The New Tipping Rate ...it appears Carnival has there own tipping concept

[Cruise Organizer]

By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY

full story - http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2011/11/carnival-spirit-australia-cruise-lines/564952/1?csp=34travel&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TP-TheCruiseLog+%28Travel+-+The+Cruise+Log%29

 

Fed up with cruise lines that automatically add gratuities to your bill? You might want to sign up for industry giant Carnival's new voyages in Australia.

 

The Sydney Morning Herald today reports Carnival plans to do away with automatic tipping on the Carnival Spirit when it heads Down Under in 2012 as it "Aussifies" the ship.

 

"Tipping is not part of the culture for Australians, and we respect that," the Morning Herald quotes a Carnival executive as saying.

 

Carnival director Jennifer Vandekreeke tells the news outlet automatic tipping requirements are the number one cause of complaints Carnival gets from Australians sailing on its vessels.

 

 

 

It appears that many consider themselves "Australians".

[golfadj]

"Though by definition a tip is never legally required, and its amount is at the discretion of the patron being served"

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_(gratuity)

 

ENOUGH SAID. never legally required and at the discretion of the patron (I.E. ME)

 

Do what you want but we all know that Cheap is Cheap.

[T. Advisor King]

Of course we as consumers pay for all cruise employee's salaries, whether it be in the fare, onboard purchase etc.......

Gratuties are for services rendered for employees employed in the service industry.

No..... doctors work in the medical industry not service industry......but I think you know this.:rolleyes:

 

Okay then. Make it "bus driver" instead.

[scchasgal]

Okay then. Make it "bus driver" instead.

 

 

Bus drivers make tips you maybe you want school bus driver:D

[iTouch]

Okay then. Make it "bus driver" instead.

 

 

If you don't want to tip don't. I won't play your little game.Anyone that knows anything about the hospitality/service industry knows how gratuities are earned.

[sparks1093]

Huh?

 

My fare pays the crew's salary, but it doesn't actually pay them to do anything ... so anything they actually do is compensated by a tip? Is that what you're really saying?

 

I still want to know why the doctor doesn't get tipped. He/she is in the service industry as well.

 

And you probably think the price of your meal pays the waiter in the restaurant, too.

[T. Advisor King]

If you don't want to tip don't. I won't play your little game.Anyone that knows anything about the hospitality/service industry knows how gratuities are earned.

 

My point exactly. Thank you.

[trainerdude]

If you don't want to tip don't. I won't play your little game.Anyone that knows anything about the hospitality/service industry knows how gratuities are earned.

 

Too many people now fall under that "service" industry tag. Where do you draw the line? There are tip jars at Starbucks. Should I tip them? People tip hairdressers....makes no sense to me as I paid them to do that. Same as cab drivers. What service did they provide that is different than a bus driver yet one is tipped and the other, not so much.

 

I have a degree in hospitality management and I understand the industry. My cruise fare pays the salary of the employees. The company uses auto tips to supplement that wage. I disagree with how they go about that, but c'est la vie. Tips in my opinion are not because they showed up for their shift and went through the motions. Tips are because they made my experience better.

 

Just my thoughts :)

[trainerdude]

And you probably think the price of your meal pays the waiter in the restaurant, too.

 

It doesn't? How else do they get paid? If they are working just for tips they may need to find another job. :D

[iTouch]

My point exactly. Thank you.

 

That's alright I have co workers that don't tip either......

[iTouch]

Too many people now fall under that "service" industry tag. Where do you draw the line? There are tip jars at Starbucks. Should I tip them? People tip hairdressers....makes no sense to me as I paid them to do that. Same as cab drivers. What service did they provide that is different than a bus driver yet one is tipped and the other, not so much.

 

I have a degree in hospitality management and I understand the industry. My cruise fare pays the salary of the employees. The company uses auto tips to supplement that wage. I disagree with how they go about that, but c'est la vie. Tips in my opinion are not because they showed up for their shift and went through the motions. Tips are because they made my experience better.

 

Just my thoughts :)

 

I don't have a hard time firguring out who to tip....never even crossed my mind:)

[trainerdude]

I don't have a hard time firguring out who to tip....never even crossed my mind:)

 

Me either. But there sure are a lot of "tip jars" out there.

 

:)

[sparks1093]

Too many people now fall under that "service" industry tag. Where do you draw the line? There are tip jars at Starbucks. Should I tip them? People tip hairdressers....makes no sense to me as I paid them to do that. Same as cab drivers. What service did they provide that is different than a bus driver yet one is tipped and the other, not so much.

 

I have a degree in hospitality management and I understand the industry. My cruise fare pays the salary of the employees. The company uses auto tips to supplement that wage. I disagree with how they go about that, but c'est la vie. Tips in my opinion are not because they showed up for their shift and went through the motions. Tips are because they made my experience better.

 

Just my thoughts :)

 

It doesn't? How else do they get paid? If they are working just for tips they may need to find another job. :D

 

$2.13 an hour for the land based staff, $75 a month for cruise ship employees who receive tips. Yep, that's a salary to write home about.:rolleyes: I don't pity people who work for tips but I don't begrudge them their due, either.

[trainerdude]

$2.13 an hour for the land based staff, $75 a month for cruise ship employees who receive tips. Yep, that's a salary to write home about.:rolleyes: I don't pity people who work for tips but I don't begrudge them their due, either.

 

First of all that is a wage. Albeit a small one, it's still a wage and paid for out of the cruise fare or the cost of dinner .

 

I don't begrudge them tips either. But they choose that job. I don't however subscribe to the theory that simply showing up earns you a tip.

[ferfoodle]

Too many people now fall under that "service" industry tag. Where do you draw the line? There are tip jars at Starbucks. Should I tip them? People tip hairdressers....makes no sense to me as I paid them to do that. Same as cab drivers. What service did they provide that is different than a bus driver yet one is tipped and the other, not so much.

 

I have a degree in hospitality management and I understand the industry. My cruise fare pays the salary of the employees. The company uses auto tips to supplement that wage. I disagree with how they go about that, but c'est la vie. Tips in my opinion are not because they showed up for their shift and went through the motions. Tips are because they made my experience better.

 

Just my thoughts :)

 

I don't have a degree in hospitality management. But I learned to tip those that do something for you (service industry) that you could have done yourself, but chose not to for whatever reason.

 

I could cut my own hair but choose to have someone else cut it as to not scare people with my hairdo (because trust me if I did it myself I wouldn't want to look at myself let alone let anyone suffer with it.)

 

I tip my paperboy because I choose to have home delivery where I could go to the store and buy it there, but I prefer not to.

 

I tip the taxi driver (bus driver if they are not government run buses) because I choose their service instead of walking there myself. Taxi drivers are usually private enterprise, whereas bus drivers are usually government employed - not always, but usually. Don't tip government employees.

 

I don't tip my doctor because I cannot write a prescription myself nor give my self stitches or xray my lungs or get the idea yet?

 

Now when it comes to dining out. I could cook for myself at home, but choose to go to a restaurant. I pay a premium on the meal (costs less at home to make) but the restaurant has to make a profit and pay overhead. I could have gone to a buffet or fast food where I avoid additional service, but chose a sit down place where the waitstaff serves me. I tip their service because that is how it is done in this neck of the woods (USA).

 

On a cruise, I choose to eat in the MDR - I choose to tip for the service because it is not included in the cost of the meal. The food is included - the service is not. IMO tipping has little to do with making my experience better. IMO the better the experience, the better the tip. In my book, average service = 15% and I go up or down from that base depending on the quality.

[trainerdude]

I don't have a degree in hospitality management. But I learned to tip those that do something for you (service industry) that you could have done yourself, but chose not to for whatever reason.

 

I could cut my own hair but choose to have someone else cut it as to not scare people with my hairdo (because trust me if I did it myself I wouldn't want to look at myself let alone let anyone suffer with it.)

 

I tip my paperboy because I choose to have home delivery where I could go to the store and buy it there, but I prefer not to.

 

I tip the taxi driver (bus driver if they are not government run buses) because I choose their service instead of walking there myself. Taxi drivers are usually private enterprise, whereas bus drivers are usually government employed - not always, but usually. Don't tip government employees.

 

I don't tip my doctor because I cannot write a prescription myself nor give my self stitches or xray my lungs or get the idea yet?

 

Now when it comes to dining out. I could cook for myself at home, but choose to go to a restaurant. I pay a premium on the meal (costs less at home to make) but the restaurant has to make a profit and pay overhead. I could have gone to a buffet or fast food where I avoid additional service, but chose a sit down place where the waitstaff serves me. I tip their service because that is how it is done in this neck of the woods (USA).

 

On a cruise, I choose to eat in the MDR - I choose to tip for the service because it is not included in the cost of the meal. The food is included - the service is not. IMO tipping has little to do with making my experience better. IMO the better the experience, the better the tip. In my book, average service = 15% and I go up or down from that base depending on the quality.

 

Sounds good to me. I am happy you found a way that makes sense to you. I don't discuss who or how much I tip.

 

 

I do think many people who are currently getting tips, should not be tipped. But such is life.

[BOSN]

I will start with I did not read every post on all 9 pages, but I think there is one thing that is not being covered.

 

In the U.S. at land based food service establishments (non-fast food), you have sit down service. The service comes with a waiter or waitress, and sometimes a bus person. Some of the more fancy places have a Maitre'D. In the U.S. we have two different minimum wages. There is the standard minimum wage, and the service minimum wage.The service minimum wage is usually around half of the standard minimum wage.

 

The service minimum wage is lower, because it is expected the employee will be compensated with gratuities (tips) that will either bring up their hourly service wage up to that of the standard wage or higher. Having service wage employees also keeps overhead down on the establishments.

As employees make higher wages, more is paid out in both employee with-holding taxes, insurance, etc.

 

Many establishments have more part time employees, than full time employees. This keeps the overhead down in employee benefits. Not sure how much $$ this would be. But I imagine that if the cruise lines paid their employees more, and did away with the tipping process, The cruise fare would increase more than what we are already paying with the cruise fare + tips. The cruise line would have to increase the fares much higher to adjust for the employee with holdings, insurance, etc.

 

Yes they did choose this as their way of life. But the cruise ship employees we have talked with on our cruises have all said they send almost all their $$ back home to their families. Their jobs may seem meanial, but some do enjoy them, and others have said, it is more than they can make back home. Their families live better than others around them in their native lands. Just my thought on the manner.

[iTouch]

Me either. But there sure are a lot of "tip jars" out there.

 

:)

 

Those never cross my mind either:)

[T. Advisor King]

I don't have a degree in hospitality management. ...

 

I tip my paperboy because I choose to have home delivery where I could go to the store and buy it there, but I prefer not to.

 

I tip the taxi driver (bus driver if they are not government run buses) because I choose their service instead of walking there myself. Taxi drivers are usually private enterprise, whereas bus drivers are usually government employed - not always, but usually. Don't tip government employees.

 

....

 

I pay a circulation fee to my daily newspaper. It comes off my credit card every month. I never see my "paperboy", although a few times when I've been up really early there's a dude driving around in an old tan dodge. I'm pretty sure that's him. I don't think I've ever tipped my newspaper delivery man, nor have I tipped the cable company workers who make sure my evening news gets to my TV.

 

I'm very happy that you have a system for tipping bus drivers that depends on whether or not they're public or private sector workers. I'm sure you have a good understanding of the transportation sector in your home city, but do you do research before you travel to other jurisdictions to determine whether or not the various transportation companies you might encounter are privately owned or publicly run? Does it get complicated because I know some cities have transportation systems that are run on public/private partnerships. Does it matter if it is a private transit company that is funded by local government on a fee-for-service basis? It is actually quite a complicated area, so I'm surprised anyone would take the time and effort to distinguish.

 

Or maybe you just ask them when you board: "Excuse me sir/ma'am. Would you please explain the legal and ownership status of the entity that serves as your employer. I need to determine whether to supplement the $2.65 bus fare with an 18% tip."

[T. Advisor King]

And you probably think the price of your meal pays the waiter in the restaurant, too.

 

Gosh no.

 

The price of my meal pays for the host/hostess, server, busboy/girl, cooks/chef. They also pay for the supplies (napkins, straws, menus), tableware, kitchen and other capital equipment, heat, light and power, cost of food sold, lease costs on the premises (triple-net basis), leasehold improvements and decor, advertizing, waste removal, interest on the company loan and a profit to the owners.

 

It would never occur to me that the price of the meal might also pay the waiter.

[sparks1093]

First of all that is a wage. Albeit a small one, it's still a wage and paid for out of the cruise fare or the cost of dinner .

 

I don't begrudge them tips either. But they choose that job. I don't however subscribe to the theory that simply showing up earns you a tip.

 

No, if they are that lackadaisical I probably wouldn't give them that much but as long as the service as a whole is at least adequate they've earned their tip.

Gosh no.

 

 

 

The price of my meal pays for the host/hostess, server, busboy/girl, cooks/chef. They also pay for the supplies (napkins, straws, menus), tableware, kitchen and other capital equipment, heat, light and power, cost of food sold, lease costs on the premises (triple-net basis), leasehold improvements and decor, advertizing, waste removal, interest on the company loan and a profit to the owners.

 

It would never occur to me that the price of the meal might also pay the waiter.

 

If Pacific Northwest = Oregon then I understand where you are coming from because the minimum wage for tipped employees is full minimum wage (and if I were to eat in a restaraunt in Oregon I would adjust my tip accordingly). But Federal minimum wage for tipped employees = $2.13 with the rest of their compensation coming from tips (but the minimum does vary by state, here in Vermont it's $3.95 an hour and 4 states mandate full minimum wage).

 

I also like Vermont's definition of service or tipped employees-

“A service or tipped employee” means an employee of a

hotel, motel, tourist place, or restaurant who customarily and regularly receives more than $120.00 a month in tips."

Of course crew members aren't covered by any of this. As stated they receive a small salary and the rest of their compensation comes from tips. If you want to kid yourself and say that their entire compensation comes from the crusie fare that's your business but that doesn't square with the facts no matter how you slice it.

[H82seaUgo]

Of course we as consumers pay for all cruise employee's salaries, whether it be in the fare, onboard purchase etc.......

Gratuties are for services rendered for employees employed in the service industry.

No..... doctors work in the medical industry not service industry......but I think you know this.:rolleyes:

 

salaries and work duties are two different things.

 

my tips to service personel goes to those people servicing me, as well as accomodating all my requests.

 

there is not any other individual to do that assigned directly to me. everyone else is doing what their bosses are telling them to do, and that has nothing to do with my fare.

[Socref124]

First of all, your explanation of tipping is inaccurate. Tips is basically an acronym which stands for; To Insure Prompt Service.dly,

Secondly, room service employees do rate a tip, they are performing a service for you.

Thirdly, most other cruise lines have been charging $11.50 for a wile now.

[H82seaUgo]

First of all, your explanation of tipping is inaccurate. Tips is basically an acronym which stands for; To Insure Prompt Service.dly,

 

no it's not.

 

and you would ensure if one tepped before service rendered.

 

where would one even go to insure a tip?

[sparks1093]

.

 

where would one even go to insure a tip?

 

Why, insuremytip.com of course:D.