Spoke to P&O regarding their 40% increase in automatic gratuities.

[insanemagnet]

Now thats a thought. If everyone aked for the return of all of their 'Discretionary' payments for the last 6 years P&O would certainly have to rethink their policy. I roughly worked out that my wife and I would be returned at least £1500!

Why not indeed.

 

The staff have been paid so the real impact would be felt by P&O.

 

A potential £30 million a year payout may concentrate their mind.

[grapau27]

Why not indeed.

 

The staff have been paid so the real impact would be felt by P&O.

 

A potential £30 million a year payout may concentrate their mind.

Yes i think that would make them take notice.

If P&O staff replied with a truely truthful answer it would help us all make an informed decision on our tipping strategy.

[SAMMIBLACK]

Before they started putting the tips on our onboard accounts, we always paid the recommended amount to staff. Since then we've left it on automatic. However, after just returning from a 65 day cruise, and looking at the large amount that was added to our account for the tips, plus news of the latest increase, we have decided no more! This is a hike up too far! In future we intend to have the automatic amount hugely reduced or cancelled altogether and give a tip personally to those who serve us best, as we always did in the past.

[grapau27]

Before they started putting the tips on our onboard accounts, we always paid the recommended amount to staff. Since then we've left it on automatic. However, after just returning from a 65 day cruise, and looking at the large amount that was added to our account for the tips, plus news of the latest increase, we have decided no more! This is a hike up too far! In future we intend to have the automatic amount hugely reduced or cancelled altogether and give a tip personally to those who serve us best, as we always did in the past.

We only do short P&O cruises and obc covers tips but yours is a perfect example and why we need proper official information regarding all aspects of what happens with the autogratuitys most of us pay.

[terrierjohn]

"To my suggestion that they should cut the gratuities and just pay the staff a decent wage that the passengers don't have to subsidise with gratuities, I was told they are paid an above industry average wage which is "fair and proportional". He added that the gratuity is for service above and beyond."

If the above statement given to the OP is correct then my reason for continuing to pay the auto grats is no longer valid.

if the stewards and waiters basic wage is above the industry average then there is no need for me to pay any gratuities to bring their wage up to an acceptable standard, which is why I have always felt I needed to pay the gratuities in the past.

Therefore until I am advised differently by P&O I will be deleting the auto grats, but I will continue to give a little extra to those I feel have excelled.

[smj777]

The question I want to ask is, if we tip our steward, waiters etc. in cash, do they get to keep that or do they have to hand it in to a general pool?

I have looked for the definitive answer but can't find it. If the latter is the case, then I'll keep the auto gratuities on, but not tip any extras. If my cash goes to whoever I want it to, then I'll remove the autograts and tip generously like we used to.

[grapau27]

"To my suggestion that they should cut the gratuities and just pay the staff a decent wage that the passengers don't have to subsidise with gratuities, I was told they are paid an above industry average wage which is "fair and proportional". He added that the gratuity is for service above and beyond."

If the above statement given to the OP is correct then my reason for continuing to pay the auto grats is no longer valid.

if the stewards and waiters basic wage is above the industry average then there is no need for me to pay any gratuities to bring their wage up to an acceptable standard, which is why I have always felt I needed to pay the gratuities in the past.

Therefore until I am advised differently by P&O I will be deleting the auto grats, but I will continue to give a little extra to those I feel have excelled.

Our next P&O cruise isn't till August so i will watch developments with added interest.

I emailed P&O twice about including gratuitys in the cruise price and got a pleasant phone call back but nothing definite.

[insanemagnet]

The question I want to ask is, if we tip our steward, waiters etc. in cash, do they get to keep that or do they have to hand it in to a general pool?

I have looked for the definitive answer but can't find it. If the latter is the case, then I'll keep the auto gratuities on, but not tip any extras. If my cash goes to whoever I want it to, then I'll remove the autograts and tip generously like we used to.

 

On other Carnival brands they have to hand any cash tips in (I posted the contracts in a previous thread), however some people claimed this wasn't the case on P&O.

 

As this would lead to some staff benefitting (cash tips and a share of the tip pool) whilst others lost out (their share of the tip pool being smaller if people reduced or removed the service charge), those same people were unable to explain why different brands would take opposing approaches, especially if P&O's approach meant some staff lost out.

[groovechick]

Just scratching my head here groovechick!:confused:

 

Did you tip the head waiter for getting you the Pistachio recipe or the Chef who'd created it?

 

Neither, actually. I praised the cake and said how much I liked it; on the last night of our cruise we found an envelope in our cabin, with a note from the head waiter saying he'd asked the chef for the recipe for me because I'd enjoyed it so much. I have no idea who the chef is and couldn't find the head waiter to thank him.

[Selbourne]

The question I want to ask is, if we tip our steward, waiters etc. in cash, do they get to keep that or do they have to hand it in to a general pool?

I have looked for the definitive answer but can't find it. If the latter is the case, then I'll keep the auto gratuities on, but not tip any extras. If my cash goes to whoever I want it to, then I'll remove the autograts and tip generously like we used to.

 

On P&O, staff do NOT have to hand in cash tips. It makes no difference whether you have left your auto gratuities on (so tip in addition) or remove them (and tip instead of them). They are always allowed to keep them. Many on here claim differently based upon other Carnival brands. I cannot comment on them but know that it is 100% the case on P&O that no cash tips have to be handed in to a pool. I’m afraid that I tire of these endless tipping threads which go over the same ground with the same people making the same points over and over and over again, so my only contribution will be to give you a factual answer to your question.

[grapau27]

On P&O, staff do NOT have to hand in cash tips. It makes no difference whether you have left your auto gratuities on (so tip in addition) or remove them (and tip instead of them). They are always allowed to keep them. Many on here claim differently based upon other Carnival brands. I cannot comment on them but know that it is 100% the case on P&O that no cash tips have to be handed in to a pool. I’m afraid that I tire of these endless tipping threads which go over the same ground with the same people making the same points over and over and over again, so my only contribution will be to give you a factual answer to your question.

I always believe you Selbourne it is the conflicting messages that are associated with P&O that sometimes fudge the issue.

My obc for short cruises pays the autogratuities plus i always give extra tips in cash so either way doesn't affect us to much.

[insanemagnet]

On P&O, staff do NOT have to hand in cash tips.

 

Would you like to explain how you know this and why P&O chose a different system from other Carnival brands, a system that means some staff receive less money if people give cash tips instead.

[LH25]

To my suggestion that they should cut the gratuities and just pay the staff a decent wage that the passengers don't have to subsidise with gratuities.

 

This hits on a point I never really understood. Whether through gratuities or higher fares, we the passengers are going to pay/subside their wages. In the end, the money will come from us.

[emam]

This is the reply I got from P&O to an email I sent regarding the gratuities. This seems to answer all the questions that people have been asking.

Thank you for your email.

 

I can confirm that 5 ranks of staff are included within the Service Reward programme, these include Waiters, Assistant Waiters, Head Waiters, Cabin Stewards as well as Butlers depending on your cabin grade.

 

Members of staff are rewarded for their individual behaviour and service, along with Team work.

Scores that they receive from the end of cruise questionnaires plus comments from their peers and leaders are all taken into consideration and I cannot therefore confirm what specific share they receive, as this would differ depending on individual circumstances.

 

This being said, all staff members are rewarded in the same way regardless of the fact that some passengers within their care may choose to remove the automatic gratuities.

 

Other staff members that work in different areas of the ship will have their own reward system within their departments.

 

A discretionary amount is added to your on board account to make rewarding the service you receive easy, if you feel the amount is too much, it is not compulsory.

This can be modified with the reception desk once you are on board.

 

The Service Reward Scheme is to provide an extra 'thank you' to members of staff alongside their wage.

Therefore, if you made the decision to modify the amount you paid in gratuities, this would not be deduced from any member of staffs wage.

 

Any tips which you pay to a member of staff directly are theirs to keep and do not need to be declared or pooled with other members of staff.

[terrierjohn]

emam's post seems to confirm Selbourne's comment that any cash tips are kept by the recipient. But this also confirms others' concerns that this could create significant disparity when passengers delete the auto tip but then pay the same amount in cash.

Now whilst a sophisticated computer system (an Oxymoron when applied to P&O) could amend the reward scheme payments to stewards, and waiters in the fixed dining rooms, it's more difficult to apply it to freedom dining guests.

Therefore despite the likelihood that I will be called a "tightwad", I still intend to opt out of auto gratuities entirely, until P&O come totally clean about about how they handle the whole rewards scheme, and avoid the disparity concerns.

[Selbourne]

This is the reply I got from P&O to an email I sent regarding the gratuities. This seems to answer all the questions that people have been asking.

Thank you for your email.

 

I can confirm that 5 ranks of staff are included within the Service Reward programme, these include Waiters, Assistant Waiters, Head Waiters, Cabin Stewards as well as Butlers depending on your cabin grade.

 

Members of staff are rewarded for their individual behaviour and service, along with Team work.

Scores that they receive from the end of cruise questionnaires plus comments from their peers and leaders are all taken into consideration and I cannot therefore confirm what specific share they receive, as this would differ depending on individual circumstances.

 

This being said, all staff members are rewarded in the same way regardless of the fact that some passengers within their care may choose to remove the automatic gratuities.

 

Other staff members that work in different areas of the ship will have their own reward system within their departments.

 

A discretionary amount is added to your on board account to make rewarding the service you receive easy, if you feel the amount is too much, it is not compulsory.

This can be modified with the reception desk once you are on board.

 

The Service Reward Scheme is to provide an extra 'thank you' to members of staff alongside their wage.

Therefore, if you made the decision to modify the amount you paid in gratuities, this would not be deduced from any member of staffs wage.

 

Any tips which you pay to a member of staff directly are theirs to keep and do not need to be declared or pooled with other members of staff.

 

Thank you for posting this. This is exactly the policy as has been explained consistently to me over several years and was confirmed yet again a month ago. I had originally asked what happens if I tip in addition to the service charge (they can keep them) and then more recently what happens if I remove the service charge (they can still keep them). Over the years I have received 3 detailed written responses on this subject and had conversations with a number of senior P&O officers on ships (including Hotel General Manager who has overall responsibility for all affected staff). Every answer whether in writing or face to face has confirmed the policy you state above.

 

As to why other Carnival brands may do things differently, I have no idea nor do I care. I do not cruise with any other Carnival brand and this thread is about P&O, so it is irrelevant.

 

I am 100% content that I know the facts about this subject in so far as they relate to P&O (UK) Cruises. Others will continue to challenge it, offer up conspiracy theories or just chose to disbelieve. That is for them.

[Josy1953]

This is the reply I got from P&O to an email I sent regarding the gratuities. This seems to answer all the questions that people have been asking.

Thank you for your email.

 

I can confirm that 5 ranks of staff are included within the Service Reward programme, these include Waiters, Assistant Waiters, Head Waiters, Cabin Stewards as well as Butlers depending on your cabin grade.

 

Members of staff are rewarded for their individual behaviour and service, along with Team work.

Scores that they receive from the end of cruise questionnaires plus comments from their peers and leaders are all taken into consideration and I cannot therefore confirm what specific share they receive, as this would differ depending on individual circumstances.

 

This being said, all staff members are rewarded in the same way regardless of the fact that some passengers within their care may choose to remove the automatic gratuities.

 

Other staff members that work in different areas of the ship will have their own reward system within their departments.

 

A discretionary amount is added to your on board account to make rewarding the service you receive easy, if you feel the amount is too much, it is not compulsory.

This can be modified with the reception desk once you are on board.

 

The Service Reward Scheme is to provide an extra 'thank you' to members of staff alongside their wage.

Therefore, if you made the decision to modify the amount you paid in gratuities, this would not be deduced from any member of staffs wage.

 

Any tips which you pay to a member of staff directly are theirs to keep and do not need to be declared or pooled with other members of staff.

Thanks for posting that. I will now be able to better decide how to proceed, though at the moment I think we will continue with the auto tip because we do freedom dining.

[yuvraj]

This thread has been really educational. It has really made me think.

 

One thing I would like throw into the pot as a general discussion point. I read a few years ago that the crew preferred auto-gratuities and whatever scheme P&O had in place at the time. The reason was that many guests weren't paying tips directly. Probably because the make up of guests on P&O sailings is different to ones on US cruise lines.

 

The other thing I need to consider is that if I went to a top end restaurant in UK and was charged 20% service charge, would it be etiquette to ask for it to be removed or reduced? I know some do or might consider it because they want to tip the servers directly in cash but I tend to pay the service charge and leave it to the restaurant to decide how it is distributed. I am wrestling with the same considerations when on a cruise ship. If I was happy with the service and overall experience, does it warrant lining up at guest services and removing the gratuities?

 

This is just me thinking aloud. I am not sure which way I want to go in the future as P&Os policy on distribution of tips is a little ambiguous.

[kruzseeka]

In the UK we check with the waiting staff what the restaurant policy is regarding tipping. Not all establishments make the service charge/tip destination clear as has been reported in the press.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/02/tips-should-go-to-workers-not-employers-government-report-restaurants

 

If the table staff say they receive it all, or it is shared by all the staff on duty that day, we are happy with that provided service has been good otherwise we tip personally. (Although some establishments dictate that tips are handed in - but at least it's there in cash rather than a % being creamed off my credit card at Company HQ and staff are aware you have shown your appreciation and no doubt realise if that isn't making itself in total to them or a pool for colleagues.)

It seems that the move to bring clarity to charges in restaurants on land and question the 'confusion and dubious practice' on ships is long overdue in respect of this ongoing debate.

[majortom10]

This is the reply I got from P&O to an email I sent regarding the gratuities. This seems to answer all the questions that people have been asking.

Thank you for your email.

 

I can confirm that 5 ranks of staff are included within the Service Reward programme, these include Waiters, Assistant Waiters, Head Waiters, Cabin Stewards as well as Butlers depending on your cabin grade.

 

Members of staff are rewarded for their individual behaviour and service, along with Team work.

Scores that they receive from the end of cruise questionnaires plus comments from their peers and leaders are all taken into consideration and I cannot therefore confirm what specific share they receive, as this would differ depending on individual circumstances.

This being said, all staff members are rewarded in the same way regardless of the fact that some passengers within their care may choose to remove the automatic gratuities.

 

Other staff members that work in different areas of the ship will have their own reward system within their departments.

 

A discretionary amount is added to your on board account to make rewarding the service you receive easy, if you feel the amount is too much, it is not compulsory.

This can be modified with the reception desk once you are on board.

 

The Service Reward Scheme is to provide an extra 'thank you' to members of staff alongside their wage.

Therefore, if you made the decision to modify the amount you paid in gratuities, this would not be deduced from any member of staffs wage.

 

Any tips which you pay to a member of staff directly are theirs to keep and do not need to be declared or pooled with other members of staff.

 

Sorry but it does not answer the biggest question which P&O have never answered but if they do not receive high enough marks from the end of cruise questionnaires and marks from their peers and leaders then they will not receive their full share of the money given by cruisers so where does this money not given go.

[yuvraj]

This thread has persuaded me that I should remove the auto gratuities and tip individually on my next cruise which is less than 2 weeks away.

 

Royal Caribbean are more transparent over how tips are distributed. You get a clear breakdown of how much each crew member gets from your contribution. Looks like P&O have more of a bonus pot arrangement and that troubles me.

[insanemagnet]

This is the reply I got from P&O to an email I sent regarding the gratuities. This seems to answer all the questions that people have been asking.

 

The Service Reward Scheme is to provide an extra 'thank you' to members of staff alongside their wage.

Therefore, if you made the decision to modify the amount you paid in gratuities, this would not be deduced from any member of staffs wage.

 

What a carefully crafted answer.

 

Most people would read it to mean if you do not pay the service charge your waiters and cabin steward does not lose out.

 

However it only says they will not deduct the amount you have not paid from their wage, but is strangely silent about any reduction of the payment they receive through the Service Reward Scheme.

[pisces14]

Thank you for posting this. This is exactly the policy as has been explained consistently to me over several years and was confirmed yet again a month ago. I had originally asked what happens if I tip in addition to the service charge (they can keep them) and then more recently what happens if I remove the service charge (they can still keep them). Over the years I have received 3 detailed written responses on this subject and had conversations with a number of senior P&O officers on ships (including Hotel General Manager who has overall responsibility for all affected staff). Every answer whether in writing or face to face has confirmed the policy you state above.

 

As to why other Carnival brands may do things differently, I have no idea nor do I care. I do not cruise with any other Carnival brand and this thread is about P&O, so it is irrelevant.

 

I am 100% content that I know the facts about this subject in so far as they relate to P&O (UK) Cruises. Others will continue to challenge it, offer up conspiracy theories or just chose to disbelieve. That is for them.

 

I am very sorry to burst your bubble and it may well have been a one off but on our last cruise with P&O my husband gave a tip to a wine waiter who had particularly looked after us during our cruise. The next night which was our very last night the bar manager came up and thanked us for the tip. We had meant it for the wine waiter but it had obviously been handed in. I'm afraid after speaking to P&O recently that no-one is ever told the truth. No passenger knows the truth no-one on here knows the truth. We all have to decide for ourselves what we do regarding the gratuities. I'm heartily sick of these threads but one thing I have finally decided is that the only people who know the truth are the management on P&O and they aren't telling anyone.

[daiB]

I am very sorry to burst your bubble and it may well have been a one off but on our last cruise with P&O my husband gave a tip to a wine waiter who had particularly looked after us during our cruise. The next night which was our very last night the bar manager came up and thanked us for the tip. We had meant it for the wine waiter but it had obviously been handed in. I'm afraid after speaking to P&O recently that no-one is ever told the truth. No passenger knows the truth no-one on here knows the truth. We all have to decide for ourselves what we do regarding the gratuities. I'm heartily sick of these threads but one thing I have finally decided is that the only people who know the truth are the management on P&O and they aren't telling anyone.

 

 

 

But the wine waiters are nothing to do with auto tips at all they get their tips from their drink sales although it is not visibly added to the price it is still there. They work to a different system and could well pool their tips between them.

 

Tips given to wine waiters have nothing to do with this thread.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[insanemagnet]

But the wine waiters are nothing to do with auto tips at all they get their tips from their drink sales although it is not visibly added to the price it is still there. They work to a different system and could well pool their tips between them.

 

Tips given to wine waiters have nothing to do with this thread.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

You are correct, because this thread is nothing to do with tips at all but the optional service charge and how it is distributed through the Service Reward Scheme.