Drink tip question

[Bobbiegentry]

12 hours ago, odyssyus said:

Its not the norm.  You will have those that virtue signal, and otherwise try to guilt you into giving more.  The corporations love this because you will subsidize salaries for them.  Tipping culture is out of control.

As has been said by people wiser than I,  “No one can take advantage of you without your permission. “

[Thrak]

I have tipped room stewards, MDR servers, bar servers, and bartenders extra. They went "above and beyond" what other crew members have done - despite the fact that I don't (at all!) like the US "tipping culture".

 

I have also had a room steward and a bar server who should have been made to "walk the plank" (figuratively, of course) due to their exceptionally poor (actually horrible) service. These two people should never have been placed into the positions they held as they were absolutely horrible at their jobs. I have to say they were the exception to the rule. The vast majority of crew members I have dealt with or observed have been wonderful.

[NSWP]

On 11/4/2022 at 4:45 AM, Bobbiegentry said:

Double pours? Better grade of booze?

Sounds like bribery to me. 

Moreover, it also appears that those who participate are perfectly comfortable in stealing from the cruise line.

 

Yeah, yeah, I know but isn’t accepting/taking something that you clearly know you didn’t pay for the very definition of theft? 

Double pours, better grade of booze? They would get the sack if they got caught by their supervisors.  Yes it is bribery. You already pay a gratuity on your drink, why pay more?

[NSWP]

On 11/4/2022 at 5:31 PM, Mara4166 said:

you must never have travelled to the UK.  When the smallest note is £5, it is common to tip in coins

Same in Australia, smallest note AU$5.  We have $1 and $2 coins.  Notes are 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 (Aussie dollars)

[NSWP]

23 hours ago, nasa1974 said:

Our very first cruise was Alaska. Mind you we had no idea how things worked. The first night out of Whitter we went to dinner, and it was a table for 6 and there was only 4 of us. The second day out we met a nice couple, and it was her birthday, so we said join us at our table for dinner. They had not specified a dinner time. When we got to our table it was a table for 4. A little embarrassed I went to the head waiter, and I gave him a fifty-dollar bill and asked if he could help us out. We got treated like royalty the rest of the cruise.

Bribery.  It the head waiter's job to look after pax and fit them on a table.

Edited November 6, 2022 by NSWP

[Thrak]

On 11/4/2022 at 5:47 PM, nasa1974 said:

A little embarrassed I went to the head waiter, and I gave him a fifty-dollar bill and asked if he could help us out. We got treated like royalty the rest of the cruise.

 

Wowie Zowie!  You could have had the exact same experience without the $50 bribe. The person would have simply done the job he is paid to do without any "extra incentive". They really do an excellent job and don't require any extra payment to do so. It boggles me that people think they have to pay someone extra to do the job they are supposed to do. When I was working I was offered money any number of times to do something that I would do with no extra cost. I always did the job I was asked to do but also always turned down the "bribe" that I was offered to do the job. I felt it was unethical to take "extra" money simply to do my job. (Okay, it was usually something that was "extra" and not "really" my job but I did it while being paid anyway. My boss didn't mind me doing the "extra" things and I didn't want to get paid "extra" when I was already being paid. I really don't understand why people think they should pay (or be paid) extra for simply doing something they should be happy to do for the pay they are already receiving.)

[SantaFeFan]

3 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

Wowie Zowie!  You could have had the exact same experience without the $50 bribe. The person would have simply done the job he is paid to do without any "extra incentive". They really do an excellent job and don't require any extra payment to do so. It boggles me that people think they have to pay someone extra to do the job they are supposed to do. When I was working I was offered money any number of times to do something that I would do with no extra cost. I always did the job I was asked to do but also always turned down the "bribe" that I was offered to do the job. I felt it was unethical to take "extra" money simply to do my job. (Okay, it was usually something that was "extra" and not "really" my job but I did it while being paid anyway. My boss didn't mind me doing the "extra" things and I didn't want to get paid "extra" when I was already being paid. I really don't understand why people think they should pay (or be paid) extra for simply doing something they should be happy to do for the pay they are already receiving.)

 

Some people think that money is the solution to everything. That is one of the main problems with society these days. 

[Kay S]

25 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

Some people think that money is the solution to everything. That is one of the main problems with society these days. 

I think this has been true long before "these days."  

[john watson]

8 hours ago, Kay S said:

  I guess it's possible you thought your daughter was the only child the waiter was "treating like royalty," but that seems an unlikely level of naivety for a seasoned adult cruiser.

I think you missed the point of English humour.  She obviously thought she was the only girl being treated like royalty by her waiter or man.  When she discovers he is unfaithful and has other girls she exclaims this.  I naturally have to pretend to empathise with her stupidity to make fun of her.  They have to learn.

 

Lol John

[john watson]

9 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

Then you would agree that the Carnival Corporation owned cruise lines that have their headquarters in the US (Princess - Santa Clarita, CA; Carnival - Miami, FL; Holland America - Seattle, WA) are allowed to follow US cultural norms and the lines that are headquartered in the UK (P&O - Southampton; Cunard - Southampton) are allowed to follow British cultural norms, correct? Then as an American, I should follow the cultural norms on those "US" lines when cruising on them and follow the cultural norms on those "British" lines when cruising on them, and you as British should do the same, with neither one of us complaining or trying to avoid or ignore the cultural on any of them? Does that seem reasonable? 

 

Yes, this is correct it should also be noted that some of the lines such as Costa have a very heavy Italian influence.  Cunard benefit from a stronger British influence which I think gives them an identity.  Princess has also had an underlying cultural identity mix.  It was founded by a Canadian (as was Cunard  at one time based in Liverpool not Southampton) and in early days Princess charted Italian run ships from Costa, when they had no ships themselves were later bought by a British company and ran as P&O Princess cruises as a single entity before separating later.  So basically I would suggest each line has an historical influence which puts it in a position in the market.

 

Regards John

[SargassoPirate]

11 hours ago, NSWP said:

Double pours, better grade of booze? They would get the sack if they got caught by their supervisors.  Yes it is bribery. You already pay a gratuity on your drink, why pay more?

 

 

Consider this - I have a drink package.  It's evening in the Elite Lounge. I tip extra. I get a better pour and a better quality Scotch.  I may have two or three over the course of the evening.  I come nowhere near close to using my daily allotment of booze and the crew recognizes my pattern.  If they charge my account for the better pours as two drinks or a double, is it bribery and stealing?

 

Explain.

[SantaFeFan]

3 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

 

Consider this - I have a drink package.  It's evening in the Elite Lounge. I tip extra. I get a better pour and a better quality Scotch.  I may have two or three over the course of the evening.  I come nowhere near close to using my daily allotment of booze and the crew recognizes my pattern.  If they charge my account for the better pours as two drinks or a double, is it bribery and stealing?

 

Explain.

 

And now your story is that they are charging you for two drinks? Interesting how the story has evolved over the course of this discussion.

 

You continue to miss the point. It is not whether you have all of your allotted drinks that matter. It's the actual pours for each drink that matter. The bar tenders have no idea whether you will end each day swilling down as many drinks as you can in another bar to meet your allocation. They can only pay attention to each of your drinks individually. And you are not getting more or better pours than is allocated for EACH drink. 

 

As many people here have carefully and accurately pointed out, the cruise lines - and the people who work for them - do not randomly pour larger and better pours just to reward someone who tips well. The employers don't care about how large your tips are. They care about the bottom line - managing the amount of alcohol that is used up each day. 

 

But, if it makes you feel better about your tipping habits to live in a fantasy world where you get bigger and better pours by tipping more, then by all means have your fun with that imagination. Just be aware that the bar tenders are playing you for bigger tips, and you are naively going along for the ride.

 

[Tedferg]

15 hours ago, NSWP said:

Same in Australia, smallest note AU$5.  We have $1 and $2 coins.  Notes are 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 (Aussie dollars)

Off Topic, but it is strange that $1 coins have not worked in USA despite a few attempts.

[mtnesterz]

51 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Off Topic, but it is strange that $1 coins have not worked in USA despite a few attempts.

For those outside the US, like most recently making a dollar coin about the same size as the quarter($0.25). Flight of genius. Too much chance of losing $0.75 each coin.

Edited November 6, 2022 by mtnesterz

[Bobbiegentry]

1 hour ago, SantaFeFan said:

But, if it makes you feel better about your tipping habits to live in a fantasy world where you get bigger and better pours by tipping more, then by all means have your fun with that imagination. Just be aware that the bar tenders are playing you for bigger tips, and you are naively going along for the ride.

 

Priceless!!  We’ll done.
 

(Although despite your spot on logic, it will surely fail to resonate with said thief.)

 

Fantasy world!! I love it.  

[john watson]

56 minutes ago, mtnesterz said:

For those outside the US, like most recently making a dollar coin about the same size as the quarter($0.25). Flight of genius. Too much chance of losing $0.75 each coin.

 

I am sure years ago they had Silver Dollars, 1960's 

 

Regards John

[SargassoPirate]

2 hours ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

And now your story is that they are charging you for two drinks? Interesting how the story has evolved over the course of this discussion.

 

You continue to miss the point. It is not whether you have all of your allotted drinks that matter. It's the actual pours for each drink that matter. The bar tenders have no idea whether you will end each day swilling down as many drinks as you can in another bar to meet your allocation. They can only pay attention to each of your drinks individually. And you are not getting more or better pours than is allocated for EACH drink. 

 

As many people here have carefully and accurately pointed out, the cruise lines - and the people who work for them - do not randomly pour larger and better pours just to reward someone who tips well. The employers don't care about how large your tips are. They care about the bottom line - managing the amount of alcohol that is used up each day. 

 

But, if it makes you feel better about your tipping habits to live in a fantasy world where you get bigger and better pours by tipping more, then by all means have your fun with that imagination. Just be aware that the bar tenders are playing you for bigger tips, and you are naively going along for the ride.

 

No Santa, I'm not changing my story at all.  I merely asked to consider that scenario.  I only have two or three drinks an evening and really have no idea how the crew charges them to my plus package.  If they pour a double, I guess I could check, but why?  I order my usual drink and after a couple of nights it looks like there's a little more in the glass and the Scotch has heavier notes of peat. Why does that bother you so much that it makes you claim that I'm engaging in bribery and theft?

 

What about the drink allotment that I leave on the table every day?  Should I go down to guest services and get a refund?  After all, I've paid for a drink package and if I don't use it up, the cruise line is essentially picking my pocket.

 

Smooth and happy sailing to you.  I'll still tip extra and be a happy cruiser.

 

 

 

[SargassoPirate]

57 minutes ago, Bobbiegentry said:

Priceless!!  We’ll done.
 

(Although despite your spot on logic, it will surely fail to resonate with said thief.)

 

Fantasy world!! I love it.  

Yep.  It still fails to resonate with me and I'm not changing my tipping habits or my enjoyment of a nice pour of a good Scotch in the evening.

 

It must be a heavy burden to worry so much about what others are doing and with little but anecdotal Information and zero evidence.

 

😋

[Kay S]

7 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

 

It must be a heavy burden to worry so much about what others are doing and with little but anecdotal Information and zero evidence.

 

😋

Welcome to Cruise Critic. 🙂

[Tedferg]

15 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

What about the drink allotment that I leave on the table every day?  Should I go down to guest services and get a refund?

Not wishing to join in the fray, but this is an incorrect analogy, like referring to food in the buffet as yours, though you did not eat it all.

 

I do agree with you, if you want to tip, go ahead. I cannot see them pouring something which is outside of the Plus package.

[Thrak]

31 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

  I order my usual drink and after a couple of nights it looks like there's a little more in the glass and the Scotch has heavier notes of peat.

 

I don't understand why you don't just order the "better" Scotch in the first place. You have the drink package so why not just order what you want up front? If you like a heavy peat just order the Talisker 10 year old.

[Bobbiegentry]

2 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

It must be a heavy burden to worry so much about what others are doing and with little but anecdotal Information and zero evidence.

😋

It is a heavy burden and I do worry what anyone who steals from Princess is doing since those of us who don’t participate in said piracy must make up the difference. 
 

You’re swimming upstream against the current, matey. 
 

[wowzz]

2 hours ago, Bobbiegentry said:

You’re swimming upstream against the current, matey. 

Absolutely. 

No one has corroborated his story, and professional food and beverage managers have said that what he describes does not happen.

But, SP is happy to believe that his dollars get gets him better service. So, let's leave him  in peace, and let the bar staff enjoy their tips for doing nothing special apart from pandering to his whims.

[Bgwest]

On 11/6/2022 at 12:32 PM, SargassoPirate said:

Yep.  It still fails to resonate with me and I'm not changing my tipping habits or my enjoyment of a nice pour of a good Scotch in the evening.

 

It must be a heavy burden to worry so much about what others are doing and with little but anecdotal Information and zero evidence.

 

😋

Is this guy for real?? 

Just plain silly in addition to being completely dishonest. 

What's the word when someone rationalizes bad behavior with warped logic?

It will come to me.