Increase in Hotel and Dining Service Charge (aka Auto-Gratuities)

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, TouchstoneFeste said:

Well now we've derailed into "what is good service?" and I should be adult enough to just leave it alone ... but I'm not 🙂

 

Minimum wage for food service workers in the US is $2 per hour, FYI.

 

On Cunard I've only ever eaten in the Grills (only one trip under my belt), but we had constant attention from our waiter and his assistant, and regular visits by the sommelier and the maitre d'. This is what I meant by "Cunard standards". Not that Ol' Betty Lou at the diner doesn't do a good job, just that she's overworked and maybe has a busboy to help fill the water glasses.

 

 

That is the main difference between US and UK is here we have a far minimum higher wage whatever the job. So there is no need to rely on gratuities that is why it is not as widespread or common in the UK.

[majortom10]

9 minutes ago, Pear Carr said:

Agreed! You are either in or out with/without additional tips. I also think we cannot compare like for like given UK never have gratuities included unlike some USA/other nationalities. Do what you feel is right for you.

And not to be called all the names under the sun if it is different than US. Sorry but there is no justification to be automatically charged nearly £400 for a couple on a 14 nt holiday.

 

[Victoria2]

3 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

We'll never agree on tipping. 

 

All I can say there is no correlation between expected tipping levels and service, if  there was , then service in USA would be best in world. Quality of service is mainly  culture ,  and of course staffing numbers.

 

Some cultures are good at service , some not, some are excellent 

 

Some companies good at service some not,  again some excellent. 

 

Cunard is good,  but not exceptional.  So to me service not as good as Cunard , couldn't be classified as good , it would be acceptable, but again what is acceptable depends on what you pay.

 

. Cunard operates on the margins of staff to passengers ratio for good service.  Of course it's better than many cheaper lines, but not up with luxury lines. And nowhere near luxury hotels . 

Oh I don't know.

We've stayed in some perceived up market hotels and QG could hold it's own against them, even down to the butler service which I consider better than some of the hotels we've stayed in.

[majortom10]

We all have differing  views and opinions and whatever anyone says there is not a right way or a wrong way. All I can say is we have only ever stayed in QG once and the butler was totally non existent and a waste of money. The cabin steward was more useful and did more for us.

[2Oldpeopleinlove]

Speaking of differing views, I would be seriously creeped out by having a butler hanging around…one of the reasons I’m happy as a rower.

[Victoria2]

7 hours ago, 2Oldpeopleinlove said:

Speaking of differing views, I would be seriously creeped out by having a butler hanging around…one of the reasons I’m happy as a rower.

Butlers don't hang around. Unpaged, they 're in charge of servicing the cabin for you  and bringing you canapes late afternoon but they're too busy to hang around anywhere. They are there but are at the end of a pager for you and when you page, that's when they come to the cabin so don't worry if you want to give QG a whirl, there's no creeping out involved at all.  🙂

[Victoria2]

8 hours ago, majortom10 said:

We all have differing  views and opinions and whatever anyone says there is not a right way or a wrong way. All I can say is we have only ever stayed in QG once and the butler was totally non existent and a waste of money. The cabin steward was more useful and did more for us.

As has been said many times,you were obviously unlucky. To get a flavour of ours and others' experiences, book another QG cruise and see the difference.🙂

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Victoria2 said:

As has been said many times,you were obviously unlucky. To get a flavour of ours and others' experiences, book another QG cruise and see the difference.🙂

No thanks not worth it IMO.

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

No thanks not worth it IMO.

Absolutely fine but it's a shame your one and only experience has soured your opinion of the product when I know, through many days of experience,  the service offered by the butlers is great. It's there when needed and not, when not required.

A perfect system.  🙂

[Windsurfboy]

Why when Cunard service is discussed we end up talking about great QG service, when 95% of ship isn't QG.  Both grills only equate to 10% of ship.

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

Why when Cunard service is discussed we end up talking about great QG service, when 95% of ship isn't QG.  Both grills only equate to 10% of ship.

Well I guess if a sweeping statement is made and another can find a point to challenge in that statement as I did with regards to Cunard service not matching up to luxury hotels, then I suppose one can only say, you opened up that line of direction!! 🙂

[Windsurfboy]

I thought all of Cunard was a luxury line 🤔 comparable to luxury hotels.

 

If the argument is that only QG is luxury and can be compared to luxury hotels  and rest of ship is mass market, anyone who says that must prepare to be shot down in flames.

 

By the way I  agree with you Cunard service is better than most US or UK top end hotels. However when you compare it to top end resorts in say Indian ocean, for a similiar cost, then the relatively low staff to guest ratio becomes apparent when you look at level of service.  You can wait for ages for service on grills deck.  

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Windsurfboy said:

Why when Cunard service is discussed we end up talking about great QG service, when 95% of ship isn't QG.  Both grills only equate to 10% of ship.

Also I think there is a lot of difference on what those in Q1-Q2 get from their butler than what those get in Q5-Q6.

[Victoria2]

17 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I thought all of Cunard was a luxury line 🤔 comparable to luxury hotels.

 

If the argument is that only QG is luxury and can be compared to luxury hotels  and rest of ship is mass market, anyone who says that must prepare to be shot down in flames.

 

By the way I  agree with you Cunard service is better than most US or UK top end hotels. However when you compare it to top end resorts in say Indian ocean, for a similiar cost, then the relatively low staff to guest ratio becomes apparent when you look at level of service.  You can wait for ages for service on grills deck.  

I for one have never joined in  Cunard the line, as a luxury product debate as I only have around fourteen days experience of non QG so do not have enough experience to make a definitive comment but may I just add, I have no problem with QE/QV service outside on decks eleven and twelve so I must have a 'please look after me' sign on my person 😄, because the staff do.

[Victoria2]

25 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Also I think there is a lot of difference on what those in Q1-Q2 get from their butler than what those get in Q5-Q6.

Q5 to Q2, I assure you in our experience, you there is no difference in level of service whatsoever. None.

I will let you know if our path is strewn with rose petals and our bath filled with  goat milk every evening after our first Q1 coming up soon. 🙂

[exlondoner]

22 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

Q5 to Q2, I assure you in our experience, you there is no difference in level of service whatsoever. None.

I will let you know if our path is strewn with rose petals and our bath filled with  goat milk every evening after our first Q1 coming up soon. 🙂

Shouldn’t it be asses’ milk in a Q1? I should complain vociferously, if you get mere goats’. 😀 Mind you they’ll merely say they have supply chain probs.

[Victoria2]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

Shouldn’t it be asses’ milk in a Q1? I should complain vociferously, if you get mere goats’. 😀 Mind you they’ll merely say they have supply chain probs.

What can I say other than I'm no Cleo!!!  😄

[BigMac1953]

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

Also I think there is a lot of difference on what those in Q1-Q2 get from their butler than what those get in Q5-Q6.

 

On one occasion we were invited by a couple in a Q1 to join them for afternoon tea in their room.

 

We discovered that we shared the same butler, so I'm not quite sure what you base your statement on.

[RJChatsworth]

majortom10 - you say you think there is a lot of difference between Q1-Q2 and Q5-Q6 in terms of butler service, but in an earlier post you said you’d only been in a QG suite once.

 

If your information sources are not hearsay I’d love to know what they are so that I might use them one day.

[NE John]

On 3/28/2023 at 10:34 AM, techteach said:

3 hours ago, Windsurfboy said:

I thought all of Cunard was a luxury line 🤔 comparable to luxury hotels.

I wouldn’t quite call Cunard a luxury line; more of a premium line. The ships are too big along with the higher pax/staff ratios to be placed in the luxury category. 

More importantly, the crew and staff care much more about the surveys and evals from us, the paying guests. Their promotions and advancements depend on our feedback. 
 

Most of the tip money goes home to their families anyway so there is a human element to our tips and, if warranted, the omission of our tips. 

Edited April 4, 2023 by NE John

[NE John]

1 minute ago, NE John said:

I wouldn’t quite call Cunard a luxury line; more of a premium line. The ships are too big along with the higher pax/staff ratios to be placed in the luxury category. 

More importantly, the crew and staff care much more about the surveys and evals from us, the paying guests. Their promotions and advancements depend on our feedback. 
 

Most of the tip money goes home to their families anyway so there is a human element to our tips and, if warranted, the omission of our tips. 

 

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, RJChatsworth said:

majortom10 - you say you think there is a lot of difference between Q1-Q2 and Q5-Q6 in terms of butler service, but in an earlier post you said you’d only been in a QG suite once.

 

If your information sources are not hearsay I’d love to know what they are so that I might use them one day.

I wasn't happy with the butler in our only Q6 cruise and it was about 2.5hrs before he even came to see us when we embarked. The cabin steward, if my memory serves me right, visited us twice to see if butler had been to see us and when we said no he didn't look very happy. Sorry but if I was paying the prices they now ask for a Q1-Q2 I certainly would expect better service and would have not been happy. Also with a maitre d' who couldn't cut a duck in two tableside without it ending up on the floor and with no apology. Sorry it was more like a Monty Python programme than a supposedly first class White Star service.

[Host Hattie]

We're now way beyond the original subject so this thread is now closed.