Gratuities Are Going Up Again, Effective 11.11.2023

[orville99]

15 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

You can't do that.  The auto gratuity is an all or nothing proposition.

You can pre pay before Nov 11 at the existing rate

I wonder what happens on a cruise that starts on 11/7 but doesn’t end until 11/21?

 

16 minutes ago, mickeygirl78 said:

I'm glad I had already called and prepaid them for my November and February cruises.  A $2 increase after the increase just a year ago seems steep.  I would never remove my tips, but it will make me think twice about tipping above the standard amount.

We typically drop $100 or so at the bars each week. A$56 increase in mandatory gratuities just means that we will cut our bar tips in half.

[Another_Critic]

2 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

I dont! In fact my bill was grats only. Didnt spend a penny. All I am saying is that employees should not suffer due to some paying and others not. It is hard enough to find employees let alone losing them.

Simple solution.  Raise salaries and include in cruise fare.

 

Edited October 31, 2023 by Another_Critic

[orville99]

2 minutes ago, cmich068 said:

 

That's exactly what the email says - "If you’d like to pre-pay your gratuities at the current rate before your sailing, we’re happy to extend this opportunity to you"

Actually, they used to grandfather the tip amounts for cruises booked before the increase date.

[tottenhamfc]

Just now, Another_Critic said:

Simply solution.  Raise salaries and include in cruise fare.

So six of one a and half a dozen of the other. Is it the optics we are concerned with or the bottom line?

[springfire]

We will continue to opt out!

[iscruisingdunzo]

1 minute ago, Another_Critic said:

I gotta laugh at Royal suggesting to pre-pay gratuities.  Gratuities are supposed to be for exception service (not a salary supplement).  How do you rate service before boarding the ship??

Lol. It has never been about rewarding those that provide exceptional service. It has always been about subsidizing their salaries. This has never changed. 

[ace1zoe2]

Just now, orville99 said:

Actually, they used to grandfather the tip amounts for cruises booked before the increase date.

Yes, in the past as long as you were booked prior to the increase date you got the original gratuity. Now they want it up front. We have cruises booked thru the end of 2024 but I'm not about to give them all the grats up front for the next 8 cruises.

[UNCFanatik]

2 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

I dont! In fact my bill was grats only. Didnt spend a penny. All I am saying is that employees should not suffer due to some paying and others not. It is hard enough to find employees let alone losing them.

Employee is the key word. They willingly sign a contract and accept that part of their compensation comes from gratuities. Get mad at the cruise industry for their pay and hiring practices. Get upset with Cruise lines that allow people to remove gratuities. 

 

Dont get mad at the consumer who opts to an action allowed by cruise lines. 

 

I remove the auto-grats. I support employees by choosing to cruise when paying the advertised fare. 

[GimmeOcean]

How many threads on this topic are necessary?

[springfire]

We will continue to opt out!

[Another_Critic]

1 minute ago, iscruisingdunzo said:

Lol. It has never been about rewarding those that provide exceptional service. It has always been about subsidizing their salaries. This has never changed. 

Correct, and that needs to stop.  Employers (and customers) need to wake up.

[leisuretraveler223]

This thread will hit 20 pages by morning. All people offering nonsense pontifications that mean and change nothing.  Feel free to just contribute your garbage hot air here.....

[not-enough-cruising]

23 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

Not passive. We see value in the employees contribution to your cruise. Some obviously do not value tipping at all. I believe in a  model that rewards exceptional service but also recognize that some employees do contribute behind the scenes. 

This model does NOT reward exceptional service. This model rewards  everyone equally. 

[UNCFanatik]

1 minute ago, leisuretraveler223 said:

This thread will hit 20 pages by morning. All people offering nonsense pontifications that mean and change nothing.  Feel free to just contribute your garbage hot air here.....

 

oh the irony escapes you....

[cruiselvr04]

We tip a $1 per DP drink and that won’t change.  But since I don’t eat breakfast and use the buffet for a very light lunch, usually not in the windjammer, I feel I’m over tipping for the room being done once a day and one meal served from the wait staff. Who are all those people behind the scenes I’m supposed to be tipping?  

[krusso80]

Has anyone called to verify if you need to prepay before Nov.11th to get the old rate? If you read the email carefully it seems to say that as long as you pre pay before your sailing date you get the old rate, wait to pay on board, the new rate. Am i not reading it right?

[not-enough-cruising]

19 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

I agree with you. They are raising these rates because approx 10% are pulling grats. Coincidentally the increase is 10% so there is a correlation. The days if additional tips has now disappeared I think.

Where did you get 10% remove the charge? I firmly believe it’s higher than that. 

[Wanna Be Retired]

12 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

The focus is on short cruises, younger demographic, alcohol Packages, families and activities not necessarily in that order. Seasoned cruisers are a drain on revenue because we have benefits. It is a typical bean counter approach. 

You are absolutely correct.  I am not a big spender when I get on the ship.  I don’t hang out in the jewelry store.  I no longer book excursions.  I use my vouchers and my BOGO.  I keep my cabin clean so my cabin attendant has very little to do.  They look at me and wish I would go away.

[tottenhamfc]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

Where did you get 10% remove the charge? I firmly believe it’s higher than that. 

Guest services told me on the last cruise.

[RoyalC]

8 minutes ago, cruiselvr04 said:

We tip a $1 per DP drink and that won’t change.  But since I don’t eat breakfast and use the buffet for a very light lunch, usually not in the windjammer, I feel I’m over tipping for the room being done once a day and one meal served from the wait staff. Who are all those people behind the scenes I’m supposed to be tipping?  

Behind the scenes are supposed to be paid a regular salary.  At least that is how it works in some countries. Royal has you pay their salary. For example, the cooks that cannot cook bacon or some food properly.  

Edited October 31, 2023 by RoyalC

[cruiselvr04]

I’m paying a final tomorrow and planned to prepay tips anyway so I will ask.   By then maybe someone else will have an answer.

[elh1]

Have my first and maybe last RCCL cruise in the next few weeks.  Less service more costs, no exception for those who are already booked.  Tired of add ons increasing between booking and cruising, i.e. higher food/bev pricing, now tips.  Really think my future cruises will be all inclusive lines or at least bookings that include the add-ons I want in the initial booking.  Hate to start a cruise feeling treated poorly.

[not-enough-cruising]

3 minutes ago, tottenhamfc said:

Guest services told me on the last cruise.

It will be going up mid November 

[not-enough-cruising]

18 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Do you purchase specialty dining, internet, drink package, any pre-purchases or onboard purchases?  If so, you are part of the problem.  😉😄

I fail to see the correlation. 
 

Money spent on specialty dining, drink package, or internet shows a tangible ROI, daily auto gratuity does not.  
 

The one thing all these things have in common is they are all 100% voluntary to participate in. 

[Billy Baltic]

23 minutes ago, UNCFanatik said:

Decrease in service shouldnt equate to raise of gratuities.

^ this. I just laughed when I read the email. They’re so far removed from reality they don’t even see how ridiculous this is.