Royal Caribbean to Raise Recommended Gratuities by About 19 Percent

[LauraS]

Check out the latest UK News from Cruise Critic:

 

Royal Caribbean to Raise Recommended Gratuities by About 19 Percent

 

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[davenew]

Check out the latest UK News from Cruise Critic:

 

Royal Caribbean to Raise Recommended Gratuities by About 19 Percent

 

Continue reading for more details

 

More...

 

Good, but having read many threads on here, they know the Europeans wont pay them. Well, thats what they say!!! :D

[sooty10]

Here we go again about our European tipping rates. When we go out for a meal here in the UK we normally give a 10% tip. If the restaurant imposes a service charge it will be for 10%. Also when we go on a Uk based cruise with P&O they recommend £3.50 per person per day to include all the tips. That is one reason us Europeans find it hard to accept RCCI recommending above double that amount.

Please don't say that if you only expect to tip the european average then go on a european based cruise line, as more and more USA based ships are positioning themselves in European waters. One can only think that even if the average European tips less than the amount they ask, they are still happy to sail from here.

 

Sooty

[jocap]

Former crew...liked your response.

Part of the trouble is that many people don't know which ships are American....when NCL Jade sailed from Southampton, there were many grumbles about a Norwegian line using dollars, and charging gratuities and tips....

I'm glad to hear that some British managed ships pay a better rate....would you say that it's true for Fred O and Thomson?

Jo.

[Britboys]

This will definitely not go down well in the UK - but perhaps RCI will amend it for UK-based departures? As has been said above, tipping in the UK is 10% as a norm and 12.5 occasionally with the absolute top establishments maybe going to 15%. But in cruising terms, those top establishments would equate to the 6-star cuise lines.

[jocap]

This will definitely not go down well in the UK - but perhaps RCI will amend it for UK-based departures? As has been said above, tipping in the UK is 10% as a norm and 12.5 occasionally with the absolute top establishments maybe going to 15%. But in cruising terms, those top establishments would equate to the 6-star cuise lines.

I think Robin Shaw worked hard to remove the 15% from Indie's drinks when sailing from the UK....but hasn't he moved on now?

Jo.

[commodoredave]

To Sooty:

 

The cruise line doesn't care about tips. They do not pay a living wage to their crew, the passengers do.

 

They fly under flags of convenience (LIBERIA?) to avoid treating the crew with the basic standard of living you and I expect in America or the UK.

 

When you ignore the tipping guidelines on an American Company's ships you don't hurt the cruise line at all.

 

P&O pays their waiters and cabin stewards much more, that is why tipping guideline is less. If you ate at the 21 club in Manhattan and tipped 10% they would have a fit because they expect 15% for average service and their service is never average. That is why you research the tipping guidelines before you eat at the 21 club. And before you board an American ship.

 

I agree with you. However, how can we find a way to bring some consistency to both cruise pricing and tipping around the world? Europeans often pay more for their cruise than we in NA, so they may assume that tipping is included in their fare (it is not on American lines except for the luxury ships).

[Elizanessie]

I think Robin Shaw worked hard to remove the 15% from Indie's drinks when sailing from the UK....but hasn't he moved on now?

Jo.

 

Sadly Robin has left RCCL UK...actually he is out of the cruise business completely I believe now. Shame about that ..we used to have some great discussions...I would talk and he would run :eek:...nah only joking, he was very good at his job.

[jocap]

Sadly Robin has left RCCL UK...actually he is out of the cruise business completely I believe now. Shame about that ..we used to have some great discussions...I would talk and he would run :eek:...nah only joking, he was very good at his job.

That's a shame....he seemed to be one of the few from US lines who had a finger on the pulse of the UK/Irish pax.

Jo.

[SwissDave]

US Cruise Companies with ships based in Europe, are not American cruises, they are European cruises with mainly Europeans aboard. We shouldn't expect every single person in Europe to adopt American practices in tipping just because the Cruise holding company is American. With that said it is clear that tipping is expected and is the 'norm' for virtually all the cruise lines.

 

Princess ships based in Australia do not now have tips added, instead it is included in the fare, which now is much higher - and I'm sure you have all seen the threads from AUS based people about how high the fares are.

 

However, will an extra $3 per day in tips make a lot difference to people when they choose their cruise? it's not gone up for many years so allowing for inflation people have actually been paying a lot less over the years.

 

Just wait for the fuel surcharges to kick in...then we'll see everything kick off!!!!

 

(yes, I leave the tips on..)