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

[elliair]

I just prepaid our gratuities under the old price.  We usually give extra to our cabin steward and will do so this time, but not the next time.  The additional increase will be about what we pay extra for a 15 day cruise.  Too bad for the steward as they get to keep the extra tip we leave, but under the increase, they'll probably never see it.  We have a bottom line too.

[pms4104]

1 hour ago, Kingofcool1947 said:

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.

Is there any meaningful reason, but to rant, that you started a new thread to address an issue already being discussed for 4 days?

[elliair]

We got the email too. I just prepaid our gratuities under the old price for our upcoming cruise in November.  We usually give extra to our cabin steward and will do so this time, but not the next time.  The additional increase will be about what we pay extra for a 15 day cruise.  Too bad for the steward as they get to keep the extra tip we leave, but under the increase, they'll probably never see it.  We have a bottom line too.

[Colo Cruiser]

46 minutes ago, pms4104 said:

Is there any meaningful reason, but to rant, that you started a new thread to address an issue already being discussed for 4 days?

You have been on CC long enough to know the real answer to that eh?   

[Colo Cruiser]

I don't have any issues with the increase. It has been 3 plus years since the last one.

We never touch the auto gratuities. I have no desire to screw the crew. They work their tails off and deserve every penny.

I can spare a couple of extra $$.   🙄

[springfire]

58 minutes ago, paul929207 said:

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

No mention in the email of the crew getting a pay increase, more likely just cost saving for Princess.

[4cats4me]

9 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

I don't have any issues with the increase. It has been 3 plus years since the last one.

We never touch the auto gratuities. I have no desire to screw the crew. They work their tails off and deserve every penny.

I can spare a couple of extra $$.   🙄

This is why I like you, ColoCruiser. 🤗

[RMMariner]

I agree with you ColoCruiser.

 

I have already made my opinion known. This argument just goes in circles anyways.

 

Plus, all my best replies just get removed.

[kywildcatfanone]

All  mainstream cruise lines are raising pricing in one way or another and reducing amenities and benefits.  It's not going to stop.  Every change is intended to save money or get more money from the customer.  It is what it is. 

[Colo Cruiser]

14 minutes ago, springfire said:

No mention in the email of the crew getting a pay increase, more likely just cost saving for Princess.

Last time I checked that was none of anyones business.   🤔

[c-boy]

26 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

I don't have any issues with the increase. It has been 3 plus years since the last one.

We never touch the auto gratuities. I have no desire to screw the crew. They work their tails off and deserve every penny.

I can spare a couple of extra $$.   🙄

I always thought $15.50 a day per passenger was a little low 

[Elorac123]

On 4/26/2019 at 9:46 PM, pms4104 said:

Some of the comments here make a good case for Princess to rebrand this fee as a mandated and non-removable Hotel Service Charge.  

That is what we in Australia have as our gratuities are built in to the fare so we have no choice but to pay and some of you on this board think you are stiffed !!

Cheers Carole

 

[bemis12]

3 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

That is what we in Australia have as our gratuities are built in to the fare so we have no choice but to pay and some of you on this board think you are stiffed !!

Cheers Carole

 

 

Some people are just cheap. And actually proud of it.

[Credit 00]

Princess are trying to add the gratuities to Australian Cruises according to the 5 emails I just received, although the header clearly states.

 

"Tipping is not required or charged to your onboard account for cruises on Sun Princess®, Sea Princess®, Majestic Princess®, Ruby Princess® or Golden Princess® sailing roundtrip from Australia. You are, however, welcome to reward our crew for exceptional service."

 

I expect another email in a day or 2 saying "Sorry for the mistake" as I live in a society where people are paid what they deserve to be paid. We will always tip the staff unless the staff are not that great, and this has only happened once on the Emerald from LA to Chile. A NA trip that required gratuities anyway so that barely mattered. 

[damiross]

On 4/26/2019 at 7:51 AM, cruzsnooze said:

The gratuity does not ALL go to the people who deserve it. The pool takes out admin fees and other uses for crew retirement and employee of the month etc etc etc...... I have reduced my daily fee to $10 PP PD and will up it to $11 PP PD so my gratuity stays similar. If and when Princess and other cruise lines gives me a clear indication and breakdown of where my so called gratuity goes I will be skeptical of the crew receiving it. It is a gratuity not so I feel I am entitled to know if the people I am tipping really get my tip. As to salary and benefits, that's non of my business. 

  I have a flame retardant suit on so fire away, it won't change a thing!

How is this done?  Do you tell customer service on board that you will be tipping $10 a day and they charge that to you?  Or, at the end of the cruise, you just reduce the amount so it becomes $10?
 

I would love to be able to tip my steward directly knowing that he will get all of the tip and not have to divide it up.

 

What I hate is when a company says they are increasing prices just because other companies have also increased prices.  You think they could get somebody in the PR department to say "Hey, our (whatever) has stayed the same even though other companies are increasing the fee for (whatever).

[Thrak]

Oddly enough my wife got the email today but I haven't gotten it. No biggie but just odd.

[liamur14]

On 4/26/2019 at 6:41 PM, SmilesYourWay said:

I recall reading somewhere on one of these boards that if you give a extra tip, say to your room steward, they can't keep it. They have to put it in a pool.  If they are found keeping it, they are in trouble.  I sure hope that is not true.  Because when I tip someone, it is for the one I tip. Not for everyone. A thank you. Here's a little "extra" for YOU, for doing a great job!   

😎It was a common practice for the staff  running the children's program to receive "extra" and keep it. They are a pretty hard working bunch ,looking after the little ones to teens.

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, Credit 00 said:

Princess are trying to add the gratuities to Australian Cruises according to the 5 emails I just received, although the header clearly states.

 

"Tipping is not required or charged to your onboard account for cruises on Sun Princess®, Sea Princess®, Majestic Princess®, Ruby Princess® or Golden Princess® sailing roundtrip from Australia. You are, however, welcome to reward our crew for exceptional service."

 

I expect another email in a day or 2 saying "Sorry for the mistake" as I live in a society where people are paid what they deserve to be paid. We will always tip the staff unless the staff are not that great, and this has only happened once on the Emerald from LA to Chile. A NA trip that required gratuities anyway so that barely mattered. 

I don't interpret that as Princess trying to add gratuities to Australian cruises. The email advising of increased gratuities would have gone to all customers. If you book a cruise in another part of the world (where auto gratuities apply), this increase is relevant for you.

[Aus Traveller]

2 hours ago, bemis12 said:

 

Some people are just cheap. And actually proud of it.

That is a very 'direct' statement. This was in response to Carole (Elorac123)'s post  

 

2 hours ago, Elorac123 said:

That is what we in Australia have as our gratuities are built in to the fare so we have no choice but to pay and some of you on this board think you are stiffed !!

Cheers Carole

 

In my opinion, call her "cheap" is uncalled for. 

[Elorac123]

17 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

That is a very 'direct' statement. This was in response to Carole (Elorac123)'s post  

 

That is what we in Australia have as our gratuities are built in to the fare so we have no choice but to pay and some of you on this board think you are stiffed !!

Cheers Carole

 

In my opinion, call her "cheap" is uncalled for. 

Don’t think he was calling me cheap . At least I hope not

[SinbadThePorter]

3 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

I can spare a couple of extra $$.   🙄

 

So can Carnival Corp, but they prefer to dip into passengers pockets.

 

The staff work hard and deserve a decent wage not charity. If Carnival needs to maintain its profits, increase the up front price of cruises instead of hiding the true cost with this inefficient, unfair, archaic and arbitrary system of tips.

[Aus Traveller]

2 minutes ago, Elorac123 said:

Don’t think he was calling me cheap . At least I hope not

You could be right. Maybe I misinterpreted what bemis12 said. Maybe bemis 12 meant that some other people are cheap. If so, I apologise to him/her.🙂

Edited April 30, 2019 by Aus Traveller

[Credit 00]

19 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I don't interpret that as Princess trying to add gratuities to Australian cruises. The email advising of increased gratuities would have gone to all customers. If you book a cruise in another part of the world (where auto gratuities apply), this increase is relevant for you.

 

I interpret is a mistaken identity and I doubt it applies to any of the 2 upcoming cruises I have. It was a bit stupid of me saying "Princess are trying to add the gratuities to Australian Cruises" when I meant to say "Are Princess are trying to add the gratuities to Australian Cruises" 

 

We will always tip the staff like I'm sure most do.

 

 

[Aus Traveller]

2 minutes ago, Credit 00 said:

 

I interpret is a mistaken identity and I doubt it applies to any of the 2 upcoming cruises I have. It was a bit stupid of me saying "Princess are trying to add the gratuities to Australian Cruises" when I meant to say "Are Princess are trying to add the gratuities to Australian Cruises" 

 

We will always tip the staff like I'm sure most do.

 

 

After we have had gratuities built into the fare for eight years (as at tomorrow 1st May), it would be very bad business practice for Princess to try to reverse it. I cannot see it happening. We, the customers, love our system and the staff say they also love it.

 

The staff still get the 'guarantee remuneration' the same as in other parts of the world, but they don't feel they have to jump through hoops to get it. It is their right and entitlement to get this remuneration and there is no sense that the major part is given by the passengers in a master/servant relationship.

[caribill]

1 hour ago, liamur14 said:

😎It was a common practice for the staff  running the children's program to receive "extra" and keep it. They are a pretty hard working bunch ,looking after the little ones to teens.

 

The children's program staff are not part of any tipping pool. Any tips they receive directly from passengers they can keep.