I Have Been Woefully Ignorant Regarding Tips

[Roberto256]

1 hour ago, basil1 said:

It's not a tip or gratuity it's a service charge.

Ding.  Ding.  Ding.

 

Survey says...

 

NUMBER ONE ANSWER.

 

What I find amusing ... now, with all the packages which include crew appreciation...

Lots and lots of cruisers have the 'tips' rolled into the cruise fare.

 

But, I have read here many, many times that the cruise lines can't do this.

It violates some accounting law for publicly traded companies, blah, blah...

Always posted by self-professed experts.

 

To save money and regulations, carnival corp set up a panamanian corporation to run their onboard gaming.

 

I always assumed that if carnival corp want to roll tips into cruise fares that they were clever enough, and

had enough lawyers to do so...

 

And, who is in this customer facing tip pool seems to be very fluid.

At one time princess mentioned front desk, shops and entertainment.

Now, they do not.

 

All I know is that I have heard from people I know on princess that the 'salary' sucks, and lots of them have left.

Virgin voyages seems to be a popular destination.   You might see a maitre d' you recognize there.

 

P.S. When crew says 'salary' for their tip income, it sounds off to me.   But that is what they say...

[voljeep]

6 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

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

I tip on time at the table and trips by a server - has nothing to do with amount of the bill.  This time happened to be a more % since we only had drinks and apps - but still took the time for a full meal.

[Tedferg]

1 hour 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

Someone said it is fleet wide because crew objected to regions like Australia or UK where the tipping protocol is different from other regions.

[memoak]

25 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

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

What built in tip are you referring to the sales tax paid to your state. I would usually tip around $8 for that meal   If you stiff the server by not tipping make sure you never go back to that restaurant 

[memoak]

20 minutes ago, voljeep said:

I tip on time at the table and trips by a server - has nothing to do with amount of the bill.  This time happened to be a more % since we only had drinks and apps - but still took the time for a full meal.

So if they refill your water glass 3times you tip more. If I was your server I would make so many trips to your table you would get tired of seeing me

[voljeep]

1 minute ago, memoak said:

So if they refill your water glass 3times you tip more. If I was your server I would make so many trips to your table you would get tired of seeing me

And she handed me twenty dollars
For a two fifty fare, she said
"Harry, keep the change"

I stuffed the bill in my shirt.

 

How would they know before I tipped?

[memoak]

Just now, voljeep said:

And she handed me twenty dollars
For a two fifty fare, she said
"Harry, keep the change"

I stuffed the bill in my shirt.

 

How would they know before I tipped?

If you go there a lot they will know who you are

 

[voljeep]

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

If you go there a lot they will know who you are

 

Post # 25

[Lady Arwen]

To be honest, I don’t give a flying fig how the gratuities are distributed.  The crew member and the cruiseline have a contract to which each party agreed, including wages and gratuities.  That is their business, not mine.  
 

We leave on the auto CA and tip with extra cash to those who went above the standard expectations.  That’s my contribution to the pool and I don’t even give it a second thought.  I just don’t understand all this discussion and concern about who gets what and when.  The crew accepts the cruiseline policy regarding tips and so do I.  My conscience is clear.

[Bgwest]

3 hours 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?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Didn't the fleetwide distribution begin some time ago? I remember thinking this way of handing suggested daily tips was wrong when I first heard about. I'm thinking this was some years ago.

 

Is my old brain playing tricks on me?

[BlerkOne]

22 minutes ago, memoak said:

If you go there a lot they will know who you are

 

The crew remembers names, I wouldn't be surprised if the crew remembers who tips and how. Or even if they shared the information with other crew members. It is always a team effort. Without the team, there is no service.

[BamaVol]

2 hours ago, roadster08 said:

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.

 

Sounds like a union shop to me.

[dreaminofcruisin]

In my mind, the main point here is that now you know why THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to the crew members is to mention them in the survey. Apparently, that is what impacts their reviews and likely bonuses, which seem like they are coming from these auto-tips.

 

We had one crew person who bent over backwards at the PES cocktail hour telling us how important it was for him to get mentioned in the survey.

 

We have often taken pictures of crew including their name tag so we remember their name when we do the survey after we get home.

[cruisequeen4ever]

21 minutes ago, dreaminofcruisin said:

In my mind, the main point here is that now you know why THE MOST IMPORTANT thing to the crew members is to mention them in the survey. Apparently, that is what impacts their reviews and likely bonuses, which seem like they are coming from these auto-tips.

 

We had one crew person who bent over backwards at the PES cocktail hour telling us how important it was for him to get mentioned in the survey.

 

We have often taken pictures of crew including their name tag so we remember their name when we do the survey after we get home.

I too have noticed how much the crew now emphasize being mentioned in the survey, and this thread reinforces why. It’s not only for promotions, but apparently is also how they determine how much of the tips they get! 

[Guindalf]

2 hours 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

 

No. Photographers and shopkeepers are contractors and are not part of the pool. Excursions are also run by individual contractors, so do not get a share.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Guindalf

[cruzsnooze]

2 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

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

Because the policy clearly states revenue generating departments which those are.

"

The Shops of Princess offer more than just accessories and sundries you may have left at home. Shop on board and benefit from incredible tax-and duty-free savings off suggested U.S. retail prices on fragrances, cosmetics, jewelry and gifts, apparel and liquor.

In addition to our everyday savings, we bring you special promotions throughout the cruise. Once on board, please check for times and locations of these exciting events by accessing JourneyView™ on your mobile device.

Plus, Elite Captain’s Circle members receive an extra 10% discount in the Shops of Princess– no exclusions!"

Edited July 31, 2023 by cruzsnooze

[Oscar13]

And she handed me twenty dollars
For a two fifty fare, she said
"Harry, keep the change"

I stuffed the bill in my shirt.

 

Harry Chapin at his finest.  The extended version is the best.  🙂

[Steelers36]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

If you go there a lot they will know who you are

 

I like to go where everybody knows my name.  And they're always glad I came.

[kathy49]

3 hours 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

Don agree with that thinking....I am okay with the pool but not  the fleetwide deal. No question I would rather pull it off and directly tip those that have made my week (or more) a great one. This is a real game and apparently all cruise lines operate this way?

[kathy49]

26 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

Because the policy clearly states revenue generating departments which those are.

"

The Shops of Princess offer more than just accessories and sundries you may have left at home. Shop on board and benefit from incredible tax-and duty-free savings off suggested U.S. retail prices on fragrances, cosmetics, jewelry and gifts, apparel and liquor.

In addition to our everyday savings, we bring you special promotions throughout the cruise. Once on board, please check for times and locations of these exciting events by accessing JourneyView™ on your mobile device.

Plus, Elite Captain’s Circle members receive an extra 10% discount in the Shops of Princess– no exclusions!"

those   shops are subcontracted and not part of this tip pool. Do you tip a shopkeeper at home when you go in to buy something? This "tipping" craze is out of control.

[kathy49]

1 hour ago, BlerkOne said:

The crew remembers names, I wouldn't be surprised if the crew remembers who tips and how. Or even if they shared the information with other crew members. It is always a team effort. Without the team, there is no service.

I say tip the captain too!!!

[roadster08]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

To be honest, I don’t give a flying fig how the gratuities are distributed.  The crew member and the cruiseline have a contract to which each party agreed, including wages and gratuities.  That is their business, not mine.  
 

We leave on the auto CA and tip with extra cash to those who went above the standard expectations.  That’s my contribution to the pool and I don’t even give it a second thought.  I just don’t understand all this discussion and concern about who gets what and when.  The crew accepts the cruiseline policy regarding tips and so do I.  My conscience is clear.

Let me explain it to you in a way that I hope you can see.

 

What started off as tipping for services rendered has morphed into crew appreciation. However, most of us from a tipping culture thought it was still tipping only princess was making it more convenient. 

 

As others have said, the current crew appreciation is basically a component of the base fare that you have the option to remove, but very few do.

 

When we pay a base fare we expect to have no say in how princess distributes it. Many of us assumed out of ignorance  we did have a say with crew appreciation.

 

To call it crew appreciation, I think is borderline unethical. It's actually a bonus we give Princess on top of the base fare. 

[BlerkOne]

4 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

 

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?

 

The only difference I notice is that is a service charge and is non-refundable.

[1emerald1]

Okay, so my understanding is that if you leave on the auto gratuity and tip your server an additional amount, he/she gets to keep that.  Is that still the case?

[BlerkOne]

3 minutes ago, roadster08 said:

Let me explain it to you in a way that I hope you can see.

 

What started off as tipping for services rendered has morphed into crew appreciation. However, most of us from a tipping culture thought it was still tipping only princess was making it more convenient. 

 

As others have said, the current crew appreciation is basically a component of the base fare that you have the option to remove, but very few do.

 

When we pay a base fare we expect to have no say in how princess distributes it. Many of us assumed out of ignorance  we did have a say with crew appreciation.

 

To call it crew appreciation, I think is borderline unethical. It's actually a bonus we give Princess on top of the base fare. 

Once upon a time, cruisers had about a thousand envelopes with which they had to fill with dirty money and hand to various staff members. The current method in much preferred.

 

To say it is a bonus to Princess is misleading. The money does not go to Princess. If it did, they would have to declare it as income. Gratuities have been part of cruising forever.

 

You have a choice to adjust up until the cruise is over. But really, if you are unhappy with how Princess does business, there are other cruise lines to choose, most of which do exactly the same.