SantaFeFan

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Why would it bother non drinkers to have someone at their table drink wine? We don't eat meat, but would never ever consider announcing to tablemates to not order any meat dishes.

It was a religious thing with them, which usually means it is a thing that makes no sense. 🤣

2 hours ago, ducklite said:

 

You do realize that CLIA has nothing to do with staffing the employees who would be tipped.  They are a marketing, lobbying, and trade association.

I am not an expert on CLIA. I just remember someone mentioning it on a tipping thread and since no one had challenged that association, believed in my limited knowledge of CLIA that it did apply.  If I am wrong, I am happy to admit it. So thanks for the clarification, I think? 😉

I still stand by what I posted above (other than that CLIA misstep) as I do remember the information provided by that cruise line insider on the subject, and simply am passing along his explanations. He is the expert and I believe him. 

11 minutes ago, ducklite said:

 

I respectfully disagree.  While I'm sure that the rules are inherently the same on the large, mass market (and their derivative lines) I'm not sure that they apply on all of the smaller, boutique, river, and luxury lines.  

Like I mentioned, "on lines that include gratuities as part of the employee income stream." Lines that not have a gratuity system in place would have to do it differently since they have a different system in place. I honestly don't see why any line that has gratuities would choose to do things differently when there is a industry wide system that is in place that apparently works well and everyone involved understands, no matter what cruise line they may have worked at before.  

The link I provided states that CLIA covers 95% of the industry, "From ocean to specialty cruise ships". I assume that "specialty" includes smaller, boutique, river, and luxury lines. 

10 minutes ago, ducklite said:

 

Again, this can vary by cruise line.  I do agree with Schmoo and highly doubt that the line keeps any of the tips.

Most, if not all, employee contracts across the cruise industry are pretty standard so gratuities will most likely be handled similarly on lines that include gratuities as part of the employee income stream. I believe these standards have been established by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which has 50+ cruise lines as members, which accounts for 95% of the global cruise capacity.  https://cruising.org/about-the-industry/about-clia

There is CC member who occasionally posts here who used to be a purser on cruise ships and described this process in several posts he has made over the years. 

Turning in cash tips is a requirement of their employment contract. They must always turn them in, with the risk of being fired if they don't. As others here have said, if the gratuities have not been removed or decreased, then the cash amount will be transferred into their account. Otherwise, it will all go into the pool.

All the accounting for this is done post cruise after all passenger accounts have been reconciled. As Schmoo here has said, the cruise line does NOT keep a percentage of the tips. It all goes to the employee. 

We were traveling with a couple we were good friends with and who we have cruised with several times before when we got seated at a table with two other couples who were friends. Before we could order anything, the other four requested that we not order any alcohol with our dinner as their religion forbade them from consuming alcohol of any kind and did not want it on their table. We were shocked at their rude attempt to dictate what we could or could not order with our dinner. Of course, after careful consideration on our part, we increased our consumption by ordering two bottles of wine instead of the usual one. And we proceeded to thoroughly enjoy our wine with our dinners. We enjoyed dinner even more the next night when they apparently asked to be moved to another table, probably to get away from the blasphemous heathens they were stuck with the night before.

If they could not deal with people ordering drinks at their table, they should have had the common sense to request a table for four and saved everyone the discomfort of their wholly inappropriate requests. 

1 hour ago, ONECRUISER said:

Most of the time because of Safety involved and Distance the best choice for Emergencies  they will not Fly you off the ship. Each case can be different though... Witnessed dozens Medical Emergengies where they have sped up to next Port, returned or skipped a Port but only 3 times they brought Helo out to pick them up. Even then most time they dont use the pad on the ship and use a Basket for patient and family was left behind on the ship

 Most new ships no longer have a helipad where a helicopter can land. Instead, they have a location, usually marked "WINCH ONLY", where a basket can safely be lowered. It is extremely dangerous to land a helicopter on a moving ship with tight space constraints. 

8 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

Because I can enter an entirely new number and it will lock. If it remembered the old pin and required it then there would be an error given if I entered a new pin. And you are right, it doesn't really matter one way or the other.

If a person is in a hurry a wrong digit might be entered. Miss one by just one number and you won't be able to open it without security's help. You won't know that a wrong number was entered and will think the safe is broken. 

I much prefer just closing it without having to enter the number again as it avoids accidentally entering a different number and not being aware that it has been changed.

It's $57 per day for our cruise the following week, March 8 - 15, 2020.

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• Rum: Bacardi, Bacardi 8, Captain Morgan Rum, Malibu Miami Club 
• Gin: Aviation, Beefeater, Bombay Sapphire, New Amsterdam, The Botanist 
• Tequila/ Mezcal: 1800 Avion Silver, Camarena Gold, Patron Silver, Del Maquey Vida Blanco Mezcal 
• Scotch: Chiva Regal 12 Year Old, Dewars 12 Year, Glenfiddich, Johnnie Walker Black, The Glenlivet 
• Whiskey, Bourbon/ Rye: Buffalo Trace, Canadian Club, Crown Royal, Jack Daniels, Jameson, Makers Mark, Whistle Pig Rye 
• Cognac: Hennessy VS, Remy Martin VSOP 
• Beers: Domestic, imported and craft beer brands 
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• Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Can and fountain soda, Fresh and bottled juices, Premium coffee and teas, bottled and sparkling water

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• A 18% gratuity charge will be added to each package price listed above.
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1 hour ago, Goofyfanatic said:

Exactly!

 

Just remember if by some chance he gets stuck in a foreign country getting back into the US will be a nightmare. While we never think it will happen it does happen from time to time. What happens if he gets sick and ends up in a hospital in the foreign country?

Agreed. His health at 80 would be something to consider. He at least should make sure he has a good travel insurance policy for that cruise, including medivac coverage, which could cost many thousands of dollars. An elderly neighbor up the street who uses a walker broke her hip in the MDR when someone didn't see her and pushed their chair away from the table and knocked her over as she passed behind. The cost was amazingly high since they were far from shore and needed immediate attention. Fortunately, they had insurance that covered most of the expenses. 

Never take unnecessary chances.

Many are suggesting finding a "good TA". With CruiseCritic forbidding us to name TAs, I am at a loss as to how to find them. What are suggestions for finding those TAs?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

1 hour ago, Beverleel said:

Hello! I’m putting together a gift bag for each of the 3 couples we are cruising with. Considering adding lanyards to the bags. Do cruisers still wear/need these or are tickets and such handled digitally on cruisers' phones?

thanks!

Like mom says in the post above, I wore them at work for years (we called them and the badges they held "Geek Labels") and I certainly won't wear them on vacations.

On the cruises I have taken only a small percentage of people used them. 

You won't be using "tickets" during your cruise. Since the ship is a cashless environment, on the majority of ships you will have a plastic card similar to a credit card that will be used to unlock your stateroom door, charge drinks or other fee items to your account, and to identify you when you leave the ship at ports and again when you re-board. 

1 hour ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

WOW - just WOW.

 

So based on your post...medical emergencies are not a legitimate reason for having proper ID?

 

WOW. Unreal.

You just proved my point!!! You are only looking to start an argument.

I never said said that medical emergencies were not a legitimate reason for having proper ID. I said that if needed during an emergency, it is relatively straight forward to arrange for a passport to be retrieved IF needed. Nothing "WOW - just WOW" about that observation. 

I think you need to worry more about your lack of reading comprehension than worry about your next emergency where you might need a passport. 

6 minutes ago, Sheffie said:

We have used power strips and extension cords for our CPAP machines on each of our cruises in the last 8 years.  

Did you get them from the steward or bring your own? In other words, did you follow or break the rules? 😉

7 hours ago, CRUISEFAN0001 said:

So if you get injured on an excursion and medical or hospital personnel require proof of your ID and citizenship...just running back to the ship will cure that problem. Uh huh.  It only takes once to learn planning ahead for things is prudent, not just convenient.

You are just looking for excuses to support your way, aren't you? 

Nothing you have written is an obstacle. Arrangements can always be made to retrieve a passport if absolutely necessary in the very rare event that you must have it for some reason, no matter how far away you may be from the ship. If you are the type who likes activities that often need medical care, or occasionally do something so bad that local officials need to interrogate you and demand that you to "show your papers", then by all means take your passport with you for those frequent incidents. Apparently you need it much more often than the rest of us. 😉

28 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

If a country requires foreign nationals to carry proof of citizenship with them then yes, one must carry a passport. Many countries don't have such a requirement for cruise ship passengers. 

And if they don't require we carry our passports at all times, the most secure place for them is in the safe, whether in your hotel room or in your stateroom. Unless you are renting a car or checking into a hotel, many countries never ask to see your passport after you have passed their customs and immigration entry points.

Why carry something so valuable if not necessary? If something unexpected happens that requires you present your passport, you will know where it is and can make arrangements to retrieve it. I carry only the minimum I will need for the day. No expensive jewelry, no wads of hundred dollar bills, and if not needed, no passport. With about 50 years of travelling to 48 countries and on every continent but Antarctica, I have never had an unexpected situation where not having my passport on my person was a problem. And I would bet that the vast majority of travelers have had the same experience.  

3 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

It's wonderful advice but I suspect that if most people waited until they had such a high limit card until they traveled the travel industry would collapse. Even now when DW and I have more money than we've ever had (love being empty nesters🙂) we don't have anything near that.

I acknowledge that ours is higher than normal and may not reflect the average, but I only wanted to describe our situation and how we handle traveling to provide an example of what can be done. We have been diligent with our credit and have a very high credit score. We asked for these limits and they raised them. They did not automatically raise them. I also own a business, so that may have been influential in receiving a high limit. 

Bottom line - think smart and be well prepared for any foreign travel and potential problems will be minimized. 

3 hours ago, Scotty G said:

 

During one of our cruises to Bermuda we witnessed a scooter accident in which an elderly lady was hurt significantly. There would have been no way for her to get back to the ship before it departed. I believe her husband  was with her and probably went to the hospital with her. Granted the ship would have left their belongings with the Port Agent.

During that time the Cruise Director was advising folks to make sure they took a credit card and proper ID off the ship in case they were left on shore 😉

In case of a hospital emergency, use the port representative's phone number and contact the ship. They will make arrangements to have your passport, and possibly even your belongings, available for someone to retrieve if the injuries will require you to miss the ship. The local police may be able to assist in retrieving those belongings. Or the hospital may have someone on staff for such situations. 

That cruise director gave you good advice. My wife and each carry a high limit credit card, each in our own name and from two different banks. If one is lost, shut down due to fraud activity, or if the bank's account verification software is offline for some reason preventing businesses from being able to charge to the card, we will have another that is still functional. People should be aware that in many countries an emergency that requires hospital care and/or evacuation to a facility that can handle the injuries may require a patient to pay in advance for such treatment. You don't want to wait until your travel insurance company has been contacted and rendered a decision before treatments can begin. That may require a credit limit of many thousands of dollars, so carry cards that can handle such high dollar amounts. Both of ours have a $50,000 credit limit and charge no fees for use overseas. 

20 minutes ago, PelicanBill said:

My wife and I were almost left behind even though we were on a ship excursion. The excursion returned at the all aboard time. There was a 10-15 minute walk from the excursion dock to the ship.  For most. My wife walks with a cane. It took 25 minutes. Because we were separated from everyone else they assumed we did not go on the excursion or just went off and did something else.  If I had not run ahead so they could see me I think they were going to pull up the gangway - it was 5 minutes to sail time.  Our passports had not been put ashore.  I usually carry them but this was a ship excursion so I thought there was little risk!

If possible, in most cases the ship will wait a few minutes for any stragglers to arrive. I have seen them wait a half hour or more for late arrivals. It would have been at the very last minute that they would have retrieved your passport and turned it over to the port rep. They don't do it early in case the person eventually arrives while the ship is still there, as you did. 

14 minutes ago, tOSUSteve said:

Great read from the past...

 

A key detail in his story is that he did not bring his passport on this cruise. Even if security looked in his safe, it wasn't there - it was at home. 

His story is a good example why to always bring a passport, even on closed loop cruise. You never know what may happen.

I have watched from my balcony as passports were transferred to the port rep just before the gangway was pulled up leaving people behind.  

18 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

I know this happens some (or even most) of the time but it does not happen ALL of the time. It's not a chance I'm willing to take. When in a foreign country, I carry my passport with me.

I know of zero instances where people were left behind without that simple courtesy being provided to the passengers. If it happens at all, it is extremely rare since we never hear about such problems here on CC, where you can bet people would come and complain if it did. It is in the better interest of the cruise lines to provide that very simple customer service as it can be done at no cost to the cruise line, and avoids extremely bad PR. I consider it a no-brainer on the cruise lines part to do as they say they will, even if they do it for no other reason than for their own benefit. 

The chances of your passport being lost, stolen or forcibly taken during a robbery is much higher than you being left behind with your passport still in the safe.

But then again, I am a trusting person and believe it when the cruise lines say they will do this. Just like I believe the cruise lines will prepare my food in a safe and sanitary manner, will operate the ship safely and without careless risk to it's passenger, and will not steal my belongings when they access my stateroom. Obviously, some people have trust issues. 😉

2 minutes ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

A passport doesn't do you much good if you're stuck on land and your passport is in your safe. We always bring ours with us when we leave the ship.

If you need to leave early for an emergency at home, wouldn't you go back to the ship to get your belongings? I sure would. And I would pick up my passport while in the room as part of the packing to go home. 

If you miss the ship's departure, one of two things will happen - you either were proactive and took the port representative's phone number with you (the number is on the daily newsletter in your room) to let them know you will be late and to ask them to retrieve your passport and hold it until you arrive, or you don't show up and they will look in your safe for a passport, retrieve it if it there, and hand it over to the port rep for you to pick up when you finally arrive. 

Carrying your passport has virtually zero benefit since your passport will be made available to you in case you can't leave with the ship. 

5 hours ago, iluvit! said:

Upon turning Diamond I’m looking at cruises. for my $250 balcony discount. Surprised to see only $75-100 off. Did RCCL downgrade this benefit while I wasn’t looking?

Don't know about any benefit downgrades, but when I made my Oasis booking last month for a March 2020 cruise, as Diamond level we received $150 off our "ocean view with large balcony" room. 

2 hours ago, perditax said:

 

This is usually where the pro-tipping side loses me. At this point, it's not tipping, it's extortion.

Trust me, that "spitting" comment does not represent those of us who are what you call "pro-tipping". It is a very pessimistic, conspiracy theory mindset of someone who would come up with such a foolish idea.

Besides, none of us are pro-tipping per se. Instead, we are pro following the customs established wherever we are, including on cruise ships. I don't tip for the sake of tipping. I tip because it is customary at places where it is the norm. I believe that my personal preferences should take a back seat to the local customs wherever I am visiting. Thus, I tip where it is customary, and I don't where it isn't. It is more accurate to call me "pro-custom" instead. 

2 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

When most of the crew can make 2 to 4 times what they could earn at home it puts things in perspective. 

And they know how the wage system works and willingly accept it. With tips, they make a pretty good wage for where they come from. No, these people are not being taken advantage of by the cruise lines. They certainly are from people who remove the gratuities, however.