RCCL raising tipping "guidelines"

[2Zornot2Z]

they should pay their employees more instead of telling us to do it!!!!!!

quote

[2Zornot2Z]

tell them you won't need their services. problem solved.

 

no problem

[Webecruzen]

I agree with LHP, call it a service charge and have it paid in advance. I too have seen long lines at guest services removing tips on the last night. 3 and 4 day cruises are the worst! I don't know how people can remove payment fo a service they have received. If people don't want to "tip" that's fine charge a "service fee" that is non-refundable. It is hard to believe the fuel surcharge has not been reinstated with the price of oil.

[zqvol]

I pay the cabin steward 3.50 per day (7.00 if you count my other half)

 

that is not a lot of money when you consider what they do.

 

But when you consider he cleans 15 cabins -double occupancy that is a lot of money----BUT not every one tips.

 

No even considering 15 cabins it is not a lot of money. In fact it is about half what they are worth.

[H82seaUgo]

I agree with LHP, call it a service charge and have it paid in advance. I too have seen long lines at guest services removing tips on the last night. 3 and 4 day cruises are the worst! I don't know how people can remove payment fo a service they have received. If people don't want to "tip" that's fine charge a "service fee" that is non-refundable. It is hard to believe the fuel surcharge has not been reinstated with the price of oil.

 

that's like saying restaurants should raise their prices and get rid of the tipping industry.

 

and then you are taxed on it as well.

[5waldos]

No even considering 15 cabins it is not a lot of money. In fact it is about half what they are worth.

 

I am curious on what you are basing this. Why is is half of what they are worth? Why not 1/3 or 2/5s?

 

For what it is worth, many of the other jobs that might be available for these people pay $100-$200 a month, also away from home, usually for at least a year. No tips- that is the wage they are paid. Poor living situation- in fact often nasty. Long long hours at more physically challenging work. Of course, at home they might make $50 for the month. And yes, I have personal experience with this- this is not something I picked up off the internet someplace.

[flalady29]

Exactly. Also no one forces them to work for Carnival. RCL is only raising tips

to attract more workers to work on their malls!

 

You are right when stating no one forces people to work for any cruise line but just like a server in a resturant they provide a service and make a very low wage and the tips are part of there wage and that is not there fault just how the industry is...... so I am just wondering when you or anyone else who doesn't want to pay tips do you not pay tips to your server when you go out to dinner?

 

Nobody forces anyone to work the job they work,but everybody needs a job and we the employees do not make the decisions on pay or we would all be making good money :-) I personally do pay the suggested price and then some if they do really good they are worth it. If people want to adjust it then thats up to them but I don't think anyone should be able to not pay the room stewards or servers nothing.

 

LPH here in Kissimme/Orlando FL. the automoatic grat.is applied for a party of 6 or more :-)

[samikitty]

but just try to figure out how much more you will pay when they just attach a 15% service charge to your fare. you'll see how well you were making out.

 

My upcoming cruise, the fare is $629pp (not including taxes) for 8 days. 15% would be $95, autotip will be $80. So yes, I will make out well. But, I have been on many 7-day cruises where the fare is in the $400pp range - so not quite sure how well your equation really works out.

 

It's a service charge, call it a service charge. Even within CCL Corporate it is called a service charge (Costa is an example). I'm not against it, I just think we should call a pig a pig.

[H82seaUgo]

My upcoming cruise, the fare is $629pp (not including taxes) for 8 days. 15% would be $95, autotip will be $80. So yes, I will make out well. But, I have been on many 7-day cruises where the fare is in the $400pp range - so not quite sure how well your equation really works out.

 

It's a service charge, call it a service charge. Even within CCL Corporate it is called a service charge (Costa is an example). I'm not against it, I just think we should call a pig a pig.

 

if you want to sail on a cheap cruise in a crap room just to save money on your tip, go for it! :rolleyes: the 15% was an example, btw.

 

oink.

[Sargent_Schultz]

I hear people asking for a raise in their pay every year.

 

A raise? What's that? Only if I help myself to more office supplies each year. :p

[Sargent_Schultz]

In my experience, the cheap people who under tip on cruise ships stiff everyone in the service industry. I keep thinking Karma is going to catch up with them someday. :)

[lillian marie]

I just got off a CCl cruise a few days ago and when we got to our cabin the mirrors, desktop and countertop was not cleaned ( countertop and desktop sticky with glass rings still on it and on the side of the desk area a soda had been spilled and the stick ran down the side, spit was still on the mirror from toothbrushing and trash was in the corner of the room-hairpins and hair from a hairbrush.) I called and asked that the room be cleaned. The previous cruise had been delayed in deboarding and time ran out for the steward. I still kept the auto tips in place because I consider them a surcharge but the room was disgusting when we checked in. Later in the week a cabin near us was heavily cleaned and bug sprayed-big smell in the hall, so this steward had his hands full. I just don't believe in stiffing people.

[robvan]

they should pay their employees more instead of telling us to do it!!!!!!

 

Hear! Hear! However we also tip extra for an extra-special well done job.

[golfadj]

I did not realize that about 1/3 of passengers still the crew on tips. That sucks.

 

Also did not know that suggested auto tips has been $ 10 for so long.

 

Now I think it should go up.

[asb2164]

What they should do is if you want to remove the tips from your bill only allow it on the morning after departure, Then inform the room stewards who removed them so they can adjust their service accordingly.

I have seen people remove their tips while I stood in line behind them and the rest of the cruise I would announce hey there are the people who removed their tips every time I saw them.

[silverado44]

Personally, as long as cruise lines (not just Carnival) are going to use this method of generating the vast majority of their crew's salary...they should change the terminology.

 

 

I don't consider this a "tip". I consider it a "service surcharge".

 

 

Then I do give "tips" (in the true definition of the word) for extra services they provide.

 

We were just on a ship where over 1/3rd of the passengers removed their tips. (according to an official on that ship that I know)

 

Not because they did not get good service and not because they wanted to hand them the money in person....but because they wanted to spend the money on themselves.

 

Just like folks from England (where tipping is not customary)....there is a culture in America that will not tip.

 

We have seen it for 100 years here in our area when 30,000 of these individuals descend for a week long convention. It is so bad that professional wait staff plan their vacation for that week. It written about and joked about in the local newspaper. But (IMHO) it is no laughing matter.

 

However, the English folks understand this American custom and generally adapt. This American group does not.

 

So many cabin stewards and wait staff worked for no pay on that cruise.

 

Carnival has got to address this. That is not fair to their employees.

 

Just like restaurants charge parties of 10 or more an automatic "gratuity"...cruise lines should do the same thing.

 

If someone has a group of 25 or more, there should be a prepaid service surcharge that can not be removed.

 

These individuals work way to hard (away from their families for 6 - 8 months ) to be stiffed by a group that wants to spend their money on themselves.

 

They still get a salary.

[hunnypot1]

I agree with LHP, call it a service charge and have it paid in advance. I too have seen long lines at guest services removing tips on the last night. 3 and 4 day cruises are the worst! I don't know how people can remove payment fo a service they have received. If people don't want to "tip" that's fine charge a "service fee" that is non-refundable. It is hard to believe the fuel surcharge has not been reinstated with the price of oil.

 

Don't assume folks in line at guest services are there to have tips removed. We just debarked the Spirit this morning, and last night DH stood in that line - to get change so we could properly tip the maitr'd.

[Crazy4Koko]

I'm not quite sure on this, but I think that most employees have a 'base salary'..just like waitresses and housekeeping staff do on dry land. I would assume it would be significantly less on board because of the free place to live and food. The $10 minimum per person isn't even a 15% tip for the entire days worth of meals and housekeeping services! and I don't know about you, but nowadays, 18 to 20% is more the standard...least it is with us.

[ehfl]

And they should raise it. Those hard working crew members deserve more money too. How long has it been since they raised it last? I hear people asking for a raise in their pay every year. So why shouldn't they get more money too.

 

RCL has not raised tip amounts in 13 years.

 

For a typical 7 day vacation for a party of 4, this adds an extra 1.8% to the cost of the cruise. I don't think a 1.8% increase in any cost over 13 years is too much....it's much less than the rate of inflation over that time.

[5waldos]

I'm not quite sure on this, but I think that most employees have a 'base salary'..just like waitresses and housekeeping staff do on dry land. I would assume it would be significantly less on board because of the free place to live and food. The $10 minimum per person isn't even a 15% tip for the entire days worth of meals and housekeeping services! and I don't know about you, but nowadays, 18 to 20% is more the standard...least it is with us.

 

It is generally believed to be $50 a month although my source for this is now several years old.

[sjcruiser]

Percentage wise it is alot, but overall not that big of an increase. I think we will see people reducing their gratuities back down to the $10.00 level when this begins. Since I usually use my OBC as the gratuities, Ill leave mine in place. I think other lines will be soon to follow.

[H82seaUgo]

They still get a salary.

 

$50 a month. $12.50 a week.

[firefly333]

They still get a salary.

 

Yea that $50 a month sure adds up fast huh??

[hunnypot1]

For the level of service provided we did not think our fantastic waiter was adequately compensated via autotips, so we gave him a bonus.

 

Anyone know if he got to keep that extra money or if they are required to

"pool" it?

[firefly333]

For the level of service provided we did not think our fantastic waiter was adequately compensated via autotips, so we gave him a bonus.

 

Anyone know if he got to keep that extra money or if they are required to

"pool" it?

 

John says tips are not pooled, so they got their share of the regular plus the bonus .. per john to blogger. (still a lot of people who dont believe him, even if he works for carnival)