you're gonna kill me but,

[above sea level cruiser]

Could we please have a definitive answer as to whether or not the people that work on the ships get paid. We have heard everything from: "they make nothing" to: "they make big bucks with tips". Which is it? And We don't want to create a bunch of speculation and controversy on this either! For those that are in the know (and have not "just heard") - enlighten us. We really need to know. If tips are the sole source of income, everyone needs to know. It may affect someones salary. I'm not being rude or not sensitive - I'd just like to know the real answers.

[Alexis]

I won't kill you. :D

To me, it does not matter what they make, who pays them, or what they get paid by us or the cruise line.

They provide all of us with a service and if it is a satisfactory service we are supposed to tip..

Here is the tip calculator that CC tpkeller posted. If you are cruising, here are the amounts you are supposed to give.

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

You won't get flamed, I will.

[zotzer]

check out the March 16th entry on this blog: http://crewoffice.blogspot.com/

Tracy

[mohavemommy]

This subject was brought up a couple of years ago so one of the CC members flat out asked their cabin steward about it. The answer was that they were paid a small amount from the cruisline and the rest from tips... somewhat like waitresses are. When we figured up how much they made it came out to be somewhere around 22,000 for a 9 month tour if every cabin paid the recommended amount. Now given, this is for working up to 14 hrs a day 7 days a week.

Hope this helps to answer your question.

[above sea level cruiser]

I won't kill you. :D

To me, it does not matter what they make, who pays them, or what they get paid by us or the cruise line.

They provide all of us with a service and if it is a satisfactory service we are supposed to tip..

Here is the tip calculator that CC tpkeller posted. If you are cruising, here are the amounts you are supposed to give.

http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

 

You won't get flamed, I will.

 

Alexis: Don't worry about getting flamed - I'll smother the flames. My point is why can't people just tip accordingly, appropriately, etc. All this BS about the people don't get paid or are paid jack. We need to know! We always tip. If people don't tip are they assuming that the people serving them are all pulling down huge coin and don't need the money? (its been said before). My point is- if you know the answer tell us, if you don't tell us. I think we all need to know the real answer!

[JoFromFL]

I don't know if it varies by line, but I had the opportunity to speak with a "staffer" (those who do not work for tips) from Carnival last week while on a cruise, and he said that "crew" make about $80/month in salary plus thier tips.

 

I can't swear it's true, but that is what he told me and it seems plausible.

[cb at sea]

The service people don't make much in salary--they count on the tips to make a living wage. Performers (who won't turn away tips!) are paid a living wage by the cruise line. At any rate, I've yet to be treated like I was less than royalty by any of the staff. They are worth every penny, and then some!!!

[MargaritaPlease]

check out the March 16th entry on this blog: http://crewoffice.blogspot.com/

Tracy

 

GREAT post:

 

Employee treatment, stiffing on tipping and getting a little special something.

 

I had a comment on my last entry that asked three questions; what's treatment of third world employees like, how many passengers stiff on tipping and how DO you get those extra little considerations?

 

Well, wow.. That’s three really big questions. I could go on and on and on about employee treatment, because I have only ever seen Princess treat their employees with incredible respect and fairness and it bothers me a bit to read these so called "news reports" or comments from disgruntled crew that are essentially lies.

 

You will always hear stories about the "below deck sweatshops" and employees that work 18 hours a day, eat a bowl of gruel and then sleep on a mat in a room with 20 other crew all sharing a bathroom. It's just not true. Maybe years ago and maybe still on some third world country cruise line. But today’s legitimate cruise lines, the big ones like Carnival, Holland America, NCL, RCI and Princess... it just doesn't happen.

 

Yes, it’s true that regular crew share cabins. Usually they share 2 per cabin, sometimes up to 4 per cabin in a two bunk bed design room depending on the age (design) of the ship and the cruise line. Yes, they share a bathroom but only with one other cabin. Basically imagine two crew cabins with a bathroom in between so each cabin has a door into the bathroom. It is no worse than sharing the bathroom in your house when you have a house guest in my opinion. And now keep in mind that this is only SOME crew. Most crew shares a cabin with only one other person. I won't go into what positions get what for perks or do what right now as I was going to blog on about that later.

 

It is also true that some crew get paid very small wages. HOWEVER! They are positions that get paid out of the gratuity pool, and the gratuity pool pays them very well. In fact most people who are part of the gratuity pool ( as an officer I am not part of it) get paid MORE than I do, and I get paid pretty well.

 

NOW WAIT! Before you start going on and on about how it's unfair and the company should pay a fair wage and the passengers should not be expected to pay gratuity and etc.. There is an entire economic WORLD involved here. Yes, sure, the cruise line could raise the wages of fifteen thousand crew and then pass that cost onto the cruise ticket and then nobody could afford to cruise... there are many little and big things to consider BEFORE you start calling the cruise lines evil for paying some crew low wages and cutting them a BIG share of the gratuity pool. I am NOT an expert on the finances of the cruise lines, but I know it's not an evil practice. There is no Mr. Burns sitting at a desk rubbing his hands together and counting gold coins and muttering "excellent" every time a passenger pays a gratuity. Maybe they could pay a bit higher wages, maybe they are trying to save cost on a passenger ticket.. maybe allot of things. But it's not bad practice. Those crew in the gratuity pool are HAPPY to be in it, they make good money. I wish I WAS IN IT!! I have four children! A room steward normally makes more than me! Yes, they work long, long hours and they work very hard, and they are trying hard to earn your gratuity. They DO earn it. But I believe the gratuity system works and keeps costs down and the crew makes more money on that system than they would if the cruise lines raised wages and eliminated passenger gratuity. If you asked any crew member would he rather a higher salary or gratuity pool system? There is no doubt what they would choose.

 

Now keep in mind, if you DO ask your room steward that question... you might get a sob story answer. It's actually against company policy for this to happen, and it is very rare, but crew have been known to make their lives and wages sound relatively...um.."pathetic" in order to inspire higher gratuity. I am not saying this will happen to you, and on Princess it hardly ever happens, but it could. If you just stick to either the recommended tipping guidelines or just leave the automatic tipping (in operation on all Princess ships and other major cruise lines like NCL) in place you can sleep easy knowing you did the fair thing when it came to tipping your people.

 

How often do passengers stiff crew on gratuity? Not as often as you might think. I would guess about 10% or around that. They usually have themselves "removed" from the auto gratuity system and tell the people at the desk "we would rather tip in person with cash".

 

By the way, should you just get bad service and not want to pay because of that, then tell that to the desk as well and fill out a comment card. We read them. It’s important we know.

 

How DO you get those extra perks? Well, there is allot of things you can do but the main thing in my opinion is to befriend the Maitre'd. Find out in advance who he is, where he is from. Take him a bottle of your city or towns local wine as a gift and see what happens in return. The best place to get excellent service is the dining rooms onboard these ships, and if the Maitre'd likes you your service will be absolutely outstanding. If he does not like you because you screamed at him over your seating times or something else very silly, you will be lucky to see a hot steak on your table ;0). Actually,the service will be good even if you do yell at the Maitre'd, but trust me, make friends with him and it will be memorable. Of course being related to the Captain will also get you stellar service, but greasing the Maitre'd will work for the rest of us.

 

Just one thing more on treatment of crew and I will end this afternoons blog. Go online (I have a Princess link on this page) and take a look at a good high resolution picture of the Grand Princess, or Golden Princess, Or Diamond Princess. See on the very front of the ship, on the bow, there is a pool and two Jacuzzi’s? Passengers ask us all the time how to get to these exclusive rest zones, how to get all the way up front to swim or soak under the sky. The answer is, as a passenger you can't. Those facilities are for crew only. All crew.

 

Nice eh?? :0)

[nrdsb4]

Could we please have a definitive answer as to whether or not the people that work on the ships get paid. We have heard everything from: "they make nothing" to: "they make big bucks with tips". Which is it? And We don't want to create a bunch of speculation and controversy on this either! For those that are in the know (and have not "just heard") - enlighten us. We really need to know. If tips are the sole source of income, everyone needs to know. It may affect someones salary. I'm not being rude or not sensitive - I'd just like to know the real answers.

 

Pretty much everyone on this board will be speculating or will have "heard" from someone. Perhaps there are some ex-cabin stewards or waiters on this board who could give you the "definitive" answer, but I doubt it. Even if someone tells you they asked their steward about it, it doesn't mean they received an honest answer.

[Alexis]

Alexis: Don't worry about getting flamed - I'll smother the flames. My point is why can't people just tip accordingly, appropriately, etc. All this BS about the people don't get paid or are paid jack. We need to know! We always tip. If people don't tip are they assuming that the people serving them are all pulling down huge coin and don't need the money? (its been said before). My point is- if you know the answer tell us, if you don't tell us. I think we all need to know the real answer!

 

??

I have done 21 cruises and I do know the "real answer". We have talked to many of the waiters and others on all different cruiselines, who gave us great and some, not so great service and they all tell the same stories about pay and family left in other countries, 7 days a week of work, 12-14 hours a day, for 9 months at a time. We had one waiter 5 times in a row and really became good friends with him. I did believe him 100%.

So, I just preferred to post how I look at tipping and not the "truth and factual pay salary of the crew". I will continue to always tip the same no matter what the truth is.

On here The "truth" leads to World War 3 in about a days time because some do not want to believe the truth, could care less about the truth and do not want to tip anyway. :D

That is why I posted my way.

Just my opinion. ;)

[cruisePRN]

My room stewart had 17 cabins. If everyone gave him the suggested $3.50 per person per day do the math. My calculator comes up with $119 per day (7 days a week) which in most countries would go far. That is roughly $119 X 7=$833 weekly tax free. Factor in no room or board and free living expenses and no TAXES it's a decent living. Do they work hard for it.....you bet your bibby and they're worth every penny.

[dibri'e]

check out the March 16th entry on this blog: http://crewoffice.blogspot.com/

Tracy

 

 

Thanks---- This is a great site!

[SuzieQ123]

The problem is that these guys (and girls) get "stiffed" more often then you think...cabin stewards and wait staff. Sad but people do this. So when you do all the Math it looks like a great living but you have to remember there are a lot of people who don't tip. We always give AT LEAST the recommended but usually more. And a lot of these people support entire families meaning, Mom, Dad, Grandparents, Brothers, Sisters etc......

[Happy ks]

My room stewart had 17 cabins. If everyone gave him the suggested $3.50 per person per day do the math. My calculator comes up with $119 per day (7 days a week) which in most countries would go far. That is roughly $119 X 7=$833 weekly tax free. Factor in no room or board and free living expenses and no TAXES it's a decent living. Do they work hard for it.....you bet your bibby and they're worth every penny.

 

You do have to factor in that they sometimes need to hire an assistant to help them out. That comes out of their own pocket. Not every cruise is full to capacity, not every pax tips the full amount. I have no idea about taxes paid or not, they could very well have to pay quite a bit to the country they are from.

 

I actually have a hard time with people needing to know the answer to this. Do you want everyone to know how much money you make? How about your local favorite restaurant, do you need to know what your server there makes?

 

I look at it in an entirely different way. I go on a cruise and there are a few people who cater to me, pamper me, spoil me. For that, I give them a gift of cash, typically what is customary, sometimes more. What they do with that cash is none of my business, the amount of cash they get from the cabins down the hall is none of my business.

 

So, to the OP, you have a definitive answer. If the people are working for tips, they do not get paid a living wage, room and board and $50-80 a month does not support their families back home. The staff who work for a salary are paid a living and probably a competetive wage.

 

I was glad to read that not that many people stiff them. I cannot imagine working all week and getting nothing for it. I cannot imagine the nerve (or perhaps stupidity/ignorance) it takes to stiff a service person. If you get poor service, report it to their supervisor while it's still happening. If you just stiff them, it only makes you look cheap. If you don't tip because you didn't eat that much in the dining room, well, they showed up to serve you, how would you like it if you showed up for your job and your boss made you stay, then you didn't get paid because there really wasn't much to do?

 

Edit to add, I don't take into consideration what country they are from, or what the standard of living is in their home country. They are working long, hard hours for me, I am glad to pay them what the standard would be if they were working here, in my case the US. Seven or eight $$ for their hour of working in my cabin or serving me my dinner every night seems fair.

[MGoBlue2]

I can tell you definitively that in 1998 a low level employee on Celebrity made $50/month in base salary and was guaranteed at least an additional $716/month in tips and that he averaged $1450/month in tips.

 

I can tell you that definitively because it was part of a lawsuit the employee brought against Royal Caribbean seeking sick pay equal to the higher amount rather than the guaranteed amount.

 

Here's a link if you want to read it:

 

http://www.admiraltylawguide.com/circt/11thespinal.html

[MrsPete]

check out the March 16th entry on this blog: http://crewoffice.blogspot.com/

Tracy

Interesting site! Very informative on the subject of tips. He says that the room stewards make MORE than some of the officers! I've always suspected that they weren't doing too badly financially.

 

I also noted that he seems to have a distrust of the people who (like me) like to have the automatic tips removed so they can pay in cash straight to the recipient -- I thought that was a good thing. He implies that most people who do this don't actually tip at all.

 

He also says that about 10% of the guests "stiff the help". From reading these boards, I had the impression that it was higher.

[MGoBlue2]

Interesting site! Very informative on the subject of tips. He says that the room stewards make MORE than some of the officers! I've always suspected that they weren't doing too badly financially.

 

I also noted that he seems to have a distrust of the people who (like me) like to have the automatic tips removed so they can pay in cash straight to the recipient -- I thought that was a good thing. He implies that most people who do this don't actually tip at all.

 

He also says that about 10% of the guests "stiff the help". From reading these boards, I had the impression that it was higher.

It may be higher here. On Princess the tips are added automatically and the passenger has to do something to remove them. It's the opposite on RCI. In general automatic payment plans result in much higher response rates.

[rubrrick]

check out the March 16th entry on this blog: http://crewoffice.blogspot.com/

Tracy

 

Tracy........I also found this blog to be informative. I feel that it's important to tip the recommended amount to the staff members, whether we use the service or not. A case in point, on our last X cruise, we ate in the dining room once. On night one, we informed the assistant head water that we would not be dining at our table, but that the waitstaff would be properly tipped. We understand that certain people depend on tips, and we follow or exceed what the cruise ship lines recommend.

 

Rick

[HurricaneSally]

Why would it matter how much they make? I will always tip at least the recommended amount and prefer to have this added to my card. I don't require anybody to thank me for their tip.

[prairie_fox]

Those same people also do the other areas when not in the main dinning room, They have a rotaion in the Windjammer, around the pools, lounges and theaters where thet are not always tipped the same money. I know the Windjammer does not have a tip policy so the tip from the dinning room also helps those who work there.

[MelanieH]

One my last cruise I met someone from the crew and we still talk. That was one question I asked him how was the pay because I thought about working for a cruise line. The answer he gave me was we depend on tips. Thats how we survive, and thats how we buy everything.

[Lewdog]

I just want to know if you people ask your waiters at land based restaurants how much they make? how about your doctors and dentists? kid's teachers? bank tellers? the office janitor?

[Amink]

What I have wondered was the people who don't work with the pax what do they get paid, it certainly isn't in tips

 

like the laundry crew, or the engine crew, the people who do the garbage sorting and recycling... I assume they get paid fairly, but it is something I have wondered.

[islanderbob654]

It doesn't matter what they get paid; guests should tip according to the established customs and guidelines.

[jander]

Is knowing what they get paid, going help you judge how much to tip? What they get paid has nothing to do with how much you should tip.