WOW ! Up To 400 People Remove Gratuities

[k9x8]

I was told the same thing but many here do not want to hear that!!

 

I think it's the other way around. Some of y'all don't want to hear that if you remove your gratuities, those whom you tip are supposed to hand over the equivelent of the auto tip. Neither do you want to hear that your auto tips do not stay just within the MDR.

 

What is 'iMNSVHO' please?

 

In My Not So Very Humble Opinion ;)

[mommabean]

Ermmmm... how is withrawing gratuity seen as mistreatment?

 

If I go the US and eat in a restaurant and the service is poor to very poor, are you saying because the US has a tipping culture that I must tip for a poor service?

 

That's not what I said and you know it.

 

Withdrawing gratuities when the service has been excellent is wrong, it's mistreating someone. Just because it's not customary in your country to tip doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. From someone who has been on well over 50 cruises I know what the likelihood of receiving poor service on a ship is. I had it once in the dining room and twice from a stateroom attendant. Even then it wasn't really poor. I just wouldn't have called it excellent. And yes I tipped them but not extra as I've done every other time.

 

I said what I do if I receive poor service in the States. And that is rare indeed.

[Paul65]

I was told the same thing but many here do not want to hear that!!

 

I was told the opposite thing, but many here do not want to hear that. :cool:

[Debde]

So then I guess it's safe to say NONE OF US have any idea what the staff prefers so just tip, any way you feel correct.

[awhcruiser]

Whatever. And who told you the opposite thing?

I was told the opposite thing, but many here do not want to hear that. :cool:

Edited June 25, 2013 by awhcruiser

[awhcruiser]

Like!

I think it's the other way around. Some of y'all don't want to hear that if you remove your gratuities, those whom you tip are supposed to hand over the equivelent of the auto tip. Neither do you want to hear that your auto tips do not stay just within the MDR.

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

So then I guess it's safe to say NONE OF US have any idea what the staff prefers so just tip, any way you feel correct.

 

The people worrying about what everyone else is doing will never buy into this concept. They got their information from the right people. You, obviously, talked to the wrong people.... probably the non-slackers. :eek::p

Edited June 25, 2013 by Ocean Boy

[Jeff&Mel]

We just returned home tody from our 12 night Baltic Cruise onboard the AOS. It was our first RCI cruise and it was fabulous!!!!!

 

We asked to have our gratuities removed (which totalled $432). We do this because we like to tip the staff ourselves- When all is aid and done- between the kids club, cocktail waiters, MDR staff and room attendant- we ended up tipping more than $700-- I do believe we are the exception. We know people that removed their gratuities and tipped less than $200 for all staff for the 12 dAYS. iT REALLY IS UNFORTUNATE.

[ryano]

That's why I educate myself about cultural differences before I go to another country.

 

I know its a very old cliche but "When in Rome, do as the Romans do!" :)

 

I agree 100% with everything you said.

[novicetraveller]

That's not what I said and you know it.

 

Withdrawing gratuities when the service has been excellent is wrong, it's mistreating someone. Just because it's not customary in your country to tip doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. From someone who has been on well over 50 cruises I know what the likelihood of receiving poor service on a ship is. I had it once in the dining room and twice from a stateroom attendant. Even then it wasn't really poor. I just wouldn't have called it excellent. And yes I tipped them but not extra as I've done every other time.

 

I said what I do if I receive poor service in the States. And that is rare indeed.

 

Nowhere in your post did you refer to an excellent service. I tip when I go to a restaurant even when the service has been average. I tip more if it was above and beyond. But I don't tip if the service falls below an expected standard. Also, who decides who has received an excellent service? The customer? The company? Or some random person somewhere who previously received a good service with the same company?

 

Just remember, different people have different experiences. To assume someone receives a service that warrants a tip before they have received is wrong.

 

And for the record, I have prepaid my gratuity in advance for my upcoming cruises. I don't intend to ask for it back unless the service was substandard.

 

The whole cruise industry needs to change, not just RCL.

[Debde]

 

Just remember, different people have different experiences.

 

This is forgotten, and often, here on CC

[novicetraveller]

This is forgotten, and often, here on CC

 

Quite possibly. One of my pet hates is when someone forces their ascertains and beliefs onto me or anyone else because they believe it. (i.e. what they do is what we should do).

Edited June 25, 2013 by novicetraveller

[clark92fs]

Why jump to the conclusion that everyone who has pre paid gratuities removed does it to avoid paying any tips? We had ours removed from our Sea Pass on our recent cruise because we preferred to give the cash directly to the crew members who had served us personally. They got the recommended tips plus a little extra.

 

Exactly!!! People, don't be so quick to judge. My DW and I prefer this so we can pay the people who serve us directly in cash. We pay the suggested amount and then some. We don't like the cruise line having their hand in this process. This may be a conspiracy theory, but I don't imagine that with the automated system, the employees get all of that amount. Don't you think the employees prefer cash??? Wouldn't you? Also, sometimes we don't eat every dinner in the MDR, and frankly, the head waiter on most cruises nowadays doesn't check in on us like they are supposed to / used to do. We want to reward the people that served us and had a direct interaction with us, especially those that gave us extraordinary service (which we've often had). Cash is king!!!

[novicetraveller]

Cash is king!!!

I wonder who his queen is. :o

[babyher]

I wonder who his queen is. :o

 

June Carter....

 

 

 

I know GROAN:( .....but I am just in that kind of mood today *LOL*

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

I ALWAYS remove the auto-tips, I like old-school, put money in an envelope and hand it to those who earned it. And guess what, if service sucks, I don't tip those particular people. If service is awesome, I've been known to tip 200% of what's suggested.:eek:

 

I also sometimes tip people that I'm not even expected to tip, and they would therefore not get tipped unless I tipped MY WAY, not Royal's way.

 

And if other people don't like that, I really don't care.;)

[CI66774]

So as an American you've never been given a credit card slip with the tip section pre done (presumably as a convenience for the customer so they don't have to work out the percentages)? I guess I've been mis informed. The point still stands - tipping is so ingrained in American society that the vast majority of people wouldn't even consider not tipping no matter what the service is like. Not tipping isn't viewed as a reflection of the standard of service, but a reflection on how "cheap" the customer is.

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

 

Are you an American? I presume not, given your question/statement. As a matter of fact, no, I (and everyone I know) don't tip if the service is poor. In fact, I complain if the service is poor. Don't presume to know what Americans do if you're not one. Lastly, your statement about how tipping is a reflection on how cheap the customer is - where are you getting this ridiculousness!?!?!?!

[Newtoncruise]

Ive heard a number of people telling of their USA tipping experiences. Not really that positive. One person told me that they were verbally abused by a waitress when they only tipped 10%. Whoa!

 

Not sure if it even happened but it is typical of USA tipping folk law that gets fed back to us over here.

[babyher]

So as an American you've never been given a credit card slip with the tip section pre done (presumably as a convenience for the customer so they don't have to work out the percentages)? I guess I've been mis informed. The point still stands - tipping is so ingrained in American society that the vast majority of people wouldn't even consider not tipping no matter what the service is like. Not tipping isn't viewed as a reflection of the standard of service, but a reflection on how "cheap" the customer is.

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

 

 

Are you kidding me?

 

A tip is definitely a reflection of the service provided. You believe that poor service still deserves a tip?

 

I guess we have been very lucky. We eat out quite a lot in every type of restaurant there is . And only one time has the service been so atrocious, (to the point my family still jokes that we must have been on Candid Camera, or Punk'd or one of those practical joke shows) that I did not leave tip.

 

Normally I leave 20% for good service and throw in a little more accordingly for really great service.

[mommabean]

Are you kidding me?

 

A tip is definitely a reflection of the service provided. You believe that poor service still deserves a tip?

 

I guess we have been very lucky. We eat out quite a lot in every type of restaurant there is . And only one time has the service been so atrocious, (to the point my family still jokes that we must have been on Candid Camera, or Punk'd or one of those practical joke shows) that I did not leave tip.

 

Normally I leave 20% for good service and throw in a little more accordingly for really great service.

 

And you are the norm.

 

It sounds to me like people in other countries are being spoon fed you know what from the Telly, documentaries and such, and opening wide as it's shoveled in.

 

We've had a couple of funny dining experiences over the 35+ years we've been together. One at Denny's. Who hasn't had one there. :eek: :D But normally service in any style or quality restaurant is very good to excellent. And we DO eat out often.

 

Yes, everyone has different experiences, just like on the ship, but anyone with consistently bad experiences is more likely to see the problem by looking in the mirror.

 

Gina

[Yillup]

Are you kidding me?

 

A tip is definitely a reflection of the service provided. You believe that poor service still deserves a tip?

 

I guess we have been very lucky. We eat out quite a lot in every type of restaurant there is . And only one time has the service been so atrocious, (to the point my family still jokes that we must have been on Candid Camera, or Punk'd or one of those practical joke shows) that I did not leave tip.

 

Normally I leave 20% for good service and throw in a little more accordingly for really great service.

 

My point exactly - you have only ever ONCE not left a tip. And I bet you felt cheap, even though you had very good reason to not leave a tip. I'm sure at other restaurants there were plenty of times when you felt you had to wait a bit longer than you should have for your order to be taken, the food wasn't that great, the steak wasn't actually cooked medium rare like you asked, etc. But you still tipped. And you still tipped 20%.

 

I cannot remember the last time I left a tip. I've had good service, but not to the point I feel the waiter has gone above and beyond what is expected of a waiter's job. It's their job to bring you water, fill your wine glass, smile when you make your order, give you the specials of the day, recommend wines and food, change parts of the order, explain the food. It's their job. If their employer doesn't pay them what they're worth for doing their job, why should I pay extra?

 

And I've eaten at plenty of excellent restaurants (and plenty of just standard ones).

 

And, for the record, I've prepaid my "tips" for my upcoming cruise and plan to tip for room service, specialty dining, and any extra service I get. I believe in following what is the done thing. I just think it's ridiculous. The cruise line should be paying their staff what they are worth, not relying on the customer to do so.

 

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[Yillup]

Lastly, your statement about how tipping is a reflection on how cheap the customer is - where are you getting this ridiculousness!?!?!?!

 

Almost every single post made by an American on any tipping thread in this forum:rolleyes:. In fact, I've read someone use a phrase something like "a bird flew overhead and called you "cheep"", all because someone asked for advice on what to do if they planned on not eating in the MDR...

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

[babyher]

My point exactly - you have only ever ONCE not left a tip. And I bet you felt cheap, even though you had very good reason to not leave a tip. I'm sure at other restaurants there were plenty of times when you felt you had to wait a bit longer than you should have for your order to be taken, the food wasn't that great, the steak wasn't actually cooked medium rare like you asked, etc. But you still tipped. And you still tipped 20%.

 

I cannot remember the last time I left a tip. I've had good service, but not to the point I feel the waiter has gone above and beyond what is expected of a waiter's job. It's their job to bring you water, fill your wine glass, smile when you make your order, give you the specials of the day, recommend wines and food, change parts of the order, explain the food. It's their job. If their employer doesn't pay them what they're worth for doing their job, why should I pay extra?

 

And I've eaten at plenty of excellent restaurants (and plenty of just standard ones).

 

And, for the record, I've prepaid my "tips" for my upcoming cruise and plan to tip for room service, specialty dining, and any extra service I get. I believe in following what is the done thing. I just think it's ridiculous. The cruise line should be paying their staff what they are worth, not relying on the customer to do so.

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

 

 

I will agree with you that cruise ships, and land based restaurants should pay their servers a livable wage, but we both know that isn't happening anytime soon.

 

As I said I have to be the luckiest diner in the world . I always have good service , on many occasions great service and really that one time I left nothing for a tip was just so blatantly bad that I felt no guilt at all. Not only incompetent (and she was not new and learning the ropes) , but snotty and rude. If anything I felt guilty for stopping my wife from backhanding her when she snapped at my daughters friend .

 

 

If the steak is not done to my liking , that is the cooks fault, not the server's. If the food is lousy, again not the server's fault.

[BeachChik]

My point exactly - you have only ever ONCE not left a tip. And I bet you felt cheap, even though you had very good reason to not leave a tip. I'm sure at other restaurants there were plenty of times when you felt you had to wait a bit longer than you should have for your order to be taken, the food wasn't that great, the steak wasn't actually cooked medium rare like you asked, etc. But you still tipped. And you still tipped 20%.

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

 

Food not good or not cooked how you would want it are not the fault of the server so why would you remove the tip? If you have an issue with the food you should address that with the manager not penalize the person that brings it to you.

 

And as far as taking longer than they should to take the order, I guess I have more patience being that I work for a restaurant company (though I don't actually work in a restaurant). If I see that a restaurant is really busy and the servers are busting their a$$ then I tend to lean towards being understanding that it may take a few more minutes for them to take my order. Good service comes from them stopping by your table to let you know they will be with you as soon as possible so you don't feel you are being ignored.

 

And I have left a restaurant without leaving a tip and I didn't feel cheap. We had the worst server I have ever experienced and I left zero tip.

 

And on the other hand I have tipped more. We had one instance where my hubby's order was all messed up. The server misunderstood what he ordered. No big deal IMO since they were willing to correct it. The manager ended up bringing out the correct order, apologized and comped his portion of the meal for the inconvenience. This is good service as all we needed was the order to be corrected. Because we only had to pay for my portion the tip would have only been $2 or so. But we ended up tipping on what the meal would have cost us had they not comped part of it. The server apologized as did the manager for the mistake so I was happy with this and was not going to penalize the server.

[babyher]

Almost every single post made by an American on any tipping thread in this forum:rolleyes:. In fact, I've read someone use a phrase something like "a bird flew overhead and called you "cheep"", all because someone asked for advice on what to do if they planned on not eating in the MDR...

 

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Forums mobile app

 

I don't know how long you have been around these boards (i see you have only been signed in since March.

 

If you hang around long enough you will see some really nasty, smart ass, hurtful, holier than thou, stuff being posted by some people here . (and yes maybe one or two from me on a bad day *LOL*) .

 

Please do not think that represents all Americans.

 

Don't get me wrong ,we have plenty of "those kind" (not just on CC but in real life too), but just like Australians we have a lot of great folks.