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Tipping Question


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32 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

What exactly did they say that was BS?  They were quoting Royal's own words, then reiterating what Royal said.

 

"Royal has shifted gratuities so much over the years, they now want us to pay so many other crew members besides the dining team and stateroom attendants.    Royal is telling us that our automatic service gratuity also includes paying bar and culinary staff,  and other hotel services teams who work behind the scene.  Nobody really knows what Royal is doing with the money"

 

^^^^ This is what I have a problem with.  Posters who believe that there is something nefarious about gratuities.   So much speculation with no basis in fact.  If RCI was skimming as much money as some of you hint, the amounts would have to appear in their financial reports.  None of this is any different than what happens in almost every restaurant in the US.

 

If you don't like how RCI does this.  Remove your gratuities!  I really don't care.  Because as you are also aware RCI is screwing their employees out of the gratuities that are added to your account. <sarcasm>

 

As I said before there are many, many employees that stay with RCI for over a decade.  They stay because they are well paid and enjoy working for RCI.

 

These same arguments and accusations follow every tipping post.  I'm just stupid because I get sucked into these threads.

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20 minutes ago, steveru621 said:

 

"Royal has shifted gratuities so much over the years, they now want us to pay so many other crew members besides the dining team and stateroom attendants.    Royal is telling us that our automatic service gratuity also includes paying bar and culinary staff,  and other hotel services teams who work behind the scene.  Nobody really knows what Royal is doing with the money"

 

^^^^ This is what I have a problem with.  Posters who believe that there is something nefarious about gratuities.   So much speculation with no basis in fact.  If RCI was skimming as much money as some of you hint, the amounts would have to appear in their financial reports.  None of this is any different than what happens in almost every restaurant in the US.

 

If you don't like how RCI does this.  Remove your gratuities!  I really don't care.  Because as you are also aware RCI is screwing their employees out of the gratuities that are added to your account. <sarcasm>

 

As I said before there are many, many employees that stay with RCI for over a decade.  They stay because they are well paid and enjoy working for RCI.

 

These same arguments and accusations follow every tipping post.  I'm just stupid because I get sucked into these threads.

I'm still not seeing how anything in that post was BS.  Are you saying that the statement "Nobody really knows what Royal is doing with the money" is incorrect?  Do you know what Royal is doing with the money?  I guess somebody at Royal obviously knows, so in the most literal sense, that statement is incorrect.  Is that what you mean by their post being BS? 

 

I guess I missed where they said in that post that something nefarious was going on.

 

As for the rest of what you said in response to my question...well I'm really not sure how that answers my question of what exactly they said in that post that was BS.

Edited by time4u2go
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11 hours ago, clean1owner said:

 

 

Nobody EVER posts incorrect information on Cruise Critic boards.

 

 

You totally missed the point. In an effort to support your view, you lost all objectivity to the 'evidence' the other poster provided, which was clearly wrong, and just quoted it holus-bolus as 'proof'.

 

Then you try to cover your tracks by diversion from the subject of misguided belief of 'facts' that support your position, to a bunch of side points.

 

Anyway, we all should choose, and live with, what we do with tipping on cruiseships & elsewhere - you need to justify it seems, but it's not necessary, well not on an internet forum at least.

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21 hours ago, Waycoolrob said:

Now lets figure very low and say roughly 3000 of the  8565 passengers by the package.

 

I know this is all subjective and no one knows, but I think your 'Very low' figure is WAY too high. You think a low number is 35% of all passengers. if you take away children under 21 , you're number is probably over 50% of eligible passengers. In my opinion (which is as valid as anyone else's) I wouldn't think more than about 15% - 20% of eligible passengers buy the package. so 'IF' there are 8565 passengers and IF they were all over 21, I would say around 1700 people. take away under 21 and I think your closer to 1000 who buy the package

 

again just my opinion... everyone has one and each one is as valid as any other without any documented knowledge.

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12 hours ago, The Sunset Glow said:

 

I kinda agree with you except I know for a fact they do get a list of who paid their tips or not. I've seen this list on a steward's cart on 3 different cruises now.

 I guess I have never paid that close attention to what is on the Room Stewards cart.

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12 hours ago, HBE4 said:

 

Bob answered the question in post #2 - $14.50 per day/per person.  You may ignore the other 6 pages of silliness as people will tell you that you have to tip every single crew member on the ship.

 

Unfortunately,  Royal no longer provides the breakdown of how that tip is distributed.   It used to be for the 4 major customer facing crew members (minus bartenders) with the bulk of it going to the Cabin attendant, with the rest (in decreasing order) going to the waiter, assistant waiter and finally the head waiter (aka matre'd).  Some CC memebers have posted the breakdown in the past but I believe it's old info.

 

Now Royal just says it gets distributed to all who enhance your cruise experience.

 

 

I posted earlier in the thread what Guest Services says goes to Dining Staff ($6.25) and Stateroom Attendant ($3.55). It is from our February 24th Adventure cruise.

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4 hours ago, mr walker said:

 

You totally missed the point. In an effort to support your view, you lost all objectivity to the 'evidence' the other poster provided, which was clearly wrong, and just quoted it holus-bolus as 'proof'.

 

Then you try to cover your tracks by diversion from the subject of misguided belief of 'facts' that support your position, to a bunch of side points.

 

Anyway, we all should choose, and live with, what we do with tipping on cruiseships & elsewhere - you need to justify it seems, but it's not necessary, well not on an internet forum at least.

 

 

I may never be able to show my face on CC again.

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3 hours ago, clean1owner said:

 

 

I posted earlier in the thread what Guest Services says goes to Dining Staff ($6.25) and Stateroom Attendant ($3.55). It is from our February 24th Adventure cruise.

 

I stand corrected.

 

Thank you. 👍

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13 hours ago, steveru621 said:

 

"Royal has shifted gratuities so much over the years, they now want us to pay so many other crew members besides the dining team and stateroom attendants.    Royal is telling us that our automatic service gratuity also includes paying bar and culinary staff,  and other hotel services teams who work behind the scene.  Nobody really knows what Royal is doing with the money"

 

^^^^ This is what I have a problem with.  Posters who believe that there is something nefarious about gratuities.   So much speculation with no basis in fact.  If RCI was skimming as much money as some of you hint, the amounts would have to appear in their financial reports. **** None of this is any different than what happens in almost every restaurant in the US.

See attached, and I am NOT saying Royal skims. It seems that Royal has included a tip description that lets them allocate 'tips' however they see fit between dining and housekeeping services. That's not a tip. So call it a service charge and make everyone pay it, or let people 'tip' as they see fit. Royal has chosen to do the latter, so we shouldn't argue about it. Or go ahead and discuss, but don't get worked up.

 

https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/celebrity-chef-mario-batali-ordered-pay-5-25-million-skimming-tips-restaurant-article-1.1035001

 

"Previously, the biggest settlement for tip skimming was the $3.9 million paid by the Shelly Fireman's Restaurant group, which owns Trattoria Dell'Arte, Cafe Fiorello, Fireman's of Brooklyn, Brooklyn Diner USA, Redeye Grill and Shelly's New York.

The famed Sparks Steakhouse had to pay out $3.1 million for the same practice, as did the Nobu restaurants,who settled with their workers for $2.5 million"

 

btw I used to work as a coat check girl and the establishment took all of my tips and paid me minimum wage. If customers asked me, I told them. I'm sure most people don't do that though. 

Edited by marci22
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I fully admit that I stopped reading around page 4.  But I only have one question...and I don't really care what you tip or how you tip.... but WHY does anyone want to carry hundreds of dollars in cash around to tip the crew when all you need to do is keep it on your account, or prepay?  I mean, when I go to a cruise and fly, I always go a few days early.  I have to carry enough cash for other expenses, why carry an extra $200 or more for tips when you don't have to?    And then if you end up not bringing enough, do you pay the high ATM fees on the ship?  Spend your last shore day searching out a bank to get extra cash?  Take an advance on your credit card?  And why spend ANY of my cruise in the Guest Services line when not needed?  

We cruised prior to AutoTips.  It was a total pain to make sure we carried enough cash to cover all the tips.  But, to each his own.  

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2 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

I fully admit that I stopped reading around page 4.  But I only have one question...and I don't really care what you tip or how you tip.... but WHY does anyone want to carry hundreds of dollars in cash around to tip the crew when all you need to do is keep it on your account, or prepay?  I mean, when I go to a cruise and fly, I always go a few days early.  I have to carry enough cash for other expenses, why carry an extra $200 or more for tips when you don't have to?    And then if you end up not bringing enough, do you pay the high ATM fees on the ship?  Spend your last shore day searching out a bank to get extra cash?  Take an advance on your credit card?  And why spend ANY of my cruise in the Guest Services line when not needed?  

We cruised prior to AutoTips.  It was a total pain to make sure we carried enough cash to cover all the tips.  But, to each his own.  

 

This is an EXCELLENT point.

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My thoughts exactly on the convenience of the auto tips.  We always gave extra when the tipping was all cash and continue to do so today with last day tipping of certain staff.  Just easier.  I remember the days of sitting on the bed with various envelopes trying to get the right amount in each envelope.  The memory is not a fond one.  Katherine

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2 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

I fully admit that I stopped reading around page 4.  But I only have one question...and I don't really care what you tip or how you tip.... but WHY does anyone want to carry hundreds of dollars in cash around to tip the crew when all you need to do is keep it on your account, or prepay?  I mean, when I go to a cruise and fly, I always go a few days early.  I have to carry enough cash for other expenses, why carry an extra $200 or more for tips when you don't have to?    And then if you end up not bringing enough, do you pay the high ATM fees on the ship?  Spend your last shore day searching out a bank to get extra cash?  Take an advance on your credit card?  And why spend ANY of my cruise in the Guest Services line when not needed?  

We cruised prior to AutoTips.  It was a total pain to make sure we carried enough cash to cover all the tips.  But, to each his own.  

I am on vacation, I always bring extra cash with me.  Having extra tip money for tips to give directly to the crew always works best for me.  I think it's great that you prefer to prepay or keep it on your account, it is all about your choice.   You make it sound difficult to pay in cash when it is a very easy thing to do.  I have never seen or heard anyone looking for a bank or taking out a cash advance for a credit card to pay tips.  I would not be surprised if someone used one o those high fee ATM machines, I am always surprised to see people pay those fees.

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So far I have yet to set foot on an RCI ship,that is due to change this October & then again in April 2020,our first cruise has already lost one stop from it,now the 2nd has almost been reduced to a cruise to nowhere for the same reason,the resultof which meant trawling through RCI's cruise listing for 2020 which was a bit of a light bulb moment.

It was then that I noticed how many of the cruises starting & finishing in the USA are only a handful of days in duration,for me giving a reason for why the likes of the key & the tips are a different animal to what they are in the UK,& I don't just mean the old idea that 'Brits don't tip',we always have done & my Wife has worked in Hotels since the 1980's & has always noticed that the worst tippers by far were from the USA!

We wouldn't consider going on a cruise unless it was for at least 2 weeks,generally speaking IMO it has to be to get anywhere from the UK that is worth visiting so we are talking paying these amounts for 14 nights which adds a whole lot more to the cost of your vacation than a 4 or 5 night cruise.

To add to the problem the daily charge is not exactly made known to people booking their first cruise by either travel agents or cruise lines,I don't know if that is different elsewhere but the first many people find out about it as after they have paid their(usually) non-refundable deposit,we did our first cruise about 10 years ago but it is only last month when enquiring about a cruise did I hear it mentioned by a TA when telling me the price for the first time,giving many people the feeling that they have been conned,whether they agree with the charge or not.

Either way it will be a sad day if RCI decide to abolish the daily charge as these forums will be far less fun,I would imagine P&O's forums are very dull now they have done away with it!

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Just now, snaefell said:

Either way it will be a sad day if RCI decide to abolish the daily charge as these forums will be far less fun,I would imagine 

Never underestimate CC posters' ability to come up with entertaining topics to "discuss".

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4 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Never underestimate CC posters' ability to come up with entertaining topics to "discuss".

 

 

"discuss"......"rail against"...same difference. 😂

Edited by HBE4
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6 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

but WHY does anyone want to carry hundreds of dollars in cash around to tip the crew when all you need to do is keep it on your account, or prepay? 

 

I always pre-pay & auto-tip, strictly for the convenience. But it does seem somewhat cold and impersonal.  Handing someone the cash, being able to tell them how much they have enhanced my cruise experience and see the look in their eyes as they express sincere (and sometimes fake) gratitude.  I kind of miss that personal touch.

 

As for having to haul around the extra $200, it weighs less and takes up far less room than my socks so it's not a big deal.  I probably carry the same amount of cash now as I did prior to auto-tip but now the money is designated for the slot machines.

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7 hours ago, papaflamingo said:

I fully admit that I stopped reading around page 4.  But I only have one question...and I don't really care what you tip or how you tip.... but WHY does anyone want to carry hundreds of dollars in cash around to tip the crew when all you need to do is keep it on your account, or prepay?  I mean, when I go to a cruise and fly, I always go a few days early.  I have to carry enough cash for other expenses, why carry an extra $200 or more for tips when you don't have to?    And then if you end up not bringing enough, do you pay the high ATM fees on the ship?  Spend your last shore day searching out a bank to get extra cash?  Take an advance on your credit card?  And why spend ANY of my cruise in the Guest Services line when not needed?  

We cruised prior to AutoTips.  It was a total pain to make sure we carried enough cash to cover all the tips.  But, to each his own.  

It's really not that difficult to do so.  To start with for that amount, it only requires bring on a couple of bills, then getting change as you need to...easily done.

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That is true.  However, crew have told me that if the auto grats are removed, they are required to report any cash tips.  What happens from there, who knows.  Crew have also told me that they are getting more $ in grats since the auto tips were put in place so they like them.   But to each his own.  I will continue to have my gratuities put on my credit card account and give some extra tips the last day.  Katherine 

Edited by Lady Hudson
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