!! I Cringe at my fellow travellers !!

[LetsGetWet!]

I must be missing something, where is the contradiction?:confused:

Sorry, had missed this before. Here again is the quote straight from RCI:

 

"The gratuity is automatically added to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. In the unlikely event that a guest on board 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. Guests who have elected to prepay gratuities will not see a daily charge during their cruise. Any modifications or adjustments to your gratuities are required to be requested before you depart your cruise."

 

Now look carefully at the parts I bolded, and particularly the red parts - and answer this question:

 

Can you modify your gratuity during your cruise, or are you required to do so before you depart your cruise? :)

[Clarea]

Sorry, had missed this before. Here again is the quote straight from RCI:

 

 

 

Now look carefully at the parts I bolded, and particularly the red parts - and answer this question:

 

Can you modify your gratuity during your cruise, or are you required to do so before you depart your cruise? :)

I read it to mean you can modify automatic gratuities during the cruise and must modify prepaid gratuities before the cruise.

[sandancer]

However my parents always take theirs off. Please don't get me wrong they still pay the tips, but they like to personally deliver the tips to those that have served them.

 

Above copied from an early post on this thread.

 

I have read many times that if you remove the auto tip and pay grats in cash, they have to be handed in to the tip pool and any member of the crew who holds on to the cash can be in trouble. Remember, they know who has removed the tips and I would think that the waiter or cabin attendant will be asked if they have been given cash. On the other hand if you leave the grats on or pre-pay and then tip in cash in addition, then they keep the extra.

 

For the record I hate it when someone from the UK posts about not tipping. We are not all cheap - when in Rome and all that.

[LetsGetWet!]

I read it to mean you can modify automatic gratuities during the cruise and must modify prepaid gratuities before the cruise.

I guess that could be an interpretation, but its certainly not clear. "Prepay" is used in another sentence with respect to whether a daily charge will be on your bill, but is in neither of the sentences referenced.

[Debde]

I have read many times that if you remove the auto tip and pay grats in cash, they have to be handed in to the tip pool and any member of the crew who holds on to the cash can be in trouble.

 

I wish I had a penny for things I've read around here that are not true! The jury is still out on that above statement for me.

[sandancer]

I did say that I had "read it" not that it was true. It makes sense that if they have a system of pooled tips, then it all has to be pooled.

[LetsGetWet!]

I wish I had a penny for things I've read around here that are not true! The jury is still out on that above statement for me.

Agreed. It DOES make a certain amount of sense, and is the only logical reason I can think of for passing around the list of who's removed gratuities.

 

The thing that troubles me is - its asking for a tremendous amount of record-keeping effort from each employee. "Guest A didn't remove their gratuities and gave me $20 on day 1 and $25 on day 6, that's mine. Guest B removed their gratuities and gave me $35 on day 4, I have to report that. Guest C didn't remove theirs UNTIL the last day, so the $10 on day 2 and $20 on day 5 that I thought was mine now has to be reported. Etc, etc." Doesn't seem fair to make them keep track of all that, its not a trivial task.

[Clarea]

I guess that could be an interpretation, but its certainly not clear. "Prepay" is used in another sentence with respect to whether a daily charge will be on your bill, but is in neither of the sentences referenced.

It is par for the course for Royal to publish something that is ambiguous and imprecise.:rolleyes:

[LetsGetWet!]

It is par for the course for Royal to publish something that is ambiguous and imprecise.:rolleyes:

Exactly!!! You'd almost swear they do that on purpose, they do it so much!

[smoosh21]

This is just an opinion but here goes:

 

If you can't afford to tip than you can't afford to vacation. Where ever you go there is tipping and people depend on those tips to help their families out. Who wouldn't tip? I have no idea how anybody would think not tipping was the right thing to do. How would you feel if you went to work for eight hours a day and only got half your pay??

 

Sharon I

 

 

I agree with this 100%. It is the same with going out to dinner. If you can't afford to tip your server, you can't afford to eat out.

You may not agree with the idea that you need to pay the server separately from the rest of your meal, but that is the way it works. Don't punish the worker for decisions made by management. If you don't like the policy, you shouldn't be using that companies product, not punishing the worker after.

[time4u2go]

I agree with this 100%. It is the same with going out to dinner. If you can't afford to tip your server, you can't afford to eat out.

You may not agree with the idea that you need to pay the server separately from the rest of your meal, but that is the way it works. Don't punish the worker for decisions made by management. If you don't like the policy, you shouldn't be using that companies product, not punishing the worker after.

 

They didn't say they can't afford it.

Edited February 27, 2014 by time4u2go

[Jaxchamp]

Agreed. It DOES make a certain amount of sense, and is the only logical reason I can think of for passing around the list of who's removed gratuities.

 

The thing that troubles me is - its asking for a tremendous amount of record-keeping effort from each employee. "Guest A didn't remove their gratuities and gave me $20 on day 1 and $25 on day 6, that's mine. Guest B removed their gratuities and gave me $35 on day 4, I have to report that. Guest C didn't remove theirs UNTIL the last day, so the $10 on day 2 and $20 on day 5 that I thought was mine now has to be reported. Etc, etc." Doesn't seem fair to make them keep track of all that, its not a trivial task.

 

Right!.....all of you saying that you want to tip more....or the right people!.....(read cheap liars)........good job!.......leave well enough alone....you might not like the system.....but it works.....add on top for those that you connected with!

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[bplazo]

I would not travel with them

[Jaxchamp]

I would not travel with them

 

Very helpful!....thanks!?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[vargasjv]

I leave auto tipping (for my spouse and 3 kids under 10!) -

 

However, I would say that the cruise lines themselves should take some of the blame for 'lack' of appropriate tips.

 

From my view - the standard normal tip is part of the cruise package, the cruise line prefers not to have it as part of the cruise price to make it seem like the trip is less expensive.... It's a bit of a marketing ploy.

 

They just need to add it into the price of the cruise and end of story - they cruisers can tip EXTRA is they choose...

[nhraformula00]

I would not travel with them

 

I agree, I would not be on the same ship.

[lmares1968]

This is just an opinion but here goes:

 

If you can't afford to tip than you can't afford to vacation. Where ever you go there is tipping and people depend on those tips to help their families out. Who wouldn't tip? I have no idea how anybody would think not tipping was the right thing to do. How would you feel if you went to work for eight hours a day and only got half your pay??

 

Sharon I

 

I agree with you. I am new to cruising and chose MTD with prepaid gratuities. I will still tip above and beyond that If I receive good service. I didn't even know removing your tips was an option, but I can't understand why anybody would have them removed.:confused:

[Szzanni86]

I prepay my gratuities, 12.50 a day is very little in my mind so I always leave extra at the end of the week according to the service I receive, which by the way is always phenomenal! These people work their butts off and hardly get any sleep. Their jobs are not as glamorous as they look. I have worked for a cruise line before and the pay is anything but glamorous! Tips are what these people support their families on. I would not be able to enjoy a meal knowing I will be stiffing the waiter/waitress that works so hard to make my experience enjoyable. This kind of sickens me!

All cruise lines and restaurants, etc should include the tip in everyone's bill. As far as RCCL is concerned, I wouldn't mind if they didn't make withdrawing gratuities an option.

Edited February 27, 2014 by Szzanni86

[Szzanni86]

Its a Bit of a long story , but .... They are not paying for the trip , another family member is ( big group going ) , without sounding awful or degrading , they wouldn't have naturally picked a cruise , but are happy enough to come along . BUT , i have tried the when i rome' and all that .

 

Like I said , our booking are all linked and it makes me cringe , I can't let it put a dampener on my happy place ( any cruise ship , sitting in a hot tub with a beer ! ) but it still make me Cringe !

 

Wow! They are not paying for the trip and they STILL are having the gratuities removed. Do they squeak when they walk? Now I'm really cringing! Horrible....I couldn't even be around them if it were me. Sorry!

[wassup4565]

Whew, I am so relieved by this thread. I thought Canadians and Brits were notorious for their cheap tipping habits. Guess we don't deserve that cheapskate reputation after all!

 

Remove autotips?: Cheapie, cheeseball, mingy, stingy, tight-fisted, Scroogie, classless.

 

We pay autotips, and gladly give extra cash tips to workers in all categories.

 

And we're the so-called cheap-tipping Canucks.

[Hlitner]

Apparently a Problem shared is a problem halved ??

 

We will be travelling in May on INDY , 6th Cruise , 2nd with RCCL .

 

HOWEVER

 

A family that is cruising with us ( never cruised before ) are planning on immediately taking their Auto Grats on as they 'technically don't have to pay them so why would you ?'

 

Makes me cringe , anyone ever been in this situation before , Iv had may say but it has little effect ..... Makes Me Cringe !

 

Yeah, we have heard this attitude from some Brits and Aussies. Bottom line is that some folks are absolutely CHEAP and wrap that attitude in their own culture or mores. Not much can be done about this because these kind of folks could care less about what other folks think or about the welfare of those they "stiff."

 

Personally, we think the cruise lines have created this situation. They should simply increase the price of cruise for all Brits and Aussies by at least $1000 a day! Your friends would be happy to pay this extra tariff rather then the auto tips.

 

Hank

Edited February 27, 2014 by Hlitner

[donaldsc]

Apparently a Problem shared is a problem halved ??

 

We will be travelling in May on INDY , 6th Cruise , 2nd with RCCL .

 

HOWEVER

 

A family that is cruising with us ( never cruised before ) are planning on immediately taking their Auto Grats on as they 'technically don't have to pay them so why would you ?'

 

Makes me cringe , anyone ever been in this situation before , Iv had may say but it has little effect ..... Makes Me Cringe !

 

Unless you are stuck with them on the cruise or forever because they are family or for some other reason, I would tell them bluntly that they are wrong and that you do not want to sit with them at dinner, do anything with them, or even acknowledge that they exist. In other words, put them in personal Coventry. People like that are beyond the pale and should be blackballed by the cruise lines.

 

DON

[PORT ROYAL]

Why do people feel the need to use words like "deadbeat" and "stiff"? I know some disagree with others, but insults don't really help validate a point and no one knows how much someone else is tipping unless they are hacking the records. It's my opinion, of course, but I think calling names only weakens someone's argument.

 

Sorry, I just wish Cruise Critic had a no name calling policy!

 

Tom

 

The word Stiff is a verb not a Noun;)

[newgrange]

Of course the staff should be paid properly and tipping would then be only for exceptional service, as it is in Europe, but given that they are not paid good rates, then the gratuity system should be adhered to.

 

When in Rome, etc..

[BridgeMates]

I've found many more people "adjust" the auto-tip on longer cruises. $11.50/day, pp does add up (e.g., $700/couple on a 30 day cruise).

Just annoys the heck out of me when they tell me about it. I'd rather not know. Meet new people, make friends and then they tell me they're removing the tip and will tip their servers personally. Do you think they'll hand out $700 in cash to their servers, etc. personally?

On our British Isles cruise the cabin steward told me 17 of his 19 cabins had removed their tip. I did in fact see a line going into the Crown Grill with hundreds in line to remove the tips. So many doing it they had a special place for it. I felt sick about it. Those guys work long, hard hours for months away from families. :(