Gratuities

[John&LaLa]

Something like 75% of Royals customer base come from areas that tipping is the norm.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

[postmeome]

Thanks for your incisive commentary (snark) but, you see, these are real people that DO get stiffed even though you so brazenly pooh-pooh it. Enjoy your pint.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

I did enjoy my pint thank you,john smiths bitter,£2.75 asked barmaid to take a drink she took 50p and put it in her tip jar.I know this girl ,and i know her husband both of them are on minimum wage,these are real people and are my friends .People just like to feel superior on here ,no "pooh-pooh" from me just can't understand why American company's can't pay a living wage and expect people passengers to top wages up.blah blah blah,goin for another pint, Ta Ra.

[postmeome]

Do you realize the conditions in the home countries that most of the staff come from?

 

That they just can't pick another job. There just AREN'T any jobs?

 

Do you think they WANT to be away from home and family for 6 - 9 months at a time? Working a 7 day work week with NO holidays for those 6 - 9 months?

 

There is a reason you do not see the tipped staff jobs held by Americans or Western European, or Australian or similar county nationals. They come from countries with little to no opportunities for working.

 

In many parts of the world, the local economy pays a family less per year, than you pay per day for your cruise.

 

Talk about privileged, clueless people .........

Yes they want to work away from home,because they can make more on a cruise ship than they can at home,just like anywere in the world,if i could work away for 6 months at 4,5,or 6 times more than i could earn at home i would do,talk about clueless.

[rukkian]

Yes they want to work away from home,because they can make more on a cruise ship than they can at home,just like anywere in the world,if i could work away for 6 months at 4,5,or 6 times more than i could earn at home i would do,talk about clueless.

 

A big part of that better pay is the tips you are supposed to receive. When people decide to stiff them, then that changes things.

[postmeome]

A big part of that better pay is the tips you are supposed to receive. When people decide to stiff them, then that changes things.

It's not tips ,the pay is better,tips are just extra.

[rukkian]

It's not tips ,the pay is better,tips are just extra.

 

Tips are a big part when you sign a contract saying that large portion of your income comes from tips. That is the way it is for many people that work in a tip eligible position in any industry.

[ECCruise]

It's not tips ,the pay is better,tips are just extra.

How misinformed you are is breathtaking. A tiny bit of research is an amazing thing.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

[postmeome]

How misinformed you are is breathtaking. A tiny bit of research is an amazing thing.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

Please enlight me,can you tell me how much a RC crew member makes? is it $1.00 per hour,$1.50 per hour $2.00 per hour,is it with tips included? need i go on.

[rukkian]

Please enlight me,can you tell me how much a RC crew member makes? is it $1.00 per hour,$1.50 per hour $2.00 per hour,is it with tips included? need i go on.

 

Why does that even matter? They were hired with a lower salary due to being able to get tips with the expectation that tips would constitute a large part of their salary. It does not matter what the rate is, because no matter what the rate is, you will come back and say that is enough you should not have to give them anything.

[postmeome]

Why does that even matter? They were hired with a lower salary due to being able to get tips with the expectation that tips would constitute a large part of their salary. It does not matter what the rate is, because no matter what the rate is, you will come back and say that is enough you should not have to give them anything.

It matters,people are hired all around the world on low pay.Who are you Kreskin ?you know what i am going to say.

[SRF]

It's not tips ,the pay is better,tips are just extra.

 

Uhh, NO.

[spunks]

Please enlight me,can you tell me how much a RC crew member makes? is it $1.00 per hour,$1.50 per hour $2.00 per hour,is it with tips included? need i go on.

 

I admit to not knowing about the pay currently, but on a past cruise our room steward was trying to decide whether to promote to supervisor. She did not want to, but the new position came with a salary!

The stewards received only tips as pay. The casino dealers got a flat $10.00 per day plus tips.

 

I suspect it is somewhat different today, but not by much.

 

Doug

[cruzeluver]

I think it is perfectly acceptable to remove gratuities. Provided of course that you explain face-to-face to the crew members impacted that while you will not be paying for their services, you expect quality service none the less.

[SRF]

Please enlight me,can you tell me how much a RC crew member makes? is it $1.00 per hour,$1.50 per hour $2.00 per hour,is it with tips included? need i go on.

 

http://www.cruisejunkie.com/ot.html

 

According to the ITF, wages for salaried workers who receive no tips “can be as low as US$400 a month, rising to US$700 a month for skilled cooks and security guards.” Those who receive tips have salaries that are even lower. Holland America Line, which employs primarily Filipinos and Indonesians in its hotel department, pays US$300 a month. This salary is higher than the industry norm, given the line's policy of “tipping not required.” On ships where tipping is expected, waiters, busboys and room stewards can earn salaries as low as US$50 a month. In any case, almost two-thirds of those receiving tips earn monthly incomes of $1,000 or more. And then there are fees that some workers are forced to pay.

I had heard $100 per month, which may be more recent numbers.

So yeap, they make SO much money.

[rukkian]

It matters,people are hired all around the world on low pay.Who are you Kreskin ?you know what i am going to say.

 

Anybody that just wants to justify stiffing hard working people that serve them to make their vacation special is going to do it no matter what they make. It all about the person wanting to screw everybody else to make sure they get theirs. It does not matter what anybody puts. It could be $0.01 a day, and people would say, well they had that choice.

[Dinglebert]

I prepay my gratuities and if someone is exceptional which they usually are I leave extra

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I understand what you are saying but logically it doesn't make sense. If people are usually exceptional then they are the rule not the exception.

[Hey Tina]

Tips are a big part when you sign a contract saying that large portion of your income comes from tips. That is the way it is for many people that work in a tip eligible position in any industry.

 

I don't understand what point you're trying to make. If I sign a contract saying my rate of pay is $50 per month plus tips, if I get paid $50 on month.....where's the problem? I knew that my base rate is $50 a month. It doesn't make sense that I would have formulated my budget or decided to take the job based on extra money I'm "supposed" to receive. Listen, I pay my auto-gratuities and sometimes tip extra but I don't think it makes sense to say that the workers should be paid the auto-gratuities because of a contract. They should be paid their base rate because of their contract, but their contract never guaranteed anything above that base rate.

[rukkian]

I don't understand what point you're trying to make. If I sign a contract saying my rate of pay is $50 per month plus tips, if I get paid $50 on month.....where's the problem? I knew that my base rate is $50 a month. It doesn't make sense that I would have formulated my budget or decided to take the job based on extra money I'm "supposed" to receive. Listen, I pay my auto-gratuities and sometimes tip extra but I don't think it makes sense to say that the workers should be paid the auto-gratuities because of a contract. They should be paid their base rate because of their contract, but their contract never guaranteed anything above that base rate.

 

It is no different that a waiter in a land based restaurant. They make 60% of the wage that a person flipping burgers gets (at best) as the minimum wage is lower. This allows them some control over their salary, since if they do an exceptional job and make the customers happy, they may receive more pay. It is a gamble, but when some people simply say I want service and I want to keep the tips, then they get screwed, and on top of that, probably get in trouble because it is assumed that they removed the tips for poor service. These employees are taking less pay because they can receive tips.

 

I worked as a waiter for a few years and understand what it is like. You can make more money than just flipping burgers, but there were always some that just refused to tip, with the attitude that if they want to go someplace else and work, they can. You cannot work with higher pay, but no tips allowed in many service industries. While I could see an argument for that ending, stiffing the worker (whether that is a room steward, a waiter, whatever) does not further that argument, it only punishes that worker.

[sanger727]

I don't understand what point you're trying to make. If I sign a contract saying my rate of pay is $50 per month plus tips, if I get paid $50 on month.....where's the problem? I knew that my base rate is $50 a month. It doesn't make sense that I would have formulated my budget or decided to take the job based on extra money I'm "supposed" to receive. Listen, I pay my auto-gratuities and sometimes tip extra but I don't think it makes sense to say that the workers should be paid the auto-gratuities because of a contract. They should be paid their base rate because of their contract, but their contract never guaranteed anything above that base rate.

 

 

 

Except they had no expectation of making $50 a month. They have the expectation of making $50 a month plus tips - for the sake of argument let's says if everyone leaves their auto tips in place this would come to $2,000 per month. If you could have made $100 a month in your home country and be able to stay with you family, then yes, $2,000 a month is compelling and would cause many people to leave. $50 a month wouldn't. There's no way to argue that tips don't make up a bulk of the income they signed on for and not paying it is an 'ok' thing to do because 'it's my choice'.

 

It's very comparable to a restaurant server. No one is working as a server with the expectation that they will make $2.35 an hour because that's all the are contractually guaranteed. Now, it's slightly different because legally if you are stiffed on every table the employer does have to make it up to minimum wage. But when I served I could walk away with $12 an average on hour. For minimum wage I would have chosen a job with a lot less customer interaction and running my butt off.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Hey Tina]

It is no different that a waiter in a land based restaurant. They make 60% of the wage that a person flipping burgers gets (at best) as the minimum wage is lower. This allows them some control over their salary, since if they do an exceptional job and make the customers happy, they may receive more pay. It is a gamble, but when some people simply say I want service and I want to keep the tips, then they get screwed, and on top of that, probably get in trouble because it is assumed that they removed the tips for poor service. These employees are taking less pay because they can receive tips.

 

I worked as a waiter for a few years and understand what it is like. You can make more money than just flipping burgers, but there were always some that just refused to tip, with the attitude that if they want to go someplace else and work, they can. You cannot work with higher pay, but no tips allowed in many service industries. While I could see an argument for that ending, stiffing the worker (whether that is a room steward, a waiter, whatever) does not further that argument, it only punishes that worker.

 

Well, no it's actually completely different from a land based restaurant. Legally employers are required to make up the difference to bring workers to the minimum wage if they are not making that with the base pay plus the tip.

 

I 100% agree that stiffing cruise staff punishes the worker, but I still don't understand the point about the contract you were trying to make.

[postmeome]

It is no different that a waiter in a land based restaurant. They make 60% of the wage that a person flipping burgers gets (at best) as the minimum wage is lower. This allows them some control over their salary, since if they do an exceptional job and make the customers happy, they may receive more pay. It is a gamble, but when some people simply say I want service and I want to keep the tips, then they get screwed, and on top of that, probably get in trouble because it is assumed that they removed the tips for poor service. These employees are taking less pay because they can receive tips.

 

I worked as a waiter for a few years and understand what it is like. You can make more money than just flipping burgers, but there were always some that just refused to tip, with the attitude that if they want to go someplace else and work, they can. You cannot work with higher pay, but no tips allowed in many service industries. While I could see an argument for that ending, stiffing the worker (whether that is a room steward, a waiter, whatever) does not further that argument, it only punishes that worker.

You see this is America,you can work your arse off ,get 40% less than a co worker,get a job on a cruise ship and you will all be in the same boat.Thank you and good night

[rukkian]

Well, no it's actually completely different from a land based restaurant. Legally employers are required to make up the difference to bring workers to the minimum wage if they are not making that with the base pay plus the tip.

 

I 100% agree that stiffing cruise staff punishes the worker, but I still don't understand the point about the contract you were trying to make.

 

That is not true at all. I worked as a waiter. The minimum wage is 60% of the regular minimum wage, and then they take taxes out of your check equal to 10% of your sales, so if you don't get much tips, you are making even less. The employer simply has to pay you your lowered minimum wage.

[rukkian]

You see this is America,you can work your arse off ,get 40% less than a co worker,get a job on a cruise ship and you will all be in the same boat.Thank you and good night

 

All in the same boat as in the cruise ship, sure. If you actually mean that every single person on a cruise ship makes the same amount of money, then not sure what you are smoking, but want to know why you are not sharing.:D

[ChinaShrek]

All those folks who want to have the gratuities added to the cruise fare, are probably the same ones who will switch cruise lines for cheaper fares if this was actually done.

 

MANY people shop price. And to compete in that market, they have to be able to quote low fares.

 

Also, those who rely on tips, are in jobs that are traditionally tipped on land, so they are just doing what is normal in the US (where the company is based).

 

And that is why, in some markets, the tips ARE added to the fare and are not optional. Because in those areas of the world, tipping is not normally done.

 

Many people would call offering a cruise fare without including "hidden" costs (like gratuities) to be bait and switch. Furthermore, in the United States, I can adjust tips at restaurants whenever and however I see fit. If I do not receive good service, maybe I leave a dollar or two. Why should a cruise ship be any different?

[Hey Tina]

Except they had no expectation of making $50 a month. They have the expectation of making $50 a month plus tips - for the sake of argument let's says if everyone leaves their auto tips in place this would come to $2,000 per month. If you could have made $100 a month in your home country and be able to stay with you family, then yes, $2,000 a month is compelling and would cause many people to leave. $50 a month wouldn't. There's no way to argue that tips don't make up a bulk of the income they signed on for and not paying it is an 'ok' thing to do because 'it's my choice'.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

If someone is contracted to make $50 plus tips and their expectation compounds to expect that they will receive $2,000 because of optional tips, well...................that's not logical.

 

Going off your $50 vs $2,000 figure I'm not arguing that tips (if not removed) make up a bulk of their income because that's simple math. There's no way to argue that. My point is to plan your life around making $2,000 based on other peoples willingness to tip is ill advised. I personally think everyone should do what they want, and so while you say it can't be done I do argue that it's OK to remove the auto-gratuities. Is it what I do? No. I pay the auto-gratuities. But in my opinion it's not my way or the highway. What I do isn't necessarily the right thing for everyone else to do. I can't be bothered to spend time worrying about what other people do or telling people to do things differently (my way or otherwise) because it just doesn't matter. I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do, you're gonna do what you're gonna do and that's that. I think it's right to tip. I tip. It ends there.