Is this a new Gratuities policy?

[JimmyVWine]

Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc   $16

Flowers Chardonnay   $18

Whispering Angel Rose   $16

Belle Glos Pinot Noir   $19

Silverado Cabernet   $18

 

And 15+pages of posts about Crew Appreciation that costs less than most of these.  One single glass of wine a day costs more money than one day of CA.  And yet people feel the need to know, to the penny, where their CA money goes, to whom, when, why and what for.  Seriously folks.  Gain some perspective.  The CA is part of what you pay for the luxury (and yes, it is just that) of taking a cruise.  I don't need to know how much of my $18 goes to Princess, how much to the wine distributor, how much to Silverado Vineyards, how much to owner Bill Foley and how much to winemaker Alison Rodriguez.  If I want a glass of that wine, I order it.

Edited Monday at 05:00 PM by JimmyVWine

[TRLD]

33 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

Chalk Hill Sauvignon Blanc   $16

Flowers Chardonnay   $18

Whispering Angel Rose   $16

Belle Glos Pinot Noir   $19

Silverado Cabernet   $18

 

And 15+pages of posts about Crew Appreciation that costs less than most of these.  One single glass of wine a day costs more money than one day of CA.  And yet people feel the need to know, to the penny, where their CA money goes, to whom, when, why and what for.  Seriously folks.  Gain some perspective.  The CA is part of what you pay for the luxury (and yes, it is just that) of taking a cruise.  I don't need to know how much of my $18 goes to Princess, how much to the wine distributor, how much to Silverado Vineyards, how much to owner Bill Foley and how much to winemaker Alison Rodriguez.  If I want a glass of that wine, I order it.

I can tell you with absolute certainly that the CA money all goes to the crew and none to the cruiseline as revenue. The only allowed reduction is the money for actual credit card service fees when the CA is paid by credit card (most of us) which for a company the size of Princess should be less than 2%.

 

The day that changes is the day that they eliminate the option to reduce or remove. As long as that option is there US accounting regulations mandate that it goes to employees not company revenue.

Edited Monday at 05:34 PM by TRLD

[JimmyVWine]

7 minutes ago, TRLD said:

I can tell you with absolute certainly that the CA money all goes to the crew and none to the cruiseline as revenue.

I think that is understood.  But people seem to want to know to whom, exactly, it goes. And when.  And for what.  And in what percentages.  And it baffles me as to why they care or how it affects the overall enjoyment of their cruise. Heaven forbid that the bar-back who brought the bottle of Gin from the storage area to the bar share in the tip when the customer did not interact with him or see him perform this function!

[TRLD]

3 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

I think that is understood.  But people seem to want to know to whom, exactly, it goes. And when.  And for what.  And in what percentages.  And it baffles me as to why they care or how it affects the overall enjoyment of their cruise. Heaven forbid that the bar-back who brought the bottle of Gin from the storage area to the bar share in the tip when the customer did not interact with him or see him perform this function!

The funny thing is that for many they will pretty much tip the normal amount at a hometown sit down restaurant in the US and not think anything about it. No concern about if there is tip pooling or any other concerns. Yet put them on a cruise ship and all kinds of concerns arise over who and how much.

 

The reality is that in the US most people tip the norm, good service, mediocre service, the tip is pretty much automatic. The workers  expectation for income at that job includes that assumption.

 

Pretty much the same on cruise ships.

 

 

 

 

 

[Iamcruzin]

On 5/29/2024 at 12:37 AM, arizonaperson said:

@Kineticoh20

I don’t think we as passengers will ever know the formula & how the crew actually gets their tips and how much, etc. I think we just need to pay them and move on ,but of course that’s my opinion. It’s honestly such a small amount that is “mandatory gratuities”. The crew gets paid a wage ,whatever their contract says and then gratuities if their job is part of that “ program”.

Definitely, no worries ,cruise on.

 

 

I agree.  This is what the crew members signed up for and I signed up to pay the gratuity. I have far too many important things to worry about then how the crew is getting paid. Apparently it's a not an issue for them or they wouldn't be working for the cruise line. 

Edited Monday at 10:33 PM by Iamcruzin

[vjmatty]

I guess I never realized how many people don’t get the Plus package so that gratuities don’t even need a second thought. Anyone who warrants extra usually gets some cash from either OBC or leftover Euros if it’s a Med cruise. 

[rideev]

8 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

This is what the crew members signed up for and I signed up to pay the gratuity. I have far too many important things to worry about then how the crew is getting paid. Apparently it's a not an issue for them or they wouldn't be working for the cruise line. 

I don't remember ever signing up to pay crew appreciation charges except the one time I cruise with Princess Plus (which cost more than it was worth for us.)

[Retired-N-Happy]

18 minutes ago, vjmatty said:

I guess I never realized how many people don’t get the Plus package so that gratuities don’t even need a second thought. Anyone who warrants extra usually gets some cash from either OBC or leftover Euros if it’s a Med cruise. 

It's been reported that 75% get one of the packages, so 25% wouldn't and of course a certain % of that 25% remove their CA since they basically have said so on the boards.  I would assume it's a combination of those from countries that are not a tipping culture combined with just frugal cruisers that wish to cruise as cheap as possible.

[Retired-N-Happy]

19 minutes ago, rideev said:

I don't remember ever signing up to pay crew appreciation charges except the one time I cruise with Princess Plus (which cost more than it was worth for us.)

So, was Plus not worth it to you at 40, 50 or 60?

[rideev]

1 minute ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

So, was Plus not worth it to you at 40, 50 or 60?

It was either 50 or 60.  We're retired so don't need Internet.  We don't drink alcohol and very little soda.  We drink coffee, but just regular coffee.

[Retired-N-Happy]

27 minutes ago, rideev said:

It was either 50 or 60.  We're retired so don't need Internet.  We don't drink alcohol and very little soda.  We drink coffee, but just regular coffee.

Then why would you ever buy the Plus package?  I'm retired, also don't really need internet, but at 44.00 per day after subtracting the CA the drink package is well worth it to us since we do like to imbibe on vacation since that's when we do 95% of our alcohol consumption.

[rideev]

1 hour ago, Retired-N-Happy said:

Then why would you ever buy the Plus package? 

I guess I had bought in to it being a great deal.  I will say that I drank more San Pellegrino water on that cruise than I ever have in my life.  But after being on that cruise for a few days I realized that I would have been much better off drinking plain water at dinner (like I normally do) and going a la carte on everything else.  Live and learn.  I realize it works great for some, just not for us.

[Iamcruzin]

3 hours ago, rideev said:

I don't remember ever signing up to pay crew appreciation charges except the one time I cruise with Princess Plus (which cost more than it was worth for us.)

Tipping or crew appreciation. Call it what you want but that's what I agree to pay when I book and sail on a cruise. What they do with the money or how they split it is not my concern. I'm on vacation. I'm not there to be their shop steward. 

[Iamcruzin]

20 hours ago, paddingtonbear said:

Some have said that the reason they do this is because Australian's, New Zealander's, British and European don't tip or at least tip no where near as much as Americans.  So Princess were having difficulty getting staff for the Ships touring Australia, UK and Europe.  So they've pooled all the tips and shared them fleet wide so the staff are all happy regardless of where they sail. 

I have news for you.  Americans are done over tipping even in the US. It has gotten so out of hand no matter where you go. The local Deli, Pizza shop, Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds are all asking for tips at check out. Restaurants including the Cafe in the community I live in are adding an automatic 20% to the check. They don't even have to provide good service it's just a cost now. If you order from Door Dash or Uber eats the restaurant charges a service charge, the company delivering the food charges a fee and you still have to tip the driver who delivered the food. In my opinion the cruise lines are offering us a bargain rate to reward the staff. Let's face it, Virgin Voyages does not have an auto gratuity. Tips are included it the price but the prices are more than the other cruise lines. You just have to decide if you want to pay it out of your right pocket or left pocket.

Edited yesterday at 02:26 AM by Iamcruzin

[Iamcruzin]

8 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

I think that is understood.  But people seem to want to know to whom, exactly, it goes. And when.  And for what.  And in what percentages.  And it baffles me as to why they care or how it affects the overall enjoyment of their cruise. Heaven forbid that the bar-back who brought the bottle of Gin from the storage area to the bar share in the tip when the customer did not interact with him or see him perform this function!

And yet this is happening in their own backyards at local restaurants. The waiters tip out the bus boy and cook and the bartenders tip out the bar backs. 

[paddingtonbear]

2 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I have news for you.  Americans are done over tipping even in the US. It has gotten so out of hand no matter where you go. The local Deli, Pizza shop, Dunkin Donuts and McDonalds are all asking for tips at check out. Restaurants including the Cafe in the community I live in are adding an automatic 20% to the check. They don't even have to provide good service it's just a cost now. If you order from Door Dash or Uber eats the restaurant charges a service charge, the company delivering the food charges a fee and you still have to tip the driver who delivered the food. In my opinion the cruise lines are offering us a bargain rate to reward the staff. Let's face it, Virgin Voyages does not have an auto gratuity. Tips are included it the price but the prices are more than the other cruise lines. You just have to decide if you want to pay it out of your right pocket or left pocket.

It is ridiculous.  Tips should be for service over and above the norm.  Some Australians are reluctant to go to the US because the tipping culture is so foreign and scary.  I feel really foolish sneaking a note into my pocket and handing it over even if it is deserved.  It's easy leaving a tip at a restaurant (Australians tend to round up or pay 10% at most) because you secretly leave it in the little folder!

 

Friends recently went on a Viking Cruise where all tips were supposed to be included but they were asked for tips on excursions, on the tender and at the end of the cruise over the top of the tips that had been included.  They aren't travelling with Viking again. 

[HaveDogWillTravel]

13 hours ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

Where I come from, it is the height of rudeness to ask someone what they earn.  And I don't think I know anyone who would give the true figure if they were asked the question by a complete stranger.  So, I take comments like this with a huge dose of salt.  Especially where it is very much in the interests of the crew member, amidst a gaggle of passengers who are potentially unaware of the reality of fixed salaries and CA or perhaps just plain naive, to plead poverty and that the system doesn't work for them in the hope that they might receive additional tips over the CA and their fixed salary (which they are clearly happy with because they signed up to the job knowing what they would get paid).

Number one:  I did not ask what they earned. Never said that I did. 
‘Number two: I have sailed over 100 days with many of those that shared their feelings of the new system. So I was not a complete stranger 

Number Three: the discussions either occurred while we were sharing time off the ship or in some other private setting

 

 

Edited yesterday at 05:55 AM by HaveDogWillTravel

[HaveDogWillTravel]

14 hours ago, TRLD said:

Just for the record the entertainment and revenue positions that are part of the pool are those that are full Princess positions such as CD staff (entertainment) and the excursion (revenue generating) department. It does not include those there that are contractors for other companies such as retail, art, future cruise sales, spa, etc. Those companies such as the spa may have a gratuity system but it is totally outside of the CA system.

 

Guess we must talk with different people. I have been cruising Princess for over 20 years. Know a lot of crew and officers. Those that have experienced the various systems like the current one the best because unlike the original envelop system they nolonger have to deal with the last day when they had to confront the guests to ask for, yet not seem to ask for the tip. An often awkward situation.  They like the pooling better because it is stable, no fluctuations based upon itinerary.

 

Did the people you talked to tell you that the best way to reward an outstanding employee or for that matter the best way to get an underperformed employee corrected or removed from there position is to appropriately respond to cruise survey? Those survey comments go a long way to determine rewards including time off, promotions and yes bonuses.

 

Those some that are exceptional get rewards including promotions and bonuses in addition to their CA pool payout, some get their pool payout but no bonuses or promotions, some at the other end do not get their contract renewed.

Number one: If you have a link to a document that specifies who the “Revenue generating” staff are please share. What you are saying here is simply your opinion until then. 
 

Number two: I suppose we must speak to different people. My friends are 20 plus year veterans of Princess and their sentiments are not at all as you state. Not even close. 
 

Number three: the importance of the end of cruise surveys and during cruise comment cards is well known to every seasoned cruiser and doesn’t  need repeating in this context. 
 

Number four:  Apparently you have asked and crew have told you they have actually seen additional money above and beyond their fixed salary from the CA since the restart. Until my friends tell me it’s happened to them I do not believe the CA is being distributed to the crew who have made my experience outstanding. 

[TRLD]

7 hours ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

Number one: If you have a link to a document that specifies who the “Revenue generating” staff are please share. What you are saying here is simply your opinion until then. 
 

Number two: I suppose we must speak to different people. My friends are 20 plus year veterans of Princess and their sentiments are not at all as you state. Not even close. 
 

Number three: the importance of the end of cruise surveys and during cruise comment cards is well known to every seasoned cruiser and doesn’t  need repeating in this context. 
 

Number four:  Apparently you have asked and crew have told you they have actually seen additional money above and beyond their fixed salary from the CA since the restart. Until my friends tell me it’s happened to them I do not believe the CA is being distributed to the crew who have made my experience outstanding. 

Too funny.  Where is your proof that any contractors employed by any other company are part of the pool?

 

In Princess documents such as the employee contract they define crew members as employees. The CA faq refers to payments going to crew members that are part of the pool.

 

That was pointed out to me by a head of HR on board a ship at a most traveled luncheon when I asked the same question.

 

Each of the onboard contractors have their own systems not funded from CA. ONE employees have a commission based system. SPA employees have one that is also commission based as well as funded by the service charge on SPA sales. The SPA employees are probably the most active is actually pushing for tips.

 

There are a couple of people here on CC that have relatives that are entertainers on Princess. They could probably comment about their situation.

 

Plenty of information out they concerning the hiring policies of the companies such as ONE that handle some functions you just need to search it out.

 

Yes I can confirm of atleast one employee that has received a bonus since restart. Not because I asked, but because someone I knew from a previous cruise showed me his new watch when we were talking, and mentioned that he just got it after getting a bonus.

Edited yesterday at 01:49 PM by TRLD

[TRLD]

One group whose status is unclear is the production show performers. Do not know what their current status is. In the past they helped out doing hotel side tasks during embarkation, disembarkation, emergency drill, as well as assisting in the internet Cafe and helping the excursion team.

 

Have not seen as much of that since the restart.

 

Back on the old Pacific Princess they also functioned as the CD staff. They really liked that assignment since it gave them a raise and rank that, at that time, stayed with them when they were assigned to other ships.

 

Do not know their current employment terms.

[Iamcruzin]

I don't get it. People spend thousands to vacation to see sights, indulge in the tastes and smells of food and beverages, get spa treatments and listen to the sounds of the ocean, satisfying every sense and yet they still need to know how staff members are compensated? If this is your biggest worry, first of all congratulations and second of all you need to book a different vacation because you must be totally bored with cruising.

[MacMadame]

On 6/30/2024 at 7:47 PM, remydiva said:

Yes this is the way it works in Canada.. tips the servers receive are shared usually by a percentage with hostess , runners, kitchen and bar staff but the tips are on top of at least minimum hourly wage which just went up again to $17.40 /hr here in BC. 

In California too.

 

23 hours ago, JimmyVWine said:

I think that is understood.  But people seem to want to know to whom, exactly, it goes. And when.  And for what.  And in what percentages.  And it baffles me as to why they care or how it affects the overall enjoyment of their cruise. Heaven forbid that the bar-back who brought the bottle of Gin from the storage area to the bar share in the tip when the customer did not interact with him or see him perform this function!

Some of us want to be sure the people who made our cruise wonderful are being compensated fairly. Some want to make sure we aren't participating in exploitation. Some are interested in how things work. Some are just nosy.

 

It's all four for me! 😄 

Personally, I like this system because it takes a lot of the guesswork out of gratuities and the anxiety that I was doing it wrong that came with the old envelope system. But I also want to know how it works so I can decide if I'm going to tip individual people directly on top of that or if it isn't necessary.

20 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I don't get it. People spend thousands to vacation to see sights, indulge in the tastes and smells of food and beverages, get spa treatments and listen to the sounds of the ocean, satisfying every sense and yet they still need to know how staff members are compensated? If this is your biggest worry, first of all congratulations and second of all you need to book a different vacation because you must be totally bored with cruising.

🙄

 

There are thousands of threads on this board. Posting in this one doesn't mean this topic is our biggest worry.

Edited yesterday at 05:04 PM by MacMadame

[remydiva]

I always tip room steward something on the FIRST day, not the last to hopefully start the relationship off on the right foot.

[c-boy]

12 hours ago, paddingtonbear said:

It is ridiculous.  Tips should be for service over and above the norm.  Some Australians are reluctant to go to the US because the tipping culture is so foreign and scary.  I feel really foolish sneaking a note into my pocket and handing it over even if it is deserved.  It's easy leaving a tip at a restaurant (Australians tend to round up or pay 10% at most) because you secretly leave it in the little folder!

 

Friends recently went on a Viking Cruise where all tips were supposed to be included but they were asked for tips on excursions, on the tender and at the end of the cruise over the top of the tips that had been included.  They aren't travelling with Viking again. 

I'm  afraid that our tipping culture has caught up with the service industry in Australia 

Edited yesterday at 05:34 PM by c-boy

[TRLD]

The one thing that I cannot figure is why some seem to go to spend a lot of time trying to attack the program, paint the cruiseline as being unfair or unethical to their employees, when the nature of the system under US accounting regulations give them the opportunity to opt out or reduce.

 

The same regulations thar require to money to go to employees.

 

If I believed some of the things stated by some attacking the program I would not be sailing on the cruise line. I wonder why they are if they truly believe what they are saying.