Yet another tipping question

[rideev]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

Thank you for reminding everyone that there are many crew members who we never see, yet work hard to make our vacation so enjoyable.  They deserve to be rewarded, too

They are rewarded.  They signed a contract and are getting paid.

 

And I'm sure you are going behind the scenes and getting their name so you can give them a great rating on the survey at the end of the cruise so that they can receive their "bonus", as we have been told in an earlier post that is why we have to give them a "10" on the survey.

 

Sounds to me like those folks in the laundry aren't going to get nearly the bonus as the cabin steward as they won't have anyone give them a great survey.

 

And I don't get anything from the bar, yet the auto crew appreciation and the drink service charge are all pooled together.

 

Yes, cruise lives are just looking at ways to raise revenue.  Why else do you think they went away from the envelope system 25 or so years ago?

[Lady Arwen]

1 minute ago, rideev said:

They are rewarded.  They signed a contract and are getting paid.

 

And I'm sure you are going behind the scenes and getting their name so you can give them a great rating on the survey at the end of the cruise so that they can receive their "bonus", as we have been told in an earlier post that is why we have to give them a "10" on the survey.

 

Sounds to me like those folks in the laundry aren't going to get nearly the bonus as the cabin steward as they won't have anyone give them a great survey.

 

And I don't get anything from the bar, yet the auto crew appreciation and the drink service charge are all pooled together.

 

Yes, cruise lives are just looking at ways to raise revenue.  Why else do you think they went away from the envelope system 25 or so years ago?

So, if you’re so unhappy with the system used by every cruiseline, why do you cruise?  I pay the auto gratuities for which the cruiseline and the crew have contractually and mutually agreed upon.  I give extra, at my discretion, to those whom I feel went beyond my expectations.  It is not up to me to analyze the disbursement of these funds.  

[Bgwest]

10 minutes ago, rideev said:

They are rewarded.  They signed a contract and are getting paid.

 

And I'm sure you are going behind the scenes and getting their name so you can give them a great rating on the survey at the end of the cruise so that they can receive their "bonus", as we have been told in an earlier post that is why we have to give them a "10" on the survey.

 

Sounds to me like those folks in the laundry aren't going to get nearly the bonus as the cabin steward as they won't have anyone give them a great survey.

 

And I don't get anything from the bar, yet the auto crew appreciation and the drink service charge are all pooled together.

 

Yes, cruise lives are just looking at ways to raise revenue.  Why else do you think they went away from the envelope system 25 or so years ago?

Bravo!!!

[rideev]

3 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

So, if you’re so unhappy with the system used by every cruiseline, why do you cruise?

Because I want to.

 

If the cruise line didn't want me to remove these then they wouldn't leave that option open.

 

The real question is, why doesn't the cruise line pay their employees what they are worth?  Oh wait, they do.  And the employees happily agree to the contract as seen by the number of people the take on additional contracts.

 

And I will gladly gift some of them over and above.  

 

Finally, how do reward those behind the scenes that went above your expectations?

[rbtan]

On 1/24/2024 at 12:49 AM, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Crew appreciation fees do NOT supplement crew members salaries. All crew are now on fixed salaries. You auto grats go to Princess not directly to crew.  If you sail without a package you can remove auto grats and give the money directly to crew who made your sailing above and beyond your expectations. Do a search and you’ll find this policy is well documented.  

Sorry, but pretty much everything you said is flat wrong! Any tips GO to the staff, NOT to Princess. The fees are broken down as to what each staff member gets.The bar staff do NOT share in the tipping pool, as they are tipped from each drink you buy. Not sure where you got all this wrong info.If you remove the auto tip, any money you give to a crew member then has to go into the "pool". As long as you leave the auto tip on anything you give over & above may go to the staff of your choice. We always give extra to our attendant & assistant. They get to KEEP that.We do not tip in the diningroom as we do anytime dining & they all share in the auto tip. I suggest you learn to properly document your statements rather than saying it's well documented.

[BlerkOne]

20 minutes ago, rideev said:

Yes, cruise lives are just looking at ways to raise revenue.  Why else do you think they went away from the envelope system 25 or so years ago?

Besides currency being filthy? Or the purser having to have a zillion dollars in change including coins for those who calculate to the nearest penny? I remember the jingling of coins in the envelopes and more than one breaking open.

 

There is no conspiracy to see here.

[BlerkOne]

5 minutes ago, rideev said:

 

 

If the cruise line didn't want me to remove these then they wouldn't leave that option open.

That is absurd. Because they allow you to doesn't mean they want you to.

 

5 minutes ago, rideev said:

The real question is, why doesn't the cruise line pay their employees what they are worth? 

 

Tradition and industry standard. A cruise line would be at a competitive disadvantage to do so. They would have to raise cruise prices higher than the competition and we all know cheap people pick cruises based on price alone.

[AnyMajorCruiseDude]

9 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Besides currency being filthy? Or the purser having to have a zillion dollars in change including coins for those who calculate to the nearest penny? I remember the jingling of coins in the envelopes and more than one breaking open.

 

There is no conspiracy to see here.

There are always a few who try to rationalize their behavior to save a few bucks.  There are also a few crew who will support the conspiracies to pad their pockets as possible.  This argument has been going on forever.

[Bgwest]

19 minutes ago, rideev said:

Because I want to.

 

If the cruise line didn't want me to remove these then they wouldn't leave that option open.

 

The real question is, why doesn't the cruise line pay their employees what they are worth?  Oh wait, they do.  And the employees happily agree to the contract as seen by the number of people the take on additional contracts.

 

And I will gladly gift some of them over and above.  

 

Finally, how do reward those behind the scenes that went above your expectations?

Another post that is beyond rebuttal. 
Bravo!!

[mtnesterz]

10 minutes ago, rbtan said:

If you remove the auto tip, any money you give to a crew member then has to go into the "pool". I suggest you learn to properly document your statements rather than saying it's well documented.

How would they know if they need to turn cash tips in, since they do not know who is in the auto tip and who opted out? And if they did know, who and how would police turning in cash tips as a policy? I am not disagreeing with you, in fact I like what you wrote. But I cannot offer anything to prove my opinion. By your standard, you should rightly document what you are saying. There is a lot of heresay about this.  What can you offer?

[jwattle]

1 minute ago, Bgwest said:

Another post that is beyond rebuttal. 
Bravo!!

Beyond rebuttal...definitely in the eye of the beholder 😄

[rideev]

24 minutes ago, rbtan said:

On 1/24/2024 at 12:49 AM, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Crew appreciation fees do NOT supplement crew members salaries. All crew are now on fixed salaries. You auto grats go to Princess not directly to crew.  If you sail without a package you can remove auto grats and give the money directly to crew who made your sailing above and beyond your expectations. Do a search and you’ll find this policy is well documented.  

Expand  

Sorry, but pretty much everything you said is flat wrong! Any tips GO to the staff, NOT to Princess. The fees are broken down as to what each staff member gets.The bar staff do NOT share in the tipping pool, as they are tipped from each drink you buy. Not sure where you got all this wrong info.If you remove the auto tip, any money you give to a crew member then has to go into the "pool".

From the Princess website I read...

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.

 

Don't know where you are getting your information though.

[c-boy]

1 hour ago, rideev said:

They are rewarded.  They signed a contract and are getting paid.

 

And I'm sure you are going behind the scenes and getting their name so you can give them a great rating on the survey at the end of the cruise so that they can receive their "bonus", as we have been told in an earlier post that is why we have to give them a "10" on the survey.

 

Sounds to me like those folks in the laundry aren't going to get nearly the bonus as the cabin steward as they won't have anyone give them a great survey.

 

And I don't get anything from the bar, yet the auto crew appreciation and the drink service charge are all pooled together.

 

Yes, cruise lives are just looking at ways to raise revenue.  Why else do you think they went away from the envelope system 25 or so years ago?

you're obviously are an educated individual. You/ we know full and well prior to boarding what the terms of passage are. Choosing a path less traveled and apparently not popular on this sight has led you to defend your stance. Acknowledging that there are things we/you don't have control over, such as how, where, and to whom gratuities and bonuses are paid out.  A lot a sleep, energy and emotions may get used up thinking about how princess or any other cruise line business practices work to their benefit. Sometimes life throws curve balls, ya swing for the fence or get in a fast car and drive away. 

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, rideev said:

From the Princess website I read...

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.

 

Don't know where you are getting your information though.

So none of the money goes to Princess. Zero. There is no conspiracy.

[rideev]

10 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

So none of the money goes to Princess. Zero. There is no conspiracy.

No conspiracy.  Some of the money goes to princess to pay credit card fees, but we don't know how much prices keeps for that.

 

We also don't know how much goes to which employees.

 

I get it, you don't like my way of thinking, that's ok.  But I do know how much of my "crew appreciation" is going to crew members and which crew members or is going to.

 

Your way is working for you, my way is working for me.

[BlerkOne]

Just now, rideev said:

No conspiracy.  Some of the money goes to princess to pay credit card fees, but we don't know how much prices keeps for that.

 

We also don't know how much goes to which employees.

 

I get it, you don't like my way of thinking, that's ok.  But I do know how much of my "crew appreciation" is going to crew members and which crew members or is going to.

 

Your way is working for you, my way is working for 

Only Princess knows who and how much work the crew not seen by passengers does. Letting Princess distribute the tips is the only way to not cheat many of the staff out of money.

[Tranquility Base]

Why have 'gratuities', which can be removed by passengers, collected separately anyway ?

Build it into the base fare, as is already done with thousands of Princess cruisers each year.

The fare you see is the fare you pay.

Leave it to Princess to fairly compensate all their staff.

[rbtan]

11 hours ago, mtnesterz said:

How would they know if they need to turn cash tips in, since they do not know who is in the auto tip and who opted out? And if they did know, who and how would police turning in cash tips as a policy? I am not disagreeing with you, in fact I like what you wrote. But I cannot offer anything to prove my opinion. By your standard, you should rightly document what you are saying. There is a lot of heresay about this.  What can you offer?

Have you not "read" the Princess policy on the gratuities? The line "knows" who opted out. There are cameras everywhere. Don't think they can't see what goes on. Most who opt out, unfortunately just "pocket" the money On our first trip on the QM2 years ago, a family did just that.They bragged about it at dinner.We kicked them out of our dining table in Britannia. & nearly made them not take the charter bus home. They to this day pretty much are banned from family get togethers.

[d9704011]

7 minutes ago, rbtan said:

Have you not "read" the Princess policy on the gratuities? The line "knows" who opted out. There are cameras everywhere. Don't think they can't see what goes on. Most who opt out, unfortunately just "pocket" the money On our first trip on the QM2 years ago, a family did just that.They bragged about it at dinner.We kicked them out of our dining table in Britannia. & nearly made them not take the charter bus home. They to this day pretty much are banned from family get togethers.

This is a Princess site; you're not allowed to fabricate Cunard stories here.

[mtnesterz]

3 hours ago, rbtan said:

On our first trip on the QM2 years ago, a family did just that.They bragged about it at dinner.We kicked them out of our dining table in Britannia. & nearly made them not take the charter bus home. They to this day pretty much are banned from family get togethers.

At my age, most family and friends have passed. So to me, those few left are a treasure beyond money. To eshew your family over a small amount of money extended to a stranger, "years ago," disrupted their vacation and still unable to let things go, "to this day," is sad to read. I'm not criticising you, but I'd like to encourage you to find it in yourself to reconcile if possible, because time marches on.

[memoak]

14 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Why have 'gratuities', which can be removed by passengers, collected separately anyway ?

Build it into the base fare, as is already done with thousands of Princess cruisers each year.

The fare you see is the fare you pay.

Leave it to Princess to fairly compensate all their staff.

When restaurants on land tried this people revolted because the food prices were now “too high”

[memoak]

1 hour ago, mtnesterz said:

At my age, most family and friends have passed. So to me, those few left are a treasure beyond money. To eshew your family over a small amount of money extended to a stranger, "years ago," disrupted their vacation and still unable to let things go, "to this day," is sad to read. I'm not criticising you, but I'd like to encourage you to find it in yourself to reconcile if possible, because time marches on.

After seeing families stop interacting with family members due to political views, lifestyle etc. I would have no problem shaming people friend or family for not paying gratuities the are just part of being a responsible cruiser

[ldubs]

16 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Only Princess knows who and how much work the crew not seen by passengers does. Letting Princess distribute the tips is the only way to not cheat many of the staff out of money.

 

I agree about the behind the scenes folks being recognized.   Just for the sake of discussion, gratuities as an incentive pay for passenger facing staff makes a lot of sense.   Those with the best customer service and/or happiest customers will be rewarded.  The gratuities have  moved away from that to a way to make salary for all staff.  The incentive is still there but perhaps has been diluted.  

[Tranquility Base]

26 minutes ago, memoak said:

When restaurants on land tried this people revolted because the food prices were now “too high”

Princess is not operating a restaurant on land. 

People cruise on numerous cruiselines (including Princess) which do not charge them auto daily gratuities.

They stay in hotels around the World which do not charge gratuities.

They eat in restaurants around the World which do not charge gratuities. 

When people are spending the amounts they are on cruises, especially lengthy cruises, I think they are smart enough to see through the 'Cabin + Taxes + Fees + Gratuities' pricing system.

Looking at the price advertised inclusive of all of the above is what many people around the World are used to on a daily basis.

 

Build gratuities into the fare for everyone.

Let Princess sort out staff renumeration

 

 

Edited February 5 by Tranquility Base

[d9704011]

1 minute ago, Tranquility Base said:

Looking at the price advertised inclusive of all of the above is what many people around the World are used to on a daily basis.

Which cruise lines advertise their pricing this way?  What percentage of the CLIA member cruise industry do these lines represent?