Should Royal Come Clean on Tipping?

[Starry Eyes]

"At a hotel in the Bahamas, my guess would be that $5 per day is all the housekeeper is paid per room."

 

I agree it is likely the entire housekeeping charge...In fact, I think it was $5 per person per night, so it may have included housekeeping supervisors (and maybe laundry as well).

[JaxieWaxie]

For what it's worth: Last Saturday, I asked our favorite bartender point blank -- "If I add a gratuity to the bar bill, do you get 100% of that? If not, let me know, as I have the cash in my pocket and can just as easily do it that way." He told me, "no worries, I get the full tip amount if it's on the seapass card."

[temple1]

I pretty much agree with Aquahound also. If I go to a full service restaurant I do not ask my server how much they are paid, how much they receive if they work a large group with another waiter, how much they tip the bartender, etc. Also I don't ask if I tip a few extra in cash on top of the credit card tip I leave if s/he gets to keep all of it.

 

Boils down to - not really my business. If the service was great, the staff personable without being intrusive and my dining needs taken care of - that is all I ask and am happy to pay the suggested percentage tip and if great service - 20% or so without wondering if the server gets to keep it all.

 

I think RCCL could and should improve its communications to passengers about the gratuity guidelines and if they ever decide to go to a mandatory amount like other cruiselines they make it darned hard for a passenger to remove the charge from their account.

 

I do think they have muddied the waters for the specialty restaurants though if they really have taken out the wording about the servers receiving part of the upcharge.

 

But like everyone else on this topic - it is JMHO.

[joe6666]

For what it's worth: Last Saturday, I asked our favorite bartender point blank -- "If I add a gratuity to the bar bill, do you get 100% of that? If not, let me know, as I have the cash in my pocket and can just as easily do it that way." He told me, "no worries, I get the full tip amount if it's on the seapass card."

 

So there is no pooling of tips in the bar?

[teddie]

Royal doesn't need to "come clean" as far as I am concerned. Tip amounts are suggested, and I pay them; usually more than the suggested tip. What they do with the tips is not my concern. If the tip was built in to the fare, people would probably still ask and wonder how the tips are divvied up.

 

I feel that cruisers from non-tipping cultures also need to comply with RCI's tipping suggestions, even if they are not accustomed to it at home. This is the custom on RCI ships. When I visit other countries, I try to follow their rules and customs too.

 

Teddie

[JaxieWaxie]

So there is no pooling of tips in the bar?

 

All I can tell you is what he told me. This was the last night in the private lounge for Ds and above, presumably when a lot of people he'd been serving for free the previous two weeks would want to "settle up" with a significant gratuity. Accordingly, he potentially had a lot to lose by misleading us about the seapass-based tip being the equivalent of cash in his pocket.

[temple1]

If the tips are pooled, then why do we have an envelope for each person and a suggested amount for each of those people?

Waiter

Assistant waiter

Headwaiter

Stateroom attendant

 

Each has a suggested amount. Why?

 

Also….

If I give the waiter $50 I’d like to know how much he gets to keep.

A dollar amount please.

 

I think the customer has a right to know how much the waiter actually receives from the money the customer pays in the name of that waiter.

 

So there is no pooling of tips in the bar?

 

What does it matter? If you give a bartender at a large resort a large tip at the end of the week do you ask or care what happens to the money? I don't. Like a gift, once it leaves my hand it is no longer my concern what happens to it.

[sept10dsm]

I really wondered and really felt uncomfortable when we received 4 envelopes in our stateroom when our tips were prepaid. While we do give addl tip money, we were unsure if the waiter etc. knew we did. On our previous RCCL cruise we were given little slips of paper to put in . While I feel that was kind of stupid as well, the empty envelopes are for what? On Princess, tips paid by the day on the room charge, no envelopes and no basically indirect pressure for more or the unknowing if those employees that tips are meant for know we paid. Just made us feel strange. Wish with all the paperwork RCCL hands out these envelopes were explained. I did wait along with quite a few others in the customer service line. I was told there that it was for any addl! Not a nice policy. I don't need envelopes to make me give extra. I guess my question is is this the policy? We were still unconforable and explained to all those that we did prepay plus a little extra for them!

[Aquahound]

While I feel that was kind of stupid as well, the empty envelopes are for what?

 

Some folks like to hold on to the tradition of approaching a service person, thanking them for thier service through the week, and handing them a tip envelope. That's what they are for. All they do is provide that option. Just discard the envelopes if you choose not to. No need to feel uncomfortable about it. However, if it does still make you feel uncomfortable, suggest to RCI the envelopes just be available at Customer Relations, rather than being delivered to all the rooms. They could probably save a few bucks by doing it that way.