Tipping for drinks and food

[UNCFanatik]

39 minutes ago, topnole said:

Yeah.  That furniture company charges you a $100 or 200 delivery charge.  And they sneak that one with zero transparency.  Plus, they still charged you more because they pay higher wages.  In the end, it matters little.  Most pay it

one way or the other.  In our system you don’t because you stiff the service worker in an effort to help them. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️  Your choice, but wow.  

The difference is that I can choose to pick sofa using my own truck and not be charge a fee at all whereas when I buy a drink package on cruise planner, i have no choice but to pay 18% gratuities. 

 

I have a choice when I go to a restaurant whether to tip or not. That choice should not be taken from me or even if i receive bad service that i am somehow still obligated to tip because of the wage of the server who just delivered bad service. And when I go through the line at Moe's, I shouldnt be prompted for a tip. Tipping culture has gotten out of hand in the US

 

I hope you do read the links i provided that outline what the tipping culture in the US has led to. It hasnt led to the betterment of service workers as you think it does.

 

AND again...you heartless soul of a person, where is your empathy to the child workers in third world countries that make the goods that you buy? Where are your tips for them? 

[UNCFanatik]

20 minutes ago, gcelkk said:

My heart hurts for the crew.

It should because of the cruise lines wage and labor practices.

[Ptroxx]

17 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

It should because of the cruise lines wage and labor practices.

Man you sound like your a lot of fun at parties.   
I bet you wear a mask in the shower too.   Lol. 
 

 

Glad CC is finally getting back to some normalcy.     

[topnole]

28 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

The difference is that I can choose to pick sofa using my own truck and not be charge a fee at all whereas when I buy a drink package on cruise planner, i have no choice but to pay 18% gratuities. 

 

I have a choice when I go to a restaurant whether to tip or not. That choice should not be taken from me or even if i receive bad service that i am somehow still obligated to tip because of the wage of the server who just delivered bad service. And when I go through the line at Moe's, I shouldnt be prompted for a tip. Tipping culture has gotten out of hand in the US

 

I hope you do read the links i provided that outline what the tipping culture in the US has led to. It hasnt led to the betterment of service workers as you think it does.

 

AND again...you heartless soul of a person, where is your empathy to the child workers in third world countries that make the goods that you buy? Where are your tips for them? 

You have a choice.  You can choose not to buy the drink package.  They tell you the price and tell you it includes 18% on top for the servers.  So they are basically doing exactly what you want them to do.  Would you rather them just price it with the 18% on top and not tell you they are doing that?   
 

You have no idea what or where I buy things from.  Not sure how you are defining child labor, but I’m sure you know in many countries families

often rely on children to work and contribute to the household production or income.  Same thing happened all the time in the US as we grew and developed and still does to this day to a large extent.  And If one is against child labor,

the best way to make an impact is to create laws to regulate it.  Not to cut off the wages from those counting on the income. 
 

Send me some legitimate articles on the topic (like peer reviewed articles based on valid research) and I might read them. The sources you sent, no thanks.  
 

The issue isn’t on being for or against tips anyhow.  It is about how you choose to voice your opinion to influence change you might want.  You are screwing the little guy to voice your opinion.  It makes zero sense.  

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, UNCFanatik said:

 

Again, I am not the one responsible for:

 

a. The cruise lines exploiting poor foreign communities for cheap labor

b. Crew willingly taking jobs. The word "slave" has no place in this discussion.

 

And its amazing that this line of thinking from people like you doesnt extend to your daily life and purchase of products made from people in poor countries making below a living standard and working in abusive work conditions. Do you send extra money to "tip" the workers that make the products you buy in Walmart..Target...online from Amazon? DO you feel like you need to supplement their wages? If not, I guess by your own logic that makes you cheap and heartless. Welcome to my club. 

 

And also, how do you know that the cruise line is actually paying the staff 100% of the gratuities that they collect from charging $14.50/per day/per person? SO you are going to trust the same company that pays workers sub standard wages to actually ensure that 100% of gratuities filter down to the staff? Especially in a time where the cruise lines are bleeding cash. 

 

My cruise fare goes toward the money to employ the crew. Plain and simple. 

a. "The cruise lines exploiting poor foreign communities for cheap labor".  Then forget about tipping here, by your "logic" you are participating in what you claim that cruise lines do to secure their labor.  If this is what you believe, and it obviously is, you have droned on and on about it,  why do you even book a cruise.

[UNCFanatik]

3 hours ago, topnole said:

You have a choice.  You can choose not to buy the drink package.  They tell you the price and tell you it includes 18% on top for the servers.  So they are basically doing exactly what you want them to do.  Would you rather them just price it with the 18% on top and not tell you they are doing that?   
 

You have no idea what or where I buy things from.  Not sure how you are defining child labor, but I’m sure you know in many countries families

often rely on children to work and contribute to the household production or income.  Same thing happened all the time in the US as we grew and developed and still does to this day to a large extent.  And If one is against child labor,

the best way to make an impact is to create laws to regulate it.  Not to cut off the wages from those counting on the income. 
 

Send me some legitimate articles on the topic (like peer reviewed articles based on valid research) and I might read them. The sources you sent, no thanks.  
 

The issue isn’t on being for or against tips anyhow.  It is about how you choose to voice your opinion to influence change you might want.  You are screwing the little guy to voice your opinion.  It makes zero sense.  

 

Nope on the drink package example. I would rather they present me with the total price in the advertised price on the webpage instead of tacking on an extra 18% for "gratuity" which I cannot remove and I have no idea that that 18% will actually go to the bartenders on the ship I am sailing on rather than to end up in RCI coffers. I shouldnt be forced to pay 18% on services that have not been rendered. 

 

I was willing to listen to your point of view until you somehow tried to justify child labor and saying that you would rather buy goods you know are produced by child labor because families rely on that income than not buying goods at all from that company. Nice

 

And of course you will not read up on the ills of tipping in the US because you have been conditioned to believe otherwise. 

[topnole]

1 hour ago, UNCFanatik said:

 

Nope on the drink package example. I would rather they present me with the total price in the advertised price on the webpage instead of tacking on an extra 18% for "gratuity" which I cannot remove and I have no idea that that 18% will actually go to the bartenders on the ship I am sailing on rather than to end up in RCI coffers. I shouldnt be forced to pay 18% on services that have not been rendered. 

 

I was willing to listen to your point of view until you somehow tried to justify child labor and saying that you would rather buy goods you know are produced by child labor because families rely on that income than not buying goods at all from that company. Nice

 

And of course you will not read up on the ills of tipping in the US because you have been conditioned to believe otherwise. 

When did I ever say I would rather buy good produced by child labor?   My lord you twist things.
 

What I did say is I don’t know your definition of child labor.  I certainly don’t think 5 year olds should have jobs, but I don’t think there is an issue with teens working jobs.  It happens all over in America too.  
 

I started working jobs well before my teenage years, and I’m quite certain it made me a better person.  The whole topic of child labor is very nuanced and blanket assertions one way or another really is pointless because context and situational understanding is needed to even assess each situation. 

[smplybcause]

16 hours ago, topnole said:

Exactly.  And all just to show Royal apparently. So screw the little guy to make a point to the fat corporate cats (Royal Corp).  As if that makes any sense.  
 

And if he had them follow his logic they would pay more and raise base cruise fare by about the amount of the tips.  So he would then pay what he should’ve paid before, essentially costing himself more money.  

 

I never quite gotten that argument myself...

 

I don't like how little this corporation is paying their employees...so in protest I'm going to continue to patronize said crappy corporation and give them my money, but I won't give their employees any tips because that will show the corporation!

 

It's rewarding what you don't like yet penalizing the people you say you're standing up for. 

[jcc1025]

I use the drink package and do add a doller sometimes at my favorite bars. If I have a bartender that I like and have gotten to know, on the last day of the cruise I will stop by and give them some cash. I had a bartender tell me that tips that go through the terminal are pooled for all the bartenders since its not fare to those who have less popular bars, and they move to different bars on each new week. She said for the cash tips they received the pool them for the specific bar and when I tipped her I did see her put it in a jar for the bar. The bar is a team and they have to work together and so share tips, it is part of that business model and works well. 

[Ocean Boy]

4 minutes ago, jcc1025 said:

 She said for the cash tips they received the pool them for the specific bar and when I tipped her I did see her put it in a jar for the bar. The bar is a team and they have to work together and so share tips, it is part of that business model and works well. 

I have seen this also but didn't know if it was the bartender's jar or a pooled jar.

[Btank]

On 12/7/2021 at 1:21 PM, George C said:

We normally take a hundred in singles to tip , also a hundred in fives

Yep, this.  I hit the bank this afternoon for our Sunday sailing.  I don't know about pooling, but tip 'em all and let God sort it out. 😁

 

     --bruce T.

 

[Auntiemomo]

22 minutes ago, Btank said:

Yep, this.  I hit the bank this afternoon for our Sunday sailing.  I don't know about pooling, but tip 'em all and let God sort it out. 😁

 

     --bruce T.

 

I just go to guest services or the casino if I need to cash my $20's into dollar bills.  No need to take a wad of $1's with you.

[Ptroxx]

1 hour ago, Auntiemomo said:

I just go to guest services or the casino if I need to cash my $20's into dollar bills.  No need to take a wad of $1's with you.

Then you have to walk in the smoke filled casino.  Yuck lol.  
And stand in that guest services line.  Thank you no.  
Its worth a trip to the bank.  

[Ocean Boy]

25 minutes ago, Ptroxx said:

Then you have to walk in the smoke filled casino.  Yuck lol.  
And stand in that guest services line.  Thank you no.  
Its worth a trip to the bank.  

Just remember that if you get in the guest services line, all the busy bodies that have nothing better to do on a billion dollar cruise ship, will be watching and posting on Cruise Critic about how you were there removing the auto gratuities from your account.

[John&LaLa]

How did I miss this trainwreck🤣🤣

 

Carry on

Edited December 11, 2021 by John&LaLa

[John&LaLa]

On 12/9/2021 at 5:18 PM, Merion_Mom said:

 

1.  I firmly believe that if you feel this way, you should not place yourself in an environment where tipping is normal and expected and forms the majority of the employees' income.  If you disagree with the way that Royal Caribbean runs its ships, go on Silver Sea or Seabourn or Regent or some other cruise line where you are NOT expected to tip above and beyond your fare, where this is all incorporated.  You are paying for it one way or the other.  

 

2.  <gratuitous insult>UNC.  <snort>  explains a lot.</gratuitous insult>

 

Go Duke....

[John&LaLa]

16 hours ago, UNCFanatik said:

When you buy a drink package on cruise planner, gratuity is added automatically and it shouldn’t be. 

 

Have you dipped your toe in the Dynamic Pricing thread? Good times.

[jcc1025]

17 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have seen this also but didn't know if it was the bartender's jar or a pooled jar.

As I understood it the jar is pooled for the people working in that bar for that week. The tips added to the sea pass receipts are pooled amoung all the bar workers on the ship for that week. 

[vacationlover_mn]

On 12/10/2021 at 8:34 AM, gcelkk said:

My heart hurts for the crew.

Agree!  In addition to all of the other new things they have to deal with, I am sure they are getting less total tips, due to reduced capacities 😞

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

Agree!  In addition to all of the other new things they have to deal with, I am sure they are getting less total tips, due to reduced capacities 😞

Well, for months they were getting zero tips. Just saying....

[Tiggerontheseas]

On 12/10/2021 at 3:26 AM, UNCFanatik said:

When you buy a drink package on cruise planner, gratuity is added automatically and it shouldn’t be. 

 

I must be missing something here because I don't really understand your complaint.  When you buy a drink package on cruise planner you are charged the cost of the drinks per day plus 18%.  When you don't have a drink package and you order a drink at the bar you are charged the cost of the drink plus 18%.  What's the difference? 

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

7 minutes ago, Tiggerontheseas said:

 

I must be missing something here because I don't really understand your complaint.  When you buy a drink package on cruise planner you are charged the cost of the drinks per day plus 18%.  When you don't have a drink package and you order a drink at the bar you are charged the cost of the drink plus 18%.  What's the difference? 

 

 

I think the the point being made has less to do with final cost but more that, in the first case, service is being rewarded that has not been provided. At least that is my interpretation but I could be wrong. However, that certainly seems better to me than signing receipts on the ship and having gratuities then charged to a seapass account.

[joge107]

On 12/9/2021 at 1:24 PM, UNCFanatik said:

I hate that they add gratuity when you buy a drink package on Cruise Planner. I shouldnt be charged gratuity on the front end. 

 

Tipping culture has gotten out of hand in the US and has some pretty unintended consequences that people who work for tips have to endure all in the name of a tip. I would rather be charged more upfront than be expected to tip.

 

As a consumer on a cruise, I shouldnt be expected to supplement someones income because the cruise line industry doesnt pay them a fair, living wage. Me going on a cruise and paying my fare contributes to the employment and wages of the workers. If I spend $1000 on a cabana for instance, why should i be expected to tip the attendant? The markup on Cabanas are ridiculous to begin with and Royal can certainly afford to give the cabana attendant a bonus. 

 

My advice to new cruisers, no matter how unpopular this opinion is, is to go to guest services and have the automatic gratuities removed and to tip only if they want to and not be pushed by an abusive and punitive policy

So, quick question.  Let's pretend that you're having dinner at a decent restaurant anywhere in (the formally) United States, do you prefer to use a $2.00 bill or 2 singles?

[Auntiemomo]

23 minutes ago, joge107 said:

So, quick question.  Let's pretend that you're having dinner at a decent restaurant anywhere in (the formally) United States, do you prefer to use a $2.00 bill or 2 singles?

Personally, I would leave the $2 bills at the bank.

[Ocean Boy]

26 minutes ago, joge107 said:

So, quick question.  Let's pretend that you're having dinner at a decent restaurant anywhere in (the formally) United States, do you prefer to use a $2.00 bill or 2 singles?

What is the formally United States?🤔