Paid Gratuities

[sable1]

Thanks to everyone who responded.  I knew you would be able to help.

Happy New year to all.

Joanne

[Paulchili]

2 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

I dont think you get to choose how your gratuities get used......

I don’t care which one goes to gratuities and which one to OBC.

If I am not mistaken then the status PPG goes to gratuities and TA PPG goes to OBC (which can be refundable?)

Not sure because no matter how much OBC we have we always spend it (for Xmas presents for family) - it’s free money.

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 minutes ago, Paulchili said:

I don’t care which one goes to gratuities and which one to OBC.

If I am not mistaken then the status PPG goes to gratuities and TA PPG goes to OBC (which can be refundable?)

Not sure because no matter how much OBC we have we always spend it (for Xmas presents for family) - it’s free money.

No.

if you decide to accept TA's offer to "pay" your gratuities, it appears on the invoice as the TA's "gratuities" (e.g., it may say OCAPP next to the $) and then any Oceania "in lieu" (of the usual O Club gratuities coverage) SBC (e.g., $250/cabin) will appear as $125 "in lieu" O Club SBC per each of the two guests in that cabin. And, none of this money is refundable.

 

BTW, If the TA also gives you refundable SBC (e.g., commission sharing), you will not see it on the Oceania invoice (but you'll want to make sure that you have it in writing on the TA's invoice and/or in an email. Then, on embarkation day, you'll get a card (or letter, etc) stating the gift of refundable TA SBC.

[Paulchili]

3 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

No.

if you decide to accept TA's offer to "pay" your gratuities, it appears on the invoice as the TA's "gratuities" (e.g., it may say OCAPP next to the $) and then any Oceania "in lieu" (of the usual O Club gratuities coverage) SBC (e.g., $250/cabin) will appear as $125 "in lieu" O Club SBC per each of the two guests in that cabin. And, none of this money is refundable.

 

BTW, If the TA also gives you refundable SBC (e.g., commission sharing), you will not see it on the Oceania invoice (but you'll want to make sure that you have it in writing on the TA's invoice and/or in an email. Then, on embarkation day, you'll get a card (or letter, etc) stating the gift of refundable TA SBC.

Thanks FF

As I said, I don’t really care. If I have 2 PPGs one goes to gratuities and the other as OBC in full value - it doesn’t matter to me which goes where as they are of equal value.

[zteamtwo]

I'm interested in what hawaiidan said about gratuities.  Is it true that the daily gratuities charge does NOT ALL go to the crew members? If true, I might change my strategy and give money to the people that serve me.

[LHT28]

24 minutes ago, zteamtwo said:

I'm interested in what hawaiidan said about gratuities.  Is it true that the daily gratuities charge does NOT ALL go to the crew members? If true, I might change my strategy and give money to the people that serve me.

AFAIK  they go to the crew  tip pool  to be divided up  accordingly

 

If you give it personally to a staff member they have to hand it in to the  "tip pool"  anyway

We would tip extra to those that made the cruise extra special  & now we get PPG we still give extra $ to the room steward

 

YMMV

[ORV]

1 hour ago, zteamtwo said:

I'm interested in what hawaiidan said about gratuities.  Is it true that the daily gratuities charge does NOT ALL go to the crew members? If true, I might change my strategy and give money to the people that serve me.

I went back and read what HD said and I don't think he was saying that at all. What made you think that?

 

It's best to just leave the system as is and not try to reinvent the wheel. Although there are many people that you don't personally see, rest assured that some of your gratuity money is going to them, and they are working a job that directly impacts your cruise enjoyment. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

16 minutes ago, ORV said:

...It's best to just leave the system as is and not try to reinvent the wheel. Although there are many people that you don't personally see, rest assured that some of your gratuity money is going to them, and they are working a job that directly impacts your cruise enjoyment. 

Agreed.

And you can always add personal tips.

[zteamtwo]

ORV.   HD can speak for himself, but I read "it is true that SOME of the gratuity MIGHT go to employees from the cruise lines revenue".. 

[zteamtwo]

To me, that might mean that the cruise line can distribute all or a portion of the total gratuities they collect.  Hope we get clarification on this.  Also, clarification on ---if you give a tip to crew members, they cannot keep it and must turn it in.

[pinotlover]

Let’s not over think this. A cruise ship is not a restaurant or bar. Their compensation is established by their rank and terms of their contract. Unlike a restaurant or bar, they don’t get paid less for an undersold cruise, nor more for a full one. 
 

Any tip a cruiser gives directly to a crew member stays with that crew member. Extra tips given to the main desk goes into the general pool. 
 

With the typical excellent service we usually tip our room stewards, butler, and have additionally tipped bartenders and waitstaff. That money stays with them.

[zteamtwo]

Thanks Pinotlover.  We do what you do on our past cruises.  However, I still would like to know--does the cruise line distribute ALL of the daily gratuities it collects?  OR, can it keep some of those daily gratuities for themselves?  Thanks for answer about,  ability for crew members to keep cash you give them.

[zteamtwo]

Thanks Pinotlover.  We do what you do on our past cruises.  However, I still would like to know--does the cruise line distribute ALL of the daily gratuities it collects?  OR, can it keep some of those daily gratuities for themselves?  Thanks for answer about, ability for crew

[zteamtwo]

Pinotlover.  Do you give the daily gratuities AND give individual cash tips?

[ORV]

39 minutes ago, zteamtwo said:

Thanks Pinotlover.  We do what you do on our past cruises.  However, I still would like to know--does the cruise line distribute ALL of the daily gratuities it collects?  OR, can it keep some of those daily gratuities for themselves?  Thanks for answer about,  ability for crew members to keep cash you give them.

Just so I understand; you are going to take what Pinot tells you, but not what LHT said? They are saying exact opposites. Who is right? I don't know, I've seen people on Cruise Critic post it both ways, with both camps claiming they were told by "someone who knows". 

 

Are you sure you're not agreeing with what you want to believe? Personally I don't care how Oceania does their accounting or what their internal polices are. I do know that if the employees didn't feel it was fair then they probably wouldn't be there. This is why I don't worry about it, leave the gratuities in place, (or at least I did before I got them included) and tip extra for those that go above and beyond. I don't just randomly tip or throw extra money at every worker on the ship, as some that post on Cruise Critic would have you believe they do. 

 

I just can't fathom why anyone would remove their gratuities short of a major service meltdown. And then why punish all the workers for something one or two might do? 

[ORV]

1 hour ago, zteamtwo said:

ORV.   HD can speak for himself, but I read "it is true that SOME of the gratuity MIGHT go to employees from the cruise lines revenue".. 

 

Perhaps you are better at translating Dan speak than I am, but I don't see what you said in his statement at all. And if he is saying that,  how would he really know?

[LHT28]

i believe  the tip pool is distributed  to the crew  the line may hold some for a crew fund that has to do with Bereavement & welfare fund ..do not quote me

 I give my tips  & never ask  what they do with it

 

As long as you leave on the  auto tip  then the crew member gets to keep the cash tips people give  them  but they have to report  it

If people remove the auto tip then pay the staff directly  it must be put in the Tip Pool

 

We give extra tips in an envelope with a note of thanks  along with our cabin number so the Purser can see  that it goes to the crew member

 

In a restaurant  do you ask if  the management gets a share  before you tip?

 

[KirkNC]

2 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

i believe  the tip pool is distributed  to the crew  the line may hold some for a crew fund that has to do with Bereavement & welfare fund ..do not quote me

 I give my tips  & never ask  what they do with it

 

As long as you leave on the  auto tip  then the crew member gets to keep the cash tips people give  them  but they have to report  it

If people remove the auto tip then pay the staff directly  it must be put in the Tip Pool

 

We give extra tips in an envelope with a note of thanks  along with our cabin number so the Purser can see  that it goes to the crew member

 

 

 

Curious with your extra tips, the way you said it imply that you give the envelope to the Purser versus just leaving it in your cabin or handing it directly to your steward.  If that interpretation is accurate I am curious as to why.

[LHT28]

27 minutes ago, KirkNC said:

Curious with your extra tips, the way you said it imply that you give the envelope to the Purser versus just leaving it in your cabin or handing it directly to your steward.  If that interpretation is accurate I am curious as to why.

I give the envelope to the crew member  so when they report the extra cash to the purser   they can see  we did not remove the auto gratuity  so the staff member  will get to keep what we have given them

 

AHH you say but what if the staff member just pockets the cash  ..who is to know

Other  crew members  know  & it could cost them their jobs

 

Some crew have been with Oceania for many years 

 

Since  you do not always have the same wait staff at meals or  regularly eat in the buffet  all the gratuities for that dept are shared

No need to avoid the dining room on the last night  to stiff the servers 😉

[Flatbush Flyer]

We bring "thank you" cards and do reward (beyond the stated gratuities which our O Club level covers) exceptional service with the note and added $$ to deserving individuals.

 

If we know the GM well and it is a longer cruise, I'll also make sure to have a personal conversation about 1-2 standout performers - particularly if they've been with the company for a long time and may be in line for a promotion. 

[KirkNC]

Thanks, makes sense

[pinotlover]

I’ve only stated what has been reported to me by our Butlers and other wait staff. What’s given in cash directly to a crew member is theirs. There is no reporting those amounts to anyone ( mostly)*.

 

The distribution of what goes into the general fund is up to Oceania. There are numerous recognition programs and other funds to which those gratuities  go. All the funds are not equally distributed to all crew members .

 

One butler told me that that the general cruise pool is rarely paid into by more than 50% of the cruisers. A cruiser receiving PPG, either from status or Oceania promotions to the TA does not mean money actually flows into the pool. It only means that cruiser doesn’t pay into the pool.

 

*On a side note, whose effects I I witnessed, the crew ( aside from O) maintains a quasi database on the past cruisers for their benefit, especially the Butlers. If and how well one tips, personal preferences and peculiarities are there for the staff to better serve you. To coin a phrase “ it’s all in the computer “. 

Edited January 2, 2021 by pinotlover

[LHT28]

The bottom line is  if you do not get PPG  either leave the auto tip on or  don't  Your chocie

If you want to tip the crew  in person you can

 

 

 

[KirkNC]

5 hours ago, LHT28 said:

The bottom line is  if you do not get PPG  either leave the auto tip on or  don't  Your chocie

If you want to tip the crew  in person you can

 

 

 

Agreed, we always do both.  The crew work so hard to make our time onboard enjoyable.

[sable1]

Update.  On our 10 day cruise, TA PPG remain.  Oceania Gold status gives us $125 SBC p.p.

 

Haven't asked about our 35 day cruise in December.

Joanne