Gratuities/tipping

[sohoda]

We recently returned from the Pacific Princess - had the daily gratuities charged to our account. We were very happy with the service of a few outstanding individuals and gave them each an envelope (including our name and cabin number) as a thank you. My question is: do the individuals that we gave extra cash to know that we also paid the Princess daily gratuity charge - do they know which cabins have participated in the automatic tips? Or do they think the envelope that we handed to them at the end was their entire tip from us?

[cherylandtk]

They know. There is a list of who has paid the auto tip and who has removed them. Since you paid the auto tip, the individuals will be able to keep the contents of your envelope for themselves. Had you removed the auto tips, they would have turned the envelope over to the tip pool to be shared as part of the pool.

[cruzsnooze]

There is no answer to your question because the cruise line does not reveal it. People guess based on what they want to happen but nobody knows. I have asked about these so called lists and am told there is no such thing. Many articles are on goggle about cruise ship tipping and it states all monies must be turned over to be put into the pool regardless of auto tipping. Here's a recent article addressing this issue

 

http://crew-center.com/princess-cruises-crew-wages-details

 

Each and every crew member also agrees to deliver

 

any such voluntary passenger contribution he or she receives from any passenger under

 

any circumstances to the Pool immediately upon receipt of the contribution from the

 

passenger

[hsmom]

They know. There is a list of who has paid the auto tip and who has removed them. Since you paid the auto tip, the individuals will be able to keep the contents of your envelope for themselves. Had you removed the auto tips, they would have turned the envelope over to the tip pool to be shared as part of the pool.

 

 

I understand how this works and generally why but it has been frustrating that in order reward amazing service I have to leave the tip in place for the not amazing service. It doesn't happen all the time. Typically leaving the auto tip is not an issue but we have had a couple times where we seriously considered taking it off.

[cruzsnooze]

I understand how this works and generally why but it has been frustrating that in order reward amazing service I have to leave the tip in place for the not amazing service. It doesn't happen all the time. Typically leaving the auto tip is not an issue but we have had a couple times where we seriously considered taking it off.

 

If the service doesn't warrant it you can reduce it without having to remove it.

[cherylandtk]

There is no answer to your question because the cruise line does not reveal it. People guess based on what they want to happen but nobody knows. I have asked about these so called lists and am told there is no such thing. Many articles are on goggle about cruise ship tipping and it states all monies must be turned over to be put into the pool regardless of auto tipping. Here's a recent article addressing this issue

 

http://crew-center.com/princess-cruises-crew-wages-details

 

Each and every crew member also agrees to deliver

 

any such voluntary passenger contribution he or she receives from any passenger under

 

any circumstances to the Pool immediately upon receipt of the contribution from the

 

passenger

I think you are missing the point and assuming the worst possible outcome. The 'extra monies' must be reported, but I have it on personal word from MANY whom we have tipped that they get the full envelope back, unopened, if the autotips have been left in place. Yes, they must report all such envelopes...but they only have to share the ones that are given in lieu of the auto tip. This has been reported many times on this board by other travelers as well as two verified cruiseline employees who also post regularly on CC. Edited May 15, 2016 by cherylandtk

[FritzG]

I think you are missing the point and assuming the worst possible outcome. The 'extra monies' must be reported, but I have it on personal word from MANY whom we have tipped that they get the full envelope back, unopened, if the autotips have been left in place. Yes, they must report all such envelopes...but they only have to share the ones that are given in lieu of the auto tip. This has been reported many times on this board by other travelers as well as two verified cruiseline employees who also post regularly on CC.

 

This is also what we've been told many times by various different people. If auto tips are removed anything you give an individual employee must be turned in, and it's split up.

If you leave auto tips in place anything extra still must be turned in, but the total amount is returned to that employee.

When we give extra we're always asked to put it in an envelope with our names and cabin number for verification.

[EZ2CY]

The 'extra monies' must be reported, but I have it on personal word from MANY whom we have tipped that they get the full envelope back, unopened, if the autotips have been left in place. Yes, they must report all such envelopes...but they only have to share the ones that are given in lieu of the auto tip. This has been reported many times on this board by other travelers as well as two verified cruiseline employees who also post regularly on CC.

 

 

Thanks so much for this info! I've wondered if the individuals we've given "extra" to are allowed to keep it. Not sure if I've put our full names and cabin #'s on the envelopes though. Is that necessary? If it is, I'll make sure I do that in the future .

[cherylandtk]

Yes, you should put at least your cabin number on the envelope in order to make the reconcilation easier. Your cabin steward will obviously know which room the envelope was left in, but at dinner you will sometimes see the waiters making sure to get the info written on those envelopes if it is missing. It's just easier to add it ourselves in a corner. And we always write a short thank-you note on the back that includes something about the contents being in addition to the autotip.

[moki'smommy]

On our last cruise, we saw many $20 bills being handed out on the last night. How does Princess handle this since there was no identification (or do we even know?)

[cruzsnooze]

This is also what we've been told many times by various different people. If auto tips are removed anything you give an individual employee must be turned in, and it's split up.

If you leave auto tips in place anything extra still must be turned in, but the total amount is returned to that employee.

When we give extra we're always asked to put it in an envelope with our names and cabin number for verification.

 

It's all speculation and rumor. Believe what you want but I'll believe what's written in the contract I already posted a link to.

Essentially all the extra cash that is turned in still gets distributed via the pool but not to the exact individual you intended it for. With that in mind it makes sense they would encourage you to give extra cash because it grows the pot.

Edited May 15, 2016 by cruzsnooze

[SenorBruce]

We always use the auto tip, have never removed it. The variety of crew who provide services is significant and we don’t want to slight anyone. On the last day and not in an envelope, we give our room steward an additional gratuity based on service during the cruise. In addition, on embarkation day we give our steward an extra tip to ensure we have wine glasses every day. We have been told by many that money in an envelope must be turned into the pool. Money passed from hand, well it's a bit murky....

[Montrealais]

There is no answer to your question because the cruise line does not reveal it. People guess based on what they want to happen but nobody knows. I have asked about these so called lists and am told there is no such thing. Many articles are on goggle about cruise ship tipping and it states all monies must be turned over to be put into the pool regardless of auto tipping. Here's a recent article addressing this issue

 

http://crew-center.com/princess-cruises-crew-wages-details

 

Each and every crew member also agrees to deliver

 

any such voluntary passenger contribution he or she receives from any passenger under

 

any circumstances to the Pool immediately upon receipt of the contribution from the

 

passenger

 

 

Posters who are convinced that the tips are not given to the pool because somebody, somewhere, has told them so should consider that the article which you are refering to has been posted in November of 2015.

 

Perhaps what they believe is true now was true before that date but rules might have changed since they got their information. :confused:

[cruzsnooze]

Posters who are convinced that the tips are not given to the pool because somebody, somewhere, has told them so should consider that the article which you are refering to has been posted in November of 2015.

 

Perhaps what they believe is true now was true before that date but rules might have changed since they got their information. :confused:

 

Very good point because the article is NEW information.

[cruiser113]

On our recent TA cruise....we left auto tip in place and gave dining staff extra........

also spoke with our waiter ( 10 yrs with Princess and he also works mornings in the office with Maître D) we discussed this situation and he informed us that if we leave the auto tip in place he would get to keep whatever we gave him.

 

this was spurred on by several people telling us they were removing the auto tip and only tipping staff that actually did something for them....tried to discuss all the behind the scene people that are not visible.....one person told me that she was not tipping some one who mopped the floors...........and she would have been the first to complain if they were not mopped

 

It takes a village to make the cruise experience enjoyable!

[moki'smommy]

I've always taken the stance that it is up to each cruise line to determine who is part of the tipping pool, and the three lines that I know best each have different rules. I do like to know that money I'm handing to the people who serve me is money that they get to keep.

 

Each line has approximately the same auto-gratuity amounts, regardless of who they have determined those amounts go to.

 

I'm very curious as to what will happen in Japan, where tipping is not only not the custom, but is actually considered rude.

Edited May 15, 2016 by moki'smommy

[cherylandtk]

Posters who are convinced that the tips are not given to the pool because somebody, somewhere, has told them so should consider that the article which you are refering to has been posted in November of 2015.

 

Perhaps what they believe is true now was true before that date but rules might have changed since they got their information. :confused:

The 'article' in question was submitted to the website November 2015, but a closer examination of the document dates it as written in November 2007.

[pablo222]

There is no answer to your question because the cruise line does not reveal it. People guess based on what they want to happen but nobody knows. I have asked about these so called lists and am told there is no such thing. Many articles are on goggle about cruise ship tipping and it states all monies must be turned over to be put into the pool regardless of auto tipping. Here's a recent article addressing this issue

 

http://word-of-god.com/princess-cruises-crew-wages-details

 

What is much better than people guessing, is you quoting an internet source.

 

As we all know, everything on the internet is 100% fact.

 

Thank you for bring the FACTS to us.

 

P.S. I wonder if the word of god domain is available?

That would be really, really useful here.

[cruzsnooze]

What is much better than people guessing, is you quoting an internet source.

 

As we all know, everything on the internet is 100% fact.

 

Thank you for bring the FACTS to us.

 

P.S. I wonder if the word of god domain is available?

That would be really, really useful here.

 

Apparently you missed the point that nothing is fact about tipping the crew extra, nobody knows anything for sure but there are different prospectives, on the internet, rumor or guessing, heresay and what great aunt Tillie told me years ago.

[RocketMan275]

What is much better than people guessing, is you quoting an internet source.

 

As we all know, everything on the internet is 100% fact.

 

 

You are absolutely correct to doubt anything you read on the internet. But if that is true, then neither can you trust anything in this thread.

 

It is also true that any comments made by the crew as to what happens or doesn't happen are also subject to doubt. Remember, the crew is not an uninterested party and what they tell you may or may not be correct.

 

As was posted by cruzsnooze: "There is no answer to your question because the cruise line does not reveal it."

 

This is the only statement made in this thread that is undeniably true. No one knows.

[joybook]

In any 12 month period I wonder how many threads there are on the subject of gratuities/tipping? It gets a bit boring after a while and every response has a different slant. I have had different responses from crew members on the same ship so I'm not sure that they even know.:)

[Cruise Raider]

We never remove the autotips but take a small gift for those that have gone above and beyond for us. It might be a box of nice chocolates a trinket or something of that sort. We've also seen some of our favorite crew members while in port and have paid for their drinks or meal or even asked them to join us and we pick up the tab. We know for sure they can keep this.

[GUT2407]

There is no answer to your question because the cruise line does not reveal it. People guess based on what they want to happen but nobody knows. I have asked about these so called lists and am told there is no such thing. Many articles are on goggle about cruise ship tipping and it states all monies must be turned over to be put into the pool regardless of auto tipping. Here's a recent article addressing this issue

 

http://crew-center.com/princess-cruises-crew-wages-details

 

Each and every crew member also agrees to deliver

 

any such voluntary passenger contribution he or she receives from any passenger under

 

any circumstances to the Pool immediately upon receipt of the contribution from the

 

passenger

 

Wow, someone giving the right answer, bet others challenge it

[GUT2407]

In any 12 month period I wonder how many threads there are on the subject of gratuities/tipping? It gets a bit boring after a while and every response has a different slant. I have had different responses from crew members on the same ship so I'm not sure that they even know.:)

 

Xamazing ain't it, day after day after day.

[cactusrose]

Wow, someone giving the right answer, bet others challenge it

 

I'm going to challenge it because. . .

 

 

Everything in that article refers to the suggested voluntary amount of the gratuity and says nothing about amounts over and above. Of course that bit was left out of the post you refer to but here is the entire quote.

 

"Nonetheless, to the extent passengers follow the suggested contribution guidelines in whole or in part, or deliver their contribution to the Company or

directly to any crew member(s), each and every crew member agrees that any such contribution is not his personal wage, but rather a contribution to the Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge Pool (the “Pool”). Each and every crew member also agrees to deliver any such voluntary passenger contribution he or she receives from any passenger under any circumstances to the Pool immediately upon receipt of the contribution from the passenger"

 

There are many very experienced cruisers on these boards with friends and family members who are employed by Princess that have consistently provided the same information about how extra tips are handled. That is that as long as you leave the entire suggested gratuity on the extra tips will be returned to the employee. This only applies to those who participate in the pool. Tips for others are handled differently.

Edited May 16, 2016 by cactusrose