If tips are so important, include them in the cost of the cruise

[H82seaUgo]

Are you the type of person that calls the newspaper with corrections? My mom worked at a newspaper once and she told hilarious stories of "concerned citizens" that called in all the time with corrections to the paper.

 

Talk about pressing matters. You should have talked to them.

 

You'd think like mattered on it.

 

I think we all got what we he was trying to say without the little correction.

 

never.

 

and it makes no sense any way you look at it. this would mean you would have to tip first.

[mk695]

I was right.....you have not been cruising long.......

 

 

probably the only thing you've been right on.

 

I believe I bring a new perspective to cruising. Something that the older people have just given up on and have accepted.

 

We need change, we need to make cruising for what we want.

 

I probably will be living in this world longer than you. I want the world for me and not how you designed it.

[TheGrandparents]

Thank you. This is probably the first discussion that i started that i really believe in. and from the get go, I just feel I've been attacked big time. I'm only 23 and have only gone on 3 cruises in my life, but I feel like I have an opinion to discuss and learn.

 

And it seems like the people here aren't regular Joes', but people with a huge agenda or slant.

 

It was like a huge army of Carnival mercenaries came after me.

 

First off, it's great that you have a subject that you believe so strongly in.

You have not.....

been attacked big time

.......by any means.

 

 

I would suggest that you look up the word 'mercenaries' before making a general assumption that this any sort of army of of them.

 

Enthusiasts yes, mercenaries not so much.

 

It is one thing to voice your opinion on a subject but to argue with every person that does not see things your way.......you have pretty much attacked most every post that did not agree with you.

 

 

There are many "regular Joes" here.

 

We just happen to be a bunch of people that do not think that Carnivals way of adding tips (and many other cruise lines) is such a big deal.

 

This practice is not "market slander" by any law that we are aware of.

 

To state....

This is big. it's a huge problem. I don't think you realize what the tip of the iceburg this is for our economy and society as a whole.

.........is waaaaaay over the top.

[mk695]

We just happen to be a bunch of people that do not think that Carnivals way of adding tips (and many other cruise lines) is such a big deal.

 

I do not believe this. If it weren't a big deal then you probably wouldn't have even read the post nor posted on it.

 

No, this is an agenda for you, it's a cause. And no regular grandparent would take up the cause of Carnival tipping practice is right on and feel the need to argue for it.

 

That is just plain absurd.

 

I beleive that you are either working for Carnival or you're a business person that is involved in these types of business practices and that is your agenda to push.

 

I believe the cost advertised of any product should be the cost that you pay. No costs should be hidden, no fees, no surcharges, no taxes added on later. The cost they advertise is the cost they charge. However, I would gladly be happy to see the breakdown of how they break out the charges if they so desire. It is unfair to see a price advertised for $499 only to find out that there are more than $200 of stuff added on later. Ridiculous.

This is my point.

[halos]

If tips are so important, then just include them in the cost of the cruise.

 

But, wait, for "business" reasons, they'd like to be able to quote a low entry price and then tack on taxes, fees, and tips later to make it up to the price they want in the first place.

 

None of these so called add-on charges are optional. Of course they will tell you the "tips" are optional, but then everyone in the cruise industry and their shils posting on these boards will inundate you with heavy manipulation to "encourage" you to tip the "optional" amount.

 

IF IT IS SO DAMN IMPORTANT JUST INCLUDE IT IN THE COST OF THE CRUISE!!!!!!!

 

We should encourage our legislators to create a law that requires businesses to quote the final price that one has to pay.

 

You do realize that if they were included you'd pay tax on them too, and currently with them not included, they are not taxed????????

[mk695]

You do realize that if they were included you'd pay tax on them too, and currently with them not included, they are not taxed????????

 

THIS IS NOT TRUE.. I'm talking about the cost that is published.

 

They can justify it in their accounting books how they want later.

 

I'm also talking about including the tax in the cost as well.

 

You can advertise a cost for something as $5

 

then when you check out on your receipt it shows the item was $3.12 + .63 for fee + .32 for fee + 1.12 for tax and so on.

 

There is no law that says the published price has to have tax added on to it.

 

Some businesses have done this for years. Movie theaters usually advertise $10 for a movie, but if you at the receipt the movie actually cost $9.23.

 

My point is to advertise what it will actually cost you. Then it can be broken down for the customer later. This much for port fees, this much for tax, this much for tips. Hell still make the tips optional. I'm just talking about the up front advertised cost. Let the customer get a refund if they didn't want to pay the tips... now that's optional!

[iTouch]

I was on the Victory a few years back and looked at my S&S account via my room TV about 2 hours after leaving San Juan. The gratuity charges were already on my bill, long before any service has been performed. I had not yet met my room steward, nor had I consumed any food at the MDR or buffet. I asked about this practice and they told me is was "easier for our accounting department."

 

You may not technically pay the gratuity until the last day of the cruise, but you have been charged.

 

And by the way, I have no problem with paying the recommenced gratuity, as the service I've encountered on Carnival and RC has always been excellent. I also usually tip my room guy and my favorite barkeep in cash on day 1 or 2 ... which I find is paid back in excellent service and attention to detail.

 

I just printed my travel docs; we leave on Elation this Saturday ! WhoooHoooo !!

 

So if you technically don't pay until the end of the cruise what's the problem? And technically you could have went right down to the guest services and had the charged removed.....

[halos]

THIS IS NOT TRUE.. I'm talking about the cost that is published.

 

They can justify it in their accounting books how they want later.

 

I'm also talking about including the tax in the cost as well.

 

You can advertise a cost for something as $5

 

then when you check out on your receipt it shows the item was $3.12 + .63 for fee + .32 for fee + 1.12 for tax and so on.

 

There is no law that says the published price has to have tax added on to it.

 

 

Some businesses have done this for years. Movie theaters usually advertise $10 for a movie, but if you at the receipt the movie actually cost $9.23.

 

My point is to advertise what it will actually cost you. Then it can be broken down for the customer later. This much for port fees, this much for tax, this much for tips. Hell still make the tips optional. I'm just talking about the up front advertised cost.

 

I always know exactly what my cruise costs me. I have NEVER been surprised by any unexpected charges.

 

If people don't know what they're buying or how much they are spending, that is their fault. Are the cruise lines really supposed to babysit everyone, walk them through the process/charges??? Are people that incapable of figuring it out on their own??????

 

When I book a cruise I see it all spelled out for me. I have booked directly through the cruise line, through many on line TA's and once (a very long time ago) through an 'old fashioned' TA. I always knew there was a base price, port fees, and taxes to make the final balance and then gratuities to be added once on the ship.

If people NEED to have that all added up so all they see is the final price..then I seriously don't know what to tell you.

[mk695]

I always know exactly what my cruise costs me. I have NEVER been surprised by any unexpected charges.

 

If people don't know what they're buying or how much they are spending, that is their fault. Are the cruise lines really supposed to babysit everyone, walk them through the process/charges??? Are people that incapable of figuring it out on their own??????

 

The extra work is unnecessary and inefficient and it's designed as a marketing ploy to make it difficult to compare prices across brands.

 

It does not help the consumer.

 

Think about why they do it this way, the business does it because it's designed to confuse. When the consumer is buying something shouldn't it be in their best interest?

 

As consumers we need pricing easy to understand, not with all kinds of extra hidden costs that we either learn later or have to know up front.

 

Let's be honest and just show the price up front!

[iTouch]

probably the only thing you've been right on.

 

I believe I bring a new perspective to cruising. Something that the older people have just given up on and have accepted.

 

We need change, we need to make cruising for what we want.

 

I probably will be living in this world longer than you. I want the world for me and not how you designed it.

 

Well if you have been cruising awhile than you would know that they put the auto tip in place because of people like you who wanted to pay that base price and decided they would tip if they felt like it. Which resulted in many crew members not gettying any tips for all their hard work. So yes the cruising industry has been changing.....actually quite a bit and for the better all before you even started cruising.......research, study and you will learn and be amazed.....things begin to look clearer with a little knowledge.....

[mk695]

whoo 20k club, I see Carnival is bringing out the big guns now.

[mk695]

.research, study and you will learn and be amazed.....things begin to look clearer with a little knowledge.....

 

I see the pitbull came out for more blood. Must have finished of the previous bones.

[mk695]

If people don't know what they're buying or how much they are spending, that is their fault. Are the cruise lines really supposed to babysit everyone, walk them through the process/charges??? Are people that incapable of figuring it out on their own??????

 

Spoken like a true sleezy car salesman.

[iTouch]

The extra work is unnecessary and inefficient and it's designed as a marketing ploy to make it difficult to compare prices across brands.

 

It does not help the consumer.

 

Think about why they do it this way, the business does it because it's designed to confuse. When the consumer is buying something shouldn't it be in their best interest?

 

As consumers we need pricing easy to understand, not with all kinds of extra hidden costs that we either learn later or have to know up front.

 

Let's be honest and just show the price up front!

 

THEY ARE NOT HIDDEN.......

When you book a cruise please tell me what charges are hidden?

[mk695]

THEY ARE NOT HIDDEN.......

When you book a cruise please tell me what charges are hidden?

 

If they are not stated up front in the original cost then they are then hidden.

Any cost that isn't in the original cost is hidden from view. It doesn't mean that you can't uncover or find them out, they are just hidden from first view.

 

Which is why my proposal is to force businesses to publish the actual cost that you will pay, rather than publish a "fake price" (that no one ever pays) and then add more required money on to it later to get to the real price.

 

The real price is hidden from first view.

[okwriter]

IF IT IS SO DAMN IMPORTANT JUST INCLUDE IT IN THE COST OF THE CRUISE!!!!!!!

 

If the $1.50 per day is so "damn important" (your words), just stay home. :D

[kerrytens]

I always know exactly what my cruise costs me. I have NEVER been surprised by any unexpected charges.

 

If people don't know what they're buying or how much they are spending, that is their fault. Are the cruise lines really supposed to babysit everyone, walk them through the process/charges??? Are people that incapable of figuring it out on their own??????

 

When I book a cruise I see it all spelled out for me. I have booked directly through the cruise line, through many on line TA's and once (a very long time ago) through an 'old fashioned' TA. I always knew there was a base price, port fees, and taxes to make the final balance and then gratuities to be added once on the ship.

If people NEED to have that all added up so all they see is the final price..then I seriously don't know what to tell you.

Couldn't agree more Halos. I don't require a playbook to book my cruises. I know what I need to budget. Nothing hidden, imho.

[iTouch]

I see the pitbull came out for more blood. Must have finished of the previous bones.

 

Spoken like a true sleezy car salesman.

 

Nice.

 

If they are not stated up front in the original cost then they are then hidden.

Any cost that isn't in the original cost is hidden from view. It doesn't mean that you can't uncover or find them out, they are just hidden from first view.

 

Which is why my proposal is to force businesses to publish the actual cost that you will pay, rather than publish a "fake price" (that no one ever pays) and then add more required money on to it later to get to the real price.

 

The real price is hidden from first view.

 

You didn't answer my question.

[kerrytens]

Spoken like a true sleezy car salesman.

Seriously, kid?

[halos]

The extra work is unnecessary and inefficient and it's designed as a marketing ploy to make it difficult to compare prices across brands.

 

It does not help the consumer.

 

Think about why they do it this way, the business does it because it's designed to confuse. When the consumer is buying something shouldn't it be in their best interest?

 

As consumers we need pricing easy to understand, not with all kinds of extra hidden costs that we either learn later or have to know up front.

 

Let's be honest and just show the price up front!

 

Ok...I am just not going to get your point. We'll have to agree to disagree.

I have no problem calculating my cruise costs (usually on a per day per person basis) and have NO issue doing comparison shopping once I easily get that figure.

I do not ever get confused. I can't see the difficulty and I have never in my life had a 'math brain'....but this is BASIC stuff.

No costs are hidden....where do you buy your cruises that the costs are 'hidden'???????? :confused:

And FTLOG, if you are purchasing something you should know what you're buying..not learn later. If you have never cruised before and aren't doing the research on your own before plopping down (in most cases) thousands of dollars, who's fault is THAT?

 

Do people make major purchases without doing a little homeowrk all the time like this???? I certainly don't spend lost of money without knowing exactly what I'm buying...why??? because it's MY responsibility. It's not up to people to have to spell everything out for me (unless I ask them to, of course)

 

I think personal repsonsibility is lacking these days...seriously. No one seems to want to put in the time or effort, and when things don't go right, or something is a 'surprise' (in a bad way) then it's someone else's fault.....

 

 

Spoken like a true sleezy car salesman.

 

 

:rolleyes:

[halos]

Nice.

 

 

 

You didn't answer my question.

 

he didn't see it...it must be hidden.:rolleyes:

[kerrytens]

he didn't see it...it must be hidden.:rolleyes:

iTouch is the queen of big business ... she is sneaky!!!

[mk695]

If the $1.50 per day is so "damn important" (your words), just stay home. :D

 

Huh? It's important that cruise staff are paid a decent salary, so my point is to make the tips part of the cruise fare. Rather than optional. To make them required.

[iTouch]

Huh? It's important that cruise staff are paid a decent salary, so my point is to make the tips part of the cruise fare. Rather than optional. To make them required.

 

When you book a cruise please tell me what charges are hidden.....

[lappy22]

You do realize that if they were included you'd pay tax on them too, and currently with them not included, they are not taxed????????

 

I agree that taxes become a problem. If I had to "mandatory" pay a tip before a cruise the government takes it as a service charge and not a tip and taxes such this way. So before sailing on Carnival I would be taxed an extra $12.46 per person on a 7 night cruise. So I pay extra taxes and I don't have a say so if I want my service charge removed? I like the way it is. I pay less and still get the great service but if the service is bad I can remove the tip. To me that is protecting the consumer!