Remind me please.....suggested tips for butlers and stewards?

[NSWP]

11 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

 

My point was that although gratuities will indeed be included in the fare, many of us will still choose to cash tip some staff for ‘over and above’ service. There is no requirement or expectation to do so, but some of us just will in the full knowledge that those staff are allowed to keep them. Meanwhile, the conspiracy theorists will start claiming that these additional cash tips have to be handed in to boost P&O’s coffers = tipping thread! I sincerely hope that I am wrong, but I have seen over many years how these forums operate and the amount of complete nonsense that can be portrayed as fact! 

Good point, and me, although being a mean Aussie, might still throw a few quid at deserving souls on Arcadia, despite copping a big fare price hike due to 'included gratuities.'

[Harry Peterson]

Regardless of the fact that tips will shortly be included, with no need to tip any extra, some of us will still want to add something at the end of a cruise to reward staff who’ve worked so hard for us.

 

Frequently they’re working 7 day weeks on 10 month contracts, and even with the performance related bonus they get paid a fraction of UK minimum wage rates.

 

We profit from that, in the shape of lower prices, and I’m more than happy to provide a top-up for the excellent service provided.

[AndyMichelle]

2 minutes ago, docco said:

Regardless of the fact that tips will shortly be included, with no need to tip any extra, some of us will still want to add something at the end of a cruise to reward staff who’ve worked so hard for us.

 

Frequently they’re working 7 day weeks on 10 month contracts, and even with the performance related bonus they get paid a fraction of UK minimum wage rates.

 

We profit from that, in the shape of lower prices, and I’m more than happy to provide a top-up for the excellent service provided.

Spot on Docco.

The crew invariably make my holiday and allow me to ignore the niggles I have encountered and listening to their stories puts me in awe of what they do and why.

Very happy to bung a few quid in their direction.

As for the speculated price hikes, I have not seen much evidence of that yet. Perhaps some popular cruises have jumped in price, but I feel P&Os first priority is filling the ships with a large jump in capacity and increased competition.

We have just booked 14 nights on Iona for £719.... A cheap way to see if we like it.

Andy

[daiB]

3 hours ago, docco said:

Regardless of the fact that tips will shortly be included, with no need to tip any extra, some of us will still want to add something at the end of a cruise to reward staff who’ve worked so hard for us.

 

Frequently they’re working 7 day weeks on 10 month contracts, and even with the performance related bonus they get paid a fraction of UK minimum wage rates.

 

We profit from that, in the shape of lower prices, and I’m more than happy to provide a top-up for the excellent service provided.

 

Good heavens, I don’t believe it.

 

We actually agree on something.

 

I agree 100% with your comment. I need a lie down

[emam]

What was the point of all that campaigning to get the tips paid in with the price. Now that it has happened you are going to tip twice. It will end up being expected again. 

[daiB]

8 minutes ago, emam said:

What was the point of all that campaigning to get the tips paid in with the price. Now that it has happened you are going to tip twice. It will end up being expected again. 

I did not do any campaigning, i will spend my money as i see fit. 

[emam]

As I am sure other people will also do.

[Selbourne]

I rest my case 😂

[Harry Peterson]

There is a difference, though. Under the new system it will be perfectly possible for anyone to say, hand on heart, that tips are included and that the staff need no more.

 

However, the rate of pay and the conditions of employment are another matter entirely, and some of us may well make the personal choice to add something more.

 

No need to. Entirely a matter of choice.

[AndyMichelle]

29 minutes ago, docco said:

There is a difference, though. Under the new system it will be perfectly possible for anyone to say, hand on heart, that tips are included and that the staff need no more.

 

However, the rate of pay and the conditions of employment are another matter entirely, and some of us may well make the personal choice to add something more.

 

No need to. Entirely a matter of choice.

Like you Docco, I don't have to tip, I want to reward good service.

When the campaign to have them removed was in full flow, the general consensus was that the crew did not see any of it, so why would I now think I am tipping twice?

Do what suits you.

Andy

[davecttr]

12 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

Like you Docco, I don't have to tip, I want to reward good service.

When the campaign to have them removed was in full flow, the general consensus was that the crew did not see any of it, so why would I now think I am tipping twice?

Do what suits you.

Andy

Because you will be tipping twice! . The crew wages will come entirely out of company income so what was called  the tip is being paid by you in your fare or onboard spend. This leaves two reasons to give a cash tip to individual crew members. As an award for enhancing your cruise experience over and above what is expected or because you want to enhance their income because the pay is low. but not low compared to where they come from. I remember the bar keeper who was earning more money aboard than he could earn back in the philippines as a trained accountant

 

The crew are not stupid. I once gave the steward an extra tip because he was retiring at the end of the contract. Apparently he had been 'retiring' for years!

[AndyMichelle]

1 hour ago, davecttr said:

Because you will be tipping twice! . The crew wages will come entirely out of company income so what was called  the tip is being paid by you in your fare or onboard spend. This leaves two reasons to give a cash tip to individual crew members. As an award for enhancing your cruise experience over and above what is expected or because you want to enhance their income because the pay is low. but not low compared to where they come from. I remember the bar keeper who was earning more money aboard than he could earn back in the philippines as a trained accountant

 

The crew are not stupid. I once gave the steward an extra tip because he was retiring at the end of the contract. Apparently he had been 'retiring' for years!

So, auto gratuities have been removed and my price hasn't gone up.

The general consensus was that the crew never saw any of the auto grats, so where am I tipping (rewarding for good service over and above what's expected) twice?

Regardless of the comparative wage to where they come from, they still work extremely hard and I still want to reward the people who make my holiday special.

Each to their own...

Andy

 

 

 

[terrierjohn]

56 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

So, auto gratuities have been removed and my price hasn't gone up.

The general consensus was that the crew never saw any of the auto grats, so where am I tipping (rewarding for good service over and above what's expected) twice?

Regardless of the comparative wage to where they come from, they still work extremely hard and I still want to reward the people who make my holiday special.

Each to their own...

Andy

 

 

 

 Andy, I don't believe that was ever said,  an e-mail reply I received from P&O stated that staff were not disadvantaged when passengers removed the auto tip.  I took this to mean that their wage and bonus rate was agreed in their contract and that P&O would pay this whatever they received from auto tips.  I suspect that auto tip removal had reached such a high level, whether with passengers wanting to tip directly or not tip at all, that P&O decided to do away with them altogether.

Undoubtedly P&O will aim to recover any lost revenue somehow, but they have so many avenues that it will impossible for passengers to ever see this; and this is how it always should have been, and passengers can be left to decide if, how much and who to tip based on their particular cruise experience.

[majortom10]

P&O are making a big advertising thing on their website, every advert and every e-mail I have received from them saying "gratuities included". To me that means that the staff are suitably rewarded for their work in the wages they receive and do not have to rely on gratuities  so for me unless I receive exceptional service from somebody I will not be paying any gratuities as it is included in the cruise fare. If you give gratuities except for exemplary service but as the norm then obviously because gratuities are included and P&O will have increased prices somewhere to cover this you are paying twice. The more that do give gratuities in cash after a period of time it will be expected by the staff as the given thing and we will be back to square one. In my opinion just go on holiday and forget tips unless somebody has really gone out of their normal every day duties to do something for you then a tip is a nice reward.

[AndyMichelle]

3 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

 Andy, I don't believe that was ever said,  an e-mail reply I received from P&O stated that staff were not disadvantaged when passengers removed the auto tip.  I took this to mean that their wage and bonus rate was agreed in their contract and that P&O would pay this whatever they received from auto tips.  I suspect that auto tip removal had reached such a high level, whether with passengers wanting to tip directly or not tip at all, that P&O decided to do away with them altogether.

Undoubtedly P&O will aim to recover any lost revenue somehow, but they have so many avenues that it will impossible for passengers to ever see this; and this is how it always should have been, and passengers can be left to decide if, how much and who to tip based on their particular cruise experience.

I must have misunderstood John.

When I mentioned previously that I left the auto tips on believing it went to the crew, many stated that the crew did not see a penny and it went straight into P&Os coffers. I didn't realise that this meant they were already being rewarded.

Regardless, I will still continue to tip for good service as I would in a restaurant etc.

My holiday, my choice...

Andy

[booksurfer]

Like many others in this thread, I removed the auto-gratuities and tipped individuals directly. It's much the same philosophy I used when tipping in restaurants, I leave the cash on the table or with the bill so it goes directly to the individual/s and not the company.

 

I guess that's a throw back to my time as a student working during the holidays as a front hall baggage porter in a London Hotel. Each shift we used to put all our tips into a pot, which were split equally at the end of the shift amongst everyone working the shift. I used to earn half my daily salary on tips—hard work, but one of the most enjoyable, fun jobs I've ever done!

[majortom10]

10 hours ago, booksurfer said:

Like many others in this thread, I removed the auto-gratuities and tipped individuals directly. It's much the same philosophy I used when tipping in restaurants, I leave the cash on the table or with the bill so it goes directly to the individual/s and not the company.

 

I guess that's a throw back to my time as a student working during the holidays as a front hall baggage porter in a London Hotel. Each shift we used to put all our tips into a pot, which were split equally at the end of the shift amongst everyone working the shift. I used to earn half my daily salary on tips—hard work, but one of the most enjoyable, fun jobs I've ever done!

I have usually done the same with regards to tips on P&O but my views changed that cash tips were always kept by the individual. We always put cash in envelopes for both waiter and his assistant and gave them individually but on one occasion without trying to be discreet in front of us as soon as we gave the envelope to the assistant waiter he automatically handed it over to the waiter. It made me think and after many cruises and experts on here that think they know what happens to tips and where they go whether handed in cash directly to staff or auto gratuity nobody knows for definite where tips really go and how much is actually given to the staff it is intended for.

[booksurfer]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

....It made me think and after many cruises and experts on here that think they know what happens to tips and where they go whether handed in cash directly to staff or auto gratuity nobody knows for definite where tips really go and how much is actually given to the staff it is intended for.

 

Yes, that's very true, you really don't know where they go. But as per my own experience as a student baggage porter, those of us on the shift used pool the tips and split them evenly at the end—perhaps they do something similar? 

 

I asked my cabin steward if he preferred euros or sterling as I had both, he replied he didn't mind, but when I pressed him he said he'd prefer sterling. So I have him sterling cash in hand, what he did with it was up to him.