invision

BTW - My wife and I handed out more that $200 more in tips than the pre-paids.  Even if they don't get to keep the direct tip, which I was told they did, they have more to split.  

My point of this thread was not to argue anymore about opinions on leaving gratuities, but to let folks know how I finally figured out where my refund gratuities went, and save someone some time not by re-inventing the wheel...

M

I will say this again.  I never have tipped any of the workers in the kitchen or laundry service in the nice restraunts or the 5 star hotels we stay in.  I give a generous tip to the waiter and the room attendant and if they pass some down that is fine.  That is just the way I give gratuities.  Subsidizing wages of workers not being paid enough by RCCL is not what a gratuity is about.

M

3 hours ago, proggieus said:

yes, totally worth it to screw over the other 10-15 people who get tipped out of that pool.

 

Its not like they don't get paid enough anyways, Right?

Everyone has a right to their opinion.  My opinion is I like to put cash in the hands of folks that make my cruise great and they get to keep the tip!!

M

Well we asked to have the prepaid returned and gave the crew cash for their good service.  It was in the linked closed thread I posted.  Some folks thought that to get prepaid back was very difficult.  Anyway I posted that if others had this issue folks might check with travel agent and it may come have thru their clearing house for RCCL. Ours was in limbo for over a month. By the replies to this I can tell folks don’t really care.  Sorry to waste the bandwidth :-(

M

They closed my original thread on Gratuities.  Just for the record RCCL does refund gratuities.  I finally got a refund a month later after the cruise when I figured out how they refund the gratuities.  Interesting point is if there is a travel agent involved they refund the gratuities to the travel agent via "RCCL Clearing House" so you have request the refund from the travel agent.  This response was based on many folks saying in the previous thread they have never held of any success in getting the gratuities refunded...

Thank you

M

That is BS.  I well I know first hand that the driver just like taxis gets to keep 100% of cash tip.  

M

I always tip Uber.  But of course that is not the topic here...........

Not to tip has never been the issue.  The issue is how to tip to be 100% sure the crew that makes your cruise so delightful is being properly rewarded.  Sharing it backwards is up the the recipient.  And yes I decided how we will give gratuities on future RCCL cruises.

Thank you

M

Not saying it is true or false, I really have no idea.  Apparently that is the way RCCL wants it to be.  Is that suspicious, not a clue.

M

If Gratuities were transparent, then I would have not even asked the question.  Who is getting what seems to be all hearsay.

M

Sharing backward is fine.  How much the house takes is the issue with prepaid/auto gratuities.

M

So you are saying that RCCL tells the waiter who gets a cash tip that they have to tip backwards and there is a formula?  Hmm

7 minutes ago, GarlicBread said:

Not saying all of you, but some of you just come across as really cheap every time this topic comes up (If you have a strong reaction to that statement then it's probably you 😂)...

 

So, just wondering, do you cheap ones try and argue that you shouldn't have to pay ports fees and taxes if you don't get off or do get off and don't like it? After all, you're not seeing the port or using its services or it's not up to your standard....

WHAT !!  Gratuities on Port fees and taxes.  Don't give them any ideas...

M

It is hard to tell who you are hurting when nobody knows for certain where the gratuities are going.  Shrug

43 minutes ago, proggieus said:

You don't like the way the cruise lines handle it, we get it- here is the problem

 

taking away auto gratuities does not hurt the cruise line, it only hurts the crew, if you really feel that strongly about it then DONT CRUISE.

 

 

 

 

 

If you continue to cruise then you obviously don't care that much if you are willing to stiff some crew so that you can get the recognition of handing a tip to somebody in person.

 

If your OK stiffing people just to feel like a big shot that's up to you, personally I couldn't live like that and would never set that example for my daughter.

Take a pill dude !!  Gees...

Quote

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with this.  Unfortunately what others are saying is that it is not a gratuity or tip, it is a subsidizing of cruise workers salary.  The system is broke.  If they are calling it a gratuity then it should be a gratuity for great service.  I have never tipped dishwashers, laundry staff, kitchen staff here where I live.  That would be ridiculous.  

5 hours ago, proggieus said:

how did you get the tips to the dozens of dishwashers, laundry, kitchen staff, Etc that were also a part of making your trip what it was?

 

or did you just stiff them?

M

Doh !!

28 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

The waiter keeps the $100.  Doesn't matter if you prepaid grats.  Doesn't matter if you stop the autocharge.  Doesn't matter if you hand money out to 50 people on day one, or to one person on the last day.  You handed the waiter cash, that is now his cash.  Whatever else occurs has no impact on your direct transaction with the waiter.  

This is good news.  Our plan is to forgo pre-paid gratuities, cancel daily auto gratuities and tip in USD cash for steward, head waiter, waiter, asst waiter, concierge & bar wait staff and concierge.  Plus have $1s & $5s for spot tips for great service.  Senior officers that are friendly and helpful will get one of our personal Rhinestone pins as were told that they frown on money tips.  We were told this 1st hand.

Thanks for everyone replies !!

M

Oh so you have first hand knowledge.?   Boats have 2500-6000 folks onboard.  Don't take much to add up to big money.

LMaxwell  TY for that info.  So if I give my waiter $100 cash he keeps cash?  Or has to turn it in if I don't prepay gratuities. 

I guess I can't explain myself well.  I want to know where our $35.00 a day is going and be sure it is not mostly overhead bean counting...  Would you pay $17.50 a day if the bean counters were getting $12.00 of that for "overhead".  These are not gratuities by definition.

M

I get your point.  But what if the wait staff or stewards was only getting $1-2 out of the room gratuities $17.50 they are charging.  Should be an open book so "we" passengers can gauge if certain staff performing incredible service needed additional "WoW $$".

m

Simply questions -

Why call them gratuities?

Why not give detailed breakout of whom gets what?

I am pretty sure the answer to the 2nd question is confidential for a reason.  WAY TOO MUCH OVERHEAD !!  But prove me wrong RCCL.  Kind of reminds me of old mafia movies :-)

M

I guess you're saying you are comfortable with where your gratuities go even thou you don't have a clue where they go.  My bet  is there is 20% or more going to overhead in RCCL (probably just counting beans).

I am saying charge me for the cruise with crew getting proper salaries and let me choose who gets my money tip for great service and they get to keep it.

M

3 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

Why not make that same assumption about the cruise industry and just enjoy the cruise instead of trying to figure a way around the gratuities? 

Wrong !!  Not figuring a way around, but getting money to the folks I want to tip.  That why I like to hand the member I wish to tip the tip in person.

Bottom line is the Cruise Line should pay the crew proper salaries and tipping should be left to guest receiving good service.

M

11 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

How much did you tip the bus boys?  How about those in the laundry?  The pool towel person?

We tip the Asst Waiter $75 on the last trip.  Not sure of bus boy but the asst waiter & waiter clear and clean our table.  Head waiter got $25 and never seen or met the Maitre D. 

Don't tip no laundry folks (except when we are in the cabin and clothes are brought to the door), or other crew such as dock line tenders, crane operators, etc...   I can honestly say at home we don't tip grocery stock boys, go into laundries and look for folders, trash men, movie ticket sellers, county workers changing light bulbs...etc.   I think you are confused on tip .vs. subsidizing salaries.  Hence again, why RCCL really needs breakout completely the gratuity charge.

M