Gratuities Conundrum

[Garavar]

So we have been on about 15 cruises and for all those cruises we have always paid the $16.50 x 2 daily gratuities (or whatever the rates were at the time).

 

In addition to this (as our choice) we would tip the stateroom attendant, $5 in cash daily. And at the end of the cruise give our waiter, assistant waiter, concierge and concierge servers $50 in cash for 7 days or less cruises and $75+ for longer cruises.

 

I always thought this was the norm (daily grats on Bill and some additional cash if you were feeling generous with the understanding that some passengers don't tip additional which is completely okay)

 

However on my last trip I met this lovely couple who always cruise who told me they remove their daily gratuities and give the people the entire total in cash because it goes directly to them. As an example my last trip I paid roughly $420 in daily grats. They instead removed the daily grats and gave $100 to the 4 crew members that served them.

 

Does this indeed make more sense? Or is there something I am missing here? I like to do whatever is best for the people who were so gracious to us.

 

 

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[Mrsinsyder]

We do the same (remove the gratuities).

 

I have a feeling that giving them the money in cash gives them a bit more discretion on how they share the money they get and/or how they report it to RCCL. Not my place to decide if that's right or wrong, nor am I saying it is what everyone does, but just an assumption.

 

We prefer to remove the gratuities so that we can compensate how we like, and now how RCCL divvies it out.

[ARI421]

This is gonna cause controversy!! Lol on my third cruise we met a lovely couple Olga and Jose who were taking there first cruise! They had both worked on ncl for ten years! We became friendly with them and they explained daily gratuities were a farce.. they saw only a small portion and the big wigs who were paid a ton still got tips.. I believe them.. I also asked my room steward on three separate ships how they would like me to tip.. leaving them on or cash and they replied cash. They knew I would remove them.. I bring a ton of cash and tip people I see sweeping etc.. I hate all the people who say this is wrong.. become friendly with the crew and ask them yourselves!! Yes true I cannot tip everyone but I would rather tip the poorly paid than have my money go to those already over paid..

 

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[Garavar]

Interesting, is there a formula to the division? Ie steward gets x%

 

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[setsail]

Cash =ing the basic tips is still pooled just like the daily tip

 

The lovely couples cash was pooled

[MCC retired]

Staff is expected to turn over tips to the tip pool , especially when tips are removed by guests, so why upset the procedure?

By adding Grat's to your daily acct. cruise lines have established a procedure to fairly distribute tips to all those who served you .

Why upset things ? Crew is happy with it , especially when some guests may skip the dining room and avoid the steward on that last day?

Leave it be !

[Garavar]

Staff is expected to turn over tips to the tip pool , especially when tips are removed by guests, so why upset the procedure?

By adding Grat's to your daily acct. cruise lines have established a procedure to fairly distribute tips to all those who served you .

Why upset things ? Crew is happy with it , especially when some guests may skip the dining room and avoid the steward on that last day?

Leave it be !

So the envelopes with their names on them, they have to split that with the rest of the staff?

 

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[Biker19]

Might at well get it out of the way.......

 

[reedl]

This is the breakdown on how tips are distributed.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/faqSubject.do?faqSubjectName=Gratuities

 

The automatic gratuity is $13.50 USD, or $16.50 USD for suite guests, applied to each guest's SeaPass® account on a daily basis. Here's how it is shared between your onboard service team:

Standard Staterooms:

$6.35 - Dining Services

$3.45 - Stateroom Attendant

$3.70 - Other Hotel Services

 

Suites:

$6.35 - Dining Services

$6.10 - Suite Attendant

$4.05 - Other Hotel Services

 

So of the $13.50 that a standard cabin pays, 25% goes to the cabin steward, 47% goes to dining, and the rest goes to other employees.

[Clarea]

So the envelopes with their names on them, they have to split that with the rest of the staff?

If someone does not pepay tips or removes automatic tips, then the crewmembers are "charged" the standard tip rate.

[griffy116]

I hope my explanation makes sense. Here's my problem with removing gratuities and paying my waiters and stewards in cash. It means that the people who serve me in the WJ and other venues on the ship, get a smaller amount from the pooled cash. I think that means I'm stiffing those members of the crew. In addition, I see my waiter in the Windjammer and know that he is going to get less from the pool from people who remove their gratuities and give the tip directly to their MDR waiter. SO, the only way I know of to make sure I tip ALL the crew members that wait on me is to do the auto-pay and slip the extra cash to my cabin steward and waiters.

[negc]

I hope my explanation makes sense. Here's my problem with removing gratuities and paying my waiters and stewards in cash. It means that the people who serve me in the WJ and other venues on the ship, get a smaller amount from the pooled cash. I think that means I'm stiffing those members of the crew. In addition, I see my waiter in the Windjammer and know that he is going to get less from the pool from people who remove their gratuities and give the tip directly to their MDR waiter. SO, the only way I know of to make sure I tip ALL the crew members that wait on me is to do the auto-pay and slip the extra cash to my cabin steward and waiters.

 

Works for me. I sometimes wonder about how bothered some are about the relatively minor cost of gratuities in comparison to the total cost of their cruise. Who among us would work the hours and under the conditions that the crew on a cruise ship work for the compensation they receive? It may dwarf the amount they would earn back in their homelands but there is a reason so few US citizens are found among a cruiseline's workforce.

[TriCoachCruising]

If someone does not pepay tips or removes automatic tips, then the crewmembers are "charged" the standard tip rate.

 

Thanks, just so I understand this. If I remove gratuities and tip my suite attendant 140.00 in cash the last night. He gets charged the 6.10 x7 days=42.70 and can keep the difference of 97.30? We don't eat in the MDR hence, why we did this on the last cruise for the first time. Normally, we prepay gratuities but realize we are tipping folks we never use. In addition, we always tip anyone that serves us e.g. (Windjammer server/table cleaner, concierge etc).

[Mrsinsyder]

If someone does not pepay tips or removes automatic tips, then the crewmembers are "charged" the standard tip rate.

 

So what if someone doesn't tip them at all, or tips them less than the suggested amount?

[spookwife]

So we have been on about 15 cruises and for all those cruises we have always paid the $16.50 x 2 daily gratuities (or whatever the rates were at the time).

 

In addition to this (as our choice) we would tip the stateroom attendant, $5 in cash daily. And at the end of the cruise give our waiter, assistant waiter, concierge and concierge servers $50 in cash for 7 days or less cruises and $75+ for longer cruises.

 

I always thought this was the norm (daily grats on Bill and some additional cash if you were feeling generous with the understanding that some passengers don't tip additional which is completely okay)

 

However on my last trip I met this lovely couple who always cruise who told me they remove their daily gratuities and give the people the entire total in cash because it goes directly to them. As an example my last trip I paid roughly $420 in daily grats. They instead removed the daily grats and gave $100 to the 4 crew members that served them.

 

Does this indeed make more sense? Or is there something I am missing here? I like to do whatever is best for the people who were so gracious to us.

 

 

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what YOU are doing is the best, most appropriate way to handle things that causes the least amount of extra work and potential in lost revenue for the crew.

 

on many cruise lines now, if you remove the gratuities and then pay in cash.. EVERY DOLLAR you goes them in cash MUST be POOLED to be divided up amongst the entire staff of that department. iff you just give extra on tip of the daily amount, then they get to keep the entire amount they receive.

[bythehex]

I always felt that if you remove the gratuities, you're penalizing everyone. Let's say you had a cabin steward who didn't meet your expectations, so you remove the gratuity...but then you're penalizing the waiter who might have done a great job. And frankly, since they pool the tips anyway, he's stil going to get tipped but you've added less to the pool that everyone else gets tipped from.

 

It's not an ideal system, and I generally tip more afterwards anyway, but I don't see the point of removing the gratuities. JMHO

[forkcreek]

If someone does not pepay tips or removes automatic tips, then the crewmembers are "charged" the standard tip rate.

Having well over 1000 nights on RCCL and having contact with staff (both on and off duty) none has ever told me this,and even had it denied. So that I may confirm your statement, please tell me where I can find the basis. Thanks

[Clarea]

Thanks, just so I understand this. If I remove gratuities and tip my suite attendant 140.00 in cash the last night. He gets charged the 6.10 x7 days=42.70 and can keep the difference of 97.30? We don't eat in the MDR hence, why we did this on the last cruise for the first time. Normally, we prepay gratuities but realize we are tipping folks we never use. In addition, we always tip anyone that serves us e.g. (Windjammer server/table cleaner, concierge etc).

Yes, except I'm not sure about the $6.10 amount.

[slyster]

So if I understand correctly, even if I want to give my room attendant $100 in case, technically, he should be giving it to the pool so it's divided among all the staff?

 

What I usually do is leave the gratuities and then I give extra to each person I feel deserves it. Do they at least get to keep what I give "extra"? Or are they supposed to be putting that in the pool of money too?

[markeb]

So if I understand correctly, even if I want to give my room attendant $100 in case, technically, he should be giving it to the pool so it's divided among all the staff?

 

What I usually do is leave the gratuities and then I give extra to each person I feel deserves it. Do they at least get to keep what I give "extra"? Or are they supposed to be putting that in the pool of money too?

 

Since I've never worked for a cruise line, I'm making some assumptions here, as are most posters, but what seems to be the "norm" is auto tips get shared per the stated formula. Cash tips to individuals with auto-tips in place go to the individual (90% confidence). Cash tips to individuals with auto-tips removed go into the pool (90% confidence). Cash tips to individuals above their pool share stay with the individual (70% confidence).

 

What I find fascinating about this everlasting exercise in equine necroflagellation is this is only of concern because they tell us how they split the gratuities. My wife and I had a wonderful dinner at a Michelin 3-star restaurant in NYC last weekend. We had a waiter, one or more assistants, and a sommelier, directly assist us, plus a bartender make a drink for me. They don't tell me how they split my tip! And I'm sure they do! And it's frankly none of my business...

[Ocean Boy]

what YOU are doing is the best, most appropriate way to handle things that causes the least amount of extra work and potential in lost revenue for the crew.

 

on many cruise lines now, if you remove the gratuities and then pay in cash.. EVERY DOLLAR you goes them in cash MUST be POOLED to be divided up amongst the entire staff of that department. iff you just give extra on tip of the daily amount, then they get to keep the entire amount they receive.

 

And how would anyone possible know if a cabin steward was tipped more than the stated amount thus requiring him/her to turn in more money than would be expected?

[Clarea]

So if I understand correctly, even if I want to give my room attendant $100 in case, technically, he should be giving it to the pool so it's divided among all the staff?...

My undertsanding is that only the "standard" amount goes into a pool, and anything above the standard amount is kept by the crewmember.

[slyster]

My undertsanding is that only the "standard" amount goes into a pool, and anything above the standard amount is kept by the crewmember.

 

Ok...I think that's fair. I wouldn't want to leave anyone out who may get a little something from that pool of money. At the same time, I like the idea that if I want to give a crew member something extra it goes to them. I'm choosing where it goes.

[spookwife]

And how would anyone possible know if a cabin steward was tipped more than the stated amount thus requiring him/her to turn in more money than would be expected?

 

it is part of their employment contract and failure to abide by it does result in immediate termination. they do keep track of who removes gratuities. I have seen the list in person. those people who have guests who have done so are thus already under extra scrutiny.

[nelblu]

Staff is expected to turn over tips to the tip pool , especially when tips are removed by guests, so why upset the procedure?

By adding Grat's to your daily acct. cruise lines have established a procedure to fairly distribute tips to all those who served you .

Why upset things ? Crew is happy with it , especially when some guests may skip the dining room and avoid the steward on that last day?

Leave it be !

 

I saw this on my Anthem cruise. I gave an envelope, at end of cruise, to a lovely server in the Diamond Lounge and to my surprise she took the envelope by the bar and it was combined with other grats. given. I guess it's on an honor system.