Tipping on board brittania?

[majortom10]

Why not have a cheaper holiday? The auto tips are clear to see, so if you can not afford them, go elsewhere.

 

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Tips are not compulsory so why should anyone be forced to pay them. Only pressure from other cruisers saying they are tight or shafting the staff which is totally wrong and pressure from P&O to pay them so staff get a decent wage and save them paying them so they get more profits. The profits Carnival make annually and we pay staff wages is laughable and deplorable.

[happy v]

Just a thought.

If everyone pays the same amount for tips does that mean people not in suites are subsidising the cost of a butler? As the terms state it covers your butler if you have one.

[insanemagnet]

Why not have a cheaper holiday? The auto tips are clear to see, so if you can not afford them, go elsewhere.

 

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If the auto tips were clear, they would be on the same page in the same size font as the ticket price.

 

They aren't.

 

They are buried away in the FAQs.

 

If they are meant to be 'tips' they seem completely out of scale, particularly since they increased by 37.5% last year (and I doubt the staff saw that increase).

 

The tips can amount to almost 10% of the whole cruise price. If the tips are supposed to be mainly for the service received from the cabin steward and waiters, then that is absurd.

 

For the cabin steward, they spend less than 15 minutes in the morning making UP my cabin and 5 minutes in the evening. Pretty much what you would expect in any hotel, where tips would be unheard of.

 

That leaves the waiters. Some are good and deserve a tip, but quite a few are very average and do nothing more than you would expect. The majority of the service is not at the level the auto tips are set at.

 

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[terrierjohn]

Why not have a cheaper holiday? The auto tips are clear to see, so if you can not afford them, go elsewhere.

 

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Tips are not compulsory so why should anyone be forced to pay them. Only pressure from other cruisers saying they are tight or shafting the staff which is totally wrong and pressure from P&O to pay them so staff get a decent wage and save them paying them so they get more profits. The profits Carnival make annually and we pay staff wages is laughable and deplorable.

It always seems harsh suggesting someone should ensure they can afford the auto grats befgore booking a cruise, but once you recognise that this is how the majority of cruise lines pay certain of their service staff, then it really is only fair to the service staff and to those passengers who are prepared to pay the full amount.

It clearly is the preferred way for the staff concerned, otherwise they would be pressing for a change, and that certainly does not seem to be the case. However the level of the auto grats is obviously dictated by the numbers who are fully prepared to leave it on. Since the cruise lines make up the difference to a guaranteed level, they clearly will not want to be funding any shortfall themselves, otherwise their shareholders would be complaining.

So I think Wowzz is correct, everyone should budget for the tips which is fair to all concerned.

[the english lady]

I'll be first in the queue to get gratuities taken off, my wife and i work on a very tight budget, we save really hard all year, i mean scrimp and save all year to afford this cruise, we cut out a lot of our luxuries, we both work very hard for our yearly cruise, we cannot afford £5.50 each daily for 14 days, we will tip, but we will tip whoever we think deserves it, it will not be near the total that we would be paying if we left gratuities on, but it will be what we can afford and no more, sorry if this offends people who think i'm conning people out of money, believe me, i'm not

 

When we both worked we would love to have cruised. However whenever we did the sums it always seemed just out of reach. So we did not start cruising to much later in our working life. From the off even without too much searching one knew about the tips situation.

As others have said in the past treat it as part of the cost of the cruise..

On your sig block did I notice you cruised with Thomson a lot. Their tips are included in the cruise price. When you booked them did you say could you please take off xxxx the price of the cruise as I will be working out myself what to give and who to give to..

I know about scimping and saving, but I also know about not trying to have holidays that I cannot really afford.

Except for some of the 6* lines ,Thomson and a couple of others all the main cruise lines have the tipping as additional. Pandos is amongst the cheapest.

Most of us do not really like it, and would prefer it be included in the headline price ,but we know if we want to cruise and be looked after as we are..then we leave the auto grats on and do not give them a 2nd thought.

[pete14]

I'll be first in the queue to get gratuities taken off, my wife and i work on a very tight budget, we save really hard all year, i mean scrimp and save all year to afford this cruise, we cut out a lot of our luxuries, we both work very hard for our yearly cruise, we cannot afford £5.50 each daily for 14 days, we will tip, but we will tip whoever we think deserves it, it will not be near the total that we would be paying if we left gratuities on, but it will be what we can afford and no more, sorry if this offends people who think i'm conning people out of money, believe me, i'm not

 

I don't think anybody would accuse you of conning people but I think it is a pity that you intend to remove the autograts and give less to those who deserve it. On the other hand, I think that every time P&O increase the autograts, they run the risk of more people removing them on financial grounds. I am on a 19 night cruise on Aurora from tomorrow, autograts for the two of us will be around £200. Although I will leave them on the account as I always do, it is quite a substantial extra expense.

 

P&O appear to be trying to attract a new clientele with their advertising campaigns, maybe a clientele who are not used to the level of gratuities expected, especially as it does appear to be allowing and encouraging P&O to pay low wages by having passengers subsidising them with autograts. Adding them to the fare would make the headline fares rise and make P&O seem more expensive. This may deter some new cruisers attracted by the advertising. If this were to happen, many of us would go back to giving envelopes as we used to do so we would end up paying more than at present!

[Cruise Puss]

When we both worked we would love to have cruised. However whenever we did the sums it always seemed just out of reach. So we did not start cruising to much later in our working life. From the off even without too much searching one knew about the tips situation.

As others have said in the past treat it as part of the cost of the cruise..

On your sig block did I notice you cruised with Thomson a lot. Their tips are included in the cruise price. When you booked them did you say could you please take off xxxx the price of the cruise as I will be working out myself what to give and who to give to..

I know about scimping and saving, but I also know about not trying to have holidays that I cannot really afford.

Except for some of the 6* lines ,Thomson and a couple of others all the main cruise lines have the tipping as additional. Pandos is amongst the cheapest.

Most of us do not really like it, and would prefer it be included in the headline price ,but we know if we want to cruise and be looked after as we are..then we leave the auto grats on and do not give them a 2nd thought.

 

Agree with this.

 

We've travelled on Seabourn a number of times and they include gratuities in the price of the cruise, and actively discourage tipping on board (they get a lot of Americans on board who might tip as it is in their culture). Having experienced this way of tipping I have to say we would much prefer it if everyone included tipping (and service charges!) in the price of the cruise - it's much much easier to deal with.

[vinniega64]

appreciate the replys, basically if i can't afford to tip, i shouldn't go on a cruise, sorry but i find paying over £10 a day for my wife and I a bit steep, i do tip, but only to those who merit it, I've never been keen on going down the American route where tipping is compulsory, it should be merited,

I don't go down the route of feeling sorry for crew members either, who i think do a great job, but some do very well at putting the guilt trip on a lot of people, they know the job there getting into before they start..... just look at every port, they've all got the latest iPhones iPads, all the brand name clothing, expensive cameras, more than i have...

so as i say, i will tip, but just to those that i feel have went the extra mile

Edited October 31, 2016 by vinniega64

[balf]

Employer-employee relationship of trust, coupled with dismissal if employee is not following the rules (including flying themselves home on their dime - not worth it for an envelope with a few quid in it). Also, peer pressure - they live in very close proximity to each other - it would be known quite quickly who is 'cheating the system' and their colleagues.

 

I can only refer you to the stickie on the Cunard board, written by a well known and respected member. Of course you can claim he is a fanasist who made the whole thing up if you wish.

 

So many theories, I'm waiting for that old chestnut about the list of tip cancelling passengers pinned up in crew quarters.

 

David.

[jeanlyon]

Just a thought.

If everyone pays the same amount for tips does that mean people not in suites are subsidising the cost of a butler? As the terms state it covers your butler if you have one.

 

Ha ha. good point. It's an interesting one. We always have an inside cabin, can't see the point of paying more, but our tips are the same as somebody in a suite with a butler as you say. Now the service we get from our cabin steward and waiters is the same no matter what grade of cabin you are in, but not the butler and why the hell it should include the maitre d'it, heaven knows.

[mutziputzi]

I always assume everyone pays so let's say 18 cabins occupancy around 33 allowing for singles 33 x 2.50 a day plus nominal wages from PO and bonus, extra tips which we always give would rack up a few hundred quick maths over 11 days 1'000-1.5000 pounds would go a long way in India.

 

Last night at dinner everyone in our vincinity gave envelopes even us who left auto grats on gave ours an extra £20 (the lowest we have ever given as they were useless), but I cannot pay £1000s for a holiday and not do it, stupid I know.

[balf]

Why not have a cheaper holiday? The auto tips are clear to see, so if you can not afford them, go elsewhere.

 

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Yes, l believe there are downmarket boarding houses in most rundown seaside towns where the poster could get a cheap break. What uncharitable people we have at times, we know nothing about their circumstances and for me if they can scrape together the funds to buy a cruise while opting out of the OPTIONAL tips why should we be concerned.

 

David.

[balf]

I always assume everyone pays so let's say 18 cabins occupancy around 33 allowing for singles 33 x 2.50 a day plus nominal wages from PO and bonus, extra tips which we always give would rack up a few hundred quick maths over 11 days 1'000-1.5000 pounds would go a long way in India.

 

Last night at dinner everyone in our vincinity gave envelopes even us who left auto grats on gave ours an extra £20 (the lowest we have ever given as they were useless), but I cannot pay £1000s for a holiday and not do it, stupid I know.

 

Twenty quid for useless waiters, stupid indeed.

 

David.

[jeanlyon]

Yes, that's how I feel. It feels mean not to give an envelope. That's why we remove the autograts and do it our way. And that's why I will have the same problem on Fred olsen, who have included tips in the price of the cruise. I will still feel I should give an envelope.

[CCFC]

I can only refer you to the stickie on the Cunard board, written by a well known and respected member. Of course you can claim he is a fanasist who made the whole thing up if you wish.

 

So many theories, I'm waiting for that old chestnut about the list of tip cancelling passengers pinned up in crew quarters.

 

David.

 

The printed list can be seen at the bottom of this article:

 

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2016/05/articles/fraud/carnival-hikes-prepaid-gratuities-but-will-passengers-secretly-remove-tips/

 

Edited October 31, 2016 by CCFC

[dgs1956]

Phantom passengers. The crew are told that occasionally some passengers that remove auto tips and hand over an envelope are actually working for the company. If the staff member does not hand over the envelope they have their contract terminated.

 

Nasty but thats business.

 

So P&O would go to the lengths of putting someone on a Caribbean cruise for a fortnight in order to catch a Cabin Steward or waiter who fails to hand in a few pounds?

[SteveH2508]

So P&O would go to the lengths of putting someone on a Caribbean cruise for a fortnight in order to catch a Cabin Steward or waiter who fails to hand in a few pounds?

 

If they use 'mystery shoppers', the 'mystery shoppers' would be looking at much more than just stewards/waiters keeping a few tips. Besides, just the possibility that there might be such 'mystery shoppers' on board, would be enough to ensure a fairly high degree of compliance.

[groovechick]

appreciate the replys, basically if i can't afford to tip, i shouldn't go on a cruise, sorry but i find paying over £10 a day for my wife and I a bit steep, i do tip, but only to those who merit it, I've never been keen on going down the American route where tipping is compulsory, it should be merited,

I don't go down the route of feeling sorry for crew members either, who i think do a great job, but some do very well at putting the guilt trip on a lot of people, they know the job there getting into before they start..... just look at every port, they've all got the latest iPhones iPads, all the brand name clothing, expensive cameras, more than i have...

so as i say, i will tip, but just to those that i feel have went the extra mile

 

You are entitled to pay auto-grats, tip extra, remove auto-grats or tip not at all, as you choose. We also scrimp and save for our cruises, which is why we usually only cruise every other year. Because we had a 2-week Christmas Caribbean cruise last year, we haven't had a holiday at all this year. At present we cruise P&O because we would struggle to afford the higher grats on the US lines and the 18% service charge. But - the brand name clothing you see the crew wearing off duty in ports is probably (almost certainly) cheap knock-offs they've bought at home or in ports around the world, likewise the expensive cameras, etc.

 

I-Pads, I-phones - well, I can't speak to that as I've been too busy looking around at the wonderful places we have the luck to visit to check out what gadgets the crew are using, but if we are entitled to our luxuries (a cruise), surely they can keep back a little of what they earn (for bloomin' hard work) to treat themselves to the latest gadgets. In fact for all I know, the I-Pads and I-phones are knock-offs too. You can't always judge a book by its cover (or should that be a Kindle?). :D

[majortom10]

You are entitled to pay auto-grats, tip extra, remove auto-grats or tip not at all, as you choose. We also scrimp and save for our cruises, which is why we usually only cruise every other year. Because we had a 2-week Christmas Caribbean cruise last year, we haven't had a holiday at all this year. At present we cruise P&O because we would struggle to afford the higher grats on the US lines and the 18% service charge. But - the brand name clothing you see the crew wearing off duty in ports is probably (almost certainly) cheap knock-offs they've bought at home or in ports around the world, likewise the expensive cameras, etc.

 

I-Pads, I-phones - well, I can't speak to that as I've been too busy looking around at the wonderful places we have the luck to visit to check out what gadgets the crew are using, but if we are entitled to our luxuries (a cruise), surely they can keep back a little of what they earn (for bloomin' hard work) to treat themselves to the latest gadgets. In fact for all I know, the I-Pads and I-phones are knock-offs too. You can't always judge a book by its cover (or should that be a Kindle?). :D

 

You cannot assume that everything is knock off either. On our cruise last week one of the waiters was in a shop onboard with 2 of his fellow waiters trying on and talking to shop staff about price for a watch, a very expensive watch, so dont assume that everything is cheap knock-offs.

Edited October 31, 2016 by majortom10

[insanemagnet]

Twenty quid for useless waiters, stupid indeed.

 

Not twenty pounds, but twenty pounds plus a substantial proportion of eleven pounds a day for useless waiters.

 

 

 

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[groovechick]

You cannot assume that everything is knock off either. On our cruise last week one of the waiters was in a shop onboard with 2 of his fellow waiters trying on and talking to shop staff about price for a watch, a very expensive watch, so dont assume that everything is cheap knock-offs.

 

I take your point majortom, one should not make sweeping generalisations, but then where would these boards be without sweeping generalisations? :) As I said though, if we allow ourselves some luxuries (our cruises), surely the crew are entitled to do the same?

[balf]

I take your point majortom, one should not make sweeping generalisations, but then where would these boards be without sweeping generalisations? :) As I said though, if we allow ourselves some luxuries (our cruises), surely the crew are entitled to do the same?

 

Yes, but at the same time we can't claim that the staff are poorly paid and exploited. And of course the things they buy are not knock off, most of us have seen the laden bags from top world retailers carried back to the ship.

 

I don't have a problem with this, but let's stop the sob stories of familly and kids left at home, they work the ships for the good money on offer, and I admire them for this.

 

David.

[terrierjohn]

Yes, but at the same time we can't claim that the staff are poorly paid and exploited. And of course the things they buy are not knock off, most of us have seen the laden bags from top world retailers carried back to the ship.

 

I don't have a problem with this, but let's stop the sob stories of familly and kids left at home, they work the ships for the good money on offer, and I admire them for this.

 

David.

I do not begrudge the service staff any of their toys and clothes whether they be top end iPads or designer jeans, they earn every penny or cent they receive.

But the current way they are paid does mean that the auto tips have to cover their wages, and the more people who deduct them because they don't believe in tipping, or think its too much, then the more frequently the cruise lines need to increase them.

 

The result is those who are willing to pay them subsidise those who don't.

 

I have to assume there is some justifiable reason that cruise lines do not either make the gratuities compulsory or include them in the cruise price. But until they do I feel I am quite entitled to point out to those who won't pay, that I am unhappy at subsidising their holiday.

[dgs1956]

 

The result is those who are willing to pay them subsidise those who don't.

 

 

I do think you have a valid point there. The more I read that people are withholding auto grats the more you have to accept this to be the case. Its definitely time that P&O included them in the cost of the cruise.

[the english lady]

Somebody did post a few months ago why including it in the fare would bring it's own problems.

Not just that the Base price of the cruise would increase

As one assumes that if the tips were included.then the crews wages would rise.so they would pay more tax.

The post I am thinking of went into it in some depth as to why it may not work out so well for everyone if tips were added into cruise fare.