Princess Auto-Tipping????? Yes/No?

[mitchrock]

I did auto tipping on RCI a couple of years ago and plan on doing it on next week's cruise on the CB. Was also planning on tipping my room steward and extra $20 on the day we board sice we are going to need lots of help bring our 13 month old on the ship. It's good to know that if we autotip, the steward will not have to turn in the cash tip.

[turquoisesea]

Let me add a little more to this discussion. As a first time Princess cruiser I was initially upset by the automatic tipping. On an average cruise, our tips for two are usually at least the $150 amount that auto-tipping is, so what's the difference? When the bill came it seems they break up the tip into "cabin steward $3.45" and "dining room wait staff $6.50" - or something very close to that - my cents may be off (I can't find my bill and it was just last week!) According to my sister's room steward, if any of "his" people remove the tips from their bill he is deducted $3.45 per day per person that does this. Has anyone else heard this? That would be a double wammy and really hurt him/her, as he/she must also turn in the cash. When I checked with our cabin steward he said he would be allowed to keep the "extra" cash we gave him only if we had left the full tip amount in place. So....the only fair thing to do seems to be, leave it in place. But, it is truly annoying!

[Flyer]

We had tipped both ways...I really like the auto tip. In the old days I would have to get an envelope, put the proper amounts in each and give them to each waiter on the last night at dinner I would collect the waiter and assistant waiter to give them their tips.( I know it wasn't that difficult!) Other people had to do the same. Then we would go back to the cabin where the cabin steward made themselves available to give them their tip. After that we would go to the shows, bars, etc.

 

Now with the tips added to my bill it goes on my credit card, no fumbling with cash, and we get to the show early enough to get a good seat. :)

[Pam in CA]

According to my sister's room steward, if any of "his" people remove the tips from their bill he is deducted $3.45 per day per person that does this. Has anyone else heard this? That would be a double wammy and really hurt him/her, as he/she must also turn in the cash. When I checked with our cabin steward he said he would be allowed to keep the "extra" cash we gave him only if we had left the full tip amount in place. So....the only fair thing to do seems to be, leave it in place. But, it is truly annoying!

Yes, this is correct. If the auto-tip is removed, then their tip is removed. If you remove the auto-tip and tip them individually, they have to turn over that money into the pool so that you're really hurting them, not helping. If they're caught keeping the tip, they could be fired. If you leave the auto-tip on and give them extra cash, they are allowed to keep that 100%.

[dan40]

Having been on the BB since 2001 and a cruiser for over 30 years, I have a strong opinion on tip questions. I believe that the vast, vast majority of tip questions are vieled attempts to justify stiffing the help. Not saying this to stir controversy or accuse the OP, its just my opinion. Having seen near empty dining rooms on the last night of many cruises and hearing flimsy complaints to excuse non-tipping, has added to the formation of this opinion.

I like auto-tips since it simplifys what I was going to do anyhow. Freeing up cash to donate to the very needy casino. Sometimes I add to the auto-tip, in cash, sometimes I don't. But have never felt service justified reducing the tip amount since auto-tips started. In fact, only once in over 40 cruises have I withheld a tip from one waiter. He was incredibly bad [on Cunard, no less].

The best wait team and service I've ever had, on a cruise, was since the inception of auto-tipping. And on Carnival, which may shock some on this board. Have had better service on land, but at a restaurant that charged more than the cost of a cruise for a single meal.

 

Some posted about the "slave wages" paid by cruiselines. True, but the service they perform is the only reason to tip them. They're not beggars. [or shouldn't be] The porters that handle our luggage are union members and are probably making a kings ransom working the weekend. We tip them for handling our bags and they drive home in their Caddys and Beemers and MB's after the ship sails. Stiff them?? Not me.

In the good old USA, most traditional restaurants pay less than $3. an hour. because tips make up the bulk of the waiters pay. And MANY upscale restaurants here actually CHARGE people to work there. I know of one Miami bistro that 5 years ago or more charged their waiters $250. a week for their jobs and the waiters pay for their own tuxes and cleaning. They DO make an excellent living from whats left.

 

Let the auto-tip ride, add more if deserved. Do not reduce the tip because some little thing a one meal wasn't perfect. Forget it and enjoy the cruise.

[And I'm known to be picky and demanding{but only about lack of effort or care}].

 

Dan

[CruiseFever]

Well said Dan.

 

I'll only add that I find this notion of the crew as being indentured servants just crazy. Nobody goes ashore and rounds them up, marching them back to the ship at gunpoint! They sign a contract of their own free will often bringing in more money than they'd make otherwise and leading a lifestyle they're fully aware of before they come aboard.

 

I like the prepaid tips and always give more, up front to our cabin steward and at the end for other who go above and beyond. The prepaid part I just consider part of the deal. Because for all practical purposes it is. If someone can't afford or is too cheap to pay the tips they shouldn't be on the ship IMHO.

[debbieuk]

Just as a note to the last posting. I have never been on cruise before and coming from the UK where tipping is not such an ingrained part of our culture (we tip purely for very good service) I do know that this is different in the US. However, I also know personally two people who have worked on cruise lines, one for Carnival and one for RCI. Both were paid fairly low but not 'slave wages' and both returned to the UK with full bank accounts, great tans, lots of new friends and very tired! It amazes me that no-one ever mentions the Cruise Lines should be paying the staff decent wages in the first place and staff should get to keep the tips that grateful passenger give them. Is it fair that a waiter who couldnt care less still gets the same as one who really puts themselves out? Perhaps this is responsible for the 'attitude' mentioned more than few times on here re the dining staff. And why should we be made to feel that we have to pay the auto-tipping charge and then an extra tip just so the great cabin steward actually gets to keep it! Why not pay the staff a slightly higher wage, increase the price a little and let us tip who we want to tip! Also as a last footnote, remember cruising used to be the prerogative of the more 'well off', certainly here in the UK. It is now opening up to a far larger market, and to some people, especially families an extra $40.00 per day, on a 14 day trip ($560.00) is a lot of extra money to find. Particularly for UK passengers who pay substantially more for their trips than US passengers. (I have heard as mush as 4 times as a US package!) Without going completely off the subject an average 3 bedroomed terrace house in London (thats one that is sandwiched between two others!) costs around £300,000.00 to buy. Thats roughly half a million dollars! Coupled with the high cost of living here we have much less disposable income than you guys. So please dont make those who query the costs feel bad, it may just be a case of genuinely not being able to afford to pay so much, especially if they have saved up for a 'once in a lifetime' special holiday for say a anniversary.

[English Tim]

Just as a note to the last posting. I have never been on cruise before and coming from the UK where tipping is not such an ingrained part of our culture (we tip purely for very good service) I do know that this is different in the US. However, I also know personally two people who have worked on cruise lines, one for Carnival and one for RCI. Both were paid fairly low but not 'slave wages' and both returned to the UK with full bank accounts, great tans, lots of new friends and very tired! It amazes me that no-one ever mentions the Cruise Lines should be paying the staff decent wages in the first place and staff should get to keep the tips that grateful passenger give them. Is it fair that a waiter who couldnt care less still gets the same as one who really puts themselves out? Perhaps this is responsible for the 'attitude' mentioned more than few times on here re the dining staff. And why should we be made to feel that we have to pay the auto-tipping charge and then an extra tip just so the great cabin steward actually gets to keep it! Why not pay the staff a slightly higher wage, increase the price a little and let us tip who we want to tip! Also as a last footnote, remember cruising used to be the prerogative of the more 'well off', certainly here in the UK. It is now opening up to a far larger market, and to some people, especially families an extra $40.00 per day, on a 14 day trip ($560.00) is a lot of extra money to find. Particularly for UK passengers who pay substantially more for their trips than US passengers. (I have heard as mush as 4 times as a US package!) Without going completely off the subject an average 3 bedroomed terrace house in London (thats one that is sandwiched between two others!) costs around £300,000.00 to buy. Thats roughly half a million dollars! Coupled with the high cost of living here we have much less disposable income than you guys. So please dont make those who query the costs feel bad, it may just be a case of genuinely not being able to afford to pay so much, especially if they have saved up for a 'once in a lifetime' special holiday for say a anniversary.

 

Some great points, Debbie. There is clearly a tremendous difference in opinions and practices, between UK & US citizens.

 

There is certainly a danger that auto-tipping could get crew a bit complacent, with a resultant drop in service, so we're caught between the devil and deep blue sea, or something similar!

[donna5]

Just as a note to the last posting. I have never been on cruise before and coming from the UK where tipping is not such an ingrained part of our culture (we tip purely for very good service) I do know that this is different in the US. However, I also know personally two people who have worked on cruise lines, one for Carnival and one for RCI. Both were paid fairly low but not 'slave wages' and both returned to the UK with full bank accounts, great tans, lots of new friends and very tired! It amazes me that no-one ever mentions the Cruise Lines should be paying the staff decent wages in the first place and staff should get to keep the tips that grateful passenger give them. Is it fair that a waiter who couldnt care less still gets the same as one who really puts themselves out? Perhaps this is responsible for the 'attitude' mentioned more than few times on here re the dining staff. And why should we be made to feel that we have to pay the auto-tipping charge and then an extra tip just so the great cabin steward actually gets to keep it! Why not pay the staff a slightly higher wage, increase the price a little and let us tip who we want to tip! Also as a last footnote, remember cruising used to be the prerogative of the more 'well off', certainly here in the UK. It is now opening up to a far larger market, and to some people, especially families an extra $40.00 per day, on a 14 day trip ($560.00) is a lot of extra money to find. Particularly for UK passengers who pay substantially more for their trips than US passengers. (I have heard as mush as 4 times as a US package!) Without going completely off the subject an average 3 bedroomed terrace house in London (thats one that is sandwiched between two others!) costs around £300,000.00 to buy. Thats roughly half a million dollars! Coupled with the high cost of living here we have much less disposable income than you guys. So please dont make those who query the costs feel bad, it may just be a case of genuinely not being able to afford to pay so much, especially if they have saved up for a 'once in a lifetime' special holiday for say a anniversary.

 

If people don't tip the cruiselines will have no choice but to start making tipping a mandatory service charge and then that cost of that trip will go up and will not be affordable. We will be paying tips one way or the other.

[dan40]

For those of you that think the cruiseline should just add the tips to the cost of the cruise and not require tipping. If and when that HAS been done...............tips were/are still expected.

 

And they don't require tipping now, its optional and its just the right thing to do for the wonderful way we get treated by the crew.

 

If the cost of tips were to put a cruise out of reach for a family, then its just that, out of reach. They need to do something they can afford and not expect some service people to treat them like royality AND subsidise their cruise. If you can't afford a RollsRoyce, don't buy one. If you can't afford a BMW, don't buy one. If you can't afford a VW, don't buy one. If you can't afford a cruise, don't buy one.

 

Dan

[UKLady]

I am from the UK and have cruised before and as an experienced cruiser have no problem tipping for the great service and leave the auto-tipping in place. I leave it in place as its easier and less messing for me however, I do feel that the service has demised somewhat from when we used to tip personally.

 

However I can fully agree with the points DebbieUK made.

 

In the UK we pay on average 4 times the amount a US citizen will pay (for a balcony cabin or suite) for an inside cabin. So when some people book a cruise and after booking find out that a substantial chunk of money will be added to their stateroom bill then they are bound to ask questions about it. Especially with some of us being from a culture where tipping is not a standard practice to make up for an employer paying their service staff low wages.

 

As for saying if you cant afford to tip staff don't go on a cruise! That is not the way to make people understand the tipping on cruise lines!!! :mad:

 

When booking in the UK we have huge glossy brochures telling us how wonderful cruising is and how we should part with close to $10,000 for 2 weeks in paradise. (Sometimes more depending on which cabin you book) Many people save up for a long time, or indeed take out a loan to go on a cruise, which in the UK is still considered by many a once in a life time luxury holiday. They are not available at low prices or with great travel agent incentives such as onboard credit and upgrades, or refunds if the price comes down after you have booked as they are for people in the US.

 

At no time when booking does your travel agent tell you make sure you save upto another $560 for tips. Even when booking direct with Princess you are not informed about the automated tipping at the time of booking and you usually only find out about the auto-tip a couple of weeks before you go. Which is why it can be a bit of a shock for some travellers especially those who are budgeting for a holiday.

 

For first time cruisers, who have no idea what awaits them, have no concept of how hard their waiting staff and room steward will work to make their cruise a fantastic experience, and really will have experienced nothing like a Princess Cruise experience on UK or European holiday, at first it will be a shock when the cruise info arrives and they find out about this extra expense. Especially for families and young couples who have become Princess' latest target market.

 

When people from a different culture, or who are not used to tipping, or who don't understand the experience of cruising, who pay a lot more for their holiday than you do and probably don't have as much expendable income ask why do I have to tip this much and do I have to tip it, why dont the company pay better wages? To come back at them with if you can afford to tip don't book it is narrow minded, annoying and blatant snobbery. Money has different value in different countries and to different people, $40 a day for a family of 4 may not be a lot of money to you, however it may be to someone else.

 

I am of a privileged standing but would never make someone try to feel like they don't belong somewhere, or are not worthy of cruising just because they have less holiday spending money than me.

 

As Princess Cruises will tell you, tipping is optional and your own personal preference. Tip what you can afford comfortably, but don't use that as an excuse to not tip. There are guidelines but they are just that, guidelines!

 

What I would say is cruising is a fantastic experience and the staff that serve you go a long way to making your holiday perfect. Their service will make you understand why we tip and can get quite passionate about it and upset with people that just choose not to.

 

What I would say to experienced cruisers is not everyone who asks about tipping is tight fisted or trying to get something for nothing - they simply could be new to the whole concept of cruising and tipping and really not understand what they will be getting in return!

[dan40]

(When booking in the UK we have huge glossy brochures telling us how wonderful cruising is and how we should part with close to $10,000 for 2 weeks in paradise.)

 

These brochures don't explain tipping, dress, insurance, activities, etc.?? They do here and I'd guess yours do too. So people save forever, take out loans, and spend $10,000.00+ for a "once in a lifetime vacation" and DON'T EVEN READ ABOUT IT? No research, no questions, just plunk down a pile more than they can afford and hope for the best? I should apoligize for lacking sympathy or understanding for that kind of fiscal irresponsibility?

Come on, if a ship had 1000 first time British cruisers, well over 900 would be fully aware of the tipping situation, [999 wouldn't suprise me] long before they paid. The women certainly would know what they're getting into, Brit men might be as dumb as me, but not the women.

 

 

 

 

(As for saying if you can't afford to tip staff don't go on a cruise! That is not the way to make people understand the tipping on cruise lines!!! )

 

Didn't mean to explain tipping. Its too simple to bother. What I meant is that cruising with NO intention of tipping the staff is forcing the staff to subsidise the deadbeats cruise at the rate of $10. per day per person without so much as a "Mother May I?" Doesn't matter if a person is too cheap to tip or can't afford to tip, the staff does not get paid. How long do we expect them to work without pay before it affects the service that you and I receive?

 

Innocent tip questions? Having read hundreds of them on this BB, maybe thousands on all the cruise BB I've visited, and there is a sameness about them and its not a lack of knowledge. Also I've been a victim of and overheard perhaps thousands of flimsy excuse conversations to justify people just being CHEAP.

The money I've spent on cruises came from my own efforts, not family, not lotto winnings, just work. And I don't like to give it away, but the service staff on every cruiseline has always earned my gratuity with 1 single exception in over 40 cruises. Yet I've heard people say things like, "I had to ask for my coffee every dinner so I didn't tip them" [not a quote] or "No towel animals, no tip." The 1 waitstaff man I stiffed did nothing but stand at our table and complain about Americans. His helper did everything and quite professionally so he got his tip AND his partners [hope he didn't share]

This was not a minor complaint and since I could not understand a word the Maitre'D said, I didn't complain to him. Just forcefully told the waiter to leave our table and not to come back. [adding to his "Ugly American" stories, no doubt] Other than that, the cruise staff has always forced me to part with my well squeezed money with their excellent service. So if I can tip, everybody can.:D

Sorry I'm not as tolerant as you would like.

Dan

[UKLady]

Dan

All im saying is not everyone, regardless of how may people you seem to have come accross, who ask about tipping are trying to avoid it.

 

I have no tollerance for people who dont tip, there is just no excuse for that. However, I can understand some people who are not used to it or are used to a different method of tipping asking about it. The point I was trying to make was that I dont belive in getting annoyed with or insulting people who ask about tipping or ask about canceling the auto-tip so they can tip directly. I was not endorsing people who choose not to tip. I can understand however, why some people ask about it or at first see it as a large amount to pay when they werent expecting it and they dont know what to expect on board.

 

Obviously I havent met as many non-tippers as you have on my travels :eek:

 

 

Of course people book holidays without asking loads of questions first, thats why you see questions posted on here after people have booked.

 

You would be surprised at how little research us Brits do when booking a holiday, which is why you see sites like these and other advisor sites are not dominated by British users, and why we have many Holiday from Hell and Holiday Watchdog tv programs. Our brochures start with a welcome to cruising which tells you a bit about cruising and places on offer, then the headstart packages, red letter cruises etc, then meet the fleet, then info on the rooms, onboard activites and entertainment, restuarants and dining options, sample menu, lotus spa, princess kids, celebrations, marriage, then the cruises. Belive me by that point you are ready to book the first cruise you read, especially if you havent been on one before. At the back of the brochure are deck plans for each ship. Then there is the small print (and I mean small!!) that, like me, most people will not read until after they have booked, if at all. I only read it after booking my 3rd cruise as I did it myself rather than let the TA arrange everything. I certainly didnt read it sat in the travel agents the first time I was sold a cruise. The main thing Brits would ask about is dress code. As we dont live in a country where tipping is manditory at a restaurant but as an appreciative gesture for good service, we would not think to ask about tipping or indeed heard of automatic tipping. I know I didnt give it a thought when I booked my first cruise. When I got on board I read the guide lines and at first, being british and young, was a bit miffed at being told who to tip and how much before I had even met the people I was being told to tip, but after a day on the ship was happy to go along with them as the service was impecable. However, I would like to have thought that had I been worried or unsure about tipping I could have asked people a question without being branded cheap and wanting to avoid tipping.

 

I agree with you that people should not go on a cruise with no intention of tipping at all - however I dont belive in telling people if your a family of 4 and cant afford $40 tips a day on a 2 week cruise dont go.

 

I guess we will have to agree to disagree on that point :D

 

For those who are interested in the small print in the brochure the guide to tipping is this:

 

As many people find the whole subject of tipping uncomfortable, we have made it easier by introducing and automatic gratuity policy. Instead of worrying how much to tip and when, to make it simpler, a charge of $10 per person per day will be added to your shipboard account. Should you wish to reward a member further, you may do so by adding the automatic gratuity. Similarly, if you feel that the tipping level is higher than what you had intended, you may subtract from the automatic gratuity amount. To request a change simply visit the Purser's Desk, at any time during your cruise, where they will be happy to help. In addition an obligatory 15% gratuity charge is added to all drinks bill on board (including soft drinks).

[debbieuk]

Wow I really feel like I stirred up a hornets nest with this topic! I in no way meant to imply that I wouldnt tip on the cruise, (before I even knew about that mandatory tipping charge, I had budgeted for cabin steward, waiter at dinner etc.) just that I, like some other people do feel as said before 'a bit miffed at being told in advance that I MUST tip, and I MUST tip this amount' and not only just for my cabin but for each person who occupies that cabin. I am really 'having a go' about the Cruise Lines who are emotionally blackmailing us into feeling we have to tip heavily for the staff or their families wont eat! As I said before I had a nephew who worked on RCI fro one season and came home with enough to buy a nifty little sports car, and a friend of my daughters who worked for Carnival and came home with a new Puerto Rican husband,also a waiter from the cruise, with enough between them to put down a deposit on a house. I am not sure how much US visitors pay but I have just paid over $10,000 dollars for a balcony cabin (not a suite)for 2 adults and 1 child, which I am pretty sure is a lot more than those in the US. (Not that I in anyway begrudge you that, good luck to you if you are getting better service than us Brits!) Coupled with the fact our wages are lower and our cost of living is higher it isnt a matter of being 'cheap' just needing to count the pennies a bit more. As stated before in the UK and probably other European countries mandatory tipping is NOT part of our way of life. We tip only for very good service, AFTER we have received it, (strangely, so it seems, we expect companies to pay their staff wages, not the customers!) so the whole idea of being charged in advance is very strange to us. Princess cruise lines are advertising very heavily at the moment in the UK, particularly for a dream holiday that all can afford and I must admit to feeling a little insulted to be told 'if you cant afford it dont book it' Tipping is never mentioned in the brochures except for a very small note at the back. And to be suddenly told you have to pay $500.00 dollars extra can mean the budget just cannot stretch to that. I have travelled before to the States and have found as a nation you to be a lovely warm and friendly people.So I think you are doing all Americans a disservice Dan by implying that if you dont earn enough to afford tipping comfortably you shouldnt be on a cruise. It is precisely that attitude which is held up in my country and others against Americans (who let me say now I always defend!) as 'if you dont have money and lots of it' you dont deserve to have a say in anything. I thought snobbery and class war was a disease of the British, seems I am wrong.................

[dan40]

Debbieuk,

First off, you are not required to tip. You may remove the tips from your account by going to the Pursers desk. Auto-tipping is a convience and a simplification for those who normally tip. And its a mighty aggravation for those who don't normally tip. Both pluses in my book.

 

Secondly, I don't care if the cruiselines starved and tortured the help and paid them nothing. None of that has anything to do with tipping. We tip for the service we receive. And as you will learn on your first cruise, that service is almost universally excellent. And that is the reason I say if a person can't afford to tip, they shouldn't be cruising. Far from snobbery, its a sense of "fair play" When one is treated like royality [you should be more familar with that concept than I] and waited on "hand and foot" as the saying goes, each day, all day on their cruise. And then, for whatever reason be it cheapness or budget or just plain meaness, to stiff the servers is just plain unfair. Unfair to the help, and to fellow and future cruisers [i.e.,me].

 

Some say just increase the cruise fare to cover it. That would be required tipping and it would be wrong. And if your budget was maxed out at $10000. and the fare was $10560. with no tips, you COULDN'T go on that cruise because you'd be $560. short. By the way, I've been on "no tipping required" cruiselines, suprise!! tipping still happens [and IS expected]

 

So a crewmember comes home after a 9 or 10 month contract of 7 day 16 hours per day working in servitude to some demanding ignoramuses like me and has made enough to buy a nice car. So he more than deserves it, I wouldn't do what they do for $150,000. a contract. [couldn't afford the cut in pay:rolleyes:]

As you will see on your cruise, yes the tips add up to a noticable amount, and yes, a better job of forewarning about tipping should be done by all concerned, and yes too, the tips ARE very well earned by the service people. If not, then cut or withold their tip. And YES, Dan is right to be angry at the unfairness of some pax "stealing" all that good service and not tipping for it.

Dan

[Pam in CA]

Debbie,

 

To support Dan, you are NOT required to tip; it is not "mandatory." The 'suggested' tipping for many years prior to auto-tipping added up to $10/day/pp which is what I would plan for anyway. The auto-tipping is a convenience since I can put it on my onboard account and thus pay by credit card rather than have to travel with a lot of cash, which I would prefer not to do.

 

The "normal" tipping percentage is between 15 and 20% so that for a $10K cruise, you'd budget for $1,500-$2,000 in tips. That's a LOT of cash to carry around. With auto-tipping, you're paying $30/day for the three of you. For a 7-day cruise, that's $210; for a 10-day cruise, that's $300.

 

If you prefer to tip in cash up to the recommended amount, that's fine. But keep in mind all of the waiters/waitresses in the buffet area who provide service to you and would be stiffed if you didn't make a point of finding every single one and giving them an envelope. Same thing if you had Anytime dining.

 

Regardless of what you've observed on how "well" the crew are compensated, they depend on the tips for their income and the vast majority provide really good to excellent service, many of them behind the scenes. I've personally known waiters/waitresses who, after personally serving the same table for two months on an around-the-world cruise got absolutely nothing. Nada. They got stiffed totally. This was before auto-tipping so that other than their base salary for two months, they had no other money to send home. No sports cars, no P.R. husbands.

[phillipahain]

The saddest part about all this debacle on tipping is the reason it was started by someone from the UK asking an innocent question and being upset by replies like Dans

 

What is at the root of all the problems on various threads over tipping and cruise costs is the gross difference in the way Princess treats the USA travel market and the UK one

 

1) The brochures are different

 

2) The deposit in the UK IS NON REFUNDABLE

 

3) The prices 99% of the time are TWICE the USA ones

 

4) While tipping used to be more common in restuarants etc in the UK or to anyone in the service indudtry it has lessened considerably over the last 10 years and tends to only occur for service that truly is excellent

 

Princess are without doubt ripping off /stiffing UK customers and making it incredibly difficult for them to book a cruise via USA agents where of course you can cancel right up to final payment date

 

Also believe it or not theres a hell of a lot of people in the UK who simply do not have internet access

 

For many in the UK a cruise is indeed a "once in a lifetime event " and booking holidays etc is also a rather different scenario

 

There are many many things that are different between the UK and the USA and despite having a foot in both worlds and many USA friends I still have lots to learn about The USA

 

Please Dan and others do not judge us without knowing the full facts

[BigTimeCruiser]

There are some differences in how various cruise lines handle tipping. However, I believe that a closer examination will show that more and more lines are in fact moving to "auto tipping". For example, P&O Cruises has recently introduced the following:

 

"On Oceana, we have introduced an automatic service charge at the recommended amount per passenger per day which will be added to your shipboard account. You can increase or decrease this charge at your discretion. To request a change, simply visit Reception at any time during your cruise, where they will be happy to help. "

 

For information about the tipping policies of each cruise line, you can check out this link http://cruiseclues.com/tipping.htm

 

I hope this link won't upset the thread Host, but thought it was an easy way for everyone to see the various policies.:)

[BigTimeCruiser]

Sorry for the double Post. System problems.

[middy]

Hi, :)

I personally have cruised seven times, only two of these incurred auto-tipping(same ship), this probably being because as has been said before, tipping is different within our culture. Hence many British orientated boats include tips in their price.Yes, I always tip cabin staff, dining room staff and bar staff, but at the end of the cruise. This allows me to assess the service given and thus the amounts I feel they deserve, as I have found great differences in the standard of service given by individuals. Funnily enough I tipped very well at the end of the cruise which already took auto-tipping, as this ships crew provided excellent service on both occasions. Do I agree with auto-tipping? probably not, but I will be leaving it in place in November on my first Princess cruise.

[donna5]

Auto tipping is just easier. You don't have to make sure you have a lot of cash at the end of the cruise and don't have to carry all the envelopes around. If you want to tip more we can still get an envelope or just hand it to them. It is no different than tipping in a rest. Actually the amount tipped per day for meals is probably quite low compared if you were tipping in the U.S. at each meal. If the travel agents in other countries are not informing their customers about the tipping policy, then you need to complain to the cruise lines, that they need to make sure the T.A.'s are letting you know what is expected. I know our first cruise, we had read up on cruising and did research(not much of an internet at that time) and I remember the T.A. telling us about tipping and other items.

 

The Princess booklets that we get in the U.S. have pages in the back of the booklet that tells things such as tipping, travel ins., cancellation fees etc. I would hope that they have something like that in the U.K. for you cruisers.

 

Does anyone know why the deposit isn't refundable? I don't think that's right. Any U.K. travel agents on this board willing to answer.

[UKLady]

Does anyone know why the deposit isn't refundable? I don't think that's right. Any U.K. travel agents on this board willing to answer.

 

Because thats the way the travel industry is in the UK. If we book any holiday and cancel it we loose the deposit.

 

Plus thats only if we cancel before the day the full payment is due. If we cancel after that date we also still have to pay a percentage of the holiday depending on how many weeks it is to your holiday. In some cases if you needed to cancel say 2 months before sailing you would still have to pay 75% to 100% of the cruise.

[UKLady]

To support Dan, you are NOT required to tip; it is not "mandatory." The 'suggested' tipping for many years prior to auto-tipping added up to $10/day/pp which is what I would plan for anyway. The auto-tipping is a convenience since I can put it on my onboard account and thus pay by credit card rather than have to travel with a lot of cash, which I would prefer not to do.

 

The "normal" tipping percentage is between 15 and 20% so that for a $10K cruise, you'd budget for $1,500-$2,000 in tips. That's a LOT of cash to carry around. With auto-tipping, you're paying $30/day for the three of you. For a 7-day cruise, that's $210; for a 10-day cruise, that's $300.

 

That is our point exactly. It is not the 'norm' in the UK or most of Europe to put 20% of our holiday cost aside to tip service staff. Therefore we would not budget for it. We are used to the tip being included in the price we pay. We are not used to companies not paying their staff and expecting customers to subsidise that. We are used to tipping service staff for an excellent service, however, not to the extent you do. It is not our culture, we are not used to it, for first time cruisers it can be a shock - why is that so hard to understand. Or is it a case of I am only used to the american way of life and unprepared to accept that other cultures do things differently!!

 

Plus 20% of the total holiday cost - are you insane!! When did we have to start tipping service staff 20% of the total cost, including airfare? And as we in the UK pay more for our cabins that means we should be putting more aside for tips!!

 

We know tipping is NOT compulsory, infact I think it was I who brought that to the boards attention by quoting Princess directly, not Dan, who's original stance was if you cant afford to tip dont go on a cruise.:p

 

The point is in the UK tipping is not normal, when booking a cruise you are not told by the travel agent or Princess about the auto-tipping, you are left to find out about it yourself. This is usually a few weeks before you go.

 

In the UK a cruise is sold as an 'All Inclusive' package where you only have to pay for drinks so some people will not have budgeted to take much spends with them at all. So for a family of 4 on a 14day cruise to be told $560 of their spending budget has already been allocated - this will come as a shock and they will want to ask about it. They should be able to do so without being branded as cheap or wanting to 'stiff' (to coin a god awful phrase) the service staff.

 

You have to bear in mind that booking a cruise is very different in the UK than it is to booking a cruise in the states. The service from most travel agents is the same - non existent!

 

We have very few specialised cruise agents and most are online so if you dont have internet access you dont know who they are - even then they just give you a price you book and thats it end of service until you have to pay.

 

When booking in a highstreet travel shop the travel agent will be used to catering for families, and couples, or gangs of girls and boys wanting to holiday in Europe or Disneyworld Florida. They will know very little, if anything, about cruising, they wont know the difference between traditional and personal choice dining without contacting princess, they will have no idea which balcony is larger than another or whether its covered or whats the best side of the ship to be on, all they will know is the telephone number for Princess and how much your cruise will cost (after phoning Princess for the price). So when booking in the UK the service we receive is simply someone informing us of how much it will cost, when we have to pay, and our sailing date.

 

If you book direct through princess the service is the same, you phone, get put on hold for a couple of hours, they ask you where you want to go, take your details then thats it, you get a piece of A4 paper confirming your booking and the cost and thats it. If you do happen to find out about auto-tipping and ask about it the Princess response in the UK is oh yeah they put $10 a day on your account per passenger, but dont worry, you can cancel it when you get on board. In my experience anyway.

 

A few weeks before you go you get your tickets with info on port excursions and how many formal nights there are.

 

We do not get booking incentives

 

We do not get on board credit or free upgrades for simply booking

 

We do not get a refund if the price of the cruise comes down after we booked

 

We pay upto 4 times the amount a US citizen will for the same cabin

 

We cannot cancel our holiday without loosing the deposit and a percentage of the cost of the cruise depending on when we cancel

 

We cannot change our travel agent after we have booked (not that it would make any difference)

 

90% of British travellers will have no idea what a guaranteed rate is as they are not usually available in the UK

 

We can no longer book via US agents as Princess wont allow it so we have to book in the UK and pay top dollar :eek:

 

So when a UK passenger posts a question about tipping, before you all start jumping on the band wagon and start talking about us wanting to 'stiff' the staff, most of us have been 'stiffed' by Princess before we even get on the ship!!

 

So all I ask is please remember that when people post questions about tipping try and understand that

 

Not everyone is:

 

a) from a country where 20% tipping is the norm and will find it a bit odd and want to ask about it

 

b) informed about the auto-tipping when booking so it can be a bit of a shock

 

c) used to being told who to tip and when and how much before they even get on holiday

 

d) American and used to tipping everyone and anyone including the guy stood next to you who said 'Bless You' when you sneezed!! (JOKE :D)

 

On a personal note and more in line with the topic - I find auto tipping easier but I do feel that service has deteriorated since it was introduced. Mind you I also feel the class of passenger has deteriorated also - now there's some true British snobbery for you :)

 

 

[Brad1185]

I was talking with our room steward on RCI. He was responsible for 50 rooms. He had to pay for his assistant. $3.50 x 2 to a room x 7 days x 50 weeks in a year, would be $122,500. Many rooms have 3 or 4 beds, so he would make more. If 10 rooms a week had a 3rd person he would get another $12,250 which totals $134,750. If he paid his assistant $34,000 he would have $100,000 tax free in us dollars. Not bad compared to what they could make in their home counties.

[Pam in CA]

Debbie & Kevin... thanks for the education on the differences between cruising for U.S. citizens and U.K. citizens. There are many inequities and this is just one of them. I often cruise with family and friends but as a single in a cabin. I pay 180 - 200% of the pp fare but I don't use both beds, eat 2x as much, etc. Oh well... that's the price I pay to cruise.