it was actually a 20% increase.  We'll have to agree to disagree, but please don't explain to me again that the drink price has not gone up 20%.  That was never the issue.  

[bemis12]

OK. We can agree that the price of a small part of the drink went up 20%

[Ep010835]

100% of the gratuity went up 20%. 

 

>how many other things went up 3% last year?  Well, probably lots of things.  20%?  Not so much.

Spot on! 

 

 

[Colo Cruiser]

24 minutes ago, bemis12 said:

OK. We can agree that the price of a small part of the drink went up 20%

I know right

[c-boy]

1 hour ago, pobox1067 said:

No, it's a 20% increase in the gratuity.  On a $10 drink, you used to pay $1.50. Now you pay $1.80.  20% more.  Someone had made the comment, well, how many other things went up 3% last year?  Well, probably lots of things.  20%?  Not so much.

ya don't live in California , do ya ?

[ceilidh1]

It's been a while since I sailed without the beverage package, but curious - do you have the option to NOT pay the gratuity if you are paying for drinks as you go? I know there is the option to remove daily service charge but what about the drink gratuity? Not saying I would ever do it, but just curious as to whether you can? I have no problem with tipping but do resent being told that, not only is it mandatory, but it has to be a dictated amount. I'm sure we have all come across a bartender or two that were next to useless - I know I certainly have!

[pms4104]

18 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

It's been a while since I sailed without the beverage package, but curious - do you have the option to NOT pay the gratuity if you are paying for drinks as you go? I know there is the option to remove daily service charge but what about the drink gratuity? Not saying I would ever do it, but just curious as to whether you can? I have no problem with tipping but do resent being told that, not only is it mandatory, but it has to be a dictated amount. I'm sure we have all come across a bartender or two that were next to useless - I know I certainly have!

I doubt a passenger can buy individual beverages without also paying the (now) 18% gratuity.  I would, however, be curious about the outcome if one were to tell a bar server "please, I'd like a martini, shaken not stirred, and withhold the gratuity, as I won't pay it."  Or, another scenario:  one could go to Guest Svcs last evening of cruise and have the staff there go thru one's entire folio to remove each and every gratuity.  Would love to be a fly on the wall to see how that unfolds.

 

Edited March 9, 2019 by pms4104

[ceilidh1]

1 minute ago, pms4104 said:

I doubt a passenger can buy individual beverages without also paying the (now) 18% gratuity.  I would, however, be curious about the outcome if one were to tell a bar server "please, I'd like a martini, shaken not stirred, and withhold the gratuity, as I won't pay it."  Or, another scenario:  go to Guest Svcs last evening of cruise and have the staff there go thru my entire folio to remove each and every gratuity.  Would love to be a fly on the wall to see how that unfolds.

 

I'm not even sure how the process works these days - as I mentioned, I almost always have the beverage package. It used to be that you were presented with a receipt to sign (that also had a space to write in a gratuity). I was thinking that if this were still the case, you could simply cross off the auto gratuity of 18% and write in the amount you wished to tip? Maybe this is long gone..

[pms4104]

7 minutes ago, ceilidh1 said:

I'm not even sure how the process works these days - as I mentioned, I almost always have the beverage package. It used to be that you were presented with a receipt to sign (that also had a space to write in a gratuity). I was thinking that if this were still the case, you could simply cross off the auto gratuity of 18% and write in the amount you wished to tip? Maybe this is long gone..

Not sure ... just off a 10nt with the pkg followed by a 5nt on which our folio was charged for drinks we ordered ... in no case were we presented with a receipt to sign, nor was a receipt issued.  They either swiped our card or noted the folio number and brought our desired drinks.

Edited March 9, 2019 by pms4104

[Thrak]

4 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

It's been a while since I sailed without the beverage package, but curious - do you have the option to NOT pay the gratuity if you are paying for drinks as you go?

 

Absolutely not. You will be charged the cost of the drink plus gratuity. PERIOD. This is not like the auto gratuities for the cruise. Some folks cancel those. (I won't get into my opinion of that practice. All I will say about it is that I feel these folks are @55h0|35.)

 

Whatever, the gratuities on drinks are not negotiable.

[RDC1]

On 3/9/2019 at 4:18 PM, Thrak said:

 

Absolutely not. You will be charged the cost of the drink plus gratuity. PERIOD. This is not like the auto gratuities for the cruise. Some folks cancel those. (I won't get into my opinion of that practice. All I will say about it is that I feel these folks are @55h0|35.)

 

Whatever, the gratuities on drinks are not negotiable.

the charge on drinks are classified as a service charge not a tip. as such not optional or modifiable.

[jwattle]

16 hours ago, pobox1067 said:

Except most of the discussion has centered around the amount the gratuity went up, figures that we have access to.  I know the drinks had gone up the last time we sailed but probably none of us knows how much and it probably varies by drink. So that actually becomes a useless number.  It seems that most of the contributors are tired of just slowly getting squeezed more and more and chose to focus on these drink gratuities.  I'm certainly in basic agreement with all of this.  It just rubs me though when a couple of people talked about a 3% increase when it was actually a 20% increase.  We'll have to agree to disagree, but please don't explain to me again that the drink price has not gone up 20%.  That was never the issue.  

Welcome to Cruise Critic

[hobbyfarmer2]

On 3/8/2019 at 5:58 AM, livinforcruisin said:

Just doing a crude calculation on this.  If you bought 5 x $8 drinks per day per person (recognising some don't buy any and others buy more expensive drinks.  That 18% gratuity equates to $7.20 per day.  $7.20 x 2000 passengers = $14,400  PER DAY.  This then equates to $100,800 for a 7 day cruise!  Are we seriously expected to believe that all this money goes to the bar staff?  Again, I reduced the number of passengers just to try to give some balance.  I don't know how many bar staff are on board.  They all give outstanding service.  But seriously..............................................

Your arithmetic is correct but I find it hard to believe that 2,000 passengers are buying 5 drinks per day.  My guess would be under three.

[Lucky TGO]

On 3/7/2019 at 4:00 PM, c-boy said:

it ain't the hill to die on.

I agree with c-boy. 

Tony

[pamwigs]

I think that is crazy because we prepay gratuities

when we book our cruise.

[pamwigs]

On 3/7/2019 at 1:52 PM, EDDY0827 said:

Thrak-

"See above. The listed price is not the price you pay. The gratuities definitely are added on top of the menu price. Where did you get the idea that wasn't the case? "

This is where, from on board reservations:

*****************************************************

Packages are not added to your booking until they are paid for. Prices include gratuity.

Premier Beverage Package$70.79 per person, per day

Enjoy a wide range of drinks for $59.99 per day plus a 18% gratuity. The Premier Beverage Package includes any individual beverage item such as fountain soda, bottled water, cocktails, spirits, wine by the glass, beers, coffee and tea, up to $12 (retail value). A 25% discount is also offered on all bottles of wine when purchased in bars, dining room or specialty restaurants.

*********************************************

It clearly states on the first line, second sentence. You can not buy the package for $59.99 per day and then add a grat, it's inclusive at $70.79 per day.

 

 

What I don't like is you don't have the option to pay for the weeks you want. We take long cruises that are 3 to 4 weeks. I might want more drinks one week and not the next. $1400 for drink package is crazy.

[suzyed]

On 3/7/2019 at 3:24 PM, Thrak said:

Well Poop. My 24k Margarita and Chairman of the Board were $11.21 each ($9.75 + 15%). Now they will be $11.50 ($9.75 + 18%). It's not a huge amount but it's still quite annoying. For those like Voljeep who put the beverage package in the cart and hadn't paid for it yet got nuked.

It may change again.  For a little bit there, they changed the bottled water package from $6.90 for 12 bottles to something like $24!!!!  😳  After it became a topic of conversation here on CC, it was change back to $6.90 but then I notice a few weeks ago it's been increased by about 30 cents.  I'm pretty sure it was a hiccup!

 

[suzyed]

On 3/7/2019 at 4:35 PM, Doug R. said:

Add an entree for $10 is HAL not Princess, don't throw untruths into the debate.

There are now "additional Crown Grill offerings"  included in the regular dining room menu.  Maybe that is what Voljeep is referring to?

[Expat Cruise]

On 3/8/2019 at 5:06 AM, majortom10 said:

It is without doubt because if you do not make a stand they will keep on increasing prices and making extortionate profits and paying themselves at senior executive positions enormous pay while they expect us to pay staff wages with our tips. 

The tips and service fees are just a profit center for the company. When this 3% increase was done on Carnival Cruises, they sent a letter to the crew saying 1/2 or 1.5% of the fee would be used for things like uniforms and airfare for the crew. These are not things  that should be paid with true tips. 

 

On 3/8/2019 at 5:59 AM, jwattle said:

Why would you want to punish the line staff? That won't show princess anything, , only take away from those who make the least. It does nothing to the executives who these decisions.

 

But it does hurt the company, they are using these fees to pay basic wages of the crew, guests think the crew member is getting sometime extra but they are not.  If quest stop paying the Daily Service fee the line would be required to pay the crew directly.  Crew should not need to reply on tips to make the basic wage due.

 

On 3/8/2019 at 6:04 AM, NavyVeteran said:

The auto gratuities have absolutely nothing to do with the bars or the drink packages. They are for the waiters and stateroom stewards. The bartenders do not receive anything from the auto gratuities - their gratuities are the ones added to the prices of the drinks or the drink packages. The waiters and stateroom stewards have absolutely nothing to do with the prices of the drinks.

 

All the money goes into a Princess Pool even extra cash you give to staff. Staff by the terms of employment must turn all cash to the company it belongs to the company and the crew contracts say so.

 

On 3/8/2019 at 6:58 PM, livinforcruisin said:

Just doing a crude calculation on this.  If you bought 5 x $8 drinks per day per person (recognising some don't buy any and others buy more expensive drinks.  That 18% gratuity equates to $7.20 per day.  $7.20 x 2000 passengers = $14,400  PER DAY.  This then equates to $100,800 for a 7 day cruise!  Are we seriously expected to believe that all this money goes to the bar staff?  Again, I reduced the number of passengers just to try to give some balance.  I don't know how many bar staff are on board.  They all give outstanding service.  But seriously..............................................

 

It is for extra profit. Many of us remember when NCL's Frank Del Rio  said for every added dollar he can get from guests his company make 15 million dollars added profit for the year.  It is really a big con game that cruisers from the United States have not figured out, vs Australian Cruisers who refused to pay so Princess no long has a daily service fee for guest booking from Australia.