Yet Another Gratuities Question

[LMaxwell]

When you go into a restaurant on land do you auto tip your servers, bar staff, dishwashers and the people who wash the tablecloths before you eat?

 

Thought not!

 

Why should it be different on a cruise ship?

 

I said we ought to tip on ships like on land; based on the cost of the vacation. The Suite people that get away with paying 3% of the total cost while inside cabins sometimes pay 20% of the total cost had a FIT. Suite people like to brag about 10K rooms but then feel superior giving $190 a week versus someone in a 1K room giving $160.

 

Sure, let's level the playing field and treat it like the rest of daily life, no problem with that.

[Ocean Boy]

I said we ought to tip on ships like on land; based on the cost of the vacation. The Suite people that get away with paying 3% of the total cost while inside cabins sometimes pay 20% of the total cost had a FIT. Suite people like to brag about 10K rooms but then feel superior giving $190 a week versus someone in a 1K room giving $160.

 

Sure, let's level the playing field and treat it like the rest of daily life, no problem with that.

I actually never understood the concept of tipping according to a percentage of the cost. Does a server work harder carrying a $30.00 steak to a table then he/she does carrying a $10.00 burger? A couple staying in a suite may require far less service than a family of four staying in an inside cabin.

[Panda3]

Tipping the crew on cruise ships is a tradition, and not tipping shouldn't be an option at all. Because if you are lucky enough to go on a cruise, you are in the top % of wealth in the world. I have been cruising since the early 80s. I remember my parent's carefully placing the suggested tips in the envelopes they left in the staterooms....and you would present the tips to the headwaiter, cabin steward...etc...(that's what happened before computers) . They followed the suggested Rules! There are a lot of people, several on this board from what I can see, that are just plain cheap...not sure if it's a paradigm shift in the world, or the fact that with budget cruise lines like RCI it opened up cruising to more people. I've seen several folks with umpteen cruises on their signature but had their TP rolled under instead of over and are in a TIZ and want pull back a tip??!! OMG. You don't like the service but you keep going back?! RCI added pre-paid gratuities option, and a daily option for the benefit of their hardworking crew, (not corporate) They make it a pain to take off because of all the cheapo folks stiffing hard working crew. I saw one post that because one family member liked to eat in the windjammer over the MDR, they pulled back tips --What?

[LMaxwell]

They followed the suggested Rules!

 

Cruising almost 30 years, haven't seen rules, can you point to them?

 

I'm sure crew would not have minded if they haphazardly placed more than the "rules" in those envelopes.

[champagne123]

Tipping the crew on cruise ships is a tradition, and not tipping shouldn't be an option at all. Because if you are lucky enough to go on a cruise, you are in the top % of wealth in the world. I have been cruising since the early 80s. I remember my parent's carefully placing the suggested tips in the envelopes they left in the staterooms....and you would present the tips to the headwaiter, cabin steward...etc...(that's what happened before computers) . They followed the suggested Rules! There are a lot of people, several on this board from what I can see, that are just plain cheap...not sure if it's a paradigm shift in the world, or the fact that with budget cruise lines like RCI it opened up cruising to more people. I've seen several folks with umpteen cruises on their signature but had their TP rolled under instead of over and are in a TIZ and want pull back a tip??!! OMG. You don't like the service but you keep going back?! RCI added pre-paid gratuities option, and a daily option for the benefit of their hardworking crew, (not corporate) They make it a pain to take off because of all the cheapo folks stiffing hard working crew. I saw one post that because one family member liked to eat in the windjammer over the MDR, they pulled back tips --What?

Just to add....I remember the last evening of every cruise in the MDR. It was always EMPTY. Why? So that everyone could stiff the waitstaff. This was before the automated gratuities. I would bet that they got screwed way more back then.

[Panda3]

Cruising almost 30 years, haven't seen rules, can you point to them?

 

I'm sure crew would not have minded if they haphazardly placed more than the "rules" in those envelopes.

 

 

Of course, that is the minimum suggested. :-) We always tip more. There were suggested amounts listed on the pre-printed envelopes. Which is sort of what RCI automatically does today with the auto tips. That's the minimum acceptable amount.

 

[LMaxwell]

Just to add....I remember the last evening of every cruise in the MDR. It was always EMPTY. Why? So that everyone could stiff the waitstaff. This was before the automated gratuities. I would bet that they got screwed way more back then.

 

Cruising since 1990, and ships did without alternative dining options. I don't recall empty dining rooms. This is an oft repeated tale on CC that has become folklore but not accurate. Your conclusion isn't really based on any evidence and doesn't match my personal experiences.

[LMaxwell]

Of course, that is the minimum suggested. :-) We always tip more. They always tipped more! There were suggested amounts listed on the envelopes. Which is sort of what RCI automatically does today. That's the minimum acceptable amount.

 

 

The minimum and maximum is chosen by the paying customer, a guideline for industry reference is provided by the company.

 

I'm willing to bet I out tip you, but it doesn't really matter.

[Panda3]

Just to add....I remember the last evening of every cruise in the MDR. It was always EMPTY. Why? So that everyone could stiff the waitstaff. This was before the automated gratuities. I would bet that they got screwed way more back then.

 

 

You are absolutely right Champagne!

[Panda3]

The minimum and maximum is chosen by the paying customer, a guideline for industry reference is provided by the company.

 

I'm willing to bet I out tip you, but it doesn't really matter.

 

 

I've been cruising longer than you, and I would be willing to bet that I am more generous than you, but agreed, doesn't matter. The fact that you replied tells me how you stand on this issue. Enjoy removing your tips, I bet it feels good to really stick it to them, lol!

[Ocean Boy]

Tipping the crew on cruise ships is a tradition

That is probably one of the weakest arguments one could make for trying to make your point. Many cruise ship traditions from the past have, or are, disappearing. There are plenty of reasons to take care of the crew that take care of you. I don't think tradition is one of them. And if one supports auto-tipping I think tradition is even less fitting.

[LMaxwell]

I've been cruising longer than you, and I would be willing to bet that I am more generous than you, but agreed, doesn't matter. The fact that you replied tells me how you stand on this issue. Enjoy removing your tips, I bet it feels good to really stick it to them, lol!

 

That fact that I replied really doesn't tell you anything. Your baseless is assumption is off the mark and your ridicule not appropriate for this forum. I am here for discussion, not being berated for participating in a discussion. You are in violation of the board rules and I have reported this post.

[champagne123]

Cruising since 1990, and ships did without alternative dining options. I don't recall empty dining rooms. This is an oft repeated tale on CC that has become folklore but not accurate. Your conclusion isn't really based on any evidence and doesn't match my personal experiences.

Really? I have been cruising approximately the same amount of time as you have and I remember it vividly. No folklore. True. Perhaps my memory is better than yours.

[Noodle2202]

Always done pre paid grats. But this year we are not and have to decided to tip room steward and windjammer staff and the end.

We came to his decision as the ‘grats’ breakdown has he majority going toward the dining room staff. We used the main dining room once least year and noticed most of it went to an area we didn’t use. Is this fair???

 

We are not eating in the main dining room so would prefer to tip people or help us. I.e cabin steward and windjammmer.

 

 

 

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[LMaxwell]

Hey Champagne, I am happy to have a discussion this morning with you and find nothing wrong with anything you've said. Just because we recall differently doesn't mean we need to fight about it or devolve the level of our discourse to what passes as acceptable for 2018, we can happily continue on like normal people. Ignore the trolls.

[later]

Cruising since 1990, and ships did without alternative dining options. I don't recall empty dining rooms. This is an oft repeated tale on CC that has become folklore but not accurate. Your conclusion isn't really based on any evidence and doesn't match my personal experiences.

 

 

 

I have cruised for decades and been in the dining room the last night when it was very empty. This was before auto gratuities. I don’t see that as much now with the auto gratuities so I don’t see it as folklore.

 

 

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[champagne123]

Hey Champagne, I am happy to have a discussion this morning with you and find nothing wrong with anything you've said. Just because we recall differently doesn't mean we need to fight about it or devolve the level of our discourse to what passes as acceptable for 2018, we can happily continue on like normal people. Ignore the trolls.

Not fighting with you at all Max. Just stating what I recall before the auto gratuities policy.

[snaefell]

Because if you are lucky enough to go on a cruise, you are in the top % of wealth in the world.

 

 

That may have been the case years ago but not now,many of the posts I read from long time cruisers seem to be complaining about the 'type' of people who are able to afford to cruise these days,they often refer to them as the 'Benidorm set'(if you don't understand that it generally means drink too much,make too much noise & wear the wrong clothing!).

 

I've seen several folks with umpteen cruises on their signature but had their TP rolled under instead of over and are in a TIZ and want pull back a tip??!!

 

 

Any chance of an English translation please?!

[Redrobo]

Not fighting with you at all Max. Just stating what I recall before the auto gratuities policy.

 

Where did all these diners go to on last night, hide in their cabins? I never experienced empty dining rooms pre or post, pre paid gratuities.

[mdsgu]

I'd have to agree about the dining rooms on the last night prior to pre-paid gratuities. I wouldn't say they were empty, but there was always a noticeable drop in attendance on the last night.

[knottyknotty]

Tipping or not tipping .dont know where all these people get off thinking they can tell other people how to spend there hard earned cash.

Its your holiday enjoy it and give what u can afford .i repeat ITS YOUR HOLIDAY .one youve worked hard all year for and paid for .(tips r not compulsary but earned for service recieved if you feel someone has gone that extra yard not for doing the job their oiad for ) . I.m not rich just working class from the uk

[RocketMan275]

Tipping or not tipping .dont know where all these people get off thinking they can tell other people how to spend there hard earned cash.

Its your holiday enjoy it and give what u can afford .i repeat ITS YOUR HOLIDAY .one youve worked hard all year for and paid for .(tips r not compulsary but earned for service recieved if you feel someone has gone that extra yard not for doing the job their oiad for ) . I.m not rich just working class from the uk

Has not the crew not worked at least as hard for their gratuity as you have.

Doesn't the crew deserve their compensation as much as you deserved their service on your holiday?

[Toofarfromthesea]

That is my point. They got what was coming to them. Now people make it sound like these folks are suddenly getting stiffed if someone decides to tip the old way. Tip the old way and these folks in the background get their money the old way.

 

No, they have to turn the cash tips in and they get distributed as part of the same tip pool as the auto-grats, plus the waiter and cabin steward get a black mark for the grats being removed, as management assumes if the auto-grats are removed the service was substandard.

 

All the other nonsense is just people finding a pretext to rationalize cheaping out. None of the stated excuses holds any water.

[gerif]

Tipping or not tipping .dont know where all these people get off thinking they can tell other people how to spend there hard earned cash.

Its your holiday enjoy it and give what u can afford .i repeat ITS YOUR HOLIDAY .one youve worked hard all year for and paid for .(tips r not compulsary but earned for service recieved if you feel someone has gone that extra yard not for doing the job their oiad for ) . I.m not rich just working class from the uk

And who are you to tell the hard working crew that they will not be receiving their full wages because you do not believe in tipping? Hope you at least have the guts to tell your room steward, waitstaff, etc., at the beginning of the cruise how you feel.

[knottyknotty]

 

All the other nonsense is just people finding a pretext to rationalize cheaping out. None of the stated excuses holds any water.

 

Appears to me the only people cheaping out are the cruiselines. Pay the crew a living wage . Job = wage or why work dont expect handouts for doin your job .if i want extra wages i have to do overtime .i just dont get this tips for doin the job your paid for thing