tipping in Odyssey/Pinnacle Grill?

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

I don't see how the Pinnacle Grill waitstaff gets a fair share. The dining room waitstaff (your waiter and his assistant) split $3 (from what I have been told), your room steward gets $3, and that leaves $4 to be split among the "behind the scenes" crew. So how many people are splitting that $4 who work behind the scenes? I don't have any numbers but there are a lot of people who work in the kitchen, the laundry room, polish the brass, the engine room people, deck hands, etc. So they can't be getting very much.

:)

[trubey]

Has anyone here done the arithmetic on exactly how much money the automatic gratuity policy amounts to, to be shared by the staff of a cruise?

 

I'm on the Prinsendam, which should have about 750 passengers, for 13 days.

At $130 p/p for the trip, that's $97,500.

 

Considering HAL's purported staff reductions, there should be about 400 staff sharing this pool. That's an AVERAGE of $243.75 per staff member on this cruise, or $18.75 per day.

 

Lane

[dakrewser]

Has anyone here done the arithmetic on exactly how much money the automatic gratuity policy amounts to, to be shared by the staff of a cruise?

Ooh, good work! But remember, the "boat crew" (as opposed to the hotel staff) don't share in the tips....

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

The way it was explained to us, the "boat" crew would also get something from this pool. They are considered part of the "behind the scenes" crew.

Wish HAL would put into writing exactly who all gets what. This is getting frustrating.

:(

[Orcrone]

Since I don't know how well the Pinnacle servers are compensated, I would just tip them as if they were not sharing in the $10 pp fee. I'd rather leave $20 - $30 more than I have to than to stiff people not getting much. Factored into the total cost of the cruise I'm not going to notice it, and I'd rather not worry that I stiffed someone making very little money.:)

 

Of course it's academic for me. I probably won't be eating there.

[superstein61]

IMO, dakrewser.......

 

 

All that has happened is that HAL has now given them an easier way to do what they always have done anyway. Before HAL started adding the autmatically billed tips, those who refuse to tip left without tipping then. Now they simply have a handy-dandy easy to whip it out when needed explanation. Stiffing the wait staff is "stiffing the wait staff" IMO under any under name.

 

 

 

JMHO....as I said, I am only responsible and answerable for my own behavior.

SOrry - I disagree - In HAL's own literature - and it is reiterated by the cruise director on board in his debarkation talk - the $10/day covers everyone - It INCLUDES the Pinnacle Grill waitstaff. And the $10/day is supposed to cover people who do an excellent job and it is (HAL's words) intended to provide the rewards they deserve. So these folks are not IMO being stiffed. They share in the shared tipping pool just like everyone else - and HAL has determined $10 / day will cover all employees on the ship in a rewarding fashion.

 

Further proof of this is you CAN NOT add a tip to the bill from the Pinnacle Grill and have it charged to your account. If you want to leave something above and beyond what they get from the pool, you must do so in cash (I discussed this directly with my server)

 

Now whether someone wants to tip them additionally is solely up to them.

[superstein61]

Dakrewser,

 

I understand what you're saying. Unfortunatly I don't think anyone knows for sure where the unknown portion of the $10.00 per day goes. I guess I just don't think that the Pinnacle servers are getting a fair share. But like I said, no one knows. JMHO

Orcrone - I beg to differ - The Pinnacle grill staff gets their fair share from the tipping pool just like everyone else. I have both heard and read that from official HAl sources. So i would not say no one knows - they do.

 

But if one chooses to tip more, thay are always welcome to do so

[Little Feet]

Wow! I think I must not have worded my post correctly. It seems that Sail7Seas must think I am a deadbeat! Not so! I worked my way through school waiting tables.....if anything I way overtip. I know how some folks tip nothing and how hard the work can be. My querry was.....when we tip the Pinnacle people...do they get to keep it..... or do they have to wait to see if we retain the $10.00/day (we will) automatic tip on our account? And of course, this is on top of the $20.00/pp charge, which is for food. Just thought the info would be helpful.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:) Little Feet

The Pinnacle Grill waitstaff won't know until the last couple of days of the cruise whether you have opted to remove the automatic tips or not. So some passengers who go there at the beginning of the cruise and not tip may not realize that once they have removed the automatic tipping, the Pinnacle Grill waitstaff will not get a fair share from the pool nor will they be able to keep the extra tip that was given to them.

Which brings up another question - since the Pinnacle Grill waitstaff won't know until near the end of the cruise who has opted out of the automatic tipping - do they have to turn in those tips right away and then claim them later??

:)

[Krazy Kruizers]

:) trubey

I am still trying to figure out how you think that each crew member will get $18.75 per day in tips.

Did you subtract the $3 per day for the room stewrad? Did you subtract $3 per day for the dining room staff? HAL has said that those figures are set in concrete.

So now we are down to $4 a day to bedivided by the rest of the crew. From your total crew staff did you subtract the number of cabin stewards and dining room waitstaff?

Of course you didn't!

So now the numbers are different. Now there may be 400 kitchen workers, laundry personnel, brass cleaners, 2 yum-yum men, boat crew (tender workers included), Pinnacle Grill waitstaff, engineers, pool crew, etc., that have to split $4 per person per day. So $4 per day times 750 passengers (Prinsendam) equals $3000 per day divided by 400 workers equals $7.50 per day. To me it looks like you need to be a "behind the scenes" worker as they seem to get more in tips.

 

Something seems to be wrong with this picture???

 

:(

[sail7seas]

Little Feet....No, I do not think you are a deadbeat. :) I think you asked a reasonable question.

 

KK made an interesting observation and that is that perhaps the Pinnacle Stewards have to "report" what tips they receive throughout the cruise until such time as it is determined which pax remove the automatic tips from their account.

I still feel that most people will wish to tip the stewards in Pinnacle....even with HAL's new automatic tipping.

Your choice. Do as you wish.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

sail7seas - hoping you folks and we won't be the only ones tipping in the Pinnacle Grill. Don't like the way some people are chosing to opt out of tipping in general.

;)

[sail7seas]

I know what you mean, KK.

 

It seems to me that while HAL intended to clarify and take away people's excuses for not tipping, they really have confused the issue more than it was in the past. IMO

The bottom line is that "in the real world" on land, we seem to instinctively know when to tip and who to tip.

I think most of us bring our same instincts across the gangways when we board and we know the proper thing to do. IF one wants to find a "way out" of doing what instinctively they know they should do....they will always find the rationale that works best for them.

Maybe they know better than I know? I am not calling them wrong. It just does not "feel right" for me.

 

[trubey]

:) trubey

 

I am still trying to figure out how you think that each crew member will get $18.75 per day in tips.

 

I got there by dividing the total gratuity pool by the total number of employees on the boat. That gives you an AVERAGE amount per crew member per day -- for sure some get more and some get less.

 

I have no idea how they actually divide the pool -- maybe a formula involving rank, job description, seniority, and so forth?

 

I think that might be a secret, like salaries are.:rolleyes:

 

All the best,

Lane

[sail7seas]

Do any of us really think it is our business to know what crew persons earn?

 

 

Do we think it their business to know our salaries?

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

I really wasn't trying to determine what they earn - tips or regular salary.

I was just wondering how trubey got her numbers.

:)

[sail7seas]

I know that, KK. :)

 

 

I guess I'm just sensitive IN GENERAL, not specifically here, for people to inquire what others earn. We want our privacy (or at least I do) and I try to give others the same respect for their privacy.

 

My comment was not directed at any particular person here.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

We also like our privacy.

There has been so many people trying to figure out how much the crew is getting with this new tipping policy that I just wanted to know how they (like trubey) figured out the tips. Everyone seems to have a different formula.

:)

[Little Feet]

It was much easier for us when HAL did not add an "automatic tip" and all our HAL cruises were before this policy. Our next cruise (December) will be with the policy in place. We used to always tip as we were served.....we did not ever wait till the end of the cruise except for the waiters in the dining room and the cabin steward. All other servers and crew that assisted us, entertainers, etc. got a tip at the moment we utilized them. Our service was always the best....no complaints at all. It works for those that show their gratitude! I am presuming that this automatic tipping policy has been added because people did not tip at all (boo, hiss!). Now it is a confusing quandary....can they keep the tips, do they have to pool the tips, etc. I just want the server to get 20%, not the 15% that will be on the tab for cocktails, so do I add cash to the bill, or write in a higher amount, or what??? And....can I assume that the server I have tipped the extra cash to may keep the tip? I will leave the automatic tipping in place on my statement...but I bet there will be many that do not.

[digby]

We were on the Westerdam's second cruise in May. We ate in the Pinnacle twice and left no tip either time BECAUSE we were told that all extra tips must be turned in and are pooled with the entire staff. Believe me, we are very good tippers, paid for an "S" Class suite, and the money would have been gladly given if appropriate. We also saw no one else tipping.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Digby

Who told you that any tip you left in the Pinnacle would have to be pooled?

Someone in the Pinnacle?

Just curious.

[sail7seas]

Just because you did not SEE anyone else tipping, you cannot know that was the case.

 

 

My husband tips the stewards in Pinnacle but I doubt you would have seen it. There is no need for anything more than subtly.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Agree with sail7seas - no would know whether or not we tipped in the Pinnacel Grill - husband has a good hand shake.

:)

[clopaw]

The tipping situation may be confusing to those who are used to the setup on other lines. At the Celebrity specialty restaurant, the additional fee is the tip. At least that has been my understanding. Accordingly, I would never have thought about leaving a tip in cash if it were not for this board.

[sail7seas]

I guess the only way to solve the confusion issue is to Ask....

 

I can understand why someone could think the fee was the tip but I think the best way to settle that is to inquire while aboard.