Consensus on tipping

[Reimer]

That would be nice

 

 

 

Never in a million years would I be able to ask a person about what they earn in tips. Not onli None of my business, but how do you know they wouldn't reduce that amount in the hopes of your feeling sorry for them? There was another thread recently that stated the workers earn somewhere between $50 - 3000 a month, that's the most accurate answer I've ever read. It depends on passenger load, how many cheapskates are onboard, how many generous tippers are onboard...

 

Sorry I'm not talking about just outright walking up to them to question them. Sometimes conversation leads to another as in this case. But if the conversation goes that way I don't see any harm in enquiring. I honestly don't care how much they make, it's kind of nice to know how the system works instead of just giving and giving and giving and then you find out the person who obtains the highest tip payout is the person who is in closest with management.

 

I would wager that most people honestly believe that the majority of their tips they pay go to the waiter/ assistant waiter and their cabin steward. From what I know this is not the case (I have a few friends who work on the ships).

[Reimer]

Are you not getting this the wrong way around? I thought that their income WAS the tips. This is why they CAN make up to $3,000. The $25 every 2 weeks is their salary:eek:, isn't it?

 

By the way, we always pre-pay tips, because for us Europeans the idea of people having to live off tips is uncommon. It is good to know how it works, so we do tip extra if the service is very good, but the suggested gratuity we always consider part of the price we pay for the ticket. These workers are often from very poor countries and I find it abhorant to think that some rich guys actually get pleasure in taking away earnings from these people.

 

Yes sorry you are right, the wages are super low and they depend on tips. Although I never knew that tips could be that high. I guess their wages are probably so low to be able to pay higher compensation to the other staff who do not benefit from tips.

[Sequim88]

But our waiter said they don't like to wait the 2 weeks to get the auto tips -

 

Except that this week they are getting the auto-tips from two weeks before so in the end it's all the same and only an issue the first cycle.

 

Like the argument I had with our CFO who a year or so ago decided that because our Net 30 customers were paying closer to 60 days we would pay our vendors at 60 days. But some are regular monthly bills that never vary and I told him delaying those would not make any difference after the first month - we would still be making a payment each month, just that it would be for two months ago and we would be damaging our relationship with the vendor. He didn't care.

 

I like the MTD automatic tips - by the time I cruise it's paid for and one less money worry at about the time I'm looking over the huge bar bill :eek:. And if service is really good I still always put a $20 in the voucher envelope.

[CruisinGerman]

This is from one of the major companies that provides personnel to cruise ships.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

 

Tipping personnel

Tipping personnel are the staff with direct contact with the guests who pay them "tips". There are specified amounts of tips per particular positions which are advised to guests prior to embarkation and which vary from one cruise line to another. Such personnel are waiters, busboys /assistant waiters, bar waiters/waitresses, bartenders, cocktail waitresses, etc. Tipping personnel have a small base salary. Most of their earnings are tips. Approximate sample earnings in this group are (in U.S. Dollars per month):

Waiter from $2500 to $4000

Busboy / Assistant Waiter from $1500 to $3000

Bar Waiter / Waitress from $1000 to $2500

Bartender from $1500 to $3000

Applicants must have a good command of English, good work experience and appropriate education to qualify for this group (the latter is not obligatory if the applicant has enough experience).

Non-tipping personnel

Applicants who do not have enough experience or do not have a very good command of English tend to be hired as non-tipping staff. They have a good chance of being promoted to tipping personnel later.

The non-tipping personnel on cruise ships are those who serve the crew, i.e. the lower positions in the passenger area - Staff Waiter/Waitress, Snack Steward, etc. They have fixed salaries without tips and their earnings are from USD 350 to USD 500 per week.

Income Tax

Salaries earned onboard cruise ships are not subject to income tax. However, citizens of some countries are eligible to tax all their income earned abroad. Read more about tax free income of cruise line employees.

[storm1of4]

Very Simple...........Follow the tipping guidlines expressed by the cruise line.........That's it........No need for discussion!!!!!

 

On the other hand I have not had a pay raise in 3 years........I wish someone would cry about my salary................Poor me.......But fact is my salary is my business............The Cruise waiter and houskeeper's income is their business!!!!

 

Here's the deal you dont feel sorry for my income and I will not feel sorry for yours!!!!

The waiter doesnt care about my personal life/financial...as he should not...And I dont care about his or that he is sending his $$$ back home for 30 or 40 other people who are not employed!

Lets get real here...........have you read the US news papers lately?

[TPKeller]

.....and the waiter probably didn't offer, either, is that taking into account the base salary plus tips, a waiter earns about $3,000 per month net of taxes plus has his room, board, basic medical insurance and a plane ticket to and from his home between contracts all covered.

 

Abolish tips completely.

 

Add them to the cost of the cruise and be done with it.

Never have I seen two posts that so strongly tell the story of why most cruise lines will never abolish voluntary tipping (or service charge, as the name may be).

 

If the cruise line abolished tips and included a surcharge directly into the cruise fare, do you think that the waiters and other tipped staff would make anywhere near as much as they do under this system? Cruise fares are volatile, they go up and down according to supply and demand. Suggested tips, and tips in general do not. What they end up getting is mostly based on the level of service, which the staff member has direct control over. They would not want their tip to be higher or lower based on the demand for that sailing.

 

Of course some folks stiff. But the others who tip above and beyond the suggested amounts make up for that.

 

I have no facts to tell me if the bottom line equals out to be above or below what it would be if everyone tipped only the exact suggested amount, but I suspect they make out on the plus side, and probably by a good bit. That bit of information would be very interesting to find out.

 

Theron

[TPKeller]

Oh... and yes, I laughed out loud when I saw the title of this thread:

 

Consensus on Tipping... quite the oxymoron!!

 

:)

 

Theron

[Langley Cruisers]

...But the entire conversation started out very naturally....

 

Thank you for your reply. :)

[Scotty G]

I just got off Enchantment and I am going to put this in my review but we talked to a waiter who said this

 

-- RCI pays them $25 every 2 weeks, that's it

-- They prefer cash tips because they can get off the ship and send it directly back to their family without waiting 2 weeks to get it back from RCI.

-- They start work at 7am and work till midnight - 1 hour break after breakfast, 2 hour break after lunch - less when you count the time it takes to get ready for those shifts.

-- If you throw cash on the table in Windjammer, Chops or at breakfast in DR, it doesn't go into a pool, the waiters/assistant waiters who served you split it.

-- Out of the $25 cost of Chops per person, the waiters split .75 cents of the amount as tip.

 

Tip Calculator Here... http://cruisetip.tpkeller.com/

Very well stated! I don't like the gratuities for the hourly workers being called tips as they are NOT tips. It is factual that they get $25 every two weeks and the point about cash vs. waiting until they get it by check from RCL is well taken. This will not be resolved here but I hope that it helps the OP make a decision. The folks that get gratuities from us get cash TIPS beyond the gratuities if they deserve a tip. Thanks Michelle for a great post!

[Scotty G]

There was another thread recently that stated the workers earn somewhere between $50 - 3000 a month, that's the most accurate answer I've ever read. It depends on passenger load, how many cheapskates are onboard, how many generous tippers are onboard...

This is a good point There are numerous stories how wait staff get stiffed. On one cruise a waitress we have come to know had two ten tops just next to us. At no time did any of the customers ever come to the tables. She did not receive tips from them either. It also affected her next weeks cruise assignment since next cruise assignments are based on customer comments at the end of the cruise. Consequently she would receive a less lucrative post for the next cruise. Very often when waiters and assistants get shorted like this some head waiters will kick in some of their gratuities to offset the difference.

[critterchick]

We usually select My Time Dining to maximize flexibility. On a ship with a lot of alternate dining venues, we will normally eat in the MDR 2-3 times tops on a 7-night cruise. I don't know (or really care) how those tips are divided up, but it's nice not to have to deal with decidng who gets what. We also find that we are now tipping a bit less than we did before - we used to add cash to the envelope, but since we don't reserve a particular table in MTD there's nobody to give the envelope to (other than the cabin steward, who almost always gets extra for a job well done).

 

I'm surprised about the .75 tip for dinner at Chops or Portofino, though.

[ryano]

I'm surprised about the .75 tip for dinner at Chops or Portofino, though.

 

And have to split it at that :(

[The-Dude]

Oh, Lord, when is it going to end?

 

It never ends. The same question will appear in a new thread tomorrow. :)

[pcur]

Also if they are only getting $50 a week in tips, which I have heard to be accurate. How are they making $3,000 a month after taxes. There is no way their base wage is that high. Maybe the assistant cruise director or head waiter would make that much, but not a regular/assistant waiter or waitress in the dining room .

 

$50 a week (approximately) PER PERSON. They serve around 15 - 20 people PER SEATING, depending on their skills. Plus, many people add cash to the envelope. I think $3,000 a month is a good average estimate.

[Vanilla]

We have always given tips at the end of the cruise in the envelops, this upcoming cruise, I have prepaid them. What are the vouchers some mentioned? We will probably tip the waiter/assist waiter and our cabin steward additionally - but wondering if the voucher lets them know I gave an upfront tip and that what is in the envelop is just extra for their outstanding service?

[boo214]

$50 a week (approximately) PER PERSON. They serve around 15 - 20 people PER SEATING, depending on their skills. Plus, many people add cash to the envelope. I think $3,000 a month is a good average estimate.

this is wrong. rci reccommends $3.50 per day per person, which comes to $24.50 per week per person plus whatever extra $$ some people may give.

[Langley Cruisers]

It never ends. The same question will appear in a new thread tomorrow. :)

 

It's true, and we always have a choice to click on the thread or not. :)

[The-Dude]

Thanks for the real info Cruisinmama - without having to digest hundreds of contentious posts!

 

$25 every 2 weeks?

I understood that staff depended on tips to supplement low pay, but that's ridiculous. Hardly sounds legal for those hours.

 

It is very legal. This is a big reason why most cruise ships are flagged or (supposedly) registered under other countries other than the USA. These cruiselines can get away from certain provisions or legal obligations by flagging their ships under a flag, like Bahamas, Panama, Liberia, etc.

[critterchick]

We have always given tips at the end of the cruise in the envelops, this upcoming cruise, I have prepaid them. What are the vouchers some mentioned? We will probably tip the waiter/assist waiter and our cabin steward additionally - but wondering if the voucher lets them know I gave an upfront tip and that what is in the envelop is just extra for their outstanding service?

 

If you prepay your tips, or if during the cruise you opt to put your tips on your Seapass account, you will receive a page of vouchers that can be separated and put into the accompanying envelopes (along with extra cash, if you wish) for your headwaiter, waiter, assistant waiter and cabin steward. They will already have a list of who has prepaid, so the vouchers aren't necessary, although as others have posted, it can help them keep track of what RCI owes them.

[Choochala]

So if every single person on the ship is paying what is expected of them - $11/day (this is what it was on our last cruise - NCL) and there are approximately two times more passengers than there are staff - the math just doesn't add up - they should be getting $22 per day not $12.50 per week?????? Where is the rest of my tip money going if not to the staff who serve me? Even if only half of the people tipped as they should - the staff still aren't seeing the money they should? I may be a newbie and just don't get it - someone please explain. I thought the tips supplemented the wages.

[crusinmama06]

I'm surprised about the .75 tip for dinner at Chops or Portofino, though.

 

And have to split it at that :(

 

Yeah that was the biggest surprise. We kept repeating ourselves on that one. We went to Chops twice on that sailing. So needless to say, we were tipping extra. The service was phenomenal to split that.

[TPKeller]

So if every single person on the ship is paying what is expected of them - $11/day (this is what it was on our last cruise - NCL) and there are approximately two times more passengers than there are staff - the math just doesn't add up - they should be getting $22 per day not $12.50 per week?????? Where is the rest of my tip money going if not to the staff who serve me? Even if only half of the people tipped as they should - the staff still aren't seeing the money they should? I may be a newbie and just don't get it - someone please explain. I thought the tips supplemented the wages.

The only staff who receive the recommended tips are the waiter, assistant waiter, headwaiter and stateroom attendant. These staff make up nowhere near 1/2 of the number of passengers on the ship.

 

Their compensation package is built around the suggested tip amounts. Everyone else is compensated in a more traditional manner, i.e. their hourly wage is the essence of their entire compensation.

 

For the tipped staff, their official wage is practically nothing more than a place-holder, and the essence of their compensation is the tips.

 

Theron

[pcur]

this is wrong. rci reccommends $3.50 per day per person, which comes to $24.50 per week per person plus whatever extra $$ some people may give.

 

Yes, I was thinking the standard two-people amount. OK, so $50 for two people; serving 15 people per seating, 30 people total = $750 per week X 4.333 weeks per month = $3,250.

 

The $3,000 estimate is still accurate.

[Choochala]

Their compensation package is built around the suggested tip amounts. Everyone else is compensated in a more traditional manner, i.e. their hourly wage is the essence of their entire compensation.

 

For the tipped staff, their official wage is practically nothing more than a place-holder, and the essence of their compensation is the tips.

 

Theron

 

Ahhh - so in essence, the wait staff, cabin staff etc. the tipping is their wage. Kind of convoluted but if it works.........

[Happy ks]

$50 a week (approximately) PER PERSON. They serve around 15 - 20 people PER SEATING, depending on their skills. Plus, many people add cash to the envelope. I think $3,000 a month is a good average estimate.

 

Your numbers are off. Most of the time, the waiter is making about 3.50 (or 3.75) per person, per day, assistants around 2.50 pp/pd. So they are getting around 24.50-26.25 per person, per week. You also have to consider not all tables are full, not all pax tip, they move stations every week. Then there are the passengers who decide to never go to the dining room and avoid tipping the server who is then standing there twiddling their thumbs due to empty tables.

 

You also have to factor in they are workng the buffet, no tips, some weeks.

 

I'd have to say they are making a decent wage since many of them continue to sign contracts year after year. Yes the work is hard and the hours are long.