Tipping extra cash in MDR

[weltek]

I should've specified we do the "anytime" dining situation, so it's never the same server. I always feel awkward handing a person a tip, but it sounds like the majority of folks recommend going that route. 

And LOL-my envelopes live next to my checkbook. For the two times/year I have to mail a check. I do bring a few with on cruises, mostly for room steward extra tips.

[rkacruiser]

12 hours ago, Billish said:

Also worth pointing out that on some cruise lines, eg Princess, the autotips are pooled amongst the fleet, not just the individual ship

 

That's the first I have heard of that!  Source of your information please?  

[rkacruiser]

12 hours ago, Billish said:

Also worth pointing out that on some cruise lines, eg Princess, the autotips are pooled amongst the fleet, not just the individual ship

 

That's the first I have heard of that!  Source of your information please?  

[Billish]

11 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

That's the first I have heard of that!  Source of your information please?  

https://www.princess.com/html/global/disclaimers/crew-appreciation/

In black and white from Princess.

[Toofarfromthesea]

19 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

My way does seem to make more sense - as long as you are giving extra for better than average service.  If the point is just to give more money, why not save the envelope and stop at the desk to increase the auto tip?  At least that way you would not be relying on the person to whom you give the envelope to share your largesse.

 

Yes, we already know that the way you do things is the only way anyone should do things.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Yes, we already know that the way you do things is the only way anyone should do things.

I try to do things the intelligent and civilized way.   Fortunately, most others make comparable efforts - but there are always a few who think that what they want is always preferable to what others need.

 

[Toofarfromthesea]

19 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

I try to do things the intelligent and civilized way.   Fortunately, most others make comparable efforts - but there are always a few who think that what they want is always preferable to what others need.

 

 

Also you: "My way does seem to make more sense - as long as you are giving extra for better than average service.  If the point is just to give more money, why not save the envelope and stop at the desk to increase the auto tip?  At least that way you would not be relying on the person to whom you give the envelope to share your largesse."

 

The irony is delicious.

[ldubs]

22 hours ago, Billish said:

https://www.princess.com/html/global/disclaimers/crew-appreciation/

In black and white from Princess.

 

Huh, reading the last paragraph, it sure sounds a lot more complicated than a simple pass through to service staff.  Seems very possible that the individual earning the extra appreciation might not see much of it.   

[navybankerteacher]

8 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Also you: "My way does seem to make more sense - as long as you are giving extra for better than average service.  If the point is just to give more money, why not save the envelope and stop at the desk to increase the auto tip?  At least that way you would not be relying on the person to whom you give the envelope to share your largesse."

 

The irony is delicious.

Are you sure you understand the meaning of the word “irony”?

[navybankerteacher]

4 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Huh, reading the last paragraph, it sure sounds a lot more complicated than a simple pass through to service staff.  Seems very possible that the individual earning the extra appreciation might not see much of it.   

And, it certainly seems to undermine any effort to give special individual recognition for superior service.

[ldubs]

6 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

And, it certainly seems to undermine any effort to give special individual recognition for superior service.

 

My thought too.  Perhaps that verbiage doesn't apply to "extra" recognition of individuals.  IDK.    

[rkacruiser]

23 hours ago, Billish said:

https://www.princess.com/html/global/disclaimers/crew-appreciation/

In black and white from Princess.

 

Thanks for posting this.  This may be a change since the last time I sailed on Princess which was the Summer of 2019.  I don''t recall reading anything like that last paragraph.  I don't care for what it says.

 

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

And, it certainly seems to undermine any effort to give special individual recognition for superior service.

 

Particularly if the crew member receiving an extra gratuity is required to put it into the pool.

 

1 hour ago, ldubs said:

 Perhaps that verbiage doesn't apply to "extra" recognition of individuals.

 

I'd like to say you are correct, but, the "policy" does not read that way.  

 

What would be the goal of Princess in establishing such a policy as it seems to be written in that last paragraph?  To end any additional gratuities to the staff?  And, if so, why?  

[Toofarfromthesea]

7 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Are you sure you understand the meaning of the word “irony”?

 

Yes, I know the definition exactly.  It is ironic that you call out the "few who think that what they want is always preferable to what others need." without recognizing you just described your self when you said "My way does seem to make more sense" after he described why YOUR way didn't fit his intention.

[mom says]

7 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Huh, reading the last paragraph, it sure sounds a lot more complicated than a simple pass through to service staff.  Seems very possible that the individual earning the extra appreciation might not see much of it.   

However it only mentions the Crew Appreciation money,  which are the auto tips, and the Service Charges money, which is outlined in the table. It doesn't say anything specifically about extra cash tips given over and above those, directly to the crew member.

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, mom says said:

However it only mentions the Crew Appreciation money,  which are the auto tips, and the Service Charges money, which is outlined in the table. It doesn't say anything specifically about extra cash tips given over and above those, directly to the crew member.

 

Kind of a head scratcher, and I'm still hoping that policy doesn't include the extra cash tips.   Like RKACruiser says above, we might wonder about the overall goal of such a policy.  I sure don't know.   I'm a big believer in incentive pay plans, but to put grats earned by an individual for excellent service into a big pool seems odd.   

[sparks1093]

15 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

And, it certainly seems to undermine any effort to give special individual recognition for superior service.

That's the thing, we might want to give special individual recognition but if custom or rule means that the person shares whatever they get then that is out of our control (even in land based establishments). We certainly can't tell them sotto voce "this is just for you, don't share it with anyone". They would still get their share of what we gave and would know that we recognized their superior service. Of course if we mention them by name on a comment card or in a survey that can't be taken away from them. 

[Hlitner]

On 7/19/2022 at 10:27 AM, sparks1093 said:

I have seen the "don't leave it on the table" comment numerous times in numerous threads so I'm not singling you out, but it does raise a question. When we at a land based restaurant we always leave the tip on the table and presumably many others do as well. Why the hesitation to do so on a ship? 

This gets into my pet peeve about only directly tipping folks to reward excellence.  If you leave money on the table or hand over an envelope in full sight, the recipient might be forced to put that money into a pool.  When you are discrete about how you tip than it gives the recipient the option of whether they just keep it or share it.

 

Hank

[navybankerteacher]

9 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Yes, I know the definition exactly.  It is ironic that you call out the "few who think that what they want is always preferable to what others need." without recognizing you just described your self when you said "My way does seem to make more sense" after he described why YOUR way didn't fit his intention.

If my posts disturb you as regularly as you seem to indicate, you might want to consider simply blocking them.

[navybankerteacher]

51 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

This gets into my pet peeve about only directly tipping folks to reward excellence.  If you leave money on the table or hand over an envelope in full sight, the recipient might be forced to put that money into a pool.  When you are discrete about how you tip than it gives the recipient the option of whether they just keep it or share it.

 

Hank

Agreed - this is especially relevant on cruise ships - which facilitate tipping by having service charges automatically added to your bill - clearly covering routine performance;  so any direct tipping should only be in response to really superior service - and should logically be done discretely.

[sparks1093]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

This gets into my pet peeve about only directly tipping folks to reward excellence.  If you leave money on the table or hand over an envelope in full sight, the recipient might be forced to put that money into a pool.  When you are discrete about how you tip than it gives the recipient the option of whether they just keep it or share it.

 

Hank

My obligation ends when I leave the tip. What happens to it after that is not my concern. 

[Elaine5715]

On 7/18/2022 at 9:50 AM, navybankerteacher said:

“Always” is a judgemental term.  If someone gives two envelopes - one to the waiter, the other to the assistant waiter, are you insisting he is wasting effort by not giving just one envelope?

Yes, the head team waiter splits the team tips.  Could they choose to do it differently?  Sure.  Good head team waiters want a happy, cohesive team but these teams, like every position on a ship, has a hierarchy.  Successful team  crew members respect the hierarchy so they can reach the next level.   Those that don't, don't last long.   

[Elaine5715]

17 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

My thought too.  Perhaps that verbiage doesn't apply to "extra" recognition of individuals.  IDK.    

 

16 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Thanks for posting this.  This may be a change since the last time I sailed on Princess which was the Summer of 2019.  I don''t recall reading anything like that last paragraph.  I don't care for what it says.

 

 

Particularly if the crew member receiving an extra gratuity is required to put it into the pool.

 

 

I'd like to say you are correct, but, the "policy" does not read that way.  

 

What would be the goal of Princess in establishing such a policy as it seems to be written in that last paragraph?  To end any additional gratuities to the staff?  And, if so, why?  

 

10 hours ago, mom says said:

However it only mentions the Crew Appreciation money,  which are the auto tips, and the Service Charges money, which is outlined in the table. It doesn't say anything specifically about extra cash tips given over and above those, directly to the crew member.

John has repeatedly confirmed extra gratuities given to crew over the auto grats remain with crew (crew teams).  Remember that the auto tips cover dining room crew shifts on Lido.  That $4 a day per person for "dining room" goes much further than the three person MDR table team.  So when the auto tips are removed and people claim to tip in "cash", that money goes back into the auto tip so it can be distributed properly. 

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Yes, the head team waiter splits the team tips.  Could they choose to do it differently?  Sure.  Good head team waiters want a happy, cohesive team but these teams, like every position on a ship, has a hierarchy.  Successful team  crew members respect the hierarchy so they can reach the next level.   Those that don't, don't last long.   

The point of a tip above and beyond the auto tip is to recognize superior service rendered by a particular individual and not by the team—- allowing the head waiter allocate it defeats that purpose.

[sparks1093]

3 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

The point of a tip above and beyond the auto tip is to recognize superior service rendered by a particular individual and not by the team—- allowing the head waiter allocate it defeats that purpose.

It can also be used to recognize the team. In any case once you've left it you have no control over it, so even if you mean it for one individual they may still have to share it with the team depending of course on the custom of the cruise line. 

[navybankerteacher]

8 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

It can also be used to recognize the team. In any case once you've left it you have no control over it, so even if you mean it for one individual they may still have to share it with the team depending of course on the custom of the cruise line. 

Most (if not all) lines I’ve sailed advise that gratuities above and beyond the auto tip are acceptable - while pointing out that, if the passenger has removed the auto tip, any cash gratuities a crew member receives must be added to the pool.   This would seem to indicate that individual tips received by specific individuals belong to those individuals.   
 

In practice, this makes sense: I have more than once been at a table where the assistant waiter provided better service/attention than the waiter - and I tipped accordingly.