auto tipping - not removable ?

[Albert Ross]

In the UK RCI/X always quote the price including the grats. So in effect the grats are built into the price. It is the travel agents that knock off the grats to make the price look cheaper. For new inexperienced cruisers who know nothing of the US way of tipping the expectation to shell out over $100 in tips can come as a nasty unpleasant shock.

 

The OPs TA advised them to prepay the tips which is the right thing to do with the current exchange rate. On a 14n cruise us Brits save around £30pp by prepaying the tips.

 

However with the OPs original question as to whether the prepaid grats can be adjusted and/or removed - I do not think we have had a definitive answer to that one yet. I suspect the answer will be no as it then all becomes too difficult and messy. How will the cruise line reimburse the TA who will then pass this onto the client, and what about currency fluctuations etc...

 

If you have not paid then the tips are auto added onto the bill at a rate of $11.50pppd (upwards). We have agreed that these can be removed.

Also with the introduction of auto tipping has led to the removal of the handing out of envelopes so those that do want to pay cash have to go and ask for the envelopes.

[anniversay/grad trip]

can you not adjust your tip? i am all for tips being paid when deserved, but i am a family of 5 and for a 12 day cruise once converted from usd to cdn dollars it's nearly $1000.00 in tips...i think that is a bit exhorbinant....but i also do not want to be put in a position to have to explain my reasoning for changing my tip....the 'guideline' should be just that...a guideline....tipping should be based on the amount you feel is justified....when i dine at a land based restaurant, i tip the waiter, not the cook, the diswasher and everyone that is involved in the making of my meal...that should be up to the establishment to do....and no matter what amount i chose to tip..i am not questioned as to why i did or didn't give a certain amount....cruise lines are well known for their service....but service is subjective...and no 2 pp are going to get the exact same service...so why should we be expected to tip exactly the same?

[kelmac]

can you not adjust your tip? i am all for tips being paid when deserved, but i am a family of 5 and for a 12 day cruise once converted from usd to cdn dollars it's nearly $1000.00 in tips...i think that is a bit exhorbinant....but i also do not want to be put in a position to have to explain my reasoning for changing my tip....the 'guideline' should be just that...a guideline....tipping should be based on the amount you feel is justified....when i dine at a land based restaurant, i tip the waiter, not the cook, the diswasher and everyone that is involved in the making of my meal...that should be up to the establishment to do....and no matter what amount i chose to tip..i am not questioned as to why i did or didn't give a certain amount....cruise lines are well known for their service....but service is subjective...and no 2 pp are going to get the exact same service...so why should we be expected to tip exactly the same?

 

Go back and read this entire thread. "Tips" on a cruise ship replaces salaries for the service workers. It's the way this game is played. One of the reasons cruise prices are so low is because "we", the cruisers, pay the salaries of the service staff through the tipping process.

 

Enjoy!

Kel

[Lsimon]

but it's not our job to supplement their wages!

 

 

That is the cultural difference. In the USA and on the USA based cruise lines the tips more or less ARE their wages. They get only a token payment from the cruise line just as waiters in US restaurants get only a token payment from the companies that employ them. In the USA the minimum wage is very low and there is an exception for restaurant servers so their employer doesn't even need to give them the normal minimum.

 

I know this is not how it works in the UK and that you feel that the "proper" way would be for the employer to give these people a decent wage so that they don't have to rely on tips. But unfortunately that just isn't the way things work here, or on cruise ships, so please accept the difference if you are traveling to our side of the "Pond" or on a USA based cruise line.

 

Also a fact is that the waiters on the cruise ship spend the majority of their working day working in general public areas of the buffet and other service areas of the ship - not just working serving tables in the dining room. The vast majority of the servers in the buffet, ice cream area, grill and other areas are the same service staff that work in the dining room serving tables at night. The dining room work is just 4 or 5 hours a day and these people all work about 10 hours a day and have to punch in and out all day. They are even the ones handing you drinks and cool towels as you re-board the ship after a day at port.

[mardon]

Larry - i think the people REALLY understand that the waiters on the cruise ship "spend the majority of their working day working in general public areas of the buffet and other service areas of the ship - not just working serving tables in the dining room. The vast majority of the servers in the buffet, ice cream area, grill and other areas are the same service staff that work in the dining room serving tables at night. The dining room work is just 4 or 5 hours a day and these people all work about 10 hours a day and have to punch in and out all day. They are even the ones handing you drinks and cool towels as you re-board the ship after a day at port." They are just looking for excuses to "STIFF" the help.

 

It makes me mad that this link continues. TIPPING is part of the cruise experience. If you don't want to tip, stay HOME! and as Sunlovermtl said "if you don't want to tip then maybe you should stay home and clean up after yourselves. "

[anniversay/grad trip]

first of all no one said that they did not want to or shouldn't tip...if this is how the cruise staff makes thier living then it should definatley be included in the price of your fare...it just should not be labelled as a tip...a tip by definition should be over and above and should not be dictated to the consumer on what amount should be paid. i would much rather pay a heightened fare equal to the amount of gratuity and then pay a "tip' to an individual on an individual basis. i can pretty much guarentee that any member of this thread has not given the same amount twice for identical services. do you always give a waiter the exact tip everytime you dine? Are you confident that the people at the next table give what you are giving? tips are subjective...my point is that a certain amount should not be dictated to a passenger. I think in the vast majority of cases, the staff would do better (in dollars) if tipping was done after a meal or service rendered, rather than in a lump sum IMHO!

[babydrum]

I got a special deal with my 12 day mediterranean cruise on the Summit from Cheaptickets where they agreed to pay my gratuities and my companion's. Since my husband and I are the only two cruising, I won't have to worry about tips this time around but I'm curious how that will work with the auto tipping.

 

I have my own opinion about the subject but it is based on a terrible experience from an inferior cruise line. I agree with the posters who believe the term auto tipping should be changed to a service charge. It isn't a tip anymore, it's a charge that is basically mandatory. I do feel for the poster who is getting stuck with the $1000 bill. My husband and I did a 7 day cruise with three kids and we had to pay a hefty bill at the end. Fortunately, we got an awesome deal on the suite and the service was exceptional so we didn't feel too bad. The people who were assigned to our table skipped out on the last dinner. After reading many of these posts, I wonder if it was to avoid having to tip the waiter. It's a cost you have to factor into your vacation, but I have noticed the quality of service declining since auto tipping was introduced.

 

I can't get too upset because the prices are pretty cheap but cruising isn't what it used to be.

[Gerrym]

Originally Posted by sheilauk

Dear Guest,

 

Sorry for the delay in response.

 

Please note that with Celebrity the gratuities will be automatically added to the onboard account if they have not been pre paid in advance to sailing. However, paying the gratuities through us is discretionary, therefore should you not want them added to your onboard account then you would need to advise the Guest Relations Deak once onboard.

 

Many thanks for your email.

 

 

 

 

I just wanted to point out that there is nothing in the email to sheilauk from Celebrity that would be reason for any poster "to eat humble pie". If you read carefully, the statement is that "paying the gratuities through us is discretionary".

 

:o

 

 

Amerie, I do not understand the point you are trying to make.

It has now been proven on this thread that grauities are discretionary. Even Celebrity uses those words on their website.

I have no intention of not tipping staff, but I do not want the tips automatically added to my account, surely that is my right and my business?

 

As I said, the point is proven, I think it is now a good time to move on.

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Gerry

[Gerrym]

 

 

It makes me mad that this link continues. TIPPING is part of the cruise experience. If you don't want to tip, stay HOME! and as Sunlovermtl said "if you don't want to tip then maybe you should stay home and clean up after yourselves. "

 

 

 

What makes me mad is people still think this thread is about not paying tips!

 

 

:D

[Albert Ross]

I have a client who has just told me she will be removing the 15% drinks tip........:mad:

[uktog]

I think that she will have a one drink cruise then :)

[mardon]

If you go out to dinner and spend at least $40 and assuming the service was good, you would leave a 15%-20% tip right? Well that would equal out to $6-$8 so why would you complain about leaving the waiter or asst. waiter tips of $3.50 and $2.00 a day. Do you realize they are serving and cleaning up after you in the buffet area.

 

People who are in Penthouse Suites/Royal Suites/Celebrity Suites/Concierge Class and even Balcony/Verandas are always the first to want to remove the tips.

[Shirley and Les]

People who are in Penthouse Suites/Royal Suites/Celebrity Suites/Concierge Class and even Balcony/Verandas are always the first to want to remove the tips.

WHAT??? :eek:

 

After all of these pages of posts, I thought we were bashing non-Americans who didn't want to leave their gratuities as auto-tips. ;)

 

Now, it's the passengers in the classier neighborhoods! Who changed the rules? :rolleyes: and why?

[Gerrym]

 

People who are in Penthouse Suites/Royal Suites/Celebrity Suites/Concierge Class and even Balcony/Verandas are always the first to want to remove the tips.

 

 

 

How ridiculous is that statement?

 

 

Unbelievable!

 

:confused:

[jackdiamond]

And the beat goes on!

[MiamiSky66]

Mardon, I agree with you 100%.

[Shirley and Les]

Mardon, I agree with you 100%.

So, "Penthouse Butler" is an entry level positon where someone can get started with minimal tips and then eventually work themselves up to the position of "Cabin Attendant" for a group of inside cabins where the tips are really good? :rolleyes: I smell a new textboot on shipboard hotel management theory? :rolleyes:

[mardon]

Thank you Exodus. I just got home from a Southern caribbean cruise on one of Celebrity's ships. There were 4 couples at my table. Two of the couples came together. They ate in the Specialty Dining Room 6 nights of the 10 day cruise. They were in Celebrity Suite rooms and THEY told me they were not tipping because they ate most of their meals in the Specialty Dining Room. They didn't even come the last night to say goodbye. Shame on them. I saw them every day eating in the buffet area. Many times I saw MY waiter carrying their trays to their tables. They never even informed my waiter when they were NOT coming to dinner. The waiter would have less to set up and there would have been more room for us if he had known.

 

My daughter teaches but on weekends she waitresses. The restaurant pays her $1.99 per hour. She relies on her tips. At the end of her shift she tips out to the busboy for cleaning away and resetting her tables. She also tips out to the bartender for making her drinks whether alcohol or nonalcoholic. She works very hard for her tips and provides excellent service to earn those tips. I appreciate the service I get on the cruise ships. The crew needs to be paid for the service they provide and I get angry at the fact that too many people are now stiffing the crew.

[mardon]

I get an Inside Room because I like to cruise 3 times a year. I don't care what kind of room anyone else gets. I just notice on these boards that the people in the more expensive rooms, who do alot of the European and back to back cruises are usually the ones that complain about the tipping. They make sure to have the best when they vacation at the expense of the crew.

 

A few years ago I went on the Summit to Alaska. The ship had pod problems and the cruise became MUTINY AT SEA. The ship had to go at a slower speed and in order for us to get to our final destination on time we had to skip a couple of ports. I had no complaint. We had beautiful weather, we were safe and we had met alot of wonderful people. Each day hundreds of passengers met on Deck 3 (by the Customer Relations Desk) and other passengers overlooked that area from above on Decks 4 and 5 hearing a lawyer (passenger) rile them up and excite them with more demands. Lots of cruisers complained and wanted ALL their money back and a FREE cruise. Celebrity made many offers to satisfy us (in the end they gave everyone credit towards another cruise which totaled alot of money $1300 for us because we had an INSIDE ROOM and more for others depending on the type of room they had). All I heard for the rest of the cruise was "let's not tip the crew and that will get even with Celebrity" like it was the crew's fault that their were pod problems. The crew always gets shortchanged.

[The Londoners]

Like many of my fellow posters, I am more than happy to pay the tip for good service, and indeed this is exactly what we did - what I find interesting is the assumption that a service charge cannot be removed - in UK a service charge is discretionary and must be removed at the request of the diner if they feel they have not been given good service - this rarely happens, as people assume they have to pay the charge - and I would not pay a tip in addition to a service charge - not that I very often eat out as DH and I save very hard to afford to cruise. I also had a service charge removed on Century due to totally unacceptable service from spa staff - the only example of poor service throughout the cruise - the staff were incredibly pushy and constantly trying to sell us further services, becoming quite nasty when we declined - I called guest relations and explained that I was not prepared to pay a service charge for poor service - it was removed without complaint and in fact I subsequently received an apology.

It should be aknowledged that RCCL/X are working very hard to attract UK customers with our weak £ and, like it or not, there are major cultural differences when it comes to 'tipping' - I will continue to tip good service, but I will never be shamed into tipping/paying a service charge for (thankfully rare) instances of poor service - hence my preference for the 'opt in' system - remember, most of us Brits retain our sense of 'fair play' and would not seek to avoid doing the right thing by 'stiffing' !

[jackdiamond]

It would be comforting, if our host would close this thread forever. Allow those who do not wish to tip to figure out how to avoid same without assistance from all of the well meaning folks who have no objection to this procedure.

[Gerrym]

Like many of my fellow posters, I am more than happy to pay the tip for good service, and indeed this is exactly what we did - what I find interesting is the assumption that a service charge cannot be removed - in UK a service charge is discretionary and must be removed at the request of the diner if they feel they have not been given good service - this rarely happens, as people assume they have to pay the charge - and I would not pay a tip in addition to a service charge - not that I very often eat out as DH and I save very hard to afford to cruise. I also had a service charge removed on Century due to totally unacceptable service from spa staff - the only example of poor service throughout the cruise - the staff were incredibly pushy and constantly trying to sell us further services, becoming quite nasty when we declined - I called guest relations and explained that I was not prepared to pay a service charge for poor service - it was removed without complaint and in fact I subsequently received an apology.

It should be aknowledged that RCCL/X are working very hard to attract UK customers with our weak £ and, like it or not, there are major cultural differences when it comes to 'tipping' - I will continue to tip good service, but I will never be shamed into tipping/paying a service charge for (thankfully rare) instances of poor service - hence my preference for the 'opt in' system - remember, most of us Brits retain our sense of 'fair play' and would not seek to avoid doing the right thing by 'stiffing' !

 

 

Excellent post and in my humble opion, the best so far.

 

 

Cheers

 

Gerry

[Moeve]

May I point something out to some of you - if you have a problem with the service onboard then please say something right away because they will try to change things so that you can enjoy your cruise! If it is your waiter talk to the M'D the Cabin Steward talk to the HKeeper. You will have a much better experience than by just stiffing them..... They are also human and able to learn form their mistakes and in some cases the line will change your personel BUT they must know that there is a problem.

 

Another tip do it nicely - one DOES catch a lot more flies with honey!!!

 

Just a thought the next time you encounter something you are not happy with...

[juliejane]

I haven't been reading the boards as much as I would like. Do I understand that auto tipping is now mandatory for all guests? Or is just for guests from the UK, and if so, what's the reason for that?

 

 

we are from Uk and cruising next year on the Eclipse this will be out first time with this line, but i have had removed all auto tips allready as i prefer to tip those who deserve personally !. We had all-ways done it this way on other cruise lines ....happy hols folks :cool:

[Gerrym]

we are from Uk and cruising next year on the Eclipse this will be out first time with this line, but i have had removed all auto tips allready as i prefer to tip those who deserve personally !. We had all-ways done it this way on other cruise lines ....happy hols folks :cool:

 

I think you should do what suits you best as long as the people making sure we have a great holiday are not 'stiffed'.

 

I will be following your approach.

 

 

 

 

Cheers

 

 

Gerry