European reaction to $l0 per day Tips on HAL?

[DFD1]

What do the European cruise passengers on HAL ships think about the new $l0 per person, per day automatic tipping policy? What is the European tradition about tipping and how does it differ from the American custom? Do European cruise passengers generally tip more...or less?

[lknick]

What is the European tradition about tipping...

In EC countries VAT [from 18.5% - 21%, similar to a sales tax] is included in the price of an item.

 

At restaurants on the continent, a tip is also included in the price of the meal or added automatically to the bill...usually 12.5% Many promotional prices are SNC--service not included, but it is still added. Tips are usually shared.

 

In London restaurants, when tips are optional, the usual rate is 10%.

 

What do the European cruise passengers on HAL ships think about the new $l0 per person, per day automatic tipping policy?

Europeans are not one people and have never spoken with one voice.

Do European cruise passengers generally tip more...or less?

I have no idea...nor do I know how one would find out.

[Deep68]

When I am an expat Brit now living in the US and can make a comment from a British point of view.

 

Tipping in general in the UK is based on level of service, if service is bad you do not tip if it is good yes I guess around 10% -20% is OK. There were no automatic tips in any restaurants I ate at in the UK.

You do not automatically tip for anything. Also a very small tip is seen as a bigger insult than no tip.

 

A lot fewer services are for tipped in the UK than in the US.

A lot of hotel services are not tipped for in the UK at all.

Also in a pub you do not tip a barman.

So basically the culture is different.

 

However if someone was told that part of the cost of a cruise was a tip I think most people would just add that to the cost of the holiday (vacation) and move on! A lot of Brits would not want to make a fuss and would accept the charge...obviously generalizing here!

[Sue's Mom]

However if someone was told that part of the cost of a cruise was a tip I think most people would just add that to the cost of the holiday (vacation) and move on! A lot of Brits would not want to make a fuss and would accept the charge...obviously generalizing here!

 

I'm from the UK and agree with the above. Tipping generally is not a way of life for most of us average Brits. And we don't seem to have as many people offering their services (eg porters at airports, train stations etc). We generally tip a taxi driver. We don't go out for expensive meals but mainly for pub meals, where we leave the waitress about 10%. (Public house where it is possible to drink only, eat only or do both. This facility is something that we don't see in the US but may be we have not been to the right places.) We only get a taxi on very, very special occasions and only for very short distances. For a fare of up to £3 we would tip about 50 pence. (100 pence to the £) Any distance longer than a couple of miles, someone will drive and give lifts to others in the party.

 

As an aside (and gently meant), :D there are a lot of Brits that do NOT want to be associated with Europe; we really would like to be British through and through and not just some "state" in the European Union. Did you know that the "powers that be" in control of the European Union, wanted only straight bananas! All tomatoes sold in the shops have to be roughly speaking a certain size. This does not apply to toms like "plum" tomatoes or "cherry" tomatoes - just the average tomato. The French use them for throwing at people when they are protesting about something. The sale of chain saws is about to be banned. Oh, and so many other stupid things (IMHO) that I've forgotten most of them.

[matchman]

Again speaking as an Expat Brit, although the Flemish are very similar on tipping.

 

I think as Brit's we tend to fall into two groups for tipping, (and please understand as a rule of thumb many Brit's simply do not tip regularly so it is often a foreign concept.)

You have the one group who travel and are aware they must tip and worry about it a great deal. (They tend to over tip because they are unsure.) and the second group is of the opinion that they dont do it at home so why should they do it on Holiday!

 

I think both groups will be happy with a set tip and being able to consider it as part of the normal holiday cost.

 

As Americans you tend to think of prices + tax, which makes it easier to then think of a price + tax + tip. Europeans get a price for items and thats it. If it says 99cents then hand them a dollar and you get 1cent change. Do that of course in the US and you will need another 5cents for taxes. So your view of prices tends to be floating, where as Europeans see prices as fixed.

 

On the whole idea of tipping, I've lived in the US for 14 years and have seen both sides and still cannot decide which I prefer. I do tend to lean towards a view that I expect to pay one price and get everything included, most jobs are fixed wages so why should I make exceptions, and before I get told its becuase tipping is for service. If you perform ANY job then you are expected to provide a good level of performance whether it be building a car, serving a drink or performing brain surgery. The guy building the car should be putting just as much care into his job as the person serving the drink or cutting into someones head. (Now of course I have not been down the Chevy production line recently, but I dont think anyone is wandering down there handing out dollar bills, or for that matter the brain surgeon geting his bill back with a 20% gratuity added for putting the stiches in straighter. :) )

 

See now I am on my hobby horse, why, why, why should I pay more for someone to do their job!!!!!! (Of course I realize that they should be paid a proper wage in the first place! But this was consumers wanting to see a cheaper price and businesses wanting to hide costs.) Oh well off the horse now *laugh*

[Globaliser]

I think I've set out my own views elsewhere, but FWIW they can be summarised as:-

• I think that having a set price with no need to tip is better than any system of added tip/service charge/whatever you call it.
• A system of paying people with tips does not produce better service than a system in which there is no tipping, if the staff are paid properly.
• If there's a set or recommended tip, that's how much I'll tip. If there's a set service charge, I'll pay it.
• I won't tip on top of a service charge. $10 per day is $10 a day, and I really don't care what it's called.

[NJsharon]

Yep, another ex-brit here & pretty much agree with everything that has been said.

 

Firstly, we Brits hate being bunched together with Europeans, as every country in Europe is very different, so we can only inform you about how the British tip.

 

As people stated, we don't tip very often in the UK as you expect the people to do their job. Having said that I soon found out after coming over to the US that people in the service industry do not make as good a wage (in general) as the equivalent in the UK. So I was told my Americans they "rely" on their tips. Once I knew this when I ordered a beer in a bar I was very happy to leave a dollar each time, but just did not know to do this when I first came over.

 

So I think if a Brit is informed about the tipping policy in America they would not have a problem with tipping and most (as Deep68 said) would accept that & probably just add the automatic charge to make it easier. But if they got on the ship not knowing the American tipping system they might find $10 a day rather too much!

 

I must admit that I do find it a lot easier when visiting back to the UK that you don't have to tip (as often) & tax is included in the item's price. Just makes things so much easier money wise.

 

~Sharon~

 

PS - Things I would tip for in UK are a reeeeally excellent meal with exceptional service(maybe 1 or 2 pounds) or taxi ride (as someone else mentioned, normally 50p, 1 pound at the most). Can't think of any other instance when I would tip in England.

[elmorejj]

Another ex pat Brit here and I have to agree with my countrymen/women about tipping in the UK. Whenever I am "home" and go out for a family meal, I am constantly reminded by relatives that I`ve tipped too much! In a pub I will ask the bartender to have a drink, this is more usual than offering a tip. I will always tip porters and taxi drivers but thats about it. Living in the US for more years than I want to count, I have become accustomed to the American way, and am now inclined to over tip......jean :cool:

 

PS, When my sister wrote and told me about the EEC wanting straight bananas, I was truly "gob smacked" :D

[lknick]

With all these ex-pat Brits in the US, it's a good thing the Africans and Middle Eastern folks have come to London or the place would be empty.

[the2ofus]

Amazing!! All my adult life I've been a Brit and didn't know it!! :D

[DFD1]

This is great stuff. The bean counters at HAL should read this thread. They could learn a lot.Thanks

[sandydownunder]

The Australian attitude to tipping is the same as the Brits. Here in Australia we have a minimum standard wage, legally enforced. I think it would be the same in Britain, because as a former colony we follow their Parliamentary system. We'd tip a taxi driver a couple of dollars. A meal in an up market restaraunt 15%. Probably wouldn't tip at a Pizza Hut or Sizzlers.

 

We lived in Houston for two years. Tipping would send me into a spin wondering how much I should leave. The worst was seeing those dollar bills on the counter in the hairdressers (beauty parlour). I became friends with a lady in our apartment complex who was a hairdresser and arranged for her to cut the families' hair at a fixed rate. Worked out well for both of us.

 

As for cruising I would never begrudge the $10 a day to the wonderful Indonesian crew. However, I firmly believe it is HAL's responsibility to pay them a fair wage. This should be reflected in the price of a cruise. All the cruise companies want to market cheap cruises to attract clients, but I feel the price should include the tips.

 

A few years ago we went on Carnival Legend's first venture into Europe - a Transatlantic Crossing from Harwich to New York. Gratuities were included in the package that we bought here in Australia. When I commented that that was unusual I was told they were doing it that way because Aussies don't tip.

 

Another issue for us has been the exchange rate. We have cruised in the past when our $ has been only worth 50 cents US. That means every shore excursion, drink, photograph and tip etc has been double. Of course that is not the fault of the crew and they still deserve a tip. We just have to be more $ wise. We've become very adept at organizing independent tours. Our dollar at the moment is aprox 71 cents, and did reach 80 cents last year. In fact it maybe hard for Americans to believe that our shipboard account on that Carnival Legend cruise was $000:00. I don't think Carnival would have us on their high flyers list, but we had a great cruise.

[sandydownunder]

Sorry,

I can't spell "restaurant".

[Aussie Gal]

I agree with everything that Sandy has said. We are not a tipping country because of our high wages. If we eat out and the service is good we tip Usually 10% is the norm but if we have bad service, we leave nothing.

 

We never tip hairdressers, nail ladies, any fast food chain staff and the taxi driver usually gets the change made up to the nearest dollar.

 

We do tip the bell boy at a hotel when he brings us our luggage but really no-one else. It just isn't a way of life here.

 

I was happy with the envelope system on HAL and I am also used to the $10 per person per day as Princess has that on their ships. When we book our cruises we always factor in the extra tips and shore excursions that we need to pay for in US dollars as our exchange rate is not good against your dollar. We certainly would never not tip as Indonesian crew do a wonderful job and obviously rely so much on the extra money.

 

Jennie