Gratuities Going Up $1 Per Day Effective May 21, 2019

[terrydtx]

19 minutes ago, 4cats4me said:

 

It’s because they are  stingy, terrydtx, and I suspect some of the biggest complaints will come from those who regularly sail on the  longest itineraries, but my take on that is if they can afford to be at sea for months at a time  then they will have no problem paying an extra $2 a day for two people.  

 

Some people's attitudes are just disgusting aren't they. I bet the same people never complain about running up bar bills for hundreds of dollars and having to pay the auto charged 18% tips on a cruise.

Edited April 28, 2019 by terrydtx

[voljeep]

grats up $1 pppd

grats up 3% on PBP - $1.80

 

for our little 4 day cruise - NON-cruise fare prices

 

Grats - $ 124.00

Port Taxes, fees - $ 168.02 ( mandatory ) - now THATS what I would like to see some detail about ...

 

Porter for bag dropoff - $ 5

Parking at terminal - $ 60 ( no airfare )

 

it adds up ... j/s

[antsp]

The auto tips are in place and we should accept them a part of booking a cruise. The problem is the US culture of wait staff having to beg for a wage, in effect working for tips is begging for money for services provided. How a civilized country like the USA can allow wait staff to be paid $2 something an hour in most states is a disgrace. This attitude reflects in the cruise industry to

[Thrak]

I'm always amazed when people decry the "horrible" working conditions that the crew work under. Long hours, poor pay, etc. I've looked up wage scales in the Philippines and the crew make darned good money and are quite happy to have the job. That's why many of them stay with Princess for many (many!) years.

 

We spoke with a bar server (I don't know if I'm allowed to put her name here. I twas the same a the famous Capulet in a Shakespeare play) who said she was a bit of a celebrity in her home village because she worked for Princess. She said a bunch of people in the village would gather once a week where there was a TV and would watch The Love Boat. When they found out she was going to work on a Princess ship they thought she was incredibly lucky to have such a job. She said she was very happy with her job but was hoping to eventually work up to bartender. To many in the US that might not sound like a very high ambition but, in comparison with the job opportunities and pay back home, it was fantastic.

 

People should take a bit of time and Google wages in the Philippines. Jobs that make a truckload of money in the US make wages that most US citizens would find appalling. I've spoken with Stewards and Bartenders on Princess ships who have been able to purchase very nice homes for their families and have been able to pay for good educations for their children. These are not "suppressed peons" slaving away at terrible jobs for terrible pay. They are folks who feel happy to have such good jobs.

 

Even though I'm from the US I find the tipping culture here to be crazy. It's become totally out of hand. However, given that feeling, I still pay the auto-gratuities. I have never encountered a crabby or surly Princess crew member. You have to know that sometimes they are having a bad day, feeling poorly, etc. yet they always smile and treat us like we're special. I can pay the auto-gratuities and hope that Princess distributes them fairly. When we tip someone such as our Steward we do it in an envelope (Princess has them available at the customer service desk) and put our name and cabin number on the envelope. I've seen waiters tell people they have to put their name or at least their room number on the envelope as they are required to turn the tip into the management. Bar staff I have just tipped cash as they said they get to keep it. However, Stewards, Waiters, Bartenders, Bar Servers, Entertainers, etc. have ALL stated that the Consummate Host card is more important to them than a tip. On a couple of cruises we have had truly exceptional service from some crew members. In those cases I have not only filled out the Consummate Host card but have also emailed a Word document to customerrelations@princesscruises.com giving names and instances. I've received phone calls in return thanking me for taking the time to give my input and assuring me that the letter would be forwarded to the ship and  proper management staff where those employees work. I can guarantee you that meant more to them than a tip.

Edited April 29, 2019 by Thrak

[kywildcatfanone]

I've hired workers in the Phillippines and India, and those same workers in the US would make 4x what I have had to pay them.  I've never encountered a Princess contract worker that complained about the pay, and most don't even complain about the long hours and 6-8 month schedule.  I presume that is because of the money they are making, which for where they are from/live, is overall a good salary.  And the work schedule seems unbearable to me, but then I remember they have a couple of months straight off at the end, something I have never experienced. 

If the pay wasn't sufficient for the work required you wouldn't see them contract after contract.

[dweeb]

1 hour ago, Thrak said:

I'm always amazed when people decry the "horrible" working conditions that the crew work under. Long hours, poor pay, etc. I've looked up wage scales in the Philippines and the crew make darned good money and are quite happy to have the job. That's why many of them stay with Princess for many (many!) years.

 

We spoke with a bar server (I don't know if I'm allowed to put her name here. I twas the same a the famous Capulet in a Shakespeare play) who said she was a bit of a celebrity in her home village because she worked for Princess. She said a bunch of people in the village would gather once a week where there was a TV and would watch The Love Boat. When they found out she was going to work on a Princess ship they thought she was incredibly lucky to have such a job. She said she was very happy with her job but was hoping to eventually work up to bartender. To many in the US that might not sound like a very high ambition but, in comparison with the job opportunities and pay back home, it was fantastic.

 

People should take a bit of time and Google wages in the Philippines. Jobs that make a truckload of money in the US make wages that most US citizens would find appalling. I've spoken with Stewards and Bartenders on Princess ships who have been able to purchase very nice homes for their families and have been able to pay for good educations for their children. These are not "suppressed peons" slaving away at terrible jobs for terrible pay. They are folks who feel happy to have such good jobs.

 

Even though I'm from the US I find the tipping culture here to be crazy. It's become totally out of hand. However, given that feeling, I still pay the auto-gratuities. I have never encountered a crabby or surly Princess crew member. You have to know that sometimes they are having a bad day, feeling poorly, etc. yet they always smile and treat us like we're special. I can pay the auto-gratuities and hope that Princess distributes them fairly. When we tip someone such as our Steward we do it in an envelope (Princess has them available at the customer service desk) and put our name and cabin number on the envelope. I've seen waiters tell people they have to put their name or at least their room number on the envelope as they are required to turn the tip into the management. Bar staff I have just tipped cash as they said they get to keep it. However, Stewards, Waiters, Bartenders, Bar Servers, Entertainers, etc. have ALL stated that the Consummate Host card is more important to them than a tip. On a couple of cruises we have had truly exceptional service from some crew members. In those cases I have not only filled out the Consummate Host card but have also emailed a Word document to customerrelations@princesscruises.com giving names and instances. I've received phone calls in return thanking me for taking the time to give my input and assuring me that the letter would be forwarded to the ship and  proper management staff where those employees work. I can guarantee you that meant more to them than a tip.

 

Well said Thrak!.  On point and factual.  Thank you for a well written  statement.  I agree 1000%.

[richmke]

For everyone complaining about how little cruise line employees make for their 6-8 month contracts:

 

People in the Military (Navy in particular) are away for 6-8 months from their family, work long shifts, and don't make the high wages compared to the average worker in the USA.

[caribill]

4 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

People should take a bit of time and Google wages in the Philippines. Jobs that make a truckload of money in the US make wages that most US citizens would find appalling. I've spoken with Stewards and Bartenders on Princess ships who have been able to purchase very nice homes for their families and have been able to pay for good educations for their children. These are not "suppressed peons" slaving away at terrible jobs for terrible pay. They are folks who feel happy to have such good jobs.

 

 

 

For example, Mr. Google shows that he average salary for a Physician is $722 per month in the Philippines.

 

The average salary for a bartender is $333 per month in the Philippines.

 

[Phantom of the Seas]

I remember once before when you would tip on last meal in envelope and the dinning room would be 1/2 full......I think Princess is doing the right thing for their workers in making sure tips are in place.....we have always been pleased with the service they provide and make sure when we feel service is above and beyond expectations......I make sure that individual is compensated above the norm! 

[AF-1]

Has anyone spoken with the waitstaff on the ships?  Most will tell you they are on the ship because they can make more money than in their home country.  

[pthjudy]

On 4/26/2019 at 12:50 AM, Princess Cruises Fann said:

Princess Cruises will increase its daily gratuities charge on all voyages departing on or after May 21, 2019. 
 

The daily gratuity amount will increase by $1, and will be as follows: 

Interior/Oceanview/Balcony -- $14.50 USD per guest, per day  

Mini suites (including Club Class) -- $15.50 USD per guest, per day 

Full Suites -- $16.50 USD per guest, per day 
 

PC_GratuityincreaseletterDraftV2.pdf 200.52 kB · 241 downloads

I’m assuming that if your booking comes with free gratuities as my June 1 Alaska on the Ruby does, this rise in price does not impact me. At least I hope so. 

[Dani24]

I'd prefer that Princess just wrap the amount into the cruise fare. Or maybe, as some others suggested, make it a "hotel service charge" but make it mandatory and very clear up front (like they do with port fees). I don't think they do a good enough job right now making that additional expense clear to passengers when booking. And that could lead some very budget-minded vacationers (who also may not be so thorough in understanding the true and total costs of a trip) to select that as a way to pinch pennies, or get more "bang for their buck". Or maybe it's part of our culture of feeling like we always need to get the "best deal", without really thinking about how or who is paying for it.

If this is a significant portion of the worker's pay, then it should not be up to passengers to decide to just take that away because they want to save a few bucks, or hate tipping, or whatever. I put myself in the worker's shoes, imagining how it would feel if my work's clients could just decide not to pay us a portion of our fees, and my pay got docked as a result. I don't like tipping either -- but largely because I don't think it's fair to workers. Workers should get a fair and steady wage. And then if people want to kick down a little extra -- optionally -- for above-and-beyond service, that's fine. That's what tipping should be.

As for this change, I did elect to pre-pay the gratuities at the old rate. We always pay the auto-gratuities in full, even if things aren't as good as we'd like, because we know that money is getting spread to a lot of different people who did nothing wrong. But, in this particular case by prepaying we get a discount of $30 on the gratuities. Plus we get points on our credit card that, when redeemed against the cruise, will work out to another $19 in savings. I plan to use that $50 as "above and beyond" tipping money, should we have exceptional service on our cruise (which I anticipate we will, since we generally have on Princess in the past). Best case scenario, Princess is paying their workers the same whether the customer pre-paid or not, and that extra $50 really will be extra for the staff. 

[pthjudy]

2 hours ago, pthjudy said:

I’m assuming that if your booking comes with free gratuities as my June 1 Alaska on the Ruby does, this rise in price does not impact me. At least I hope so. 

It made sense that free equals free but one never knows.....Remember the coffee cards that had no expiration date until they didn’t.  And yes it is June 1.

Edited April 29, 2019 by pthjudy
Wanted to add something.

[Kingofcool1947]

Princess takes away the barrel chair from cabins and other past amenities, smaller or limit the number of entrees one can order, etc. but increase gratuities?

Oh, well.   It is industry wide and  guess Princess have to do it too.

Have to roll with it.

Edited April 29, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[capriccio]

Just received the email from Princess:

Dear Princess Guest: To ensure our guest service on board remains among the best in the cruise industry, Princess Cruises has increased the daily gratuity charge for all voyages departing on or after May 21, 2019. The new daily gratuity amounts are $14.50 per guest for interior, oceanview and balcony staterooms; $15.50 per guest for mini-suites and Club Class, and $16.50 per guest for suites. This encompasses all guests in a stateroom, including children. The gratuity rate increase is comparable to cruise industry standards and underlines our commitment toward our crew for the excellent service they provide our guests. You have the opportunity to prepay your daily gratuities at the current rate through May 14, 2019 at 11:59 PM PT. You may prepay through your Cruise Personalizer or contact us at 1.800.774.6237 (North America), 0344 338 8663 (UK), 132 488 (Australia), or 0800 780 717 (New Zealand). Guests booked with promotions that include paid gratuities will not be affected by this rate increase. Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you aboard.

Sincerely, Princess Cruises

[voljeep]

yep, got it also for our little 3 day inaugural cruise on the SKY Princess in December ... meh

[NavyVeteran]

2 minutes ago, capriccio said:

Just received the email from Princess:

Dear Princess Guest: To ensure our guest service on board remains among the best in the cruise industry, Princess Cruises has increased the daily gratuity charge for all voyages departing on or after May 21, 2019. The new daily gratuity amounts are $14.50 per guest for interior, oceanview and balcony staterooms; $15.50 per guest for mini-suites and Club Class, and $16.50 per guest for suites. This encompasses all guests in a stateroom, including children. The gratuity rate increase is comparable to cruise industry standards and underlines our commitment toward our crew for the excellent service they provide our guests. You have the opportunity to prepay your daily gratuities at the current rate through May 14, 2019 at 11:59 PM PT. You may prepay through your Cruise Personalizer or contact us at 1.800.774.6237 (North America), 0344 338 8663 (UK), 132 488 (Australia), or 0800 780 717 (New Zealand). Guests booked with promotions that include paid gratuities will not be affected by this rate increase. Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you aboard.

Sincerely, Princess Cruises

I just received the same email from Princess. It appears Princess is finally making the announcement.

 

I received the email for a cruise booked through a travel agent, so it looks as if Princess is notifying everyone directly.

[capriccio]

Just now, NavyVeteran said:

I just received the same email from Princess. It appears Princess is finally making the announcement.

 

I received the email for a cruise booked through a travel agent, so it looks as if Princess is notifying everyone directly.

Yes, I booked through my TA but the email was sent to me and my DH (two separate email accounts).

[famski740]

Yep, just got the email.

 

If you booked with free gratuities, it doesn’t effect you.

[oskidunker]

Why would you prepay when you can just adjust once on the ship to the lower rate? So those that prepay are not screwing the workers but people that adjust on the ship are? Nonsense. Plus $1 a day is not worth worrying about.

[capriccio]

10 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

Why would you prepay when you can just adjust once on the ship to the lower rate? So those that prepay are not screwing the workers but people that adjust on the ship are? Nonsense. Plus $1 a day is not worth worrying about.

I remember the last time rates increased (fall 2016) there was some discussion that Princess would make up the difference and staff would get gratuities based on the prevailing rate at the time of the cruise.  Does anyone else remember that?

[Kingofcool1947]

On 4/25/2019 at 9:50 PM, Princess Cruises Fann said:

Princess Cruises will increase its daily gratuities charge on all voyages departing on or after May 21, 2019. 
 

The daily gratuity amount will increase by $1, and will be as follows: 

Interior/Oceanview/Balcony -- $14.50 USD per guest, per day  

Mini suites (including Club Class) -- $15.50 USD per guest, per day 

Full Suites -- $16.50 USD per guest, per day 
 

PC_GratuityincreaseletterDraftV2.pdf 200.52 kB · 242 downloads

Does not affect me.  I prepaid @ old rate for my  Brit Isles 

cruise.

Sign of the times?

 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Kingofcool1947

[richmke]

22 minutes ago, oskidunker said:

Why would you prepay when you can just adjust once on the ship to the lower rate? So those that prepay are not screwing the workers but people that adjust on the ship are? Nonsense. Plus $1 a day is not worth worrying about.

 

Assuming that the discussion about tips is true: If you have paid the gratuities at the "recommended amount" (14.50/day), AND you tip a waiter or cabin steward extra, then they get to keep the extra. If you have NOT paid the gratuities to the "recommended amount" (13.50/day), then the extra you give to the waiter or cabin steward goes into the pool up to the amount to bring you up to the recommended amount ($1/day of the extra tip goes into the pool).

 

So, I say pre-pay at today's rate ($13.50/day/person), and save the $14 (couple on a 7 day cruise) to pass out to individuals who give you stellar service.

Edited April 29, 2019 by richmke

[oskidunker]

Makes sense

[paul929207]

I have no problem with increasing the pay for the staff. They deserve it.