New email about using drink vouchers

[smokeybandit]

25 minutes ago, little britain said:

11.55pm;

I have not used any vouchers today so I ordered 6 Diet Coke to go… I had to sign ✍️ six separate invoices for these. What a complete joke for a cruise line claiming it’s green credentials. 

I can't imagine this new policy will last very long

[Ocean Boy]

Just now, smokeybandit said:

I can't imagine this new policy will last very long

I was just going to post something similar.

[taglovestocruise]

On 11/5/2022 at 1:31 PM, Bruin Steve said:

Actually, you are WRONG.  RCCL imputes a value and generates a payment to the waiter.  They (and Celebrity) also did this back in the pre-voucher days when all the drinks in the Diamond Club were "free".  You think they could have gotten ANY bar waiter to cheerfully serve people in the Diamond Club if they were getting NOTHING for it?

 

There really is NO real reason to hand out extra tips on voucher drinks.  Really, a cruise is supposed to be a "cashless" system.  Part of the idea is that one doesn't have to carry their wallet around with them while onboard.  You think the people not handing out ADDITIONAL tips are "shameful"?  They likely think you are foolish.

 

I wouldn't claim the bar waiters are "well" compensated, but they ARE compensated.  And the payments are coming from two sources:  1)  The 18% added to every paid drink and to each purchased drink package and 2)  an imputed amount added to the pot by the cruise line, taken out of overall revenues.

 

In fact, they are better compensated than the dining room waiters.  Think about what they get as that approximately $15 per person per day is split up amongst your waiter, your assistant waiter, the Headwaiter and Maitre d' as well as the cabin steward.  Compare it to what, say 15-20% of your dining room bill would have been worth if you compared what you ordered to what it would cost if you ordered it at an equivalent restraurant back home...

 

I will NEVER walk around a cruise ship carrying my wallet and pulling out dollar bills to hand out as ADDITIONAL tips.  As always, on the last night of a cruise, I will get envelopes from the Guest Reltions desk...and put in larger to additional tips to hand to those specific individual cew members--whether they be the Diamond Club waiters, the MDR waiter or assistant waiters...or others in service jobs...who I believe went above and beyond in providing extra or exceptional service.  I do not "buy favors" by hitting people with a dollar at a time while I'm being served a drink.  Tat is NOT how they are compensated and NT how the system is designed.

I was told first hand by the host in the D lounge on Navigator that voucher drinks generate nothing for the waiter or server.  They, just like room service runners, work for the extra tip.  The 18% grat that is added to your bill does not go to the server, it all goes into the pool.  Specialty restaurant servers get a very small extra portion from the gratuities added to the dinner bill, like bar tenders the workers many times pool all extra cash tips that they divide evenly.  

[brillohead]

33 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I can't imagine this new policy will last very long

From your lips to God's ears. 

If they would just take the personnel that it will take to process/organize/store all those receipts and put them at Guest Services to handle the people who can't figure out how to say "use a Diamond voucher" or "don't use a Diamond voucher", then all the rest of us and all the bar staff wouldn't have to deal with all these stupid receipts!!!  

[brillohead]

3 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

I was told first hand by the host in the D lounge on Navigator that voucher drinks generate nothing for the waiter or server.

I've been told the same exact thing by multiple servers/bartenders on Explorer and Symphony.  

Since I get virgin drinks 90% of the time, a lot of the servers (on MULTIPLE ships) don't even bother to swipe my card and ring it up.  If they were getting an "assumed value gratuity" from serving me a virgin peach daiquiri, wouldn't it be in their best interest to actually swipe my card and charge the drink to a voucher so that they'd get the payment from that "assumed gratuity"????  

That right there is proof that they get NOTHING from a Diamond voucher drink, other than whatever CASH (or written) tip you give to them.  Plain and simple, @Bruin Steve doesn't know what they're talking about on this particular issue. 

[3yorkies]

32 minutes ago, brillohead said:

I've been told the same exact thing by multiple servers/bartenders on Explorer and Symphony.  

Since I get virgin drinks 90% of the time, a lot of the servers (on MULTIPLE ships) don't even bother to swipe my card and ring it up.  If they were getting an "assumed value gratuity" from serving me a virgin peach daiquiri, wouldn't it be in their best interest to actually swipe my card and charge the drink to a voucher so that they'd get the payment from that "assumed gratuity"????  

That right there is proof that they get NOTHING from a Diamond voucher drink, other than whatever CASH (or written) tip you give to them.  Plain and simple, @Bruin Steve doesn't know what they're talking about on this particular issue. 

Those that claim there is a tip generated from Royal on those drinks for the servers/bartenders are just trying to assuage their own consciences for their stinginess IMHO.

[Bruin Steve]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

I've been told the same exact thing by multiple servers/bartenders on Explorer and Symphony.  
 

They don't necessarily bother swiping individual drinks at times because the imputed value is NOT based on an exact count of drinks, rather on the estimated number of drinks attributed to the vouchers...just as they used to estimate the number of free drinks served in the Diamond Club.  An amount is added to the "pool" to account for those free drinks.

 

OTOH, those bar servers have very good incentive to tell you they are not getting paid on your free drinks because you buy the story and give them that additional cash.

 

54 minutes ago, 3yorkies said:

Those that claim there is a tip generated from Royal on those drinks for the servers/bartenders are just trying to assuage their own consciences for their stinginess IMHO.

I am NOT "assuagiung my conscience"...neither am I "stingy".  I am guessing I have given out far more in extra gratuities to deserving crew members in my years of cruising than YOU have with all your dollar bills for your four free drink vouchers a night.  You are NOT generous because you hand out dollar bills to bar waiters.  For years, I've read on these boards where posters claim they hand out these individual tips because they think they'll get better service.  But, it's just not how the cruise industry is designed.  It is supposed to be "cashless".  Traditionally, going back to earlier days in cruising, you brought out cash only on the last night of the cruise and handed out tips in envelopes to various service crew.  There were "recommended tips" but many of us incresed these amounts to reward those crew who performed above and beyond.  This covered wait staff, cabin stewards, et al.  Bar crew were always automtically paid gratuities by an extra 15% added to each tab (increased only recently to 10%).  There was always an option to add an additional tip on the tab when you signed.

 

"Free drinks" became a thing with two developments--free drinks in the casino...and free drinks to Diamond members.  The bar waiters in the casino and in the Diamond Club NEVER worked for free...and they weren't ever an exception--wirking for cash tips alone.  They are and always have been compensated in the same manner as EVERY OTHER bar waiter on the ship.  They don't individually keep track of every drink served by every bar server.  Yes, they pool ALL of the tips (to which the cruise line adds an amount to account for those "free drinks"...and they divide that pool among ll of the bar servers.  THEY DO NOT "STIFF" the servers who serve you free drinks.  Thse servers are NOT working for your cash tips alone. But, yes, thiose servers have great incentive to make you think you must give them additional cash lest they be working for free--even though that is NOT true.

[brillohead]

2 hours ago, Bruin Steve said:

I am guessing I have given out far more in extra gratuities to deserving crew members in my years of cruising than YOU have with all your dollar bills for your four free drink vouchers a night. 

Ever notice how the people who hate paying tips all CLAIM that they pay WAY MORE than that in reality?  🙄

[brillohead]

I got four D drinks yesterday.  

The first one, first thing in the morning after boarding, the bartender printed out the receipt for me to sign.  The second one, at 7:45 pm (same bartender), I had to remind him that I needed to sign... he had printed the receipt, but left it at the register instead of bringing it with my drink.

The third drink was in a different location, delivered by a server at my seat.  He didn't bring a receipt, and I asked him if I needed to sign. He got a look of exasperation/frustration (at himself/the process, not directed at me) and said, "Nah, it will be okay this time" because he clearly forgot all about it.  My fourth drink from that same server, he brought the receipt with him.

I wonder how long before the CDC shuts this signing business down... because we're all using a communal pen and spreading our cooties hither and yon in the process.  

[HappyTexan44]

Or more importantly they realize they are giving away more free drinks than before.   
Like the one where the server said, "Nah, it will be okay this time"   

[brillohead]

9 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

Or more importantly they realize they are giving away more free drinks than before.   
Like the one where the server said, "Nah, it will be okay this time"   

No, he actually charged the drink to my account -- he just forgot to print the slip and bring it to me.  

All the drinks I got yesterday were charged to my vouchers.   

[ggo85]

I hate signing vouchers all the time.  I accept it but hate it.  
 

As for the no tips for D and D+ drinks, that RCCL’s issue. The drinks are supposed to be free which to me means the line should cover the tips.  Under the old system we always tipped bar servers in D lounge and / or Concierge lounge, based on our frequency of use.  Usually $30-40 for a week with 1-2 drinks pp per day. It wasn’t so much for the drinks as much as they remembered what we ordered, we had nice conversations, etc.   
 

With the signing system, RCCL can readily determine where vouchers are used. If they choose not to compensate the bartenders, that’s on them.  I might tip but don’t feel obligated to.  I don’t normally carry cash with me on board and don’t want the signing to change what I would normally do..  That said, if I frequently ordered drinks from a particular bartender, I’ll likely tip. And if I’m in a lounge with the same server, I’ll definitely tip. 
 

 

[ggo85]

One other thing. A poster above said tips for vouchers should be calculated based on alcoholic drinks — uh NO.   My DH doesn’t drink alcohol EVER. Or soda.  Or specialty coffee.  Or fresh squeezed OJ.  Water and plain decaf is fine for him. Maybe an occasional included juice. So he doesn’t use his vouchers. While I might use one of his vouchers, I won’t use all.  So we shouldn’t have to tip for what isn’t used. 

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, ggo85 said:

One other thing. A poster above said tips for vouchers should be calculated based on alcoholic drinks — uh NO.   My DH doesn’t drink alcohol EVER. Or soda.  Or specialty coffee.  Or fresh squeezed OJ.  Water and plain decaf is fine for him. Maybe an occasional included juice. So he doesn’t use his vouchers. While I might use one of his vouchers, I won’t use all.  So we shouldn’t have to tip for what isn’t used. 

That's not what they said at all.

And you don't even want to tip for a voucher drink, so what would you care?

[little britain]

We got 9 drink’s yesterday ( yes I know; epic fail in not using our full quota!) - didn’t sign ✍️ for any of them.