service w/ pre-paid gratuities

[edicus]

I understand that with freestyle cruising the gratuities are charged to your room a certain amount each day of the cruise. Since the staff knows that, how is the service compared to other cruise lines where you pay the tips at the end of the cruise based on service?

 

Thanks!

[johnql]

Absolutely no difference whatsoever.

 

I take issue with the notion that the crew will work harder if tips are withheld until the end of the cruise. I believe that the vast majority of the crew members take great pride in a job well done. Those who consistently under-perform are also weeded out. In addition, there's sometimes a misconception about automatic gratuities - automatic doesn't mean that each crew member in the pool will automatically receive an equal share of the tip pool. That is NOT the case. Each person's share still very much depends on performance, as determined through a variety of ways, mainly supervisory observation and passenger comment cards and verbal comments.

 

In addition to pride in a job well done, there are other motivating factors besides gratuities - a desire for promotion, a desire for better assignments, a desire for more time off, and the overriding desire NOT to lose one's job.

[VonChap]

Absolutely no difference whatsoever.

 

I take issue with the notion that the crew will work harder if tips are withheld until the end of the cruise. I believe that the vast majority of the crew members take great pride in a job well done. Those who consistently under-perform are also weeded out. In addition, there's sometimes a misconception about automatic gratuities - automatic doesn't mean that each crew member in the pool will automatically receive an equal share of the tip pool. That is NOT the case. Each person's share still very much depends on performance, as determined through a variety of ways, mainly supervisory observation and passenger comment cards and verbal comments.

 

In addition to pride in a job well done, there are other motivating factors besides gratuities - a desire for promotion, a desire for better assignments, a desire for more time off, and the overriding desire NOT to lose one's job.

 

I agree, I have never really seen a lack of service on any of my NCL sailings. I use the passenger comment, or STYLE, cards whenever anyone provides great service. I know that the staff is immediately told about my card because they have often told me, "thank you for the STYLE card". Tips are not their only motivator.

[Planer's Edge]

I agree, I have never really seen a lack of service on any of my NCL sailings. I use the passenger comment, or STYLE, cards whenever anyone provides great service. I know that the staff is immediately told about my card because they have often told me, "thank you for the STYLE card". Tips are not their only motivator.

 

I was told by more than one crew member, that STYLE cards are almost a bigger motivator than cash. They work approximately 10 hours a day 7 days a week for 10 months at a time. STYLE cards can earn them extra time off and/or promotions.

 

PE

[uppitycats]

I agree with all of the above. There is no difference.

 

NCL, by the way, is not the only cruise line to be either charging a service fee, or having tips paid upfront, or otherwise making sure that the crew gets compensated in that way. If you read through other boards here, you'll see that other companies are doing the same, but perhaps calling it something different.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Style cards are great for a nice comment but I doubt I could find a crew member who would take one of those then a cash tip..why not both?! Before anyone asks I was in charge of accounting for the ships Style cards at the end of every voyage so I know what they are great for..and what not so much..

[FLAHAM]

The high-end luxury cruise lines that are known for outstanding service (like Silversea) are often "all inclusive" with a "no tipping" policy.

[smeyer418]

The high-end luxury cruise lines that are known for outstanding service (like Silversea) are often "all inclusive" with a "no tipping" policy.

yes and the per diem that you are paying includes paying the crew a decent salary. In any case the service on any line depends more on the supervision and the training then the tipping anyway. You can get outstanding service at McDonalds....

On the mass market lines you are expected to tip.

On the high end lines the daily rates can be as much as ten times more and once you have paid for the ship the difference is in food and number of staff.

[FLAHAM]

yes and the per diem that you are paying includes paying the crew a decent salary. In any case the service on any line depends more on the supervision and the training then the tipping anyway. You can get outstanding service at McDonalds....

On the mass market lines you are expected to tip.

On the high end lines the daily rates can be as much as ten times more and once you have paid for the ship the difference is in food and number of staff.

 

My point was that expectation of a tip from a passenger at the end of a cruise does not need to be the driving factor to give good service.

[garycarla]

The high-end luxury cruise lines that are known for outstanding service (like Silversea) are often "all inclusive" with a "no tipping" policy.

 

Nothing that is CALLED a tip that is.

 

With their low end cabins costing upwards of $1,000 a day, they have plenty of cash to handle paying the staff. It is rare to find a cabin for under $600 a day on lines like Silversea, Seabourn, etc.

[jimswims]

I understand that with freestyle cruising the gratuities are charged to your room a certain amount each day of the cruise. Since the staff knows that, how is the service compared to other cruise lines where you pay the tips at the end of the cruise based on service?

 

Thanks!

 

Like NCL, our Carnival cruise last year put the daily gratuity right on the sign and sail card. I understand that other lines do this as well. This is not unique to NCL.

 

On NCL, the daily charge shows up each day on the account. On Carnival, the charge for the week is placed on the account on embarkation. I know this because on Carnival, you can access your account from your TV. These charges for the week were on my account within a hour of boarding.

 

I have no knowledge when the staff receives their compensation but I seriously doubt that they get their tips for the week before the sailing. The staff still have a strong incentive to provide excellent service. Their compensation depends on this. Their consistient quality of service is necessary for their salary.

[lambs2]

Celebrity also has the option to have the gratuities added to your account. They also had the TV bill viewing feature and I can't remember if they were billed daily or all at the end... Definitely not at the beginning of the cruise, though. We also gave out envelopes to our servers (same whole trip) and our cabin steward at the end with a little something extra for their above-and-beyond great service.

[Zeno]

I understand that with freestyle cruising the gratuities are charged to your room a certain amount each day of the cruise. Since the staff knows that, how is the service compared to other cruise lines where you pay the tips at the end of the cruise based on service?

 

Thanks!

 

No difference (and I have cruised with other lines).

[sjbdtz]

Why would you think that someone who KNOWS they're getting a tip will work LESS hard than someone who HOPES they're getting a tip?

 

The person who KNOWS it probably makes more money in the long run (fewer no-tippers), and therefore has a more valuable job than the person who relies on the whims of the audience they have on a particular week.

 

 

The person with the more valuable job will work harder to keep it, and in the event that they don't "cut it", there will be other capable people very willing to take on the role.

 

 

This is the same thing that you see when looking at salespeople who work on a base salary plus commission, vs. those on commission only. According to your logic, those with the base salary don't "need" the commission, and would be less hungry than those requiring the commission.

 

The truth is that because you're offering a base salary (or automatic gratuities), you can afford to be more selective in the calibre of people you hire (and more capable people will apply), whereas many (not all) people working on commission only are usually there as a result of being unable to obtain salary+ work.

 

While they may be 'hungrier', the end result is that THEIR focus is solely on getting the deal done, regardless of whether it's good for the company, OR the customer.

 

Those who have a salary (auto gratuities) wind up with a sense of loyalty to the company, and by extension....its customers.

 

 

Stephen

[cb at sea]

Those who serve you don't get the tips until the cruise is over, anyway...so they still want to provide good service, lest you "reduce" their tips!