Opt out of daily service charge to tip on my own? Jewel

[shoreguy]

However reading this thread has opened my eyes. $3.00 minimum wage:eek: In the UK the minimum wage is £5.35 per hour.

Interestingly though, the price of a meal in the US is comparable to that at home but then there is the tip on top of 12-15%. It makes you wonder where the money is going. It is obviously not going to the staff at $3.00 per hour:(

 

 

You must be kidding :eek: ;) - Having just spent 2 nights in London and working in NYC everyday I can say the prices look the same. The problem those same numbers are pounds not dollars. A small pizza 6 dollars in the states 7 pounds in London. Nice Angus Steak $29 in NYC was $32 pounds in London. The list goes on - bowl of chips, Holiday Inn, $2 NYC, 2.5 pounds in London. Draft beer $4 NYC 3.80 pounds.

 

With the weak dollar food in London was just about 2 X NYC even at Mickey Ds and Starbucks ;)

[Planer's Edge]

Thank you for responding to this much more "eloquently" than I would have.

 

PE

[tony@stanton19.freeserve.]

You must be kidding :eek: ;) - Having just spent 2 nights in London and working in NYC everyday I can say the prices look the same. The problem those same numbers are pounds not dollars. A small pizza 6 dollars in the states 7 pounds in London. Nice Angus Steak $29 in NYC was $32 pounds in London. The list goes on - bowl of chips, Holiday Inn, $2 NYC, 2.5 pounds in London. Draft beer $4 NYC 3.80 pounds.

 

With the weak dollar food in London was just about 2 X NYC even at Mickey Ds and Starbucks ;)

 

We try to avoid London Prices too, it's a rip-off!!!!

We probably fell foul of the tourist spots first time in New York, I remember getting a burger and a sandwich in Lindy's near Central Park. It was about $12 to $15 each plus drinks, tax, tip etc. At least the UK prices include tax. This year the really good exchange rate helped to make NYC really good value, although we slipped up in a really pretentious Italian opposite the New York Helmsley on 42nd St, cost $90 for starters and three pizzas and drinks. Most of the time it was great though.

 

Generally speaking though, you are absolutely right, as always, the price of most things are dollar for pound equal. Normally that means about a third off our prices. At the moment, it's about half price. We bought two pairs of Skechers in NYC for what we would have paid for one at home.

That's why there is a great boom in shopping trips to USA at the moment. According to the papers, Boston is an even better bet than NYC, is the sales tax lower?

 

We almost stayed at a Holiday Inn in London, Glad we didn't if that's what you were charged. I noticed from your most excellent Blog that they had ripped you off for Internet. In the CP at the UN it was free wireless in the lobby and at the HI JFK it was even available in the room.

 

Hope you enjoyed ripoff Britain, now you know why we like coming to visit so much.

[tony@stanton19.freeserve.]

Thank you for responding to this much more "eloquently" than I would have.

 

PE

 

did I say something I shouldn't ?

 

Tony

[chasetf]

You must be kidding :eek: ;) - Having just spent 2 nights in London and working in NYC everyday I can say the prices look the same. The problem those same numbers are pounds not dollars. A small pizza 6 dollars in the states 7 pounds in London. Nice Angus Steak $29 in NYC was $32 pounds in London. The list goes on - bowl of chips, Holiday Inn, $2 NYC, 2.5 pounds in London. Draft beer $4 NYC 3.80 pounds.

 

With the weak dollar food in London was just about 2 X NYC even at Mickey Ds and Starbucks ;)

I agree.... we experienced the same thing.... I kept telling my wife to just think of a pound as a dollar...:D

 

What we have to do is wait for the steak until we are home (or on the ship) and go for the pizza. ;)