£1,000 in gratuities??

[Starry Eyes]

I am sad to see this thread descend into a a battle of cultures and study of bovine droppings.

 

I hope the OP came back long enough to read a few posts that point out how easily the tipping guidelines are misread, leading to an understandable miscalculation...Hopefully to OP now realizes the tip guideline, even for a suite, are $5 per person per day less than the OP thought. If near the end of the cruise the OP doesn't believe that the suite attendant, or waitstaff, or whoever earned the full tip suggested by the guideline (or earned more), naturally the OP should adjust accordingly.

[sanwin]

Just thought I would chip in ! Myself and OH, 2 sons (teenagers) and sister are on a 12 night cruise next year. Our prepaid grats come to £447.35...FOV stateroom...quoted a total of £533.80 for grats in a GS........so how does one more person and 2 more nights boost the cost to £1000.????

Maybe its just my maths but £1000 does not add up right !.....does it ?

[negc]

I have six people in my family. We get adjoining rooms. The tips are in the hundred and hundreds of dollars. Our entire cruise for both rooms can sometimes be less than the 3600.00 that you quoted simply because we have the ability to cruise at off times...Sept., Oct., etc...and we don't feel as though we must be in suites every time we hit the ocean. Although, I will admit that Garden Villa on NCL spoiled us. :D

 

We tip and we tip heartily. I think people who don't tip are JERKS. However, to imply that the people that work on ships are just barely slugging along monetarily is bovine scatology. They're doing just fine.

 

I guess that approximately $489 qualifies as "hundreds and hundreds" though the image of "hundred and hundreds" seems to give the impression of a much higher amount,but spread among 6 people it still comes to about $81 a person which IMO is not an egregious percentage of your cruise fare. I'm happy that you are able to cruise when fares are lower than the $900 which I arbitrarily chose, but unless your fares are considerably lower the overall percentage isn't significantly higher than what I posited.

[postmeome]

Maybe I should type slower? Whether you, personally, tip or not has NOTHING to do with anything I've typed on any post.

 

You, specifically you, quoted part of a post and then replied with some arbitrary reply that had nothing to do with that post to which I replied to explain what you took out of context. Then, you did it again. Now, you've done it again with the "i do tip" reply. I don't care if you personally tip. However, those that don't are jerks. It's part of cruising. Period.

gosh your so angry

you called people "jerks" for not tipping,i agree

[Kristi Williamson]

Just thought I would chip in ! Myself and OH, 2 sons (teenagers) and sister are on a 12 night cruise next year. Our prepaid grats come to £447.35...FOV stateroom...quoted a total of £533.80 for grats in a GS........so how does one more person and 2 more nights boost the cost to £1000.????

Maybe its just my maths but £1000 does not add up right !.....does it ?

 

I think he did misquote the amount.

[Kristi Williamson]

gosh your so angry

you called people "jerks" for not tipping,i agree

 

Nope, not angry a bit. However, it's silly to misquote and take partial statements out of context and then look all confused. Not to mention coming back later and agreeing with the very statement that you appeared confused about earlier. That's odd to me and it's tough to discuss something like tipping when you keep getting sidetracked by quoting partial statements of an entire post.

 

However, it's good to see that you do agree that people who intentionally stiff someone in a service position is a jerk. I stand by that statement. It's just not appropriate to not tip on a cruise when it's clearly stated that it's expected if you choose to cruise. I also stand by my statement that those in service positions on a cruise ship make good money...as long as people don't stiff them! :)

[sanwin]

Did a bit of maths..lol.......grats for a suite for 14 nights for 6 people (based on what I am paying ) comes to £747.30 !

It is a lot of money .......but.....so is a grand suite for 14 nights and 6 people in the first place !!!!

That is why we are in a FOV.....can't afford another £2500 odd for a grand suite lol

 

But if I am offered a pricedrop upgrade next year (fat chance)....then I will not be quibling over the cost of the grats thats for sure !!!!!

The perks we would have would be worth every penny !!!

[Cheerysmom]

Just an observation . ...

I haven't booked a cruise in the last 10 cruises where I did not get OBC AND pre-paid grats as freebies. Of course that means that you can't book MTD on line prior to the cruise (avoid paying the grats before the cruise), but you can change once on board.

 

These benies may not be available to UK cruisers booking through UK TAs . .. but they sure are to US cruisers. A little shopping around can save hundreds of dollars.

 

On my upcoming 16 day TA, I received pre-paid grats for 2, and 150 OBC. That totals $525 free. Shop around!

[MOSusan]

 

 

 

I apologize. I just hit he quote button.

 

 

Apology accepted. :)

[EVALUATOR]

I am sad to see this thread descend into a a battle of cultures and study of bovine droppings.

 

I thought it was cow tipping. Now you mean to tell me they actually drop them too???:confused:

 

Is that why that "happy cow" in California got that mad cow thingy?

[postmeome]

Nope, not angry a bit. However, it's silly to misquote and take partial statements out of context and then look all confused. Not to mention coming back later and agreeing with the very statement that you appeared confused about earlier. That's odd to me and it's tough to discuss something like tipping when you keep getting sidetracked by quoting partial statements of an entire post.

 

However, it's good to see that you do agree that people who intentionally stiff someone in a service position is a jerk. I stand by that statement. It's just not appropriate to not tip on a cruise when it's clearly stated that it's expected if you choose to cruise. I also stand by my statement that those in service positions on a cruise ship make good money...as long as people don't stiff them! :)

i dont think people intentionally mean to "stiff" people,i just think they dont like being told how much to pay them,and if you choose to cruise then it should be up to the individual how much you pay in tips afterall it's

a recomended guideline,and as for bovine your right your full of it

[Kristi Williamson]

i dont think people intentionally mean to "stiff" people,i just think they dont like being told how much to pay them,and if you choose to cruise then it should be up to the individual how much you pay in tips afterall it's

a recomended guideline,and as for bovine your right your full of it

 

How can they unintentionally stiff someone on a cruise ship? You either choose to tip them, or you choose not to tip. Tipping, by definition, is intentional, right?

 

And they don't have to like the recommended guidelines, as long as they try to abide by them...at least to some degree. I've only had bad service twice on a ship. I didn't remove their tips, I merely filled out a comment card with their names specifically stated as the people who were rude. I think the cruise lines may have left it up to the individuals, if the individual's in question had not become so stinkin' selfish and self-absorbed that they actually think some measly amount for an entire week's worth of service was sufficient.

 

Or even worse, not tip at all. There are plenty of cruisers who cruise for the entire week, soak up the service and demand to be treated like royalty and then don't tip. On lines where the tip is automatically added to your bill, people will prance their behinds up to the Purser's Desk and have them removed on the last night. I think the cruise lines should refuse to do so when this happen unless they have a legitimate complaint of bad service! It happens every single week. It's not about "choice", it's about ripping someone off and not paying them for what you've already received. It's gross and pathetic.

 

And yes, I probably am full of bovine right now. I had stew beef for lunch. :D:p

[postmeome]

How can they unintentionally stiff someone on a cruise ship? You either choose to tip them, or you choose not to tip. Tipping, by definition, is intentional, right?

 

And they don't have to like the recommended guidelines, as long as they try to abide by them...at least to some degree. I've only had bad service twice on a ship. I didn't remove their tips, I merely filled out a comment card with their names specifically stated as the people who were rude. I think the cruise lines may have left it up to the individuals, if the individual's in question had not become so stinkin' selfish and self-absorbed that they actually think some measly amount for an entire week's worth of service was sufficient.

 

Or even worse, not tip at all. There are plenty of cruisers who cruise for the entire week, soak up the service and demand to be treated like royalty and then don't tip. On lines where the tip is automatically added to your bill, people will prance their behinds up to the Purser's Desk and have them removed on the last night. I think the cruise lines should refuse to do so when this happen unless they have a legitimate complaint of bad service! It happens every single week. It's not about "choice", it's about ripping someone off and not paying them for what you've already received. It's gross and pathetic.

 

And yes, I probably am full of bovine right now. I had stew beef for lunch. :D:p

what are you talking about?

calm down ,have a minute and get over yourself

[UKLloyd]

I see so many of these threads. It always seems us British are more reluctant to pay tips than the Americans.

 

What gets me, Is most people working on a cruise ship are neither.

 

I don't agree with the daily fee. I don't agree with paying for a service you have not yet received. A see a tip as a bonus, Something you should get for good service. Yet when cruising, a tip is pre-paid. Kind of defeats the object as it seems to have become expected. Therefore the crew surely wont work as hard????

 

Just before you bite my head off, I do tip, Will tip, And wont be removing gratuitites. Just doesnt mean i agree with the way they are paid.

[DaisyDoo246]

The mystery is solved – we are in a stateroom rather than a suite so therefore my calculations should not have included all the staff listed and are as follow;

$11.65 a day x 6 people = $69.90 a day x 14 nights = $978.60 which equates to £606.

Stateroom attendant USD 5.00 a day per guest

Dining Room Waiter USD 3.75 a day per guest

Assistant Waiter USD 2.15 a day per guest

Head Waiter USD 0.75 a day per guest

My apologies for the confusion and for commenting about gratuities which seems to have caused some unpleasant comments. I had hoped that by using the forum I could get some advice (which is what a forum is for?) and I have. I realise I had my calculations wrong and the £1,000 is now £606.

Postmeome……see you onboard!

[joe6666]

This is the information provided by RCI when I logged in to my cruise account today;

*

$18.90 a day x 6 people = $113.40 a day x 14 nights = $1587.60 which equates to roughly £1,000

Suite attendant USD 7.25 a day per guest

Stateroom attendant USD 5.00 a day per guest

Dining Room Waiter USD 3.75 a day per guest

Assistant Waiter USD 2.15 a day per guest

Head Waiter USD 0.75 a day per guest

Note: These gratuities apply to guests of all ages. A 15% gratuity will automatically be added ro your bar or wine bill when you are served.

*

I am more than happy to pay gratuities and support the payment of them for good service. What I would query is that a 5yr old child pays the same as an adult – if that was the case then a 5yr old child should pay the same fare as an adult – same heads on beds scenario, food if you include all the extras they have as in ice creams, cakes, slices of pizza etc throughout the day.

 

We have cruised on this ship before and certainly don't remember the gratuities being so high.

*

I would gladly limit the amount of children I take – maybe leave two at home with 14 pizzas and 14 bowls of cereal?!!

*

The point I was making was that when you add it up, £1,000 is a lot of money to add on to a cruise cost – if I get the service which I don’t doubt I will for one moment then I will happily tip but it’ll have to be 100% first class service to get an additional £1,000.

 

Didn't someone already point out that you pay for a stateroom attendant OR a suite attendant. Not both?

[DaisyDoo246]

People on this thread clarified it for me and I was clarifying that we are in a stateroom not a suite..........

 

Thank you to everyone who made helpful comments and enabled me to establish the correct amount to pay, a little less than £1,000.

:)

[joe6666]

How about all of these people who didn't see the explanation way back in post #5....

And so many ranted, "If you can't afford it, don't go".

When the OP was exactly right, his 1500 pound gratuity bill was looking far too high.

And it actually was a mistake.

Wouldn't it be fun to see the look on the face of one of those, "If you can't afford it, don't go", people.

When they found out that they had made the mistake and paid hundreds and hundreds too much. :-)

If the cruise line kidnapped children and sold them into slavery...Some of these folks would be posting as to how that practice is necessary and complainers should go elsewhere if we don't like it.

I’m just kidding folks; the cruise line doesn’t do any such thing.

[richstowe]

How about all of these people who didn't see the explanation way back in post #5....

And so many ranted, "If you can't afford it, don't go".

When the OP was exactly right, his 1500 pound gratuity bill was looking far too high.

And it actually was a mistake.

Wouldn't it be fun to see the look on the face of one of those, "If you can't afford it, don't go", people.

When they found out that they had made the mistake and paid hundreds and hundreds too much. :-)

 

If the cruise line kidnapped children and sold them into slavery...Some of these folks would be posting as to how that practice is necessary and complainers should go elsewhere if we don't like it.

I’m just kidding folks; the cruise line doesn’t do any such thing.

Not yet but some here would defend it if RCI did it.:confused:

[milliemine]

 

Americans are not the ones that need to learn to tip. Worry about your own side of the pond. :rolleyes: Seems that you have enough issues over there.

 

 

What issues would they be?

[ALGOR]

This thread has been very interesting to me, a simple math error very quickly turned into a culture debate with lots of finger pointing and nationalism, we the UK & the USA share a common language and many goals both politicaly and military but we are clearly miles apart. I find it a little disturbing to be honest:(

 

That goes for people on both sides of the debate!

[Yellowfurbaby]

I am from the UK and Northern UK at that, where tipping is very uncommon. Therefore as I am a first time cruiser and when I booked my holiday I was shocked to hear of prepaid tips. I have never heard of such nonsense was my first reaction. We had no choice we paid them as we wanted MTD.

I do not agree with paying for something I haven't received. Nor do I do agree with someone stating to me how much i have to pay for a

Service i should have already paid for! For me the cost of Cruising is far higher than your average beach holiday and personally the cost of service for example cleaning the cabin and waiting in the restaurant should be included in the price of the holiday.

However...... That being said..... I would have no objections to once the holiday has started and I see people who truly are trying the hardest to do their job and make my holiday special giving them some kind of financial reward. It may be more or less than the guidelines but i would like it to be MY choice and not forced upon me.

Personally RCL should pay staff properly for the job they do. Tipping should be therefore a bonus not expected. Anyway as everyone else has had their say I thought I would too. I do not mean to upset anyone and certainly do not wish to get into a argument with our American friends as we are all victims of our culture. Had I been American I may think like some of you and some of you were Brits you might think like us too.

So not an argument just my opinion which of course I am perfectly entitled to have.

From Liz (pre paid tips tick box done) ;)

[Kristi Williamson]

I am from the UK and Northern UK at that, where tipping is very uncommon. Therefore as I am a first time cruiser and when I booked my holiday I was shocked to hear of prepaid tips. I have never heard of such nonsense was my first reaction. We had no choice we paid them as we wanted MTD.

I do not agree with paying for something I haven't received. Nor do I do agree with someone stating to me how much i have to pay for a

Service i should have already paid for! For me the cost of Cruising is far higher than your average beach holiday and personally the cost of service for example cleaning the cabin and waiting in the restaurant should be included in the price of the holiday.

However...... That being said..... I would have no objections to once the holiday has started and I see people who truly are trying the hardest to do their job and make my holiday special giving them some kind of financial reward. It may be more or less than the guidelines but i would like it to be MY choice and not forced upon me.

Personally RCL should pay staff properly for the job they do. Tipping should be therefore a bonus not expected. Anyway as everyone else has had their say I thought I would too. I do not mean to upset anyone and certainly do not wish to get into a argument with our American friends as we are all victims of our culture. Had I been American I may think like some of you and some of you were Brits you might think like us too.

So not an argument just my opinion which of course I am perfectly entitled to have.

From Liz (pre paid tips tick box done) ;)

 

I actually agree with you, Liz. I wish they would just up the price of the cruise and drop "tipping" altogether.

 

Unfortunately, they don't and because of that, the staff who does serve us well depend upon us for their salary. They work hard, we all know this is how it is, and we should all just tip...or complain to the cruiseline, which many have done, by the way. I haven't experience bad service since they implemented this particular policy, so I'm thinking the crew is warned to work hard if the lines are going to pre-charge for tips or lose their jobs if they get too many complaints.

 

And while I think many would possibly still tip, I think there's many more who would happily stiff the crew if it meant they got to hang on to their money with no one the wiser, while, of course, soaking up someone running around behind them cleaning, cooking, and waiting upon their every whim. I don't tend to believe that people are just naturally altruistic or even naturally appreciative of service related jobs.

[ALGOR]

I am from the UK and Northern UK at that, where tipping is very uncommon. Therefore as I am a first time cruiser and when I booked my holiday I was shocked to hear of prepaid tips. I have never heard of such nonsense was my first reaction. We had no choice we paid them as we wanted MTD.

I do not agree with paying for something I haven't received. Nor do I do agree with someone stating to me how much i have to pay for a

Service i should have already paid for! For me the cost of Cruising is far higher than your average beach holiday and personally the cost of service for example cleaning the cabin and waiting in the restaurant should be included in the price of the holiday.

However...... That being said..... I would have no objections to once the holiday has started and I see people who truly are trying the hardest to do their job and make my holiday special giving them some kind of financial reward. It may be more or less than the guidelines but i would like it to be MY choice and not forced upon me.

Personally RCL should pay staff properly for the job they do. Tipping should be therefore a bonus not expected. Anyway as everyone else has had their say I thought I would too. I do not mean to upset anyone and certainly do not wish to get into a argument with our American friends as we are all victims of our culture. Had I been American I may think like some of you and some of you were Brits you might think like us too.

So not an argument just my opinion which of course I am perfectly entitled to have.

From Liz (pre paid tips tick box done) ;)

 

Welcome to the debate, you are right pre paid quoted price is the only way to go, for the UK anyway! You will love the Indy, she is worth every penny.

 

Kristi, I don't agree with all of your posts but your choice of diction is a joy to behold.

 

Thank you.

[critterchick]

I am from the UK and Northern UK at that, where tipping is very uncommon. Therefore as I am a first time cruiser and when I booked my holiday I was shocked to hear of prepaid tips. I have never heard of such nonsense was my first reaction. We had no choice we paid them as we wanted MTD.

I do not agree with paying for something I haven't received. Nor do I do agree with someone stating to me how much i have to pay for a

Service i should have already paid for! For me the cost of Cruising is far higher than your average beach holiday and personally the cost of service for example cleaning the cabin and waiting in the restaurant should be included in the price of the holiday.

However...... That being said..... I would have no objections to once the holiday has started and I see people who truly are trying the hardest to do their job and make my holiday special giving them some kind of financial reward. It may be more or less than the guidelines but i would like it to be MY choice and not forced upon me.

Personally RCL should pay staff properly for the job they do. Tipping should be therefore a bonus not expected. Anyway as everyone else has had their say I thought I would too. I do not mean to upset anyone and certainly do not wish to get into a argument with our American friends as we are all victims of our culture. Had I been American I may think like some of you and some of you were Brits you might think like us too.

So not an argument just my opinion which of course I am perfectly entitled to have.

From Liz (pre paid tips tick box done) ;)

 

I agree with you, too. RCI is the last of the mass market lines to hold on to the traditional and, in my opinion, outdated model of tipping. I would prefer to see the tips addted to the cost of the fare, whether built in or a separate resort fee. And make it one that the passengers can't remove.

 

We have been lines with automatic Gratuities, and generally feel that the service is nearly equal to RCI's. Some of the luxury lines have a no-tipping policy, and I've heard that they offer superb service. There are other ways to deal with underperformers - negative comments by the passenger and proper training or even firing a subpar employee. Most people I know try to do their best at their jobs, whether or not they are going to receive extra compensation. Slackers can be weeded out pretty easily (on a ship, anyway).