Tips charged to sea pass daily?

[gordiej]

Or, they're doing it because it is SO much more convenient than having to stuff cash in envelopes and hand them out. I prefer not to travel with much cash. I like this system better.

 

That said, I don't understand why they must be prepaid for MTD, other than as a disincentive, because demand would otherwise be greater than supply.

 

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[caribbean sailor]

I think it was being said " tongue in cheek " and that the issue / problem is that RCC are quite willing to pay their staff a very low wage and rely on passengers paying for them.

 

Thanks for explaining this,he was so far off the point.Think i was just going to Ignore it. Have a great next cruise. :)

[EmpressofPurple]

Uhhh. Lots. Housekeeping (that make up the room), front desk, concierge services, valet if we use it. :rolleyes::D And also luggage service, baggage handlers, taxi callers.

 

In fact many high end resorts (that provide service similar to what you experience on a cruise) charge a daily resort fee of $10-20 on top of the daily room rate... that can be a surprise if you aren't expecting it in advance!

 

Restaurants (and, I guess, cruises) do "pay a living wage" by factoring in expected and customary tips (on which income servers are expected to pay taxes, too)... eg, if expected tips in a restaurant are $8 per hour, and minimum wage is (let's say) $10/hr., the restaurant pays a wage of $2/hr. with the expectation that the customary tips will make up the difference.

 

So yes, tips are very important in this business model!!

 

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[Adayatatime]

This was my point. Thank you.

 

You don't pay tips and the bill in a restaurant prior to eating your meal. You pay afterwards.

[Adayatatime]

Yes the cruise lines should be paying more $$$ toward the crew's salary. Until that happens, which I doubt will ever happen, they will continue to charge all of us additional $$$ for gratuities.

 

I guess some of you still don't get it as to why RCI has now added gratuities daily to your account if you opted out of MTD. The reason, because a lot of people were not tipping at all. Do you think you get it now or understand why gratuities are being added daily?

 

I will continue to add comments to every survey I fill out after every cruise I take, "Royal should not allow tips to be removed at all".

 

The points i take from this is that RCC will do everything possible to continue to rely on passengers paying their crew a reasonable salary.

[uksimonusa]

The points i take from this is that RCC will do everything possible to continue to rely on passengers paying their crew a reasonable salary.

 

Employers always rely on customers to pay their employees a reasonable salary. It can be collected in various ways, but the end consumer is always the one paying. The business model for most major cruise lines, is the tipping or service charge method, they could just as easily increase prices and pay the employees that way, however, to make this change, unless all cruise lines implemented it at the same time, some would seem to have a price advantage over the others, so it's unlikely to happen. There is a benefit to the consumer in the way that the cruise lines charge, in that there is the option to remove the tips, if they were included in the price this would not be possible.

[Adayatatime]

Employers always rely on customers to pay their employees a reasonable salary. It can be collected in various ways, but the end consumer is always the one paying. The business model for most major cruise lines, is the tipping or service charge method, they could just as easily increase prices and pay the employees that way, however, to make this change, unless all cruise lines implemented it at the same time, some would seem to have a price advantage over the others, so it's unlikely to happen. There is a benefit to the consumer in the way that the cruise lines charge, in that there is the option to remove the tips, if they were included in the price this would not be possible.

 

So you would agree its in the interest of the cruise line, but not necessarily of any advantage for the crew? But that's what I'm saying also. The cruise line will do what is I. Their best interest, not the crews best interest.

[leaveitallbehind]

Nope, they are added to your bill immediately when you book. We have done MTD the past several cruises and it is automatically charged to your bill when you book.

 

Do you mean added to or actually charged to your bill when selected? The last few cruises where we have selected MTD the amount was immediately added to our final invoice the day we opted for it as you indicate, but not actually charged until final payment.

Edited June 22, 2014 by leaveitallbehind

[caribbean sailor]

Yes the cruise lines should be paying more $$$ toward the crew's salary. Until that happens, which I doubt will ever happen, they will continue to charge all of us additional $$$ for gratuities.

 

I guess some of you still don't get it as to why RCI has now added gratuities daily to your account if you opted out of MTD. The reason, because a lot of people were not tipping at all. Do you think you get it now or understand why gratuities are being added daily?

 

I will continue to add comments to every survey I fill out after every cruise I take, "Royal should not allow tips to be removed at all".

 

 

Funny you don't get it, we don't agree with you.Royal wants to add so called tips to your account,to increase their bottom line.I don't want or need. Royal Caribbean to take my money and decide who they want to give it to.So i will stand in line remove so called pre paid tips.And tip the people i want in cash.Again tips are given not taken.Frankly i don't spend time worrying how other people tip.How do you know a lot of people are not tipping.Do you think you get it now. Have a great next cruise. :)

[uksimonusa]

So you would agree its in the interest of the cruise line, but not necessarily of any advantage for the crew? But that's what I'm saying also. The cruise line will do what is I. Their best interest, not the crews best interest.

 

It would actually be an advantage to the crew and to the cruise line to have the "service charge" included in the overall cruise fare.

 

The crew would benefit because they would be guaranteed the income and, at least with passengers from North America, where tipping is the norm, they would probably receive some extra tips as well.

 

The cruise line would benefit from having the extra $12 per person per day, paid at least 60, and in some cases 90 days in advance, thereby improving cash flow.

[Jenhem31]

I'm wondering if those who remove tips also have issues with restaurants on land that automatically add gratuity to parties of 8 or more? Do they split into 2 tables of 4 to avoid that also?

 

 

Carnival Paradise April 2014

Allure of the Seas November 2014

[dacsmom]

I like to pay my gratuities ahead of time, but that is just my preference. I do understand the opinion of others not liking it. The U.S. is a country where tipping is common. This is not the case in many other countries. I think the cruise lines are now adding gratuities daily to ensure more people from countries not accustomed to tipping pay the recommended amount.

Edited June 22, 2014 by dacsmom

[Havingfun2010]

Make no difference to the crew for auto tip or cash tip. The cruise lines have an accounting system in place where they assume cash is given out and it is split appropriately. When a tip is not received they will loose out because they still Ned to share.

 

No matter what you think is best is wrong since the cash is still shared.

 

Tipping on a non USA flagged ship can not and should not be compared to a traditional USA custom of 15%. Just auto tip, and give extra when you feel the need and it keeps everyone happy

[vikingsun]

they should wrap it up in cruise price for cheap skates like some that do not see a need to tip. they wipe and clear your tables everyday and also get you drinks if you wish to have.

 

First,I am and have always been a generous tipper.I do not wish to offer my opinion in this discussion,but will just repeat what I have been told by different crew members on various cruises.

We do eat every meal in the cabin now. I had to stop going to the diningroom to eat because of a medical problem also.The first cruise I didn't go,I went into the diningroom on the last day and gave the waiters the customary tips.He first said,"Who are you" and I explained that this was my assigned table and he said"Why are you giving me money--you didn't come in here at all?".I was a little embarrassed.

On the next cruise we were chatting to the chief purser we met by chance while embarking so I told her my dilema and said I would feel cheap not tipping,but I can't go.She said "You tip for service and if you can't go to the dining room you don't tip."

Now I go to the diningroom on the afternoon of the first day to tell them I can't go at all in case they want that table,and last year after they had started the automatic gratuities,the head waiter said"Now go to guest sevices and remove the gratuities for the diningroom".(I had not mentioned gratuities to him).

One year in the Windjammer(when I could still "eat out"),I remarked to a waiter we knew that he would lose a lot of money working in the Windjammer all week and he told us that they get paid more to work there to make up for the lost tips.

Just "not" my opinion.

[peteukmcr]

Well just to add a little information about pre paying gratuities at final payment. We all know that if you select MTD then gratuities are added at time of booking (or changing from traditional dining to MTD) so you will pay gratuities at final payment.

 

Now, this is the scenario in the UK if you use one of the large online cruise travel agents. RCI lays down sales targets on this agency (and thus the travel consultants are targeted in order to earn their salary) that 50%+ of all reservations for RCI and Celebrity MUST have prepaid gratuities. If the agency (and it's employees) do not achieve this 50% target, then RCI penalise the agency in terms of the commission it pays and the agency in turn penalises the employees by not paying them a % of their salary.

 

And before anyone says this can't happen, I can assure you it does as it was one of the T&Cs of an offer of employment to me to join this agency as a cruise consultant.

 

So all I can see in the future is more and more agencies encouraging us to prepay gratuities, whether we chose MTD or not, if this is the stance being taken by RCI towards agencies.

Edited June 22, 2014 by peteukmcr

[Ourusualbeach]

Well just to add a little information about pre paying gratuities at final payment. We all know that if you select MTD then gratuities are added at time of booking (or changing from traditional dining to MTD) so you will pay gratuities at final payment.

 

Now, this is the scenario in the UK if you use one of the large online cruise travel agents. RCI lays down sales targets on this agency (and thus the travel consultants are targeted in order to earn their salary) that 50%+ of all reservations for RCI and Celebrity MUST have prepaid gratuities. If the agency (and it's employees) do not achieve this 50% target, then RCI penalise the agency in terms of the commission it pays and the agency in turn penalises the employees by not paying them a % of their salary.

 

And before anyone says this can't happen, I can assure you it does as it was one of the T&Cs of an offer of employment to me to join this agency as a cruise consultant.

 

So all I can see in the future is more and more agencies encouraging us to prepay gratuities, whether we chose MTD or not, if this is the stance being taken by RCI towards agencies.

 

Interesting and not at all surprising .

 

What does surprise me is the 50% target. Not sure about other ships but on the Liberty (so I assume all Freedom class ships) MTD was on deck 5 only while deck 3 and 4 were traditional dining and deck 3 holds the most guests. I would guess that on the Liberty only 25% to 30% of the tables are available for MTD.

 

Not sure if they can turn the table more often but I would think that the most turns they could get would be 3 and that would only be for a small fraction of the tables.

[peteukmcr]

Interesting and not at all surprising .

 

What does surprise me is the 50% target. Not sure about other ships but on the Liberty (so I assume all Freedom class ships) MTD was on deck 5 only while deck 3 and 4 were traditional dining and deck 3 holds the most guests. I would guess that on the Liberty only 25% to 30% of the tables are available for MTD.

 

Not sure if they can turn the table more often but I would think that the most turns they could get would be 3 and that would only be for a small fraction of the tables.

Yes the 50% surprised me! but what surprised me more was the stance taken by RCI in using this as a target. Needless to say I didn't take the position :D too much emphasis on sales targets to achieve a meagre salary. I'll stay in business travel at the moment thank you.

[Paulette3028]

We do eat in the Windjammer, were we serve ourselves. I cannot see tipping the head waiter, waiter and asst. waiter, when we get our own food. Thanks Donna

 

If absolutely 'no one -- ever' during your cruise walks up to you in WJ to bring you a drink, or even just offer to bring you a drink....then you might have a point.

 

But someone cleans up after you in the WJ, and makes sure that food in on the buffet for you to choose to take....remember all of those services come under the heading of 'wait staff' and a head waiter and others are in charge of getting it ALL done for YOU.

 

Just consider it part of the cost of your vacation.

[caribbean sailor]

I'm wondering if those who remove tips also have issues with restaurants on land that automatically add gratuity to parties of 8 or more? Do they split into 2 tables of 4 to avoid that also?

 

 

Carnival Paradise April 2014

Allure of the Seas November 2014

 

Wow thanks for the idea.:D

[Homosassa]

Gratuities are added to your cruise fare and due at final payment IF you are doing MyTimeDining.

 

We have early (traditional) seating. Tips are being collected at the time of final paymnent.

 

Either it is a new policy or a trial run on the Vision of the Seas.

 

We were told it is because too many people are removing the tips from their sea pass.

[Life is Good Cruising]

Funny you don't get it, we don't agree with you.Royal wants to add so called tips to your account,to increase their bottom line.I don't want or need. Royal Caribbean to take my money and decide who they want to give it to.So i will stand in line remove so called pre paid tips.And tip the people i want in cash.Again tips are given not taken.Frankly i don't spend time worrying how other people tip.How do you know a lot of people are not tipping.Do you think you get it now. Have a great next cruise. :)

 

 

My crystal ball indicates that in the near future, all tips will be pre paid in full. And yes, I do get it. IMO, those that remove their daily tips are tipping less than the required daily amount. No one here is going to admit they tip less than the daily amount as people here would feel they are cheap. IMO, these people should not be cruising until they can afford to pay the customary tips.

 

For those that feel they don't have to tip because they eat in the WJ every night, the next time a crew member cleans your table, takes you dish away, offers you a drink, make sure you tell them not to bother to do anything for you, as you do are not tip anyone.

 

Thank you for your kind words to have a great next cruise, which I always do. I am wishing you the same for your future cruise.

[Paulette3028]

My crystal ball indicates that in the near future, all tips will be pre paid in full. And yes, I do get it. IMO, those that remove their daily tips are tipping less than the required daily amount. No one here is going to admit they tip less than the daily amount as people here would feel they are cheap. IMO, these people should not be cruising until they can afford to pay the customary tips.

 

For those that feel they don't have to tip because they eat in the WJ every night, the next time a crew member cleans your table, takes you dish away, offers you a drink, make sure you tell them not to bother to do anything for you, as you do are not tip anyone.

 

Thank you for your kind words to have a great next cruise, which I always do. I am wishing you the same for your future cruise.

 

I would not like to have my gratuities paid along with my final payment, weeks before my cruise even starts. I have no problem having gratuities charged to my credit card on file on a daily basis while onboard. As often happens, DH and I give additional tips to those who provided additional services or 'went above' the norm for us (we are not difficult cruisers at all).....but that is only fair and right.

 

I totally agree with you when you write: "For those that feel they don't have to tip because they eat in the WJ every night, the next time a crew member cleans your table, takes you dish away, offers you a drink, make sure you tell them not to bother to do anything for you, as you do are not tip anyone". Those waiters and wait staff are the same PEOPLE who work in the MDR -- every MDR staff member does service time in the WJ, no one is exempt (from what I know).

Edited June 23, 2014 by Paulette3028

[Alaskalovr]

Make no difference to the crew for auto tip or cash tip. The cruise lines have an accounting system in place where they assume cash is given out and it is split appropriately. When a tip is not received they will loose out because they still Ned to share.

 

No matter what you think is best is wrong since the cash is still shared.

 

I believe this is completely inaccurate. Cash tips are not shared according to RC.

[Havingfun2010]

Make no difference to the crew for auto tip or cash tip. The cruise lines have an accounting system in place where they assume cash is given out and it is split appropriately. When a tip is not received they will loose out because they still Ned to share.

 

No matter what you think is best is wrong since the cash is still shared.

 

I believe this is completely inaccurate. Cash tips are not shared according to RC.

 

Companies will not openly discuss how they pay employees. The employees on the cruise line are not US employees. I have read someplace, a while back, explaining how the process works with tips and taxes. Basically, the cruise line assumes everyone tips the basic amount. On their pay-sheet, it will show this amount. On the report, it will show prepaid and it will show cash amounts based on occupancy. A portion of the daily amounts are given back to the "others" you do not see.

 

Here is the issue. If you remove the tips, and fail to give the tips, who will be hurt? So when a person tips, extra, they are tipping for the person that forgets to tip. Those that fail to show up on last night of dinner etc.

 

Inside the formula, the actually also account for the stiffs. If each person gets stiffed more than the acceptable rate, than guess what? They loose. It's a game.

 

So many posters think, this is easy. Just give it to certain people, and all is well. They feel good. However, it makes no difference. The preferred way, is to auto tip, and give extra cash when you want. The "extra" cash, is what they keep, because it is more than the assumed amount.

 

As far as fair wages. Remember, it is not for us to judge what is a fair wage. They are mostly not USA citizens, and the amounts they make, may be considered extremely well in their own countries, and they have the choice, to either accept it, or not.

[marci22]

All of you who feel that daily tips/tipping in general is unfair to crew, why are you giving your consumer dollars to Royal Caribbean?

 

If you have such a problem with how employees are compensated, why do you continue to cruise on this line?

 

Take your dollars and spend them on companies who have compensation plans that you agree with. You may be surprised at how the workers at some of your consumer goods producers are compensated! Maybe even worse than RC!

 

Imagine that.