Services on Austalia/New Zealand Cruises

[judyfssw]

When you're on a cruise "down under" have you found the service to be lacking on the ships? It is my understanding that Australians and Kiwis don't expect tipping and therefore don't "tip" on the ships. Therefore, I'm wodering if the staff on the ships thinking that they might not be given a tip for their services might slack off some? Or perhaps Celebrity might put some new personnel on the ships who aren't used to the high standard of service that Celebrity is known for.

I saw some reviews from previous cruises and sometimes this seemed to be a problem. What do CCrs think? What's your opinion?

[milokama]

When you're on a cruise "down under" have you found the service to be lacking on the ships? It is my understanding that Australians and Kiwis don't expect tipping and therefore don't "tip" on the ships. Therefore, I'm wodering if the staff on the ships thinking that they might not be given a tip for their services might slack off some? Or perhaps Celebrity might put some new personnel on the ships who aren't used to the high standard of service that Celebrity is known for.

I saw some reviews from previous cruises and sometimes this seemed to be a problem. What do CCrs think? What's your opinion?

 

Hi There,

While I have never cruised to Australia/NZ, I travelled extensively through NZ last summer (US summer June/July 2011). In my opinion, I found the service in all areas to be far superior to those in the US. My husband and I talked about it at length because we were quite surprised. Like you, my first thought would be that since they are not earning any extra for exceptional service, what would motivate any service industry to go above and beyond? However, in ever restaurant, in every spa, in all tourist spots we received service that was well above our expectations in the US.

[judyfssw]

Thank you for your reply but I was referring to the services on the ship. I've only read about great service from the people of Australia and New Zealand.

[Oxo]

When you're on a cruise "down under" have you found the service to be lacking on the ships? It is my understanding that Australians and Kiwis don't expect tipping and therefore don't "tip" on the ships. Therefore, I'm wodering if the staff on the ships thinking that they might not be given a tip for their services might slack off some? Or perhaps Celebrity might put some new personnel on the ships who aren't used to the high standard of service that Celebrity is known for.

I saw some reviews from previous cruises and sometimes this seemed to be a problem. What do CCrs think? What's your opinion?

 

have you found the service to be lacking on the ships? It is my understanding that Australians and Kiwis don't expect tipping and therefore don't

 

We have done Australia and NZ on Princess and did not find any difference between that cruise's service and any other. So, we assume that X would be the same excellent service regardless of which port it originated in. JMHO.

[BrusselsGirl07]

Hi there - no, service has not been lacking at all. We have cruised on Celebrity ships in Europe, from San Francisco through the Panama, and in Australia and the service has been wonderful on all cruises. We have sailed on Century twice this year in Australia/NZ, and service was amazing.

 

It is true we do not generally tip in Australia (although I personally 'round up' - tell the taxi driver to keep the change, and round up the total of a bill from $36 to $40 for example). However, when I sail on Celebrity and RCI I always prepay my gratuities and then pay extra tips for excellent service at the end of the cruise directly to those staff involved. I believe that if you don't pre-pay your gratuities on Celebrity, they still charge the daily amount to your account.

 

Hope that helps!

[3418ahl]

There are a great many people of ALL nationalities that no longer tip on board since tipping started being taken out of you shipboard account daily and is automatic. There was a great deal more tipping done when it was discretionary.

[Eightydays]

There are a great many people of ALL nationalities that no longer tip on board since tipping started being taken out of you shipboard account daily and is automatic. There was a great deal more tipping done when it was discretionary.

 

Actually when Celebrity first started adding tips automatically a number of Celebrity staff (waiters, stateroom attendants, etc.) told me it was preferable because so many people would not leave any tip at all. I think people who would naturally tip might no longer be giving anything above the "recommended" amount, but overall the staff is getting more than they were before.

[astrocat]

As New Zealanders who cruise regularly with Celebrity (and did so around our own country and Australia just this summer), we most certainly tip whenever the service warrants it - which is seemingly always. The built in gratuity does take care of tipping for the basic daily purchases but we happily tip extra for the service in the dining areas and in our stateroom which has been, without exception, exceptional. :)

 

The service was never lacking on this summer's cruise, I think Celebrity has fabulous staff who don't appear to be overtly motivated by tipping. What they are motivated to do is a great job and that's what we - and fellow travellers like BrusselsGirl - will recognise, whereever we come from.

[TLCOhio]

The service was never lacking on this summer's cruise, I think Celebrity has fabulous staff who don't appear to be overtly motivated by tipping. What they are motivated to do is a great job and that's what we - and fellow travellers like BrusselsGirl - will recognise, whereever we come from.

 

Glad to hear your service was very good. We've booked on the Solstice, 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, cruise. It's a long ways off, but this cruise has a couple of extra stops in your country at Napier and Bay of Islands that most cruises don't visit. Lot of great stops in your scenic country, plus the earlier parts for this Sydney to Auckland sailing.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 75,361 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[celle]

As New Zealanders who cruise regularly with Celebrity (and did so around our own country and Australia just this summer), we most certainly tip whenever the service warrants it - which is seemingly always. The built in gratuity does take care of tipping for the basic daily purchases but we happily tip extra for the service in the dining areas and in our stateroom which has been, without exception, exceptional. :)

 

The service was never lacking on this summer's cruise, I think Celebrity has fabulous staff who don't appear to be overtly motivated by tipping. What they are motivated to do is a great job and that's what we - and fellow travellers like BrusselsGirl - will recognise, whereever we come from.

 

I second what astrocat said. We did a 14-day cruise from Sydney to Auckland on Celebrity Millennium. Service was excellent.

 

As a kiwi, I kind of resent the implication that many US cruisers make, that we down here in the Antipodes are mean and don't tip and, consequently, accept inferior service.

 

Unlike the USA, people in the service industries here are paid a decent wage, and are not dependent on tips for their income. There is also a belief that people are paid to do their jobs, which includes giving good service. They don't have to fawn over their customers in order to make a living. If they don't give good service, they lose their jobs. That's usually sufficient incentive.

 

As for the staff on cruise ships, most of us know that they are dependent on tips, and we do tip. Most of us here have to pay tips automatically when we cruise, so the tips are included in our fares; we just don't have much discretion about who we tip.

 

Following the original principle of tipping (as a reward for good service, not to supplement inadequate wages), I often give extra tips to the cruise staff who have given service over and above what is expected.

[bula squeak]

When you're on a cruise "down under" have you found the service to be lacking on the ships? It is my understanding that Australians and Kiwis don't expect tipping and therefore don't "tip" on the ships. Therefore, I'm wodering if the staff on the ships thinking that they might not be given a tip for their services might slack off some? Or perhaps Celebrity might put some new personnel on the ships who aren't used to the high standard of service that Celebrity is known for.

I saw some reviews from previous cruises and sometimes this seemed to be a problem. What do CCrs think? What's your opinion?

 

How can you generalize about people like that?

 

What would you think if I said Americans were rude to the crew all the time on the last Celebrity cruise I was on?

 

Us folks ''down under'' as you ''Yanks'' so quaintly put it are generally very polite, put up with a lot of crap and reward good service, as well as not stamping our feet and throwing our toys out of the cot.

 

Don't bother coming ''down here'' you will hate it.

[DebbieMacG]

How can you generalize about people like that?

 

What would you think if I said Americans were rude to the crew all the time on the last Celebrity cruise I was on?

 

Us folks ''down under'' as you ''Yanks'' so quaintly put it are generally very polite, put up with a lot of crap and reward good service, as well as not stamping our feet and throwing our toys out of the cot.

 

Don't bother coming ''down here'' you will hate it.

 

I thought the OP's post was a bit insulting as well :(

[celle]

I second what astrocat said. We did a 14-day cruise from Sydney to Auckland on Celebrity Millennium. Service was excellent.

 

As a kiwi, I kind of resent the implication that many US cruisers make, that we down here in the Antipodes are mean and don't tip and, consequently, accept inferior service.

 

Unlike the USA, people in the service industries here are paid a decent wage, and are not dependent on tips for their income. There is also a belief that people are paid to do their jobs, which includes giving good service. They don't have to fawn over their customers in order to make a living. If they don't give good service, they lose their jobs. That's usually sufficient incentive.

 

As for the staff on cruise ships, most of us know that they are dependent on tips, and we do tip. Most of us here have to pay tips automatically when we cruise, so the tips are included in our fares; we just don't have much discretion about who we tip.

 

Following the original principle of tipping (as a reward for good service, not to supplement inadequate wages), I often give extra tips to the cruise staff who have given service over and above what is expected.

 

How can you generalize about people like that?

 

What would you think if I said Americans were rude to the crew all the time on the last Celebrity cruise I was on?

 

Us folks ''down under'' as you ''Yanks'' so quaintly put it are generally very polite, put up with a lot of crap and reward good service, as well as not stamping our feet and throwing our toys out of the cot.

 

Don't bother coming ''down here'' you will hate it.

 

I was offended too - my comment highlighted in my post I quoted above. But I think the original poster asked her question out of naivety, not out of a wish to offend.

 

There have been several threads on Cruise Critic about the so-called reluctance of Kiwis and Aussies to tip. They usually stem from a misunderstanding of the cultural differences in attitudes towards tipping in the USA and the Antipodes (that's us downunder). And they usually end up getting heated, with neither side convinced that the other side's perspective has much value.

 

To the Americans reading this: Here "downunder", we know about tipping. We're usually polite enough to tip when we visit your country, or any other country where tipping is the "norm". Most of us accept that tipping is expected when on a cruise, and so we do tip. But we don't accept that tipping should be routine, to make up for employers who pay low wages. We think that tipping should be a reward for excellent service, and should be given after that service, not before (that would be considered bribery).

[ceejay3377]

Hi there,

 

I am an Aussie who will be sailing with X for the first time in January. I have just paid my deposit and it clearly states on my invoice that the fare includes prepaid gratuities. I think you will find that it is becoming more commonplace for gratuities to be included in the fare here in Australia, although not all lines prepackage it into the fare (I wish HAL would). As such, you should experience a much higher level of service, since we have already bribed everyone before we even step on board :p

 

Tipping can be such a complex issue and even here (CC) on the many tipping threads it seems that Americans are not able to completely agree on when to tip, how much to tip, etc., so how on earth are we ever likely to get it right????? I say YAY to prepaid gratuities.

 

Cheers,

[judyfssw]

I so apologize to those of whom I have offended. I did not mean to do this. It's just that I read a couple of cruise reviews where the writers mentioned poor service and wondered if it was due to possible poor tipping. I mostly tip more than the minimum because of the service we've received. I will continue to do so.

Again, I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

[celle]

I so apologize to those of whom I have offended. I did not mean to do this. It's just that I read a couple of cruise reviews where the writers mentioned poor service and wondered if it was due to possible poor tipping. I mostly tip more than the minimum because of the service we've received. I will continue to do so.

Again, I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

 

Thank you, Judy, for your apology (which I accept, unreservedly). It took some courage to come back and do that. I didn't think that you meant to upset anyone, but sometimes things just come out that way.

 

I think that there are some meanies of every nationality who stiff the crew by not tipping, but they are in a minority.

 

Just an FYI for anyone who didn't know it - in Australia and New Zealand, we are used to seeing an all-in price for things. Unlike the USA and Canada, the price listed for things is not "$X plus taxes". It is "$X (including taxes"). So, if you see coffee listed at $5.00 a cup, that is exactly what you will pay. In fact, here it is illegal to show a price any other way. In NZ, an airline company was successfully prosecuted for advertising air fares at a cost which did not include taxes and extras. It was deemed to be misleading advertising.

 

Now, when Celebrity first brought its ships to Australia and NZ, they did not realise this. As we expect to see the total cost listed, some people were very surprised and upset to find that, on top of the basic cruise price, they were going to have to budget a considerable amount for tips. Remember, we're used to paying tips only if service is above what is normally expected, so the concept of tipping automatically, whether merited or not, was foreign to us.

 

Some people (unfortunately) then chose not to tip. So, Celebrity now sells its cruises to us at an all-inclusive price - basic cost, plus port charges, plus gratuities. We then pay the total price before ever setting foot on board.

[astrocat]

I so apologize to those of whom I have offended. I did not mean to do this. It's just that I read a couple of cruise reviews where the writers mentioned poor service and wondered if it was due to possible poor tipping. I mostly tip more than the minimum because of the service we've received. I will continue to do so.

Again, I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

 

Yep, what Celle says above .. good on you Judy! You'll be very welcome to visit our part of the world, when are you coming down?

 

I think the other thing to bear in mind when reading some posts/reviews is that 'poor service' is sometimes a cover for 'bad manners' from the party who is the customer!

 

Anyway, I think you'll have a wonderful time on X when you get here .. will you be coming to Wellington, NZ?

[ceejay3377]

No offence taken here, Judy. I think your question is something that a lot of your countrymen are concerned about, so it is great that we can address it here. I haven't cruised in the US, but I have cruised in both Asia and Australia, and I have not been able to discern any difference in service between these two regions.

 

Celebrity and Princess both have prepaid gratuities in their fares down here. I assume RCL do as well. I'm not sure about Carnival. HAL still applies $11.50pp/day to a passengers onboard account (more if you are in a suite), but owing to the laws here, as pointed out by celle, the service charge has to be optional. That is, it is a legal requirement to be able to opt out since it not a part of the advertised fare. (Don't mistake "legal" for "moral":)). I always leave it on, as I see it as just part of the cost of the cruise, it's just that HAL forgot to get it off me first ;). Incidentally, I have come across just as many Americans, Canadians and British who choose to remove or alter their "Hotel Service Charge" on HAL. From my perspective it doesn't seem to be exclusively an Aussie/Kiwi thing.

 

I hope you enjoy your trip down under. You will probably find our prices here a bit of a shock, but in the food industry, service staff earn a minimum of around $15/hour, and much more if they are serving alcohol or working late/weekends (time-and-a-half or double time). It is not uncommon for the wait staff serving you in a restaurant to be earning $30-$40/hour. We own a bakery and in our business the base rate for adult sales staff is around $16/hour. Higher costs for the employer have to be passed on to the customer - that's how business works.:)

 

Cheers,