How are tips distributed to HAL staff?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have the cleaners lose a shirt -- have slacks come back from cleaners with a black mark on them. One of the laundry men came back with 3 shirts -- asked DH if one of them was his. A different man came back with DH's slacks to show him that all was taken care of.

 

 

 

 

Sail

You missed what I said here -- the men who came to our cabin with the shirts and the slacks were NOT the regular delivery people -- these were the actual workers from the laundry room.

[sail7seas]

Sail

 

You missed what I said here -- the men who came to our cabin with the shirts and the slacks were NOT the regular delivery people -- these were the actual workers from the laundry room.

 

I didn't miss it, KK. I saw what you wrote/said. ;)

[cruz chic]

Let's go over together. Beer isn't really that good for them, so maybe we should ask if they "think" they should really be drinking this anyway. lol And how dare they even ask what types of beer will be available. You drink what they have. You get that! lol

 

I'm with you...I don't drink beer (well, sometimes, but I'll drink anything-don't pass that around :)), so I don't even read the threads.

:D :D :D

[Cruising Ham]

If I give someone a tip, it's my expectation that it's theirs to do with what they wish. If there is something that interferes with this expectation, I would like to be aware of it.

Based on my experience you have it exactly correct. I went to the front office and specifically asked the clerk if the staff members we choose to tip directly get to keep that tip. The look on her face told me that she'd heard this question more than once. She told me that yes, the staff member who you tip directly gets to keep the tip. She even offered envelopes for our use.

[hammybee]

Based on my experience you have it exactly correct. I went to the front office and specifically asked the clerk if the staff members we choose to tip directly get to keep that tip. The look on her face told me that she'd heard this question more than once. She told me that yes, the staff member who you tip directly gets to keep the tip. She even offered envelopes for our use.

 

Ask a different question....what happens if you opt out of the Hotel Service Charge and choose to cash tip who you want, or not?

 

I choose to believe the long time cruise line employee who posts on CC, that when the pax opts out of the Hotel Service Charge, any cash tips are turned over to the pool, defeating the purpose of opting out, unless the intent is to stiff the crew.

 

( I am not implying that stiffing the crew is anyone's intent)

[Krazy Kruizers]

I can remember when the auto tips were first put into place.

There was a lot of screaming by passengers who wanted to remove them and tip as they had done for years -- we were among them.

But after listening to the talk and actually talking to a HM and some crew members we learned that if we sign the paper and removed the auto tips, anything that we gave to any crew member had to be turned in by that crew member to a pool to be divided among all the crew. We were also told that the crew and HM, etc are given the names of the passengers who do sign this release.

So we chose not to remove the auto tip and we did and still do give extra tips to those who have served us well and made our cruise an enjoyable one.

Now we have witnessed when people did remove all or part of the tips. On the last evening of one our cruises a couple sitting at a table close to us had remove all the auto tips as they wished to tip on their own. They handed the waiter and his assistant envelopes and were stunned when both of them handed the envelopes to the maitre'd (in those days). They called over the maitre'd and got into a heated discussion.

Now I have no idea if all crew members do turn over the extra tips in this situation, but I can't imagine they would want to risk their job should someone find out that they had not followed orders.

[Cruising Ham]

Ask a different question....what happens if you opt out of the Hotel Service Charge and choose to cash tip who you want, or not?

Since that wasn't what we were doing, there was no need to ask that question. I'll let someone who's opting out worry about that.

[twinkletoes4445]

Based on my experience you have it exactly correct. I went to the front office and specifically asked the clerk if the staff members we choose to tip directly get to keep that tip. The look on her face told me that she'd heard this question more than once. She told me that yes, the staff member who you tip directly gets to keep the tip. She even offered envelopes for our use.

 

That's what I'd also heard, and it good to hear that what you were told. I take along thank-you notes, and for some of the staff, I write a personal note to them. I don't do this for everyone, but for a few, I do. But it's nice to know I can get envelopes at the front desk the others. :)

[hammybee]

But after listening to the talk and actually talking to a HM and some crew members we learned that if we sign the paper and removed the auto tips, anything that we gave to any crew member had to be turned in by that crew member to a pool to be divided among all the crew. We were also told that the crew and HM, etc are given the names of the passengers who do sign this release.

 

 

KK, This has been a consistent response, over the years. Why do you think it continues to be debated?

 

How a cruise line/resort/hotel allocates a Service Charge is a different and a private matter.

[Krazy Kruizers]

KK, This has been a consistent response, over the years. Why do you think it continues to be debated?

 

How a cruise line/resort/hotel allocates a Service Charge is a different and a private matter.

 

Possibly because for years TA's told future passengers, and HAL did advertise themselves as being a cruise line which included the tips. Therefore many people believed that they shouldn't tip anyone extra on the ship as their cruise price included tips for the crew.

I can remember one time many years ago riding in a Safari bus in St Thomas and listening to a young couple talk about HAL being an "All Inclusive" cruise line and they didn't have to worry about tipping -- they were talking to another couple who were on another cruise line ship and complaining about getting envelopes to use for tips -- and the titles were already listed on the envelopes - like: maitre'd, cabin steward, etc., as well as a couple of plain extra envelopes for anyone else they wanted to tip.

Thus when the auto tips were put into place, some people could not and would not accept this new concept. Old timers like us were accustomed to giving extra tips BUT there were many people who gave nothing!!! And we noticed that the people who didn't leave tips were the new, younger cruisers -- maybe the majority of them only eat in fast food places and aren't used to tipping??? Who knows??

All too often on the last night of the cruise while the crew was singing their farewell song, we watched many people dash out of the dining room. By the time the staff came back to their areas -- only a handful of us were left. The expressions on the staff faces was so sad.

I can understand why HAL put those auto tips in place.

I don't think there are a lot of people any more removing the auto tips.

I know one time we had a major problem in the dining room but we did not remove the auto tip or even a part of it.

[CowPrincess]

I don't think there are a lot of people any more removing the auto tips.

 

I hope you are correct, but suspect that there are still many who feel "put upon" by the $10/day and have it removed. I know that on our recent cruise, many regular diners were missing on the last night. So I hypothesize that some of those diners HAD removed autotips, and were embarassed to be empty-handed on the last night. It is beyond my ability to comprehend, but some people still feel that it is more important to save that $10/day than to treat workers fairly.

[birder22]

I can see why there is great interest in tipping threads.

 

 

Long time cruisers most likely know who they will tip, how much they are comfortable tipping and how they prefer to tip. But novice cruisers are often uncertain about tipping on a ship. Are tips included? Does the auto tip cover all tips? Is everyone that made my cruise special covered by the auto tip? If I want to provide additional tips, who do I tip? What is a reasonable tip? Should I give a personal gift? How is the tip given? These are all legitimate questions.

 

 

Keep in mind that tipping practices vary regionally in the US and quite a bit from country to country so that adds to the uncertainty. Often when people are uncertain about what to do, they do nothing. Which would lead to no tip without the autotip or leaving the autotip in place but not providing additional tips if there is an autotip. I think the autotips are a great idea and I'd support a higher autotip so I did not have to even think about who should receive an additional tip. It's my vacation after all. I think providing information about tipping practices gives passengers the confidence to tip appropriately.

 

 

For some people knowing the approximate breakdown of the autotip is useful. If a person would have tipped their waitstaff X dollars without the autotip, they can figure X dollars - the waitstaff's portion of the autotip and arrive at the additional tip amount.

 

 

It is also useful to know who is not included in the autotip (Club Hal employees, I believe) so they can be tipped individually.

 

 

Personally, I don't care whether tips are pooled or how they are distributed. In college I worked as a waitress, bus girl and dishwasher so I know the importance of both the front and back workers in the ultimate customer experience.

 

 

As long as passengers feel that they are directly contributing to the employee compensation of some of the crew, the topic of tipping will be of interest. But I agree, sometimes the level of interest does appear unseemly.

 

 

Now, the tipping issue that bothers me is when I read of people spending a great deal of money on themselves (expensive cabins, lots of drinks, gambling etc) and then they complain about the autotip or that they are charged the autotip for their children. Not nice.

 

 

I've appreciated the information and insights into cruising that I have receieved from many on this board. Thanks for reading my tipping rant. :o

 

Birder22

[butterfliesfly]

Birder22 I agree with what you wrote, and also appreciate the information from longtime cruisers as we will be 1st time cruisers and want to make sure that when we tip above and beyond the autotip our person will be able to feel appreciated.

 

I was a waitress for several years to put myself through college. I have been stiffed, and I have been tipped well. I remember both. I fondly remember the "thank you's" and the little extra! I still talk about my worst "stiffs".

[hammybee]

Good summation, birder2.

[HeatherInFlorida]

It seems to me the OP asked how the tips were distributed to the staff ... a very reasonable question.

 

When we're tipping, whether automatically or on our own, I think it's fair to want to know how that tip is divided among the staff. It's a very fair question. I could swear on our last cruise we got a letter toward the end of the cruise telling us exactly how it is distributed, but I could be wrong and I don't remember the breakdown.

 

Some may not think about this, but many people who come to CC aren't here every day and don't read every thread. So sometimes a subject will rise again and if it is annoying, bothersome or boring for some, how about just skipping it? And if you don't skip it, why not just be nice?

 

Because reading this thread just now (and I admit I was riveted) I found some of it insulting and condescending. I'm not sure if everyone knows that JMHO stands for "just my humble opinion". There is nothing "humble" about some of the opinions expressed here.

[twinkletoes4445]

Some may not think about this, but many people who come to CC aren't here every day and don't read every thread. So sometimes a subject will rise again and if it is annoying, bothersome or boring for some, how about just skipping it? And if you don't skip it, why not just be nice?

 

I agree, I feel the same way.

 

We go the Cayman Islands for land vacations, so I post over there a lot. I answer the same questions over and over, but that doesn't bother me. New people come, old people go...and people want help with their questions. I've gotten to the point that I have typed out certain info and have it saved and I just cut & paste.

[cruz chic]

It seems to me the OP asked how the tips were distributed to the staff ... a very reasonable question.

 

When we're tipping, whether automatically or on our own, I think it's fair to want to know how that tip is divided among the staff. It's a very fair question. I could swear on our last cruise we got a letter toward the end of the cruise telling us exactly how it is distributed, but I could be wrong and I don't remember the breakdown.

 

Some may not think about this, but many people who come to CC aren't here every day and don't read every thread. So sometimes a subject will rise again and if it is annoying, bothersome or boring for some, how about just skipping it? And if you don't skip it, why not just be nice?

 

Because reading this thread just now (and I admit I was riveted) I found some of it insulting and condescending. I'm not sure if everyone knows that JMHO stands for "just my humble opinion". There is nothing "humble" about some of the opinions expressed here.

As always Heather....a voice of reason.

[cruz chic]

We go the Cayman Islands for land vacations, so I post over there a lot. I answer the same questions over and over, but that doesn't bother me. New people come, old people go...and people want help with their questions. I've gotten to the point that I have typed out certain info and have it saved and I just cut & paste.

That is a great idea. I am sure there are several folks that appreciate it!

[twinkletoes4445]

That is a great idea. I am sure there are several folks that appreciate it!

 

Thank you. :) Yes, they are very appreciative. I was very fortunate to have a lot of help from other posters when we were planning our first trip there (on a cruise), so when others ask, I am more than happy to share my experiences. I just wished I would have thought to put the info in Word earlier. lol I'd type all this info out, or hunt for an old thread, but finally the light went on and I started saving this information. Now I just modify this if I notice any changes.

 

There are lot of nice posters here, like you, lorekauf, who enjoy helping others with their questions. :)

[cruz chic]

There are lot of nice posters here, like you, lorekauf, who enjoy helping others with their questions. :)

I feel the same about you:) .

[twinkletoes4445]

As always Heather....a voice of reason.

 

That's so true. :)

[twinkletoes4445]

I feel the same about you:) .

 

Ahhh...that's nice of you to say. Now off we go to the beer thread! lol :) Ok, I'll stop. I promise. Really, I will. :)

[cruz chic]

Ahhh...that's nice of you to say. Now off we go to the beer thread! lol :) Ok, I'll stop. I promise. Really, I will. :)

:D :D :D

[Copper10-8]

It's a love fest - Awesome!:)

[cruz chic]

It's a love fest - Awesome!:)

 

:D :D