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

[mickrory]

Having returned to Southampton only yesterday aboard the Azura I can tell you that on the 1st Sea day out there was a continuous queue at the Pursers desk and virtually everybody was requesting the form to vary or cancel gratuities.

 

One new thing P&O are doing now is on the 2nd to last sea day before the end of the cruise and in the early afternoon they are placing an A4 sized letter to the occupants of the cabins who have stopped gratuities in the pigeon box outside the cabin with the name of the passenger CLEARLY VISIBLE for anybody passing to see. (All other correspondence is fold inwards).

This letter asks you to re-consider your reduction of gratuities and requests you to visit the reception to do so.

 

There were many passengers who I both spoke too and heard discussing the subject annoyed with this apparent shaming letter and I would suspect that like myself they screwed them up and threw them in the bin provided. Shame on Management to do this. My stewards received what I believed was a good gratuity for the excellent service provided.:mad::mad:

 

This has made my mind up for me. We will cancel our autotips and pay on the penultimate night by envelope.

[insanemagnet]

This has made my mind up for me. We will cancel our autotips and pay on the penultimate night by envelope.

The only result of P&O's stupidity in issuing these letters is going to be an extraordinarily long queue at reception at the end of the cruise and the accounting staff working into the small hours processing the forms and adjusting the account balances.

[bee-ess]

I am definitely not telling my cabin steward. It's no business of his what I do and if you can remove tips at any time, he has no need to know. If they do know, I have never noticed any difference in service. I shall tip as usual on the last day before Southampton. What idiot at Southampton thought of this letter? Just bound to antagonize, as can be seen by the Facebook page.!

 

They will know if they are delivering the letter !

[Expat Cruise]

Having returned to Southampton only yesterday aboard the Azura I can tell you that on the 1st Sea day out there was a continuous queue at the Pursers desk and virtually everybody was requesting the form to vary or cancel gratuities.

 

One new thing P&O are doing now is on the 2nd to last sea day before the end of the cruise and in the early afternoon they are placing an A4 sized letter to the occupants of the cabins who have stopped gratuities in the pigeon box outside the cabin with the name of the passenger CLEARLY VISIBLE for anybody passing to see. (All other correspondence is fold inwards).

This letter asks you to re-consider your reduction of gratuities and requests you to visit the reception to do so.

 

There were many passengers who I both spoke too and heard discussing the subject annoyed with this apparent shaming letter and I would suspect that like myself they screwed them up and threw them in the bin provided. Shame on Management to do this. My stewards received what I believed was a good gratuity for the excellent service provided.:mad::mad:

 

They are very worried that the cash cow that saves them millions a year could have a problem. The cruise lines wants to do everything it can to keep these fees "voluntary" on the books for legal and tax reasons. But to make the guest believe they must pay them.

 

The actions they take to try to enforce the con game they are playing are really very sicking, but they will not work with anyone but weak people. I will keep removing the fees and really I do not care who they tell.

[insanemagnet]

The actions they take to try to enforce the con game they are playing are really very sicking

 

I think P&O really has gone too far by issuing these letters and it could really backfire on them.

 

To start with it is making people aware they can remove or reduce the optional charge, and that other people are doing so.

 

One of the factors keeping the system going is people thinking that everyone else is paying. As more people become aware that others are not paying, they will feel safe to join that crowd.

 

As I mentioned before it will cause a change in when people ask for the charge to be removed, leaving it to the last possible moment.

 

If I was in a mind to opt out of the charge I would now be going to reception just before I retired to bed on the last night or even wait for P&O to produce the cabin bill which is distributed in the early hours and ask reception to amend it before disembarking. That will create fun for the accounting staff.

 

And if anyone thinks you cannot do that, although you hand over your credit card for charges to be added, the charges only appear when a bill is produced and they don't appear anywhere in the T&Cs. If P&O refused to amend they would lose any chargeback claim.

 

It will generate extra work for the staff onboard and onshore as people complain about receiving them, with the staff needing to spend time pacifying and explaining.

 

This will particularly be the case with those who have opted out because they want to tip in cash and are offended because they are concerned staff now think they are cheapskates.

 

It is hard to think of a more stupid thing P&O could do.

[Expat Cruise]

I think P&O really has gone too far by issuing these letters and it could really backfire on them.

 

To start with it is making people aware they can remove or reduce the optional charge, and that other people are doing so.

 

One of the factors keeping the system going is people thinking that everyone else is paying. As more people become aware that others are not paying, they will feel safe to join that crowd.

 

It is hard to think of a more stupid thing P&O could do.

 

Agreed but many cruise lines truly believe passengers are stupid and will fall for these games Play up the poor hardworking crews, play on the feelings of the guest all the time adding millions to the bottom lines.

[spf]

Just got of Oceana and form handed to me in my hand by cabin steward screwed it up and put it in bin and tipped as I have always done personally !

[Eglesbrech]

Just got of Oceana and form handed to me in my hand by cabin steward screwed it up and put it in bin and tipped as I have always done personally !

 

Out of curiosity was any other piece of mail handed over personally or just this one?

[terrierjohn]

To put the benefit of our gratuities to P&O, and the other lines in the Carnival group, into context versus the average annual profits of Carnival plc, I calculate that even if only about half of passengers pay the gratuity then this accounts for approximately 22.5% of their average annual profits (nett income from Carnivals accounts).

 

The P&O fleet of 7 ships have a maximum lower berth capacity of 17689 passengers, approx. 2500 per ship, if everyone paid the £7 auto tip this would gross P&O £45.2m per annum, or $63m.

 

I have assumed the same number of passengers for the other 85 ships in the Carnival fleet and taken $12 per day as their average gratuity, this equals $930m per annum.

 

The average annual Carnival plc profit over the last 5 years is $2,200m, so if everyone paid, this would be equal to 45% of the average annual profits, even at only 50% uptake this is probably the most profitable single revenue stream in their whole accounts, by a country mile.

 

I think the above goes to prove why P&O are so concerned about the numbers refusing to pay auto gratuities.

[pisces14]

I think P&O really has gone too far by issuing these letters and it could really backfire on them.

 

To start with it is making people aware they can remove or reduce the optional charge, and that other people are doing so.

 

One of the factors keeping the system going is people thinking that everyone else is paying. As more people become aware that others are not paying, they will feel safe to join that crowd.

 

I do think you have a point here.

[daiB]

To put the benefit of our gratuities to P&O, and the other lines in the Carnival group, into context versus the average annual profits of Carnival plc, I calculate that even if only about half of passengers pay the gratuity then this accounts for approximately 22.5% of their average annual profits (nett income from Carnivals accounts).

 

The P&O fleet of 7 ships have a maximum lower berth capacity of 17689 passengers, approx. 2500 per ship, if everyone paid the £7 auto tip this would gross P&O £45.2m per annum, or $63m.

 

I have assumed the same number of passengers for the other 85 ships in the Carnival fleet and taken $12 per day as their average gratuity, this equals $930m per annum.

 

The average annual Carnival plc profit over the last 5 years is $2,200m, so if everyone paid, this would be equal to 45% of the average annual profits, even at only 50% uptake this is probably the most profitable single revenue stream in their whole accounts, by a country mile.

 

I think the above goes to prove why P&O are so concerned about the numbers refusing to pay auto gratuities.

Supposition proves nothing at all.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

[jeanlyon]

I don't care what others do. I like to tip personally. Nobody's business but mine.

[terrierjohn]

Supposition proves nothing at all.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

Burying your head in the sand will eventually suffocate you.

[daiB]

I don't care what others do. I like to tip personally. Nobody's business but mine.

 

 

 

Exactly, but others posting on here want to change things for their own personal agenda.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[daiB]

Burying your head in the sand will eventually suffocate you.

My head is well out of the sand and away from those unwilling to tip the staff.

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

[hooked-cruiser]

Just because people either cancel or adjust the amount doesn't mean they are not willing to pay gratuities. It is a personal decision as opposed to be told what you must do. I always tip staff and often those not always in the front line, ie, I tipped a member of staff who was always cleaning the toilets near the theatre every evening, and they were very appreciative.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

Just a general question here. If you cancel the autotips, how much do you consider reasonable to tip your cabin steward per day and your table waiters per day?

[grapau27]

I am definitely not telling my cabin steward. It's no business of his what I do and if you can remove tips at any time, he has no need to know. If they do know, I have never noticed any difference in service. I shall tip as usual on the last day before Southampton. What idiot at Southampton thought of this letter? Just bound to antagonize, as can be seen by the Facebook page.!

I agree it might not be the CS business and we have always paid autotips but out of respect for your CS who might think you are not paying his tip(wage) would it not be courteous to say to him when you see him?,

I will tip you at the end of the cruise.

This should create a friendly atmosphere.

[jeanlyon]

No, definitely not. Tips should not be expected. I will tip him or her when I am ready before I go to dinner with the other envelopes on the last evening. I don't say to my hairdresser, by the way I will tip you when you've finished. IT;S A GIFT, FREELY GIVEN, not a forced thing.

[Expat Cruise]

Just a general question here. If you cancel the autotips, how much do you consider reasonable to tip your cabin steward per day and your table waiters per day?

 

On a 7 day cruise the total auto fee added for two people is about 98 pounds or about US$140 dollars. How much of that added service charge do you believe the cabin Steward gets? If a person tip $50 cash, do you not believe that is more in the Stewards pocket than what it would be after the pool is split up?

 

So the short answer I believe is $50 $75 $100 or $140 all is more than going the auto route.

 

Just because people either cancel or adjust the amount doesn't mean they are not willing to pay gratuities. It is a personal decision as opposed to be told what you must do. I always tip staff and often those not always in the front line, ie, I tipped a member of staff who was always cleaning the toilets near the theatre every evening, and they were very appreciative.

 

I think many here do not want to see the point some of us are making when we remove these fees. I never said I do not tip, just that it is my choice and I tip who I believed has earned it through personal service. I want the tip in the hand of the person who should be tipped. Not going to the company to put into a pool and give out as they see fit.

[Josy1953]

I just got the following reply from P&O after emailing to ask why they had decided to try to embarrass passengers into re-instating their auto tips. They did not answer my question since I simply asked why they were sending out the letters and I never mentioned that I thought that the crew knew who did or did not pay gratuities. They are obviously sensitive about this issue since I never got the usual "we have received your email and will reply in a few days" reply.

 

Dear, please rest assured that this is certainly not the case. Our crew members are not aware of which guests have chosen to pay gratuities and which haven't.

[jeanlyon]

Well they will certainly know what's in the letter!! No envelope and right outside the door!

[grapau27]

No, definitely not. Tips should not be expected. I will tip him or her when I am ready before I go to dinner with the other envelopes on the last evening. I don't say to my hairdresser, by the way I will tip you when you've finished. IT;S A GIFT, FREELY GIVEN, not a forced thing.

You are entitled to your actions and i am not suggesting you don't tip but when you stop your autogratuities which is your option then don't show respect to your cabin steward when he knows you have stopped the AGs by at least letting him know you will see him okay on the last night leaves question marks about your true intentions.

[Josy1953]

I have now decided that I will definitely cancel our auto tips when we board this week and will pay tips in cash. If I get a letter I will be asking on board why they think that they can pressure us into paying auto tips.

[majortom10]

Following on from the form being given out to people who have removed from Service Reward Programme am I being cynical or is it me. Has anyone else received an e-mail from P&O introducing the crew from around the world and getting to know the faces behind the service. Four 60 second videos then show about restaurant manager, cabin steward, bar steward and butler talking about their families and children and how one dreams of opening her own restaurant. P&O are really pushing the boat out to make us feel as guilty as possible and not to remove Service Reward Programme. Dont they realise that their intimidation and actions is making it worse and making more people to removing Service Reward Programme and not the opposite effect.