SantaFeFan

32 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

you are assuming they are married.

Yeah, you're right. They probably aren't anymore. 😉

2 hours ago, mom says said:

Perhaps you just weren't watching when they did that? I've observed exactly that on numerous occasions. And why would engineers be required for such a simple exercise? As far as I could tell, it took about 2 minutes for a couple of waiters to complete this monumental task.

Just like land based restaurants, pushing tables together to make a larger one is not rocket science. It is done all the time. Any waiter, even on his/her first day, can handle that "complicated" task. 

The stuff some people come up with. 

26 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

FRIENDLY WARNING:

 

If you keep posting comments like this, people might think you are just trying to be (or actually are) stupid.

Can you imagine what it must be like when his wife says "Not tonight, honey."🤣

Him: "What to do you mean, not tonight. Where is it in our marriage contract that it states you can refuse my needs if you don't feel like it?"

3 hours ago, cb at sea said:

What you are hearing in your cabin is the wind...not the waves.  Even 12-15 ft. seas, you won't hear waves "breaking"...as the ship is plowing thru them....it's not like being on a beach!

Nope. You are wrong again.

If towards the front of the ship, you can hear the splashing of the waves breaking against the hull as the ship plows through the water, even on higher decks. It is one of the reasons we prefer a balcony cabin towards the front of the ship. My guess is that you never book balcony cabins towards the front of the ship and have never experienced this soothing sound. 

40 minutes ago, retafcruiser said:

Just sleep on the balcony.:o)

Some people claim they drag their bed's mattress out there for that very reason. I find it hard to believe, but considering the other dumb things we often see people doing, it just might be true. 

53 minutes ago, fyree39 said:

That said, I've had the pleasure of being in line in front of a woman trying to reach someone on her walkie talkie. She keyed the mic and sent out a call over and over and over again, without anyone coming back to her. And, no, speaking more loudly isn't going to help.

 

I've also enjoyed someone at the table next to me on the Lido with his radio in hand. I believe he was afraid he'd miss a message because he had the volume turned up to just under the feedback point, but leaving a lot of background noise blasting for the surrounding tables to enjoy.

You have experience in such things, as many of us do. You are not the only one here who has had to endure inconsiderate behavior by walkie talkie users. 

Of course, for at least one poster here, experience by others is not to be acknowledge if that experience doesn't agree with their agenda. 

6 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I was unaware of ship tours or that anyone has seen a list of any sort until now. The article made no mention of a daily list so I could only assume all this information was available at the end of the cruise. You have to remember I have never been on a Caribbean cruise so I'm relying on other peoples experiences to understand how it works. Why I have to ask so many questions🤣. 

 

As for the 85% my understanding was the interviewee was saying that it was 85% of the people in line at the end of  the cruise not 85% of the cruise population. 

At least one person on this thread has mentioned seeing the list, and over the years others have also reported it. There are cruise industry insiders who sometimes post comments and they have also confirmed the existence of these lists, not only on Carnival, but others as well. And I expect this to be on worldwide cruises, not just Caribbean cruises. 

I agree that the 85% is not of the total cruise population, but just those in customer service line on the last day. 

12 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

"At the end of the cruise, when guests leave the ship, we are provided with lists of our guests who paid and those who removed gratuities" .

So all the people who have reported seeing this list on ship tours during the cruise are liars? 

That quote is in reference to those who remove the tips on the last day, which according to the same person you are quoting, "is 85 percent, maybe even more". The list is posted on a daily basis with updated information, including on the remaining 15% who remove them earlier, as the cruise progresses. 

Our children have told us to spend their inheritance enjoying life for ourselves, not save it for them. And we have been doing exactly that for the last 2 decades. I am now retired and the wife will be in a little more than a year. We are not planning on slowing down.

But we do plan to get enough sleep so we can enjoy ourselves while on the go!!  😉😉

24 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I would be impressed if they did remember. Some of these cruise ships hold upwards of three thousand passengers and the passengers are always changing. The average cruiser might do one a year at most so if they do return it would be at least a year before they are seen again (that is tens of thousands of passengers later). On top of that I doubt all the crew members have personal interactions with all the customers. A name on a list isn't enough lots of people have the same name and as a crew member would you really want to risk making that mistake? 

The name list also includes the cabin numbers. 

1 hour ago, fyree39 said:

You can find the 5W walkie talkies all over the internet for less than $100. Instead of arguing with the fine folks at CC, just go buy a bunch of them, take them on the ship and figure it out for yourself. Then you can come to future threads about walkie talkies and offer your experience to other curious cruisers wanting to stay in touch with their cruise mates.

 

Hopefully he won't get so frustrated that he throws them all overboard, polluting the sea with more plastic and toxic chemicals in the batteries. He does seem like he has little patience for facts presented here, being that he is more of an expert than experienced cruisers and maritime professionals. 😉

49 minutes ago, mac66 said:

 

I heard you the first time, I just don't believe you. 😉  I need to see for myself.😁

Good call. Heidi13 has only been a mariner for most of his working life, all the way up to captain, so what the heck does he know.

57 minutes ago, mac66 said:

 

I expect good service when I pre pay gratuities and usually get it. I don't expect to pay gratuities twice.

Of course you don't. Whether receiving the basic service everyone gets, or the personalized service one will get when specialized requests are made, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason to give more to those who do extra for you. Perfectly rational, or so you say. 🙄

You aren't paying gratuities twice as you claim - you are rewarding someone for doing extra for you by ADDING to the suggested amount of tips you are giving them. What a silly concept that must be to you!!!! 

19 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

So much fo4 the frequent claim that including tips in the fare would hurt the crew. This crew member says that would be their preference.

Uh, no. Here is what he actually said: "Gratuities should exist like this, and it is okay if guests remove them......That is why I say that they shouldn’t be called “gratuities.” It should be made clear that this is part of the crew’s salary, so people know what it is." 

Do words have different meanings where you live? 

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Also the frequent claims that they know who pulled tips while you are still onboard, this person says the list is distributed after the guests leave.

His comment was in regards to the line at the end of the cruise when 85% or more of the "stiffers" remove the tips. They are also notified when it happens during the cruise, even if on the first day.

He also says that he believes that people who remove the tips think they are taking that money from the company, not the employees. And he also states: "If the guests pay, the money goes straight to the salary of crew members."

Your cherry picking only partial information to support your biased views is kinda comical. 

2 hours ago, mac66 said:

 

And yet...I've used them used successfully on cruise ships when the kids were little. Limitations not withstanding, they used to be quite popular.  Whether you or I  find them useful is immaterial. They are better than nothing.  I for one would like to see someone use the newer more powerful ones just to see how they compare with the older ones.

 

In fact I may just buy a pair for my next cruise just to tick off you old (GET OFF MY LAWN!) fogies. 😉

And I have successfully fly fished off my balcony on past cruises. (See, I can make stuff up too!)

Oh, and GET OFF MY LAWN!

2 hours ago, mac66 said:

18-20% (depending on the cruise line) in prepaid gratuities is plenty for the expected service. No sense or point in tipping twice.

So you have never had a waiter in a land based restaurant provide such good service that you felt he/she earned more than the standard tip? Same would apply to ship based service staff. Or do you never reward over-and-above service? 

1 hour ago, twodaywonder said:

As stated. The connection between them is not 100% at all. Hit and miss depending where you are on the ship. Brand. Motorola. As for upsetting other cruisers. So does using an iphone. So what. Even though. You can use an ear piece if you are worried about disturbing others.

An earpiece won't stop the inevitable "Can you hear me" shouting that will occur when the signal is weak and the speaker is trying to be heard, which will be most of the time. Conversations go both ways - unless you are married, that is! 😉😂

3 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

https://cruiseradio.net/from-gratuities-to-sex-cruise-ship-crew-member-tells-all/?fbclid=IwAR2g1uho1uWw_a-TSLNDwPImbUi7zQFTS-OYT88VeS2EdpKSENKlxAjD7W0

 

Picked this up from another site.

Thanks! This pretty much supports what many of us have described, especially the tip pooling, the lists identifying the people who remove the tips, and the effect on the crew that removing tips creates. And I agree with the idea of not calling it a gratuity. More people would leave them in place if the words "tips" and "gratuity" were eliminated. 

7 hours ago, awmeyer said:

Thanks everyone for the responses.  I'm bringing both a 2-prong and a 3-prong outlet multiplier.  I had read on one of these forums or advice articles that there may be only a single outlet in the bathroom, nowhere else in the stateroom.  Maybe depends on which room, even within same class/type.  Looking more at the photos with the one linked, I can see as Underwatr mentioned that the desk outlet is one or two grounded 3-prong, as it should be for the hair dryer (where's the GFCI reset, down in the engine room?).  Also noticed what may be a duplex outlet where the TV is plugged in, and possibly also an outlet or two under the window.  

SRF asked for link to the (not surge protected) one I got from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Extender-Charger-Splitter-Adapter-Compatible/dp/B078SLTZWB

Every cruise ship I have been on has had a "shaver" outlet in the bathroom and at least one location in the stateroom with grounded outlets, always at the desk and sometimes also another one near the bed.

Emerald Princess is a sister to Grand Princess, which has the grounded US outlet at the desk, so I would expect it to be the same. 

22 minutes ago, shipgeeks said:

Cabin telephones, post-it notes, white boards all work easily.  Planning to meet up at a time and place works.

Over a hundred days on cruise ships and never needed a walkie talkie. And this with multiple family members and friends. It really is not a problem. In the best case scenario both parties of the conversation will be able to use it when one party calls, but in many cases they can't be used (or shouldn't be used) because the party being called is at a venue where the call would be a major distraction to anyone around them. Think of a cell phone going off in a theater. Not pleasant for everyone else. 

31 minutes ago, Catclaws said:

New to cruising.  With premium drink packages do you get charged for tips when receiving drinks?  I know they charge a fee when purchasing the drink package.  Thank you.

Depends on the cruise line. Most include the gratuities in all drink packages, so they will be prepaid and you don't have to tip unless you want to for stellar service. We never had additional gratuities charged when ordering a drink when using a drink package on Celebrity or Princess, for instance. 

1 hour ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

I am curious but what is considered "good service"? I see this comment a lot but I always wonder what it is people expect from their servers. I don't know if I have low expectations but I'm just happy to recieve my food. As long as that happens service is good as far as I'm concerned🤗.

There is much more than just receiving the food!

Good service would be not having to wait more than a few minutes to be acknowledged after being seated and a few more before being waited upon. 

Good service would be the server being attentive and occasionally coming by to ask if everything is satisfactory and if I needed anything else.

Good service would be the server removing the used dishes soon after I finished my meal and bringing the check right away so I do not have to wait an extended time with dirty dishes in front of me. 

Good service would be the server appearing to appreciate that I am there by displaying at least a cursory smile and a welcoming attitude. 

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I think it is a little unfair to call someone ungenerous because they limit where they give extra tips. This commenter isn't the only one who picks the staff they choose to give extra tips I've seen plenty of comments on this thread where they say there are certain staff they give extra money and I have yet to read anyone who said they give to the whole crew extra tips. At the end of the day we all have limited funds so all of us can only be so generous.

You are only considering the one post by the poster in question. His past posts show a pattern of complaining, insulting, and boasting that he disapproves of the tipping system in place and the ways he tries to avoid participating in it. For a one time cruiser with less than 500 posts, he positions himself as the expert on the topic with only his views worthy of consideration.

So no, it is not unfair to describe the position he has taken on tipping, a position he has made abundantly clear in his short history on CC. 

7 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Why do servers try to serve you at the buffets?

They don't "try to serve you". They are only providing a nice touch to make your meal a bit more pleasant by allowing you to relax and enjoy your meal without interruption. I guess to you that extra touch is a huge distraction? 

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There are tea and coffee machines and all the food is easily viewable and accessible.

 

Someone came along with a tea trolley on edge and asked us if we wanted coffee??????

Again, it's a convenience offered if you wanted to use it. Nothing more.

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We already had some and the machine was just a few feet from where we were sat.

Not everyone is able to sit so close as you did. Other people may have found the service helpful.

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There was no need for a server at breakfast like this. Unless they were serving the disabled or extremely lazy folk.

Another of you typically insulting comments. You must have been a server in the UK to have perfected your surly attitude and negative comments you routinely display on these boards. 

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So tipping at breakfast was never gonna happen. NEVER.

We get it. You aren't a generous person.

2 hours ago, K32682 said:

 

Tipping can have a positive effect if you are staying in a place for several days.  Years ago friends and I were staying at a small hotel in the suburbs of London where breakfast was included with the room charge.  The breakfast was served by an older woman who was unpleasant and painfully slow.  Forget any thoughts of a refill of coffee or tea.

 

At the conclusion of our first breakfast I suggested to my two companions that we each leave a pound coin beside our plate and despite their protestations they agreed.  The effect was quite noticeable the next morning and for the rest of the week.   We were greeted with a smile, served first even if there were others waiting and our coffee and tea mugs were never empty much to the dismay of the parsimonious Pommies who sat and waited until we were served. 🙂

What you described is what I have experienced on many occasions. Yes, they do not have a tipping culture and seem to be proud of it with so many "we are better than you because of it" comments on tipping threads. But the service provided is inferior to anything I experience in other parts of the world, tips or no tips. It must be a national badge of honor to provide surly, barely adequate service. 

Sorry if feathers have been ruffled. I wish I couldn't report such observations. My comment may upset you, but that experience directly affected my enjoyment of meals in your country.