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Lets talk about tipping


shooie
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What I find amazing is that the people who insist on complaining about the tipping policies on most cruise lines are, as the old saying goes, "looking a gift horse in the mouth." They way it is structured today allows them to remove the gratuities for their own benefit, be it selfishness, belligerence, or, in some cases, to retain control over the tipping process to make them selves feel important. If they continue to complain and actually get what they want - elimination of tipping, paying "living wages" (whatever the heck that means) for the crew, etc. - they won't save a penny in the process. To eliminate gratuities and pay those so-called living wages, the cruise fare will have to be increased to cover the increased expense that would require, plus any administration costs and increased tax exposure. The complainers will gain absolutely nothing as a result - other than to stop their complaining - and will lose the ability they now have to stiff the crew and keep the money for themselves.

 

If I were them, I would keep quiet and not shout out my disagreement with the current policies, and then laugh all the way to the bank with the money I have kept for myself. Instead, they rant and rave about having to deal with the horrible, overly traumatic experience of being exposed to the intensely distasteful tipping policies of ships they have willingly decided to cruise on. Where a "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" approach would benefit them in the long run, instead they bark and bleat out their displeasure, hoping the whole tipping thing will go away. Which if it does, they will have to pay for anyway.

 

I just don't get it. Seems like a backward move to me.

Edited by PTMary
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What I find amazing is that the people who insist on complaining about the tipping policies on most cruise lines are, as the old saying goes, "looking a gift horse in the mouth." They way it is structured today allows them to remove the gratuities for their own benefit, be it selfishness, belligerence, or, in some cases, to retain control over the tipping process to make them selves feel important. If they continue to complain and actually get what they want - elimination of tipping, paying "living wages" (whatever the heck that means) for the crew, etc. - they won't save a penny in the process. To eliminate gratuities and pay those so-called living wages, the cruise fare will have to be increased to cover the increased expense that would require, plus any administration costs and increased tax exposure. The complainers will gain absolutely nothing as a result - other than to stop their complaining - and will lose the ability they now have to stiff the crew and keep the money for themselves.

 

If I were them, I would keep quiet and not shout out my disagreement with the current policies, and then laugh all the way to the bank with the money I have kept for myself. Instead, they rant and rave about having to deal with the horrible, overly traumatic experience of being exposed to the intensely distasteful tipping policies of ships they have willingly decided to cruise on. Where a "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" approach would benefit them in the long run, instead they bark and bleat out their displeasure, hoping the whole tipping thing will go away. Which if it does, they will have to pay for anyway.

 

I just don't get it. Seems like a backward move to me.

 

 

 

I want this to happen. I thought about additional taxes and fees for everybody, but if these amounts will be collected from everyone (no removing!) then maybe no increase will be necessary.

 

And this will put the end of controversy and honestly why should we subsidize their cruising? It is done on TUI (Mein Schiff) and Aida.

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I want this to happen. I thought about additional taxes and fees for everybody, but if these amounts will be collected from everyone (no removing!) then maybe no increase will be necessary.

 

And this will put the end of controversy and honestly why should we subsidize their cruising? It is done on TUI (Mein Schiff) and Aida.

NCL has increased fares for some non-tipping countries to include the DSC. I thought folks would be pleased because they don't want to tip, but some have complained that their fares have gone up.
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Not Open to Debate:

 

Definition of Gratuity by Merriam-Webster

gratuity plural gratuities

: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service; especially : tip added a gratuity for the server

 

Gratuity | Define Gratuity at Dictionary.com

1. a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; tip.

2. something given without claim or demand.

 

 

 

Open to Debate:

 

I think we need to get back to the facts here, these fees are being represented as tips or gratuities, by definition it is the choice of the person giving to do so or not. The cruise lines policy even state this. Anyone is free to give tips or not gives tips.

 

The only thing these threads do is educate more people that tipping is optional. So why post in them? Because I know as someone that hates what the cruise lines are trying to do here that every time on of these threads happens a few more people will stop paying them. Most will say nothing but the tipping pool gets smaller with every thread. Moving closer to the real goal to get the cruise lines to pay the staff and stop trying to steal from guest so more profit can be made.

 

Please keep these threads lets see more of them, every one puts another nail in the cruise lines biggest con game which they are playing here.

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Not Open to Debate:

 

Definition of Gratuity by Merriam-Webster

gratuity plural gratuities

: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service; especially : tip added a gratuity for the server

 

Gratuity | Define Gratuity at Dictionary.com

1. a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to a waiter or bellhop; tip.

2. something given without claim or demand.

 

 

 

Open to Debate:

 

I think we need to get back to the facts here, these fees are being represented as tips or gratuities, by definition it is the choice of the person giving to do so or not. The cruise lines policy even state this. Anyone is free to give tips or not gives tips.

 

The only thing these threads do is educate more people that tipping is optional. So why post in them? Because I know as someone that hates what the cruise lines are trying to do here that every time on of these threads happens a few more people will stop paying them. Most will say nothing but the tipping pool gets smaller with every thread. Moving closer to the real goal to get the cruise lines to pay the staff and stop trying to steal from guest so more profit can be made.

 

Please keep these threads lets see more of them, every one puts another nail in the cruise lines biggest con game which they are playing here.

 

Your way makes victims of the victims using the logic you express. As I understand it the tipped crew is guaranteed a minimum amount under their contract that the cruise line has to pay, even if all the tips are removed (similar to tipped staff in the US who are guaranteed to make at least the minimum wage), but of course this amount is far below what. Yes, the tips are not obligatory, all the cruise line does is suggest the amount of tips and makes it easy to pay them by adding them to your account (again, this is a practice that does happen in some restaurants, especially with large parties, the gratuities are automatically included on the bill). The cruise lines are in no way "stealing from the guest", because as the guest one way or another we are going to pay the crews' wages.

 

To put things in perspective I paid $12.95 per day per person in gratuities on our last cruise. Not too long ago my wife and I had to eat two meals out in town, breakfast and dinner. The gratuities for those two meals came to $9.50 per person, and we were not eating in high end establishments. So in my view I am getting a bargain at $12.95 a day.

 

I am not talking about those cruise lines who are using a "service charge" model because there is a legal difference between a service charge and a gratuity, even if in practice they are used the same.

 

And as I said upthread, I live by the maxim "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". I don't go into another culture with my own biases and try to change it, I make every attempt to do what is expected of me as a guest in that culture. If I find something about the culture untenable then I avoid visiting that culture again.

Edited by sparks1093
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NCL has increased fares for some non-tipping countries to include the DSC. I thought folks would be pleased because they don't want to tip, but some have complained that their fares have gone up.
There are always some folks with an unreasonable sense of entitlement.

 

Not Open to Debate:
This is nonsense. Anyone who thinks dictionary definitions are beyond reproach and prevail over matters to the exclusion of other considerations is simply mistaken. If you want to point to something that is "not open to debate" then quote the applicable laws of the land. Everything beyond that is a matter of opinions and interpretations (and that includes opinions and interpretations of the laws of the land, themselves).
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NCL has increased fares for some non-tipping countries to include the DSC. I thought folks would be pleased because they don't want to tip, but some have complained that their fares have gone up.

 

 

 

Of course they complaining. They cannot remove autograts now! [emoji4]

 

But this is fare for everybody.

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Your way makes victims of the victims using the logic you express. As I understand it the tipped crew is guaranteed a minimum amount under their contract that the cruise line has to pay, even if all the tips are removed (similar to tipped staff in the US who are guaranteed to make at least the minimum wage), but of course this amount is far below what. Yes, the tips are not obligatory, all the cruise line does is suggest the amount of tips and makes it easy to pay them by adding them to your account (again, this is a practice that does happen in some restaurants, especially with large parties, the gratuities are automatically included on the bill). The cruise lines are in no way "stealing from the guest", because as the guest one way or another we are going to pay the crews' wages.

 

To put things in perspective I paid $12.95 per day per person in gratuities on our last cruise. Not too long ago my wife and I had to eat two meals out in town, breakfast and dinner. The gratuities for those two meals came to $9.50 per person, and we were not eating in high end establishments. So in my view I am getting a bargain at $12.95 a day.

 

I am not talking about those cruise lines who are using a "service charge" model because there is a legal difference between a service charge and a gratuity, even if in practice they are used the same.

 

And as I said upthread, I live by the maxim "when in Rome, do as the Romans do". I don't go into another culture with my own biases and try to change it, I make every attempt to do what is expected of me as a guest in that culture. If I find something about the culture untenable then I avoid visiting that culture again.

 

Sorry but you can't get pass Gratuity

: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation...... given without claim or demand.If it is a gratuity it is the choice of the person to give or not give. And like others have said many workers in American work for minimum wages and no tips. Why are you not helping them?

 

Newsflash: even at the base pay the amount cruise lines pay is much more than the workers make in their home countries. I pay my cruise fare for the trip, I am not required to improve the lives of the workers over and above the contracted rate. And if I did pay these fees no proof that they go 100% to the workers. In fact you ( People paying auto service fees) are the one who is hurting the workers by pushing a system forward that does not belong in place.

 

The same workers you think are so underpaid can go to work in factories 12 hours a day 29 days a month for US$200 dollars or work on a cruise ship for 3 times that and have paid meals and lodging. Seems to me the cruise ship workers are overpaid compared to the factory workers.

 

Royal (RCCL) has a center here in Manila they are looking to hire 30,000 workers they have 10, 20, 30 people applying for every job posted. So don't think for a minute the current crews can't be replaced.

 

You said ""when in Rome, do as the Romans do"... so that means use salve labor and if they act out feed them to the lions for sport.... Sorry Some of us do not care about what the Romans did, besides didn't that system fail?

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Expat, I am from Ukraine originally and yes, people make much less money there than they make during working on the cruise. This is why they sign up to work there.

 

Auto gratuities are not something really additional, but how cruise lines charging you to avoid additional taxes, including taxes to workers salary. It is optimal, but just because some or many people would use anything to save money it will be included into the fare.

 

I’ve heard an amazing explanation from one person... Why should I pay those people if I am making less. :)

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Sorry but you can't get pass Gratuity

: something given voluntarily or beyond obligation...... given without claim or demand.If it is a gratuity it is the choice of the person to give or not give. And like others have said many workers in American work for minimum wages and no tips. Why are you not helping them?

 

Newsflash: even at the base pay the amount cruise lines pay is much more than the workers make in their home countries. I pay my cruise fare for the trip, I am not required to improve the lives of the workers over and above the contracted rate. And if I did pay these fees no proof that they go 100% to the workers. In fact you ( People paying auto service fees) are the one who is hurting the workers by pushing a system forward that does not belong in place.

 

The same workers you think are so underpaid can go to work in factories 12 hours a day 29 days a month for US$200 dollars or work on a cruise ship for 3 times that and have paid meals and lodging. Seems to me the cruise ship workers are overpaid compared to the factory workers.

 

Royal (RCCL) has a center here in Manila they are looking to hire 30,000 workers they have 10, 20, 30 people applying for every job posted. So don't think for a minute the current crews can't be replaced.

 

You said ""when in Rome, do as the Romans do"... so that means use salve labor and if they act out feed them to the lions for sport.... Sorry Some of us do not care about what the Romans did, besides didn't that system fail?

 

I also said that if I found something in the culture to be untenable I would avoid that culture in the future, so if I had an issue with the tipping on cruise ships I wouldn't be cruising because that really perpetuates any perceived injustice (and please remember you are the one with the issue with the current system, I have no issue with it). You say that at the base rate they still make out better than those folks at home and they might, but let me ask you this- if the base rate is $1000 per month and the crew would make $2000 per month if everyone left their tips in place which do you think the crew would prefer? And yes, the gratuity is voluntary, but it is expected. I would no more remove the gratuities without reason on a cruise ship than I would eat at a restaurant and not leave a tip.

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Expat, I am from Ukraine originally and yes, people make much less money there than they make during working on the cruise. This is why they sign up to work there.

 

Auto gratuities are not something really additional, but how cruise lines charging you to avoid additional taxes, including taxes to workers salary. It is optimal, but just because some or many people would use anything to save money it will be included into the fare.

 

I’ve heard an amazing explanation from one person... Why should I pay those people if I am making less. :)

 

So let me see if we are clear here. First you say cruise lines are " charging you to avoid additional taxes,..." so you want to be part of a conspiracy to defraud the Government also know as tax evasion? Sorry I may push the edges of the law to the line but will not cross is.

 

You also said "Auto gratuities are not something really additional...." by definition they are always optional if not they are service fees. Really doesn't matter what reason people give for not paying them, because no reason is needed or required.

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Not going to get into the debate, I have no issue with the tipping practice as is and will continue to pay the auto grats. Just because one or the other disagrees it doesn't make you right, so don't insist that others are wrong.

 

Just want to pass along, I spoke quite a bit with one of the bar waiters just this week and contrary to what someone else said on here, they do not make more than 3 times what they can get at home. He stated they are paid a base of $50 a month and they make their living on the tips. The auto grat added to each bar bill goes to the server/bartender that made the sale and if someone adds a little more, that also goes to the individual that handles the transaction.

As for the steward, he also gets to keep any additional monies that may be given by the patron and does not need to turn them in. Our steward has been doing this job happily for 17 years so it certainly can't be anywhere near as bad as some want to make it out to be.

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So let me see if we are clear here. First you say cruise lines are " charging you to avoid additional taxes,..." so you want to be part of a conspiracy to defraud the Government also know as tax evasion? Sorry I may push the edges of the law to the line but will not cross is.

 

You also said "Auto gratuities are not something really additional...." by definition they are always optional if not they are service fees. Really doesn't matter what reason people give for not paying them, because no reason is needed or required.

 

There are legal ways to avoid taxation. I personally don't pay one dime more in taxes than the law requires and if I can legally avoid a tax I will at every opportunity.

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So let me see if we are clear here. First you say cruise lines are " charging you to avoid additional taxes,..." so you want to be part of a conspiracy to defraud the Government also know as tax evasion? Sorry I may push the edges of the law to the line but will not cross is.

 

 

 

You also said "Auto gratuities are not something really additional...." by definition they are always optional if not they are service fees. Really doesn't matter what reason people give for not paying them, because no reason is needed or required.

 

 

Oh yes... this is another convenient argument “a conspiracy”

It is not a conspiracy. In many countries taxes on salary are less or non existent if salary is paid from tips/gratis.

It is better for workers. But you don’t really care do you? As long as you can save money. :)

 

This is a business constructed the way it suites everybody. It works because of this structure. It still works if some (small %) removed tips. It will not work if everybody or even majority will do this. So this small percentage of cruisers is simply using this situation where majority is paying. If percentage of smarty pants increases companies will be forced to make a change, because in some reason people who choose to use their services don’t agree with their business model.

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Not going to get into the debate, I have no issue with the tipping practice as is and will continue to pay the auto grats. Just because one or the other disagrees it doesn't make you right, so don't insist that others are wrong.

 

Just want to pass along, I spoke quite a bit with one of the bar waiters just this week and contrary to what someone else said on here, they do not make more than 3 times what they can get at home. He stated they are paid a base of $50 a month and they make their living on the tips. The auto grat added to each bar bill goes to the server/bartender that made the sale and if someone adds a little more, that also goes to the individual that handles the transaction.

As for the steward, he also gets to keep any additional monies that may be given by the patron and does not need to turn them in. Our steward has been doing this job happily for 17 years so it certainly can't be anywhere near as bad as some want to make it out to be.

 

Just to be clear when I say that they can make more than they can at home I am talking about their total income, which includes tips. (And from what I understand by the insiders that sometimes post on these threads the guaranteed amount is above that base $50 amount, but of course that is proprietary info so we won't ever find out what it is. But regardless that guarantee amount is very likely significantly less than what they would make if tips were left in place.)

Edited by sparks1093
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I read all these posts in past and current about tips. Yes, I live in the US so its the norm to tip for good service. Whether its a restaurant, hairdresser, etc - 20% if its great service. When I first started cruising I hated the last night running around trying to find everyone that did anything for me and hand out the envelopes. I much prefer the cruise line taking that burden off of me - as I sometimes never saw the actual person in the background doing a lot of the work for the passengers. I cringe during the week when I see people at the desk asking their tips to be removed. Cheap is not the word I would use for those people. But I will keep this post "Clean". As someone else already said, when you book a cruise, you just figure in the amount of the tip in the cost of your cruise and go with it. We spend thousands of dollars for a nice vacation and then someone is worried about an extra $12 a day that will be split between numerous people that helped you have a good time. On my last cruise, the first day I asked my cabin attendant for a few things - extra pillows, towels - ice bucket to be filled everyday, etc. He quickly brought everything requested. I handed him $20 - and he actually tried to refuse it. He said no - its my job. And I insisted that he take the money as a show of appreciation that he went out of way to help me. I try to tip during the week whenever someone does something special for me. Its called common courtesy. But when people are so darn cheap they take off their automatic tips because they don't feel they got everything out of their trip they wanted then - well that is just sad. The only way around this is for the cruise companies to just up the total price of the trip for each passenger and give the staff a better salary. While I would be very happy for that to happen - it wouldn't stop me from tipping individuals who help make my vacation a good one.

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Not paying the daily auto gratuities have nothing to do with being cheap it has everything to do with doing the right thing. They are not gratuities, they are service fees but the company will never call them that because they want this money to be outside the system.

 

Post like "I cringe during the week when I see people at the desk asking their tips to be removed. Cheap is not the word I would use for those people. "

The word smart people have not fallen for the con.

And "....and then someone is worried about an extra $12 a day ..." It has nothing to do with the money everything to do with principle... something to may people lack today...... Better to die for principles than to submit with the crowd.

And "..... But when people are so darn cheap they take off their automatic tips because they don't feel they got everything out of their trip.... " Nothing to do with being cheap everything to do with doing the right thing. I'm sorry but until they make these fees mandatory no one has any right to pass any judgments. What it some passengers say people drinking is effecting the cruise should alcoholic drinks be removed from the ship? No one has any right to tell other passengers what they must do when it is voluntary.

I agree cruise lines should make it a service charge, if they want this fee "The only way around this is for the cruise companies to just up the total price of the trip for each passenger and give the staff a better salary." But it will never happen on the mainstay lines, the only reason they use this daily fee program is to save money. They could care less about the crew, the crews are just a labor supply to be used.

Do you want to know one of the reasons companies hire crews from the Philippines, any problems, crew members hurt or killed, even if the fault of the cruise company, under the Philippine Law the came is settle here in the PI maximum payment US$50,000 Dollars. A cruise line can cause the death of a crew member or loss a couple of legs, and a arm and just pay $50,000 and be done. That is the system all you do good guest are supporting. A system which treats the crews one level better than slaves... Sorry I will not help the cruise lines to keep this game going.....

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Not paying the daily auto gratuities have nothing to do with being cheap it has everything to do with doing the right thing. They are not gratuities, they are service fees but the company will never call them that because they want this money to be outside the system.

 

Post like "I cringe during the week when I see people at the desk asking their tips to be removed. Cheap is not the word I would use for those people. "

The word smart people have not fallen for the con.

And "....and then someone is worried about an extra $12 a day ..." It has nothing to do with the money everything to do with principle... something to may people lack today...... Better to die for principles than to submit with the crowd.

And "..... But when people are so darn cheap they take off their automatic tips because they don't feel they got everything out of their trip.... " Nothing to do with being cheap everything to do with doing the right thing. I'm sorry but until they make these fees mandatory no one has any right to pass any judgments. What it some passengers say people drinking is effecting the cruise should alcoholic drinks be removed from the ship? No one has any right to tell other passengers what they must do when it is voluntary.

I agree cruise lines should make it a service charge, if they want this fee "The only way around this is for the cruise companies to just up the total price of the trip for each passenger and give the staff a better salary." But it will never happen on the mainstay lines, the only reason they use this daily fee program is to save money. They could care less about the crew, the crews are just a labor supply to be used.

Do you want to know one of the reasons companies hire crews from the Philippines, any problems, crew members hurt or killed, even if the fault of the cruise company, under the Philippine Law the came is settle here in the PI maximum payment US$50,000 Dollars. A cruise line can cause the death of a crew member or loss a couple of legs, and a arm and just pay $50,000 and be done. That is the system all you do good guest are supporting. A system which treats the crews one level better than slaves... Sorry I will not help the cruise lines to keep this game going.....

 

That's an application of Philippine law, and we have no control over that (and has nothing to do with tipping). You yourself are helping the cruise lines by your continued patronage. I'm sorry, you are trying to sell that there is an issue and it's a non-sell. As you said, there are 20 to 30 applicants for every job, which means that the crew is happy with the status quo. And they aren't slaves by any stretch of the imagination, they agree to the contracts that they work under.

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And they aren't slaves by any stretch of the imagination, they agree to the contracts that they work under.

 

And my contract as guest says the daily service fee are at my discretion . So you or no one else has any say over what other guest do when we are following the contract. We agree to the contract that clearly allows anyone to opt out.

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And my contract as guest says the daily service fee are at my discretion . So you or no one else has any say over what other guest do when we are following the contract. We agree to the contract that clearly allows anyone to opt out.

 

I don't think that I've ever disputed that. You think that your removal of gratuities will somehow, eventually improve the lot of the crew, but that's not the case at all.

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I don't think that I've ever disputed that. You think that your removal of gratuities will somehow, eventually improve the lot of the crew, but that's not the case at all.

 

Your opinion that removal will not improve the lot of the crew. But your opinion is just that, no better than any other opinion. I'm just very happy that your opinion has absolutely no effect on changing my opinion it just makes me want to fight harder to prove I'm right. Thank you Have a great day....

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Your opinion that removal will not improve the lot of the crew. But your opinion is just that, no better than any other opinion. I'm just very happy that your opinion has absolutely no effect on changing my opinion it just makes me want to fight harder to prove I'm right. Thank you Have a great day....

 

Yes, opinions are like noses, everyone has one and they all smell. As you pointed out way back at the beginning your participate in these discussions to convince two people to remove the gratuities. I participate for the opposite reason, to convince people to leave them in place. And you continue overlook the fact that by removing the gratuities you are hurting the very people you profess to be trying to help, because it certainly doesn't impact the cruise line in any way.

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Yes, opinions are like noses, everyone has one and they all smell. As you pointed out way back at the beginning your participate in these discussions to convince two people to remove the gratuities. I participate for the opposite reason, to convince people to leave them in place. And you continue overlook the fact that by removing the gratuities you are hurting the very people you profess to be trying to help, because it certainly doesn't impact the cruise line in any way.

 

Removing is the best way to help the crews, the lines will not change the game as long as it works. So you keep trying to get people to leave in place and I will keep stating the truth.

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