Tipping Cabin Stewards

[Tom Baker]

It certainly sound like something that does not appeal to you.

You can avoid contributing to the situation by simply not

purchasing a cruise. Seems pretty easy...

 

Or perhaps you're just posting this here to wind people up?

 

That's the last thing I am trying to do. Let me try and explain the differences between being a UK and a US passenger.

 

Princess and RCI provide the same product at two different rates. In the US you are charged a low lead in price and everyone is expected to tip (which they do I'm sure)

 

In England both Princess and RCI add the gratuities into their costs and use that as a lead in price. Then they stipulate that the gratuities are additional, they expect the UK passengers still to pay the tips, some do, some don't.

 

Your $3000 US cruise costs £3000 in the UK for EXACTLY the same product, which equates to $5000 in the UK.

 

Both Princess and RCI have blocked UK passengers booking cruises with US travel companies because some were booking and then NOT paying gratuities (which is unfair)

 

The Cruise operators anticipate that the Brits will NOT tip and those that do is a bonus for the operator, and the cruise lines have agreed to meet a basic minimum for stewards which is subsidised by the extra payment charged to the British in the first place.

 

I have and will always to continue to tip when on ANY cruise line, but please understand that the price YOU pay in the US isn't the price EVERYONE in the world pays.

[janecambridge]

Thank you Tom for spelling this out. I had heard this on two occasions.

There is a website that gives you reduced rate cruises at the last minute.Price is in dollars and when you click on pounds the exchange rate is way out.

I could hardly believe it..

[janecambridge]

Definition of tip:

A gratuity (also called a tip) is a sum of money customarily tendered, in addition to the basic price, to certain service sector workers for a service performed or anticipated. Tips and their amount are a matter of social custom, and the custom varies between countries and settings. In some locations tipping is discouraged and considered insulting; while in some other locations tipping is expected from customers. The customary amount of a tip can be one of a specific range of monetary amounts or a certain percentage of the bill. In some circumstances, such as with U.S. government workers[1] or more widely with policemen, receiving gratuities (or even offering them) are illegal, as they may be regarded as bribery.[2] A service charge is sometimes added to bills in restaurants and similar establishments. Tipping may not be expected when a fee is explicitly charged for the service.[3]

[suzyed]

That's the last thing I am trying to do. Let me try and explain the differences between being a UK and a US passenger.

 

Princess and RCI provide the same product at two different rates. In the US you are charged a low lead in price and everyone is expected to tip (which they do I'm sure)

 

In England both Princess and RCI add the gratuities into their costs and use that as a lead in price. Then they stipulate that the gratuities are additional, they expect the UK passengers still to pay the tips, some do, some don't.

 

Your $3000 US cruise costs £3000 in the UK for EXACTLY the same product, which equates to $5000 in the UK.

 

Both Princess and RCI have blocked UK passengers booking cruises with US travel companies because some were booking and then NOT paying gratuities (which is unfair)

 

The Cruise operators anticipate that the Brits will NOT tip and those that do is a bonus for the operator, and the cruise lines have agreed to meet a basic minimum for stewards which is subsidised by the extra payment charged to the British in the first place.

 

I have and will always to continue to tip when on ANY cruise line, but please understand that the price YOU pay in the US isn't the price EVERYONE in the world pays.

 

Not only that, but even within the US, we pay different prices for the same cruise depending on whom we purchased from!

[martin jenkins]

That's the last thing I am trying to do. Let me try and explain the differences between being a UK and a US passenger.

 

Princess and RCI provide the same product at two different rates. In the US you are charged a low lead in price and everyone is expected to tip (which they do I'm sure)

 

In England both Princess and RCI add the gratuities into their costs and use that as a lead in price. Then they stipulate that the gratuities are additional, they expect the UK passengers still to pay the tips, some do, some don't.

 

Your $3000 US cruise costs £3000 in the UK for EXACTLY the same product, which equates to $5000 in the UK.

 

Both Princess and RCI have blocked UK passengers booking cruises with US travel companies because some were booking and then NOT paying gratuities (which is unfair)

 

The Cruise operators anticipate that the Brits will NOT tip and those that do is a bonus for the operator, and the cruise lines have agreed to meet a basic minimum for stewards which is subsidised by the extra payment charged to the British in the first place.

 

I have and will always to continue to tip when on ANY cruise line, but please understand that the price YOU pay in the US isn't the price EVERYONE in the world pays.

 

 

 

spot on, same as aus/nz

[bhopal21]

Question.

It has been related on cruise critic that cruises sold in the UK include airfare and insurance as part of the cruise cost. Is that the case or not?

Mike:)

[Ethel5]

[quote name='bhopal21']Question.

It has been related on cruise critic that cruises sold in the UK include airfare and insurance as part of the cruise cost. Is that the case or not?

Mike:)[/QUOTE]

The government also dictates cancellation policies, insurance etc. There's a lot more going on than what we see on the surface.

[bhopal21]

[quote name='Ethel5']The government also dictates cancellation policies, insurance etc. There's a lot more going on than what we see on the surface.[/quote]


Thank you.

I didn't think it was as simple as just comparing the prices of the cruise.

Mike:)

[Tom Baker]

[quote name='Ethel5']The government also dictates cancellation policies, insurance etc. There's a lot more going on than what we see on the surface.[/quote]

Where on Earth do you get your information from? :rolleyes:

You pay for insurance in ADDITION to the fees charged.
The cost of the flight ISN'T included in the headline fee, this is additional extra.

Many British people now book flights and insurance totally separate from their cruise, as it works out cheaper to book scheduled air transport rather than chartered transport provided by the company.

[Tom Baker]

Example: 16th August - Emerald Princess departs London (Southampton).

I guarantee that people who have booked with Princess Cruises in the US with flights have paid LESS than a UK passenger with NO flights included in a standard inside cabin on Baja Deck

How do I know this?

Because our American friends are on the same cruise as us and they have told us their fares, they are paying $700 LESS including flights :mad::mad::mad:

[bhopal21]

[quote name='Tom Baker']Example: 16th August - Emerald Princess departs London (Southampton).

I guarantee that people who have booked with Princess Cruises in the US with flights have paid LESS than a UK passenger with NO flights included in a standard inside cabin on Baja Deck

How do I know this?

Because our American friends are on the same cruise as us and they have told us their fares, they are paying $700 LESS including flights :mad::mad::mad:[/QUOTE]

If I was presented with a situation like that then I would cancel the cruise if it was before final payment date.

Mike:)

[Ethel5]

[quote name='Tom Baker']Where on Earth do you get your information from? :rolleyes:

You pay for insurance in ADDITION to the fees charged.
The cost of the flight ISN'T included in the headline fee, this is additional extra.

Many British people now book flights and insurance totally separate from their cruise, as it works out cheaper to book scheduled air transport rather than chartered transport provided by the company.[/QUOTE]

Don't roll eyes at me. It has been stated here whenever this discussion comes up, that the government dictates the rules on what can and will be charged and this adds to the cost of the cruise. Glad that the Brits can find other alternatives that are less expensive for them.

[Tom Baker]

[quote name='bhopal21']If I was presented with a situation like that then I would cancel the cruise if it was before final payment date.

Mike:)[/quote]

If there is a price drop we do not receive nor can we claim a partial refund like you can in the states, if the price drops it's tough luck.

Prices only drop in the UK after the full payment is necessary (12 weeks before sail date)

[Ethel5]

[quote name='Tom Baker']Example: 16th August - Emerald Princess departs London (Southampton).

I guarantee that people who have booked with Princess Cruises in the US with flights have paid LESS than a UK passenger with NO flights included in a standard inside cabin on Baja Deck

How do I know this?

Because our American friends are on the same cruise as us and they have told us their fares, they are paying $700 LESS including flights :mad::mad::mad:[/QUOTE]

I also have friends across the pond and when the exchange rate is figured in, they pay less than what I did AND their fare included air and mine didn't.

[Tom Baker]

[quote name='Ethel5']Don't roll eyes at me. It has been stated here whenever this discussion comes up, that the government dictates the rules on what can and will be charged and this adds to the cost of the cruise. Glad that the Brits can find other alternatives that are less expensive for them.[/quote]

Sorry if you thought I was being disrespectful, but the government of the UK has absolutely no power to add charges or force people to pay for extras.

I am completely at a loss as to what you are referring.

People can choose to row the Atlantic or travel without insurance if they choose to do so. The UK government doesn't even tax UK cruises unlike UK package holidays which have to pay VAT at 20%

[Colo Cruiser]

[quote name='Tom Baker']If there is a price drop we do not receive nor can we claim a partial refund like you can in the states, if the price drops it's tough luck.

Prices only drop in the UK after the full payment is necessary (12 weeks before sail date)[/quote]

I have read posts by UK members on CC that have recieved refunds when their cruise fare went down. :confused:

[Cruisin' Chick]

[quote name='JimmyVWine']We only like to [I]think[/I] that the difference is "major". It is not, unless the fact of auto tipping is "blind" to the crew. Is it? Passenger "A" walks around on embarkation day of a 10 day cruise dispensing 23 $10 bills to the crew members he thinks will be attending to him. Passenger "B" engages the auto tip function making it clear to the crew members that his cabin will be leaving no less than $230 for services that have yet to be rendered. The difference is not "major". Passenger A is being inefficient because he can never know beforehand who exactly will be attending to him, and Passenger B has the option of disengaging the auto tip function. But beyond these two points, the two situations are far more similar than different.[/quote]

[COLOR=Red]The crew member will know once the Passenger B removes the autograt as he can find that out. But in reality (hopefully, that is) most passengers who aren't "dispensing" money after stepping into the ship, will keep their autotips on. And perhaps will give extra at the end. We fall into that category. We don't pretip and neither our cabin steward nor our waitstaff will see our cabin number on the list of passengers who have removed the autograts. They won't know if any of us (Passenger As or Bs) will keep on the tips until near the end (or even on the last day) But just because someone is throwing around $ with the hint that we want to be taken care of, wink wink, it doesn't mean they will keep on the tips. [/COLOR]

[quote name='Coram']No, we did not remove the auto tipping.[/quote]

Great. Sometimes people here will talk about tipping in cash, but they also remove the autotips.

[Tom Baker]

[quote name='Colo Cruiser']I have read posts by UK members on CC that have recieved refunds when their cruise fare went down. :confused:[/quote]

This was certainly the case when Princess / RCCI allowed UK customers to book through their US arms, they were treated exactly the same as US customers.

They have now blocked any UK passport holder from booking with international travel agents (outside the EU) Anyone who books with a US agent on these cruise lines will not be allowed to board their cruise.

Indeed you cannot even log into the US divisions of these companies via the internet and are redirected back to UK sites.

The only time that (I know of) any UK customer has received a "refund" since the new practises began is when port fees have been reduced (in the EU)and they have to return any saving back to the customer by law, which takes the form of OBC added to their cruise account and not through direct refund.

[Cruisin' Chick]

for some reason my quote function isn't working.

From Pablo222
It certainly sound like something that does not appeal to you.
You can avoid contributing to the situation by simply not
purchasing a cruise. Seems pretty easy...

From Tom Baker
The Cruise operators anticipate that the Brits will NOT tip and those that do is a bonus for the operator, and the cruise lines have agreed to meet a basic minimum for stewards which is subsidised by the extra payment charged to the British in the first place.

I have and will always to continue to tip when on ANY cruise line, but please understand that the price YOU pay in the US isn't the price EVERYONE in the world pays.

Many of us who have been on this board for some time do know that there is a difference between booking as a UK citizen and as a US one. And just as the autotips process was developed when flexible dining was introduced, it was also well known that some people from some countries will not tip because it's something they're not used to (at least the way it's done in the US). And yes, some cruiselines do include the tips in their fares (the premium ones) so if tipping bothers you, you can go one of one of them or find a type of vacation in which tipping isn't expected and isn't built into the costs.

One thing I've noticed is that fares for cruises haven't really increased that much since my first cruise 20 years ago. In fact, I looked up the same itinerary we took (Carnival 7-day Mexican Riveria cruise in February 2015) and it's even less than what we paid for back then, unless I'm remembering the wrong amount. Some on board revenue costs may be higher (I don't drink so I'm guessing an alcoholic beverage is higher), but the basic fare is still low. So when we're booking our cruises, hubby and I know that the fare we are looking at is for the basic cost for our cabin, the government fees, the port taxes, and then we know the actual costs will be more because of tips and anything else we pay for. But still, all around, a good value.

[Cruisin' Chick]

And yes, some people are paying more than others based on where they live. When I was just on the Carnival site, I saw a notice about regional discounts for Los Angeles residents. So for some cruises I can save over someone from, say, Lincoln, Nebraska, just because I live in La La land. Edited August 7, 2014 by Cruisin' Chick

[skf]

[COLOR="Magenta"]Any cash tips given to staff including cabin stewards they get to keep as long as the passenger keeps the auto tip.[/COLOR]
We have confirmed that this is, in fact, the case. However, if the auto-tip is removed, the steward/waiter/etc must turn over [U]all[/U] their envelope tips to the general pool.
Steve

[pablo222]

[quote name='Tom Baker']
The Cruise operators anticipate that the Brits will NOT tip and those that do is a bonus for the operator, and the cruise lines have agreed to meet a basic minimum for stewards which is subsidised by the extra payment charged to the British in the first place.
[/QUOTE]

Sounds perfect.

[JimmyVWine]

[QUOTE=Cruisin' Chick;43671897]The crew member will know once the Passenger B removes the autograt as he can find that out...and neither our cabin steward nor our waitstaff will see our cabin number on the list of passengers who have removed the autograts.[/QUOTE]

So if the crew members can find out that you have activated the autotip from the moment you board, then they know that your cabin has committed $23 per day (for 2 people) in advance of having any service performed for you. That sounds an awful lot like tipping in advance. In hour one of day one, the crew knows the minimum amount that it is going to receive before it has served you.

This whole discussion is nonsensical. You get into a cab. You know in advance that the fare from the airport to downtown is $40. You can:

A. Slip the cab driver $48 in advance;
B. Tell the cab driver at the outset that you will be tipping 20% at the end of the ride; or
C. Do and say nothing, and at the end of the ride, hand the cab driver $48.

Anyone who thinks that the cab driver cares whether you do A, B or C, or would be "insulted" by either A or B is delusional. This discussion has more to do with the moral superiority of the giver than it does the economic compensation of the recipient. And make no mistake. Engaging the autotip feature at the outset of the cruise is "B".

Edit to add: When you use a service such as Uber, you input into your profile what your tip percentage will be. So your gratuity is known, calculated and paid in advance. This is a convention implemented by the service provider. Obviously they do not feel insulted or bribed by process.
Show up at a restaurant as a party of 8 and the menu states that an 18% gratuity will be added on automatically. The servers know in advance what the tip will be. Have they been insulted or bribed? Edited August 8, 2014 by JimmyVWine

[pablo222]

[quote name='JimmyVWine']
A. Slip the cab driver $48 in advance;
B. Tell the cab driver at the outset that you will be tipping 20% at the end of the ride; or
C. Do and say nothing, and at the end of the ride, hand the cab driver $48.[/QUOTE]

D. Explain to the driver how the whole idea of tipping is wrong,
and that the cab company should simply pay him a decent wage, and
not expect the customer pay his salary. That he is simply driving the
cab, and not doing anything above and beyond the normal duties
of a driver, so you will not be tipping. And that when
it says 40 cents per 1/5 mile on the side of that cab, that is what you expect to pay, and resent the cab company lying to you, and expecting a
tip on top of the quoted price.

This will give you a great opportunity to see more of the area, after
the driver puts you out on the side of the road.

[majortom10]

[quote name='Tom Baker']If there is a price drop we do not receive nor can we claim a partial refund like you can in the states, if the price drops it's tough luck.

Prices only drop in the UK after the full payment is necessary (12 weeks before sail date)[/QUOTE]

Sorry but not true I booked a cruise on Emerald Princess for departure 30th September 2014 some months ago and before final payment was due Princess dropped the price and increased the OBC amount. I contacted my TA and they in turn then contacted Princess they agreed new price and OBC and within 24hrs had a new invoice showing new lowere price and increased OBC amount. Edited August 8, 2014 by majortom10