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Since the recent tipping post, I have to ask....

teddie

By teddie,
in Royal Caribbean International

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nelblu

nelblu

Posted
Posted
10 hours ago, Deeliteful said:

It is definitely a very American thing - tipping. In the UK it is generally 10% in restaurants or taxis or hairdressers.

 

Personally I think 18% is way over the top.

 

I remember buying a bottle of Champagne at a 4 or 5 star hotel in Vegas and tipping the waitress $10. My American friend was appalled! She thought I should have given her at least $25! My argument was that if I had asked for beer the bill would have been less but her work would have been the same. 
 

I pay the auto gratuities and tip as and when I feel it’s appropriate. On my last cruise I tipped $2 every now and then for my drinks (vouchers or paid), I did not tip my waiters as they weren’t great and I tipped my Cabin Steward $60 because he was great,

 

Guess I’m becoming more American! 😂

Remember the major reason why in the USA it ranges between 15-20% of the bill as compared to other countries is that you must take into consideration the hourly wage being paid.  What I find troubling sometimes is when the restaurant breaks down the tipping amount by % on bill, they do not exclude the sales tax or in some cases the CC charge.  I know it's minor amount, but it irks me.😊

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DallasGuy75219

DallasGuy75219

Posted
Posted
57 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Remember the major reason why in the USA it ranges between 15-20% of the bill as compared to other countries is that you must take into consideration the hourly wage being paid.  What I find troubling sometimes is when the restaurant breaks down the tipping amount by % on bill, they do not exclude the sales tax or in some cases the CC charge.  I know it's minor amount, but it irks me.😊

And sometimes the minimum "suggested" amount is 20%.  Which I often ignore.

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John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

Posted
Posted
On 2/23/2023 at 8:01 AM, Longford said:

 

Yes, the cruise lines are cheap ... and take advantage of many of the crew who are from poor countries because those individuals can earn more onboard than they would doing jobs back home.  In the USA, restaurant owners are notoriously and abusively cheap ... well, not all but most.  Rather than raise wages on the price of a cruise or a meal in a land-side restaurant in order to pay a better wage we're pressured to leave a big tip.  In the USA 20% is being pushed as the norm.

 

I look at it as the cruise lines are providing opportunities for folks in less developed countries to make good wages in comparison to what the could earn at home.

 

20% had been the norm for 20 years. Makes the math easier 😉

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zanydoc

zanydoc

Posted
Posted
On 2/23/2023 at 8:52 AM, timbom said:

Why is there all of this discussion on extra tips.  These people with standard tips (per the cruise line)  are already making almost 10 times what they could earn back home. 

 

Remember the average wage in the third world countries they come from is usually less than 150$ per week (if they can find a job).  This is why the cruise lines hires from these countries.  If  anything the average we pay on tips is way above what should be necessary for good service.

 

Real reason the tips are so high is so the cruise line can retain their staff without having to go to expense of hiring and training new workers. 

Why, you say? Because this is cruisecritic and there is nothing more that we love to do as sit around all day and chat about tipping, smoking, chair hogging and bad food. In fact this thread makes me so happy because it feels like it did before the pandemic and makes me feel normal again. I think I’ll go and start a new thread about smuggling alcohol! 😁

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DallasGuy75219

DallasGuy75219

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, goldfish65 said:

IMO, this is why you are finding fewer and fewer professional waiters in the restaurant industry. 

My point was 15% is my baseline tip for average or even mediocre service; I'm simply not tipping 20% for that level of service.  A truly professional waiter should be capable of providing better than average service and therefore earning 20% or more.

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DallasGuy75219

DallasGuy75219

Posted
Posted
On 2/23/2023 at 8:52 AM, timbom said:

Real reason the tips are so high is so the cruise line can retain their staff without having to go to expense of hiring and training new workers. 

Not sure what planet you've been cruising on, or maybe you just haven't cruised since 2020, but no, not in the current environment. 

 

Many crew who went home when cruising shut down never came back after the restart.  And those that did come back are not renewing their contracts like in pre-shutdown times once they come back and work in the post-COVID cruise environment.  Maybe the latter has improved with the relaxation of onboard COVID protocols, but many are unhappy with the additional work the cruiselines are dumping on them to reduce headcount and expenses.

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John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

Posted
Posted (edited)
45 minutes ago, Carnival Cheerleader said:

20% has never been the norm. Even today the norm is 18%. 20 years ago the norm was 15% and when I was a kid the norm was 10%. Of course, who gets to decide what the norm is anyway?

Personally, I leave the auto grats in place and that's good enough, especially with the recent increases in auto grats.

 

It's the wife's norm, she must have gotten it from somewhere.

 

You ever try to do the math in your head at 18%😉

Edited by John&LaLa
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cruisegus

cruisegus

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Probably

So when you go to resturant that adds an automatic gratuity to your bill, you tip on top of that?

 

My philosophy has always been when a company suggests a tip and allows you to prepay it, that is the expected norm.  I only will go above that for exceptional service, which is rare.

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John&LaLa "Live from...." Rare

John&LaLa

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, cruisegus said:

So when you go to resturant that adds an automatic gratuity to your bill, you tip on top of that?

 

My philosophy has always been when a company suggests a tip and allows you to prepay it, that is the expected norm.  I only will go above that for exceptional service, which is rare.

 

I have before, depends on my mood

 

 

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HBE4

HBE4

Posted
Posted

Growing up - 1960's & 1970's - I always heard that you should tip 15% at lunch and 20% at dinner, presumably because dinner was more involved.  I don't remember what the tip for breakfast was. 10%? loose change? A reminder to not smoke in bed?

 

I also remember some telling me to tip 15% for average service and 20% for above average service.  Then again, I was a kid, didn't pay for anything and didn't really concern myself with tipping rules.

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bonsai3s

bonsai3s

Posted
Posted

I was about 9 yrs old...took some clothes to wash and dry, back in the day when we were too poor to own a washer and dryer...San Francisco, corner of Gough & Sutter. 25 cents for wash, 10 cents to dry.

 

Across the street was Dario's Pizza...I can still smell the redolent aroma from that pizzeria to this day. While waiting for our clothes to dry, I decided to buy a whole pizza.

 

When I got my bill, I realized I only had 30 cents left. Genuinely embarrassed and with sad eyes, I gave the waitress what I had left...30 cents.

 

She smiled and gave me a kiss. I will never forget...the kiss.

 

Happy sailing.

 

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teddie

teddie

Posted
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Posted
3 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

I was about 9 yrs old...took some clothes to wash and dry, back in the day when we were too poor to own a washer and dryer...San Francisco, corner of Gough & Sutter. 25 cents for wash, 10 cents to dry.

 

Across the street was Dario's Pizza...I can still smell the redolent aroma from that pizzeria to this day. While waiting for our clothes to dry, I decided to buy a whole pizza.

 

When I got my bill, I realized I only had 30 cents left. Genuinely embarrassed and with sad eyes, I gave the waitress what I had left...30 cents.

 

She smiled and gave me a kiss. I will never forget...the kiss.

 

Happy sailing.

 

Such a beautiful memory! 
teddie

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Longford

Longford

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Growing up - 1960's & 1970's - I always heard that you should tip 15% at lunch and 20% at dinner, presumably because dinner was more involved. 

 

I grew up in Chicago in the 50s and 60s, and never heard of tipping more than 10% ... until maybe the 1990s.

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Morecruisesplz

Morecruisesplz

Posted
Posted
42 minutes ago, bonsai3s said:

I was about 9 yrs old...took some clothes to wash and dry, back in the day when we were too poor to own a washer and dryer...San Francisco, corner of Gough & Sutter. 25 cents for wash, 10 cents to dry.

 

Across the street was Dario's Pizza...I can still smell the redolent aroma from that pizzeria to this day. While waiting for our clothes to dry, I decided to buy a whole pizza.

 

When I got my bill, I realized I only had 30 cents left. Genuinely embarrassed and with sad eyes, I gave the waitress what I had left...30 cents.

 

She smiled and gave me a kiss. I will never forget...the kiss.

 

Happy sailing.

 

A bartender, waiter nor cabin attendant has ever kissed me. One hug is all I remember or will admit to.

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