Gratuities refunded?

[Maraprince]

From what I've noticed over the years, people who refuse to tip do so because they don't think they should have to pay anyone to wait on them: it should be a privilege for the servers to do so. After all, the non-tippers are just so very wonderful that anyone should be delighted to serve them for nothing.

 

 

You forgot to mention that they are the very same ones looking for all the "free" stuff they can get as well. You are right about being entitled to get waited on hand and foot and treated like kings and queens and then skip out without tipping anyone because of some reason to justify it.:confused::confused::confused:

 

And then brag about how they didn't tip or spend any money on board.

 

MARAPRINCE

[lady_cruiser]

Is this true, if you dont eat in the dining room you can request a refund of your gratuities? I have never heard of such but a friend told me today that his family always gets their gratuities refuned because they dont use the dining room. FACT or FICTION?

Sounds like your friend likes to embellish his action of having his gratitudes removed and not refunded.

[loxley]

The most important thing is if you aren't going to use MDR, as said here, inform the Maitre'd so that table doesn't sit empty every night and the staff still can make tips off that table. I would actually pass this piece of advice onto your friend.

Pat

 

Can you explain this logic to me? I see this said all the time. Where do they get those extra people to fill those empty seats? Do they have spare pax stashed somewhere?

 

As far as I understand it, every pax on the ship has a dining seat assigned to them in the main dining room. If I decide not to use my assigned seat and I tell them I will not be using it, where do they find the people to fill it?

[sparks1093]

Can you explain this logic to me? I see this said all the time. Where do they get those extra people to fill those empty seats? Do they have spare pax stashed somewhere?

 

As far as I understand it, every pax on the ship has a dining seat assigned to them in the main dining room. If I decide not to use my assigned seat and I tell them I will not be using it, where do they find the people to fill it?

 

From the people who aren't happy with their table assignment or their tablemates, for a start.

[boo214]

you left out one small detail. the people you tip in the united states don't get room and board.

considering that they work in the middle of the ocean, room and board is kind of a necessity, dont ya think? and also, the people in the us get to go home at night.

[H82seaUgo]

considering that they work in the middle of the ocean, room and board is kind of a necessity, dont ya think? and also, the people in the us get to go home at night.

 

yeppers

[loxley]

considering that they work in the middle of the ocean, room and board is kind of a necessity, dont ya think? and also, the people in the us get to go home at night.

 

I don't get to go home at night. I am gone from home 3 months at a time and I work with a lot of other people that are too.

[loxley]

From the people who aren't happy with their table assignment or their tablemates, for a start.

 

So people shuffle around but how is that helping the tipping situation? One set of servers loses either way.

 

Again, can someone explain the logic behind this thinking? I read it in every tipping thread that comes up and I still fail to see the logic. I decide not to use my MDR seat so they get another pax that (according to this poster) was unhappy with their other seat so they get moved so their tips also get moved to the new servers correct? Is it me being thick or is it another one of those cruising myths people have absolute faith in continuing to firmly believe?

[loxley]

Cheap..

 

I think 11.50 a day for all the people it covers is agreat deal.

 

Heck when i go to dinner at a cheap place and my bill is 40.00 i still leave a 10.00 so well worth it. I tip above that also. Handed the room stewart 60.00 the last day and he about kissed my feet.

Worth tipping. So would NOT ask for a refund on the tips. These people only make 1000 a month as it is.

 

Only $1000 a month?

 

I think most of the people here need to stop putting US thinking on people that do not live nor come from the US.

 

I think people should tip what they choose. If you want to tip more than suggested, fine, less, fine. I think you should tip on your income level, the level of service, and what you think is right. If you think an extra $60 or $100 on top of auto tip is called for, please feel free.

 

I wonder how many people are on this thread who "would never remore tips for any reason" are also on the new TA changes threads. I wonder how many almost have a stroke at the thought the workers on the ship may get stiffed, but have no problem at all taking half a TA commission which comes directly out of the TAs pocket.

 

Maybe if you take the time to watch something like this, you will have a better understanding of the life of an unskilled worker in most if not all of the countries they come from.

 

It is an hour long but worth a watch. You can decide if you think he would, if given the chance, rather work on a cruise ship with all the hard work and long working hours that are required.

 

[katiel53]

I have read all the pages on here and I have lots of opinions, as usual. First of all, if you don't want to tip the MDR staff, when you board go up to the Maitre D and tell him/her that you won't eat ANY MEALS in the MDR. That means, no breakfast, lunch or dinner.

 

That way you can feel totally guilt free removing the MDR charges and perhaps someone who wanted/needed your table is able to do so.

 

If you eat anywhere else, ie, buffet, then perhaps you should tip each and every meal because, as posted many times, the same people working in the MDR breakfast and lunch also work in the buffet. If someone brings you a drink, tip a buck, etc.

 

As far as your room steward. If you choose to not tip the suggested, almost said required, amount, have the ba--s to tell the steward you aren't tipping because you don't see the need to do so. For the one posting the stewards have 4 per cabin or whatever, the majority of the cabins have 2 passengers and yes, the stewards have a ton of cabins to serve. They pay for their assistants out of your tips, but hey, as I mentioned if you don't want to tip them, give them a heads up so they can move on to give me better service because I do tip and most times give them more.

 

I am a believer that those who remove tips with the "I like to see how happy the staff is to get cash" are full of you know what. There are also those who have excuses like, I have kids and they don't eat, sleep in a bed, etc. but I pay for them so I am not paying. The same with the stewards do x many cabins and make more than I do. Ok, the last one may be true, but hey, work the same number of hours etc and you will probably make the same or more. Try it and see how you like it.

 

I do wish all cruise lines made tips a non-removable service charge. NCL does that to an extent and i agree with them. If you have bad service, tell the ship. If they can't fix it, then you can take off the charge. Otherwise, suck it up and pay it. Go ahead, flame me. If you can cruise, you should pay your fair share.

[waldocruiser1]

Really? What does it matter where the tips are going to? Do you really have time on your vacation to go to guest services and sort all of this out? I didn't eat in the MDR every night- but it certainly didn't come over me to go and 'fix' my tip money.

If you can afford a cruise- I'm sure you can afford the $11.50 a day. These people work so hard and they deserve it.

 

Some people...SHM.:confused:

 

While I agree with paying the tips, I am so sick and tired of all the "they deserve the money, they work so hard, and make so much less then most" Give me a break, they make a good living, they chose to take the job, Carnival and the other cruise lines are not slave ships.

 

If they want them money, do the job and you will be paid, do it WELL and you will get tipped well. Do a half a$$ job and you get less.

 

I think people should tip what they feel is correct for their trip, how it went, how well they were taken care of, and the services they received.

 

Tip, don't tip, do what you want, but do not try to make people tip out of pitty for the "people working on the ship, from third world countries"

[twindaddy]

I am waiting for one of the anti tippers to have the balls to come forward and say they dont tip because they dont feel they need to. I think only one has, where she said she removes tips for her kids because they are kids. Good, solid logic :confused: A room with two adults will take exactly the same effort to clean and keep up as a room with two adults and two kids.

 

Of course you may do what you want. You may think I am a fool for tipping extra, that is your right, just like it is my right to think you are a cheap bastard for removing tips unless you have a valid, stated reason you have brought to the attention of your staff, ie you asked twice for ice and never got it, or your asked your server for two entrees and they said no.

[ccarpenter1963]

I agree with everything you posted twindaddy except for: A room with two adults will take exactly the same effort to clean and keep up as a room with two adults and two kids.

 

I think the 2 adults would take less effort the the 2 adults and 2 kids. Kids are messy.

[boo214]

So people shuffle around but how is that helping the tipping situation? One set of servers loses either way.

 

Again, can someone explain the logic behind this thinking? I read it in every tipping thread that comes up and I still fail to see the logic. I decide not to use my MDR seat so they get another pax that (according to this poster) was unhappy with their other seat so they get moved so their tips also get moved to the new servers correct? Is it me being thick or is it another one of those cruising myths people have absolute faith in continuing to firmly believe?

it's not really. however, if the md knows you are not going to be there at all he/she has more options to move people that request it for whatever reason.