Another Tipping Thread ;)

[Lionesss]

So relieved with the current auto tipping way.

 

One less thing for us to budget in, because it is paid before you sail.

 

And like others have stated, you can always give more.

 

Safe travels

[amyhphoto]

I have a question...I am sailing with my 2 little girls only, and we have the Ultimate Dining Package. We will not be setting foot in the Main Dining Room. Am I expected to leave my tips on my account even if I dont ever go there? Im already paying 170$ PLUS 20$ for the kiddos per night to dine at the specialty restaurants.

[Hey Tina]

I have a question...I am sailing with my 2 little girls only, and we have the Ultimate Dining Package. We will not be setting foot in the Main Dining Room. Am I expected to leave my tips on my account even if I dont ever go there? Im already paying 170$ PLUS 20$ for the kiddos per night to dine at the specialty restaurants.

 

Yes, you are expected to tip. If you don't want to tip, don't, but it's not right. If you can't afford to tip you might want to lower your optional (e.g. specialty restaurants) expenses to free up some funds, if you want to do the "right" thing.

 

Also, to be clear, there is no part of the automatic gratuities that go to "MDR", they're for "Dining Services".

[LMaxwell]

Yes, you are expected to tip. If you don't want to tip, don't, but it's not right. If you can't afford to tip you might want to lower your optional (e.g. specialty restaurants) expenses to free up some funds, if you want to do the "right" thing.

 

Also, to be clear, there is no part of the automatic gratuities that go to "MDR", they're for "Dining Services".

 

He is asking because he is going to upcharge dining where another service charge is levied.

 

Royal does give guests the option to do what they wish; the default is yes, they will still charge your account. When you tell someone that they are wrong, please be sure to tell them that is your opinion of the subject, not necessarily the policy; subjective versus objective. Although in this case it was fairly evident. And I don't think the persons question warranted that sort of response.

[grapau27]

He is asking because he is going to upcharge dining where another service charge is levied.

 

Royal does give guests the option to do what they wish; the default is yes, they will still charge your account. When you tell someone that they are wrong, please be sure to tell them that is your opinion of the subject, not necessarily the policy; subjective versus objective. Although in this case it was fairly evident. And I don't think the persons question warranted that sort of response.

I thought it was harsh too.

Maybe GS might be able to adjust autogratuities because you have proof you are going to specialty restaurants every night.

 

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[MrYellowDuck]

Why can't people be upfront and just say I don't want to tip so I'm not going to and leave it at that. Stand by what you're doing, geeze.

 

It's because the vast majority of Americans view such a standpoint as inherently wrong. This is understandable since most Americans travel only within their own country or visit overseas only when surrounded by their own and so don't really see the diversity of behaviour around this out in the glorious wide world that extends far beyond US borders. Some of these people are very nasty when it is suggested that a different behaviour will be followed and not too many people put their hands up to be on the receiving end of this behaviour. The behaviour from the other camp can be equally nasty but they'll be sining praise instead in this situation so they can be ignored here.

 

RCL are simply being manipulative - they can advertise a lower cruise fare knowing that just about every American will choose to top this up through very generous gratuity payments. But even here the US FAQ of gratuities is very clear that you can pay any amount you want including nothing.

 

In Australia and elsewhere the cruise fares are often significantly more expensive than those advertised in the US and they come with far inferior booking conditions. The overall price can still be higher than the US price plus gratuities even if no gratuities will be paid on the overseas fare. There is no FAQ for gratuities on the Australian website since virtually no Australian will tolerate being charged an amount above the cruise fare i.e. Australians (and Kiwis) by and large will not pay gratuities.

 

Cheeky restaurants near the cruise terminal pier in Auckland, New Zealand write on the bottom of their menus that service charges are not included. This is there exclusively to trick US tourists into paying more for their meals - nobody else will pay a tip. A kiwi would view it as insulting to even be asked to pay more on a menu and the staff will be shocked if a Kiwi does tip.

 

RCL is not stupid - they take account of the average behaviour of guests from different countries and so everyone ends up financially where they should be even though money is collected in different ways across the spectrum of cultures that are catered for.

 

Do as you please with tipping - you will always still end with two crowds; those that insist that you must tip and those who think you needn't.

[grapau27]

It's because the vast majority of Americans view such a standpoint as inherently wrong. This is understandable since most Americans travel only within their own country or visit overseas only when surrounded by their own and so don't really see the diversity of behaviour around this out in the glorious wide world that extends far beyond US borders. Some of these people are very nasty when it is suggested that a different behaviour will be followed and not too many people put their hands up to be on the receiving end of this behaviour. The behaviour from the other camp can be equally nasty but they'll be sining praise instead in this situation so they can be ignored here.

 

RCL are simply being manipulative - they can advertise a lower cruise fare knowing that just about every American will choose to top this up through very generous gratuity payments. But even here the US FAQ of gratuities is very clear that you can pay any amount you want including nothing.

 

In Australia and elsewhere the cruise fares are often significantly more expensive than those advertised in the US and they come with far inferior booking conditions. The overall price can still be higher than the US price plus gratuities even if no gratuities will be paid on the overseas fare. There is no FAQ for gratuities on the Australian website since virtually no Australian will tolerate being charged an amount above the cruise fare i.e. Australians (and Kiwis) by and large will not pay gratuities.

 

Cheeky restaurants near the cruise terminal pier in Auckland, New Zealand write on the bottom of their menus that service charges are not included. This is there exclusively to trick US tourists into paying more for their meals - nobody else will pay a tip. A kiwi would view it as insulting to even be asked to pay more on a menu and the staff will be shocked if a Kiwi does tip.

 

RCL is not stupid - they take account of the average behaviour of guests from different countries and so everyone ends up financially where they should be even though money is collected in different ways across the spectrum of cultures that are catered for.

 

Do as you please with tipping - you will always still end with two crowds; those that insist that you must tip and those who think you needn't.

I found this post very interesting and informative.

My wifes cousin lives in Adelaide Australia and the prices she paid for a cruise from Sydney was incredibly expensive but after reading your post i can understand now why it was pricey.

 

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[Hey Tina]

He is asking because he is going to upcharge dining where another service charge is levied.

 

Royal does give guests the option to do what they wish; the default is yes, they will still charge your account. When you tell someone that they are wrong, please be sure to tell them that is your opinion of the subject, not necessarily the policy; subjective versus objective. Although in this case it was fairly evident. And I don't think the persons question warranted that sort of response.

 

I thought it was obvious that anything I post is my opinion, but I guess not. Reminds me of that story arc on The Good Wife (in my opinion). Kind of silly to have to justify things this way isn't it (in my opinion)? There's no separate gratuity at specialty restaurants so removing "dining services" gratuities is not right (in my opinion) because you're eating breakfast, lunch, room service and they're probably not coming from a specialty restaurant. But everyone doesn't have to do what I think is right (in my opinion). Remove gratuities if you want to and move on with your life, no skin off my back (in my opinion).

[legaljen1969]

So relieved with the current auto tipping way.

 

One less thing for us to budget in, because it is paid before you sail.

 

And like others have stated, you can always give more.

 

Safe travels

 

I completely agree. It's one less thing to have to think about. It's already done and you can always add more (we always do).

[grapau27]

I thought it was obvious that anything I post is my opinion, but I guess not. Reminds me of that story arc on The Good Wife (in my opinion). Kind of silly to have to justify things this way isn't it (in my opinion)? There's no separate gratuity at specialty restaurants so removing "dining services" gratuities is not right (in my opinion) because you're eating breakfast, lunch, room service and they're probably not coming from a specialty restaurant. But everyone doesn't have to do what I think is right (in my opinion). Remove gratuities if you want to and move on with your life, no skin off my back (in my opinion).

If you believe it is right in your opinion then you have every right to say it.

We are all different and that's why reading some of these posts is interesting.

As long as people don't try to bully you there is nothing wrong with saying what you believe is true.

 

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[ColoradoGurl]

It's because the vast majority of Americans view such a standpoint as inherently wrong. This is understandable since most Americans travel only within their own country or visit overseas only when surrounded by their own and so don't really see the diversity of behaviour around this out in the glorious wide world that extends far beyond US borders.

 

 

Where in the world are you getting this information? [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23] What an uninformed thing to assume.

 

It also seems as though you are implying that people should adjust their actions and expectations to match the culture they are traveling within...so then shouldn't that apply to the whole tipping thing? You're being a hypocrite by saying Americans don't know how to adjust to other people's cultures because we don't travel outside of the US (by the way, the Caribbean is not the United States), and yet you are also saying that you don't tip where you're from and therefore we (Americans) should just accept that you aren't going to do it, even when you travel somewhere that it is standard practice?

 

I'd love to see where you obtained your facts about American travel by the way. Feel free to supply a link to the study those facts came from.

 

 

 

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[woodyren]

I found this post very interesting and informative.

My wifes cousin lives in Adelaide Australia and the prices she paid for a cruise from Sydney was incredibly expensive but after reading your post i can understand now why it was pricey.

 

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A little off topic and RCL specific but most of the cruises I book are cheaper booked in Australia than they are booking them in the USA. The Australian price displayed includes all taxes and grats as well. You can no longer remove them because they ARE NOT an addition/optional charge when booking Royal or Celebrity in Australia. This includes sailings anywhere not just Aussie ones.

 

Great system. Not sure why it's not adopted everywhere. No noticeable drop in service either.

 

You-know-what...it's kind of nice to know that staff are doing a great job and are being nice to you because they value their job, have pride in their job, are decent people , are being treated decently by you etc rather than maybe angling for a fat tip in countries with a tipping culture(the last paragraph is my personal opinion. The rest is fact)

Edited July 4, 2017 by woodyren

[terry&mike]

It's because the vast majority of Americans view such a standpoint as inherently wrong. This is understandable since most Americans travel only within their own country or visit overseas only when surrounded by their own and so don't really see the diversity of behaviour around this out in the glorious wide world that extends far beyond US borders. Some of these people are very nasty when it is suggested that a different behaviour will be followed and not too many people put their hands up to be on the receiving end of this behaviour. The behaviour from the other camp can be equally nasty but they'll be sining praise instead in this situation so they can be ignored here.

 

RCL are simply being manipulative - they can advertise a lower cruise fare knowing that just about every American will choose to top this up through very generous gratuity payments. But even here the US FAQ of gratuities is very clear that you can pay any amount you want including nothing.

 

In Australia and elsewhere the cruise fares are often significantly more expensive than those advertised in the US and they come with far inferior booking conditions. The overall price can still be higher than the US price plus gratuities even if no gratuities will be paid on the overseas fare. There is no FAQ for gratuities on the Australian website since virtually no Australian will tolerate being charged an amount above the cruise fare i.e. Australians (and Kiwis) by and large will not pay gratuities.

 

Cheeky restaurants near the cruise terminal pier in Auckland, New Zealand write on the bottom of their menus that service charges are not included. This is there exclusively to trick US tourists into paying more for their meals - nobody else will pay a tip. A kiwi would view it as insulting to even be asked to pay more on a menu and the staff will be shocked if a Kiwi does tip.

 

RCL is not stupid - they take account of the average behaviour of guests from different countries and so everyone ends up financially where they should be even though money is collected in different ways across the spectrum of cultures that are catered for.

 

Do as you please with tipping - you will always still end with two crowds; those that insist that you must tip and those who think you needn't.

 

67 countries on 6 continents and still counting, with most of it being done as independent land trips. Wherever I travel I research what the custom is in regards to tipping, as well as other things, and follow the norm. On a cruise ship such as Royal Caribbean, the custom in regards to tipping is the auto gratuity that is placed on your account daily. To deviate from this is to deviate from the norm. I'm afraid this is you not being aware of or following the customs and diversity in the "glorious wide world".

[LMaxwell]

I thought it was obvious that anything I post is my opinion, but I guess not. Reminds me of that story arc on The Good Wife (in my opinion). Kind of silly to have to justify things this way isn't it (in my opinion)? There's no separate gratuity at specialty restaurants so removing "dining services" gratuities is not right (in my opinion) because you're eating breakfast, lunch, room service and they're probably not coming from a specialty restaurant. But everyone doesn't have to do what I think is right (in my opinion). Remove gratuities if you want to and move on with your life, no skin off my back (in my opinion).

 

There is a separate gratuity at specialty dining from the regular automatic dining service charges. Your opinion was based on faulty information.

[Hey Tina]

There is a separate gratuity at specialty dining from the regular automatic dining service charges. Your opinion was based on faulty information.

 

Wait a minute now, isn't that just your opinion?

[LMaxwell]

Wait a minute now, isn't that just your opinion?

 

No, that is not an opinion. It is a fact. A portion of the cover charge for specialty dining includes a gratuity for service.

 

How could one even think that was an opinion?

[BekkaW]

No, that is not an opinion. It is a fact. A portion of the cover charge for specialty dining includes a gratuity for service.

 

How could one even think that was an opinion?

 

Ignore her, she's being beyond ridiculous

[amyhphoto]

Ignore her, she's being beyond ridiculous

 

She seems all bent out of shape over this post lol.

All I was trying to do is figure out why I have to pay gratuities twice. Once when I purchased my ultimate dining package and another daily charge for "dining services" if I am never being waited on by anyone other than staff at the specialty restaurants that I will only dine in the entire cruise.

[LMaxwell]

She seems all bent out of shape over this post lol.

All I was trying to do is figure out why I have to pay gratuities twice. Once when I purchased my ultimate dining package and another daily charge for "dining services" if I am never being waited on by anyone other than staff at the specialty restaurants that I will only dine in the entire cruise.

 

The Default method is to charge you both, but it is up to you if you want to go to Guest Services and alter them; it is entirely at the guests discretion and within policy to let you do as you choose. I fully understood your question and thought it was reasonable. It's a shame that people who do not understand the policies also think they have the right to berate you about them.

[John&LaLa]

I found this post very interesting and informative.

My wifes cousin lives in Adelaide Australia and the prices she paid for a cruise from Sydney was incredibly expensive but after reading your post i can understand now why it was pricey.

 

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It's also because their Dollar has been devalued.

 

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[3monkeys4me]

I had always been under the impression that the gratuities that cover the MDR dinner also cover the buffet and other complimentary dining options that you use during breakfast and lunch which is why the norm would be to still pay them even if you don't use the MDR for dinner. I know this was explained to me a few years back when discussing DCl. Is RCCI different?

 

In any case, we will just prepay our gratuities ahead of time and tip extra to those we feel go out of their way to make our trip special.

[amyhphoto]

The Default method is to charge you both, but it is up to you if you want to go to Guest Services and alter them; it is entirely at the guests discretion and within policy to let you do as you choose. I fully understood your question and thought it was reasonable. It's a shame that people who do not understand the policies also think they have the right to berate you about them.

 

Thanks for sticking up for me ;)

I'll prob just leave it alone because I'll get distracted from guest services by the Champagne bar.

These first world problems we all have....

[frank808]

I have a question...I am sailing with my 2 little girls only, and we have the Ultimate Dining Package. We will not be setting foot in the Main Dining Room. Am I expected to leave my tips on my account even if I dont ever go there? Im already paying 170$ PLUS 20$ for the kiddos per night to dine at the specialty restaurants.

 

Are you doing breakfast, lunch and snacks at the specialty restraunts? If not, when you remove the auto tips the staff serving you is getting short changed.

 

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[grapau27]

It's also because their Dollar has been devalued.

 

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Very good and valid point.

 

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[grapau27]

The Default method is to charge you both, but it is up to you if you want to go to Guest Services and alter them; it is entirely at the guests discretion and within policy to let you do as you choose. I fully understood your question and thought it was reasonable. It's a shame that people who do not understand the policies also think they have the right to berate you about them.

I agree totally there is no disputing actual facts against fiction.

 

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