Royal Caribbean tipping??

[fishtaco]

People and lifts...... Yep, they will squeeze in with their walkers or on their go-carts and not really care about others, even kids had better manners. We quite often will wait for another lift if there are heaps running at the sound of the ding.

 

Actually it was mentioned more than once on Carnival USA how polite Australians are.

 

All I did was stand aside at lifts for elderly and women and said "After you" This is obviously not so common these days? but I grew up giving my bus/train seat to an Adult as an expectation and not just politeness.

[bazzaw]

Spoke to a RCI cabin steward today. Said that he was happier with the old tipping system (pre-March 2013) because, although they do get the automatic (and supposedly compulsory) gratuities (although with a 2 week delay), unfortunately MANY passengers are removing the automatic gratuities and are NOT tipping in cash either. Gave an example where in a very recent cruise, 10 cabins belonging to one steward removed the grats. Who knows? -- maybe there was indeed a reason for this removal?? But unfortunately also, the stewards have no real means of complaint or redress to management - they are all well aware of what happened to the stewards on P&O Arcadia.

 

As I said in another thread, I feel that the staff on RCI are VERY good -- but am wondering what may eventuate if they continue this system of grats in Aussie waters.

 

Barry

[rkmw]

Spoke to a RCI cabin steward today. Said that he was happier with the old tipping system (pre-March 2013) because, although they do get the automatic (and supposedly compulsory) gratuities (although with a 2 week delay), unfortunately MANY passengers are removing the automatic gratuities and are NOT tipping in cash either. Gave an example where in a very recent cruise, 10 cabins belonging to one steward removed the grats. Who knows? -- maybe there was indeed a reason for this removal?? But unfortunately also, the stewards have no real means of complaint or redress to management - they are all well aware of what happened to the stewards on P&O Arcadia.

 

As I said in another thread, I feel that the staff on RCI are VERY good -- but am wondering what may eventuate if they continue this system of grats in Aussie waters.

 

Barry

 

when people remove the gratuities the staff are penalised but the cruise lines could do the same as princess and p&o do include the tips in with the fare and no one can remove them

[NSWP]

when people remove the gratuities the staff are penalised but the cruise lines could do the same as princess and p&o do include the tips in with the fare and no one can remove them

Good point Bob, it would appear many Australians are removing their auto tips on RCI, which will in the end lead to higher cruise fares, no way RCI or any other line will pay all the service crew's wages out of company funds, part is paid by the gratuity pool.

 

I think the time is near when all cruise lines will implement pre paid auto tips which cannot be removed under any circumstances.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

when people remove the gratuities the staff are penalised but the cruise lines could do the same as princess and p&o do include the tips in with the fare and no one can remove them

 

I think all the cruise lines down this way, should go the same was as p&o & princess and have the tips in the fare.

 

Good point Bob, it would appear many Australians are removing their auto tips on RCI, which will in the end lead to higher cruise fares, no way RCI or any other line will pay all the service crew's wages out of company funds, part is paid by the gratuity pool.

 

When we go on American ships, we always take the tips off (Like on the Diamond Princess and Volendam), and if we every go on a RCI ship, we will try and take the tips off as well.

 

I think the time is near when all cruise lines will implement pre paid auto tips which cannot be removed under any circumstances.

 

Depends if the tips are included in the fare, if they are, then that's ok, but if its it goes like what Cunard is at the moment, where you can’t take the tips off at all, then our days off cruising will be over, as it will be too expensive.

[Pushka]

You can take off the auto tips on Cunard. Although it isn't something I'm interested in doing.

[fishtaco]

I think all the cruise lines down this way, should go the same was as p&o & princess and have the tips in the fare.

 

 

 

When we go on American ships, we always take the tips off (Like on the Diamond Princess and Volendam), and if we every go on a RCI ship, we will try and take the tips off as well.

 

 

 

Depends if the tips are included in the fare, if they are, then that's ok, but if its it goes like what Cunard is at the moment, where you can’t take the tips off at all, then our days off cruising will be over, as it will be too expensive.

 

I am a bit confused?

 

If you get a good price deal on a cruise and then add the tips in as part of the overall fare then why would your cruise days be over? Your neighbour in the next cabin may have paid much more per day base fare than you.

 

Dont get me wrong I dont care if people remove their Grats and pay no tips at all that is for them to decide and maybe they truly cant afford them but the amount of compulsory Grats on top of a fare weighed against a cheap base fare cant stop a person cruising unless they are truly against tips no matter how cheap the cruise :confused:

[fishtaco]

Spoke to a RCI cabin steward today. Said that he was happier with the old tipping system (pre-March 2013) because, although they do get the automatic (and supposedly compulsory) gratuities (although with a 2 week delay), unfortunately MANY passengers are removing the automatic gratuities and are NOT tipping in cash either. Gave an example where in a very recent cruise, 10 cabins belonging to one steward removed the grats. Who knows? -- maybe there was indeed a reason for this removal?? But unfortunately also, the stewards have no real means of complaint or redress to management - they are all well aware of what happened to the stewards on P&O Arcadia.

 

As I said in another thread, I feel that the staff on RCI are VERY good -- but am wondering what may eventuate if they continue this system of grats in Aussie waters.

 

Barry

 

Barry did you end up removing your daily charged Autos in favour of cash?

 

I got the feeling on RCI that the Purses desk was so far removed from service staff that they didnt care either way!

 

I had trouble getting envelopes from the purses desk, when i removed my autos i was told just give them a tip whatever you decide!

 

Maybe they were just used to Aussies and expecting removal? lol

[Kiwi_cruiser]

You can take off the auto tips on Cunard. Although it isn't something I'm interested in doing.

 

You cant, we where last year looking at a Queen Elizabeth cruise last year, and we asked about the auto tips, and we where told you cant take them off.

[Kiwi_cruiser]

If you get a good price deal on a cruise and then add the tips in as part of the overall fare then why would your cruise days be over?

 

I think you may have missed my point, if the tips are part of the overall fare for the cruise (Like what p&o & princess do now), then our cruise days would NOT be over.

 

But if they go like what Royal Caribbean, Princess USA and Cunard etc.., do now, where you have to pay tips on top of your far, then our days of cruising would be over.

[The_Big_M]

I think you may have missed my point, if the tips are part of the overall fare for the cruise (Like what p&o & princess do now), then our cruise days would NOT be over.

 

But if they go like what Royal Caribbean, Princess USA and Cunard etc.., do now, where you have to pay tips on top of your far, then our days of cruising would be over.

 

I think he's saying if the price works out similarly why would they be over?

 

e.g. say P&O charge $1000 for an 8 nt cruise (incl tips). Yet you find a deal for $800 for 8 nights with RCL, plus your $150 tips. Why would your cruise days be over?

[keagle]

On our next 9 night cruise, tips are around $102 each, on our 14 night cruise they are about $155 each. The actual total cost of the 9 night cruise (including tips) is still less than a 7 night cruise on P&O.

[Pushka]

You cant, we where last year looking at a Queen Elizabeth cruise last year, and we asked about the auto tips, and we where told you cant take them off.

 

Well I've actually been on the QM2 and there was a queue of people in front of me doing exactly that, successfully at the service desk. Did you just ask your TA?

 

Check out the Cunard boards. It's got a lot of threads about the auto tips and thoughts of people who do or don't.

[rkmw]

On our next 9 night cruise, tips are around $102 each, on our 14 night cruise they are about $155 each. The actual total cost of the 9 night cruise (including tips) is still less than a 7 night cruise on P&O.

 

we snagged a bargain on the Pacific Jewel early december 9 nights 10 days for $780 pp and no tips to pay, i dont think RCI can beat that price

[fishtaco]

I think he's saying if the price works out similarly why would they be over?

 

e.g. say P&O charge $1000 for an 8 nt cruise (incl tips). Yet you find a deal for $800 for 8 nights with RCL, plus your $150 tips. Why would your cruise days be over?

 

Yes thank you, this was the point I was trying to make and confused why compulsory daily auto tips would stop a person from cruising if they could get a bargain base price to start with :)