Gratuities Conundrum

[NJ&Ozzie]

So people are upset about missing pepper grinders? Is it that important?

 

Doesnt every table have salt and pepper shakers? Close enough

 

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Hi,

We did B2B on Navigator (Oct & Nov) - had to ask every night in MDR for pepper grinder. And only once did our waiter then ask anyone else at table if they wanted pepper. Used to be a given that waiter would come by with pepper & also parmesan for salad, etc. No more. Don't know if it was just Navigator or just bad service.

 

Also, I watched a server in Windjammer refill salt/pepper shakers on day. Just poured more in on top of what was already in shaker. So got me thinking how often those shakers are actually cleaned. That's why personally I prefer pepper grinder.

 

Regarding tips - was told by two people that a cabin steward & a waiter told them that they did not get minimum wage. They only got tips. Couldn't believe this was true - have not heard anything like this before & wasn't able to substantiate it. Isn't it law crew has to be paid minimum wage or salary?

Cheers,

NJ

[Ocean Boy]

Hi,

We did B2B on Navigator (Oct & Nov) - had to ask every night in MDR for pepper grinder. And only once did our waiter then ask anyone else at table if they wanted pepper. Used to be a given that waiter would come by with pepper & also parmesan for salad, etc. No more. Don't know if it was just Navigator or just bad service.

 

Also, I watched a server in Windjammer refill salt/pepper shakers on day. Just poured more in on top of what was already in shaker. So got me thinking how often those shakers are actually cleaned. That's why personally I prefer pepper grinder.

 

Regarding tips - was told by two people that a cabin steward & a waiter told them that they did not get minimum wage. They only got tips. Couldn't believe this was true - have not heard anything like this before & wasn't able to substantiate it. Isn't it law crew has to be paid minimum wage or salary?

Cheers,

NJ

Still amazes me that people go on a cruise and ask employees about their pay. Where else does this happen?

 

Maybe people are just too bored on the ships with the cutback in entertainment that another thread is talking about. :rolleyes:

Edited December 3, 2016 by Ocean Boy

[Biker19]

Regarding tips - was told by two people that a cabin steward & a waiter told them that they did not get minimum wage. They only got tips. Couldn't believe this was true - have not heard anything like this before & wasn't able to substantiate it. Isn't it law crew has to be paid minimum wage or salary?

Just curious, are you just as astonished that the waitress down at the corner venue also doesn't get min wage?

[postmeome]

Same old replies,dead horse ,pepper grinders,were are the rest of your audience,ha ha ha your so funny 'POOF' ,lets see how long this thread lasts,?

[rockdoctor]

I get it now but I don't get the mayo, banana, ketchup comment now.

 

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I really don't care about pepper grinders, mayo etc, etc... As long as I have my Vegemite.

[mollyeilis]

Just curious, are you just as astonished that the waitress down at the corner venue also doesn't get min wage?

 

 

 

Corner venue server gets "server minimum" which is still a form of minimum wage. Unless you're in WA or other states that don't have that. In WA a server starts at normal minimum not server minimum.

[Biker19]

 

just in time.

[Biker19]

Corner venue server gets "server minimum" which is still a form of minimum wage.

Same for the waiter on the ship - it might be different/less, but there is a min wage on the ship as well.http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_236644/lang--en/index.htm

Edited December 3, 2016 by Biker19

[Langley Cruisers]

Still amazes me that people go on a cruise and ask employees about their pay. Where else does this happen?

 

Completely agreed! If someone I didn't know (or even did know!) asked me my wage, I would be mortified and certainly wouldn't tell them. But then again, I do not work for tips. Perhaps crew are just biting their tongue and being cordial so that passengers don't remove the tips. *shrug*

[bythehex]

Based on the condition of some of the cabins I've seen when walking down the hallways, most cabin stewards deserve every penny and then some!! :eek:

[JVilleGal]

Still amazes me that people go on a cruise and ask employees about their pay. Where else does this happen?

 

Maybe people are just too bored on the ships with the cutback in entertainment that another thread is talking about. :rolleyes:

 

 

Unbelievable and just plan rude! No bodies business.

 

And as a side note two of my young family members spent over 4 years on Royal Caribbean ships. Please please pay the auto Gratuities, this is the best way to make sure the system works fairly for all crew on the ship who make the Front Facing staff able to do their job well.

 

 

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Edited December 3, 2016 by JVilleGal

[JVilleGal]

OceanBoy I did not mean you are rude :) you are absolutely correct!

 

 

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[FloatMe]

Why not eliminate the automatic "gratuities" completely and just build it in to the cruise fare? Merriam Webster defines gratuity as "something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service; especially :* tip" There is nothing voluntary about the shipboard gratuity. I would like to be able to choose to give (or not) a true voluntary tip to a particular individual(s) for providing a good service to me.

 

 

as compulsory as the shipboard gratuities have become, if you eliminate the the practice entirely and build that cost into the cruise fare, I believe the level of service would decline even more than it has to this point.

[Ocean Boy]

OceanBoy I did not mean you are rude :) you are absolutely correct!

 

 

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No worries. I understood your post.:)

[lucymorgan]

as compulsory as the shipboard gratuities have become, if you eliminate the the practice entirely and build that cost into the cruise fare, I believe the level of service would decline even more than it has to this point.

 

I don't believe so - especially when there is still the opportunity to earn extra cash tips through good service. In Australia and much of Europe and the much of the rest of the world, service charges are already included. I often add a bit extra when travelling and even at home and I really don't think that the service is better in the US or on US operated cruise ships.

[NJ&Ozzie]

Corner venue server gets "server minimum" which is still a form of minimum wage. Unless you're in WA or other states that don't have that. In WA a server starts at normal minimum not server minimum.

 

Just to correct - only mentioned comments about min. wage as I'd never heard this before. Wondered if anyone else had. I personally have not asked crew about this.

NJ

[LMaxwell]

What exactly was the "conundrum" here though?

[Garavar]

What exactly was the "conundrum" here though?

Whether I should continue to do auto gratuities and give $50 in cash or so to steward, waiter etc.

 

Or remove auto gratuities and give $100+ in cash to steward, waiter etc.

 

Their is conflicting statements for both sides so I think I will just keep doing what I am doing.

 

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[smootsdce]

We do remove the gratuities, and we do pay ALL our tips. We have asked multiple cabin stewards on multiple ships if they prefer cash or pre-paid tips and EVERY single one said cash. I know I will not convince those "experts in everything" out there, but my experience is in mine and this is my practice. If my steward and waiters prefer cash, that is what I give.

 

How it is then divided or not is not my issue. I wish to reward those that had a direct impact on my vacation. If they contribute to the pool... Fantastic. If they don't...that is not my issue.

 

I feel it is the same thing when I give money to a homeless person on the street. I hope he uses it to buy food, but if buys alcohol then I cannot control that. I know that I gave with pure motives. I am not accountable for his actions, only my own.

 

 

 

 

 

Be blessed,

Danielle

[JVilleGal]

We do remove the gratuities, and we do pay ALL our tips. We have asked multiple cabin stewards on multiple ships if they prefer cash or pre-paid tips and EVERY single one said cash. I know I will not convince those "experts in everything" out there, but my experience is in mine and this is my practice. If my steward and waiters prefer cash, that is what I give.

 

How it is then divided or not is not my issue. I wish to reward those that had a direct impact on my vacation. If they contribute to the pool... Fantastic. If they don't...that is not my issue.

 

I feel it is the same thing when I give money to a homeless person on the street. I hope he uses it to buy food, but if buys alcohol then I cannot control that. I know that I gave with pure motives. I am not accountable for his actions, only my own.

 

 

 

 

 

Be blessed,

Danielle

 

 

Oh my you just don't get it do you... this means of course many crew that those tips are intended for and work hard for don't get paid for their [emoji29] work.

 

 

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[camofwilliamsburg]

Do you know that the daily grats added all get put together, fleet wide to compensate all the workers on all the ships? I do like removing some. You can remove all, or one persons or ask for a percentage to be removed and then use the difference to tip those you want to tip. There are many ways to do this, and no one is right. I do go by the old amounts when envelopes were given. 3.75 per person per day for cabin steward and waiter, 2.50 for assistant waiter. If you leave on the auto grats they get a lot less I have been told.

[tazza_0712]

I'm finding this discussion entirely fascinating, mostly because everyone has a differing opinion/"knowledge" of how the tipping system works. Quite fun reading.

 

I'm about to write up my own creative spin on what happens with tips and hope it goes forth into the universe as fact just to see what happens. I jest, I won't do that. I wouldn't want to take all the fun away from the other posters in this thread.

 

 

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[TheTruthCanHurt]

I'm finding this discussion entirely fascinating, mostly because everyone has a differing opinion/"knowledge" of how the tipping system works. Quite fun reading.

 

I'm about to write up my own creative spin on what happens with tips and hope it goes forth into the universe as fact just to see what happens. I jest, I won't do that. I wouldn't want to take all the fun away from the other posters in this thread.

 

 

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I am still uncertain as to who and how the Auto grats get distributed. HOWEVER. I would never consider not doing them. I just figure it's built into my cost of the cruise, I look at it in the same way I view port taxes. IN ADDITION to the auto tips. I always tip anywhere from $40 to $100 (depending on room type) to the room steward the second I meet them. I also tip others such as the conceirge, etc for going above and beyond. But would never remove one way to do the other. I just do both.

[marci22]

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.

 

I've asked the bar servers in the D and C lounges, on several occasions, if they share tips and they have told me they pool in those venues. I tip the concierge separately; I don't think the concierge pools.

Edited December 4, 2016 by marci22

[troykahack]

I am still uncertain as to who and how the Auto grats get distributed. HOWEVER. I would never consider not doing them. I just figure it's built into my cost of the cruise, I look at it in the same way I view port taxes. IN ADDITION to the auto tips. I always tip anywhere from $40 to $100 (depending on room type) to the room steward the second I meet them. I also tip others such as the conceirge, etc for going above and beyond. But would never remove one way to do the other. I just do both.

 

I agree. Will continue auto grates and continue to tip above those Auto grates for those that give great service.