Can I remove the mandatory on board gratuity charge?

[springfire]

I always remove the autotip. I do this on my first day on the ship. I prefer to tip after I receive my service, not before.

[rmartin1286]

Why are people so obsessed with the tipping? Honestly, if I receive bad service on a cruise, I am going to take the tip off. If I receive good service, and I always have, then I'll leave the tip on the account.

I don't see why everyone gets so riled up about it...I think it's a completely personal choice as to whether someone wants to tip or not. Everyone should chill and remember that it's a cruise, let's take it easy and not sweat the small stuff!

[MrPete]

Why are people so obsessed with the tipping? Honestly, if I receive bad service on a cruise, I am going to take the tip off. If I receive good service, and I always have, then I'll leave the tip on the account.

I don't see why everyone gets so riled up about it...I think it's a completely personal choice as to whether someone wants to tip or not. Everyone should chill and remember that it's a cruise, let's take it easy and not sweat the small stuff!

 

I wonder what people would do if given a choice? After all, these people are hired to serve you.

 

- You can either serve yourself for all your meals, and clean your own room.

 

OR,

 

- for $10 a day, we will provide you with someone to serve you three meals a day, and service your room two times a day.

[parrotthead]

OK>>>> I am asking again...

I thought that the "anytime dining" required prepayment of tips non removable??

 

 

I dont know if you 'cant remove them' but I do know that they must be prepaid to do MTD.

[Kurbanfan]

I dont know if you 'cant remove them' but I do know that they must be prepaid to do MTD.

 

We didn't prepay ours on Carnival.......only on RCCL was it required.

[parrotthead]

What you neglect to mention is that often the living conditions onboard are far better than the living conditions in the countries from where the staff are from. These people are not well to do in their country which is why they choose these types of jobs.

This is true.

Hey, *I* would Love to work on a ship. (if I was younger and skinnier ;) :p -I havent seen many middle aged chubby women working on the ships.)

I know they work hard, but I can say theyre view on whatever time they have 'off' is better then the one from my cubicule.

;)

[Vanessa L]

I wonder what people would do if given a choice? After all, these people are hired to serve you.

 

- You can either serve yourself for all your meals, and clean your own room.

 

OR,

 

- for $10 a day, we will provide you with someone to serve you three meals a day, and service your room two times a day.

 

I think that the problem with this thought process is that cruises have been marketed as a sort-of "all-inclusive" that people don't realize that in fact, when your cruise cost $2000 that you have to tack on another $140 (for a week cruise). I am amazed (just reading this board, and we know this is only 2-3% of the cruising population) how many people literally live down to the wire. They budget the $2000 for the cruise but leave to go on vacation with credit cards maxed out. I just do not understand how people live like that. I suspect most people who remove the tips do so for that reason, they simply don't have the extra $$ to pay. If someone says they remove tips and then "tip each person individually", if in fact you CAN afford the tips (which as so many have pointed out here, go to people you never come in direct contact with, but on whom rely the payout of the autotips as part of their salary), why not just leave the autotips in place and then tip EXTRA to the people you feel are giving you extra service? You cannot compare US busboys to cruiseship busboys because US busboys often make minimum wage and are not included in the tip base, like they are on ships. To those of you who "claim" to remove tips because you want to tip individually, just so you know, there is not one person on the earth who believes that lie that you keep telling yourself is ok to rationalize your cheapness to your conscience. The truth is crystal clear, whether you realize it, care, or not.

 

I think this is further complicated because land based AIs have the tips included in the price so for your $2000 you COULD leave the country and never spend another cent while gone at a land based AI (given that all drinks, food, tips, etc is included).

 

Perhaps Carnival and other cruise lines could "dumb down" their marketing to ensure that everyone knows that, that $299pp "awesome price this week only" is NOT the bottom line price. There ARE extras. Or if they are going to pay their employees in such a way that the tips are part of their salary then they should factor that into the price of the cruise and make it all inclusive (well, except for that alcohol thing) for real. This would prevent folks like I spoke of above from stiffing the staff simply because their credit cards are maxed out.

[Kurbanfan]

Perhaps Carnival and other cruise lines could "dumb down" their marketing to ensure that everyone knows that, that $299pp "awesome price this week only" is NOT the bottom line price. There ARE extras. Or if they are going to pay their employees in such a way that the tips are part of their salary then they should factor that into the price of the cruise and make it all inclusive (well, except for that alcohol thing) for real. This would prevent folks like I spoke of above from stiffing the staff simply because their credit cards are maxed out.

 

Perhaps Carnival is doing what is working the best.......auto tips;)

It seems everyone has the right answers except for the person who really is running the show......

[springfire]

I wonder what people would do if given a choice? After all, these people are hired to serve you.

 

- You can either serve yourself for all your meals, and clean your own room.

 

OR,

 

- for $10 a day, we will provide you with someone to serve you three meals a day, and service your room two times a day.

 

OR,

 

I can still have someone serve my meals three times a day, service my room twice a day and still have auto tips removed.

 

Just tip after you receive the service.

[Ashpalo]

OR,

 

I can still have someone serve my meals three times a day, service my room twice a day and still have auto tips removed.

 

Just tip after you receive the service.

 

 

For breakfast and lunch (and anytime dining), you will have a different server each time. So - will you be carrying cash around with you and physically tip each person that serves you? Out of curiosity, how much? And - if you added it all up, wouldn't it come to more than $10/day. It seems a heck of a lot easier to just leave the $10 on.

 

JMHO,

 

Ashley :)

[MrPete]

I think that the problem with this thought process is that cruises have been marketed as a sort-of "all-inclusive"

 

Sorry. Never thought that even on my first cruise back in the 80's They clearly indicated what WAS included (the LONG list), and what WASN'T included). And this basically mirrored exactly what I got at a Catskill type resort.

 

And INCLUDED was airfare. "If you didn't need airfare, deduct X dollars from your fare."

 

If memory serves (without having to go down to the basement for an 80's brochure), Port, beverages, tips, tax, and things of a personal nature were all listed as extras.

[MrPete]

OR,

 

I can still have someone serve my meals three times a day, service my room twice a day and still have auto tips removed.

 

Just tip after you receive the service.

 

Each service? If so, how much would you leave at each meal?

[dan40]

I think that the problem with this thought process is that cruises have been marketed as a sort-of "all-inclusive" that people don't realize that in fact, when your cruise cost $2000 that you have to tack on another $140 (for a week cruise). I am amazed (just reading this board, and we know this is only 2-3% of the cruising population) how many people literally live down to the wire. They budget the $2000 for the cruise but leave to go on vacation with credit cards maxed out. I just do not understand how people live like that. I suspect most people who remove the tips do so for that reason, they simply don't have the extra $$ to pay. If someone says they remove tips and then "tip each person individually", if in fact you CAN afford the tips (which as so many have pointed out here, go to people you never come in direct contact with, but on whom rely the payout of the autotips as part of their salary), why not just leave the autotips in place and then tip EXTRA to the people you feel are giving you extra service? You cannot compare US busboys to cruiseship busboys because US busboys often make minimum wage and are not included in the tip base, like they are on ships. To those of you who "claim" to remove tips because you want to tip individually, just so you know, there is not one person on the earth who believes that lie that you keep telling yourself is ok to rationalize your cheapness to your conscience. The truth is crystal clear, whether you realize it, care, or not.

 

I think this is further complicated because land based AIs have the tips included in the price so for your $2000 you COULD leave the country and never spend another cent while gone at a land based AI (given that all drinks, food, tips, etc is included).

 

Perhaps Carnival and other cruise lines could "dumb down" their marketing to ensure that everyone knows that, that $299pp "awesome price this week only" is NOT the bottom line price. There ARE extras. Or if they are going to pay their employees in such a way that the tips are part of their salary then they should factor that into the price of the cruise and make it all inclusive (well, except for that alcohol thing) for real. This would prevent folks like I spoke of above from stiffing the staff simply because their credit cards are maxed out.

 

Perhaps I'm a smart shopper, but for whatever reason, the first time I cruised I KNEW it was not all inclusive. There was no internet then, no Cruise Critic, no consumer ombudsman, there was the information the cruise line gave us and that was it. But I knew that tips were extra, drinks were extra, transportation was extra, port charges were extra, and taxes were extra, and that was more than 40 years ago. Never have I seen an add that claimed a low price was an all inclusive cruise. I do see adds here in Fl. that advertise that the fare, fees, taxes, tips and transportation to the port are all included. But there is no low, "come-on" price. TA's run deals here where they provide a bus that starts hundreds of miles from the port and picks up people at each town and ferries them to the ship and back home afterward. But I cannot imagine ANYONE thinking they are not paying more for that convenience. The adds make it perfectly clear IF one pays attention to what they are doing.

[chickie_mite]

.....and I'm guessing that you ultimately stiffed some of the people that privided you service that you don't see or don't think of. I don't think a $5 tip to a server (oh my!) makes up for a whole lot.

 

So be it. :rolleyes:

[Fairhope]

With this being such an obvious problem for so many years it's amazing that there aren't revolts on board from the staff...

[Kurbanfan]

With this being such an obvious problem for so many years it's amazing that there aren't revolts on board from the staff...

 

If and when it becomes a problem, it will be changed........

[Fairhope]

If and when it becomes a problem, it will be changed........

:d :d :D

[Kurbanfan]

:d :d :D

 

:d :d

[parrotthead]

I wonder what people would do if given a choice? After all, these people are hired to serve you.

 

- You can either serve yourself for all your meals, and clean your own room.

 

OR,

 

- for $10 a day, we will provide you with someone to serve you three meals a day, and service your room two times a day.

where's the "Like" or "Thumbs Up" Button??!

MrPete, I agree...

and BTW,I choose the measley $10 a day!!:D

[parrotthead]

We didn't prepay ours on Carnival.......only on RCCL was it required.

ahhh.

I thought it said that on the website...

Thanks Kurbanfan, now I *gotta* go look to see where I read that...

:p

[dan40]

I wonder what people would do if given a choice? After all, these people are hired to serve you.

 

- You can either serve yourself for all your meals, and clean your own room.

 

OR,

 

- for $10 a day, we will provide you with someone to serve you three meals a day, and service your room two times a day.

 

You know what they would do. It is why auto-tipping came to be.

 

People would enjoy the service all week and then skip the last nights dinner in order NOT to tip. The cruise lines have been there, done that.

[MrPete]

You know what they would do. It is why auto-tipping came to be.

 

People would enjoy the service all week and then skip the last nights dinner in order NOT to tip. The cruise lines have been there, done that.

 

YUP>

 

All because of alternative dining.

 

They (Carnival) were kind of smart initially, as they never had alternative dining open that last night, so that if you wanted to stiff, you also had to starve. Except for those bold enough to eat in the MDR, and walk out.

 

I also remember there used to be ONLY one exit open, where the MD would stand to get his.

 

But I still remember my first cruise AFTER alternative dining was open ON tip night. Half the DR room was empty! Within a year, auto tip started.

[startpacking]

So because they are from poor countries it is okay to take tips away?

 

Of course not. I never responded about tipping dos and don'ts I was making a comment about the staff and their work oppourtunites/working conditions. What I am trying to say is that these cruise ship jobs give the staff work oppourtunities that do not exist in the countries where they are from. General living and working conditions in some of these countries are dismal, I've visited some of these places and believe me I couldn't possibly live in those conditons. Life onboard a cruise ship does have it's difficulties for the staff, but jobwise, money wise and the general living conditions are far superior to how these people would live back home.

[blindrid]

Yes, it makes total sense!

 

I guess DH and I are just "old school." I don't like giving donations to charities because I am skeptical about whether my donation makes it to those who need it, rather than to "administrative" costs; the same holds true for tipping (either when cruising or at a resort)---if I give it directly to them, I know they get it.

 

BUT---I DO realize that many people who remove the tips don't provide any gratuities, so I understand why it's an issue.

 

I don't understand those that "don't make it to those who need it". I'm not sure on Carnival but employees with other lines have told me that cash goes into the tip pool and then split. In this case, it still doesn't go to "those that need it".

 

I don't believe the skepticism that people show, regardless of what excuse, oh excuse me, "I'm old school".

[Vanessa L]

Perhaps I'm a smart shopper, but for whatever reason, the first time I cruised I KNEW it was not all inclusive. There was no internet then, no Cruise Critic, no consumer ombudsman, there was the information the cruise line gave us and that was it. But I knew that tips were extra, drinks were extra, transportation was extra, port charges were extra, and taxes were extra, and that was more than 40 years ago. Never have I seen an add that claimed a low price was an all inclusive cruise. I do see adds here in Fl. that advertise that the fare, fees, taxes, tips and transportation to the port are all included. But there is no low, "come-on" price. TA's run deals here where they provide a bus that starts hundreds of miles from the port and picks up people at each town and ferries them to the ship and back home afterward. But I cannot imagine ANYONE thinking they are not paying more for that convenience. The adds make it perfectly clear IF one pays attention to what they are doing.

 

I would think that too, Dan. But based simply on the number of "What's not included?" posts here from newbies (and if this is only 2-3% of the cruising population, I can imagine that many more that are clueless running around out there without doing any research), the cruiselines are not doing a very good job of 'splainin' what is NOT included. I don't peruse the other boards (RCI, NCL, etc.,) but I would imagine they get similar posts as well. I know I have read posts on this board from people who were amazed to learn of the "extra costs" of cruising. I think sometimes we take it for granted.