Gratuities

[Grandma Dazzles]

Not really. For many if not most of the crew members, working elsewhere is not an option. If they could make a living wage in their own countries near family and friends, don't you think they would? When was the last time you encountered an American scrubbing toilets or mopping floors on a cruise ship? I've sailed on many different lines and have never seen it. Without knowing you, I'm saying your lofty belief on tipping is simply a feeble rationalization for being cheap. Have you ever eaten at a nice restaurant in NYC and walked out without leaving a tip?

 

Like!

[ChinaShrek]

 

I would actually prefer they make it mandatory. I don't understand how when the cruise lines info is 'in the unlikely event you are unsatisfied you can lower them' turns into 'It's discretionary so I'll just take them off and do as I like with the money'. I read that as the line will assume the employees you dealt with provided inadequate service if you take them off. I don't see how that's preferable to anyone involved.

 

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There is another reason why I think it should be discretionary. What if I eat many of the meals off the ship? I recently was on a 10-day Mediterranean Cruise, and I ate lunch 8 of those days off ship! For dinner, we ate in the Lido where I bused our own table several times. You can be damn sure I am not going to leave the service charge on my credit card when I didn't receive any service!!

[ChinaShrek]

Not really. For many if not most of the crew members, working elsewhere is not an option. If they could make a living wage in their own countries near family and friends, don't you think they would? When was the last time you encountered an American scrubbing toilets or mopping floors on a cruise ship? I've sailed on many different lines and have never seen it. Without knowing you, I'm saying your lofty belief on tipping is simply a feeble rationalization for being cheap. Have you ever eaten at a nice restaurant in NYC and walked out without leaving a tip?

 

So, I should feel guilty about their lot in life? Why? Because you do?

[sanger727]

There is another reason why I think it should be discretionary. What if I eat many of the meals off the ship? I recently was on a 10-day Mediterranean Cruise, and I ate lunch 8 of those days off ship! For dinner, we ate in the Lido where I bused our own table several times. You can be damn sure I am not going to leave the service charge on my credit card when I didn't receive any service!!

 

 

I would add that to one of the reasons it should be mandatory. I wouldn't remove the auto grat in that situation. I look at it as part of my cruise fare. I would have to receive exceptionally bad service that doesn't get corrected when management is informed before I would remove the auto grats.

 

So, I should feel guilty about their lot in life? Why? Because you do?

 

 

Tipping because it's the right thing to do doesn't mean I feel guilty. I do it because people should be compensated for working. I used to waitress and part of the system is that you 'tip out' the bar staff and bussers. So when I got stiffed on a table, I literally was paying to work. That isn't right and I won't do that to anyone.

 

 

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[ChinaShrek]

 

Tipping because it's the right thing to do doesn't mean I feel guilty. I do it because people should be compensated for working. I used to waitress and part of the system is that you 'tip out' the bar staff and bussers. So when I got stiffed on a table, I literally was paying to work. That isn't right and I won't do that to anyone.

 

 

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You are essentially subsidizing corporate America. I do not own the company. They do. They are responsible for paying their workers. If they don't feel the workers should be paid much, why should I?

[Grandma Dazzles]

So, I should feel guilty about their lot in life? Why? Because you do?

 

 

How sad - hope you are always so fortunate and entitled that you never need the help or assistance of anyone.

[sanger727]

You are essentially subsidizing corporate America. I do not own the company. They do. They are responsible for paying their workers. If they don't feel the workers should be paid much, why should I?

 

 

 

If they simply made the cruise fares $13 pp per day more and got rid of the service charge, would you still that you are subsidizing the company? News flash. Companies make profit and if they need to increase the bottom line due to added costs - it will be paid by the customer.

 

 

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[ChinaShrek]

If they simply made the cruise fares $13 pp per day more and got rid of the service charge, would you still that you are subsidizing the company? News flash. Companies make profit and if they need to increase the bottom line due to added costs - it will be paid by the customer.

 

 

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I would be fine with that. I wouldn't be tipping and no one would be working with any expectation of additional tips.

[ChinaShrek]

How sad - hope you are always so fortunate and entitled that you never need the help or assistance of anyone.

 

I do not go on cruises to help or assist anyone. I go on cruise to see the world. Since that is my goal, I should not tip anyone.

[ECCruise]

I would be fine with that. I wouldn't be tipping and no one would be working with any expectation of additional tips.

Got it. If they force you to pay a gratuity you are OK with it. If they make it optional you stiff the staff blaming "corporations" and hurting no one but the employees. Your logic is breathtakingly flawed.

 

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[Scarlett Cruises]

Just to know what goes on - the actual PROCEDURE, not opinions..

 

1. if you leave the auto-grat it is split between "everyone" and if you give extra, say to your cabin steward, they get to keep it for themselves? I have read both, that they get to keep it AND they have to turn in all extra money as well. Wondering if anyone has the factual information.

2. If you remove auto-grat but give cash in the envelopes - for the sake of argument say it's the right amount or more..they have to give the entire amount in to be shared?

 

How was all the cash handled before you were able to prepay it, was it split up or did just the few envelopes get to keep them? I remember it was the cabin steward, waiter, asst. waiter and the maitre'd only. Back "in the day", we were always lead to believe the person who you gave the envelope to was who got the money, there was no "behind the scenes" people discussed either by the travel agent or a cruise line.

 

Please remember, I am looking for procedural/factual information only, this is not an opinion-based post.

[Pstreet12]

Got it. If they force you to pay a gratuity you are OK with it. If they make it optional you stiff the staff blaming "corporations" and hurting no one but the employees. Your logic is breathtakingly flawed.

 

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Well said--but we all know people will go to any mental lengths required in order to protect the "good" of what they want to do as opposed to what "should" be done, even to attempting to make a case for "there being no 'should' operable" on their vacation, or for that matter, in the world.

[ChinaShrek]

Got it. If they force you to pay a gratuity you are OK with it. If they make it optional you stiff the staff blaming "corporations" and hurting no one but the employees. Your logic is breathtakingly flawed.

 

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How so? If these gratuities (whatever that means, I'm not grateful for anything), are included with the cruise fare then they aren't gratuities. Why does everyone need extra money then what they are paid when they are hired to do their job? Lot's of hard working people do not receive tips in this world. I see no logic in paying extortion in order to receive good service. That's intimidation, and I will not be intimidated. I also urge all new cruisers to take a stand against the tyranny of tipping.

[rukkian]

How so? If these gratuities (whatever that means, I'm not grateful for anything), are included with the cruise fare then they aren't gratuities. Why does everyone need extra money then what they are paid when they are hired to do their job? Lot's of hard working people do not receive tips in this world. I see no logic in paying extortion in order to receive good service. That's intimidation, and I will not be intimidated. I also urge all new cruisers to take a stand against the tyranny of tipping.

 

The issue here is that in USA, tipping is customary in many situations. I worked as a waiter as a kid, and the minimum wage was 1.65 for any staff that normally gets tips (as opposed to 3.35 for everybody else). This is due to the fact that your were hired with the expectation that you will receive tips as part of your salary. We always had to declare 10% (I believe that was the number, but been quite some time) of all of our sales as income, whether we got the tips or not. If we had a slow period, or had some of the people that thought like you (they should just find another job if they don't like it), we could end up basically not being paid after paying taxes.

 

If you just added more to the cruisefare, the culture in the USA would still think, oh I need to tip for good service (simply because it is customary to do so unless you are a real piece of work cheapskate). I actually like that there is a set amount, as it gives me a good guide to go by. Leave those in place, and then if somebody goes above and beyond (would have to be noticeable) I can give a bit more, but I do not feel compelled to do so, taking some stress out of the holiday.

 

You can think that you are sticking it to the big corporation, but the only person you are hurting is the person that was hired with the expectation of tips being above the amount they are paid to make a (semi) livable wage, as they are now not getting what they should be and could potentially loose their job, and/or more money going forward since the cruise line sees you removed gratuities because there was an issue.

[ECCruise]

How so? If these gratuities (whatever that means, I'm not grateful for anything), are included with the cruise fare then they aren't gratuities. Why does everyone need extra money then what they are paid when they are hired to do their job? Lot's of hard working people do not receive tips in this world. I see no logic in paying extortion in order to receive good service. That's intimidation, and I will not be intimidated. I also urge all new cruisers to take a stand against the tyranny of tipping.

Um. The average "salary" for gratuity based workers is US $50. Per month. That is why they rely on our gratuities. A little research would do you wonders.

 

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[sanger727]

How so? If these gratuities (whatever that means, I'm not grateful for anything), are included with the cruise fare then they aren't gratuities. Why does everyone need extra money then what they are paid when they are hired to do their job? Lot's of hard working people do not receive tips in this world. I see no logic in paying extortion in order to receive good service. That's intimidation, and I will not be intimidated. I also urge all new cruisers to take a stand against the tyranny of tipping.

 

 

 

I can't speak to cruise salaries but restaurant servers work in much the same way and I can speak to that. Minimum wage, at the time I waitressed, was $6.50 an hour. However, 'tipped' positions, such as servers, were allowed a minimum wage of $2.35 an hour. Tipping/gratuities/whatever you want to call it isn't always on top of a salary. Very often it is the salary. As is the case for restaurant servers. No one in their right mind would wait tables for $2.35 an hour when they can flip burgers for $6.50. The expected tipping is part of the salary.

 

You want to call that subsidizing the company - and it is. But, if they moved to paying the tipped employees a normal wage it would simply get passed on to the customer and result in higher prices. The net result on your wallet will likely be the same.

 

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[ChinaShrek]

[quote name=sanger727;54149541

 

You want to call that subsidizing the company - and it is. But' date=' if they moved to paying the tipped employees a normal wage it would simply get passed on to the customer and result in higher prices. The net result on your wallet will likely be the same.

 

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But the guilt, intimidation, expectation, and all of the hard feelings associated with tipping would be gone. That's what I want to do away with. Everyone is just working happily.

[LMaxwell]

Got it. If they force you to pay a gratuity you are OK with it. If they make it optional you stiff the staff blaming "corporations" and hurting no one but the employees. Your logic is breathtakingly flawed.

 

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That's not exactly what I read there. Your explanation sounds a bit extreme.

 

What I am reading is that he or she would be okay if the cruise price was raised enough to simply provide a fair wage for staff. In that case the crew is taken care of, tipping is not compulsory, so if tips are received above that by frontline workers they keep it. The back of house staff would be paid good wages and aren't tied to any gratuity system, that, frankly I think many cruisers don't even realize about.

 

That's actually precisely how Holland America operated for many years.

[ECCruise]

That's not exactly what I read there. Your explanation sounds a bit extreme.

 

What I am reading is that he or she would be okay if the cruise price was raised enough to simply provide a fair wage for staff. In that case the crew is taken care of, tipping is not compulsory, so if tips are received above that by frontline workers they keep it. The back of house staff would be paid good wages and aren't tied to any gratuity system, that, frankly I think many cruisers don't even realize about.

 

That's actually precisely how Holland America operated for many years.

But we are talking reality not idle conjecture. Fares have NOT Been raised to accommodate gratuities. Would it be better? Likely, but so would a world without war and hunger. With the exception of a hand full of cruise lines, workers are paid nothing within light years of a living wage if they are in the tip pool.

 

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[ChinaShrek]

That's not exactly what I read there. Your explanation sounds a bit extreme.

 

What I am reading is that he or she would be okay if the cruise price was raised enough to simply provide a fair wage for staff. In that case the crew is taken care of, tipping is not compulsory, so if tips are received above that by frontline workers they keep it. The back of house staff would be paid good wages and aren't tied to any gratuity system, that, frankly I think many cruisers don't even realize about.

 

That's actually precisely how Holland America operated for many years.

 

I would strongly support this arrangement.

[ChinaShrek]

Here are some additional reasons against tipping:

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/18/i-dare-you-to-read-this-and-still-feel-ok-about-tipping-in-the-united-states/?utm_term=.6c0938e00b7b

 

I never realized it also promoted discrimination and sexual harassment. More reasons to end tipping, imho.

[John&LaLa]

That's not exactly what I read there. Your explanation sounds a bit extreme.

 

What I am reading is that he or she would be okay if the cruise price was raised enough to simply provide a fair wage for staff. In that case the crew is taken care of, tipping is not compulsory, so if tips are received above that by frontline workers they keep it. The back of house staff would be paid good wages and aren't tied to any gratuity system, that, frankly I think many cruisers don't even realize about.

 

That's actually precisely how Holland America operated for many years.

And we still tipped the staff back then. [emoji6]

 

As far as I could tell it was expected even though official HAL policy was no tipping required.

 

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[frank808]

There is another reason why I think it should be discretionary. What if I eat many of the meals off the ship? I recently was on a 10-day Mediterranean Cruise, and I ate lunch 8 of those days off ship! For dinner, we ate in the Lido where I bused our own table several times. You can be damn sure I am not going to leave the service charge on my credit card when I didn't receive any service!!

Please tell me what cruise you will be on. I have yet to see anyone bussing and cleaning the tables themselves for the next guest. I stack the plates and silverware nicely to make it easier. But i have never seen a passenger on a cruise ship take their dishes to the dishwashing station and then get a rag with disinfectant and wipe the table down! If you do that every meal and turn your room over on embarkation day i can see you taking off the tips. Turning over room to include clean room, bathroom and replacing the linens and such on embarkation day.

 

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[Morecruisesplz]

Hi, we have a cruise booked next year for myself, my husband and 4 children. We would like to tip individuals but obviously don't want the staff that are more behind the scenes to miss out. My question is do you think it would be acceptable to remove the gratuities on one room and use this to tip individuals and leave the gratuities on the other room?

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Sounds like a perfect plan. Everyone gets something and those who give you great service receives more. (Isn't that what tipping is about out?)

[eric135i]

Ginny10, ignore the negative nancys here. Do what you feel is right for your situation. It is NOT unethical to remove the auto gratuities. RCL allows for it, therefore, there's no reason not to. I, for one, DO remove the auto gratuities. I do it because I want to tip based on the service I receive. It's a free country, do as you like. There are judgmental people on these board that always try to force their beliefs on others.

 

I tip well when it is deserved, less when it's warranted. On my last sailing, I watched my cabin mate follow suit (removing auto gratuities), but only so she could get out of tipping entirely. That disgusted me. She did it as a way to save money.

 

I've never noticed our cabin/table being "flagged", and receive lesser quality service, due to the removal of gratuities. However, when I used to leave the auto gratuities on my account, I felt a lack of attention, especially in the dining room. Could have just been coincidence, but it led me to tip as I see fit.

 

i totally agree. i removed the auto tips for my children and tip individually. Also, i have tipped the room attendant $40-$60 on day one and have received zero for the "extra" tip. so do as you wish. i truly believe those that are generous in tipping offsets those who tip wisely. Speaking from an "insiders" perspective, these employees make decent/good money/salary in relations to where they live/cost of living. yes, i know how hard some of them work and how long their hours are.

 

So word to the wise, don't over-tip, unless you can afford it & it doesn't hurt your budget.