Gratuities to be added to sea pass account daily.

[Ocean Boy]

We were recently on Disney Dream (wonderful cruiseline btw) and I found it interesting that on the last night of the cruise the buffet was closed. Maybe that is there way of getting everyone into diningroom to tip staff and not stiff staff.

 

Wow, I'd be really annoyed if my only option to eat on the last night was a dining room that I had never been in.

[Ocean Boy]

Because you are american lol!

 

We cant get into RCI.com

 

I can only access RCI.com.au.

 

First visit allowed me to enter RCI.com I see a cruise price held it and when I paid deposit it was $400 PP more for the privilege of being Australian with access to only RCI.com.au forever lol long story short:mad:

 

I seem to remember that the Europeans get some sort of government required protections on their reservation if something should go wrong on the trip. I don't remember all the details. Does that happen with Austrialian booking too that might account for price differences?

[Merion_Mom]

Wrong thread

 

Without a doubt, this is the BEST post on this entire thread.

[orville99]

We were recently on Disney Dream (wonderful cruiseline btw) and I found it interesting that on the last night of the cruise the buffet was closed. Maybe that is there way of getting everyone into diningroom to tip staff and not stiff staff.

 

Yep. it's that way on all four of their ships. However, if you ask them they'll tell you it's because they don't want anyone to miss the waitstaff's grand finale performance (which used to be a lot better before they banned flaming the baked alaska). However, Disney now auto-add tips to your account when you board.

[k9x8]

 

I have no problem tipping and if anything, I over tip. I don't like being hoodwinked by RCL. I want to determine where my tip money goes. Sorry, its how we Americans Think.

 

You're presuming to speak for all Americans?

Not this one.

[elizabeth89]

Received email today,it states effective 3/1 and my sailing is from 2/24-3/2 I guess the daily gratuities will be applied the last 2 days and I have to fill out the form to have the tips put on my sea pass card the other days.

[Jenn31708]

I'm sorry for not reading 27 pages, but is there a way to opt out of this? I consider myself a good tipper, based on good service. I refuse to tip well for bad service, and this is what it sounds like. I am being forced to tip regardless of the quality of service I get.

 

If tips are added ahead of time, why should anyone provide good service.

[Ocean Boy]

Pretty sure it's for cruises that start 3/1 and later. Not those already in progress on 3/1. Talk about accounting nightmare.

 

And RCI's IT department is already a bit shaky.

[EthelnElmer]

I agree... One thing I would add, is you should not be able to 'remove' all the tips for a day just because your food was cold, or your bed wasn't made right. If you have a problem with the wait staff, only that portion of the daily tip should be in play. Why should a room steward lose their tip for bad food service. The shirkers would have to go down to GS with a daily list of real or imagined complaints against all parties to get the tips totally credited back to them. At the end of such a Cruise, If I were RCI I would deliver a letter to their cabin stating that since they obviously do not enjoy the RCI offering, that perhaps they should look elsewhere for their cruise vacations.

 

Tipping is a voluntary personal choice & and is typical when service is rendered above & beyond what would normally be expected in a given circumstance. It makes no diffrence weather I'm at a resturant, having my car washed,getting a haircut or staying at a Hotel and have a pizza delivered. Why is it expected by so many of you that I would tip my room steward or Table staff, ect. for doing thier job unless they have gone out of thier way to do above & beyond what would be expected? It is not shirking my responsibilitys or being rude if I choose not to tip them for doing the same service as is normal & customary on a cruise ship. Does your boss tip you for doing your job day in and day out as is expected? Doubtful... more than likely he pays you a salary or by the hour and if you are fortunate enough you will recieve a bonus on occasion when the company has a good year! the point is.... He expects you to do your job to the best of your ability for your pay and if you dont...he not only dosent tip you... He will probably replace you! If you are a bussiness owner you know this is true from your own personal experience. So I contend...Tipping is and should always be voluntary and for service above & beyond what is normal & customary for the particular circumstance!

[BND]

Received email today,it states effective 3/1 and my sailing is from 2/24-3/2 I guess the daily gratuities will be applied the last 2 days and I have to fill out the form to have the tips put on my sea pass card the other days.

 

Pretty sure it's for cruises that start 3/1 and later. Not those already in progress on 3/1. Talk about accounting nightmare.

[Fydlstyx]

I really don't care if it makes sense to you as your logic makes absolutely none to me. It's what I plan to do. In fact I don't have a problem with releasing my MDR table so that someone else can have it. Will dine in all speciality restaraunts and will ensure that those servers get any extra tips that I provide.

 

I can understand this with no problem. You wouldn't tip Domino's if you didn't order a pizza Friday night, just because they are there in case you want a pizza. You aren't going to tip waiters in a dining room that you never visit, who never serve you. Makes absolutely perfect sense!

[woehwdy]

The email for the US went out yesterday! $12.00 per day JS and lower and $14.25 for GS and above.

[Fydlstyx]

It's probably just as much a stereotype, but everytime I hear someone say something like, "I don't want to be forced to tip, but I ALWAYS tip for excellent service," I just assume they then go out of their way to find some excuse for why service wasn't excellent so they don't have to tip. I'm sure there are plenty of people who actually do what they say in that regard, but it just sounds cheap.

 

The main dining room staff excuse ("If I don't go, why should I have to tip them?") is also ridiculously lame. Um, they need to be there because they have to assume you're coming, they don't know what your plans are. How would you feel if you showed up for main dining and they didn't have enough staff?

 

They need to be there because it is their job. Tips are earned by people who provide good service. If the MDR staff never serves you anything, you don't owe them tips. The real issue is not that people do not want to tip for service not rendered. It's that some people believe that it is passenger's responsibility to supplement crew salaries.

 

The cruise lines should be paying the crew fair wages. Gratuities should be extra earnings.

[Fydlstyx]

Quick question as I've looked at the entire thread and may have missed it, which is easy to do at my age:

 

I have no issue with Royal's new policy, works for me. I've seen too many skip out on the last night to avoid tipping and it will definately cut down on the long lines at Guest Relations for those seeking to change $20, $50, $100 bills into smaller amounts. We have never skipped out on tipping the crew members.

 

Since we tend to over tip for outstanding service, countless times with Royal, will Royal still be providing envelopes to put the extra "Thank you for your wonderful service" money in or will it be slip them the cash and hopefully nobody will see?

 

Why does it matter if someone sees you tip extra?

[phish tales]

i copied and pasted my thread from earlier-----#248

 

 

 

no matter what is said or cried about----we must get over it. let's face it, it is over. RCCL has implemented "as of any sailings starting after March 1st 2013, the $12 per person per day surcharge will be added to your sea pass account".

It is final. so have all the hissy fits, crying jags, stomping up & down, crying in your beer, destroying your towel animals, complaining to the front desk, etc., etc., etc. you want to.

it is FINAL and it is OVER. so grin and bare it. you can't change RCCL policy. it is their ship and they make the rules. I for one am super happy to see it finally happen. i stick by my first thread (#28). HIP-HIP HOORAY

[cruisin07family]

The Windjammer staff has to be there also as they, too, don't know whether you are coming or not. They don't know what your plans are. They do know my plans though. Every evening when I leave I tell them that I'll see them tomorrow night. In fact, one year on Adventure the waiter who we had every night even reserved the table that we liked! And he was well taken care of at the end of the week.

 

I haven't sailed RCI yet but I have sailed both NCL and CCL. There are waiters in the buffet area on RCI ships? I have seen servers and staff who clear dishes and prepare the food behind the buffet and the bar staff who ask if drinks are desired but not waiters who "wait" on us at tables in the buffets. Perhaps RCI is different. ...:confused: I can't imagine trying to remember each person that may have made my omelet one morning, cleared my dishes, or sliced some meat for my dinner so I can pass out tips. I much prefer the daily service charge idea from the other lines. RCI must have been the last hold out.

[cruisenfever]

I'm sorry for not reading 27 pages, but is there a way to opt out of this? I consider myself a good tipper, based on good service. I refuse to tip well for bad service, and this is what it sounds like. I am being forced to tip regardless of the quality of service I get.

 

If tips are added ahead of time, why should anyone provide good service.

Why do you believe that if gratuities are added daily that you will not be provided with good service? The service should remain the same. We've been doing MTD since 2011 and are required to prepay our gratuities. We have yet to experience poor service.

 

From the website......."In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services during their cruise".

[Jenn31708]

Why do you believe that if gratuities are added daily that you will not be provided with good service? The service should remain the same. We've been doing MTD since 2011 and are required to prepay our gratuities. We have yet to experience poor service.

 

From the website......."In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services during their cruise".

 

 

I'm not expecting bad service, I just have a problem with forced tips. I don't tip in advance, I don't think I shoud be forced to

[southstaffs3]

Ok I Am now bord of this thread!!! So we have to pay grats !!! So pay :)

[temple1]

It's probably just as much a stereotype, but everytime I hear someone say something like, "I don't want to be forced to tip, but I ALWAYS tip for excellent service," I just assume they then go out of their way to find some excuse for why service wasn't excellent so they don't have to tip. I'm sure there are plenty of people who actually do what they say in that regard, but it just sounds cheap.

 

The main dining room staff excuse ("If I don't go, why should I have to tip them?") is also ridiculously lame. Um, they need to be there because they have to assume you're coming, they don't know what your plans are. How would you feel if you showed up for main dining and they didn't have enough staff?

 

Double thumbs up!

 

It's been said already but I'll beat the dead horse.....I trust that the money I give to those who provide the services for me and my family are going to the correct person. I do not trust companies to do as good of a job.

 

And.....I do eat in the WJ instead of the DR and have always tipped them as if they were my DR waiters. I will be adjusting my tips and still tipping these people.

 

 

I'm Clarksfan1 and I approve this message.

 

Do you know when you tip in many restaurants that soo important tip is shared with behind the scenes people that didn't wait on you? Do you trust local restaurants in the US to pass along tips without skimming off the top?

 

Some people use that excuse to not prepay tips and it doesn't make any more sense today than the first time I read it on here. If a restaurant was caught skimming tips don't you think there would be a major uproar? Even if cruise ships are not flagged in the US, don't you think there would still be a huge stink and out cry if the cruise line skimmed off the top of workers pay? I think it is much more likely for the Mom and Pop restaurant around the corner to skim tips from charged meals than a major corporation.

 

As someone else said - just call it a service charge, resort fee or ham sandwich. Just pay it. Do you ask if your waitress has to share her tips? Do you ask the bell man if he has to share that fiver you gave him? Do you ask the cabbie if he keeps that extra couple bucks?

 

When I dine in a land based restaurant I know upfront I will tip a minimum of 15% and if I enjoy the service and server - 20%. It has been a very rare event that I tip less. They have to practically throw the food at me. I have tipped less, but I go in expecting good service and more than 9 times out of 10 I get good to great service. The funny thing with RCl - I always prepay gratuities and have had outstanding service. I don't expect anything less so why should I give one minute of thought to tipping $12 a day total to something less?

 

And face it - people will often rationalize. $12 a day is not a lot on the face of it - but when you are putting $$ in the envelopes don't you start to think ..... hmmm.... I don't know - the service last year was just a little bit better, let me take out that $5.

 

Why the nonsense over this?

 

One more and I will get off my soap box and give it to someone else:

 

How much trouble do some people really think it is to electronically divide gratuities among the staff?

 

Stepping down, next?

[JYD Hawkeye]

Why do you believe that if gratuities are added daily that you will not be provided with good service? The service should remain the same. We've been doing MTD since 2011 and are required to prepay our gratuities. We have yet to experience poor service.

 

From the website......."In the unlikely event that a guest onboard being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, the guest may request to modify the daily amount at their discretion by visiting Guest Services during their cruise".

I would think that if you are getting bad service, it is your' responsibility to go to a supervisor and say something. From what I have read on CC, when you make it known about a problem, more so than not, it is fixed.

[crusinpeg]

i copied and pasted my thread from earlier-----#248

 

 

 

no matter what is said or cried about----we must get over it. let's face it, it is over. RCCL has implemented "as of any sailings starting after March 1st 2013, the $12 per person per day surcharge will be added to your sea pass account".

It is final. so have all the hissy fits, crying jags, stomping up & down, crying in your beer, destroying your towel animals, complaining to the front desk, etc., etc., etc. you want to.

it is FINAL and it is OVER. so grin and bare it. you can't change RCCL policy. it is their ship and they make the rules. I for one am super happy to see it finally happen. i stick by my first thread (#28). HIP-HIP HOORAY

 

I agree..and if they don't like it..they can take their life jackets and swim home!!

[bloodymary]

i copied and pasted my thread from earlier-----#248

 

 

 

no matter what is said or cried about----we must get over it. let's face it, it is over. RCCL has implemented "as of any sailings starting after March 1st 2013, the $12 per person per day surcharge will be added to your sea pass account".

It is final. so have all the hissy fits, crying jags, stomping up & down, crying in your beer, destroying your towel animals, complaining to the front desk, etc., etc., etc. you want to.

it is FINAL and it is OVER. so grin and bare it. you can't change RCCL policy. it is their ship and they make the rules. I for one am super happy to see it finally happen. i stick by my first thread (#28). HIP-HIP HOORAY

 

No matter what you think RCCL cannot make me tip

As it is a thank you not a surcharge

[temple1]

No matter what you think RCCL cannot make me tip

As it is a thank you not a surcharge

 

Oh please, pay the $12 a day voluntary service charge. It is an additional charge for cruising. If you want go through all your documentation, mark out gratuity and write in Service Charge if that will make you feel better. :rolleyes:

 

FYI - Quit trying to explain to us what a gratuity/tip/lil something extra/bonus, etc is. This is not news to 99.999% of the posters on the boards. :D

[ctcruiser1721]

No matter what you think RCCL cannot make me tip

As it is a thank you not a surcharge

 

Hopefully no one should *have* to make you pay.