I Have Been Woefully Ignorant Regarding Tips

[SargassoPirate]

With the discussions here about the costs of Plus and Premier packages, disappearing amenities, new charges for amenities, and calling tips/gratuities "crew appreciation" I noticed: 

 

All of the Crew Appreciation and Service Charge payments made by all guests on all ships in our fleet are pooled, net of credit card transaction fees. The pooled funds are distributed throughout the year in the form of compensation, including bonuses, to crewmembers fleetwide who interact directly with guests and/or behind the scenes throughout every cruise, including those in the Bar, Dining, Entertainment, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Galley and Onboard Revenue areas.

 

All of which got me to wondering who actually gets the 18 percent when I order a wee dram in the evening?  From all appearances, it doesn't look like the server, so what is their incentive to hustle - other than my folded two dollar bill handed to them as I place my order?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[donaldsc]

7 minutes ago, SargassoPirate said:

With the discussions here about the costs of Plus and Premier packages, disappearing amenities, new charges for amenities, and calling tips/gratuities "crew appreciation" I noticed: 

 

All of the Crew Appreciation and Service Charge payments made by all guests on all ships in our fleet are pooled, net of credit card transaction fees. The pooled funds are distributed throughout the year in the form of compensation, including bonuses, to crewmembers fleetwide who interact directly with guests and/or behind the scenes throughout every cruise, including those in the Bar, Dining, Entertainment, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Galley and Onboard Revenue areas.

 

All of which got me to wondering who actually gets the 18 percent when I order a wee dram in the evening?  From all appearances, it doesn't look like the server, so what is their incentive to hustle - other than my folded two dollar bill handed to them as I place my order?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another $2 bill person.

 

Re the tips.  I hate to star another tip thread.  But if If I understand the quote correctly -

 

1) The tips are distributed to "onboard revenue areas" whatever that is.

 

2) The tips are pooled fleetwise and not just to the crew members on the ship that I am sailing on.

 

Do I have it right?  I have always been totally opposed to cancelling tips and paying tips directly to the crew members.  If my point 2) is correct I may rethink that.

 

DON

[cruzsnooze]

Everyone else has been deceived about these tips too. I've been beating a dead horse about this rip off for years because the crew gets the same regardless of what amount you give in the name of gratuity. The crew salary is based on longevity, reviews, department and incentives. The number of crew now added to the list is quite large.

[cruzsnooze]

Just now, donaldsc said:

 

Another $2 bill person.

 

Re the tips.  I hate to star another tip thread.  But if If I understand the quote correctly -

 

1) The tips are distributed to "onboard revenue areas" whatever that is.

 

2) The tips are pooled fleetwise and not just to the crew members on the ship that I am sailing on.

 

Do I have it right?  I have always been totally opposed to cancelling tips and paying tips directly to the crew members.  If my point 2) is correct I may rethink that.

 

DON

The money goes first to Princess who deducts an adm fee. The money we pay as Americans supplements the fleet wide areas such as OZ and New Zealand who don't tip. The money does not go to the crew on the ship who serviced you. Onboard revenue includes shop keepers, cruise director and their staff (think revenue Bingo) and shore excursions , photo's and on and on............most everything is revenue generating

[kywildcatfanone]

Yes, that is quite eye opening that it isn't for the cruise you are on.  That can be a bit bothersome to my line of thinking.  

[basil1]

Agreed. It's not a tip or gratuity it's a service charge. A tip or gratuity implies that it's intended for the person who did the job for you and did a better than expected job. IMHO

[c-boy]

Oh bother .....

 

 

https://crew-center.com/preparing-your-first-cruise-ship-contract-what-expect

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Don't like the way Princess does this?  Then go to Celebrity ... oh wait they do the same .... then go to NCL ..... oh wait they do the same ...... Royal -same, Holland - same, Carnival - same, MSC - same, Viking - same, Oceania - same .......  The only way to avoid this as an add-on is to cruise with a line where service fees are baked into the, usually significantly higher, upfront cruise fare - lines like Seabourn, Silversea and Regent

 

I look at it as a part of the cost of my cruise.  What the company do with the funds thereafter, and how the crew are compensated is frankly none of my business.  If I wish to reward for superior service to key individuals I do so in the form of discreet cash tips.

[cruzsnooze]

5 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Don't like the way Princess does this?  Then go to Celebrity ... oh wait they do the same .... then go to NCL ..... oh wait they do the same ...... Royal -same, Holland - same, Carnival - same, MSC - same, Viking - same, Oceania - same .......  The only way to avoid this as an add-on is to cruise with a line where service fees are baked into the, usually significantly higher, upfront cruise fare - lines like Seabourn, Silversea and Regent

 

I look at it as a part of the cost of my cruise.  What the company do with the funds thereafter, and how the crew are compensated is frankly none of my business.  If I wish to reward for superior service to key individuals I do so in the form of discreet cash tips.

I don't have to go to any other cruise line since the crew appreciation is merely a suggestion and I go to guest services and reduce it to a reasonable amount. The exception to reducing them is if it's bundled into a beverage package which is one reason these packages are pushed so aggressively.

[memoak]

8 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

I don't have to go to any other cruise line since the crew appreciation is merely a suggestion and I go to guest services and reduce it to a reasonable amount. The exception to reducing them is if it's bundled into a beverage package which is one reason these packages are pushed so aggressively.

In my opinion the amounts are very reasonable. Actually much less than I would be paying in tips for a land trip

[roadster08]

Apparently, it goes to the people who work on all the ships, for the greater good. Everyone is expected to perform according to the best of their abilities, and the reward for that gets distributed equally.

 

If you say that doesn't sound like capitalism, I would agree with you.

 

In addition, I think it is rather arrogant for Princess to pluck the tips from the people we give them to and treat it like it was princesses own tips to be distributed as they see fit.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by roadster08

[skynight]

If I understand the current system correctly the $2 cash provided to the server is no longer shared, but retained by the server.

My question is where do you obtain the $2 bills? Banks in our area really do not have them. 

[SargassoPirate]

Just now, skynight said:

If I understand the current system correctly the $2 cash provided to the server is no longer shared, but retained by the server.

My question is where do you obtain the $2 bills? Banks in our area really do not have them. 

My bank will order a bundle for me.  They are nice a crisp in a wrapper.

 

If I just walk in and ask, they'll usually have a few on hand, but not a quantity.

[behappy11]

I did not even know that the US had two dollar bills until I read it on Cruise critic.  I went to a bank (Canada) and lo and behold they had six of them. They said that no one ever asks for that denomination . I also got a ton of ones to tip additionally with (we have the plus package). Love and learn.😀

[voljeep]

16 minutes ago, memoak said:

In my opinion the amounts are very reasonable. Actually much less than I would be paying in tips for a land trip

lunch Saturday - 2 apps - 1 large beer, 1 mojito - $43 including tax.  Left $55 cash - so about $12 tip

[donaldsc]

29 minutes ago, memoak said:

In my opinion the amounts are very reasonable. Actually much less than I would be paying in tips for a land trip

 

I do not object to the amounts.  I also can live w how it is distributed to the crew members on my ship.  I did not realize that it was apparently distributed fleetwise.  This is my issue.

 

DON

[cruzsnooze]

33 minutes ago, memoak said:

In my opinion the amounts are very reasonable. Actually much less than I would be paying in tips for a land trip

But it's not a land based and US values don't apply as has been brought up over and over again. The crew come from countries where the dollar goes much farther and the tax structure is not like ours. The crew get room and board and transportation to the ship. 

[cruzsnooze]

6 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

I do not object to the amounts.  I also can live w how it is distributed to the crew members on my ship.  I did not realize that it was apparently distributed fleetwise.  This is my issue.

 

DON

It goes to people who didn't serve you. An example would be the photo dept which I don't use or the shop keepers or the photographer..........and others

[that]

1 hour ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

 

 

I look at it as a part of the cost of my cruise.  What the company do with the funds thereafter, and how the crew are compensated is frankly none of my business.  If I wish to reward for superior service to key individuals I do so in the form of discreet cash tips.

Exactly

 

[dsukid]

32 minutes ago, voljeep said:

lunch Saturday - 2 apps - 1 large beer, 1 mojito - $43 including tax.  Left $55 cash - so about $12 tip

Was there some kind of magical service for about a 30% tip?

Edited July 31, 2023 by dsukid

[mtnesterz]

1 hour ago, basil1 said:

Agreed. It's not a tip or gratuity it's a service charge. A tip or gratuity implies that it's intended for the person who did the job for you and did a better than expected job. IMHO

Tips or gratuities are gifts not obligations. A service charge is part of the bill and an obligation. If the amount can be adjusted or removed, it is a tip. If it cannot be adjusted, it is a charge.

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by mtnesterz

[memoak]

43 minutes ago, voljeep said:

lunch Saturday - 2 apps - 1 large beer, 1 mojito - $43 including tax.  Left $55 cash - so about $12 tip

That in my opinion is very generous 

[SargassoPirate]

36 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

It goes to people who didn't serve you. An example would be the photo dept which I don't use or the shop keepers or the photographer..........and others

Those examples are overhead.  Why should we be tipping shop keepers?

[voljeep]

15 minutes ago, memoak said:

That in my opinion is very generous 

it was - it was either going to be $7 or $12 - it was really nice and we sat there for awhile, not holding the table - plenty were empty

 

even the $7 on $43 would have been plenty, but wth -  we rarely eat out

[donaldsc]

Just now, voljeep said:

it was - it was either going to be $7 or $12 - it was really nice and we sat there for awhile, not holding the table - plenty were empty

 

even the $7 on $43 would have been plenty, but wth -  we rarely eat out

 

There already was a tip built into your purchase.  There was a 3d option - no tip besides the built in one.  What does the number of empty tables have to do w the tip size?  Does one tip more at a restaurant if the restaurant is almost empty?

 

DON