Does the crew know we've pre-paid gratuities?

[MrsKC08]

13 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

So these folks that remove grats are doing more than just cheating the staff but essentially punishing them.

Correct!

[HBE4]

38 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

Can anyone here definitively say if the gratuity is a core part of the staffs pay or a bonus for exceptional service?

 

Definitively? I would think that for someone working in a position where tipping is customary - cabin steward, food and beverage server, etc - would expected to be tipped or to be included in the tipping pool.  And as far as I know, tipping has always been customary on the high seas, not matter the nationality/culture of the passenger. I don't think you can equate what happens on the high-seas to what happens on land-based restaurants and hotels.  Waiters in the US are paid less than minimum wage with the expectation that tips will make up the difference. And while some here on CC profess concern that the "behind the scenes" workers (such as people that do the laundry or sweep the floors) are tipped, do they really have that concern when staying at a  land based hotel?

 

I'm an average tipper. Sometimes if I'm drinking, I tend to over-tip. I do auto-gratuities out of convenience and laziness. If someone else wants to opt out of auto-gratuities and have control over who and how much they tip, I'm fine with that. It's their money, they should spend it as they see fit.

 

I'm sure there are  few that opt out of auto-gratuities and don't tip. But I think the people that over-tip more than make up for that so we can all rest easy.

 

[John&LaLa]

Just think of it a a service charge or resort fee and move on

[QueenofKrakatoa]

This entire thread can be summed up with "ok boomer"

[lovemylab]

14 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

If the base salary is fair then the criteria for gratuities should be exceptional service. 
I don’t work in the service industry but, like the vast majority of people, I get paid to perform a job. However my bonus is based on achieving targets which are above and beyond the norm. This is where prepaying gratuities doesn’t seem right to me. 
That said I don’t judge people on what they decide to do. It’s a cultural thing and we have lots of different nationalities here. 

 

In the United States, the hourly wage for tipped staff is very low. In some states, wait staff make less than $3/hr and the rest comes from tips.

[Tulsacoker]

7 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

I'm an average tipper. Sometimes if I'm drinking, I tend to over-tip.

This sounds familiar 

[HBE4]

13 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Just think of it a a service charge or resort fee and move on

 

I heard that some of the Vegas hotels charge a $35-$45 resort fee. And that doesn't include tips.

 

$14.50 pp is a deal and it includes tips. 😄

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, lovemylab said:

 

YES!  The information on the website clearly broke down the gratuity (i.e. $3.25 to the waiter, $2.75 to the assistant waiter, etc).  

This information was also printed on several documents that were in the cabin and used as a suggested guideline for those tipping by cash.  

 

 

Can you post a link to where that information is on the website?  I'd like to see the entire breakdown. 

[Cruisin_n_Boozin]

1 minute ago, HBE4 said:

 

I heard that some of the Vegas hotels charge a $35-$45 resort fee. And that doesn't include tips.

 

$14.50 pp is a deal and it includes tips. 😄

Not if you have 4-5 people in your room.  Hotels don't charge by person.

[John&LaLa]

8 minutes ago, Cruisin_n_Boozin said:

Not if you have 4-5 people in your room.  Hotels don't charge by person.

 

I've seen the mess 4 people in a cabin make😉

[lovemylab]

20 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Can you post a link to where that information is on the website?  I'd like to see the entire breakdown. 

 

It's no longer on the website.  My post was in agreement with someone who was referring to how Royal used to give a clear breakdown of where the gratuity $$ went.

Edited November 11, 2019 by lovemylab

[time4u2go]

4 minutes ago, lovemylab said:

 

It's no longer on the website.  My post was in agreement with someone who was referring to how Royal used to give a clear breakdown of where the gratuity $$ went.

Understood. Thank you.

 

Someone else on this thread keeps claiming that Royal makes it clear what the breakdown is, so I was looking for that information.  So it appears that Royal does not make it clear, at least not any more.

Edited November 11, 2019 by time4u2go

[lovemylab]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

Understood. Thank you.

 

Someone else on this thread keeps claiming that Royal makes it clear what the breakdown is, so I was looking for that information.  So it appears that Royal does not make it clear, at least not any more.

 

They don't make it clear on the website but if you go to guest relations onboard they will show you the breakdown.  Not sure if the breakdown is still provided in the cabin literature.

[Billy Baltic]

58 minutes ago, lovemylab said:

 

In the United States, the hourly wage for tipped staff is very low. In some states, wait staff make less than $3/hr and the rest comes from tips.

Wow. In Ireland the legal minimum wage is 9.80euro per hour. I don’t necessarily think that’s a good thing but it stops employers shafting their employees and expecting tipping to cover the difference. 

[Billy Baltic]

42 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I've seen the mess 4 people in a cabin make😉

And that’s before the blue light is used 😎

[katiel53]

The post below is from an online "conversation"  I had with Gwen on the RC site on that "other site."  The gray area is RC and the blue are my questions.

 

Gratuities are at the discretion of each guest and include stateroom attendants, dining room staff, and other hotel services. If they aren't prepaid prior to the sailing, gratuities will be automatically charged to the guest’s folios once onboard. However, you are able to alter the charge at Guest Services if you'd like.

 

I do know about prepaying and being billed once onboard as I have sailed many times. I do not normally remove the gratuities, but who are the other "hotel services? " What if I do remove the gratuities, then tip in cash, will the steward, as an example, have to turn in all the money to the pool? Or will he be have to turn in what is the normal amount paid on a daily basis for the steward and keep the rest? I'd really like to know these answers please.

 

I understand. The daily gratuity is shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams. If you chose to pay the stewards in cash they don't have to turn in any of those gratuities.

 

Thanks, but what are the other hotel teams?

Who are they?

 

You're welcome. It would include anybody working behind the scenes who still have an affect on your experience.

 

It seems as though you can't/won't tell me who they are. I don't understand why it is a big secret. I like to know who gets my money. I don't buy other things and give extra just because someone thinks it's a good idea.

Are the entertainers part of the other? Are the laundry people part of the other? Are the ladies room cleaners part of the other? Are the people who wipe down the hand rails part of the other?

Are guest services part of the other? Are the hostesses in the specialty restaurants part of the dining tips or are they part of the other?

 

I understand that you want to know where it goes. It goes to just about everyone but the Officers and Entertainers. -Gwen

[KsucAts]

6 minutes ago, Billy Baltic said:

Wow. In Ireland the legal minimum wage is 9.80euro per hour. I don’t necessarily think that’s a good thing but it stops employers shafting their employees and expecting tipping to cover the difference. 

 

Completely different culture about tipping over there.  We went there for 8 days a few months ago and I think the only restaurant we ate at that even had a tipping option on the credit card slip was the Hard Rock Cafe.  

[3red7s]

18 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Thank you for the education regarding  how gratuities work in every other life situation. I never knew that before.  🙄

 

I’m interested in the process of doing this on a cruise.   We have  personally been OK with the auto gratuities, and then I add more on top of that if I feel it’s warranted. If for some reason one of the services is not up to standards then I would go and get gratuities adjusted I suppose. 

 

Back to my original question, you must have to go to guest services and tell them not to charge you gratuities?   Then you somehow determine on your own what you feel is warranted? 

 

Dan

Actually the idea of how gratuities work "in everyday life" is to tip prior to the service.  Just an FYI, the acronym TIPS, means "to insure prompt service"  (meaning before your service is rendered) just on of those Cliff Kleban (Cheers) facts that gets me a chuckle.  LOL!!!

[HBE4]

I'm thinking Gwen doesn't know the answer so she reads the script given to her.

[time4u2go]

1 hour ago, 3red7s said:

Actually the idea of how gratuities work "in everyday life" is to tip prior to the service.  Just an FYI, the acronym TIPS, means "to insure prompt service"  (meaning before your service is rendered) just on of those Cliff Kleban (Cheers) facts that gets me a chuckle.  LOL!!!

Really?  I don't think I've ever tipped prior to service, unless you count prepaying gratuities on a cruise.

 

And that whole acronym thing is a myth.  Use of the word "tip" far predates the use of acronyms.

Edited November 12, 2019 by time4u2go

[ShakyBeef]

1 hour ago, 3red7s said:

Actually the idea of how gratuities work "in everyday life" is to tip prior to the service.  Just an FYI, the acronym TIPS, means "to insure prompt service"  (meaning before your service is rendered) just on of those Cliff Kleban (Cheers) facts that gets me a chuckle.  LOL!!!

 

15 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Really?  I don't think I've ever tipped prior to service, unless you count prepaying gratuities on a cruise.

 

And that whole acronym thing is a myth.  Use of the word "tip" far predates the use of acronyms.

 

Time4u2go is right that "TIPS" being an acronym is a myth.  And it is obvious if you take a moment to think about it.  One would not attempt to insure prompt service, one would hope to ensure it, making the acronym TEPS.  But it's not an acronym, and never was.  Let's dispel the ignorance, y'all!

Edited November 12, 2019 by ShakyBeef
typo

[karena1]

We also know 100% that they do know who prepays or has auto tips charged daily.  We have seen the lists and talked to many, many of our cabin people about it.  I agree, it probably does not affect your service one way or another, but I would never in a million years remove the pre-paid or daily tips, just would not do it.  Worked enough in the hospitality industry to know how it affects everyone involved.

[springfire]

20 minutes ago, karena1 said:

We also know 100% that they do know who prepays or has auto tips charged daily.  We have seen the lists and talked to many, many of our cabin people about it.  I agree, it probably does not affect your service one way or another, but I would never in a million years remove the pre-paid or daily tips, just would not do it.  Worked enough in the hospitality industry to know how it affects everyone involved.

Good for you!  You should tip the way you feel most comfortable.  We always remove  our daily tips and tip in cash.   Royal makes it very easy to tip this way.  Everyone should tip the way they feel most comfortable.

[The Fun Researcher]

2 hours ago, 3red7s said:

Actually the idea of how gratuities work "in everyday life" is to tip prior to the service.  Just an FYI, the acronym TIPS, means "to insure prompt service"  (meaning before your service is rendered) just on of those Cliff Kleban (Cheers) facts that gets me a chuckle.  LOL!!!

 

Good 'ol Cliff from Cheers.  Miss those Clifferism's.  🙂

 

Dan

[mr walker]

Ah, how much simpler life is for RC cruisers from down-under. Since Dec 2016, any cruise booked from RC Aus for sailings worldwide has had T&G's built into the cruise-fare. No pre-pay or not, no auto-pay or not, no grats removal at 11pm on last night, no dodging the last night in dining rooms.......

 

Now, if we could just get RC to change to $A on downunder cruises, cruising life would be perfect 🙂