Tips

[Harrisonkid]

Since tips are no longer included in the AI offering do they hit your account for rhe tips daily or can you pay everyone in the " envelope system"

[prmssk]

You can either pre-pay them in your cruise planner (or with your TA if you booked through one) or they will be added to your account daily.

 

It is possible to ask them to be removed and pay in cash but the way gratuities are distributed these days, they include many behind the scenes people that you won't have contact with to hand an envelope.

 

We leave them on for that reason.  

[mom says]

If you don't prepay before the cruise, they are automatically billed to your on board account daily. Of course you are free to tip additional amounts in person, if you wish to do so.

[cruisestitch]

40 minutes ago, Harrisonkid said:

Since tips are no longer included in the AI offering do they hit your account for rhe tips daily or can you pay everyone in the " envelope system"

I don’t see how you could possibly pay everyone in the “envelope system” since many people you wouldn’t see on a daily basis receive tips from the current system of pooled gratuities.

[Liao]

6 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

I don’t see how you could possibly pay everyone in the “envelope system” since many people you wouldn’t see on a daily basis receive tips from the current system of pooled gratuities.

As I'm sure you know, not everyone subscribes to the tipping system determined by the cruise lines.  Some prefer to tip only those that they deal with directly during their cruise.  I personally do not subscribe to that, but to each their own.

[markeb]

13 minutes ago, Liao said:

As I'm sure you know, not everyone subscribes to the tipping system determined by the cruise lines.  Some prefer to tip only those that they deal with directly during their cruise.  I personally do not subscribe to that, but to each their own.

But the cruise line and its employees do. You just make more work for the ones you gave cash to. They’ll be turning in the cash to be distributed to the pool. Just like most land based restaurants (and tipping systems). You can’t do what you think you want to do. 

[DaKahuna]

2 minutes ago, markeb said:

But the cruise line and its employees do. You just make more work for the ones you gave cash to. They’ll be turning in the cash to be distributed to the pool. Just like most land based restaurants (and tipping systems). You can’t do what you think you want to do. 

 

 I have heard it both ways.  Some say tips or pooled, other have said that the individual gets to keep any direct tips.   I now make it a point to discretely ask. 

 

[Liao]

2 minutes ago, markeb said:

But the cruise line and its employees do. You just make more work for the ones you gave cash to. They’ll be turning in the cash to be distributed to the pool. Just like most land based restaurants (and tipping systems). You can’t do what you think you want to do. 

I do not make more work for anyone.  I do both, pre-pay the gratuities when I book and tip additional cash to many on board.  What they have to do, or not do, with that cash after it leaves my hands is up to them.  

[Pinboy]

From reliable sources:

Staff are notified of who/ staterooms that remove the gratuities on Day 1 “claiming “ to tip on their own—Fact is , most Don’t tip anyone !
GR will show/ give anyone a list of the distribution of gratuities.

When a Staff member receives a cash tip for their service, they keep it— doesn’t have to be pooled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 1 by Pinboy

[markeb]

Just now, DaKahuna said:

 

 I have heard it both ways.  Some say tips or pooled, other have said that the individual gets to keep any direct tips.   I now make it a point to discretely ask. 

 

There’s no way they’re not pooling the base tips. And since tips can be removed until departure, more or less, how do you account form”extras” before you’re sure they’re extra? The Navy had GI parties, didn’t it? What happened to the screw up who didn’t pull his weight when the officers and NCOs weren’t around?

[markeb]

3 minutes ago, Liao said:

I do not make more work for anyone.  I do both, pre-pay the gratuities when I book and tip additional cash to many on board.  What they have to do, or not do, with that cash after it leaves my hands is up to them.  

That’s not how anyone would have interpreted your original comment. I think most of us do that, and I also don’t concern myself with what happens after I leave a gratuity. 

[cruisestitch]

31 minutes ago, Liao said:

As I'm sure you know, not everyone subscribes to the tipping system determined by the cruise lines.  Some prefer to tip only those that they deal with directly during their cruise.  I personally do not subscribe to that, but to each their own.

I just don’t see how it is possible to tip only the people that you deal with directly. Say you go to the oceanview for breakfast.  Someone makes an omelette for you. Someone toasts your English muffin. Someone clears the table.  How do you tip them?  Say you go to Mast Grill for lunch.  How do you tip that staff?  Say you plan to tip your dining room waiter in person.  But he falls ill and someone substitutes for him for three nights.  Then your waiter returns and you never see his substitute again.  What do you do then?

Edited March 1 by cruisestitch

[Liao]

1 minute ago, cruisestitch said:

I just don’t see how it is possible to tip only the people that you deal with directly. Say you go to the oceanview for breakfast.  Someone makes an omelette for you. Someone toasts your English muffin. Someone clears the table.  How do you tip them?  Say you go to Mast Grill for lunch.  How do you tip that staff?  Etc etc etc

I don't see how either.  That's why I said I do not subscribe to that method. 

[DaKahuna]

3 minutes ago, markeb said:

There’s no way they’re not pooling the base tips. And since tips can be removed until departure, more or less, how do you account form”extras” before you’re sure they’re extra?

 

 I was speaking to other tips than the automatic daily gratuities.  I cannot think of a circumstance where I would remove the automatic daily gratuities.  

 

 One point of clarification -  it is my understanding that if you use the additional gratuity form, it does go directly to the crew member.  

 

3 minutes ago, markeb said:

The Navy had GI parties, didn’t it? What happened to the screw up who didn’t pull his weight when the officers and NCOs weren’t around?

 

 You mean like the young sailor who was given a shower with scrub brushes when he could not be trouble to shower at least daily on his own?   He never had to be told to take a shower daily after that.  

 

 

[kaysha2004]

1 hour ago, markeb said:

There’s no way they’re not pooling the base tips. And since tips can be removed until departure, more or less, how do you account form”extras” before you’re sure they’re extra? The Navy had GI parties, didn’t it? What happened to the screw up who didn’t pull his weight when the officers and NCOs weren’t around?

What does that even mean?

[kaysha2004]

3 hours ago, Harrisonkid said:

Since tips are no longer included in the AI offering do they hit your account for rhe tips daily or can you pay everyone in the " envelope system"

I never prepay tips.  Do you tip your server in a restaurant when you sit down or after the meal is complete?  Same theory for cruising.  However, if you don't prepay, you'll see a daily charge on your onboard account.  Go to guest services and ask them to be removed for the entire cruise.  They have to remove them by your request.  Then you can pay whomever you want when you want.

 

And if the cruise line doesn't pay their staff a living wage, that's not my problem.  I'll tip if I feel like it.  How do you really know if those prepaid tips are going to the staff that services your needs and not into Celebrity's profit margins?  You don't.

 

I've been giving my cruise dollars to Virgin Voyages the last couple of years.  Everything is included, basic wi-fi, basic beverages (soda, too), all gratuities, free fitness classes, and free dining at all 20 eateries.  Virgin pays their staff a fair wage.  Celebrity has taken a wrong turn with all their cutbacks and continuous high prices, so after my next cruise in April with Celebrity, they've lost all my future business.

[markeb]

12 minutes ago, kaysha2004 said:

What does that even mean?

 

Which part? 

 

The belief around here is that if people leave their tips in place and tip extra cash, the individual gets to keep the extra. That definitely seems to be the case if you use the additional gratuity form. The reality is, other than for fares where gratuities are included (which are pretty much gone) and maybe pre-paid gratuities (I don't know what the terms and conditions are on those) you can remove gratuities essentially up to the point your check is closed out. Which is after your last evening meal. If you've tipped cash as "extra" during the cruise, in theory once you remove the tips, those cash tips are no longer "extra" and would be subject to pooling. And the line at Guest Services has usually been after the last dinner. There's probably a system in place to protect the staff, but the person who got the cash would have to pony it up to share with everyone else who just got stiffed.

 

Da Kahuna understood the second part. Groups tend to enforce themselves. Someone who's hording tips is likely to have wet uniforms and unlikely to get help when they need it. For instance. You kind of have to have served to understand a GI party...

[Travel-and-See]

If you don’t pre-pay before your cruise they will take tips out of any OBC you may have.  On my last cruise I didn’t pay any tips and still got a couple pairs of socks from the gift shop and a couple of drinks and still had $7 leftover!

[Harrisonkid]

Thanks for all of the info. We have 3 cruises coming up and 2 have the tips included so I just wanted to make sure of the process. "Hitting the on board account" sure is the easiest vs the old envelope system...but I always give an EXTRA  $20 handshake to the Room Attendant as a thank you...and the bartenders 'seem to enjoy $5 tips too...

[crazyank]

7 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

Someone makes an omelette for you. Someone toasts your English muffin. Someone clears the table.  How do you tip them?  

you don't,  anymore than you tip the cook in a hotel.

[manmachine]

19 minutes ago, crazyank said:

you don't,  anymore than you tip the cook in a hotel.

 

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, crazyank said:

you don't,  anymore than you tip the cook in a hotel.

so how do you tip the staff in the laundry or the attendants in the public restrooms?

All of these and more are included in the autograts system.

Anyone who cancels or reduces the autograts just has to accept that it results in some crew members working for less.

Autograts can't be reduced for a specific  person or group e.g. a Cabin Steward, any reduction is spread at the same % across everyone in the system.

All tips are paid to the crew covered by the system X does not retain any of the money nor charge a % for handling the process.

Each cruise is a cost centre in it's own right unlike for example Princess which pools tips across the fleet.

By all means make your objections to the system known to X, and all the other major cruise lines that operate a similar system, but please don't penalise the staff.

The current tips and they way they are distributed is shown below.

Why does X charge extra for Aqua/Concierge Housekeeping because it can.

The Suite Service is for the Butler service. 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

7 hours ago, kaysha2004 said:

7 hours ago, kaysha2004 said:

 

I've been giving my cruise dollars to Virgin Voyages the last couple of years.  Everything is included, basic wi-fi, basic beverages (soda, too), all gratuities, free fitness classes, and free dining at all 20 eateries.  

That must be the funniest thing I read today 

You pay more to have the everything included 

[D C]

9 hours ago, kaysha2004 said:

I never prepay tips.  Do you tip your server in a restaurant when you sit down or after the meal is complete?  Same theory for cruising.  However, if you don't prepay, you'll see a daily charge on your onboard account.  Go to guest services and ask them to be removed for the entire cruise.  They have to remove them by your request.  Then you can pay whomever you want when you want.

 

And if the cruise line doesn't pay their staff a living wage, that's not my problem.  I'll tip if I feel like it.  How do you really know if those prepaid tips are going to the staff that services your needs and not into Celebrity's profit margins?  You don't.

 

I've been giving my cruise dollars to Virgin Voyages the last couple of years.  Everything is included, basic wi-fi, basic beverages (soda, too), all gratuities, free fitness classes, and free dining at all 20 eateries.  Virgin pays their staff a fair wage.  Celebrity has taken a wrong turn with all their cutbacks and continuous high prices, so after my next cruise in April with Celebrity, they've lost all my future business.

If the cruise fare was increased by the exact amount of the gratuities, and daily gratuities were no longer a thing, would that resolve your concerns?

[prmssk]

To me the auto-gratuities are just a cost of cruising.  If that auto-gratuity system was abolished, they would raise cruise fares to make up the difference so you would still pay them, just in a different form.

 

And regardless of the compensation system they use for their employees, we, the consumers are paying employee wages.  Some CEO isn't out of the kindness of his own pocketbook paying the employees.  They are being paid out of our cruise fares and the gratuities we pay.

 

Do I wish tipping would go away?  Absolutely.  It puts consumers in a role of deciding compensation which I don't think is appropriate.

 

But would eliminating tipping systems change how much I ultimately pay?  No.  So to me, I don't understand the rationale behind trying to go around the system in place by removing auto gratuities and only tipping who you want to tip.  It just hurts the workers you miss and I'm not sure what it actually accomplishes.