Been a long wait

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Last year we spotted a Norway cruise that I have wanted to do for a few years,

 

but not at the price Princess was quoting, even allowing for a few price drops

 

was not willing to give Princess that amount any more,

 

if my on board experience is not what it used to be then I am not going to pay

 

a premium price for an average product,

 

so final payment date came and went and prices came down,

 

to a point that I was interested, but no, then another price drop so more than

 

happy to pay price offered, now was offered a range of cabins in different

 

categories, my thoughts are if Princess has dropped price so low, could be a lot

 

of new cruisers , but will these folks be happy to pay daily hotel charge,

 

if on a budget could become a big issue but also as charge now makes up a

 

good percentage of cruise cost will folks that have paid in the past, think twice

 

about it,as ship is sailing from UK expect almost all late cabins will have gone

 

to UK folks, our culture on tipping is different, I think tipping is wrong to the

 

point of being insulting, most will be aware UK has new laws to pay a living

 

wage those working in the service industries can look forward to the biggest

 

pay rises, cost of services will rise but the the pressure to tip will be removed,

 

so your porter getting £7.20 will be getting £9.30 in a couple of years, many

 

new cruisers will assume these laws applies to crew working out of the UK,

 

I think my next cruise could be interesting for the wrong reasons.

 

yours Shogun

[pablo222]

I think my next cruise could be interesting for the wrong reasons.

 

 

On the other hand, if many, many people cancel tips,

princess will be forced to change.

 

Either make the tip included in the fare, like australia,

or make it a mandatory service charge.

 

The later would make a fair system for everyone.

[Shogun]

Hi pablo222

 

Would be happy to see cost included in fare, that way folks can budget for

 

there cruise.

 

 

yours Shogun

[IDsailor]

Interesting. When I travelled in Scotland a few years back nobody turned down my tips. Just saying.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

On cruise ships tipping is the norm, so "when in Rome."

[Cruise Junky]

On cruise ships tipping is the norm, so "when in Rome."

 

Means nothing. They'll remove the tips, I guarantee it.

[TracieABD]

Popcorn!

[Woobstr112G]

Popcorn!

 

With or without butter?.....:D:D:D

 

Bob

[Murphey]

You can budget for it....you have the pre-payment option.

 

Tracie, I want butter on mine!

[Gwendy]

Cruises that depart and come back to Australia have gratuities included. You still pay the extra for drinks. I generally leave my cabin steward and waiters a small tip if I am happy with their work.

As for budgeting, you know you are going on a cruise, you know you should pay gratuities, you know what parts of the world where tipping is expected. Isn't that included in your initial budgeting? This shouldn't be a surprise.

I find tipping difficult, particularly in US, not sure how much or how to hand it over. It is very foreign to us.

On a lighter note my daughter after a long flight to LA couldn't access her hotel room, because it was so early so asked desk staff to mind her bags and tipped them. She can't remember what she gave the gentleman, but for the rest of her stay there as soon as as she got out of the lift he was there asking her how he could help her. I think she had probably been over generous.

[pablo222]

I find tipping difficult, particularly in US, not sure how much or how to hand it over. It is very foreign to us.

 

Sometimes, it is good to adopt the local culture while visiting.

I strongly recommend this if you rent a car in the US.

[GUT2407]

Sometimes, it is good to adopt the local culture while visiting.

I strongly recommend this if you rent a car in the US.

 

What I've got to tip the car rental company too now;)

[GUT2407]

Interesting. When I travelled in Scotland a few years back nobody turned down my tips. Just saying.

 

I get it, so when in Rome doesn't apply to Americans visiting Scotland.:confused:

[mrs and mrs]

Hi All

 

Last year we spotted a Norway cruise that I have wanted to do for a few years,

 

but not at the price Princess was quoting, even allowing for a few price drops

 

was not willing to give Princess that amount any more,

 

if my on board experience is not what it used to be then I am not going to pay

 

a premium price for an average product,

 

so final payment date came and went and prices came down,

 

to a point that I was interested, but no, then another price drop so more than

 

happy to pay price offered, now was offered a range of cabins in different

 

categories, my thoughts are if Princess has dropped price so low, could be a lot

 

of new cruisers , but will these folks be happy to pay daily hotel charge,

 

if on a budget could become a big issue but also as charge now makes up a

 

good percentage of cruise cost will folks that have paid in the past, think twice

 

about it,as ship is sailing from UK expect almost all late cabins will have gone

 

to UK folks, our culture on tipping is different, I think tipping is wrong to the

 

point of being insulting, most will be aware UK has new laws to pay a living

 

wage those working in the service industries can look forward to the biggest

 

pay rises, cost of services will rise but the the pressure to tip will be removed,

 

so your porter getting £7.20 will be getting £9.30 in a couple of years, many

 

new cruisers will assume these laws applies to crew working out of the UK,

 

I think my next cruise could be interesting for the wrong reasons.

 

yours Shogun

 

So are you saying you may not take the cruise because,there may be a lot of new cruisers,who may not be happy with the daily hotel charges.Not sure how that affects you but,hey each to their own i gueess:confused::confused:

[Shogun]

Hi

 

What I am saying is I am booked on a cruise which I suspect will have a lot of

 

folks onboard that have paid very low fares, could be on there first cruise and

 

come from the UK, now a quick look at this weekends cruise adverts in the

 

papers and I see nothing that says daily hotel charge to be added to your costs,

 

I see £399 for a weeks cruise amazing deal, sailing in a few weeks, I can see

 

new cruisers jumping at these offers only to find that the cruise line wants to

 

charge them another £100 in charges, a look at a few UK cruise travel sites

 

gives tips like cancel this charge as soon as you board, do not buy photos etc,

 

the result will be two fold, those that do not know about the charge will

 

be thinking they have been conned, those that know they can take it off will,

 

so some of my fellow passengers will be unhappy and crew will be unhappy

 

at lose of tips, these things will affect on board atmosphere and my cruise,

 

All of this is so easy to fix with Princess doing away with the hotel charge on

 

ships sailing out of the UK.

 

yours Shogun

[Griller]

Hi

 

What I am saying is I am booked on a cruise which I suspect will have a lot of

 

folks onboard that have paid very low fares, could be on there first cruise and

 

come from the UK, now a quick look at this weekends cruise adverts in the

 

papers and I see nothing that says daily hotel charge to be added to your costs,

 

I see £399 for a weeks cruise amazing deal, sailing in a few weeks, I can see

 

new cruisers jumping at these offers only to find that the cruise line wants to

 

charge them another £100 in charges, a look at a few UK cruise travel sites

 

gives tips like cancel this charge as soon as you board, do not buy photos etc,

 

the result will be two fold, those that do not know about the charge will

 

be thinking they have been conned, those that know they can take it off will,

 

so some of my fellow passengers will be unhappy and crew will be unhappy

 

at lose of tips, these things will affect on board atmosphere and my cruise,

 

All of this is so easy to fix with Princess doing away with the hotel charge on

 

ships sailing out of the UK.

 

yours Shogun

 

Hi Shogun, at least the price you see advertised for a cruise in the UK includes taxes and all charges and fees - except the tipping. In US area we are often shown an attractive price but then find out there is another $100 to $400 in hidden charges tacked on. Plus of course the tipping. For an inside cabin it can more or less double the initial advertised cost once you add it all up.

Fortunately for retired military stockholders who have had the foresight to place a future cruise deposit and book through a discount travel agent we often end up with it costing rather less than the initially advertised price because of Princess' generous OBC.

And in UK it doesn't seem like there is any price competition between travel agents, you pay the cruiselines listed price - plus a credit card fee tacked on extra if you use one - the agents must be doing very nicely out of the commission.

What's your view on that? I haven't booked a cruise in the UK for years so I guess I'm out of date?

[jackieo]

Popcorn!

 

 

[emoji106][emoji122][emoji122]

[Shogun]

Hi Griller,

 

A few years ago Princess changed rules and commission for TAs, result

 

almost no reason to book with a TA, Princess cut commission rates so no

 

competition between agents, sometimes some do not charge credit card fees so

 

we are looking at savings of 2.5%. Some give an extra $20 onboard spend

 

yours Shogun

[SwissDave]

Interesting. When I travelled in Scotland a few years back nobody turned down my tips. Just saying.

 

Of course a tip wont be turned down if it is offered, but you dont seem to understand that tipping is not something that is required in the UK or most of Europe, Australia etc. unlike in the US where you will likely be chased down the street and shot at for not tipping.

[SwissDave]

Hi Shogun

 

Hope you are all well.

 

I'm not so sure huge amounts of Brits do remove the tips. Speaking to my room steward on Emerald a couple of weeks ago she said that the proportion removing them is not too different from American passengers, which despite protestations to the contrary on here, seems to be a regular thing.

 

She also said she loves when the ships come to Europe as everyone is more polite to her, saying please and thank-you, we don't give them a list of things to do/change/organise as soon as we get on and then complain if it has not been done within 30 minutes.

[Shogun]

Hi Swissdave,

 

Sorry to say a few health issues, nothing thats going to change my plans just now,

 

but docs starting to do weekly checks on things,

 

e mail me if you want to chat,

 

yours Shogun

[Cobbins]

I'm from UK. We as a couple always pay our gratuities and tip extra if deserved. I'm sure other British people do the same.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[golfb4cruzing]

Of course a tip wont be turned down if it is offered, but you dont seem to understand that tipping is not something that is required in the UK or most of Europe, Australia etc. unlike in the US where you will likely be chased down the street and shot at for not tipping.

 

And the new norm is lousy service with an equal lousy attitude and an outstretched hand at the end. But bullying is a bad thing in schools.

[SwissDave]

Hi Swissdave,

 

Sorry to say a few health issues, nothing thats going to change my plans just now,

 

but docs starting to do weekly checks on things,

 

e mail me if you want to chat,

 

yours Shogun

 

Hey Shogun

Is it still 'mydog.......@hotmail.com' ?

[Shogun]

Hi Dave,

 

@yahoo.co.uk

 

yours Shogun