Gratuities?

[fathercop]

I know we go round and round on this issue on the boards, but if you give money to your steward in an envelope or to your wait staff or a bartender, they do keep the money even if you reduce or negate your daily auto-gratuity. It does not go into a "pool".

 

My daughter is dating a Princess crew member and I asked him about this issue when he spent 3 weeks of his vacation with us. He told me that whatever envelopes those individuals get they get to keep the gratuity. He has been on the Caribbean, Diamond, Star and Emerald and told me this has been the case on every ship. He has been with Princess for 8 contracts.

 

My daughter met him while we were cruising on the CB.

 

As for reducing the gratuities, after listening to him tell me many behind the scenes stories about how many crew members work very hard, for very long hours, out of the view of the passengers, I don't think I will ever take them for granted again. He worked in the entertainment department and has also been a counselor with the kids.

 

(Also, I am hoping that if their relationship continues to blossom, maybe I can get a family discount!! LOL)

[Aus Traveller]

I know we go round and round on this issue on the boards, but if you give money to your steward in an envelope or to your wait staff or a bartender, they do keep the money even if you reduce or negate your daily auto-gratuity. It does not go into a "pool".

 

My daughter is dating a Princess crew member and I asked him about this issue when he spent 3 weeks of his vacation with us. He told me that whatever envelopes those individuals get they get to keep the gratuity. He has been on the Caribbean, Diamond, Star and Emerald and told me this has been the case on every ship. He has been with Princess for 8 contracts.

Very interesting. So many people say emphatically that they can never keep it.

 

By the way, on the hours worked, I know that crew on Princess ships have to fill in a time sheet every day and they are not to work more than a set amount of hours every day and must have a specified number of hours break.

 

I hope your daughter's romance continues to blossom.

[preschool teacher]

I know we go round and round on this issue on the boards, but if you give money to your steward in an envelope or to your wait staff or a bartender, they do keep the money even if you reduce or negate your daily auto-gratuity. It does not go into a "pool".

 

My daughter is dating a Princess crew member and I asked him about this issue when he spent 3 weeks of his vacation with us. He told me that whatever envelopes those individuals get they get to keep the gratuity. He has been on the Caribbean, Diamond, Star and Emerald and told me this has been the case on every ship. He has been with Princess for 8 contracts.

 

My daughter met him while we were cruising on the CB.

 

As for reducing the gratuities, after listening to him tell me many behind the scenes stories about how many crew members work very hard, for very long hours, out of the view of the passengers, I don't think I will ever take them for granted again. He worked in the entertainment department and has also been a counselor with the kids.

 

(Also, I am hoping that if their relationship continues to blossom, maybe I can get a family discount!! LOL)

 

Where is the crew member from? That is interesting.....

[caribill]

My daughter is dating a Princess crew member and I asked him about this issue when he spent 3 weeks of his vacation with us. He told me that whatever envelopes those individuals get they get to keep the gratuity. He has been on the Caribbean, Diamond, Star and Emerald and told me this has been the case on every ship. He has been with Princess for 8 contracts.

 

He worked in the entertainment department and has also been a counselor with the kids.

 

 

The entertainment department and the kids' counselors are not in the tipping pool, so they would get to keep 100% of any tips they were given.

[Aus Traveller]

The entertainment department and the kids' counselors are not in the tipping pool, so they would get to keep 100% of any tips they were given.

Quite true.:)

[caribill]

My interest was based on our decision to never eat in the dining room. We did room service every meal except for 2 breakfasts we had in Sabatini’s. I did not feel it was fair that the guy had to clean all these dishes and glasses, yet the tip was going to the waiters in the dining room. I asked him about cash tipping and removing the auto tip and he told me that he keeps all cash tips given to him regardless of the auto tip.

 

It is the dining room staff and the cabin stewards who need to turn in any cash tips.

 

The room service staff, although included in the tipping pool, do not have to turn in any tips they are given. So, what he told you was correct for the position he holds.

[caribill]

Some time ago one cruise director printed (in the daily paper) the exact figures when the per day tip was lower than it is now, but going by percentages, it was one-third to the cabin steward, one-third to the table steward with the balance divided between bar staff, buffet staff, 25 cents to each head waiter and a small amount (from each passenger) to the maitre d'.

 

On Princess and on most cruise lines the bar staff are not in the tipping pool since 15% is added to every beverage order as a tip for the bar staff.

[Aus Traveller]

On Princess and on most cruise lines the bar staff are not in the tipping pool since 15% is added to every beverage order as a tip for the bar staff.

I am incorrect as far as Princess is concerned, which is of course what we are talking about. Sorry about that. The bar staff were included in the P&O tips pool, but of course on P&O Aust this is no longer the case.:)

[bugspost]

From what we were told on a ship, it depends on the 'management' on the ship at the time (whether they have to hand over cash tips or not).

 

exactly........you need to ask to find out for sure whether they have to turn them in if auto tip is removed..... on Coral........I talked to pursers, hotel manager, room steward, waiters, etc....ALL said that they keep any cash tips given to them EVEN if auto tip was removed. After reading, I sent email to Princess & called on phone about CORAL.......& was told the same thing so do not assume all of Princess' fleet makes them turn in cash tips. Many on our ship reduced their auto tip because of crappy service but DID reward the exceptional employees....a few removed auto tip completely....

 

Also, when I asked cabin steward about envelope to give tips in,,,,he said they were not allowed to provide them ( I verified this w/the hotel manager) OF course, there were regular envelopes in the cabin but I chose to just hand cash to employees. We tipped very well..........more than autotip...........we left autotip for 7 of the 15 days....then, tipped not only 3 cabin stewards(only 1 was ours but the other 2 had been so nice & helpful during our cruise), but buffet staff, laundry staff, casino staff, MDR staff. Of course, we tipped the coffee bar staff & room service staff too. We like to recognize exceptional customer service. The auto tip, IMO can not always be reasonable as many will NOT TIP above that daily charge............some staff just deserves more. I was surprised to find out the percentages of the auto tip that cabin stewards got.....believe me it wasn't a lot.....even when Princess upped their autotip........the cabin stewards percentage went down so they basically didn't get a raise w/the increase....

[Pia1913]

exactly........you need to ask to find out for sure whether they have to turn them in if auto tip is removed..... on Coral........I talked to pursers, hotel manager, room steward, waiters, etc....ALL said that they keep any cash tips given to them EVEN if auto tip was removed. After reading, I sent email to Princess & called on phone about CORAL.......& was told the same thing so do not assume all of Princess' fleet makes them turn in cash tips. Many on our ship reduced their auto tip because of crappy service but DID reward the exceptional employees....a few removed auto tip completely....

 

Also, when I asked cabin steward about envelope to give tips in,,,,he said they were not allowed to provide them ( I verified this w/the hotel manager) OF course, there were regular envelopes in the cabin but I chose to just hand cash to employees. We tipped very well..........more than autotip...........we left autotip for 7 of the 15 days....then, tipped not only 3 cabin stewards(only 1 was ours but the other 2 had been so nice & helpful during our cruise), but buffet staff, laundry staff, casino staff, MDR staff. Of course, we tipped the coffee bar staff & room service staff too. We like to recognize exceptional customer service. The auto tip, IMO can not always be reasonable as many will NOT TIP above that daily charge............some staff just deserves more. I was surprised to find out the percentages of the auto tip that cabin stewards got.....believe me it wasn't a lot.....even when Princess upped their autotip........the cabin stewards percentage went down so they basically didn't get a raise w/the increase....

 

Please explain how you tipped the laundry staff when they are people you never have any contact with.

[77Network]

It is the dining room staff and the cabin stewards who need to turn in any cash tips.

 

The room service staff, although included in the tipping pool, do not have to turn in any tips they are given. So, what he told you was correct for the position he holds.

 

 

Please don't quote only one sentence of my post to make it seem like I said something I did not. I never said anything about room service staff. Anyone who read the whole post knows it was obvious I was speaking of the steward. It is the steward that has to clean up the dishes and glasses you leave in room. What is your motivation in wanting people to believe incorrect information?

 

 

 

 

Again, please don't listen to anyone on these boards who tell you they know what the tipping policy is on your cruise. You should ask the purser. It is their job to answer questions about money on the ship. They have been trained to do this and will have more current information than anyone on this website will.

[77Network]

although included in the tipping pool, do not have to turn in any tips they are given. So, what he told you was correct for the position he holds.

 

Thank you caribill. Our room steward also told us he did not have to turn in tips.

[stoneharborlady]

We left auto tips on, but brought several envelopes from home specifically to use to tip our cabin steward and dining room waiter. Reason we did that, rather than put cash directly into their hand, was so that we could put our name and cabin number on the envelope. We were told to do that, as it made checking for the auto tip easier for the staff.

 

Karen