Star Princess - Exceptional apart from....

[Pam in CA]

Something to consider when considering whether staff should be paid more is taxes. Many pay taxes to their own government so increasing their pay means they'd take home less. Many don't have to include tips in their income. Plus, the service workers are hired through agencies and they pay a percentage of their pay to the agency. Increasing their pay would make the agencies very, very happy but like taxes, the worker would take home less.

 

From a business standpoint, it also changes the way corporate earnings and profits are calculated. Paying higher wages isn't necessarily a simple solution.

[loveboat1977]

I think what many people are forgetting is tipping is still optional. I am an American and believe me I have no problem tipping and the crew staff works very hard for their money. BUT again tipping is optional and I'm not sure spanking people who believe that is the answer. I think what a couple of people said hit the nail on the head, people from Australia, New Zealand and Europe pay quite a bit more money for the the same cruises we are on. I'm not saying that gives them the right to not tip but I think it should make us think a little before we jump to conclusions on if they are tipping correctly or not. If we as Americans are paying $2000. for a cruise and cruisers from other countries are paying $3000. for the same cruise they have the right to decide how much of an optional tip they want to give. Let's as Americans give them the respect to make their own decisons just like we'd want them to give us.

 

I'm just curious - how many have taken a cruise with a cruise line in another country that does not encourage tipping and have gone to the service desk and insisted they be charged the tips? maybe not many.

[floridarob]

 

I'm just curious - how many have taken a cruise with a cruise line in another country that does not encourage tipping and have gone to the service desk and insisted they be charged the tips? maybe not many.

 

 

 

I love this topic, never gets old for me,lol

 

 

The reason Princess doesn't include it in the price of the cruise is the demographic that they share with competition....and until Royal, Celebrity, etc... adds it, Princess will appear to be more expensive. That's also why there are charges for things that use to be free, to stay competitive.

 

However, P&O serves a different demo and as such tipping is not an issue because they CAN charge more for the cruise (and drinks are much more as well.)

 

Whenever someone says, it's not in their culture to tip so they don't..... I ask, do you dress appropriately when entering a temple or mosque in another country or just go in flip flops and shorts if you want..... or when in Thailand at the movies, when everyone stands during the anthem paying homage to the king, would you stay seated?

 

 

If you have an issue with poor service, address it right away, it helps you, the server by knowing there is an issue and the cruise line. By not saying anything, it may continue.

 

Anyone that has removed/reduced the auto tip, have you noticed you are asked what your Nationality is?

 

I use to laugh on embarkation day when people would come rushing to the Purser's Desk to remove the tip, even before going to their room...OMG.

 

There's a 50/50 chance of what someone does at the desk within the first hours of boarding....remove the tips or ask for the free upgrade that their travel agent told them to ask for. The upgrade isn't happening....upgrade are usually done by shoreside before the cruise, only way a shipboard upgrade happens (if anything was available) is you have a toilet break and the room floods or a severe noise that can't be fixed....and even then, you may just end up with the same type of room that you had.

 

Book the room that you want, this isn't like land based hotels or airlines where there are free upgrades....only the upgrade fairy does that with no rhyme or reason as you've read about many times here....whether you've cruised 80 times or is your 1st cruise, you never know when it will happen.

[floridarob]

 

I'm just curious - how many have taken a cruise with a cruise line in another country that does not encourage tipping and have gone to the service desk and insisted they be charged the tips? maybe not many.

 

 

 

I love this topic, never gets old for me,lol

 

 

The reason Princess doesn't include it in the price of the cruise is the demographic that they share with competition....and until Royal, Celebrity, etc... adds it, Princess will appear to be more expensive. That's also why there are charges for things that use to be free, to stay competitive.

 

However, P&O serves a different demo and as such tipping is not an issue because they CAN charge more for the cruise (and drinks are much more as well.)

 

Whenever someone says, it's not in their culture to tip so they don't..... I ask, do you dress appropriately when entering a temple or mosque in another country or just go in flip flops and shorts if you want..... or when in Thailand at the movies, when everyone stands during the anthem paying homage to the king, would you stay seated?

 

 

If you have an issue with poor service, address it right away, it helps you, the server by knowing there is an issue and the cruise line. By not saying anything, it may continue.

 

Anyone that has removed/reduced the auto tip, have you noticed you are asked what your Nationality is?

 

I use to laugh on embarkation day when people would come rushing to the Purser's Desk to remove the tip, even before going to their room...OMG.

 

There's a 50/50 chance of what someone does at the desk within the first hours of boarding....remove the tips or ask for the free upgrade that their travel agent told them to ask for. The upgrade isn't happening....upgrade are usually done by shoreside before the cruise, only way a shipboard upgrade happens (if anything was available) is you have a toilet break and the room floods or a severe noise that can't be fixed....and even then, you may just end up with the same type of room that you had.

 

Book the room that you want, this isn't like land based hotels or airlines where there are free upgrades....only the upgrade fairy does that with no rhyme or reason as you've read about many times here....whether you've cruised 80 times or is your 1st cruise, you never know when it will happen.

[floridarob]

 

I'm just curious - how many have taken a cruise with a cruise line in another country that does not encourage tipping and have gone to the service desk and insisted they be charged the tips? maybe not many.

 

 

 

I love this topic, never gets old for me,lol

 

 

The reason Princess doesn't include it in the price of the cruise is the demographic that they share with competition....and until Royal, Celebrity, etc... adds it, Princess will appear to be more expensive. That's also why there are charges for things that use to be free, to stay competitive.

 

However, P&O serves a different demo and as such tipping is not an issue because they CAN charge more for the cruise (and drinks are much more as well.)

 

Whenever someone says, it's not in their culture to tip so they don't..... I ask, do you dress appropriately when entering a temple or mosque in another country or just go in flip flops and shorts if you want..... or when in Thailand at the movies, when everyone stands during the anthem paying homage to the king, would you stay seated?

 

 

If you have an issue with poor service, address it right away, it helps you, the server by knowing there is an issue and the cruise line. By not saying anything, it may continue.

 

Anyone that has removed/reduced the auto tip, have you noticed you are asked what your Nationality is?

 

I use to laugh on embarkation day when people would come rushing to the Purser's Desk to remove the tip, even before going to their room...OMG.

 

There's a 50/50 chance of what someone does at the desk within the first hours of boarding....remove the tips or ask for the free upgrade that their travel agent told them to ask for. The upgrade isn't happening....upgrade are usually done by shoreside before the cruise, only way a shipboard upgrade happens (if anything was available) is you have a toilet break and the room floods or a severe noise that can't be fixed....and even then, you may just end up with the same type of room that you had.

 

Book the room that you want, this isn't like land based hotels or airlines where there are free upgrades....only the upgrade fairy does that with no rhyme or reason as you've read about many times here....whether you've cruised 80 times or is your 1st cruise, you never know when it will happen.

[Josy1953]

If you have bad service, I'm sure that everyone at Princess would far prefer you to speak up onboard, when they still have a chance to rectify the situation

 

When we had problems with the wait staff this year we made our first ever complaint on a Princess ship but we felt that we were ignored. We also felt that despite poor food and dining service there was little we could do about it because there is no way that we would reducve our auto tis because that would also reflect badly on our room steward who was wonderful. Princess needs to address the issues with the auto-tips. I am sure that I cannot the only person who has been in this position of wanting to reduce the tip for the dining staff but NOT for the room steward.

[Josy1953]

I prefered the old system of envelopes but also noticed many didn't actually turn up for dinner the last night. So, not suprised things have changed. I think it is just bunkum that people state they didn't know. Some of these posts make me ashamed to be British! If you don't want to pay the tips go with someone like Thomson a British line that is sub-standard in every way.

 

Well said. I am British but I always check out what the tipping custom is wherever I go and I accept that Britain is not the only place on earth and that if we choose to go elsewhere then we have to accept the local customs.

[arpster]

I was on the same cruise and I agree that the service in anytime dining was terrible.

 

 

I was on the same cruise also ...and thought the overall service in anytime dining was terriffic....so much so that gave a little extra to our favourite wait staff

[Toto2Kansas]

Well, this link shows you what CC (members) think of things like removing the auto tip and complaining about small things that take place onboard. It is a direct link to a cc '7 people you don't want to cruise with' slideshow (they are defined as tightwads): http://www.cruisecritic.com/slideshows/?ID=272&photo=2&StartRow=1

[Anne Funnell]

Thanks Toto2Kansas, that was quite interesting as I moved on from 'Battle of the onboard evildoers' to another link - Tipping on board: Are Brits mean, or are we just different?

 

Tightwads

Defining Characteristics: They skimp on gratuities, moan that their cabin steward didn't make that towel animal just right or complain to you at dinner about the quality of the service, despite your waiter's stellar efforts, just because they resent the expectation to tip. These characteristics may be accompanied by eye-rolling and/or snorting at frequent intervals during contact with crewmembers, as if to say, "Seriously, you think you're going to get a tip for that?"

 

I was expecting a tirade of postings from our friends across the pond about how mean we Brits are but instead found most of the posters were in agreement with what I am trying to put over.

 

A lot of the folk who posted, American, British etc, prefer to hand an envelope over after the cruise - to those who have gone that extra mile.....

 

I imagine this is written by a Brit ~

Tipping is a disease! Unfortunately it started in America and then spread to many parts of the world. In the US everyone seems to have their hand out, often not just expecting but practically demanding a gratuity for the smallest service.

It is demeaning. People should not have to rely on tips but should be paid properly in the first place and then expected to do their job properly.

Just look at lines like Seabourn that have a no tipping policy and fantastic staff.

I would like to see tipping abolished, period.

 

Yes, the above comment is a little harsh as I don't think tipping is wrong - I guess it's just the American way to pay over and above. Whereas we pay between 10 -15% in England I believe Americans pay 20%. I presume this is because you feel you should over compensate for the very poorly paid manual workers...

 

I notice that P&O Cruises Australia announced recently that it would be ending its policy of automatically adding gratuities to passengers' onboard accounts. I can understand that. Australians do not understand the concept of tipping. We have recently spent three months in Australia visiting our son (our sixth visit) and naturally tip as we would at home. However, we were asked on several occasions ~

'what's that for?'

'It's a tip for the good service you have given us.'

'Oh, I don't often get that!'

 

As I said previously, we always keep the automatic charge on because I consider it part of the cost of the cruise. We will TIP on top of that for any service I think warrants it.

 

However, we will part of a group of nine cruising in the new year - three of whom have never cruised before. One of those three (he has lived in America nearly all of his adult life,) is treating his brother and sister (both live in England) to the cruise. Two of these three do not drink. They are all in their sixties and not financially secure but this brother wants to give them a cruise for their birthday presents...a holiday of a lifetime. They are considering removing the Automatic charges because it will make a difference as to whether they can afford to book a trip or not. Rightly or wrongly, it is their prerogative to choose.

 

In my opinion I would have been more impressed if our Caribbean cruise, (which cost us £2,100 each (with air)) had instead cost us £2,202 each, with a specific notice - 'envelopes can be obtained at the purser's desk for gratuities.'

(On my working out - 14 nights at $11.50 = $161 which is approximately £102.)

 

I think a lot of people would be happy - all staff would be getting a decent wage, we wouldn't feel the cruise company were expecting us to subsidise their staff wages and we could all then pay out gratuities to whoever deserves them.

 

Also, surely you have to earn over a certain amount in order to pay taxes so why couldn't they earn over and above? I'm sure those employees would feel very proud to be earning a living wage and paying a small amount of tax wouldn't be a bad thing.

[ONT-CA]

We too remember the old system of presenting envelopes to staff at the end of the cruise. But in becoming personal friends with members of staff we have had the opportunity to "get an ear full". One of the most disturbing things we heard was that during "those old days", many of the sealed envelops when opened contained nothing.

[Astro Flyer]

We too remember the old system of presenting envelopes to staff at the end of the cruise. But in becoming personal friends with members of staff we have had the opportunity to "get an ear full". One of the most disturbing things we heard was that during "those old days", many of the sealed envelops when opened contained nothing.

 

Thanks for that info & it confirms why the old system was dropped because of as the CC article refers to them..."tightwads". And based on their article, I'm not alone in my feelings about them. :p

[cruisespirit]

The point is you were not on P&O, you were on Princess. They are separate lines owned by the same corporation and have separate fees and charges. This is like going to Harrods and saying you want to pay WalMart prices.

 

Connie,

Do you remember me, we were on the Grand nov 2009 from Rome, med Agean and transalantic to FLL? We did the Egypt tour with Rick too!

Clare

 

Now my comment on not paying the gratutuies or service charge.

Bummer. #X@%

 

Those people work hard.Just think of the people working in the laundry washing all those towels and sheets. Or the ones in the galley washing all of your dirty dishes, besides those who gave you "personal service". If the food is not hot enough on the Buffet ask to speak to the chef. He's the one most concerned about food quality and safety and is paid a good salary. If you don't like the service of a particular individual than speak to a supervisor, but please the "tip" is part of the cost of your cruise whether it is included in the price of the cruise or billed seperately. Look at it this way you get to have it charged at the end of your cruise and you get your credit card float!

 

To save money we budget our accomodations and tours, and to save our health and happiness we hardly ever drink or gamble. Just get high on life!:D