Tipping Policy

[Paul65]

I thought that the definition of a tip was "reward for good service." When the tip is guaranteed to the workers, why is it not a salary?

 

The wikipedia definition of gratuity (which is the word RCCL uses) is:

 

"a sum of money customarily tendered to certain service sector workers for a service performed or anticipated."

[LMaxwell]

I thought that the definition of a tip was "reward for good service."

 

It is, no matter what anyone else tells you.

 

When the tip is guaranteed to the workers, why is it not a salary?

 

If it were salary, instead of a discretionary service charge, it would have to be built into the cruisefare, resulting in higher advertised rates. In essence, cruiselines depends on guests to supplement their workers salaries. It's an inherently flawed system.

 

Dole out YOUR money however YOU see fit and in whatever amount YOU wish. I have no problems if people give more than, less than, or exactly the recommended amount. So many people have difficulties accepting that position and want to bully you into doing things THEIR way. The bottomline is that the cruiseline gives you the option to do what YOU personally feel is best and you shouldn't feel bad about exercising those options.

[jb008]

Does RCCL pool cash gratuities?

 

My understanding on Princess was that for anyone who did not leave the tipping via onboard account on was indicated and their cabin steward and waiter/asst waiter had to put any cash received into the general tip pool and was paid out via the same general pool. In order for them to actually benefit from cash given directly to them, one needs to leave auto tipping in place and gift money direct to the person(s) you want to thank.

[Paul65]

OK, this is what happened to us on Freedom this year, and it left a sour taste in the mouth.

We had prepaid tips, as we always do, for MTD. We had the same table and waiting staff every night. Service was great!!.

Wehad wine every night in the dining room and paid the price plus 15% gratuity, and then left another 15% as EXTRA gratuity. Got this, 30% so far on top of the pre-paid. On the next to last night (when we would give the WOWs) the head table waiter came over and politely whispered in my ear, that the assistant waiter had told him we had been leaving extras every night BUT they did not get all of this and that we could leave WOW's the following evening (which we did). My question is.........how much tipping do these guys expect and solicit from the passengers?

I thought this guy was out of order, but he and the asst waiter had been great all cruise. Should I have gone to Guest Services and made them aware of this blatant soliciting for tips, or is this now the way of the world. :eek:

 

Sounds like they were soliciting for WOW cards, not tips. Or did I miss something in your description? Maybe they were looking for more money, but I think perhaps it was trying to convey that, if you really want to show your appreciation, the guest feedback is even more important to them than the money. I think that is true mainly because it affects their abilities to move up to better positions (so this was probably particularly true for your assistant waiter, who is low on the totem pole).

[LMaxwell]

Does RCCL pool cash gratuities?

 

My understanding on Princess was that for anyone who did not leave the tipping via onboard account on was indicated and their cabin steward and waiter/asst waiter had to put any cash received into the general tip pool and was paid out via the same general pool. In order for them to actually benefit from cash given directly to them, one needs to leave auto tipping in place and gift money direct to the person(s) you want to thank.

 

Yes, it is supposed to function similarly. However, practically speaking, what is to stop a worker from taking cash and pocketing it and saying "I received $0 in tips". They might be risking their job by doing so and being caught, but I know in other places where workers pool tips that it has been done that way. How things are SUPPOSED to work and how they ACTUALLY work usually has some variance.

[Paul65]

It is, no matter what anyone else tells you.

 

LOL. Nice to be so certain, but at least in US culture, that is not true. Tipping is a customary way of paying certain people such as restaurant wait staff. While it is discretionary, it is not truly a "reward" for any kind of extra-special service - it is an expected part of their regular pay. Many people don't like the practice, and try to pretend that it is something different than it really is to justify not paying.

 

Of course, it's reasonable to reduce or even eliminate tips if service is unacceptable, but it's more than just a reward.

[davenew]

Sounds like they were soliciting for WOW cards, not tips. Or did I miss something in your description? Maybe they were looking for more money, but I think perhaps it was trying to convey that, if you really want to show your appreciation, the guest feedback is even more important to them than the money. I think that is true mainly because it affects their abilities to move up to better positions (so this was probably particularly true for your assistant waiter, who is low on the totem pole).

Cash was definately mentioned.

[LMaxwell]

LOL. Nice to be so certain, but at least in US culture, that is not true.

 

Tipping is a reward for good service. That was the response to the question. That's what a tip is. Only recently have workers really started to EXPECT a certain level of gratuity as the baseline and do little to nothing to earn it. I see this in everyday life; workers expect 20% just for breathing. I often times don't receive service worthy of a 20% tip, but lo and behold after calculating my October charges my avg tip amount was 26% with my lowest tip being 15%. So I understand what is customary, what is expected, and what is the norm. I can eat at a restaurant and leave 0% if I have poor service, can I not? I think I can recall only doing that once ever, but it is certainly my option. Once I've paid for my meal I'm not really obligated to pay for bad service, but understand it is customary and expected.

[Aquahound]

It's an inherently flawed system.

 

Flawed? According to who? A few people on cruise critic who are tipping sensitive? If it works for the cruise lines, works for the employees, and seems to work for the majority of guests, how would that be a flawed system? :confused:

[jb008]

OK, this is what happened to us on Freedom this year, and it left a sour taste in the mouth.

We had prepaid tips, as we always do, for MTD. We had the same table and waiting staff every night. Service was great!!.

Wehad wine every night in the dining room and paid the price plus 15% gratuity, and then left another 15% as EXTRA gratuity. Got this, 30% so far on top of the pre-paid. On the next to last night (when we would give the WOWs) the head table waiter came over and politely whispered in my ear, that the assistant waiter had told him we had been leaving extras every night BUT they did not get all of this and that we could leave WOW's the following evening (which we did). My question is.........how much tipping do these guys expect and solicit from the passengers?

I thought this guy was out of order, but he and the asst waiter had been great all cruise. Should I have gone to Guest Services and made them aware of this blatant soliciting for tips, or is this now the way of the world. :eek:

 

Were you writing the 15% (for a total of 30%) on the wine tab? I thought with wine & bar tabs that tip ends up going to benefit the sommelier, assistants, and the bar staff, versus when you tip to the dining staff they get more of that.

[LMaxwell]

Flawed? According to who? A few people on cruise critic who are tipping sensitive? If it works for the cruise lines, works for the employees, and seems to work for the majority of guests, how would that be a flawed system? :confused:

 

Because something SEEMS to work doesn't mean there aren't inherent flaws.

 

The flaw is that to the guest it is presented as a suggested daily gratuity amount, and is up to the guest whether to leave it in place, remove it, leave nothing, leave extra, etc.

 

The reality is that the "gratuity" or "service charge" is in actuality a major supplement to the low wages the hotel staff (room stewards and dining staff) earn. The catch is that to make it more equitable the cruiseline would have to remove the option of the guest controlling the charge and just call it a daily service charge, and allow the staff to keep any additional tips they may receive. To do so the cruiseline has to advertise rates with this price factored in. You'd see cruise rates skyrocket, but at least the price you see would be the honest charge, not the base rate, plus, plus, plus.

 

Lots of systems have inherent flaws but manage to work. Doesn't mean they could not stand to be improved, modified, redesigned, or done away with altogether.

[Paul65]

Tipping is a reward for good service. That was the response to the question. That's what a tip is. Only recently have workers really started to EXPECT a certain level of gratuity as the baseline and do little to nothing to earn it. I see this in everyday life; workers expect 20% just for breathing. I often times don't receive service worthy of a 20% tip, but lo and behold after calculating my October charges my avg tip amount was 26% with my lowest tip being 15%. So I understand what is customary, what is expected, and what is the norm. I can eat at a restaurant and leave 0% if I have poor service, can I not? I think I can recall only doing that once ever, but it is certainly my option. Once I've paid for my meal I'm not really obligated to pay for bad service, but understand it is customary and expected.

 

No, that's not quite how it works. It is customary to pay for service. If the service falls below or exceeds your expectations, it is customary to adjust the amount up or down (including down to zero if service is non-existent or totally unacceptable). That's the way it works. But it is not just a "reward." It is payment for services.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Paul65

[LMaxwell]

No, that's not quite how it works. It is customary to pay for service. If the service falls below or exceeds your expectations, it is customary to adjust the amount up or down (including down to zero if service is non-existent or totally unacceptable). That's the way it works. But it is not just a "reward." It is payment for services.

 

Okay, I do see your point, and I agree. Yes, you are paying for service. But it is completely optional. What someone pays for the service is up to that person to determine based on the service they have received, and the cruise line has not removed that option from being in the guests control.

[Debde]

I don't know about what other people do, but I just got off FOS and removed my auto tips for our party of four and paid cash at the end. There was absolutely no hassle doing this and they did not even question why.

 

I feel that tipping is a personal thing between me and the server(s) and quite frankly none of RCI's business (the same as it is none of my business what they pay their employee's as it is between them). I appreciate the guidelines and follow them up with a little extra and in some cases a lot extra. This includes the $240 for our suite attendant which I found to be on the high side as I would never leave that much when staying at a hotel (I think the recommended came out to $203 for 4 in a suite), though we found the recommended amounts for the wait staff rather low. We also never left the windjammer or any other eating or drinking venue without at least leaving $5-$10 on the table for the servers (habit from living in the US).

 

I know for a fact that they are now including some supervisors and other staff in the tipping pool (at least in the case for housekeeping, not sure about dining room services) and I don't feel any responsibility to tip those people. If they want to include it as a mandatory service charge and add it to the cruise fare so be it, but as long as it is called a gratuity I will continue to go along as I always have (where I am from, cash is always king).

 

I know some people enjoy the convenience of the auto-tips which is fine, but don't assume just because some still choose to do it the other way that we are stiffing the staff. Bottom line is that there are two ways to pay now and the choice is ours as customers to decide how we want to take care of the tips.

 

I just can not like this enough!!!:D

[Tripper10]

Ok, so assuming that is true why is it frowned upon to give out cash now instead of using the Pre-paid & auto grat programs? If we give out cash, isn't it the responsibilty of the stateroom attendants and dining room staff to divide it up the way they were doing prior to these tipping programs? If they are not doing what they are suppose to be doing, is it really the cruisers problem? As long as we are giving the suggested tip, or more, do we really need to micro manage it? Just food for thought.

 

I give cash tips throughout the cruise in hopes that they just keep the money for themselves. Sometimes I buy phone cards for them to use on the islands. Tipping cash is more personal. Just my opinion. I know these cruise lines try to keep all money they can from the staff so anything I can do to help them out, within reason, I do it.

[Tripper10]

I don't know about what other people do, but I just got off FOS and removed my auto tips for our party of four and paid cash at the end. There was absolutely no hassle doing this and they did not even question why.

 

I feel that tipping is a personal thing between me and the server(s) and quite frankly none of RCI's business (the same as it is none of my business what they pay their employee's as it is between them). I appreciate the guidelines and follow them up with a little extra and in some cases a lot extra. This includes the $240 for our suite attendant which I found to be on the high side as I would never leave that much when staying at a hotel (I think the recommended came out to $203 for 4 in a suite), though we found the recommended amounts for the wait staff rather low. We also never left the windjammer or any other eating or drinking venue without at least leaving $5-$10 on the table for the servers (habit from living in the US).

 

I know for a fact that they are now including some supervisors and other staff in the tipping pool (at least in the case for housekeeping, not sure about dining room services) and I don't feel any responsibility to tip those people. If they want to include it as a mandatory service charge and add it to the cruise fare so be it, but as long as it is called a gratuity I will continue to go along as I always have (where I am from, cash is always king).

 

I know some people enjoy the convenience of the auto-tips which is fine, but don't assume just because some still choose to do it the other way that we are stiffing the staff. Bottom line is that there are two ways to pay now and the choice is ours as customers to decide how we want to take care of the tips.

 

This is what we do as well. I would suggest this as a better form of tipping.

[Zigggypup]

I give cash tips throughout the cruise in hopes that they just keep the money for themselves. Sometimes I buy phone cards for them to use on the islands. Tipping cash is more personal. Just my opinion. I know these cruise lines try to keep all money they can from the staff so anything I can do to help them out, within reason, I do it.

 

I agree. Giving someone an envelope along with a handshake it much more personable. I rather give cash, but I do the MTD, so I have no choice in the matter.

But I still don't understand why all the resistance to cash. If you decide to tip your stateroom attendant and dining room personnel in cash, whats the big deal? Aren't they suppose to divide up it and dispurse it like they were doing prior to RCI implementing the auto grat program? If they don't do that, why should the guest worry about it? It's not my place to ensure that they are doing what they are suppose to be doing with the cash. If they don't, then they are screwing their fellow workers.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Zigggypup

[springfire]

I don't know about what other people do, but I just got off FOS and removed my auto tips for our party of four and paid cash at the end. There was absolutely no hassle doing this and they did not even question why.

 

I feel that tipping is a personal thing between me and the server(s) and quite frankly none of RCI's business (the same as it is none of my business what they pay their employee's as it is between them). I appreciate the guidelines and follow them up with a little extra and in some cases a lot extra. This includes the $240 for our suite attendant which I found to be on the high side as I would never leave that much when staying at a hotel (I think the recommended came out to $203 for 4 in a suite), though we found the recommended amounts for the wait staff rather low. We also never left the windjammer or any other eating or drinking venue without at least leaving $5-$10 on the table for the servers (habit from living in the US).

 

I know for a fact that they are now including some supervisors and other staff in the tipping pool (at least in the case for housekeeping, not sure about dining room services) and I don't feel any responsibility to tip those people. If they want to include it as a mandatory service charge and add it to the cruise fare so be it, but as long as it is called a gratuity I will continue to go along as I always have (where I am from, cash is always king).

 

I know some people enjoy the convenience of the auto-tips which is fine, but don't

assume just because some still choose to do it the other way that we are stiffing the staff. Bottom line is that there are two ways to pay now and the choice is ours as customers to

decide how we want to take care of the tips.

What a Great Post!!!

[Highlander1]

I don't know about what other people do, but I just got off FOS and removed my auto tips for our party of four and paid cash at the end. There was absolutely no hassle doing this and they did not even question why.

 

I feel that tipping is a personal thing between me and the server(s) and quite frankly none of RCI's business (the same as it is none of my business what they pay their employee's as it is between them). I appreciate the guidelines and follow them up with a little extra and in some cases a lot extra. This includes the $240 for our suite attendant which I found to be on the high side as I would never leave that much when staying at a hotel (I think the recommended came out to $203 for 4 in a suite), though we found the recommended amounts for the wait staff rather low. We also never left the windjammer or any other eating or drinking venue without at least leaving $5-$10 on the table for the servers (habit from living in the US).

 

I know for a fact that they are now including some supervisors and other staff in the tipping pool (at least in the case for housekeeping, not sure about dining room services) and I don't feel any responsibility to tip those people. If they want to include it as a mandatory service charge and add it to the cruise fare so be it, but as long as it is called a gratuity I will continue to go along as I always have (where I am from, cash is always king).

 

I know some people enjoy the convenience of the auto-tips which is fine, but don't assume just because some still choose to do it the other way that we are stiffing the staff. Bottom line is that there are two ways to pay now and the choice is ours as customers to decide how we want to take care of the tips.

 

 

Bottom line here is you took the liberty of deciding the "best" way for you, not all the parties involved. What is wrong with leaving the auto tips in place so every one that the cruise line decided would be compensated that way do get paid? Then, you could always leave extra "cash" for your favorites. I haven't seen any of the parties still using envelopes address this practice. Answer, (A.) Because they have no good reason. Answer (B) they are cheapskates, Answer © they know more than the lines, staff and everybody, (D) All of the above

 

And lets all remember, the cruise lines do not want to use the word "mandatory" tipping or "service charge" because they don't want to seem pushy or that you must tip regardless of service. You seem to think the staff didn't mind, they are trained not to show disapointment or being dissed, they are there to make you happy. Trust me, they know who removes the tips and they hope that others will pick up the slack. If you receive poor service, speak up, but don't cheat those deserving (and you may not know who is) of a wage designed by them and their employers.

 

Times change, methods change, change along with it or get out of Dodge. This "new" method of tipping is almost 10 years old, thats enough time to adjust. By your own admission, your a great tipper, I consider myself a good tipper but I've never left a $5 or $10 in the Windjammer for the servers, to me that is almost excessive. Now, if you liked the service at the end of the week you could always take care of those with an envelope. And if anyone believes that cash tips are shared as is the lines custom, you obviously have never worked for tips, that just doesn't happen.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Highlander1

[springfire]

I agree. Giving someone an envelope along with a handshake it much more personable. I rather give cash, but I do the MTD, so I have no choice in the matter.

But I still don't understand why all the resistance to cash. If you decide to tip your stateroom attendant and dining room personnel in cash, whats the big deal? Aren't they suppose to divide up it and dispurse it like they were doing prior to RCI implementing the auto grat program? If they don't do that, why should the guest worry about it? It's not my place to ensure that they are doing what they are suppose to be doing with the cash. If they don't, then they are screwing their fellow workers.

 

Well said!!!

[kylenyc]

If this were the equivalent of a land vacation, tip etiquette in the US would be $2-$5 per day housekeeping, and 10%-20% waiter (before taxes and excluding alcohol).

 

$24 Autotip for two per day

-$5 Housekeeping tip per day for "excellent" service

==============

$19 for your waiter

 

Assuming your waiter is "excellent", then a $19 (20%) tip would equate to $95 per diem for meals. If you feel you are getting excellent service and $95 worth in food, then keep the tips in place, otherwise feel free to adjust.

 

Using the same guidelines, children should not be paying the same auto-tip as adults. Parents with two young children are not eating $190 in food a day. I can definitely see parents with children adjusting the auto-tip.

 

Since when has it been customary to tip these "other" dining and housekeeping staff on a land vacation. Concierge, butlers, porters are tipped directly. Bar staff are tipped by a 15% auto gratuity added directly on each bar bill.

Edited November 6, 2013 by kylenyc

[critterchick]

I don't know about what other people do, but I just got off FOS and removed my auto tips for our party of four and paid cash at the end. There was absolutely no hassle doing this and they did not even question why.

 

I feel that tipping is a personal thing between me and the server(s) and quite frankly none of RCI's business (the same as it is none of my business what they pay their employee's as it is between them). I appreciate the guidelines and follow them up with a little extra and in some cases a lot extra. This includes the $240 for our suite attendant which I found to be on the high side as I would never leave that much when staying at a hotel (I think the recommended came out to $203 for 4 in a suite), though we found the recommended amounts for the wait staff rather low. We also never left the windjammer or any other eating or drinking venue without at least leaving $5-$10 on the table for the servers (habit from living in the US).

 

I know for a fact that they are now including some supervisors and other staff in the tipping pool (at least in the case for housekeeping, not sure about dining room services) and I don't feel any responsibility to tip those people. If they want to include it as a mandatory service charge and add it to the cruise fare so be it, but as long as it is called a gratuity I will continue to go along as I always have (where I am from, cash is always king).

 

I know some people enjoy the convenience of the auto-tips which is fine, but don't assume just because some still choose to do it the other way that we are stiffing the staff. Bottom line is that there are two ways to pay now and the choice is ours as customers to decide how we want to take care of the tips.

 

Because we use MTD, we are forced to prepay our tips, and I've given up struggling with the concept. If we pick traditional dining for some reason and have a choice, we'll still go with the automatic tip because it's the path of least resistance. I've never had service so bad that it warranted a reduction in the tip, and I don't want to spend my precious vacation time with a calculator any more.

 

I mostly agree with you, except for the part that I highlighted. In the US, the maid in a hotel is paid at least a minimum wage - in other countries, I imagine s/he is actually paid a living wage. We usually leave a couple of bucks a day for the two of us in a hotel. The stateroom attendant is paid only a nominal amount by RCI and our "tips" are actually his or her wages. I don't even like the idea of calling it a tip or a gratuity, because IMO it isn't. I just leave it in place. Sometimes I have a bad day at work and wouldn't want to have my pay docked for it.

[mn1111]

Bottom line here is you took the liberty of deciding the "best" way for you, not all the parties involved. Of course I do what is best and most convenient for me as it is my vacation and my money and same as you, paid a lot for it (this isn't a public service or missionary trip). Also, RCCL stated that they were doing the auto tips as a "convenience" so if we take them at their word, it shouldn't matter if we choose to do it the old way as they do allow that option and make it very clear that it is available. What is wrong with leaving the auto tips in place so every one that the cruise line decided would be compensated that way do get paid? Then, you could always leave extra "cash" for your favorites. I haven't seen any of the parties still using envelopes address this practice. Answer, (A.) Because they have no good reason. Answer (B) they are cheapskates, Answer © they know more than the lines, staff and everybody, (D) All of the above As I stated before, it is none of their business what I tip the staff as it is a personal transaction between the server and myself. Let them worry about what they are paying the staff not what I am doing. That is my reason, which while may not be good enough for you, is good enough for me and since it is my money, my opinion counts more than yours does in this case (same as yours counts more when it is your money). I understand though that there are other people who don't feel the same way, which is fine as there are options for both.

 

And lets all remember, the cruise lines do not want to use the word "mandatory" tipping or "service charge" because they don't want to seem pushy or that you must tip regardless of service That is fine they don't want to do that, but until they do, I am free to exercise my option to handle my tips the way I want to because as of today it is still a tip and not a service charge. In the case of a service charge, management decides how it is allocated, when it is a tip, the customer decides. You seem to think the staff didn't mind, they are trained not to show disapointment or being dissed, they are there to make you happy. I've never cheated, dissed or stiffed anyone in my life and don't intend to start now as they were taken care of very well. If the cruise line is taking tips meant for the people who are in tipping positions and giving it to supervisors and other people in non-service positions that are traditionally not tipped, they are the ones screwing THEIR employees, not me. Also, I asked both the waiter and suite attendant before I removed the tips which way they prefer and both said cash so there was no disappointment at all on their end (so they knew upfront that they would be getting cash at the end). Trust me, they know who removes the tips and they hope that others will pick up the slack. If you receive poor service, speak up, but don't cheat those deserving (and you may not know who is) of a wage designed by them and their employers.

Times change, methods change, change along with it or get out of Dodge. This "new" method of tipping is almost 10 years old, thats enough time to adjust. By your own admission, your a great tipper, I consider myself a good tipper, not a great one, but I can be generous when the service delivered deserves it. I consider myself a good tipper but I've never left a $5 or $10 in the Windjammer for the servers, to me that is almost excessive. Now, if you liked the service at the end of the week you could always take care of those with an envelope. I did take care of each of them with an envelope at the end of the week And if anyone believes that cash tips are shared as is the lines custom, you obviously have never worked for tips, that just doesn't happen (I have worked for tips as waitress when I was in college and know how hard the work is).

 

I totally understand why people like the convenience of the auto tips and think it is great that they offer that as an option for people who don't want to deal with cash. I also think it was a good idea to implement it as the default option in order to help with collecting tips from people who live in non-tipping cultures. What I don't get is why it bothers some people so much that others still choose the cash option. I do know for certain, that the staff were definitely happy to have the cash in their pocket.

[Merion_Mom]

Thanks for coming to my rescue, Merion_Mom! Yes, if it's anybody's business, we tipped WAY more than the $12 a day. I talked to a crew member that we have gotten to know over many cruises and asked that person about it. They told us that the "socialist" (my words, not theirs!) way of distribution is never divided equitably. Again that is that person's opinion. That concerns me. I do not want their supervisor getting their tips. They get a higher salary, probably. Another concern I have with this automatically put on your SeaPass card is that they should make it clear up front. We are taking our entire family on a cruise and there will be four young children in an adjoining room. That $12 a day comes out to almost $350 more for that cabin. If you feel like you are getting a good deal, by the time they add port charges, tax, insurance and gratuities, it's not a good deal afterall. I am glad we had a choice to opt out. If that changes, they need to just add it to the price of the cabin.

 

You had me until the red highlighted area, musicfam. If you are implying that $336 is too much to pay, since they are four children, and in paying cash, you won't pay that much, we now disagree.

[Merion_Mom]

Were you writing the 15% (for a total of 30%) on the wine tab? I thought with wine & bar tabs that tip ends up going to benefit the sommelier, assistants, and the bar staff, versus when you tip to the dining staff they get more of that.

 

There is no sommelier, there are no assistants, and wine is not a function of the bar staff.

 

Tips on wine go to the waiter and/or assistant waiter.