Paying Cash Gratuities Directly to Staff?

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, the penguins said:

You cruise Cunard which adds tips to every drink. So either you never order a drink or your principles "go out of the window" when it suits.

They only feign having principles as an excuse to be cheap. They know that. We all know it too. 

[Boytjie]

On 2/3/2023 at 5:50 PM, cruisestitch said:

I just picture passengers going to Aqua spa café for breakfast and handing the server a dollar, then going to lunch at the Mast Grill and giving the guy who flips the burger another dollar, and that night tucking a few bucks under their plate in the MDR.  The next day a woman in Oceanview makes them a waffle, so she gets a tip, too and so on throughout the cruise………

 

What a nightmare😵‍💫😳😵‍💫😳😵‍💫

 

Maybe some do, but that is not how I want to spend my time on the ship! 😄 

 

[Boytjie]

On 2/3/2023 at 7:22 PM, RD64 said:

Why is there at least one tipping thread per week -if not daily?

 

I miss the smoking threads! NOT 

[Boytjie]

On 2/3/2023 at 7:22 PM, RD64 said:

Why is there at least one tipping thread per week -if not daily?

 

I miss the smoking threads! NOT 

[Boytjie]

On 2/3/2023 at 8:59 PM, Mike07 said:

I guess I"m not sure why cruise lines don't just completely eliminate gratuities and raise the fare prices accordingly.

 

Because people like the artificially low cruise fares!

[Boytjie]

On 2/4/2023 at 1:13 PM, the penguins said:

In the UK we pay for the meal on a Card and tip in cash. When we did this in the US  cashiers queried it on so many occassions that we now add the tip to the Card.

 

As a New Yorker, likely the US Capital of Tipping, I have NEVER had anyone one question or remark about tipping in cash and paying the bill by card. NEVER,.

[Loracpin2]

28 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

And what advantage would this be, other than making more work for themselves on a vacation?! (That's beyond the question of who gets it and how much!)

Because these staff members who work basically non-stop will have the cash immediatley in their hands which enables them, if they choose, to wire the funds to their Families (wherever they live).  

 

[Loracpin2]

3 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

As a New Yorker, likely the US Capital of Tipping, I have NEVER had anyone one question or remark about tipping in cash and paying the bill by card. NEVER,.

As a former New Yorker who now lives farther South, neither I have.

[bikerunner]

11 minutes ago, Boytjie said:

 

As a New Yorker, likely the US Capital of Tipping, I have NEVER had anyone one question or remark about tipping in cash and paying the bill by card. NEVER,.

Having been in service industry, managing places etc never seen anyone question it either.  Its actually better to tip cash then on the card..  I almost always do this, tip in cash when I go out and just pay bill on card,  

 

[chengkp75]

13 minutes ago, Loracpin2 said:

Because these staff members who work basically non-stop will have the cash immediatley in their hands which enables them, if they choose, to wire the funds to their Families (wherever they live).  

 

The ship provides for "allotments" for the crew, which is where the company sends money from the crew's paycheck, directly to the families at home.  This is far more convenient for the crew than finding a Western Union to wire money home.  They are allowed to "allot" up to 80% of their pay.  Paying cash to the crew has no advantage to them.

[dlh015]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

And, in line with my "one and done" on tipping threads, I'll go away now.

Or not...lol...

 

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

Paying cash to the crew has no advantage to them.

I daresay that's an overgeneralization...for example, it might be nice to have a few benjamins for a poker game that doesn't come out of your paycheck...things like that...

[Arizona Wildcat]

1 hour ago, chengkp75 said:

The ship provides for "allotments" for the crew, which is where the company sends money from the crew's paycheck, directly to the families at home.  This is far more convenient for the crew than finding a Western Union to wire money home.  They are allowed to "allot" up to 80% of their pay.  Paying cash to the crew has no advantage to them.

I disagree as well.  On our last cruise our cabin attendant needed a laptop computer.  He lacked sufficient cash to make the purchase.  Having a bit of extra cash money for tips made it possible.  We used the internet and had a laptop ready at the next port.

[Guppy99]

1 hour ago, Boytjie said:

 

As a New Yorker, likely the US Capital of Tipping, I have NEVER had anyone one question or remark about tipping in cash and paying the bill by card. NEVER,.

I will say that back in college, I preferred tips in cash (whether the bill was paid in cash or by card). 1). It kept my employers from knowing how much I was actually making and them deciding to rearrange stations or hours based on it, 2) allowed me to be in control of what earnings I reported to the IRS, and 3) prevented my employer from reducing the tip by 3% (or prevailing rate) they had to pay to the cc processor.

This however is irrelevant to the discussion regarding cruise lines.

[Guppy99]

2 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

I disagree as well.  On our last cruise our cabin attendant needed a laptop computer.  He lacked sufficient cash to make the purchase.  Having a bit of extra cash money for tips made it possible.  We used the internet and had a laptop ready at the next port.

Do not agree with your analogy. If he sent 80% of his income home (hypothetical) then he simply had not saved enough for a large purchase. That would be an exception rather than the rule imo

[hrhdhd]

1 hour ago, Boytjie said:

As a New Yorker, likely the US Capital of Tipping, I have NEVER had anyone one question or remark about tipping in cash and paying the bill by card. NEVER,.

The PP probably was asked, "Would you like to leave a tip?" (note the reference to cashier, a person who wouldn't know the tip was in cash on the table).

[the penguins]

7 hours ago, Boytjie said:

 

Maybe some do, but that is not how I want to spend my time on the ship! 😄 

[the penguins]

7 hours ago, bikerunner said:

Having been in service industry, managing places etc never seen anyone question it either.  Its actually better to tip cash then on the card..  I almost always do this, tip in cash when I go out and just pay bill on card,  

 

I think it's more because of our accents. We have always put it down to the cashier just "gently reminding" us that we need to tip. As I said before we love these differences.

Another "problem" which we had until November last year was the impossibility of buying gas at the pumps using our credit cards as the machine required a Zip Code which we don't have. Thankfully the introduction of "chip and pin" has solved the problem.

 

[hrhdhd]

4 hours ago, the penguins said:

.nother "problem" which we had until November last year was the impossibility of buying gas at the pumps using our credit cards as the machine required a Zip Code which we don't have. Thankfully the introduction of "chip and pin" has solved the problem.

U.S. banks, by and large, still don't issue chip and PIN cards. Maybe the gas pumps have been reprogrammed. I'd rather be asked for my ZIP Code and apologize for tourists' inconvenience. 😉

[TeeRick]

15 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I believe that the cabin attendant and the butler get to keep the extra cash tips IF you have left the auto tips in place.  I think, for the waiters, it depends on the dining room.  I know for sure that they pool in Luminae and Blu.  Not sure about the MDR or specialty restaurants.

Yes the Luminae maitre 'd on Equinox recently told me they pool extra cash tips and distribute to the whole team.  I have been told this on other ships too.  So I just leave a team tip up front on the last night.

[radarcruiser]

13 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

The ship provides for "allotments" for the crew, which is where the company sends money from the crew's paycheck, directly to the families at home.  This is far more convenient for the crew than finding a Western Union to wire money home.  They are allowed to "allot" up to 80% of their pay.  Paying cash to the crew has no advantage to them.

Cheng- Thanks for weighing in.  I've heard the crew may not get the full amount of the automatic gratuities, that the company keeps a certain percentage.  Can you confirm that all the money designated as gratuities goes directly to the crew and is additional to their salaries?

 

Thanks in advance.

[D C]

On 2/3/2023 at 12:56 PM, radarcruiser said:

On a cruise a few weeks ago one of my fellow cruisers said they had their automatic gratuities removed.  They then paid their waiter, assistant waiter and cabin steward in the requisite amount in cash.  I’m curious if others have done this?  

Absolutely not.  The ONLY reason to do this is because you're cheap and are willing to screw over those people who make your cruise what it is.  If any part of that gratuity is shared with someone behind the scenes that you never interact with, you're taking money from their pocket.  

[the penguins]

2 hours ago, hrhdhd said:

U.S. banks, by and large, still don't issue chip and PIN cards. Maybe the gas pumps have been reprogrammed. I'd rather be asked for my ZIP Code and apologize for tourists' inconvenience. 😉

Must be reprogramming as during our trip to the Dallas area in November our chip and pin cards were accepted at every gas station. My wife was delighted as she no longer had to take her card into the cashier, explain the situation, wait as I filled the tank and then pay. It's always has been a pain but worse now as we also have to unload her walker so she can get to and from the cashier. 

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, radarcruiser said:

Cheng- Thanks for weighing in.  I've heard the crew may not get the full amount of the automatic gratuities, that the company keeps a certain percentage.  Can you confirm that all the money designated as gratuities goes directly to the crew and is additional to their salaries?

 

Thanks in advance.

Celebrity categorically deny this saying that all auto Grats are distributed to the staff covered by the auto Grats system with no retentions and no charges. Ask for the leaflet available from Guest Relations.

[mcrcruiser]

When will this tip /gratuity issue ever stop . It is much easier to have auto gratuities now than when we used the envelope system . Additional cash tips are at the discretion of the individual  .  These additional cash gratuities are definitely appreciated by "your " crew 

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

When will this tip /gratuity issue ever stop . It is much easier to have auto gratuities now than when we used the envelope system . Additional cash tips are at the discretion of the individual  .  These additional cash gratuities are definitely appreciated by "your " crew 

Fun fact…People have been asking if this “issue” with tipping with cruising will ever stop for over five decades