Stateroom Attendant on Edge

[dasmith21]

I cant find the answer to this anywhere online so asking on here.

 

Do the stateroom attendants on Celebrity Edge get paid by Celebrity? Ours told us that they got no wage and only got paid what was left for them in the little envelopes at the end of the cruise. Is that the case?

[ipeeinthepool]

No.  They get a basic wage that is supplemented by gratuities 

[FlorenceItaly]

It sounds like you are currently on board.  The gratuities are charged to your account daily per person.  I believe it is around $14.50 per person.  Are they showing up on your account?

[vtcruising]

They receive room and board and other benefits onboard and what many would consider a small pay check. The tips make up the majority of their income. As said above, Celebrity should be charging you a daily rate for tips, unless they were prepaid - those tips are divided between your cabin attendant, waiters, etc. What you put in the envelope at the end is up to you. Many people give them extra for great service, but it is an individual choice.

Edited September 4, 2019 by vtcruising

[dasmith21]

Ours told us that she doesn’t get paid by celebrity and we hadn’t put enough in the envelope at the end of our cruise. She even phoned us up in our room after we came back from breakfast to tell us on the last day. 

We opted to take the daily gratuity off and pay our own at the end for the people who have served/helped us the most. 

I was shocked and quite disturbed when she said that she receives no wage from Celebrity. 

[Mike981]

3 minutes ago, dasmith21 said:

Ours told us that she doesn’t get paid by celebrity and we hadn’t put enough in the envelope at the end of our cruise. She even phoned us up in our room after we came back from breakfast to tell us on the last day. 

We opted to take the daily gratuity off and pay our own at the end for the people who have served/helped us the most. 

I was shocked and quite disturbed when she said that she receives no wage from Celebrity. 

 

If anyone called me to tell me that I didn't leave enough money, they would get reported.

[ipeeinthepool]

16 minutes ago, dasmith21 said:

Ours told us that she doesn’t get paid by celebrity and we hadn’t put enough in the envelope at the end of our cruise. She even phoned us up in our room after we came back from breakfast to tell us on the last day. 

We opted to take the daily gratuity off and pay our own at the end for the people who have served/helped us the most. 

I was shocked and quite disturbed when she said that she receives no wage from Celebrity. 

 

It sounds like you removed the automatic gratuities during the cruise.  If you left more than the recommended amount, I think you were being scammed by your stateroom attendant.  If you left less without a good reason, then I'll let others address that issue.   Most crew members seem to find the automatic gratuities acceptable, so I just leave them on and I don't worry about it.  It's actually less than I used to leave.  If someone helps me more, I'll leave them some additional cash.

Edited September 4, 2019 by ipeeinthepool

[cruisestitch]

Stateroom attendants do receive a salary, in addition to room and board, but rely primarily on the daily gratuity for their income.

 

It is very sad that the stateroom attendant behaved that way and I would have reported it, but she was probably counting on you getting off the ship quickly and not having time to take it up with management.  This stateroom attendant should not have made that phone call, and I hope that you follow up with post cruise comments either by means of their survey or through a call to the post-cruise department.

 

For future reference, what many passengers don't understand is that when they remove the daily gratuity, management interprets this that you are unhappy with the service and it becomes a black mark against the staff members.  So while you might think that you are rewarding those who give you the best service, in fact, you are hurting the staff who depend on the gratuities.  It is always better to leave the auto tips in place and then reward other staff with cash if they go above and beyond for you.

 

 

[ECCruise]

Unless it has changed recently, the "salary" for those with designated gratuities (stateroom and restaurant)  is $50.00 per month.  Virtually their entire income is via the gratuities.  They get raises when the daily gratuity amount increases, which it has a few times over the years.

Leave your auto-gratuities in place.  There is absolutely no valid reason to remove them.  In addition, a portion of the auto-gratuities go to those who you will never see, so the "I will tip them individually"  doesn't wash.  If you want to reward good service do 2 things:  1) Add an additional gratuity and 2) Give them kudos on a comment card or on the customer satisfaction survey you will receive shortly after the completion of the cruise.

[dcbiker97]

2 hours ago, ECCruise said:

Unless it has changed recently, the "salary" for those with designated gratuities (stateroom and restaurant)  is $50.00 per month. .

Hi. Can you provide the source of your statement.  We’re you recently working in a ship? Were you “told” this from a crew member? It’s not really any of our business what they make, just like it’s not our business to know what any other tipped person makes in our hometown.  

Edited September 4, 2019 by dcbiker97

[mom says]

4 hours ago, dasmith21 said:

We opted to take the daily gratuity off and pay our own at the end for the people who have served/helped us the most. 

Why would you do that? Why would you deprive the other workers of their fair share of the auto gratuities? 

And while the phone call from the steward was the wrong thing to do, I doubt she would have done it if you had left a tip sufficient to make up for what she would have gotten if you hadn't removed the auto gratuities. In other words, if you hadn't cheaped out. 

 

Next time, leave the auto gratuities  in place. If you have a problem with the service you are receiving, complain to GS so you can have the problem corrected. A serious service issue is the only reason to remove these tips. If you have someone who goes above and beyond, feel free to tip them extra.

[ECCruise]

2 minutes ago, dcbiker97 said:

Hi. Can you provide the source of your statement.  We’re you recently working in a ship? Were you “told” this from a crew member? None of us knows, nor is it any of our business what they make.  

Like I said, this was a couple of years ago but sources are a long-time HD (who was hesitant to talk about it) and several servers that we got to know well enough.  It was in simple conversation....there was no intention by the employees to play the "woe is me" card. 

Whether it is $50 a month or $100 or any minimal amount now, the gratuities ARE their income.  And when pax play around with those grats, it directly affects the employee.

[Esprit]

7 minutes ago, dcbiker97 said:

Hi. Can you provide the source of your statement.  We’re you recently working in a ship? Were you “told” this from a crew member? It’s not really any of our business what they make, just like it’s not our business to know what any other tipped person makes in our hometown.  

I so wish I could say what I know but my DD has sworn me not to reveal her wages or anybody else's aboard the Edge

[dcbiker97]

34 minutes ago, ECCruise said:

Like I said, this was a couple of years ago but sources are a long-time HD (who was hesitant to talk about it) and several servers that we got to know well enough.  It was in simple conversation....there was no intention by the employees to play the "woe is me" card. 

Whether it is $50 a month or $100 or any minimal amount now, the gratuities ARE their income.  And when pax play around with those grats, it directly affects the employee.

Thanks for the clarification.  In total agreement about the importance  of providing for tips. 

[Husky61]

I doubt that anyone except a few actually know what the salaries are for various positions on a cruise ship.  A search with Google reveals they get much more than $50 a month.  With that said, how much a person leaves for a tip or whether or not they remove the auto gratuity is their business.

[ECCruise]

3 hours ago, Husky61 said:

I doubt that anyone except a few actually know what the salaries are for various positions on a cruise ship.  A search with Google reveals they get much more than $50 a month.  With that said, how much a person leaves for a tip or whether or not they remove the auto gratuity is their business.

Well, someone who would know would be the people in the position.  But you can take your Google search as gospel and think it is your business whether or not to stiff the crew, but here is another Google search for you if you trust Google:

Cabin Steward / Stewardess / Cabin Attendant (daily cleaning of passenger cabins) - no experience required, some experience preferred. Basic English Language skills required. Salary range: $1800-2200 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers.

[hcat]

10 hours ago, dasmith21 said:

Ours told us that she doesn’t get paid by celebrity and we hadn’t put enough in the envelope at the end of our cruise. She even phoned us up in our room after we came back from breakfast to tell us on the last day. 

We opted to take the daily gratuity off and pay our own at the end for the people who have served/helped us the most. 

I was shocked and quite disturbed when she said that she receives no wage from Celebrity. 

Hope you reported this or do so now...not true and offensive on her part

[Guindalf]

Why would anyone remove the gratuities like that? It shows they are either cheap, in which case they shouldn’t cruise at all, or ignorant of who gets a share of the gratuities (NOT tips).

 

Either way, removing them is reprehensible. Paying them to ‘those that deserve it’ is removing it from those behind the scenes that keep the wheels turning, like laundry workers, etc., and others they don’t see, but hey, as long as the bartender keeps the drinks flowing, right?

 

I had pre-paid gratuities on the Eclipse to Alaska last week and I never got any indication of it. On the last morning, I checked with our stateroom steward and he was fully aware and happy with the ‘reward’ left for him and the crew.

[hulamoon]

I have over the years decided they should stop calling it gratuities and just make it part of the fare. It's not a real tip and it confuses passengers who are new to cruising culture. While I am on the soap box, can we teach the staff to add some humor or good will instead of desperation when they ask for the 10 star ratings? It makes the last couple of days weird to get a dozen pleas for ratings at the end. Now is it a desperate situation? I hear it so often, I believe it might be. 

 

Doesn't it cheapen a true 10 when everyone must have one? Or is that the game? Everyone gets one. Let X figure out what is real or not.

[MamaFej]

Celebrity will be able to verify the phone call through their records. Let them know what time it came in and your cabin number, and they should have no trouble tracking it down.

 

I am saddened and disappointed that this happened. While I am a "leave the auto gratuity in place AND tip extra" type, I think it was in poor form for the steward to complain, regardless of the amount tipped. 

 

I hope you have a better experience on your next cruise. And I hope the steward is appropriately counseled by her supervisor and learns better customer relations skills.

[hcat]

I agree with MamaFej...well balanced response! 

[Covepointcruiser]

The OP was on his/her first cruise and obviously did not know the true cost of a cruise.   If you can’t afford to pay the gratuities you can’t afford the cruise.   The only legitimate reason to remove the gratuities is if you were totally dissatisfied.   If so, this should have been reported before the end of the cruise.

[Marelaine]

We leave our auto-grats in place so we don't have to worry about missing someone who may have served us, indirectly. We also don't want to give the supervisors a reason to think we are unhappy with our attendants or waiters. We leave extra tips in envelopes for those who have given excellent service. Celebrity should just call it a service fee and not allow the option of removing them.

That said, your attendant should not have approached you for money. That was rude and probably is grounds for dismissal. I'd be willing to bet that your cruise is her last and she had nothing to lose by trying to shake you down.  

Edited September 5, 2019 by Marelaine

[gold1953]

18 hours ago, Guindalf said:

Why would anyone remove the gratuities like that? It shows they are either cheap, in which case they shouldn’t cruise at all, or ignorant of who gets a share of the gratuities (NOT tips).

 

Either way, removing them is reprehensible. Paying them to ‘those that deserve it’ is removing it from those behind the scenes that keep the wheels turning, like laundry workers, etc., and others they don’t see, but hey, as long as the bartender keeps the drinks flowing, right?

 

I had pre-paid gratuities on the Eclipse to Alaska last week and I never got any indication of it. On the last morning, I checked with our stateroom steward and he was fully aware and happy with the ‘reward’ left for him and the crew.

Laundry workers do not receive any grats. Celebrity will provide a break down list if you ask where your grats go

Edited September 5, 2019 by gold1953

[Guindalf]

1 hour ago, gold1953 said:

Laundry workers do not receive any grats. Celebrity will provide a break down list if you ask where your grats go

Thank you for your insight and for completely missing the point.