Tipping beyond daily and drink gratuities.

[rbtan]

9 hours ago, osandomir said:

What’s more important it also makes crew members feel good. No “greasing the palm” as we mostly tip at the end of the cruise. Some others can always find an excuse to not tipping above. At least I’ve never seen anybody trying to reduce automatic gratuities on Oceania.

Try hanging out at guest services the last night. Not all pax are settling accounts. There's enough cheapskates even on O.We're in the food industry & we try to show extra generosity when we can.

[osandomir]

11 minutes ago, rbtan said:

Try hanging out at guest services the last night. Not all pax are settling accounts. There's enough cheapskates even on O.We're in the food industry & we try to show extra generosity when we can.

I just said that I never witnessed it, not saying it never happens. Based on how long people are willing to discuss the tipping protocols obviously some would feel better if they could reduce the automatic gratuities as well.

[Harters]

14 hours ago, osandomir said:

some would feel better if they could reduce the automatic gratuities as well.

I would be entirely happy if the amount of gratuities was simply incorporated into the main price of the cruise and O indicated that nothing further was required or expected from the customer. 

[jonthomas]

Even if the statement " nothing more is expected" was added, there would be those who would still do the palm or envelope to " feel better ".

I even witnessed some using their OBCs in the stores to buy merchandise for their attendants. They proudly made that fact known.

[pinotlover]

6 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

Even if the statement " nothing more is expected" was added, there would be those who would still do the palm or envelope to " feel better ".

I even witnessed some using their OBCs in the stores to buy merchandise for their attendants. They proudly made that fact known.

Why does this matter to anyone? I mean really, why does it matter? We always have PPG , by status, Some we tip extra, some we don’t . I’m satisfied with what we do. I never worry about what others are doing or have done.

 

Here’s the most important part: I’ve never felt, on Oceania, that the excellent service we receive was based on our level of tipping. 
 

Don’t Worry, Be Happy!

[Harters]

34 minutes ago, jonthomas said:

there would be those who would still do the palm or envelope to " feel better ".

Absolutely.

 

And, by co-incidence, I saw similar in a restaurant only last night. It adds a discretionary 10% service charge, as is not at all uncommon here. But the guy on the next table also gave the server some cash which, I have to say, would be unusual here - a recent study has shown  that only about 30% of people tip and it's virtually died out as a practice amongst the under-30s. When I read that, a few months back, I asked the owner of lone of our regular  restaurants what he thought and he reckoned that was generally true. 

[JYDCruise]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

I would be entirely happy if the amount of gratuities was simply incorporated into the main price of the cruise and O indicated that nothing further was required or expected from the customer. 

Indeed. I'd go one step further - build good wages for the crew into the fare, and say that nothing further was required, expected or will be accepted. Japan-style - try tipping there and see what happens.

 

Points to Azamara (probably the closest comp to Oceania) for including gratuities in the fare.

[pinotlover]

30 minutes ago, JYDCruise said:

Indeed. I'd go one step further - build good wages for the crew into the fare, and say that nothing further was required, expected or will be accepted. Japan-style - try tipping there and see what happens.

 

Points to Azamara (probably the closest comp to Oceania) for including gratuities in the fare.

Why do you believe good wages aren’t already built into the fare? 
 

Do you know what their wages are? All the workers are paid by their rank. If O’s wages weren’t competitive, they wouldn’t attract workers.

 

Only a few of the senior staff are actually Oceania employees. Most all others are on contract through often a maze of employment headshops that take a tithing out of that pay. Oceania isn’t a party to those arrangements anymore than I am to what our landscaping company pays its employees. 
 

Even if Oceania increased rank compensation levels, there is absolutely no guarantee that would flow down the maze to the actual workers. Much like the wine industry in the States. What you pay for that glass/bottle of wine in a retail store or restaurant has little to do with what the vineyard workers make.

[Harters]

2 hours ago, pinotlover said:

If O’s wages weren’t competitive, they wouldn’t attract workers.

True. But remember that, as in any situation, it is total income, wages and gratuities, that will determine the attractiveness of O as an employer. 

[firsttimers68]

16 hours ago, jonthomas said:

Even if the statement " nothing more is expected" was added, there would be those who would still do the palm or envelope to " feel better ".

I even witnessed some using their OBCs in the stores to buy merchandise for their attendants. They proudly made that fact known.

I am one of those people who have used their OBC to purchase gifts for staff. Why do you feel that is wrong? Should I have just treated myself, or should I be kind and buy  a member of staff their favourite perfume etc? I do it quietly and get much joy from being kind.

[Harters]

9 hours ago, firsttimers68 said:

I do it quietly

My guess is jonthomas' "issue" is with the people who do it and "proudly make that fact known". Unlike yourself who  does it quietly. Bragging about displays of wealth are not an endearing trait. 

[firsttimers68]

21 minutes ago, Harters said:

My guess is jonthomas' "issue" is with the people who do it and "proudly make that fact known". Unlike yourself who  does it quietly. Bragging about displays of wealth are not an endearing trait. 

Ah ok, thanks for clarifying. Having a crazy day here so not quite on the ball! I think it's lovely to quietly do kind things, I can mention it on here because nobody knows me. 

 

[catandmouse]

There is a fundamental difference between tipping in the USA and the rest of the world. In the US wait staff are paid a pittance, whilst in most other places in the world staff are paid a proper living wage. I live near Geneva, Switzerland and the minimum legal wage is about 25 CHF/hour (about 27 USD). I know Switzerland is a high cost country, but that's nevertheless orders of magnitude above what happens in the US. Wait staff are paid a proper living wage here and that's even true in France, where the minimum wage (the SMIC) is lower, but still just about allows you to live.

I understand the situation in the US. I've worked with many US colleagues who went through college and partly financed themselves by working and living off tips, because that was what was expected.

However, the tipping culture in the rest of the world is very different. I feel no need to tip waiters here, though I will usually round up a little, but certainly nowhere near the 20% expected in the US.

As far as Oceania is concerned, I will let the auto-tip/auto-service or whatever they call it, stand. I would prefer if it was built into the fares that we have to pay, but I recognize that most passengers are North American, that Oceania is a US company, and I therefore accept that's the way you have to do things. I hesitate about adding any more, sounds like tipping the tips.

[AroundWithMAPTravels]

Our take on this is…

The cabin attendants , no matter how much their wage is, do not get paid nearly enough for the number of hours they work (And literally cleaning up your “stuff” - planned on a different word here, but figure post would be deleted).  Many of them are spending months away from family, but trying very hard to support that same family that they do not see.

gratuities are welcomed in any form.  That 17 or 20 dollars that is automatic is being split amongst 100 or more people (laundry, engine room, etc).

so each staff member gets only a tiny fraction.

In 99.9 percent of the cruises that I have been on the cabin attendants and several others were stellar and DESERVED more from us than that tiny portion of our automatic gratuity.  We were truly grateful for the attention and service they provided, so we provide some “extra” just for them (not to br “shared”).

Done quietly and discreetly.

That being said, I am from US but despise the tipping culture as it is now .  
it doesn’t matter to me whether it is included in fare or “automatically “… it still is part of what I consider the daily cost of trip.    Unfortunately, everyone seems to want “a bargain”, so adding it in to price of the trip just results in sticker shock… Americans ,at least , seem to want the lower initial price and then expect to tip.

I think that if there was a way to price trips differently by region (with auto gratuity included in higher price, or as an add-on) it may eliminate some of these ongoing discussions.

Note:   I have not yet sailed on Oceania, but am considering it.   Have sailed on a variety of lines, some with included auto gratuity, some without.   That never enters into my consideration of should I sail with them or not.  Gets added in into final price in my mind for consideration and comparison.   But no matter which way the cruise operator operates,  there are certain people that work brutal hours but still have a smile and have made MY day better.   They deserve something nice, and a little bit “extra” too… so we give extra.

[osandomir]

12 hours ago, Harters said:

My guess is jonthomas' "issue" is with the people who do it and "proudly make that fact known". Unlike yourself who  does it quietly. Bragging about displays of wealth are not an endearing trait. 

And I think some people have an “issue” with themselves trying to find an excuse for not willing to tip in general. As for tipping extra, nobody is forced to do it - personal choice. No need to ask “how much is enough” and it’s not necessary to blame others for something that one chooses not to do.

[daydreamer62]

5 hours ago, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

 

I think that if there was a way to price trips differently by region (with auto gratuity included in higher price, or as an add-on) it may eliminate some of these ongoing discussions.

 

This already happens . In NZ we pay more than those in the US and gratuities are included in our fare

[Gracie115]

13 hours ago, AroundWithMAPTravels said:

   But no matter which way the cruise operator operates,  there are certain people that work brutal hours but still have a smile and have made MY day better.   They deserve something nice, and a little bit “extra” too… so we give extra.

 

Exactly how we feel.

[Vallesan]

We always like to say a personal  ‘thank you’  by giving tips to those crew members who, in our opinion,  have just done that little bit  extra to make our trip even more memorable.

It’s just a ‘token’, rather than megabucks, but I think the staff probably value really  being appreciated.