crew appreciation increasing Feb 01,2024

[BermudaBound2014]

Here's another data point

 

I have prepaid my gratuities for a cruise next month. The pre-pay gratuities button is still available but when I click on it I get a 'bad gateway' error.

 

I have not prepaid my gratuities for a cruise next year. When I click on that I get the 'old' crew appreciation rate. My guess is this will be an option to prepay up until Feb 1st, but who knows! 

[kazu]

13 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Here's another data point

 

I have prepaid my gratuities for a cruise next month. The pre-pay gratuities button is still available but when I click on it I get a 'bad gateway' error.

 

I have not prepaid my gratuities for a cruise next year. When I click on that I get the 'old' crew appreciation rate. My guess is this will be an option to prepay up until Feb 1st, but who knows! 

 

I think you may be on to something.  I went to my other cruise further in the future and it is available to pay at the old rate.  

 

I prepaid mine too for the upcoming one and it may be why I couldn’t access it.

[highscar]

@FlaMariner just checked my statement for last year. It was $15.50.  

[Mosaic]

I can book the old rate for a Mid February 2024 trip....for what that is worth.

[jlawrence01]

The current rate for crew appreciation is $16 for Oceanview and inside cabins as of this morning's invoice.

[highscar]

So we are still in January.   Just what is going on ?

[alwaysfrantic]

On 1/10/2024 at 7:53 PM, Hlitner said:

Let me ask you a simple question,  All that "crew appreciation: you pay......where does it go...who gets how much?  I bet you have no clue.  HAL fans constantly take the position that whatever it costs, it is fine!  Really?  So call your PCC (if you deal with a PCC) and ask for a breakdown of how that money is spent.  I would be you will not get an answer.

 

Hank

This is one area Disney is so far ahead of HAL.  It has been years since I was on DCL but they did the same automatic gratuities. We got sheets were if we wanted to give extra to the room steward we could ask them to add X dollars.  Then we received little slips and envelopes to give the crew member at the end of the trip.  People would write thank you notes to those important to them, increase above pool a single person.   

[cbr663]

On 1/10/2024 at 10:56 PM, Hlitner said:

I am thinking nothing other than I have no clue where it goes, what percentage goes to who, etc.  It is a big secret.  Although passengers pay, we are not entitled to any information about where the money goes.  Just try to ask the next time you cruise.

 

Bottom line is at one time you tipped the folks who gave you direct service (steward, waiter, assist steward, etc).  Now, it goes into a secret pool and is distributed the way management sees fit.  The person who gives you no service or lousy service gets a cut just like the person who gives you good service,   Unlike a reward for good service it is simply a supplement to pay the crew.  Why not also have us pay separate for the fuel, food, maintenance, debt service, etc?

 

Hank

 

I must agree Hank.  I find it astounding in this day of social media and hundreds of thousands of cruise ship crews and even former cruise ship crews now with their own YouTube profiles that the whole issue of tipping is such a closely guarded secret.  How is it that not one current or former crew member on a ship somewhere hasn't spilled the beans on tipping?  I can only think because the current process works so well for them.  

[Hlitner]

2 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

 

I must agree Hank.  I find it astounding in this day of social media and hundreds of thousands of cruise ship crews and even former cruise ship crews now with their own YouTube profiles that the whole issue of tipping is such a closely guarded secret.  How is it that not one current or former crew member on a ship somewhere hasn't spilled the beans on tipping?  I can only think because the current process works so well for them.  

One wonders if the crew even has a clue.  I assume they receive money, which they are told comes from the tipping pool, but they also may not be privy to "top secret" formula.  

[Toad]

So like everyone else I am still confused. Is a signature suite the same price as a suite? Also if I have already paid for the HIA with crew appreciation so will I have an increase for my cruise in July above and beyond for the 35 days? It would seem since we have already contracted for this it should be covered.

[kazu]

14 minutes ago, Toad said:

So like everyone else I am still confused. Is a signature suite the same price as a suite? Also if I have already paid for the HIA with crew appreciation so will I have an increase for my cruise in July above and beyond for the 35 days? It would seem since we have already contracted for this it should be covered.

 

The price for any cabin that ends with the word suite is the same.  Whether it’s a Vista Suite, Signature suite, Neptune Suite or Pinnacle Suite, it’s the same.

 

If your crew appreciation is included in your HIA I would not think you would see an increase on your cruise. JMO though.

I think where the discussion on different treatments and handing came up was when people had prepaid their crew appreciation (not included in HIA)

[Overhead Fred]

Regarding the angst over how the gratuities are apportioned, has no one read @crystalspin post #61? 

Edited January 14 by Overhead Fred

[Toad]

3 hours ago, kazu said:

 

The price for any cabin that ends with the word suite is the same.  Whether it’s a Vista Suite, Signature suite, Neptune Suite or Pinnacle Suite, it’s the same.

 

If your crew appreciation is included in your HIA I would not think you would see an increase on your cruise. JMO though.

I think where the discussion on different treatments and handing came up was when people had prepaid their crew appreciation (not included in HIA)

Thank you, I always find your responses unambiguous and almost always true.

[kazu]

19 minutes ago, Toad said:

Thank you, I always find your responses unambiguous and almost always true.

 

You’re welcome.  Not sure if that is a good thing or not but  I do try to tell it as I know it - or at least what I have experienced 🙂 

[jlawrence01]

4 hours ago, cbr663 said:

 

I must agree Hank.  I find it astounding in this day of social media and hundreds of thousands of cruise ship crews and even former cruise ship crews now with their own YouTube profiles that the whole issue of tipping is such a closely guarded secret.  How is it that not one current or former crew member on a ship somewhere hasn't spilled the beans on tipping?  I can only think because the current process works so well for them.  

 

I am probably one of the more unique people who have worked 15 years in food and beverage (several years as a tipped employee) and 25+ years as a CPA.

 

As a waiter, when customers would ask you how you were paid, the standard answer was "very poorly" even if you were making 5-7x minimum wage while declaring about 10% of your sales for tax purposes.  As a manager, I never saw anyone declare more than 12% of the sales they generated as income.

 

After a change in careers, I did a lot of free tax work for my restaurant friends and nothing has changed much over the years.  At some point, some will run into trouble as any IRS Revenue agent should be able to tell that their declared income cannot support their lifestyle.

 

=========

 

By the way, many Asian employees of the nationalities broadly represented on cruise ships openly discuss salaries amongst themselves.  I found it very difficult to implement an US style incentive plan in those countries.  Differences in pay caused a lot of morale issues.  I can see why the cruise lines are hesitant talking about it.

 

Personally, I am not too worried about it.  HAL and other cruise lines have to compete for employees.  And despite the perception that there are millions of people out there who can do it, I would make this challenge to you.  Find employees in the developing countries who have a college degree, excellent English language skills with an understandable accent, and are conscientious enough to provide excellent customer service while working 60+ hours a week.  I was responsible for recruiting for an accounting and customer call center in the Philippines and only 10-15% of the applicants could speak English to the level that they could interact well with US consumers.

 

I like the current system a lot better than having to carry cash for an envelope and then hearing that 20% of the people did nothing for the employees.

 

We pay the employees the customer appreciation and add in tips for employees who made the cruise more enjoyable.  And for me, I give a mega-tip to one or two people who I watch doing an outstanding job that no one else would probably recognize like the lady who cleans the Lido buffet late night or the one who helps elderly people get around.

 

End of rant.

 

[FlaMariner]

I just got an email update from my TA (she's answering emails on a Sunday evening.....wave season must be very busy)

 

RE:  Can I pre-pay tips now and save a few bucks before the increase?

 

This is a her response.....

 

I have been trying to get answers about the gratuity increase and the only information we have been able to get is that they are going up.  They are not currently telling us if you will be able to prepay to lock in the current rate but based on what we are hearing, that seems unlikely. 

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

58 minutes ago, jlawrence01 said:

 

I am probably one of the more unique people who have worked 15 years in food and beverage (several years as a tipped employee) and 25+ years as a CPA.

 

As a waiter, when customers would ask you how you were paid, the standard answer was "very poorly" even if you were making 5-7x minimum wage while declaring about 10% of your sales for tax purposes.  As a manager, I never saw anyone declare more than 12% of the sales they generated as income.

 

I only worked for around 5 years in the F & B business and it was to put myself through university.

 

If anyone had asked me how much I make they would have been horrified. (No one did - maybe back then they had the courtesy or knew - at most resorts you relied on tips back then)   Most of my very poor pay  was sucked up by my lousy room and board.  My income was solely on tips.  On my last year after my parents saw how rundown my shoes were and how gaunt I was (the food was horrible for staff), I worked in a restaurant -night and day (food deducted).    I did well thankfully at all in tips and went on to other things but I totally understand the crew’s perspective and support them.  

 

Just from my experience alone from having my room and board deducted leaving me with little, I totally get it.   I’m on their side as far as the tip/appreciation goes.

 

[IAcruising]

8 hours ago, cbr663 said:

How is it that not one current or former crew member on a ship somewhere hasn't spilled the beans on tipping?

 

In order to spill the beans, you need access to the can. No single crewmember has all the information needed to know exactly how crew appreciation is disbursed.

 

How many guests on a particular cruise? (or the 2, 3, or 4 between pay periods)

How many guests reduced or cut crew appreciation?

How many guests added to crew appreciation?

How many crewmembers were on each of the cruises in the pay period?

 

Not an easy exercise.

 

[Porky55]

So, just to clarify, no one on this thread removes crew appreciation? 
 

On other Social Media sites, this is all that is talked about, removing 'gratuities' as soon as possible when they board the ship.

 

However, cruising on HAL, from Australia or International we are charged daily gratuities and have never removed them. Believe that the right thing is done and these monies make it to the intended crew members.
 

[oakridger]

1 hour ago, Porky55 said:

So, just to clarify, no one on this thread removes crew appreciation?

 

I would absolutely never remove the crew appreciation!  Why?  Because I appreciate the crew!!

 

~Nancy

[Porky55]

40 minutes ago, oakridger said:

 

I would absolutely never remove the crew appreciation!  Why?  Because I appreciate the crew!!

 

~Nancy

Nancy,

 

Exactly, we have never removed them either. Just lovely to read a thread where passengers are so supportive of the hard working wonderful crews.

 

Rose 🌹

[kazu]

6 hours ago, Porky55 said:

So, just to clarify, no one on this thread removes crew appreciation? 
 

On other Social Media sites, this is all that is talked about, removing 'gratuities' as soon as possible when they board the ship.

 

No, I have never removed them - and I also tip extra to specific crew members.

 

 

[Bill B]

6 hours ago, Porky55 said:

So, just to clarify, no one on this thread removes crew appreciation? 

 

On Cruisecritic you will find 99.9% of the people claim to tip more than the suggested/billed amount (I find it difficult to believe).

 

Personally, I've never removed gratuities, but I've never added to the amount ether. 

[VMax1700]

The perspective of someone from the 'no or very small' tipping culture area.  Before our very first cruise (only 15 years ago!) very good friends had cruised a couple of times and recommended that we try it.  They told us about the tips and the envelopes being delivered to the stateroom just before the end of the cruise, complete with a list of those who should be tipped.  I said 'no way'.  I am not handing money out to all those people!  Several reason were in my head.......Why should I?  I have paid for my vacation and why should I have to do this?  (not our culture.)  Also, how the **** am I going to find all these people on the last night to hand over these envelopes......I should be enjoying my final night and not having to go looking for various people to pay them.

Anyway, when we booked our first cruise (it was on X, the cruise line, not the thing formerly known a Twitter!) the travel agent offered the option to pre pay tips.  So, begrudgingly, I took that option.  Imagine my confusion on the last night, when a stack of envelopes and recommended names where delivered to the stateroom.  What do I do now?  I found it very awkward.

Fast forward three years to our first HAL cruise (2011) and tips (or whatever nomenclature is used) being added to the onboard account was magic. It is now a cost of the vacation and is just accepted as such by us.  We certainly would never consider removing tips and we+ still give a little more to those who really look after us in a special way.

 

Now if only we could simplify the other tipping nightmares that we dread when we go to USA.  Taxis.....bellboy.......waiter......maitre d'........hotel housekeeping......staff at hotel buffet breakfast......etc, etc.  We laughingly say.."who, what, when......why?", but that is only to hide our bewilderment.

 

 

[Real NHDOC]

While we always participate in the crew appreciation program and directly compensate those who we interact with who I feel go the extra mile it is also important to remember to mention the names of crew members who made the experience special in the survey that is emailed to you at the end of the cruise. Also, shout outs during the cruise can be sent in through the “let us know” section on the Navigator app.

 

I have done this many times and I know the crew gets recognized for this in merit promotion and bonus time. So in many respects it’s more valuable to them than just a few extra dollars handed to them. 

 

I feel we are fortunate to be able to enjoy cruising and the least we can do is take a few minutes (and dollars) to show our appreciation to the folks who work like dogs to make it possible.