How are tips distributed to HAL staff?

[jtl513]

... the bartender (10%-20% of your food bill even though you did not order anything from the bar), ...

Did you really mean to say the bartender gets up to 20% of the food bill, or 20% or what is left by the customer? I always aim to leave a tip around 20%, and rarely go as high as 23 - 25%. If the bartender gets 20% of the food bill that means there's not much for anybody else!! :eek::eek:

[Jade13]

I worked my way through school in the restaurant business. MOST customers do not realize that as a server, we must tip out the hostess who seated you, the bus person who cleans the table, the bartender (10%-20% of your food bill even though you did not order anything from the bar), and the kitchen staff. Please also know that typically, ALL OF THESE OTHER SUPPORT STAFF ARE PAID A HIGHER HOURLY WAGE, BEACAUSE THEY ARE NOT IN A TIPPING POSITION! Fair? I think not. So, as a server, my tips depended on the reliability of the support staff who I had to tip based on my total sales of the shift; not on my total tip count. My point is- I don't believe in auto tipping; but I enjoy rewarding those with whom I enjoy good customer service. I don't know the pay scales of cruise staff, however, possibly support staff receive a higher hourly rate because of their position?

 

Nini, what years are you talking about??? This sounds specific to one specific restaurant/owner.

 

My DH is in the restaurant business, works in the kitchen and I can assure you that the kitchen staff does not get any of the tips.

[Jade13]

I have never in my life heard of the kitchen staff being tipped. They are paid a much higher wage and therefore shouldn't have their hands out for tips.

 

 

 

--rita

 

Neither have we and my DH works in a kitchen

[sodomojo]

Neither have we and my DH works in a kitchen

 

On board the ship, there's a reason why some dining room attendant can get your food to you faster then others or get you somehting not on the menu... :D

[mushroom]

I've just finished reading Brian David Bruns' book "Cruise Confidential". We writes rather frankly and openly about being employed by Carnival Corporation as the only American to every finish out a full contract in F&B on a ship. After reading his experiences, I've become much more appreciative of the work everyone does on board...and much more aware of how we as passengers are percieved. It's funny, true and very interesting. I highly recommend it for any cruise "regular".

[sail7seas]

On board the ship, there's a reason why some dining room attendant can get your food to you faster then others or get you somehting not on the menu... :D

 

 

Duh....... I never thought about that but it certainly explains 'la difference!'

[Jade13]

On board the ship, there's a reason why some dining room attendant can get your food to you faster then others or get you somehting not on the menu... :D

 

Yes, but I was addressing Nini who indicated that in land based restaurants the cooks are part of the tip pool. I actually was not commenting on cruise ships since I am clear from you that the auto-tips are divided among the crew (including cooks and dishwashers). It just is not common in restaurants, in the US anyway.

[hammybee]

The future is more important than the past. Lets hope when CCL's formula no longer works and it is on the verge of the high-jump, someone with a forward vision is there to acquire it and take it into the future as a new "modern" company, responding to new market demands and preferences.

 

????

[hammybee]

Nini, what years are you talking about??? This sounds specific to one specific restaurant/owner.

 

My DH is in the restaurant business, works in the kitchen and I can assure you that the kitchen staff does not get any of the tips.

 

I am aware of some restaurants that require their waitstaff to tip out to some of the kitchen " support" staff.

 

I am also aware of many restaurants that require a percentage of the bill to be tipped out, regadless if a tip was received. In other words, it might cost the server money to serve a party who does not tip.

 

As it relates to a cruise ship, according to a frequent poster, known to many on this board, with more than 30 years experience working for cruise lines, the crew votes and decides how to allocate the tipping pool. That's good enough for me.

[world~citizen]

????

 

Self explanatory.

 

Nobody is ever on top forever. When CCL becomes as stale as HAL did, lets hope there is someone around to do for CCL what CCL did for HAL and Cunard.

[Pepicou]

J

 

- they get to stay free on the ship and get the free food, but have to buy their own soap, laundry soap, etc.

 

- they get free flights home and back to ship.

 

As an officer on HAL ships I can say honestly that is true and false respectively, without being a crewmember 'milking' the sympathy vote. Yes they eat for free and while yes they do have access to free washing detergent it is pretty awful stuff and just about everyone i know goes ashore to buy their own. As for personal hygeine items such as soap/shampoo/deoderant etc, yes we have to buy that ourselves.

 

Regarding getting free flights back home, only a minority of the crew do. The Indonesian and Phillipino crewmembers (making up about 70-80% of the crew) have to 'contribute' to their airfair home. Following this legal

embarrasment http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=182c30a7-9618-43bf-b642-0c42f45fd2c9 the Company have changed the way they get the money from the crew, but part (for some of the crew that is quite alot) of their salary still goes towards their airfare home.

 

To get back on topic, as an aside, next time you are onboard a HAL ship spare a thought for the sailors and engineroom crew (wipers). The sailors normally start before 5am scrubbing decks and maintaining the ship (and incidentally launch your lifeboats) etc whilst the wipers can spend 11 hours a day in what can be an incredibly hot engine room making sure the engines and machinery keep running. Their reward for keeping the ship running? Less than $600 a MONTH, and no, they do not see one cent of your gratuity...

Next time you see one hard at work, stop and say hes doing a great job and youll make his week...

[world~citizen]

As an officer on HAL ships I can say honestly that is true and false respectively, without being a crewmember 'milking' the sympathy vote. Yes they eat for free and while yes they do have access to free washing detergent it is pretty awful stuff and just about everyone i know goes ashore to buy their own. As for personal hygeine items such as soap/shampoo/deoderant etc, yes we have to buy that ourselves.

 

Regarding getting free flights back home, only a minority of the crew do. The Indonesian and Phillipino crewmembers (making up about 70-80% of the crew) have to 'contribute' to their airfair home. Following this legal

embarrasment http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=182c30a7-9618-43bf-b642-0c42f45fd2c9 the Company have changed the way they get the money from the crew, but part (for some of the crew that is quite alot) of their salary still goes towards their airfare home.

 

To get back on topic, as an aside, next time you are onboard a HAL ship spare a thought for the sailors and engineroom crew (wipers). The sailors normally start before 5am scrubbing decks and maintaining the ship (and incidentally launch your lifeboats) etc whilst the wipers can spend 11 hours a day in what can be an incredibly hot engine room making sure the engines and machinery keep running. Their reward for keeping the ship running? Less than $600 a MONTH, and no, they do not see one cent of your gratuity...

Next time you see one hard at work, stop and say hes doing a great job and youll make his week...

 

Thanks for the post and the link.

 

I think this underscores the importance of the role of gratuities in the remuneration of the crew.

 

Smooth ailing to you...

[Copper10-8]

...............To get back on topic, as an aside, next time you are onboard a HAL ship spare a thought for the sailors and engineroom crew (wipers). The sailors normally start before 5am scrubbing decks and maintaining the ship (and incidentally launch your lifeboats) etc whilst the wipers can spend 11 hours a day in what can be an incredibly hot engine room making sure the engines and machinery keep running. Their reward for keeping the ship running? Less than $600 a MONTH, and no, they do not see one cent of your gratuity...

Next time you see one hard at work, stop and say hes doing a great job and youll make his week...

 

 

Amen Pepicou! Thanks for posting!

[Q.E.D.]

I think this underscores the importance of the role of gratuities in the remuneration of the crew.

Um, the HAL officer just told us that the hard-working engine room crew and deck scrubbers get none of the gratuity...

[sail7seas]

Thank you, Pepicou.

 

I will absolutely be sure to thank the sailors we see working the lifeboats, maintaining promenade deck etc I am sure they get far too few "thank you's."

 

[hammybee]

Self explanatory.

 

Nobody is ever on top forever. When CCL becomes as stale as HAL did, lets hope there is someone around to do for CCL what CCL did for HAL and Cunard.

 

With the economy and all, maybe it will be EasyCruise.....stranger things have happened.:D