Do "No Tipping Ships" Make for a Happier Cruise

[P&OMAN]

One of the biggest surprises for me on a recent week-long cruise around the Red Sea on Thomson Cruises’ Celebration has been the crew. I don’t think I’ve ever cruised with such a jolly, smiling crowd. They’re brilliant at remembering names (and there are 1,200 passengers on board), helpful, efficient and friendly. You can see that some of this comes from the top; the senior officers seem to have a great relationship with the crewmembers and Jun, the maître d’ in the main dining room, is just superb. But it’s clear that this is a ‘happy’ ship — and anybody who has experienced an ‘unhappy’ ship will know how important this is.

 

 

What’s puzzling (or perhaps, the biggest clue) is that Celebration is a no-tipping ship. There’s no service charge added to the bar bill and no gratuities added to your cruise account; they’re included in the cruise price and on this line, always have been. So most of the mainly Filipino and Indonesian crew know how much they’re going to earn, although the door to topping this up is not closed, as passengers are allowed to tip extra if they want to. But this has never been forced on us and never suggested.

 

Rather than make money from an enforced ‘service charge’, the bar staff earn commission on the number of drinks they sell, which gives them an incentive to keep the service swift and efficient. This is built into the drinks price but alcohol is hardly expensive on board – it’s about in line with British pub prices.

 

What should you conclude from this? Are ships where the crew doesn’t have to tout for tips happier environments? It’s certainly less stressful and awkward for the passengers, particularly the Brits who make up Thomson’s passengers. It seems to work for the crew. I suppose somewhere down the line, the passenger is still paying as tips are built into the cruise fare, but Thomson keeps its prices competitive.

[grand isle joe]

I am glad you had a great cruise. As they say "There is more than one way to skin a cat".......They get their money one way or another.;)

[cruzeluver]

Having never sailed with a "no tipping" cruise line I'm not in much of a position to weight in. I will say I have yet to be on what one would deem an "unhappy ship".

[Zigggypup]

I would be happy either way. Nothing regarding tipping would make me either happy or sad.

[deedeetoo]

My inclination is that the happy crew is because of good senior officers who set the proper example and had a good relationship with the crew. I doubt the tipping policy had anything to do with it.

[blonde1981]

I've always received good service on Royal even though it is a "tipping" cruise line. I think I'd be fine either way though. I always prepay tips so that I don't have to worry about coming up with money to cover it at the end of the cruise (well we still tip above the prepaid amount but you know the idea).

[ECCruise]

My gut feeling is that it DOES make a difference. As the OP said, the staff knows exactly what they will be earning on a consistent basis.

On "tipping" ships, especially those that allow pax to modify--or deduct completely--their gratuities, the staff does NOT know what their income will be.

 

And yes, we have talked to numerous onboard staff who HAVE been stiffed--although everyone will say "oh no, we removed our auto-grats but we always tip in cash." Right.

[varoo]

We have had very happy crews on ships that use tipping.

I think the happiness of the crew depends primarily on their management and working conditions.

 

Holland America tried a no tipping policy.

Apparently it was not successful because they discontinued it.

Now they include a daily Hotel Service Charge on each passenger's account.

Passengers still tip extra as they wish, of course.

 

 

I do not understand the OP's "stressful and awkward" comment as I can't see where there is anything stressful or awkward about having a known service charge added to the passenger's shipboard account each day, regardless of what name a cruise line uses for it.

 

But I agree that it could be stressful or awkward for a passenger who was not aware of it in advance and had failed to budget for it, just as it would be for any other unexpected additional charge not known in advance.

 

This is just a matter of different customs in different places, not a matter of "my way is better than your way" or right or wrong.

[gerif]

We sailed with HAL during their no tipping period. Found the crew to be somewhat sullen and unfriendly compared to other lines. What really ticked me off was at the debarkation talk, the CD said "well, this is a no tipping cruise BUT if you loved your servers - and who doesn't love their servers - you will find envelopes in your cabin to reward them." ***?

 

Now, we are people who always tip and almost always over and above, but this just put a bad taste in my mouth and we've not cruised with them since. Now it might be our experience with a no tipping AI where no tipping meant just that - staff would NOT accept tips and service was amazing.