Have you experienced better/worse service when increasing/reducing tips?

[Happy ks]

I have a friend who does not believe in tipping anywhere or anytime (don't flame me, I tip!). Anyway we were traveling together and she went and removed our auto tips with out telling me:eek: That night we got the worst service I have ever gotten on a cruise. The waitstaff was very cold and did the bare minimum. I was confused as to why they went from a fun and accommodating to distant and cold. The next day I checked our folio and saw the tips had been removed. I added mine back, but I have to say, I was taken aback by the bad service we received for the rest of the cruise. I frequently tip my favorites something extra at the end and had the waitstaff continued the service we recieved the first couple of nights, they would have gotten something extra. :(

 

 

 

I'm not going to flame you, especially since you made things rights on your end.

 

This type of story is so sad to me. That people expect others to work for them as slaves, without pay. I can understand how some people don't want to pay additional gratuity to persons who are somewhat paid already, but to take away their income completely?

 

I know friends are precious, but I'd hesitate to go anywhere with this type of person. I certainly would not cruise with her and I'd only go to dinner with her at a fast food restaurant where the workers are at least paid minimum wage. She does understand that in the US (sorry if I'm wrong about where you live :o) restaurant servers are not paid minimum wage and they do have to claim tips for income tax purposes. If they don't receive a tip from her, they still have to pay income tax on what the gov't thinks they are collecting.

[GottaLuvCruising]

I always tip extra in cash, but at the end of the cruise. I did, however, ask the purser's desk to increase the tip once. They advised me to just put it in an envelope and hand it out the last evening.

[Arwenmark]

I usually remove tips, and give in cash. This way the crew members have something to spend in port the next week if they want, or can do whatever they want with it, instead of having to wait for a check. (But I do tip the reccomended or higher if service warrants)

 

What part of all the posts on this thread explaining to you that if you remove tips and tip in cash the person you tip DOES NOT GET TO KEEP IT AT ALL.

and if you leave them on and then tip extra even then they have to turn in that money but they will get it back after it is cleared that you did NOT remove tips.

 

What is so hard to understand? I know it is a stupid way to do business to pay the workers $50 a month and then have ALL their wages be dependent on these service charge/tips but that is th way it is done in this industry.

 

It makes no difference how you would prefer it to be, IT ISN'T so all you are doing is hurting the entire staff with your tipping plan and they can't do whatever they want with it nor can they have it in port before waiting for a check as you say.

 

It is a total shame that the cruise industry lets this happen because there are a LOT of people out there that think of it as you do and it is just plain wrong.

There are also plenty that think the staff are paid and so they don't have to tip and they remove tips.

As stated the cruiselines need to make these charges absolutely mandatory no removing them other than for GROSS negligence and only then for who ever caused the gross negligence.

[GottaLuvCruising]

I usually remove tips, and give in cash. This way the crew members have something to spend in port the next week if they want, or can do whatever they want with it, instead of having to wait for a check. (But I do tip the reccomended or higher if service warrants)

 

Something to spend in port? Are you kidding me?? Crew members send their earnings home to support their families.

[retiredonthesea]

I usually remove tips, and give in cash. This way the crew members have something to spend in port the next week if they want, or can do whatever they want with it, instead of having to wait for a check. (But I do tip the reccomended or higher if service warrants)

 

Please go back and re-read all the posts so you can understand that the crew will not receive the "cash" until ALL the bookwork is done---They have to hand their cash in IF the auto-tip(service charge) has been taken off!!!:rolleyes:

[MMDown Under]

Ugh! What an ugly business. :(

 

After reading the Removal of Gratuities List Thread, I'm appalled at the invasion of privacy, with both the compilation of the list and the attachment of the list on the notice board. I had no idea incorrect assumptions could be made about the removal of tips, with regard to levels of service by crew members.

 

On my last cruise, after we moved tables half way through our cruise, I gave half the waiters' tips to table 1 waiters, which seemed fair to me. Heaven only knows what assumptions might have been made re the payment later of only half to table 2 waiters.

 

Now I better understand why such a fuss was made when I removed my own cash from my account as part payment of my tips.

 

In future, I'm going to favour cruises which include gratutities with the fare.

 

I would appreciate answers to a number of questions.

 

• Do all cruise companies act the same way with regard to the payment of gratuities to members of their crew, either by cash or by auto tip (apart from luxury liners, where tips are included)?
  
• Why isn't the cruise industry more transparent with regard to the payment of tips to avoid all the confusion?
  
• What money do members of the crew use to spend whilst in port (internet, phone, downtown)?
  

[BruceMuzz]

I usually remove tips, and give in cash. This way the crew members have something to spend in port the next week if they want, or can do whatever they want with it, instead of having to wait for a check. (But I do tip the reccomended or higher if service warrants)

 

Uuuhhh, sorry. Tipped crew on cruise ships do not receive checks. A paycheck drawn on a US Bank is a worthless piece of paper in the Philippines. They are paid onboard in cash. And they don't have to wait. Although it varies by cruise line, some crew are paid weekly, some bi-monthly, and some monthly. But crew can have a cash advance anytime they want.

 

And as someone else mentioned, most crew are not running ashore to spend their tips. They save every penny and send it home to support their families.

[2sunny]

We have always signed up for or agreed to the automatic deduction for tipping. Along with that we have always given an additional amount to a few employees that we felt gave us outstanding service.

 

Only ONCE have we gone to the Purser's Desk and had the automatic tips totally removed. That was on a Carnival Cruise, we were "yelled" at by a dining room waiter and then on another day, we feel, treated very badly by the asst. maitre'd in the dining room. Both of these incidents were at Breakfast time when they were not rushed. If it had been at dinner time, when they have hundreds of people, all wanting something at the same time, I may have cut them some slack. BUT they were both JUST RUDE!

Also, on the same cruise, our stateroom attendant was terrible, mostly because of the language barrier. I AM sorry, BUT if you are going to work on a ship with mainly American passengers you should be able to speak and understand English. We have never had a problem with foreign crew on any other ship we have cruised on, or anyone else on that cruise. Anytime we needed anything we had to call the Purser's Desk - VERY Inconvenient!

Thus we only tipped the waiter and asst waiter that we had for dinner and before tipping them we made sure that THEY got to keep the tip and would not have to put it in a pot and share with others. It was our only experience with BAD service on a cruise.

[BruceMuzz]

Ugh! What an ugly business. :(

 

After reading the Removal of Gratuities List Thread, I'm appalled at the invasion of privacy, with both the compilation of the list and the attachment of the list on the notice board. I had no idea incorrect assumptions could be made about the removal of tips, with regard to levels of service by crew members.

 

On my last cruise, after we moved tables half way through our cruise, I gave half the waiters' tips to table 1 waiters, which seemed fair to me. Heaven only knows what assumptions might have been made re the payment later of only half to table 2 waiters.

 

Now I better understand why such a fuss was made when I removed my own cash from my account as part payment of my tips.

 

In future, I'm going to favour cruises which include gratutities with the fare.

 

I would appreciate answers to a number of questions.

 

• Do all cruise companies act the same way with regard to the payment of gratuities to members of their crew, either by cash or by auto tip (apart from luxury liners, where tips are included)?
  
• Why isn't the cruise industry more transparent with regard to the payment of tips to avoid all the confusion?
  
• What money do members of the crew use to spend whilst in port (internet, phone, downtown)?
  

 

1. Nearly all the mass market cruise lines have some sort of auto-tip system in place. Most are nearly identical. This was really put into place to stop the massive loss of good service staff who could no longer afford to work for cruise lines where as many as 30% of the passengers were tipping nothing. The auto-tip doesn't make it impossible to opt out on the tip, but it does slow down the "cheap charlies" and results in higher earnings for the service staff.

 

2. If you go to just about any mass market cruise website, you can read a full explanation of the tipping system. The Pursers Desk on any ship will be happy to tell you more than you ever wanted to know about auto-tips on ships. I wonder why the hotels, restaurants, and taxi companies in America are not more transparent about their tipping systems. I also wonder why nobody ever seems to be concerned or asks about the tips they give to waiters, bartenders, bell boys, and taxi drivers in America. Many upscale restaurants in America have pooled tipping systems that are almost identical to the one on my ship. But nobody ever goes to Le Cirque in New York, and after leaving a $250 tip for dinner asks who is getting the money.

 

3. Crew can purchase special discount cards onboard that allow them to use the internet and make telephone calls from the ship. The cost of the cards is deducted from their salaries. Most ship's crew have mobile telephones that are far less costly to use than your American models. The family at home pays that telephone bill. Most ships have crew shops where the crew can purchase toiletries and other essentials. That cost is also deducted from their salaries. Aside from the occasional visit to a Chinese or Filipino Restaurant, crew rarely spend much time or money ashore.

 

By the way, a waiter in a land-based restaurant has much greater opportunities for invasion of privacy when you give him your credit card for payment and then decide not to tip him. There are legendary stories about the revenge that has been sent to people who decide not to tip in New York City restaurants.

[Karysa]

Ugh! What an ugly business. :(

 

After reading the Removal of Gratuities List Thread, I'm appalled at the invasion of privacy, with both the compilation of the list and the attachment of the list on the notice board. I had no idea incorrect assumptions could be made about the removal of tips, with regard to levels of service by crew members.

 

On my last cruise, after we moved tables half way through our cruise, I gave half the waiters' tips to table 1 waiters, which seemed fair to me. Heaven only knows what assumptions might have been made re the payment later of only half to table 2 waiters.

 

Now I better understand why such a fuss was made when I removed my own cash from my account as part payment of my tips.

 

In future, I'm going to favour cruises which include gratutities with the fare.

 

I would appreciate answers to a number of questions.

 

• Do all cruise companies act the same way with regard to the payment of gratuities to members of their crew, either by cash or by auto tip (apart from luxury liners, where tips are included)?
  
• Why isn't the cruise industry more transparent with regard to the payment of tips to avoid all the confusion?
  
• What money do members of the crew use to spend whilst in port (internet, phone, downtown)?
  

I think that you are making it too complicated. Maybe the cruise lines are not transparent and maybe they should just call it a service charge and in a perfect world people wouldn't have to leave their wife and newborn and work halfway around the world and rely on the kindness of 20 or 30 strangers every week so that they can support their family but that is the way that it is. We just treat it as a service charge, enjoy a wonderful vacation, treat those we meet as we hope they treat us and take lot's of pictures so that we can save all the memories and then go home and back to work until we can do it again.

 

Karysa

[PhoneGoddess]

Thus we only tipped the waiter and asst waiter that we had for dinner and before tipping them we made sure that THEY got to keep the tip and would not have to put it in a pot and share with others. It was our only experience with BAD service on a cruise.

 

I'm just curious. How did you make sure that they got to keep the tips?:confused:

[snookymom]

I'm just curious. How did you make sure that they got to keep the tips?:confused:

Well on our last cruise we handed the extra directly to the people we wanted to have it. It seemed like a sure way to make sure they got it. Do you think somebody looked in their pockets & took it?

[Karysa]

C'mon folks.. I'm assuming that those of you who talk about removing the auto tip are relatively intelligent people.. and yet....

 

The fact of the matter is that whatever the cruise line chooses to dress it up as, it is a SERVICE CHARGE... It is part of the cost of the trip.. just like your airfare, the hotel the nite before the ship sails, excursions, your bar tab, etc.

 

You KNOW in advance how much it is going to be, so PLAN for that cost in your calculations when you figure out how much the trip is going to cost you.

 

Contrary to what you may choose to believe, you are penalizing your cabin steward and waiters when you remove the tip, no matter how much you give them on a personal level, because as so many others have said - they DO NOT get to keep that money, they have to turn it in to the pool. That's not an urban legend.. that's a FACT!

 

If you have a philosophical difference with the cruiseline over this policy then take it up with them.. but don't penalize these hard working folks who go out of their way to provide top notch service day in and day out. Or look for a line that doesn't have auto tipping.

 

However you want to paint it, if you remove the autotip you are either a) a cheapskate or b) too obtuse to understand what the rest of the folks here are telling you and you likely shouldn't be leaving home for fear of not finding your way back.

 

Flame if you will, but truth is truth.

 

I think that this is a good post for newbies of this thread to read.

 

Karysa

[PhoneGoddess]

Well on our last cruise we handed the extra directly to the people we wanted to have it. It seemed like a sure way to make sure they got it. Do you think somebody looked in their pockets & took it?

No, I'm sure that no one looked in their pockets, but they had to turn it in anyway. Not doing so could result in them being fired. :eek:

 

My question however was directed to 2sunny, whom I quoted. They stated that they removed the auto tips and then handed cash to certain people. If that is the case, then the cash would've had to be turned in, therefore I don't understand how they could have "made sure" that those individuals got to keep it.

[Karysa]

No, I'm sure that no one looked in their pockets, but they had to turn it in anyway. Not doing so could result in them being fired. :eek:

 

My question however was directed to 2sunny, whom I quoted. They stated that they removed the auto tips and then handed cash to certain people. If that is the case, then the cash would've had to be turned in, therefore I don't understand how they could have "made sure" that those individuals got to keep it.

 

Wait now I am getting confused. The post that you are referring to said "extra". If you don't remove the auto tips and choose to tip extra that money stays with that individual, does it not?

 

Karysa

[snookymom]

Wait now I am getting confused. The post that you are referring to said "extra". If you don't remove the auto tips and choose to tip extra that money stays with that individual, does it not?

 

Karysa

Yes I did mean extra.

[gypsy1711]

We opted out of "automatic tips" on a recent cruise. I suspect such lists exist because service was stepped up and personalized. I remember when servers learned your name on the 1st night. I prefer to tip ( a gratuity for services rendered) those who provide excellent service. Automatic vs. earned rewards the lazy. And why do we tip a housekeeping manager? Should they not, as management, be a salaried employee?

Unfortunately, with more and more ships going to 'anytime' dining, there will be no option but automatic tipping, and if that's the case, it should be designated a service charge and be included 'up front' as are port charges and gov't fees. Then passengers can 'tip' as they so desire.

[Chameleon]

Well I tip at the end, whether I do cash or automatic. I wou;dn't tip a waitress BEFORE I sat down for my meal so why would I tip on a cruise BEFORE the cruise. I have never been disappointed so I always give the recommended amount. I think people falsely think if you slip them a 20 they will treat you better, I don't think that is true. They go through hundreds of customers a week, they don't remember who pretipped them. I always get good service- the only exception being the conceriege. Maybe pretipping HIM would have helped but he was a pompous jerk.

 

 

I have the same viewpoint, I don't believe in tipping service before you have had that service, it seems a silly idea. Last year we did use automatic pre tips because the travel agent offered a discount on this so it was worth it, however, we will tip in cash at the end of our cruise this year as usual.

[PhoneGoddess]

Wait now I am getting confused. The post that you are referring to said "extra". If you don't remove the auto tips and choose to tip extra that money stays with that individual, does it not?

 

Karysa

 

The post that I quoted said:

"Only ONCE have we gone to the Purser's Desk and had the automatic tips totally removed. That was on a Carnival Cruise, we were "yelled" at by a dining room waiter and then on another day, we feel, treated very badly by the asst. maitre'd in the dining room. Both of these incidents were at Breakfast time when they were not rushed. If it had been at dinner time, when they have hundreds of people, all wanting something at the same time, I may have cut them some slack. BUT they were both JUST RUDE!

Also, on the same cruise, our stateroom attendant was terrible, mostly because of the language barrier. I AM sorry, BUT if you are going to work on a ship with mainly American passengers you should be able to speak and understand English. We have never had a problem with foreign crew on any other ship we have cruised on, or anyone else on that cruise. Anytime we needed anything we had to call the Purser's Desk - VERY Inconvenient!

Thus we only tipped the waiter and asst waiter that we had for dinner and before tipping them we made sure that THEY got to keep the tip and would not have to put it in a pot and share with others. It was our only experience with BAD service on a cruise. "

[pris993]

We always have traditional dining and always remove the auto tip. When we fill out the form to remove the auto tip we indicate we prefer to tip in the traditional way in cash at the end of the cruise.

 

I don't believe the pooling of tips today is any different then in the past. Service staff on ships have always shared tips. Years ago, tips were simply tossed in a box at the end of the cruise to be shared by staff. I am sure staff have shared tips with others that helped them do their jobs even when tips were received in cash in the traditional way at the end of the cruise. How cruiselines handle this today is different but basically is the same. We simply believe tips should not be automatic but based on service and after service is rendered.

 

We have known that staff receives a list of folks who remove their tips ever since the auto tip process has gone into effect. We tell our wait staff and room steward that we tip in the traditional way - at the end of the cruise. So they know from us our intensions up front.

 

We find service varies more on type or length of cruise more than anything. For example, we have always found we had better service on TA, European cruises vs Mexican Riveria cruise. For this reason I checked "something else". Don't know why this is the case??

 

The quality of service on some of the Mexican Riveria cruises was so different, we have considered skipping the diningroom and going to the buffet. Even though service was lacking we have always tipped the minimun. When service is good or better we tip extra. We also write a note about the service we have received when it is excellent so staff benefit by these notes directly when it comes to promotions etc.

 

We always tipped for room service in cash when service is provided. We tip in cash in the buffet when we ask for special items and in bars when we ask for ice water since we don't drink much. We find when we tip folks for services rendered in the bar and buffet service does improve.

[DGNY]

Most non-cruise people never understand the incredibly strong teamwork concept that pervades nearly every aspect of living and working on a cruise ship. We succeed or fail together - in every way.

 

On almost every cruise line with auto-tipping (which is now most of them) the system is just about the same. If you leave the auto-tips in place, any extra tip belongs to the crewmember you gave it to.

 

Bruce-

 

Given the strong sense of teamwork on the ship, is it at all common for staff to also share tips above and beyond the standard auto-tip (even though they don't have to)?

[Greyhounder]

I have been on some 20 cruises and have tipped in cash - plus the normal takeout - plus those who were above the others in service and in congenienality. All of the wokers on the ships break their butts to give us what we rarely get ashore eg. at home. I have tipped one sever on the Carnival Inspiration handsomely even though I thought that the food was very disapointing in quality. He made every attemp to satisfy me and my party. People have to realize that if things with a particular cruise doesn't go well it's not the HELPS FAULT!! THEY ARE DOING THEIR BEST !!

 

i FIND IT APPALLING THAT SOME TOOK THEIR NAME OFF BECUSE A SHIP COULN'T STOP WHERE IT WAS BOOKED TO GO. THESE PEOPLE NEED TO GET A LIFE. OBVIOSLY THE NEVER WERE IN THE " SERVICE INDUSTRY" !!

[Chameleon]

If tips aren't really tips then why don't the cruise company charge a set amount for your cruise holiday allowing for them to pay their staff a decent wage and that's that. At least in the days before this 'auto tipping' you were just allowed to hand your envelopes to the waiters, cabin stewards etc and you knew where you were. This auto tipping has just confused the issue - forget calling it auto tipping and just have one price per person.

 

After reading what some people have said on this thread I'm seriously worried that unless I do tip at the beginning of the cruise some seriously bad things could happen - the mind boggles - sounds a bit like blackmail to me. Pay up or you'll pay..............

[BruceMuzz]

Bruce-

 

Given the strong sense of teamwork on the ship, is it at all common for staff to also share tips above and beyond the standard auto-tip (even though they don't have to)?

 

Good question. The answer is Yes.

Many years ago when I was a waiter on ships, we had to tip out cash to the laundry to get our tablecloths and napkins done and delivered on time. We tipped out to the dishwashers to ensure that ALL of the silverware from our stations got back to us clean and on time. We tipped volunteers who came in between seatings and helped us set our stations for the next seating.

 

The cabin stewards also tipped the laundry staff for bed linen and towels, and they paid volunteers to help them collect suitcases on the final night and help them get the cabins ready on time on turnaround day.

 

Today those volunteers still get that money, but are paid above the table (from the pool) instead of under it.

 

There is another issue that my staff get very nervous about. On some ships, in some restaurants and housekeeping departments, the waiters and stewards vote on whether they prefer to put all extra tips into the pool or keep them personally. About 50% of the time, they decide to put ALL tips into the pool. It's their money - once you give it to them. They can do what they want with it. But they don't want me to tell you this. Many have learned from past experience that if the passengers giving the extra tips think that some of that money might be going to someone else, they will tip less - or not at all. So the service staff will always say that all extra tips go directly to them and nobody else.

[DGNY]

Good question. The answer is Yes.

Many years ago when I was a waiter on ships, we had to tip out cash to the laundry to get our tablecloths and napkins done and delivered on time. We tipped out to the dishwashers to ensure that ALL of the silverware from our stations got back to us clean and on time. We tipped volunteers who came in between seatings and helped us set our stations for the next seating.

 

The cabin stewards also tipped the laundry staff for bed linen and towels, and they paid volunteers to help them collect suitcases on the final night and help them get the cabins ready on time on turnaround day.

 

Today those volunteers still get that money, but are paid above the table (from the pool) instead of under it.

 

There is another issue that my staff get very nervous about. On some ships, in some restaurants and housekeeping departments, the waiters and stewards vote on whether they prefer to put all extra tips into the pool or keep them personally. About 50% of the time, they decide to put ALL tips into the pool. It's their money - once you give it to them. They can do what they want with it. But they don't want me to tell you this. Many have learned from past experience that if the passengers giving the extra tips think that some of that money might be going to someone else, they will tip less - or not at all. So the service staff will always say that all extra tips go directly to them and nobody else.

 

Thanks for the quick response. That is what I figured. Having said that, it won't stop my from tipping extra when service warrants it.