Stewards had a clipboard on cart clearly showing who had not paid tips

[The4Cruisers]

Gratuities should be a mandatory service charge when sailing on a CCL ship. It's a reasonable and fair system.

 

Don't like it? Then sail elsewhere.

[LHP]

You have posted you always remove tips,.. so now you got a convenient excuse.

 

Own it as one of the above posters said .. dont give excuses for removing tips. you said you were already removing it .. before this. Excuses dont cut it with me.

 

Carnival should call it a service charge the way NCL does

 

I agree.

 

They should call it what it really is ... the crew's salary.

 

 

then maybe people would think twice stiffing these hardworking individuals.

 

(and yes, if you pay cash in person...someone gets stiffed, because you don't always see everyone that serves you)

[Laurin612]

The servers are only paid very little by Carnival, they only get paid like 50 cents an hour (and they work 12+ hours a day, 7 days a week). They survive on their tips (I believe the same is for the stewards with the none existent pay and long hours). A good server/steward can make $5000+ a month in tips, but still only get like $180 a month from Carnival. Carnival is registered out of the United States for these reasons, so they don't have to pay the wages required by the US and can keep the cost of the cruise low for the customers. Those of you that complain about tipping your servers and stewards are usually the same people that complain that the "quality" of the guests are trash. It's amazing how some people think - I'd love to see those of you tip complainers work the hours these people do. :(

 

Very true. But I had read in Jay Herring's book that the room stewards and wait staff make even less--.15 cents an hour! Knowing how hard these people work for their meager pay, how can anyone feel it's right NOT to tip them? :confused:

[st.marks]

Ok,Let's say you removed your tips for bad service or for some other reason, and your room steward has you noted on his naughty list,do you supposed this would be attached to your past guest number for future black billing purposes on future cruise bookings ,i.e., no free upgrades, less OBC,No past guest benefits, etc.?

[H82seaUgo]

You have posted you always remove tips,.. so now you got a convenient excuse.

 

Own it as one of the above posters said .. dont give excuses for removing tips. you said you were already removing it .. before this. Excuses dont cut it with me.

 

Carnival should call it a service charge the way NCL does

 

i've challenged you before, and i will challenge you again.

 

show me any of my posts where i state i have ever removed tips.

 

i can save you the time.......i haven't. :rolleyes:

 

my change is due to the implimentation of taking $2 of my tips, $8 a day, and giving it to augment the salaries of people not serving me such as entertainers and customer service, and are full salaried emplyees.

 

i have not cruised since they implemented this on 12.1.11.

[H82seaUgo]

You can't tell guest services to remove that $2? You have to pay all or nothing?

 

I like automatic tipping, but there are some issues with it, such as the entertainment staff getting tipped and getting charged for MDR service if you use the specialty restaurants - effectively double tipping.

 

my guess is removing $2 (x 4) would just get prorated, and my dining room staff and my room steward would lose their cut.

 

when i next sail, i will be seeing if i can remove the $2, and maintain the 5.80 and 3.70 that go directly to my service staff. if i could, i would move $1 each to each.

[lady_cruiser]

Honestly, as someone who's worked as a server for years and depended on tips for my pay...if I saw a list that they were CARRYING around, I would be tempted to complain and/or remove my tips. That's just rude and petty IMO. I can't imagine being a server and carrying around an index card of who is a good tipper and who isn't so I could plan my service accordingly...

So if management places the list of non-tippers on the workers clip boards you are going to take it out on the worker and remove their tips?

[H82seaUgo]

This is the wrong way to look at it.

When people remove their tips, the crew get reprimanded for it.

If some cheapazz got me reprimaded, I'd want to know who it was. It's only fair to the steward to know who removed tips.

If you go to to CS desk to do this, they will ask you why you are removing them. If I was the cabin steward I'd want to know who and why as well.

Put yourself in the position of the worker...would you be able to just accept that a certain number of people took away some of your income without wondering who and why??

 

If people think you aren't doing your job properly, this enables you to do it better...or if you are doing your job properly and someone just 'doesn't believe in tipping', at least you know that you are doing oK and it was just their choice and was no refelction on you.

 

Also, some of the crew like to thank people at the end of the cruise, how embarassing would it be to thank people who removed the tips?

 

I don't understand why people don't at least try to put themselves in someone else's shoes before making judgements.

 

Oh and Firefly, I'd have looked too....it would be too tempting not to.

I'm not saying it's right, but I'm admitting being human and curious....

 

we cruise often with friends we met on our first cruise. i know for a fact the "he" has always removed the autotip on every cruise we have been on with them since they instituted it.

 

and every time, he gets approached by his staff (which is also ours), as to what he and his wife were unhappy with that they removed their tips.

 

every cruise.

 

so we know they are informed. how, we never knew. now, we may.

[H82seaUgo]

OK not many know or even think about this BUT your automatic tip at the bar is "voluntary"... You can remove... I did it ONCE when a very rude, extremely dumb bartender first double billed me (tried to get me to sign with his hand over the amount - like he was holding it down for me), then stated that I had already drank the "extra" beer.. finally agreeing I had not after I insisted seeing the "manager". I told him I wanted to remove the tip, he stared at me and then finally gave me another printed slip with correct charge and a line to "add" my own tip... which was nothing. The only time I did it but it goes to show that they are "voluntary".

 

yes you can, and whereas they use to publish the process, it's now a secret.

 

you have two choices.

 

ours (only once, but we did it) was rude as well. all you need do it cross out the tip amount, and retotal. when whomever types the amount in, it must be the amount you have signed for.

 

(the other way is to take the reciept to customer service and have them adjust it).

 

just make sure the charge matches your bill.

[klmorg]

Ok,Let's say you removed your tips for bad service or for some other reason, and your room steward has you noted on his naughty list,do you supposed this would be attached to your past guest number for future black billing purposes on future cruise bookings ,i.e., no free upgrades, less OBC,No past guest benefits, etc.?

 

No.

[Potstech]

If I got such a letter I think I would stop by the passenger service desk and let them know how insulting this was. Sorry but it is the customer who determines is a tip is warranted or not. If the server can "demand" a tip then I would not use that service provider again. Tipping should not be mandatory anywhere. Before everybody stands up and flogs me to death I always leave the automatic tip on AND provide increase to those I think deserve it. I would just be insulted if I ever got a letter along that line.

[H82seaUgo]

its not double tipping. tips cover your breakfast and lunch too.

 

actually it is.

 

your daily tips are for 3 sit down meals, and that daily suggestion is now $5.80. quite a bargain, if you ask me.

 

but, at some point, with alternative dining, they started charging you and extra $1. you're not eating in both places, but are adding a dollar to serve yourself upstairs. at least i had an option until........

 

....they started closing the mdr on certain days for lunch. so i lost my option of 3 service meals a day, or not.

 

and if you eat in the specialty restaurant, you theoretically are tripple tipping.

 

when they increased the $1 to $2, i finally said enough. and will act on that "enough" next cruise.

[wrigley80]

I always have the tips and gratuities taken off of our sail and sign account because I prefer to tip the last night of the cruise. You always receive wonderful service whether your tips are taken off or not.

[CharmedMom]

Very true. But I had read in Jay Herring's book that the room stewards and wait staff make even less--.15 cents an hour! Knowing how hard these people work for their meager pay, how can anyone feel it's right NOT to tip them? :confused:

 

They made that 15 cents an hour back in 2002, 2003 and 2004 when minimum wage was $2.15 for servers. When we went on our Behind the Fun tour in 2010, they told us that the servers and stewards make 50 cents an hour (I was floored by this).

[boo214]

actually it is.

 

your daily tips are for 3 sit down meals, and that daily suggestion is now $5.80. quite a bargain, if you ask me.

 

but, at some point, with alternative dining, they started charging you and extra $1. you're not eating in both places, but are adding a dollar to serve yourself upstairs. at least i had an option until........

 

....they started closing the mdr on certain days for lunch. so i lost my option of 3 service meals a day, or not.

 

and if you eat in the specialty restaurant, you theoretically are tripple tipping.

 

when they increased the $1 to $2, i finally said enough. and will act on that "enough" next cruise.

you just said it yourself, your daily tips are for 3 meals. so if you eat breakfast and lunch in the mdr or buffet and dinner in a specialty you are not double tipping as your daily charge covered your breakfast and lunch and your specialty charge covered your dinner.

[H82seaUgo]

you just said it yourself, your daily tips are for 3 meals. so if you eat breakfast and lunch in the mdr or buffet and dinner in a specialty you are not double tipping as your daily charge covered your breakfast and lunch and your specialty charge covered your dinner.

 

follow my guzintas......

 

i tipped for three meals (tips are 1.93 a meal now), and paid for three meals.

 

on the third day, i decide to eat in the specialty restaurant, so i am still paying for an uneaten meal, and tipping for that meal as well (my daily $5.80 x 4 still goes to my mdr staff).

 

then i also tip within the $30 surcharge

[askimdog]

I am sorta with Potstech on this. We leave it alone, can't imagine personally tipping before I know the service I am about to get. Normally nice service, but I have seen some pretty horrible service and bad attitudes by Carnival staff as well.

 

Just leave it all week and then adjust as fit at the end, yes at times, some deserve more for sure.

 

To pull it right away, can't see doing that, as mentioned if you're paying as ya go, like the steward everyday, there is always someone unknown and behind the scenes helping that you'll miss.

 

And yes, no tip should be mandatory...amen to that.

[boo214]

follow my guzintas......

 

i tipped for three meals (tips are 1.93 a meal now), and paid for three meals.

 

on the third day, i decide to eat in the specialty restaurant, so i am still paying for an uneaten meal, and tipping for that meal as well (my daily $5.80 x 4 still goes to my mdr staff).

 

then i also tip within the $30 surcharge

so basically you are tipping an exta $1.93 (or an extra 96 cents at breakfast and lunch depending on how you look at it), not much of a double tip if you ask me

[H82seaUgo]

so basically you are tipping an exta $1.93 (or an extra 96 cents at breakfast and lunch depending on how you look at it), not much of a double tip if you ask me

 

that's not the issue. like i said, tips on a ship are a bargain, especially for what they do.

 

btw, the $1.93 is per person. how many restaurants would you walk into and tip, yet not eat there?

[plantlady104]

I thought all passengers were required to pay automatic tipping, so guess I was wrong. I believe as many that there should be an automatic tipping policy, and then you can also pay more to a specific worker who provided service to you. Curious, how does the automatic tipping get distributed to the employees? Are the total collected tips fro the cruise prorated and given to the employees, or is based upon your room and dining room assignment - meaning that my room steward and dining room server received my daily tips?

[H82seaUgo]

I thought all passengers were required to pay automatic tipping, so guess I was wrong. I believe as many that there should be an automatic tipping policy, and then you can also pay more to a specific worker who provided service to you. Curious, how does the automatic tipping get distributed to the employees? Are the total collected tips fro the cruise prorated and given to the employees, or is based upon your room and dining room assignment - meaning that my room steward and dining room server received my daily tips?

 

83% of your tips go to your service staff if you auto tip

 

100% goes to your staff if you pay in cash.

[truchattycathy]

Oh...I think I may have made a boo boo. I have the Carnival MC and used my points to cover tips for my mom and I on our upcoming cruise. It was a better value than just getting OBC with my points. I hope CCL will actually pay those tips to the staff and that I won't be on some list. I wish I had just got the OBC insead. I don't want my steward or dining room staff to think I stiffed them. I always tip a little extra too....so at least they'll have that.

 

No you won't be on some list. Your tips are paid up front. No worries!!!!

[H82seaUgo]

No you won't be on some list. Your tips are paid up front. No worries!!!!

 

you may have paid them up front, but they don't get dispursed until the cruise is over. carnival is "holding it" for you.

[boo214]

that's not the issue. like i said, tips on a ship are a bargain, especially for what they do.

 

btw, the $1.93 is per person. how many restaurants would you walk into and tip, yet not eat there?[/quote]

but i have tipped and eaten, for breakfast and lunch just 96 cents extra is all.

[itzgeralyn]

When I sailed on the Liberty two weeks ago, two of the stewards had clipboards on the fifth day clearly showing a computerized sheet as to who had NOT paid their tips. I tried to take a photo but I could not get my camera to zoom in enough to get a shot.

 

For folks who don't think they know, it's just not true.

 

While I have no problem with the staff themselves knowing who has or hasn't adjusted (or removed) the auto tips....I don't like that idea of that data being left to public viewing via a "list" or chart. *If* this is the case, it seems rather indiscreet from a service industry.

 

Better they just keep a blank or logo cover sheet on the top of the clipboard with the cabin data covered. I pay the auto tips and leave it alone... and hand out cash as the cruise rolls along for attentive service. But thats really no ones business but the mine and the recipient, imo.