Princess increased auto tipping

[isujim]

One thing I might add.........and I'm sure there will be those that disagree with me........yes, I believe "tipping" as we know it is nothing more than salary suplementation..........but............it is tradition........and goes back a long way. My first cruise was 1987 and we tipped........and we have continued to tip for the last 24 years.

 

So for those few of us left.........like myself:) that don't want a flow rider, ice rink, etc.......and long for the days of the old days of cruising........paying tips is a tradition......sadly I might add one of the few left in the world of cruising.

 

I just want to hold on to one of the few remaining bastions of cruising......no matter how they do it.......bill it, give envelopes......whatever.........it's one of the few traditions that still remain;)

[Coral]

I've felt that Princess has really increased communication for those about to cruise -- at least that was my experience for my December cruise' date=' compared to our previous cruise five years prior. Maybe, for the OP, you haven't yet started receiving your emails that are specific for your cruise.[/quote']

 

Yes and no......

 

We used to get a pre-cruise package in the mail. During my first several cruises, I remember reading the pre-cruise docs several times from front to back to make sure I understood everything. These pre-cruise packages continued until around the time the emails started and then they were discontinued.

 

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On a different topic - AMA which is a popular river cruise company recommends 15 Euros (approx $22) per passenger per day for tips on their cruises. IMO - the Princess employees were far superior compared to those I encountered on AMA Waterways.

[isujim]

Yes and no......

 

We used to get a pre-cruise package in the mail. During my first several cruises, I remember reading the pre-cruise docs several times from front to back to make sure I understood everything. These pre-cruise packages continued until around the time the emails started and then they were discontinued.

 

I agree ( I think):) I loved the pre cruise package in the mail. I too read them cover to cover.......heck I've even read the cruise contract:eek:

[PescadoAmarillo]

The only surprise about this increase is that it didn't come sooner. Look what has happened to the value of the dollar vs. worldwide currencies in the past several years. The crew has had a significant pay cut, and it has affected which nationalities that will even contract to work on ships (this per a musician on the Emerald). To those whose home currency is not US $, chances are you've been coming out ahead on the autotip for several years. Now it's time for a little payback. To those in the US who say their income has dropped, so should the crew's, consider the extra autotip charge just an offset of the ridiculously low cruise fares we're currently paying. Cruising is the best value vacation around. The extra dollar per day doesn't change that.

[Coral]

I agree ( I think):)

 

My yes and no was referring to CruiseinChick saying that they had increased their communication to us recently. They have increased email but decreased the pre-cruise docs by eliminating them.

[isujim]

My yes and no was referring to CruiseinChick saying that they had increased their communication to us recently. They have increased email but decreased the pre-cruise docs by eliminating them.

 

I understood that.........I just liked the pre cruise docs........but I like a lot of old time stuff.......:)

[rdsqrl]

While I realize that they're two completely different things, I'd just like to point out that a one dollar per day increase (in autotips) is a pittance compared to a $9 per day increase (in fuel charges). We should all be grateful not to be hit with the latter. This paragraph brought to you by Debbie Downer: remember, things could always be worse.

We're talking one dollar per day here. Empty the change out of your pocket/wallet at the end of the day and throw it in a jar and in a couple of weeks, you'll have the amount to make up the increase. To take that previous example, the difference between $360 and $315 is only 45 dollars. That's not even one dinner out on a weeknight.

[Coral]

The only surprise about this increase is that it didn't come sooner.

 

I agree. When we go out to eat for let's say a steak dinner. Our tip for 2 is often more then $20. Heck - that was around the recommended amount of tipping for 2 people for the entire day (3 meals, room steward, etc...).

[Talisker92]

The amount of increase is so minimal when you compare it to the cost of the cruise. The same logic works for those who do not want to take formal clothes because they do not want to pay $25 to $50 for the extra suitcase.

[rdsqrl]

I understood that.........I just liked the pre cruise docs........but I like a lot of old time stuff.......:)

Me, too (it's the historian in me). I miss the actual paper Cruise Answer Book which, even if I feel like I knew it by heart, I still enjoyed reading. It definitely ratcheted up the excitement to get that in the mail -- it said, "you are officially going on a cruise" in a way emails just don't. Emails say, "where's the next dissertation chapter you were supposed to turn in last week?" -- or at least, that's what the emails I've been getting lately have been saying. Maybe I should stop chatting here and go back to writing chapter 3 . . .

[isujim]

Me, too (it's the historian in me). I miss the actual paper Cruise Answer Book which, even if I feel like I knew it by heart, I still enjoyed reading. It definitely ratcheted up the excitement to get that in the mail -- it said, "you are officially going on a cruise" in a way emails just don't. Emails say, "where's the next dissertation chapter you were supposed to turn in last week?" -- or at least, that's what the emails I've been getting lately have been saying. Maybe I should stop chatting here and go back to writing chapter 3 . . .

 

LOL!! I agree........heck I even have passenger cruise lists from our first cruise in 1987......address and everything..........we live in a different world than 25 years ago.

[AndyTheK]

A roughly 10% increase after how many years and people complain about paying it?

 

C'mon... one less drink on one night or one less hand of blackjack and you've got most of it back already!

 

Shalom from Tel Aviv (where the drop in the US dollar is killing us American retirees whose major source of income comes from the US in dollars - OUCH).. Andy

[stumped]

Welcome to the world of the Aussie. Not only have we always paid more for our cruises as opposed to the Americans, we have always had to pay more at checkout. If your bill said $1,000 then a $1,000 it was.

But ours was $1,500, sometimes less, sometimes more but always way over the $1,000. For the first time in I don't know how long your dollar is not so good and ours has finally reached parity. We have been travelling for many years and always had to put up with this and paid as this was just a part of travelling and now after all these years it is your dollar that is not performing that well. When we buy a drink on our next cruise and they say $3.99 or whatever, that is extactly what we pay, not $7.00AUD, depending on the rate of exchange at the time, which up until last year was the norm. The same with Auto tips. We always leave it on but for the first time in our travelling life it will be what it says on the tin. $11.00. It will actually be cheaper for us to spend on board than all our previous trips/cruises. Can't wait:):):)

[bigguy1]

While I realize that they're two completely different things, I'd just like to point out that a one dollar per day increase (in autotips) is a pittance compared to a $9 per day increase (in fuel charges). We should all be grateful not to be hit with the latter. This paragraph brought to you by Debbie Downer: remember, things could always be worse.

 

We're talking one dollar per day here. Empty the change out of your pocket/wallet at the end of the day and throw it in a jar and in a couple of weeks, you'll have the amount to make up the increase. To take that previous example, the difference between $360 and $315 is only 45 dollars. That's not even one dinner out on a weeknight.

 

This increase is appropriate and should have been instituted long ago. With the value of the USD dropping, the staff has seen their income drop. We have always tipped over and above the auto-tip and will continue to do so.

 

On the subject of the oil surcharge, IMHO the cost of fuel is a cost of doing business and should be reflected in the price charged for the cruise. The cruise lines have to anticipate the cost of oil, their consumption ratios and include those costs in their pricing structure. I'm sure they do that for other cost categories(manpower levels/salaries/fringe benefits/uniforms, food,etc "I could go on and on"). My 2 cents.

[smoothdancer]

Yes, we found it more pleasurable to tip with cash in envelopes way back when but I too understand how much easier it is for the crew to have the auto tips credited to thier account.

 

Question though, when we feel that service was better than expected we will increase tips. However really The purser lines are always so long and I dont want to stand in line to increase a tip and then we go with cash..... What does everyone else do when they want to give an extra tip.

 

Then another thing, recently we ate at one of the specialty resturants. They come by for you to sign the 20 fee and there is no place on the slip to add a tip, so we didnt but would of liked to... How do you all handle that?

[Toto2Kansas]

Yes, we found it more pleasurable to tip with cash in envelopes way back when but I too understand how much easier it is for the crew to have the auto tips credited to thier account.

 

Question though, when we feel that service was better than expected we will increase tips. However really The purser lines are always so long and I dont want to stand in line to increase a tip and then we go with cash..... What does everyone else do when they want to give an extra tip.

 

Then another thing, recently we ate at one of the specialty resturants. They come by for you to sign the 20 fee and there is no place on the slip to add a tip, so we didnt but would of liked to... How do you all handle that?

 

The extra tip to staff (over and above the auto tip) we have always given in cash, never added it to our shipboard account. As for the specialty restaurants, that is also given in cash by us. ;)

[77Network]

This increase is appropriate and should have been instituted long ago. With the value of the USD dropping, the staff has seen their income drop. We have always tipped over and above the auto-tip and will continue to do so.

 

On the subject of the oil surcharge, IMHO the cost of fuel is a cost of doing business and should be reflected in the price charged for the cruise. The cruise lines have to anticipate the cost of oil, their consumption ratios and include those costs in their pricing structure. I'm sure they do that for other cost categories(manpower levels/salaries/fringe benefits/uniforms, food,etc "I could go on and on"). My 2 cents.

 

I agree with the fuel charge, but I feel the hotel charge should also be included in the price of the cruise.

[isujim]

The extra tip to staff (over and above the auto tip) we have always given in cash, never added it to our shipboard account. As for the specialty restaurants, that is also given in cash by us. ;)

 

Ok being relatively new to Princess........wouldn't these "extra" tips in cash be pooled??

[Toto2Kansas]

Ok being relatively new to Princess........wouldn't these "extra" tips in cash be pooled??

 

If the auto tip is kept in place, the extra tips in cash given to the staff do not have to be placed in the tip pool. :)

[isujim]

If the auto tip is kept in place, the extra tips in cash given to the staff do not have to be placed in the tip pool. :)

 

Thank you so much.

[helpthejuggler]

The extra tip to staff (over and above the auto tip) we have always given in cash, never added it to our shipboard account. As for the specialty restaurants, that is also given in cash by us. ;)

 

On other lines the speciality cover includes the tip. Is that different on Princess? Might this be why there is no space on the bill?

[DrivesLikeMario]

They never sent out a notice to TAs that I saw. I read the emails pretty carefully from them and did not see it anywhere. It seems they don't like to announce things like this to the TAs, in fact, neither do the other cruise lines.

[Go-Bucks!]

I just found out the auto tip for a mini suite went from $11pp to $12pp.

 

 

I like to save money as much as the next person, but if I can't afford an additional $1/day, then I should just stay home and enjoy a "staycation" or take a cheaper trip closer to home. ;)

[Times Prince]

If one can't afford the recommended tips, I am guessing one probably can't afford long cruises. As far as something has to give, my recommendation is to take shorter cruises as opposed to not paying the workers the recommended tip.

 

The cost of tipping is part of the cost of cruising.

Very well said!

 

This level of tipping has been in place for many years, and a modest increase is not unreasonable. I still come back to what is "standard" on land - 18-20% of the bill for restaurant servers alone, and am always (why always?) shocked coming off a cruise and tipping a waitress at Chili's for a meal a significant portion compared of what we had tipped all the staff who kept us in comfort and luxury for a whole day.

 

The tip is part of cruising, and not undeserved for what we get.

[Coral]

On other lines the speciality cover includes the tip. Is that different on Princess? Might this be why there is no space on the bill?

 

When Princess first introduced the speciality restaurants, the cost was like $3-$6 per meal. The cost was justified by saying "these people are not tipped in our normal tips we hand to our wait staff, room steward, etc... and this is their tip". Eventually the price for these meals went up.......

 

I would say the tip is included in the fee and that is why there is no space. I have to say that there have been times when our service is exceptional and if I forgot to bring cash, I have often gone back to my room and returned with a tip as there is no space. There are other times I have accepted that if there is no space for the tip and service was less than stellar, the waiter did not get anything additional.