Gratuities

[satxdiver]

On 3/8/2019 at 2:31 PM, Scottygirl1 said:

 

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.  

 

I totally agree and wish that here in the US, servers should be paid a realistic living wage and tips stopped.  I don't need to hold a tip over a server's head to get service nor do I need to feel like daddy warbucks and throw a few cents at the servants.  

 

It has become somewhat common to tip 18% at venues here in the US but we have those that wish to stiff the servers.  Probably the same ones that go to the PSD and demand gratuities be taken off their folios.  

[BRANDEE]

34 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

 

 

 

 

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.

 

A question regarding gratuities and and Australian/New Zealand cruise.  (Sorry if it has been asked before, but I can not find an answer anywhere.)

 

I've book two cruises out of Australia to  New Zealand and Fiji.  Paying US dollars for cruise fare..  All money on board will be in Australian dollars. All OBC is also AUD dollars.  FCC is 100 AUD (not $100)..same with $600 OBC sale promotion and military credit.  Now they are 600 AUD and 250 AUD.  All excursions are AUD prices. No currency conversion is used just US$ now is same number of AUD $

 

However, on my future cruise personalizer, Princess is quoting gratuities to be prepaid in US dollars, now...at the same rates as the Caribbean cruise I just got off.  $13.50 per day.  When I asked what the gratuities would be if I waited until on board...amazing no one from Princess can answer me. Will my gratuities be 13.50 AUD or 18.83 AUD? 

 

Can any cruisers here help with the answer..and are only American passengers going to be charged gratuities?  I will be having the same cabin steward for both cruises..is an extra tip at the end considered inappropriate on this cruise?

 

Thanks

[Kingofcool1947]

Wow.   😀

Edited April 14, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[Aus Traveller]

11 minutes ago, BRANDEE said:

 

A question regarding gratuities and and Australian/New Zealand cruise.  (Sorry if it has been asked before, but I can not find an answer anywhere.)

 

I've book two cruises out of Australia to  New Zealand and Fiji.  Paying US dollars for cruise fare..  All money on board will be in Australian dollars. All OBC is also AUD dollars.  FCC is 100 AUD (not $100)..same with $600 OBC sale promotion and military credit.  Now they are 600 AUD and 250 AUD.  All excursions are AUD prices. No currency conversion is used just US$ now is same number of AUD $

 

However, on my future cruise personalizer, Princess is quoting gratuities to be prepaid in US dollars, now...at the same rates as the Caribbean cruise I just got off.  $13.50 per day.  When I asked what the gratuities would be if I waited until on board...amazing no one from Princess can answer me. Will my gratuities be 13.50 AUD or 18.83 AUD? 

 

Can any cruisers here help with the answer..and are only American passengers going to be charged gratuities?  I will be having the same cabin steward for both cruises..is an extra tip at the end considered inappropriate on this cruise?

 

Thanks

Passengers booking these cruises in countries other than Aust & NZ, will be charged the auto gratuity. BTW, I am NOT convinced that you pay less for the cruise fare than pax booking in Aust & NZ.

 

I cannot tell you whether you will be charged $13.50 pd or the converted $18.83AUD. However, I can tell you that the stewards are paid at a much higher rate than those on ships where the auto gratuity applies. Their monthly pay does NOT rely on the tips pool. The stewards love this system. They do not have to jump through hoops hoping to get a tip. On the Aussie ships tips are not expected, although the stewards might expect it from you when they hear your accent!

 

Many Aust/NZ cruisers do tip their cabin steward and/or waiter, but probably not as much as in the 'old' days when tips were expected. The stewards can keep all the tips given to them personally. If your auto-gratuity is left in place, the amount you pay will go into the fleet-wide pool. It will not remain on your ship and certainly will not be distributed to the staff who personally serve you.

 

If you wish, you could remove the auto-gratuity off your account then individually tip your stewards etc. They will receive much more this way.

[BRANDEE]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Passengers booking these cruises in countries other than Aust & NZ, will be charged the auto gratuity. BTW, I am NOT convinced that you pay less for the cruise fare than pax booking in Aust & NZ.

 

I cannot tell you whether you will be charged $13.50 pd or the converted $18.83AUD. However, I can tell you that the stewards are paid at a much higher rate than those on ships where the auto gratuity applies. Their monthly pay does NOT rely on the tips pool. The stewards love this system. They do not have to jump through hoops hoping to get a tip. On the Aussie ships tips are not expected, although the stewards might expect it from you when they hear your accent!

 

Many Aust/NZ cruisers do tip their cabin steward and/or waiter, but probably not as much as in the 'old' days when tips were expected. The stewards can keep all the tips given to them personally. If your auto-gratuity is left in place, the amount you pay will go into the fleet-wide pool. It will not remain on your ship and certainly will not be distributed to the staff who personally serve you.

 

If you wish, you could remove the auto-gratuity off your account then individually tip your stewards etc. They will receive much more this way.

Thank you for all the information. A call to Princess direct, as well as speaking to a future cruise rep on board, both ended up a dead end.  No one knew???  

 

Glad to hear the stewards get to keep the tips they receive personally.  I know that Americans are pre conditioned to tip..and that is definitely due to the very low wages earned by US waiters, servers, cleaners..etc.

 

Very excited to be travelling in your part of the world. A big "bucket list" wish.  Between the two cruises and land time (Sidney), we will be staying 35 days.

 

Thanks again !

[Expat Cruise]

1 minute ago, BRANDEE said:

Thank you for all the information. A call to Princess direct, as well as speaking to a future cruise rep on board, both ended up a dead end.  No one knew???  

 

Glad to hear the stewards get to keep the tips they receive personally.  I know that Americans are pre conditioned to tip..and that is definitely due to the very low wages earned by US waiters, servers, cleaners..etc.

 

Very excited to be travelling in your part of the world. A big "bucket list" wish.  Between the two cruises and land time (Sidney), we will be staying 35 days.

 

Thanks again !

No one is allowed to keep any money they get on the ship. As per the crew contract all monies must be turned in and become part of the Pool.....  It all is part of the Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool. 

 

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, BRANDEE said:

Thank you for all the information. A call to Princess direct, as well as speaking to a future cruise rep on board, both ended up a dead end.  No one knew???  

 

Glad to hear the stewards get to keep the tips they receive personally.  I know that Americans are pre conditioned to tip..and that is definitely due to the very low wages earned by US waiters, servers, cleaners..etc.

 

Very excited to be travelling in your part of the world. A big "bucket list" wish.  Between the two cruises and land time (Sidney), we will be staying 35 days.

 

Thanks again !

You will find in Australia that you are not expected to tip, although after hearing your accent, some may expect it. Locals sometimes tip if they receive exceptional service.

 

You will find virtually everything to be more expensive than you are used to. Our MINIMUM wage is around $19 per hour. At that rate, waiters and servers don't expect a big tip, but often there is a 'tip jar' near the cash register. Often with taxis, if the driver is handling our luggage, we round the fare up. On one occasion, the driver refused the extra few dollars saying he earned enough without it.

[Aus Traveller]

2 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

No one is allowed to keep any money they get on the ship. As per the crew contract all monies must be turned in and become part of the Pool.....  It all is part of the Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool. 

 

Dining staff on the Aussie-based ships have told us the opposite. It would seem strange if stewards on the Aussie ships have to hand their tips into the pool when they do not receive anything from the tips pool.

[Expat Cruise]

3 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

Dining staff on the Aussie-based ships have told us the opposite. It would seem strange if stewards on the Aussie ships have to hand their tips into the pool when they do not receive anything from the tips pool.

The staff tells you what the masters have told them to tell you.  Princess controls what the crew tells you. And they do get money from the Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool. Part of the cruise fare paid when you book on the Australia site goes into the pool.  

 

Also everyone on Australian cruises who does not book on through the AU site pays daily service fees. Really the crews get paid the same way regardless of where the ship is.

[Aus Traveller]

1 minute ago, Expat Cruise said:

The staff tells you what the masters have told them to tell you.  Princess controls what the crew tells you. And they do get money from the Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool. Part of the cruise fare paid when you book on the Australia site goes into the pool.  

 

Also everyone on Australian cruises who does not book on through the AU site pays daily service fees. Really the crews get paid the same way regardless of where the ship is.

The stewards on the Australian ships get paid the same as on the other ships, but this does not come from the tips pool. They are paid a flat rate according to their contract.

 

Are you saying that pax who book in Australia pay an extra amount (same as gratuities) that goes into the tips pool?

[Expat Cruise]

33 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

The stewards on the Australian ships get paid the same as on the other ships, but this does not come from the tips pool. They are paid a flat rate according to their contract.

 

Are you saying that pax who book in Australia pay an extra amount (same as gratuities) that goes into the tips pool?

Your information is just wrong. The crew does not use a different contract in Australia, it is the same, they are paid from the Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool.  Even on cruises in Australia about half the cruisers are charged the daily service charge.  And yes passengers from Australia who book through Australia part of your cruise fare go into this  Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool.  

 

Have you ever read a crew contract for Princes Cruises? Do you know for a fact how the crew is paid or only what you have been told? I have read and have crew contracts for Princess..... Some have been posted online and others have been part of court cases filed in the Florida Southern District. They are very clear how crew is paid, and it is not what the Princess wants you to think. As for Princess paying the full daily service fee to the pool for your Australian bookings, no one really knows as they will not tell guests.  You are paying a higher cruise fare to include the fact that the daily service fee is not charged to your account.  My opinion is Princess pays nowhere near the full value,  only what is need to make the minimum  crew payment.

[Aus Traveller]

52 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

Your information is just wrong. The crew does not use a different contract in Australia, it is the same, they are paid from the Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool.  Even on cruises in Australia about half the cruisers are charged the daily service charge.  And yes passengers from Australia who book through Australia part of your cruise fare go into this  Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool.  

 

Have you ever read a crew contract for Princes Cruises? Do you know for a fact how the crew is paid or only what you have been told? I have read and have crew contracts for Princess..... Some have been posted online and others have been part of court cases filed in the Florida Southern District. They are very clear how crew is paid, and it is not what the Princess wants you to think. As for Princess paying the full daily service fee to the pool for your Australian bookings, no one really knows as they will not tell guests.  You are paying a higher cruise fare to include the fact that the daily service fee is not charged to your account.  My opinion is Princess pays nowhere near the full value,  only what is need to make the minimum  crew payment.

I have read the Crew Contract posted on line but there is no indication that also applies to crew on the Aussie ships.

 

Your comment that "about half the cruisers are charged the daily service charge" is wrong. I am very often on Princess cruises and the only time I experienced Australian cruisers not being in the overwhelming majority was on an Emerald Princess cruise from the UK to Aust. I estimate that Aust/NZ cruisers would usually be at least 80% on Australian-based cruises - not 50%.

 

I do know that stewards on the Aussie cruises are not dependent on the tips pool.

 

You state "You are paying a higher cruise fare to include the fact that the daily service fee is not charged to your account." From what I have seen, there is not that much difference in the basic cruise fare charged to Aussies/NZers compared with bookings placed elsewhere.