Honest Question (Oh no, not another tipping thread!)

[ObstructedView2]

by that logic, you should be tipping at mcdonalds as well, as someone is preparing food, as well as cleans tables and washes trays. but you choose not to.

 

 

Perhaps at McDonalds in this country the workers make minimum wage but the cruise lines aren't required to pay minimum wage?

 

[LHP]

You should leave it the same regardless of where you eat BECAUSE

 

this is their SALARY.

 

As much as I hate this system, it is what it is.

 

If you think the wait staff do not deserve to get paid their salary (for whatever reason)...do not cruise!

[H82seaUgo]

You should leave it the same regardless of where you eat BECAUSE

 

this is their SALARY.

 

As much as I hate this system, it is what it is.

 

If you think the wait staff do not deserve to get paid their salary (for whatever reason)...do not cruise!

 

it may be part of their income, but it is no way their salary. you have not hired these individuals.

[golfadj]

 

 

Very good

[Mulege]

Since as I explained in my post, we have our dinners in the DR it is hypothetical to me.

 

Just said what I would do in that situation.[/quote

 

Yo comprende, Stu. I agree with you. I just don't understand threads about tipping. If the lines increased their fares to include tips then we would have tons of threads about how they have increased fares and made cuts. I have lived in Mexico and know what poverty is like, I see it even in rural Russia today. How many of us would work on a cruise ship? Hmmmm!

[b_cruise]

I also think this is a legitimate question by op. I would leave it as is as one poster said workers depend on a certain salary and if we are cruising we can certainly afford the modest tips.

 

I would like to thank people who tip buffet servers. I was a server at a buffet and because of tips, I got off the bus, into my own 'beater' of a car and attended public college. Tips are so important in this whole industry from front staff to behind the scenes. Tips can make a huge difference in a persons life! It sure did in mine!

 

I am now a happy cruiser making an average wage but tipping generously!

[steveNcindy]

You should leave it the same regardless of where you eat BECAUSE

 

this is their SALARY.

 

As much as I hate this system, it is what it is.

 

If you think the wait staff do not deserve to get paid their salary (for whatever reason)...do not cruise!

 

You make it sound like that is all they get. They also get a small salary, room, board and I am assuming travel allowances and some type of medical coverage while on board.

 

Gratuities do make up the majority of their income but a gratuity is still up to each individual as to how it is doled out.

 

The OP was asking a question, not looking for a lecture on what is right or wrong in how cruise lines pay their employees.

[kansas kruiser]

You make it sound like that is all they get. They also get a small salary, room, board and I am assuming travel allowances and some type of medical coverage while on board.

 

Gratuities do make up the majority of their income but a gratuity is still up to each individual as to how it is doled out.

 

The OP was asking a question, not looking for a lecture on what is right or wrong in how cruise lines pay their employees.

:cool: Sorry the OP knew what she was stirring up!!!:rolleyes: Being involved with all the other tipping threads!!!

[golfadj]

:cool: Sorry the OP knew what she was stirring up!!!:rolleyes: Being involved with all the other tipping threads!!!

 

I thought it was a legitimate and interesting question.

[kansas kruiser]

I thought it was a legitimate and interesting question.

:cool: Sorry Stu!!:) She got what she wanted out of this thread!!:rolleyes:

[imnance]

I thought it was a legitimate and interesting question.

 

And you're absolutely right. I'd like to know where the money went from my last three cruises.

 

The OP isn't the spoon, other folks should take a look at themselves. :rolleyes:

[kansas kruiser]

And you're absolutely right. I'd like to know where the money went from my last three cruises.

 

The OP isn't the spoon, other folks should take a look at themselves. :rolleyes:

:cool: It went right where it should have!!!:) It's not that hard to figure out!!:rolleyes: If you don't want to tip then don't!!!:o Next week will be another tippig thread for everyone to jump on!!!:rolleyes:

[imnance]

It went right where it should have!!!

 

Really? And where would that be? Since I had YTD and didn't eat in the MDR, which server was assigned my tips?

 

And, for the record, since I work in a restaurant, removing the tips isn't an option for me. Redistributing them, is.

[loubetti]

The reality is that we really don't know how the tips are split; who gets what?

Cruise lines depend heavily on this revenue stream to compensate employees, unless they are USA registered ships.

 

My suggestion is to just leave the auto tips as they are, and consider it part of the cruise cost. Now, if you are getting poor service, say at a bar, where 15% is automatically added to the check, speak up to a manager! Don't wait to come and complain about it here after the fact.

 

Like other's have said above, I have seen my MDR wait staff working at other venues on board. This needs to be taken into consideration. They work long, hard hours

 

If the overall service level is good, regardless of where you dine, pay the darn tips and be done with it. If it is not, complain immediately and get the issue fixed.

 

Don't look for excuses to penny pinch, just make sure that overall service levels are good. Then let the cruise line figure out who gets what.

 

Edit: I started cruising in the days of "envelopes"; no auto tips back then.

[imnance]

If the overall service level is good, regardless of where you dine, pay the darn tips and be done with it.

 

I am perfectly happy to leave my darn tips, as I have always done. I just want to know who received the tips from my last three cruises. I did NOT eat in the MDR, therefore, my tips were not assigned to a specific server.

 

So....where did they go?

[cvpends]

I am perfectly happy to leave my darn tips, as I have always done. I just want to know who received the tips from my last three cruises. I did NOT eat in the MDR, therefore, my tips were not assigned to a specific server.

 

So....where did they go?

 

Yes, this is exactly the issue here.

[imnance]

Yes, this is exactly the issue here.

 

I wonder why so few care? :confused:

[cvpends]

I wonder why so few care? :confused:

 

Ya know? :rolleyes:

[cruising3times]

I would remove it and add it to the other personnel. The dining room staff is not in the lido for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If that was the case, then who's serving in the MDR? I agree I've seen them around the buffet, but not exclusively. Our dinner waiter has served us breakfast in the MDR before, so I know he wasn't on lido all the time.

 

I would only do this if I never went the MDR. I can't imagine not eating in the MDR except on a three-day cruise maybe.

 

If they are not in the dining room they are on the Lido deck, they are working all the time and deserve their tips.

[cvpends]

If they are not in the dining room they are on the Lido deck, they are working all the time and deserve their tips.

 

No one thinks "they" don't deserve their tips. The question is, *who* gets the tips?

[sparks1093]

I wonder why so few care? :confused:

 

The only way that I would care is if CCL were keeping it, which I don't believe is the case (my guess is that it is pooled and divided among the dining room staff or put into an employee recreation fund). But it would take so much effort to find out for certain that to me it just is not worth the effort.

[H82seaUgo]

If they are not in the dining room they are on the Lido deck, they are working all the time and deserve their tips.

 

sure. tip them while serving others.

[luddite]

Since it isn't a tip, rather it is how the crew gets paid, it's important to leave it in place.

The staff at the hog-trough,errrrr...., buffet,....also work in the MDR so that's a non-starter. It takes a real piker to deny the crew their pay.

[westcruzer]

you must luv controversy

 

 

lol

[ObstructedView2]

now before i burst into flames, this is a hypothetical but honest question.

 

If you never eat in the mdr, not for breakfast, not for lunch, not for dinner. (all your meals are from the lido deck - the entire cruise!)

 

what would you do with the $ 5.80 gratuity per day for dining room service:

 

A: Remove it completely - (why should i tip for nothing?)

 

b: Shift all of the money over to alternative services - (i am eating them exclusively so i will give all the dining room tips to them.)

 

c: Shift some of the money over to alternative services and pocket the rest- (i am using them more but they are not waiting on me)

 

d: Shift some of the money over to alternative services and leave some for mdr staff- (a compromise)

 

e: Leave it as is

 

 

' e '