Gratuity confusion ??

[hat776]

This is my first day on the Celebrity forum - we will be on the Eclipse.

I see that the tipping problem appears on ALL forums - it seems there is no solution that pleases everyone.

I read =

the waiter gets a bigger portion of the auto tipping than the maitre de

does

the buffet staff are included in the pool

on some lines a steward is allocated a certain number of cabins. He/she then 'hires' a trainee to help him out and shares tips

if you pay the auto tip and then give cash to some crew they can keep it However, if you will have removed the auto tip they have to give the cash to the pool. Apparently none of them would risk keeping the cash as the penalty is quite high

many of the crew prefer a complimentary report than a cash tip as this gives them a better chance of renewal of contract and perks

[emptynest1]

I agree... That "nothing says thank you like cold hard cash... no sharing..." may serve the sensibilities of the passenger... but crew compensation - 'gratuity', 'tipping' - whatever you want to call it - ISN'T ABOUT THE PASSENGER.

 

Removing auto tip and giving cash imposes various procedural obligations on the crewman that one professes to favor (making him work additionally behind the scenes because of your 'generosity') and 'no sharing'! Ha!! Every major cruise line has tip pooling and distribution protocols. Once again, the passenger that thinks a crewman will go along with 'no sharing' is simply nurturing a stilted personal (misplaced) world view. Crewman that violate tip pooling protocols end up without a job or icing a black eye from co-workers! Secrets of this nature can't be kept in the dense environment of crew quarters. Even inviting this sort of bad kharma on a crewman is pretty weird.

 

Of course, the cruise lines allow passengers to opt out so suit yourself... Just remember, you are suiting yourself - not the crewman.

 

BTW - I was always led to believe that specialty restaurant surcharges included the gratuity and were disbursed largely as crew gratuity...

 

So you are telling me that if I give a cash gratuity to those I feel did a better job I run the risk of their bodily injury by my generosity or loss of their job.

Please, don't insult the staff with that kind of generalization. These are hard working, intelligent people not street thugs. They can make the choice on their own what to do with a tip.

 

Now, back on the topic of specialty tips. We dined in Silk Harvest and when the check was brought to us the waiter explained that since we were in a suite they wouldn't get a tip. I had to set him straight that first of all, that evening had been booked on line and paid a month earlier. (BTW If I did or did not tip extra, that is between me and the staff.)

Now to my thoughts on the suite perk. I believe the cost of the specialty dining perk is incorporated into the price so if you desires to tip extra, that is your choice, but the staff should be compensated by the ship.

[FinelyCruising]

So you are telling me that if I give a cash gratuity to those I feel did a better job I run the risk of their bodily injury by my generosity or loss of their job.

Please, don't insult the staff with that kind of generalization. These are hard working, intelligent people not street thugs. They can make the choice on their own what to do with a tip.

 

Now, back on the topic of specialty tips. We dined in Silk Harvest and when the check was brought to us the waiter explained that since we were in a suite they wouldn't get a tip. I had to set him straight that first of all, that evening had been booked on line and paid a month earlier. (BTW If I did or did not tip extra, that is between me and the staff.)

Now to my thoughts on the suite perk. I believe the cost of the specialty dining perk is incorporated into the price so if you desires to tip extra, that is your choice, but the staff should be compensated by the ship.

 

Based on what you are saying, you did not accept your perk evening in Silk Harvest then? I mean set him straight sounds kind of harsh for some potentially legitimate confusion. Suite guests are eligible for perk in Specialty, I take it from what you are saying that you did not select Silk Harvest as the venue for your dining perk. It is understood that when the perk is accepted, a gratuity is not included.

[emptynest1]

I booked SH and paid for it in advance. If there was confusion then it came on their end. Or, maybe they were just looking for more tip???? I will not comment on what I tip, that is between me and the server.

 

My choice of words left you assuming that I was harsh when I set the record straight. Shame, shame, you know the old saying ...

[FinelyCruising]

Well it sounds like you are the one assuming that the staff thought you were gypping them once they made their comment! Believe me I have no care what you tip or don't tip. My point was if anyone takes this suite perk there is a gratuity that is not part of the perk. You may have booked in in advance, and had it credited back if you accepted it as a suite perk, that is not what you have clarified.

 

Note this is general discussion for others who may be learning more about suite perks in Specialty and some conditions if you will that are not part of the perk, so its really not about you directly or in particular.

[emptynest1]

As to suite perks, I believe that the price of the dinner is incorporated into the price of the suite. This is a business and Celebrity doesn't just give away 2 specialty dinners (per person/per cabin) on a 10 night cruise. How they share that with the staff would be another question.

 

We did use our suite perks at Tuscan Grill, and adding in the cost of wine and whatever we did or did not tip, it was not a "free" evening.

I did not credit back the SH dinner, it was paid for in advance. I did not assume they thought I was gypping them either, you made the assumption that I was being harsh.

 

Actually, if you look at my original post I stated they said they would not get a tip since it was a suite perk. I am saying that they should get a tip in either case since I believe that it had been paid for in the price of the suite.

[Lsimon]

On the subject of Auto-tips vs. "cold hard cash"

 

We asked the staff about this on our first cruise after the auto-tips were put into place last year. They all thought the auto tips were just great. Apparently while some cheapskates still have their tips removed and short change them, for the most port it has increased the percentage of the guests who pay tips. In the past there were a lot of guests who would stiff them completely or leave a tip far below the recommended amounts.

 

Bottom line: they are not at all unhappy about the current system - to the contrary they like it a lot.

 

I don't know one way or the other about pooling or shared tips but if it does exist it is always a two way street. Many waiters and cabin attendants got started in lower, less direct, posiitions and they all get rotated in and out of the less desirable postions and locations on a regular basis.

[Johnthed0g]

When we went on our =X= cruise, Connie, we asked the room steward what he wanted us to do & was he happy with the auto-tip...he said he was & that they got the money. We were concerned that like some restaurants, if it goes on the bill they never see it so we give cash.

[FinelyCruising]

I did not assume they thought I was gypping them either, you made the assumption that I was being harsh.

 

Actually, if you look at my original post I stated they said they would not get a tip since it was a suite perk. I am saying that they should get a tip in either case since I believe that it had been paid for in the price of the suite.

 

 

Yes, it sound harsh to me, even re-reading a few times it still does. It might have been augmented with the comments about when the waiter brought the check and the 'I had to straigten him out, first of all...

 

Silly me, I can almost visualize hearing a tone too:D

 

In any event, there are things people need to know about suite perks and specialty, and your experience helps others understand since its a fairly new perk. Now don't you feel so much better about sharing? :)

[emptynest1]

I am curious. Anyone on this board a bean counter for Celebrity???

 

I am sure in the accounting department they must tract tips, amounts and who stiffs the staff. I would like to know what percentage of "cheapskates" stiffs the staff.

 

There is always much discussion about the bad people who under tip or don't tip at all. How often does this really happen, anyone know for sure?

[emptynest1]

Yes, it sound harsh to me, even re-reading a few times it still does. It might have been augmented with the comments about when the waiter brought the check and the 'I had to straigten him out, first of all...

 

Silly me, I can almost visualize hearing a tone too:D

 

In any event, there are things people need to know about suite perks and specialty, and your experience helps others understand since its a fairly new perk. Now don't you feel so much better about sharing? :)

 

I'm so warm and fuzzy, I almost can't stand myself.:eek:

 

You are a very experienced cruiser, can you answer the question I posted above?

[FinelyCruising]

A few weeks ago there was a poster who had some solid details on that topic. I'd have to search, I can't remember who it was.

[greenp]

I think the idea of gratuities has lost it way with cruise lines. My understanding of giving someone a tip was to reward and encourage outstanding service, service over and above what would normally expected. To make tipping automatic surly removes this incentive.

[Lsimon]

I think the idea of gratuities has lost it way with cruise lines. My understanding of giving someone a tip was to reward and encourage outstanding service, service over and above what would normally expected. To make tipping automatic surly removes this incentive.

 

Hard to say. On the one hand it sure makes sense. They should just call the gratuities a service charge and/or make it part of the cruise cost. OTOH, service doesn't seem to have dropped at all. To the contrary the staff seems very happy. I think the level of compensation overall has more to do with it than how it gets there. Of course the staff also enjoy a friendly appreciative attitude from the guests and return it with great service.

[FinelyCruising]

I think the idea of gratuities has lost it way with cruise lines. My understanding of giving someone a tip was to reward and encourage outstanding service, service over and above what would normally expected. To make tipping automatic surly removes this incentive.

 

But it works so well on other lines.;)

[i guide the sky]

I think the idea of gratuities has lost it way with cruise lines. My understanding of giving someone a tip was to reward and encourage outstanding service, service over and above what would normally expected. To make tipping automatic surly removes this incentive.

 

Yes, IMO, it certainly does! The best and hardest workers I have ever experienced was on HAL during the days of No Tipping Required. I dont know what HAL tipped their personal to get this response of had work it was either really good so people wanted to work for the line or it was really low and they wanted to work as hard aas possible for that little extra, I'm guessing it was the later. Al I know is that we tipped probably more on the HAL No tipping policy than we do today, over and above the auto tip. They really really earned the tips they got on the old HAL policy.

[hat776]

emptynest1 - I don't know anything officially of course. However on our last cruise on MSC there was still the possibility of removing the auto gratuity. Some people we met did so and said they felt eur 20 for the waiter and eur 20 for the steward was sufficient.