New Tipping Policy Ventura

[Max011]

Can anyone please advise me on the tipping policy aboard Ventura.:confused:

 

We like to reward good service, but are also keen that our tips go to the right person and not in a "communal tipping pot",:rolleyes:

 

In the new P&O brochure, it says there is compulsory tipping. Whilst not expensive, we really like to decide such things ourselves.

 

Any help will be appreciated.

 

We are sailing in late September to the Canaries. Can't wait.:)

[DaveA]

Which brochure have you got? The 2010 brochure that I got a couple of weeks ago says tipping is discretionary, except for £1.60 per day for restaurant staff if you opt for Freedom dining.

 

Dave

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Yes, if you are on Freedom dining, as you will have different waiters each night, they automatically add £1.60 pp per day to your on board account. The rest of the tips are at your discretion, page 32, 2010/2011 latest brochure. Details of how much to tip and who, will normally be found in your cabin, but the recommended amount is £1.50 per day cabin steward, and £1.60 per day for the silver service waiters, pp aged 12 or over. Given out at end of cruise.:)

[Thejuggler]

The only compulsory tipping on P&O is for those on Freedom Dining, but even these can be removed from your account if you want to tip staff directly.

[tightwad]

I have just returned from Ventura last week and this is how it worked for me , if you are on freedom dining as we were then they add £22.50 to your account straight away on day one of your cruise and another £22.50 onto the wifes account therefore they have charged you a total of £45 per couple for auto gratuities even before you have unpacked your cases .Dont get me wrong i am not greedy despite my name and i tip well for good service but this automatic tipping system seems more like subsidising P&O wages to me . On our cruise i talked to several people who had this auto gratuities removed from their account , including myself , it is easy to do i just phoned the reception from my cabin and it was reimbursed to my account instantly with no questions asked . My cabin steward on our cruise was wonderful and nothing was to much trouble for him, he bent over backwards to assist us in any way ,he was always very pleasant and cheerie and he deserved a good tip and he got one as did another couple of staff during the cruise who went out of their way to provide good service .This auto tipping policy can stick in the throats of quite a few peopl ebut it is my only complaint about the company as the cruise and the ship were both wonderful and i would not hesitate to use P%O again , enjoy your cruise.

[Beckyfaye-2008]

Although they may add it to your on board account at the start of your cruise, you do not pay your on board account until the end of your cruise, so its just a paper transaction.

If you withdraw it how do you tip the waiters, as the chances are with Freedom dining, you have a different waiter each night. Although from what you have said it appears, you did not tip the waiters, I may be wrong.

We had freedom dining on both Ventura and Oceana, could not be bothered with getting it taken off, we were going to pay it anyway.

On Ventura being our first cruise, we were lucky and on that cruise had the same table for two mosts nights, with the same waiters, so although we had auto tipping, we also gave them extra at the end of the cruise.

On Oceana we had a different table of eight each night, so just left the auto tip in place.

Obviously cabin stewards were tipped at the end of the cruise as usual, on both ships.:):cool:

[LibraLass41]

I was going to ask that too? As you were on freedom dining and had different waiters every night did you tip all of them or none of them?

[tring]

We had the auto tips for freedom dining on Oceana removed at Christmas because the service was exceptionally bad on many evenings. We later re-instated half the amount as some staff were OK and it was a shame to penalise them.

 

It is a difficult situation on freedom dining and I think the auto tipping is a very good way of solving the issue in most circumstances. We tipped the Cafe Jardin staff well as we ate there much of the time and the staff were excellent.

[KenAndJulie]

I have no idea if P&O operate a 'pool' system for tips ... however such a system makes sense to ensure that all those behind the scenes working in the laundry, in the kitchens etc. also get their fair share for their efforts.

 

There is more to the service than just your cabin steward or waiters .. they are only the front men/women for a much larger team.

[cruisebore]

Given that many Brits find tipping at the cruise ship rate 'challenging'. Would it not be better to include it in the price. Quite a few years ago we took a couple of Thomson cruises were tips were included. This did not stop a large number tipping personally, but at a rate they were more comfortable with.

Our recent $300+ Princess tip brought tears to my eyes, particularly at a $1.50 exchange rate.

 

Cb

[daiB]

I have no idea if P&O operate a 'pool' system for tips ... however such a system makes sense to ensure that all those behind the scenes working in the laundry, in the kitchens etc. also get their fair share for their efforts.

 

There is more to the service than just your cabin steward or waiters .. they are only the front men/women for a much larger team.

 

This pooling is only for those on freedom dining. This is the confusion.

 

Unless you are going to tip each waiter every night, they are going to miss out. That is if you remove the auto tip.

 

This is one reason why I do not like freedom dining, and I am sure why the waiters do not like it either.

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

 

 

Dai

[KenAndJulie]

This pooling is only for those on freedom dining. This is the confusion.

 

Unless you are going to tip each waiter every night, they are going to miss out. That is if you remove the auto tip.

 

This is one reason why I do not like freedom dining, and I am sure why the waiters do not like it either.

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

:cool:

 

Dai

Dai, I have heard various stories about pooling etc based on different lines and accept that each line may be different however I have to assume that P&O must operate some sort of pooling to ensure those that we do not get to see also get rewarded.

 

(This bit is hearsay only) Some postings indicate that waiters/stewards are expected to hand in the basic tips that they receive ... if they receive less than the basic then this is seen as a 'poor' comment against them (and may result in demotion) . Anything above this 'basic' they get to keep themselves. Once all tips are in some formula is applied that then gives a proportion back to the original recipient of the tip but also gives some to those behind the scenes. Again I repeat this is only hearsay and each line may be different.

[daiB]

Dai, I have heard various stories about pooling etc based on different lines and accept that each line may be different however I have to assume that P&O must operate some sort of pooling to ensure those that we do not get to see also get rewarded.

 

(This bit is hearsay only) Some postings indicate that waiters/stewards are expected to hand in the basic tips that they receive ... if they receive less than the basic then this is seen as a 'poor' comment against them (and may result in demotion) . Anything above this 'basic' they get to keep themselves. Once all tips are in some formula is applied that then gives a proportion back to the original recipient of the tip but also gives some to those behind the scenes. Again I repeat this is only hearsay and each line may be different.

 

K&J

 

Never heard that in relation to P&O, not in all the time I have used this and the other boards.

 

The pooling on P&O only happens in the 3 freedom dining restaurants as I said before. It is noticeable that the recommended tipping amounts, are less on P&O, than other lines. Quite considerably lower in some cases.

 

It is a very delicate subject.

 

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[lostinvegas]

I have just returned from a cruise on Celebrity where you pre pay tips and I can honestly say the service was not a patch on P&O in all areas of the ship. Our waiter at dinner was outstanding but I think we got lucky as he seamed exceptional compared to the others.

 

I would much rather they put the price of the cruise up and raised the staffs basic pay, then if you tip after that it means something rather than it just being another income for the cruise line.

 

How do we as customers know that with pool tipping the whole amount goes to the staff and that the cruise line don't take a %.

 

I am a fan of handing CASH to the person you want to tip, if necessary on freedom dinning do what you do in any other restaurant in a hotel or at home and tip your waiter at the end of the meal.

 

This is one part of cruising which does make me uncomfortable.

 

Chris