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Rise in Gratuities


Josy1953
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I have received an email over night informing me that for our cruise in April the gratuities are to rise to £7 pppn. The effective date for the rise is 23rd March.

Obviously too many people are not paying so the rest of us have pay an additional 16.67%. I would love to receive a rise of 16.67% in my income.

While this is not a deal breaker I do think that P&O really do need to sort out this gratuity situation so that everyone pays not just those of us with a conscience.:(:(

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I have received an email over night informing me that for our cruise in April the gratuities are to rise to £7 pppn. The effective date for the rise is 23rd March.

Obviously too many people are not paying so the rest of us have pay an additional 16.67%. I would love to receive a rise of 16.67% in my income.

While this is not a deal breaker I do think that P&O really do need to sort out this gratuity situation so that everyone pays not just those of us with a conscience.:(:(

 

That’s irritating, as it doesn’t seem that long ago that they went up to £6.50 pppn. If it is because so many people aren’t paying then this increase will surely be counter productive, as it will give even more people an excuse to opt out. I haven’t had any emails overnight and we have 5 future cruises with P&O booked, 4 of which are after this date.

 

At least this increase provides an excuse for yet another tedious thread on tipping, where the same people will make the same spurious excuses as to why they don’t pay them. I didn’t engage with the last one as I get so fed up reading the same circular arguments where some people repeatedly quote complete inaccuracies as though they are fact. But I realise that I have failed already on this one..!!

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Hi...I have also received the email regarding the increase in gratuities. As Selbourne has stated it will be counter productive because more people may remove them. I still feel that gratuities/tips/service charge should be incorporated within the fare structure. On our cruise with Thomson later this year they are included in the fare.

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Happens every year (well at least since I started cruising in 2015)

For the staff it won’t be a 16% increase, that £7 has to be shared between 3, 4 or more people. Not forgetting that if somebody marks the cabin steward less than excellent he might not get his share.

System definitely needs addressing but sadly seems p&o aren’t listening.

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Have to agree with all posts, including Selbourne and not engaging in the first (long) tipping thread of 2018, for the same reason

 

The only question I would ask is - Is this possibly a prelude to a grand announcement about “Listening to customer demand ...” and including gratuities in the base fare? Or, possibly, reducing the amount but making it a non-discretionary ‘Service charge’, paid in advance?

 

I’ll leave the gratuities but will try to avoid passing reception on the penultimate day and seeing the queues, just for the sake of my blood pressure

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Have to agree with all posts, including

I’ll leave the gratuities but will try to avoid passing reception on the penultimate day and seeing the queues, just for the sake of my blood pressure

 

Just because people are queuing doesn’t mean they’re all removing their service charge. I queue to book a disembarkation time and to obtain the almost final bill, so I can check it’s correct and what (if any) obc is remaining. I hear no end of questions, but not people removing tips.

 

Re the tip increase, I think this will push many more who have been wondering whether to continue with the current debarked and sour taste, to go it alone and tip independently. The Brits are in general, like the Aussies...

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I have received an email over night informing me that for our cruise in April the gratuities are to rise to £7 pppn. The effective date for the rise is 23rd March.

 

Obviously too many people are not paying so the rest of us have pay an additional 16.67%. I would love to receive a rise of 16.67% in my income.

 

While this is not a deal breaker I do think that P&O really do need to sort out this gratuity situation so that everyone pays not just those of us with a conscience.:(:(

 

 

 

Or those that pay the gratuities out of their on board credit

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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I am in Spain, staying here for a month, eating out, drinking at various bars, AND tipping accordingly. The staff work long hours and are never still. But in no way do we need to tip anything like £14 per day

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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I normally don't comment on tipping threads as my position on the subject is in my signature.

 

However

 

There will be a negative feedback loop here. As the daily rate increases the number of people not paying increases so the daily rate increases to compensate...etc...etc!

 

P&O Australia include tips in the fare so it is technically possible to do it here. They should implement it as soon as possible and put an end to all the arguments.

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What I don't agree with is changing the goalposts after people have booked a cruise knowing they would be paying x amount.

 

That is exactly the problem I have, Glenn. We pay the gratuities and frequently give extra too, but every year now for the last 4 years, P&O have increased the gratuities after a lot of people have booked in the first flush when the itineraries are announced, so they can secure the cruise/cabins they want. If they're going to increase the prices, announce it when the new brochures come out, so people know where they are and what they have to budget for from the start.

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That is exactly the problem I have, Glenn. We pay the gratuities and frequently give extra too, but every year now for the last 4 years, P&O have increased the gratuities after a lot of people have booked in the first flush when the itineraries are announced, so they can secure the cruise/cabins they want. If they're going to increase the prices, announce it when the new brochures come out, so people know where they are and what they have to budget for from the start.

 

Sums it up for me ;)

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Fred Olsen are now including them in the price, so guess what most of their pax will return to putting money in an envelope. It's awful not to give something personally. We will do what we normally do, but that's quite a sharp rise. I have had no email for our cruise in April.

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Fred Olsen are now including them in the price, so guess what most of their pax will return to putting money in an envelope. It's awful not to give something personally. We will do what we normally do, but that's quite a sharp rise. I have had no email for our cruise in April.

 

I have not seen anything about Fred doing that, interesting.

 

They have just raised their tip rate as well though - they are all at it, of course after the main sales have been made.

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Fred Olsen are now including them in the price, so guess what most of their pax will return to putting money in an envelope. It's awful not to give something personally. We will do what we normally do, but that's quite a sharp rise. I have had no email for our cruise in April.

 

 

Our cruise it at the end of May, not had an email as of yet.

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I am in Spain, staying here for a month, eating out, drinking at various bars, AND tipping accordingly. The staff work long hours and are never still. But in no way do we need to tip anything like £14 per day

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I would agree with you. Staff in hotels in Italy, Spain etc that we have stayed in are pleasant, work very hard and give great service and I would not tend to leave £14 per day either.

 

While we have always left the auto tips on I am beginning to get annoyed by these constant, well above inflation percentage rises.

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I have now tweeted P&O as this will get in the public domain and companies generally don't like bad press. As I say am happy to pay but not have an increase after booking.

 

If lots of people start to do the same then P&O might get the message for the future. Can but hope :D

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The only question I would ask is - Is this possibly a prelude to a grand announcement about “Listening to customer demand ...” and including gratuities in the base fare? Or, possibly, reducing the amount but making it a non-discretionary ‘Service charge’, paid in advance?

 

 

Every questionnaire from P&O seems to contain a question on whether you prefer ‘a holiday where you know in advance that your charges are included’ (sorry, can’t recall exact wording)

 

I had thought this might be the question/response they would use to introduce included gratuities but maybe not?

 

Personally, I think it would tie in beautifully with their promotion of all things British, the Union Jack on the ships, the Great British Sailaway, etc etc

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I don't disagree with anything being said on this thread and feel it is about time P&O either included tips in the fare or had a mandatory service charge that you cannot withdraw. Having said that however, we have to remember that it is still very reasonable in cruise terms. I have recently booked a Princess Cruise for next year and the mandatory service charge is $13.50 per day - almost £10 depending on the exchange rate. In addition, I will pay 15% on all bar a dining room drinks prices.

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That’s irritating, as it doesn’t seem that long ago that they went up to £6.50 pppn. If it is because so many people aren’t paying then this increase will surely be counter productive, as it will give even more people an excuse to opt out. I haven’t had any emails overnight and we have 5 future cruises with P&O booked, 4 of which are after this date.

 

At least this increase provides an excuse for yet another tedious thread on tipping, where the same people will make the same spurious excuses as to why they don’t pay them. I didn’t engage with the last one as I get so fed up reading the same circular arguments where some people repeatedly quote complete inaccuracies as though they are fact. But I realise that I have failed already on this one..!!

 

P&O gratuities have never been £6-50pppn they are currently £6pppn and will increase to £7pppn for cruises after 23rd March.

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Happens every year (well at least since I started cruising in 2015)

For the staff it won’t be a 16% increase, that £7 has to be shared between 3, 4 or more people. Not forgetting that if somebody marks the cabin steward less than excellent he might not get his share.

System definitely needs addressing but sadly seems p&o aren’t listening.

I hope that the staff do receive 16.67% increase in their share of the gratuities if the full amount if the increase is not shared amongst the staff then P&O are going against what they have always,said in the past.

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