Tipping

[Jamesatgsu]

9 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

you can tip extra on your charge slip and yes they get it, don't need to carry cash

What charge slip? 

[xDisconnections]

On 2/20/2020 at 10:33 AM, QuiGonJohn said:

1. I believe you can remove your gratuities at the end of the cruise.

That, along with billing disputes, are the reasons why the line is so long at Guest Services on the final night.

[QuiGonJohn]

9 hours ago, Jamesatgsu said:

 Knowing what the lives of the staff are like in cramped quarters and away from their families for months, all for a terrible wage by American standards, I couldn't justify taking tips away, and have always left them extra cash at the end of the cruise.  I think it is one of those jobs that would be a fun and interesting experience if I was single, but couldn't imagine doing it as a spouse and parent.

James, I understand the sentiment, and not looking to get a major debate going.  But maybe the cruise lines ought to pay all the workers more fairly and not expect us to cover their downfall. Then we could decide if the now higher fare for the cruise is still worth it.  Also there are a fair number of cultures (people from certain countries) where tipping is almost never done, so it's very off-putting to many of them.  I'm just sayin', there's always at least 2 sides to a story.

[coevan]

1 hour ago, Jamesatgsu said:

What charge slip? 

 sign and sail

[coevan]

9 minutes ago, QuiGonJohn said:

But maybe the cruise lines ought to pay all the workers more fairly and not expect us to cover their downfall.

 

 

We became friends with a husband and wife bartending team the Magic and still are friends on FB. If you saw their house in the Phillipines, you might think differently. They do quite well for their countries standards. Do you say this about bartenders and servers in the U.S. too? There are literally waiting lists to get jobs on cruise ships. downfall?

[xDisconnections]

48 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

We became friends with a husband and wife bartending team the Magic and still are friends on FB. If you saw their house in the Phillipines, you might think differently. They do quite well for their countries standards. Do you say this about bartenders and servers in the U.S. too? There are literally waiting lists to get jobs on cruise ships. downfall?

Can agree - we had the same waitstaff for many cruises on a Princess ship who are a couple from the Philippines. We became friends with them and they own multiple homes, have several vehicles, take the most luxurious vacations, etc. Although they work very hard and their incomes are different than the average USA-based income, we must remember the cost of living is completely different in their home countries. Even though they are living among the very top percentages, it isn't a job I would want. 

[VentureMan_2000]

2 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

We became friends with a husband and wife bartending team the Magic and still are friends on FB. If you saw their house in the Phillipines, you might think differently. They do quite well for their countries standards. Do you say this about bartenders and servers in the U.S. too? There are literally waiting lists to get jobs on cruise ships. downfall?

I have read Captains of the ship saying that a lot of the staff lives larger then the Captain does, due to cost of living in their home countries.  An Italian Captain has higher living expenses than most in the Philippines.  

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, QuiGonJohn said:

James, I understand the sentiment, and not looking to get a major debate going.  But maybe the cruise lines ought to pay all the workers more fairly and not expect us to cover their downfall. Then we could decide if the now higher fare for the cruise is still worth it.  Also there are a fair number of cultures (people from certain countries) where tipping is almost never done, so it's very off-putting to many of them.  I'm just sayin', there's always at least 2 sides to a story.

You could make the same argument for restaurants and bars. Whether you like it or not, there are a lot of jobs in the US  service industry, to include staff on ships cruising from US ports, that depend heavily on tips. In my opinion, if you can’t afford to tip at a restaurant you can’t afford to eat there and if you can’t afford the gratuities you can’t afford the cruise. 

[deadmoney]

agree

[RWolver672]

7 hours ago, QuiGonJohn said:

James, I understand the sentiment, and not looking to get a major debate going.  But maybe the cruise lines ought to pay all the workers more fairly and not expect us to cover their downfall. Then we could decide if the now higher fare for the cruise is still worth it.  Also there are a fair number of cultures (people from certain countries) where tipping is almost never done, so it's very off-putting to many of them.  I'm just sayin', there's always at least 2 sides to a story.

 

It's called smart business practice.  Keep the pricing lower to get you onboard, then charge you extra once you are onboard.  There are cruise lines out there that offer free drinks but your cruise fare is going to reflect it.  Same thing with kids sail free.  One way or another, you are going to pay for it.

[ctheisen-sullivan]

I fully agree with tipping but if I don’t eat in dining room I don’t want to tip

that staff. We are going on a short cruise.  How do I keep

from having to too there?

[glentally]

13 minutes ago, ctheisen-sullivan said:

I fully agree with tipping but if I don’t eat in dining room I don’t want to tip

that staff. We are going on a short cruise.  How do I keep

from having to too there?

prepare for the roasting!

Edited February 27, 2020 by glentally

[RWolver672]

44 minutes ago, ctheisen-sullivan said:

I fully agree with tipping but if I don’t eat in dining room I don’t want to tip

that staff. We are going on a short cruise.  How do I keep

from having to too there?

 

30 minutes ago, glentally said:

prepare for the roasting!

 

Please don't consider this a roast.  It's just that some people don't realize that the staff that serves you in the dining room also works in the Lido Buffet and other dining venues in the mornings and afternoons.  Even though you may not run into them, they are somewhere on the ship working fourteen hour shifts.  Many times we have seen our dining room waiters working in the Lido area at Breakfast or during the day at other food areas.

[ctheisen-sullivan]

That does make sense. Understood.   Thank you for the info.  

[nissach]

10 hours ago, xDisconnections said:

Can agree - we had the same waitstaff for many cruises on a Princess ship who are a couple from the Philippines. We became friends with them and they own multiple homes, have several vehicles, take the most luxurious vacations, etc. Although they work very hard and their incomes are different than the average USA-based income, we must remember the cost of living is completely different in their home countries. Even though they are living among the very top percentages, it isn't a job I would want. 

So then they are paid quite well according to the standards of where they live, the Philippines.  

This makes more sense that they must make a decent wage, otherwise why would they choose to work for little money and be away for months from their families?

[nissach]

8 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

You could make the same argument for restaurants and bars. Whether you like it or not, there are a lot of jobs in the US  service industry, to include staff on ships cruising from US ports, that depend heavily on tips. In my opinion, if you can’t afford to tip at a restaurant you can’t afford to eat there and if you can’t afford the gratuities you can’t afford the cruise. 

I disagree.  I can afford to tip, but I tip based on the service I receive.  Most times I tip close to the recommended amount of 15- 20%(in Canada), but I have tipped less if the service is poor.  

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, ctheisen-sullivan said:

I fully agree with tipping but if I don’t eat in dining room I don’t want to tip

that staff. We are going on a short cruise.  How do I keep

from having to too there?

 
Gratuities cover more than just food service in the MDR. So unless you don’t eat on the ship the entire cruise, this isn’t a good reason to remove gratuities. 

[PhillyFan33579]

41 minutes ago, nissach said:

I disagree.  I can afford to tip, but I tip based on the service I receive.  Most times I tip close to the recommended amount of 15- 20%(in Canada), but I have tipped less if the service is poor.  

I agree with you 100%. My comment was about passengers who will remove gratuities even if the service was outstanding in all areas during their cruise. That is what I don’t agree with. 

[Jamesatgsu]

12 hours ago, QuiGonJohn said:

James, I understand the sentiment, and not looking to get a major debate going.  But maybe the cruise lines ought to pay all the workers more fairly and not expect us to cover their downfall. Then we could decide if the now higher fare for the cruise is still worth it.  Also there are a fair number of cultures (people from certain countries) where tipping is almost never done, so it's very off-putting to many of them.  I'm just sayin', there's always at least 2 sides to a story.

Of course it should work that way.

12 hours ago, coevan said:

 sign and sail

By going to guest services? From the app?

[xDisconnections]

4 hours ago, RWolver672 said:

 

 

Please don't consider this a roast.  It's just that some people don't realize that the staff that serves you in the dining room also works in the Lido Buffet and other dining venues in the mornings and afternoons.  Even though you may not run into them, they are somewhere on the ship working fourteen hour shifts.  Many times we have seen our dining room waiters working in the Lido area at Breakfast or during the day at other food areas.

Technically speaking, shouldn’t they be coded into alternative services for the two shifts each week they perform work in the Lido despite their normal position having them in the MDR? That would solve the issue right there.

[jimbo5544]

14 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

You could make the same argument for restaurants and bars. Whether you like it or not, there are a lot of jobs in the US  service industry, to include staff on ships cruising from US ports, that depend heavily on tips. In my opinion, if you can’t afford to tip at a restaurant you can’t afford to eat there and if you can’t afford the gratuities you can’t afford the cruise. 

Bingo

[pacruise804]

10 hours ago, Jamesatgsu said:

 

By going to guest services? From the app?

 

I'm pretty sure COEvan is referring to the sign and sale slip you receive for goods and services purchased on board (like specialty restaurants or bar purchases.  It sounds like you are asking about how to general gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff - which would not have a slip/receipt, is that correct?

 

In my experience I could add an extra tip to my cabin steward at guest services, but not food services even with their name.  I haven't seen the breakdown before that looks like it was from the hub app.  I suspect you could add gratuity to a specific area of staff like dining services or alternative services, just not an individual by name.  Guest services would have you sign a slip, so maybe I did misunderstand COEvan.

 

We keep the assigned gratuity charges (haven't had a poor level of service to justify addressing yet) and sometimes extend an additional cash gratuity to certain individuals.  If a staff member really stands out I also try to get their name and position so I can recommend them/give a good review on the exit survey.  I have read that positive reviews can do as much or more for the staff than extra tips to improve their situation through promotions, time off, etc.  

 

 

[jimbo5544]

On 2/26/2020 at 11:54 PM, VentureMan_2000 said:

I have read Captains of the ship saying that a lot of the staff lives larger then the Captain does, due to cost of living in their home countries.  An Italian Captain has higher living expenses than most in the Philippines.  

Hitting the BS button on this

[VentureMan_2000]

1 hour ago, jimbo5544 said:

Hitting the BS button on this

Well... Let's do the math ( I like doing the math )...
 

Captains on the largest ships, responsible for 5,000 or more passengers and crew members, can have a salary in excess of $150,000.

 

Total compensation for an assistant waiter position ranges anywhere from $900 to as much as $2,200 a month; experienced dining room waiters can earn upward of $3,200.

 

Total compensation for bartenders can range anywhere from $1,800 to $2,500, while bar wait staff earn between $1,200 and $2,200 a month.

 

Source:    https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=261

 

 

Philippine's median household income    $  2,401

Italy's           median household income    $20,085

 

Source:    http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/median-income-by-country/

 

So... doing the math, an Italian Captain making $150,000 a year earns 7.5 times Italy's median household household income of $20,085 while an experienced Pilipino dining room waiter making $38,400 earns 16 times Philippine's median household  income of $2,401.

So the Pilipino worker's money goes more than twice as far in their country as the Italian captain's money does in his.

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

9 minutes ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

Well... Let's do the math ( I like doing the math )...
 

Captains on the largest ships, responsible for 5,000 or more passengers and crew members, can have a salary in excess of $150,000.

 

Total compensation for an assistant waiter position ranges anywhere from $900 to as much as $2,200 a month; experienced dining room waiters can earn upward of $3,200.

 

Total compensation for bartenders can range anywhere from $1,800 to $2,500, while bar wait staff earn between $1,200 and $2,200 a month.

 

Source:    https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=261

 

 

Philippine's median household income    $  2,401

Italy's           median household income    $20,085

 

Source:    http://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/median-income-by-country/

 

So... doing the math, an Italian Captain making $150,000 a year earns 7.5 times Italy's median household household income of $20,085 while an experienced Pilipino dining room waiter making $38,400 earns 16 times Philippine's median household  income of $2,401.

So the Pilipino worker's money goes more than twice as far in their country as the Italian captain's money does in his.

Interesting, but you're missing one crucial bit of info: average standard of living.  In other words, is the standard of living of someone with the median income in Itally comparable to someone with the median income in the Philippines?

 

I would guess (no data here) there answer is no.  So, what level of income in the Philipines would result in a identical standard of living of someone making $150k in Italy?  That's the question we would need answered.