Gratutities

[SantaFeFan]

Can anyone give me one reason why the PAX who removes tps is called names like stiffer etc but the company that pays the staff peanuts AND then allows for the removal of gratuities isn't.:confused:

 

Very good question. And may I follow it up with another question - why do people continue to cruise with a line who makes stiffing their staff possible???

 

And yet a few more follow on questions: why do people insist on challenging the tips in the first place? We all know what they are for. Can't those who get all in a snit over tips see that the benefit is for the crew who work hard to make their cruise as good as possible? Are they so calloused that they don't care about these people? Are they so selfish that letting go of a few dollars per day to tip them is such a difficult thing to do? Has the idea of generosity become completely alien to them?

 

No need to answer - I already know. :rolleyes:

Edited August 4, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[Project_gal]

Interesting observation. As an American, I am always grateful to be able to visit foreign countries, which to us almost always means long and expensive overseas travel. I am there to enjoy myself and do not make a point at studying the bad habits of locals as you seem to do. Perhaps I am too naive to be traveling? :rolleyes:

 

No, that't not it. I would have to say that I prefer to enjoy the positive of a what a country has to offer, and not focus on the negative. But, that's just the way we Americans travel - all excited to be there and not trying to force our culture on the places we visit. It guess it must be unreasonable of us to expect people from other countries to do the same. :(

 

Surely, in your extensive travels, you have to observe what the local do in order to act appropriately? We have often read in guide books and on the Internet what the local customs are, for example, in relation to tipping. Having read that in country X, it is offensive to tip, we would have been in danger of not doing the correct thing if we did not observe that, in fact, tipping is common.

 

The only way we learned to tip the ridiculously high amounts expected in the USA was by observing what was common among the locals. It is the same way we learned that we needed to ask for our eggs or steak to be cooked differently as we moved across the USA from east to west, as another example.

 

None of this is anything to do with looking at the negative or the positive but rather the different.

[GUT2407]

We have, also, many times been told by the assistant stateroom attendant that we must give his additional gratuity to the main stateroom attendant.

 

I was also interested to see that, when in Luminae on our latest cruise, all the envelopes we had handed out to our waiters, the sommelier and hostess were collected "backstage" unopened by the maitre d' and taken elsewhere. They were clearly our distinctive gold "Thank You" card envelopes. These were additional gratuities and we had also given the maitre d' an envelope containing additional gratuities for all the Luminae staff to whom we had not given individual additional gratuities.

 

 

Another great reason to not tip extra if it is confscated by the powers that be.

[icat2000]

And yet a few more follow on questions: why do people insist on challenging the tips in the first place? We all know what they are for. Can't those who get all in a snit over tips see that the benefit is for the crew who work hard to make their cruise as good as possible? Are they so calloused that they don't care about these people? Are they so selfish that letting go of a few dollars per day to tip them is such a difficult thing to do? Has the idea of generosity become completely alien to them?

 

No need to answer - I already know. :rolleyes:

Then why ask. Just for the record. I pre pay my grats when they not included in the cruise fare. For example my next cruise. I have pre paid the grats.

[Adidas4fun]

So let me see if I have this right. Building the daily grats into the cruise fare automatically makes the cruise expensive and the service likely to become substandard, but having automatic daily grats means the cruise is cheaper and the service is better.

 

Yep, I think I understand the logic perfectly.

[Beanb41]

I tip a buck a drink usually. So a 5 or 6 dollar drink gets a dollar tip. Just me. So about 20%?

 

Pat

 

If you have a prepaid or free drinks package which includes a 18% gratuity do you still tip a dollar a drink?

[GUT2407]

So let me see if I have this right. Building the daily grats into the cruise fare automatically makes the cruise expensive and the service likely to become substandard, but having automatic daily grats means the cruise is cheaper and the service is better.

 

Yep, I think I understand the logic perfectly.

 

 

Whoooo I thought I was the only one.

[Beanb41]

We have, also, many times been told by the assistant stateroom attendant that we must give his additional gratuity to the main stateroom attendant.

 

All our assistant stewards have never said such a thing. They said thanks very much and put the envelope straight into their pocket. WE also make a point of not making any additional tip in front of others or are very discreet to ensure that what we give is theirs. Plain white envelopes are available at guest relations.

Edited August 4, 2015 by Beanb41

[AtleeH]

One good reason to not prepay grats. OBC. A lot of folks, and I would be one of them, would rather pay the grats out of any non refundable OBC than pay for them before I got on ship. This latter means my credit card is dinged.

 

If I have more than enough OBC to pay for all the grats, isn't that a better option?

 

Then why ask. Just for the record. I pre pay my grats when they not included in the cruise fare. For example my next cruise. I have pre paid the grats.

[Iamcruzin]

I just wonder of the people who don't pre pay the grats and prefer to tip. How do you know that they aren't the stiffers. I know what the grats is per day x no days cruising = total. But I wonder how many who tip here and there don't actually reach that total. Food for thought.

 

I don't have data to back this up but I have always felt that this practice was done specifically to reduce the tips below the daily charge. Why else would you tip individually? It's more convenient to just pay the daily charge and not have to carry cash.

[AtleeH]

I would say "confiscated" is too strong a word. Celebrity doesn't keep that money. It does go to the crew.

 

That said, I agree with your sentiment. An extra tip is what tips used to be about in the US, and what folks from the UK, OZ, and NZ, among others, still understand tips to be about, a reward for service above and beyond. But I would rethink extra tipping if the extra tip is added to the pool of money and divided among everyone.

 

For me, an extra tip, above and beyond the suggested $12.95 per day gratuity, should go completely to the person I gave it to. It shouldn't go to the entire crew.

 

Another great reason to not tip extra if it is confscated by the powers that be.

[dkjretired]

I don't have data to back this up but I have always felt that this practice was done specifically to reduce the tips below the daily charge. Why else would you tip individually? It's more convenient to just pay the daily charge and not have to carry cash.

 

For many people they tip personally to get the satisfaction of someone saying "thank you" to their face. Same concept as those who "have" to give a tip in a restaurant to the waiter/waitress personally instead of leaving it on the table.

Edited August 4, 2015 by dkjretired

[Pat&Paul]

If you have a prepaid or free drinks package which includes a 18% gratuity do you still tip a dollar a drink?

I was referring to what I tip in a bar on land, not the cruise. I rarely tip extra when I order a beverage on the ship. I think 18% is just fine. Unless I notice a bartender with particularly long pours. [emoji4]

 

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

[chisoxfan]

I am surprised by the heated arguments posed. I feel the "automatic" gratuity system is a simple passenger friendly system. In the old days I can remember spending significant time preparing envelopes, bringing sufficient cash , and then searching out crew members to deliver tips. This was a crazy waste of time and probably on whole not equitable for some crew members ie. only certain 'high profile' people were recognized. I hated trying to figure out appropriate tip amounts and while I was comfortable leaving bigger tips for excellent service I was torn about reducing tipping for 'poor' service.

Overall the current system probably offers the best thought out disbursement for all crew members and service has generally been excellent on every cruise we have experienced.

Just one less thing to worry about on vacation.

The effort involved to defeat the auto gratuity probably insures that only a very small percentage do not comply.

Those who are strongly opposed to the model can vote with their cruise dollars or try and circumvent the system which is sometimes possible. JMHO

[cle-guy]

Can anyone give me one reason why the PAX who removes tps is called names like stiffer etc but the company that pays the staff peanuts AND then allows for the removal of gratuities isn't.:confused:

 

Because the company has set up a system to ensure fair pay to their employees, by collecting from the customer and remitting to the staff, much like how the company collects funds from all its customers to pay all its vendors. It's just that this amount is more transparent.

[Project_gal]

Another great reason to not tip extra if it is confscated by the powers that be.

 

I never said the extra was "confiscated" and I did not interpret the action as such. We simply assumed that the additional gratuities had been handed-in, obviously willing as we had been discrete when we handed them out, so that they could be redistributed as had been previously agreed.

 

I have no issue with this. We can only apportion our additional gratuities as we think best but have no real idea what happens behind the scene.

 

Quite honestly, we are not ashamed of what we tip - even if we are British. If the staff are happy and understand that we have appreciated their service, I am pleased that it may be shared differently, if they think appropriate. If the management, in the process, understand how much we thought of their staff, it can only enhance their standing in the department.

[cle-guy]

If you have a prepaid or free drinks package which includes a 18% gratuity do you still tip a dollar a drink?

 

No.

[SantaFeFan]

Another great reason to not tip extra if it is confscated by the powers that be.

 

So, someone observed their envelopes unopened and you automatically assume they are being "stolen" by the management? How the heck do you know that? Could it be that they were being held until the end of the shift and then given to the appropriate people? What an fantastical concept - there may actually be more to what has been observed than someone's conspiracy theories. :rolleyes:

[cle-guy]

So, someone observed their envelopes unopened and you automatically assume they are being "stolen" by the management? How the heck do you know that? Could it be that they were being held until the end of the shift and then given to the appropriate people? What an fantastical concept - there may actually be more to what has been observed than someone's conspiracy theories. :rolleyes:

 

Exactly, and if management were skimming the tips, you can be assured that the line level staff would be going direct to the Hotel Director or F&B Director who do not share in tips and express their dissatisfaction.

[tercar]

If you are planning on stiffing the staff by saving a few dollars then, yes you can have the gratuities removed at Guest Relations unless they've been prepaid.

 

 

 

But if you want to tip directly on your own then save some time and effort and just leave the tips in place. The staff does get them. Also, if you have your tips removed word is that the staff have to contribute any cash tips they get directly from you to the tip pool so you can't divert tips to a specific individual, and bypass the tip pool, that way. From everything I've heard, the only time they get to keep any direct cash tips is if they are over and above the auto tip amounts (i.e. extra tips paid in cash if the auto tips were left in place).

 

 

I agree with you lsimon! People I have sat with who have removed tips have always given less sometimes much less than the recommended daily amount. People who remove grats don't want to pay the recommended amounts end of!! If they did we wouldn't have these posts. I pay mine and give extra to people I feel have gone that little further......I wish I was a millionaire because 99% of the staff are amazing and I wish I could give them all extra.

[sloopsailor]

I don't know how so many don't understand how to balance a budget

 

They know full well how this works, but are feigning ignorance. They save money from that "ignorance" by not tipping the appropriate amounts, or worse, as some insist they do, by tip nothing at all. It is all about greed - nothing else. Compassion and generosity was abandoned back at home when they left the protection of their lair.

Edited August 4, 2015 by sloopsailor

[blueboro]

Can anyone give me one reason why the PAX who removes tps is called names like stiffer etc but the company that pays the staff peanuts AND then allows for the removal of gratuities isn't.:confused:

 

Maybe the better question is if the staff is paid "peanuts" and is so underpaid why do they line up for these jobs?? Because they make more than they could in their country is my assumption. I guess Celebrity could do like the company that announced a few months ago that every employee, regardless of job description, would make $70,000 annually and is now close to bankruptcy due to the good employees quitting since there is no incentive for anyone to excel.

[ORV]

We have, also, many times been told by the assistant stateroom attendant that we must give his additional gratuity to the main stateroom attendant.

 

I was also interested to see that, when in Luminae on our latest cruise, all the envelopes we had handed out to our waiters, the sommelier and hostess were collected "backstage" unopened by the maitre d' and taken elsewhere. They were clearly our distinctive gold "Thank You" card envelopes. These were additional gratuities and we had also given the maitre d' an envelope containing additional gratuities for all the Luminae staff to whom we had not given individual additional gratuities.

 

I'm assuming since you have mentioned additional tips a few times then this was in addition to the daily amounts that you did not take off. The only time I've seen it reported that the tips had to be pooled is when the auto grats are removed. You would be the only report I can remember seeing that didn't remove them and the recipients had to pool them.

[cle-guy]

I'm assuming since you have mentioned additional tips a few times then this was in addition to the daily amounts that you did not take off. The only time I've seen it reported that the tips had to be pooled is when the auto grats are removed. You would be the only report I can remember seeing that didn't remove them and the recipients had to pool them.

 

I'm number 2 then. Once on Eclipse in PH, and once on Sillie in RS. Tried to give asst. cabin steward envelopes, both times, they said Thank you but please, hand that to XXX (head steward) he collects the extra tips. I didn't see him, so left on the bed.

 

I was tipping extra (I always prepay gratuities, and have never removed, but have added Butler tips to my SeaPass account) as I had hosted a few large gatherings and the stewards worked as hard as the butler had.

[ORV]

I'm number 2 then. Once on Eclipse in PH, and once on Sillie in RS. Tried to give asst. cabin steward envelopes, both times, they said Thank you but please, hand that to XXX (head steward) he collects the extra tips. I didn't see him, so left on the bed.

 

I was tipping extra (I always prepay gratuities, and have never removed, but have added Butler tips to my SeaPass account) as I had hosted a few large gatherings and the stewards worked as hard as the butler had.

 

Interesting, maybe it's a Suite thing.

 

I've never had this occur with the assistants in balcony rooms or OV's. I have to say I have no idea what happens to extra we've given to bartenders, waiters, etc.