Are Royal Caribbean and Celebrity crew suffering financially when sailing in Aus?

[OzKiwiJJ]

Thanks for that info, Brisbane41. It was interesting but I still think you are over-generalising in some areas.

 

Perhaps it would be fairer to say that many first-time Australia cruisers expect all cruise lines to be the same but not all.

 

I believe many Australians don't feel comfortable about tipping as they don't understand the background behind the expected tipping culture of places like the US. As far as the daily gratuities are concerned they are not aware of how the staff are paid and probably expect them to be paid in a similar manner to Australian workers, so don't understand that these gratuities are really part of the fare. It doesn't help when travel agents advise them that these gratuities can be removed.

 

I grew up in NZ, which also doesn't have an expected-tipping culture but have always tipped a small amount at restaurants where I have had good service. This was taught to me by my father who would always leave "a little something under the plate" when I was a child.

[Brisbane41]

The majority of Australians do not tip at all and those who have not travelled have not even heard of it. I have worked in tourism and did full time at a major resort before a transfer to Canberra after the holidays. I can assure anyone that Australians do not naturally tip in the service industry. It is only foreigners that come here and do it. The evidence speaks for itself. Any Australian that claims otherwise is just social climbing to safe face with their opinionated international friends.

 

I personally did not know what tipping was until I was 20 years old. Even seeing it on popular US TV was not enough to rub off what it was.

 

When I go out in Australia I never tip anyone for anything no matter how good the service is. This is Australia and I know everyone is paid well. If I stay at 5 star hotels in Sydney and Melbourne then I can guarantee no one will get any tips at all from me. I just wont do it in this country.

[robinph]

Well I do know they have to do their own laundry on RCI, or they did up until a year ago. On one of our longer cruises we became friends with a young English barman and he often complained about having to do his laundry in the few hours he had off between shifts.

 

Yes I had been told the same, but if they didn't want to do it themselves they had to pay $1 per item laundered, and if you look at how many different uniforms they wear over the course of a cruise I'm sure that could add up to a reasonable sum they have to pay out of their income. They also have to pay for their internet use which for so many is their link to their families. Robin:)

[MicCanberra]

Just off the Celebrity Solstice and while I cannot answer for what the crew get paid. However, in my conversations with the crew, on this cruise and previous ones, both here and abroad, they love cruising in aussie waters as they earn more due to our high consumption of drinks (alcoholic and not) per person compared to other regions.

 

In regards to tipping, the people (Australians included) that I have cruised with do not remove the tips and do not know of any other aussies that have. Now I have seen some people remove tips when at the GSD but this has been many nationalities and most seem to be airing a complaint (loudly) as to why they should be removed. If the companies feel to many people are removing the grats, then they will quickly change the fare/ billing system.

[gogo65]

I remember reading somewhere here, maybe on the HAL board? That if you want to have your Gratuities removed, you have to request it after you get off the ship, in writing. I believe it has reduced the amount of removals substantially. Maybe something to consider here?

[Aus Traveller]

I remember reading somewhere here, maybe on the HAL board? That if you want to have your Gratuities removed, you have to request it after you get off the ship, in writing. I believe it has reduced the amount of removals substantially. Maybe something to consider here?

Removing the tips after getting off the ship would be a fair bit of trouble for the passenger, but even more for the cruiseline. Presumably they would have to credit the relevant amount on the passenger's credit card. I doubt that this system would work. I could see the logic if the request had to be made in writing before the cruise, but not after.:)

[MicCanberra]

I think they should change the name from Gratuities to service charge and be done with it.

[OzKiwiJJ]

I think they should change the name from Gratuities to service charge and be done with it.

 

I think they should just include it in the fare, along with the port fees and charges.

[Aus Traveller]

I think they should just include it in the fare, along with the port fees and charges.

Yes, but in USA port fee and charges are not included. The cruise price is quoted as 'X' plus fees and charges.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Yes, but in USA port fee and charges are not included. The cruise price is quoted as 'X' plus fees and charges.

 

I actually meant the port fees and charges should also be included in cases where they are not.

[MicCanberra]

I think they should just include it in the fare, along with the port fees and charges.

Some cruise companies already do that, some people will still remove them anyway.

[Aus Traveller]

Some cruise companies already do that, some people will still remove them anyway.

If the gratuities are included in the fare, how could someone remove them? :)

[MicCanberra]

If the gratuities are included in the fare, how could someone remove them? :)

 

By complaining loudly, I have seen people who had prepaid the gratuities (Select dining) being not happy and asking for partial or full refunds of them due to perceived poor service.

[Aus Traveller]

By complaining loudly, I have seen people who had prepaid the gratuities (Select dining) being not happy and asking for partial or full refunds of them due to perceived poor service.

That's bad. :( On ships where tipping is part of the crews' wages I do not think there is any excuse for not paying the standard amount. Maybe don't tip any extra if they are not happy with the service.

[OzKiwiJJ]

By complaining loudly, I have seen people who had prepaid the gratuities (Select dining) being not happy and asking for partial or full refunds of them due to perceived poor service.

 

But that implies that the gratuities are still seen as something separate to the fare.

 

If the fare was listed, with no mention of gratuities, as it is on the Aussie Princess, P&O and Carnival cruises operating in/out of Australia then there would be no gratuities to remove.

[GUT2407]

That's bad. :( On ships where tipping is part of the crews' wages I do not think there is any excuse for not paying the standard amount. Maybe don't tip any extra if they are not happy with the service.

 

I'm sorry, I actually disagree.

 

Whilst I've never had such service.

 

If gratuities, service charge, whatever you call it are applied, you should be able to remove them if service is bad.

[GUT2407]

I strongly suspect that most Aussie cruisers have no idea how poorly paid the crew are.

 

We have it so good in this country with minimum wages if around $17 an hour and 40 (or less) hour weeks.

 

I very strongly suspect hat most Aussies simply think they are getting ripped off when they board a ship and are then charged $12+ per person per day extra. Our first cruise was 8 days, so it was about $200 we hasn't expected, then they're told they can remove it, why wouldn't they if they didn't know the staff were getting paid a pittance (not something the cruise lines tell you).

 

To be frank if some friends hadn't told us we would have had no idea when we took our first cruise. And it wasn't even something we gave much thought to, why would we, I don't enquire what anyone else earns, unless it is relevant, and have never really had many people (perhaps up to my current job where everyone thinks I make a motza)?care what I earns, regardless of if I was cleaning dunnies, waiting table, managing a Hotel or working in a supermarket (or aboutv20 other things).

[MicCanberra]

I'm sorry, I actually disagree.

 

Whilst I've never had such service.

 

If gratuities, service charge, whatever you call it are applied, you should be able to remove them if service is bad.

 

That was my point, I haven't had any issues but as mentioned, I have heard people who have and then try to have them removed.

If I ever have that bad a service, my first action would to get it rectified, if it persisted, then the complaints would continue and perhaps the gratuities would suffer.

Even if there were no gratuities, some recompense would be in order for the bad service.

Edited January 7, 2016 by MicCanberra

[GUT2407]

That was my point, I haven't had any issues but as mentioned, I have heard people who have and then try to have them removed.

If I ever have that bad a service, my first action would to get it rectified, if it persisted, then the complaints would continue and perhaps the gratuities would suffer.

Even if there were no gratuities, some recompense would be in order for the bad service.

 

I agree.

 

I've never had that bad of service.

 

Some has Ben more to my liking than others. But never really what you'd call bad service.

[Russell21]

I strongly suspect that most Aussie cruisers have no idea how poorly paid the crew are.

 

We have it so good in this country with minimum wages if around $17 an hour and 40 (or less) hour weeks.

 

I very strongly suspect hat most Aussies simply think they are getting ripped off when they board a ship and are then charged $12+ per person per day extra. Our first cruise was 8 days, so it was about $200 we hasn't expected, then they're told they can remove it, why wouldn't they if they didn't know the staff were getting paid a pittance (not something the cruise lines tell you).

 

To be frank if some friends hadn't told us we would have had no idea when we took our first cruise. And it wasn't even something we gave much thought to, why would we, I don't enquire what anyone else earns, unless it is relevant, and have never really had many people (perhaps up to my current job where everyone thinks I make a motza)?care what I earns, regardless of if I was cleaning dunnies, waiting table, managing a Hotel or working in a supermarket (or aboutv20 other things).

Mate I strongly advise you to use Google to check the international standard pay rates before talking about crews being paid a pittance, you might just be surprised.

[GUT2407]

Mate I strongly advise you to use Google to check the international standard pay rates before talking about crews being paid a pittance, you might just be surprised.

 

 

Actually I wouldn't be surprised.

 

Its a pittance by Australian standards, for many a fortune at home.

[MicCanberra]

Some do alright but I would rather be the passenger than the crew.:cool:

[Aus Traveller]

Actually I wouldn't be surprised.

 

Its a pittance by Australian standards, for many a fortune at home.

I wouldn't call it a pittance, but it is not up to Australian wage standards with penalty rates, holiday pay, leave loading and long service leave.:)

[springaussie]

$18.22 AUD is the Royal Caribbean amount per day when pre paying tips in a standard cabin.

[Russell21]

I wouldn't call it a pittance, but it is not up to Australian wage standards with penalty rates, holiday pay, leave loading and long service leave.:)

 

Yep the very reason that most of our manufacturing industry has left the country.