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

[Eglesbrech]

Isn't it possible that if your steward knows that you have removed the auto tips, he/she will work even harder, knowing that you are likely to tip in person? And he will also get a share of the tip pool, assuming he gets a good score from you in the cruise questionnaire.

 

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Quite possibly.

[wowzz]

We shared a dinner table with a charming couple from South Wales on Azura. On the second night they told us they always cancel the tips and if the service is good they give envelopes at the end. We just let the auto tips ride which get added to our final bill like a lot of folk do.

 

On the last night after the sweet service they called the waiters over (who'd done a great job throughout)and gave them an envelope each, the waiters were made up and seemed delighted. The waiters then looked at us two when no further envelopes were forthcoming as though we were a pair of freeloaders, certainly made us feel awkward even though we'd paid the tips by auto deduction.

 

Perhaps the envelope tipping is the way to go.

Any idea how much was in the envelopes? Hopefully it would be the same as if the auto tips were left on. How did they tip the staff in the buffet?

 

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[jeanlyon]

I have often seen our waiters working in the buffet during the day, so they get our tips anyway.

[mickrory]

Any idea how much was in the envelopes? Hopefully it would be the same as if the auto tips were left on. How did they tip the staff in the buffet?

 

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They only tipped the waiter, assistant waiter and cabin steward, no idea how much they tipped.

[madison quest]

We shared a dinner table with a charming couple from South Wales on Azura. On the second night they told us they always cancel the tips and if the service is good they give envelopes at the end. We just let the auto tips ride which get added to our final bill like a lot of folk do.

 

On the last night after the sweet service they called the waiters over (who'd done a great job throughout)and gave them an envelope each, the waiters were made up and seemed delighted. The waiters then looked at us two when no further envelopes were forthcoming as though we were a pair of freeloaders, certainly made us feel awkward even though we'd paid the tips by auto deduction.

 

Perhaps the envelope tipping is the way to go.

 

I understand how you felt, this has also happened to us on the last night. perhaps all the "service charge people" should get a sticker to wear on the last night :o:D

[staygulf]

We shared a dinner table with a charming couple from South Wales on Azura. On the second night they told us they always cancel the tips and if the service is good they give envelopes at the end. We just let the auto tips ride which get added to our final bill like a lot of folk do.

 

On the last night after the sweet service they called the waiters over (who'd done a great job throughout)and gave them an envelope each, the waiters were made up and seemed delighted. The waiters then looked at us two when no further envelopes were forthcoming as though we were a pair of freeloaders, certainly made us feel awkward even though we'd paid the tips by auto deduction.

 

Perhaps the envelope tipping is the way to go.

Just got off of Azura and this was my exact experience. Apart from it being the worse cruise ever, we got no thanks for leaving the tips on. Why do we bother?

[insanemagnet]

Are you saying this is not a new thing but the usual form people fill in when they remove the auto-tips? There seems to be quite an outcry on P&O's Facebook page with some people saying it's intimidation. So I assumed it was a new thing.

 

Perhaps the solution for those who don't want to pay the optional Service Charge and don't want to receive one of these letters is to do a chargeback on their credit card when they arrive home.

 

After all P&O don't obtain authorisation for the Service Charge, they just add it onto the cabin bill.

[jeanlyon]

That is exactly what we felt when we left the tips on. Everybody else on our table gave envelopes and we felt awkward, so since then we have removed the tips and used envelopes.

[daiB]

We shared a dinner table with a charming couple from South Wales on Azura. On the second night they told us they always cancel the tips and if the service is good they give envelopes at the end. We just let the auto tips ride which get added to our final bill like a lot of folk do.

 

 

 

On the last night after the sweet service they called the waiters over (who'd done a great job throughout)and gave them an envelope each, the waiters were made up and seemed delighted. The waiters then looked at us two when no further envelopes were forthcoming as though we were a pair of freeloaders, certainly made us feel awkward even though we'd paid the tips by auto deduction.

 

 

 

Perhaps the envelope tipping is the way to go.

 

 

 

Which of course only works if you are on club dining and does not help the staff in the freedom dining section. Remember it was to deal with that problem, that auto tips were introduced

 

 

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[callyuk]

That is exactly what we felt when we left the tips on. Everybody else on our table gave envelopes and we felt awkward, so since then we have removed the tips and used envelopes.

 

We got off a cruise this week.

We have always left our autotips on and some times given waiters extra for exceptional service. We felt our waiter didn't warrant any extra this time so thanked him and said our tips were charged to the cabin.

Others handed him envelopes, they had told us they had cancelled their autotips; the women rceived kisses and the men handshakes, we didn't even get a thank you, just a blank look. Who knows what was in the envelopes, it may well have been less than autotips.

Do they now expect autotips and the envelope?

We made a decision to cancel autotips in future on the drive home.

[bee-ess]

Just got off of Azura and this was my exact experience. Apart from it being the worse cruise ever, we got no thanks for leaving the tips on. Why do we bother?

 

Oh dear, what was wrong with the cruise ?

[Selbourne]

Are you saying this is not a new thing but the usual form people fill in when they remove the auto-tips? There seems to be quite an outcry on P&O's Facebook page with some people saying it's intimidation. So I assumed it was a new thing.

 

The letters are a new thing, but the questions on them (that I can see) are identical to the questions that are on the form that you are asked to fill in at reception if you ask for the service charge to be removed. It would be illogical to ask the same passengers the same questions twice, hence my assumption that these are sent to the cabins of those who have requested the service charge to be removed but haven’t completed the sections on the form asking for the reasons why.

 

Of course it could be that so many people are now removing the service charge that, to ease pressure on reception, they are trialling a new system where instead of asking passengers to fill in the forms at reception they simply take your cabin number and then send this letter to the cabins, but we were on Aurora just a couple of weeks ago and the normal system of filling in forms at reception was in place and no letters were sent to cabins. The poor team at reception were processing hundreds of them.

[pisces14]

The letters are a new thing, but the questions on them (that I can see) are identical to the questions that are on the form that you are asked to fill in at reception if you ask for the service charge to be removed. It would be illogical to ask the same passengers the same questions twice, hence my assumption that these are sent to the cabins of those who have requested the service charge to be removed but haven’t completed the sections on the form asking for the reasons why.

 

Of course it could be that so many people are now removing the service charge that, to ease pressure on reception, they are trialling a new system where instead of asking passengers to fill in the forms at reception they simply take your cabin number and then send this letter to the cabins, but we were on Aurora just a couple of weeks ago and the normal system of filling in forms at reception was in place and no letters were sent to cabins. The poor team at reception were processing hundreds of them.

 

Thank you for your reply. Oh my goodness hundreds of people are removing the auto-tips. Perhaps as you suggest if so many people are removing the tips its easier to simply put the form in the cabin. I can only see things getting worse.

I did say we would remove the auto tips on our next cruise so that I could write on the form that tips should be included in the price. I'm really having second thoughts now.

[pisces14]

I would be interested to know that as well.

 

We have never removed the auto tips so I don’t know what they normally do. As we are now considering removing them and tipping by cash in protest at the lack of clarity around all this and regular above inflation rises it would be interesting to know what to expect.

 

 

 

Delivering a letter to the cabin does ensure that the staff know exactly who has removed tips and I have never heard anyone mention this happening before so I also assumed that it was new.

 

 

Some of the regulars on here remove and tip in cash so they should be able to clarify.

 

Like you I had thought of removing the tips and paying cash to the staff. After reading Selbourne's

reply to me that hundreds of people are removing the auto-tips I'm not really sure it's something we could do. I really would not be able to look my cabin steward or butler in the face if I had one of those letters delivered to my cabin.

[Selbourne]

Like you I had thought of removing the tips and paying cash to the staff. After reading Selbourne's

reply to me that hundreds of people are removing the auto-tips I'm not really sure it's something we could do. I really would not be able to look my cabin steward or butler in the face if I had one of those letters delivered to my cabin.

 

And that could, of course, be another reason why they’ve started doing it! I suspect that many people feel the same and would be embarrassed if the cabin steward delivered the letter, so may leave the service charge on next time!

[NoFlyGuy]

I too may feel uncomfortable but will still remove the auto tips on our upcoming cruise on Sunday even if I leave it for a few days.

 

It may make no difference, but the more people who follow suit may just tip P&O hands into including a sensible amount for tips into the advertised cruise price as many other cruise lines have already done.

[PaulSmall]

Having seen P&O up the auto gratuities in the space of a year from £5 to £6 to £7 per person per day (and finding this year and last year they implemented it just before we sail(ed) I emailed P&O. They responded with a phone call.

 

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. This goes against the general belief that they pay a poor wage which is only made worthwhile for the crew members once the gratuities are added on top. He also said that they have surveyed their passengers, and the majority don't want the gratuity included in the fare.

 

I got no real comment on the view that the gratuities have gone up so that those who still pay it are making up for the shortfall of those who withhold it.

 

He said that increasing the gratuity brings them more in line with other brands. He was not impressed that I pointed out that that seems to be a case of, "well if the others lines can screw more money out of the punters, then so can we".

 

I often hear accusations that the cruise lines line their own pockets with the gratuities. I was assured that for P&O, all of the gratuity money goes to the staff, none goes to the company. However, if a staff member is on a disciplinary, then they don't get their gratuity. Out of curiosity I asked where that money goes, but was told he was not permitted to say, but repeated that it does not go to the company. I'm still curious as to where it goes.

 

 

 

 

 

We decided to tip as we found good service and not a blanket tip

[scpowell]

p and o should not send letters to cabins if you do not want to pay auto tips it is your democratic right for god sake we are not children and should not be treat this way

[PaulSmall]

We decided to tip as we found good service as we dont like blanket tips

[daiB]

And that could, of course, be another reason why they’ve started doing it! I suspect that many people feel the same and would be embarrassed if the cabin steward delivered the letter, so may leave the service charge on next time!

 

 

 

No second thoughts from me.

 

Pay the auto tips.

 

I know I am doing the right thing.

 

 

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[terrierjohn]

I had a quick look back on CC to see how much tips used to be. Back in 2011 just as they were introducing auto gratuities, it was £3.10pd, which means a 125% increase in under 7 years, has anyone had a pay rise anywhere near that level over the same period.

I know that P&O tips are at the lower end of cruise line gratuities, but the most recent comment from them is that the increase is intended to bring them more into line with other cruise lines, so I guess we should expect them to increase by a further 40/50% over the next couple of years.

As I keep repeating, I no longer believe that the auto tips are needed to bring the staff wages up to a reasonable level, there is far too much anecdotal evidence that indicates that P&O make up any shortfall, which, IMO, is why P&O want to maximise the auto tip revenue.

Of course this is just my opinion, but the only way that P&O will ever consider changing their policy and including gratuities/tips/service reward, call it what you will, in the cruise fare is if enough passengers delete the payment altogether.

[NoFlyGuy]

Again I agree terrierjohn. The original post was concerning the 40% increase in auto gratuities in a short space of time, far exceeding inflation.

 

If you are happy to continue to pay the increased auto gratuities then fine, that's your prerogative.

 

However if you would prefer gratuities to be included in the advertised fare then doing nothing is not really an option. Change will only come about if enough potential passengers contact P&O to complain or suggest changes regarding the auto gratuities.

 

This is a very long thread and I can't pretend to give a definitive figure as to how much cabin prices would need to increase for P&O to break even but would hazard a guess at around £4 pppn.

 

I would be happy at that if it finally put this question to rest.

[terrierjohn]

Again I agree terrierjohn. The original post was concerning the 40% increase in auto gratuities in a short space of time, far exceeding inflation.

 

If you are happy to continue to pay the increased auto gratuities then fine, that's your prerogative.

 

However if you would prefer gratuities to be included in the advertised fare then doing nothing is not really an option. Change will only come about if enough potential passengers contact P&O to complain or suggest changes regarding the auto gratuities.

 

This is a very long thread and I can't pretend to give a definitive figure as to how much cabin prices would need to increase for P&O to break even but would hazard a guess at around £4 pppn.

 

I would be happy at that if it finally put this question to rest.

And with the level of fluid pricing I doubt that anyone would even notice, however much it was.

[insanemagnet]

However if you would prefer gratuities to be included in the advertised fare then doing nothing is not really an option. Change will only come about if enough potential passengers contact P&O to complain or suggest changes regarding the auto gratuities.

 

Change will not come from letter writing.

 

Change will happen only when sufficient people stop paying the optional charge and don't make up for it in cash tips, resulting in P&O having to dip into their own pocket and pay their staff to avoid a recruitment/retention problem.

[Lintravel]

So it seems it is best to opt out of tips at reception a day or so before the cruise ends?

 

And do P&O provide envelopes in the rooms?

 

I have to say I resent my children having to pay substantial service charges, and having to pay towards butlers!. Plus this whole topic was not advised when I booked the cruise with P&O on the phone. As a first timer I didn’t realise it would be an extra charge. We just looked at the cruise schedule and spoke to p&o about it. Service charges weren’t mentioned!