Gratuities

[Host CJSKIDS]

Whenever gratuities are removed a current list is generated or regenerated and distributed to crew dept. supervisors.

 

Thanks for that clarification Keith.

[RDC1]

Auto-grats started around 2003????? Doesn't seen like they have been around for that long. So went back and looked at a "passenger folio" from 2005(term they used back then)...and guess what I found....At that time on the Tahitian Princess...auto grats were listed as Room Grat...3.50 and Meal grat 6.50.per day Now why one keeps this info...who knows, but I do:rolleyes:

 

 

At one time any xtra was for the receiver to keep, seems like in the last few years people have been mentioning redistribution.

 

As I understand it, as long as the passengers leaves auto grats in place, any extra can be kept.

 

As far as redistribution - all tips received (auto-grats, or turned in tips from passengers that turn off auto grats) are pooled. The workers on the ship then receive a share of that pool based upon internal evaluation criteria. A percentage of the pool goes into a corporate level pool that is used to balance out ship pools to make sure that a crew member is not disadvantaged by being assigned to routes that might have a lower tip compliance rate then others. That is to avoid having ship assignments being a potential impact and thus point of conflict due to income level.

[EastBay Cruisers]

As I understand it, as long as the passengers leaves auto grats in place, any extra can be kept.

 

As far as redistribution - all tips received (auto-grats, or turned in tips from passengers that turn off auto grats) are pooled. The workers on the ship then receive a share of that pool based upon internal evaluation criteria. A percentage of the pool goes into a corporate level pool that is used to balance out ship pools to make sure that a crew member is not disadvantaged by being assigned to routes that might have a lower tip compliance rate then others. That is to avoid having ship assignments being a potential impact and thus point of conflict due to income level.

 

 

Yes. That is how it was explained to us aboard the Emerald late last year. We had exemplary service from both our cabin steward and our waiter. We kept the auto tips in place, then on the last day of the cruise, we went to Guest Services, who gave us a couple of white envelopes. We put cash in the envelopes for the waiter and steward and handed the envelopes to them personally, with our sincere thanks. We explained that we kept the auto tips in place. Each crew member wrote down our cabin number on the envelope, as he said that he would be allowed to keep the tip, once it was certain that we kept the auto tips in place. -- EBC

[tvanrumund]

We always love to tip extra to all our service staff, why you ask?

Because I love to see the big smile they give for a job well done.

 

I also work for tips as a waitress and we have so many people who break our hearts when they don't tip, but then you might get that one person who puts that smile back on our face.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[johnsuttoncoldfield]

Whenever gratuities are removed a current list is generated or regenerated and distributed to crew dept. supervisors.

 

That is exactly what happens - Supervisors receive a current list and this information is available to crew should they request it - most actually post it on their respective notice boards for their crew members to see.

[floridalover5623]

That is exactly what happens - Supervisors receive a current list and this information is available to crew should they request it - most actually post it on their respective notice boards for their crew members to see.

If I were a steward I'd be sure to check that list to see if someone were in my section that opted out of auto gratuities.

They would get the standard cabin service, nothing more.

[johnsuttoncoldfield]

If I were a steward I'd be sure to check that list to see if someone were in my section that opted out of auto gratuities.

They would get the standard cabin service, nothing more.

 

Well indeed, it is simple human nature surely - much the same applies if the crew are confronted by a particular obnoxious guest, I would certainly carry out my duties to an acceptable standard but are less likely to go above and beyond. That would seem perfectly logical to me. We are all different but it is far better to treat each-other as we would wish to be treated - just be "nice"

[cruzsnooze]

That is exactly what happens - Supervisors receive a current list and this information is available to crew should they request it - most actually post it on their respective notice boards for their crew members to see.

That's nonesence. It's kept in a notebook at guest services and isn't turned in until the end of the cruise when all changes have been made or modified. The list changes daily and would be a logistical impossibility to update several times a day. People who claim this "list" is visible are using scare tactics, shame on you.

[not-enough-cruising]

Next cruise you should give the longshoreman who puts your luggage on the cart a gift in lieu of cash. I hear they like potpourri.

 

 

 

I NEVER tip the longshoreman! They are part of one of the most powerful labor unions in the country with a starting salary well north of $100,000

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[PrincessLuver]

If I were a steward I'd be sure to check that list to see if someone were in my section that opted out of auto gratuities.

They would get the standard cabin service, nothing more.

 

Hilarious and ridiculous.....from the lines at the Passenger Services Desk on the last night of a voyage it looks like many people wait until the last minute to take off their auto-gratuities so I am sure most cabin stewards and staff have no idea who does what when!!.....:rolleyes:

[notalandlover]

Silversea tipping policy:

 

GRATUITIES ALWAYS INCLUDED

Our unwavering commitment to flawless service requires an attitude that is totally focused on the part of every member of the staff. Their professional training is readily apparent from the waiter who keeps your water glass filled to the chef who prepares your favourite soufflé à la minute. Yet surprisingly gratuities are not expected. They’re included in your fare.

 

Highly unlikely that a chef on Silversea is reaping significant income from tips.

 

 

They’re included in your fare. That sounds fair. Everyone pays the same.

[RDC1]

If I were a steward I'd be sure to check that list to see if someone were in my section that opted out of auto gratuities.

They would get the standard cabin service, nothing more.

 

The ratings they receive, which determine their allocation from the pool, is worth far more than payback to any customer who opted out of auto gratuities.

[RDC1]

I NEVER tip the longshoreman! They are part of one of the most powerful labor unions in the country with a starting salary well north of $100,000

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Also if you look at the process, the people that collect your bags put them in a large cart/cage. That movement of 10 feet or so is the total individual contact that they have with your bag. Unless one thinks that they go back later on and search for bags of people that did not tip (not likely), their ability to negatively impact your bag is pretty much non-existent.

[RDC1]

The primary reason for customer service to distribute a list of those removing Auto-Grats is notify the various departments or supervisors that they might have a service issue. It is not for retribution, but to provide a heads up of a potential problem.

 

For anyone that removes them, pay attention the next few days after removal. Note if you seem to be getting more inquiries from workers or supervisors if everything is ok or if there is anything else that they need.

 

I was recently on another line. At mid point of the cruise they send out a survey. I made a couple of comments. The evening after I submitted it the head waiter stopped by for a discussion on how things were going and if there was anything else they could do. From his specific questions it was obvious that he had already seen the survey.

[not-enough-cruising]

Also if you look at the process, the people that collect your bags put them in a large cart/cage. That movement of 10 feet or so is the total individual contact that they have with your bag. Unless one thinks that they go back later on and search for bags of people that did not tip (not likely), their ability to negatively impact your bag is pretty much non-existent.

 

 

 

Exactly!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Toofarfromthesea]

I NEVER tip the longshoreman! They are part of one of the most powerful labor unions in the country with a starting salary well north of $100,000

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Well, to be fair, the starting pay is not north of 100,000, but the average is. And working a cruise ship is a plum for them because of the tips and light workload and so the most senior guys, who assuredly ARE making over 100,000, get that assignment.

 

I've tipped them in the past through ignorance, but no more.

[not-enough-cruising]

When I go to a hotel and a valet hails a taxi for me, and takes my bag 2 feet to the trunk of my Uber/taxi, I tip him. When a bellman wheels my family's luggage on a cart, up the elevator and to my hotel room, physically carrying the bags no more than 3 feet, I tip him. When I get back from a trip and take a shuttle back to long term parking and the driver moves my bag 4 feet from the van to the sidewalk, I tip him/her. I don't calculate the distance traveled, and I never think to ask them what their annual salary is. Are we only supposed to tip people on public assistance (and Sherpas)?

 

 

 

No, you tip people that go above and beyond. NONE of the people you just mentioned performed any duty that wasn’t included in the MINIMAL job description for which they are contracted.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[not-enough-cruising]

Well, to be fair, the starting pay is not north of 100,000, but the average is. And working a cruise ship is a plum for them because of the tips and light workload and so the most senior guys, who assuredly ARE making over 100,000, get that assignment.

 

 

 

I've tipped them in the past through ignorance, but no more.

 

 

 

I stand corrected, you are correct. I re-read the article I was citing and the AVERAGE pay is $143,000 annually PLUS 3 weeks paid vacation PLUS $35,000 in health benefits.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Pierlesscruisers]

So you put the luggage on the cart yourself? Ever wonder how some luggage just doesn't make it to the room? Try & prove the Longshoreman tossed it. Personally, I'll give them a few bucks to "insure" it does make it to my room!

 

How your bags are handled at a port differs from port to port it seems, from my experience. At Seattle, if you give your bag(s) to a porter when you arrive at the pier, he/she takes it into the luggage hall where it' scanned and then taken to the ship. If you take the bag(s) into the luggage hall yourself, they are then scanned and taken to the ship. At no time do the longshoremen working in the luggage hall on embarkation (loading onto scanners, taking off of scanners and putting on carts to be taken to ship by forklift, or running the scanners) get any of the tips from the longshoremen who bring bags into the hall. As to luggage not making it to a room, considering that a fairly good percentage of bags are dropped off at the airport where they are loaded onto trucks and taken to the pier to be checked and loaded onto the ship, claiming that missing bags are due to some malfeasance by longshoremen at the pier seems like a stretch to me. Could the longshoremen be responsible for missing bags? Sure, it's possible but I doubt that many people with jobs that pay over $100K a year are really going to take a chance on losing that job because of someone not giving a tip. Your viewpoint on this may certainly be different from mine, however.

 

 

Tom

[Ndroxme]

This is my first cruise. My hubby and I are taking a 7 days cruise on Princess. We've already paid the automatic tip amount and I'm fine with that. I was planning on leaving an additional tip for the room steward in particular; what is considered appropriate in generalities?

 

Thanks much,

 

Janis

[geoherb]

This is my first cruise. My hubby and I are taking a 7 days cruise on Princess. We've already paid the automatic tip amount and I'm fine with that. I was planning on leaving an additional tip for the room steward in particular; what is considered appropriate in generalities?

It depends on what you feel like. They should be thankful for any extra money you give them. I like to tip the ones who have gone out of their way. Back in the old days when we tipped in cash at the end of the cruise, we'd round up the amounts to be divisible by 10. So if the suggested tip for a particular position added up to $49 for the two of us, the minimum we'd tip would be $50. Most often, we'd round it up again to $60 or $70 for exceptional service. An extra $11 worked out to be 22 percent more than the suggested tip.

[moki'smommy]

This is my first cruise. My hubby and I are taking a 7 days cruise on Princess. We've already paid the automatic tip amount and I'm fine with that. I was planning on leaving an additional tip for the room steward in particular; what is considered appropriate in generalities?

 

Thanks much,

 

Janis

What is appropriate is that you don't remove the auto-gratuity. I do realize that you were very clear that you didn't plan this. Anything over that is at your discretion.

 

Princess doesn't release much information on how gratuities are divided. Another cruise line that does tell this info with about the same standard tip allocates $4 per person per night of cruise to the room steward, so $56 total out of the auto-grat. This may or may not reflect the Princess amount. I look at what the steward did. If the room was cleaned, beds made, fresh towels, he did his job. If he was doing other things for us--getting rid of room service trays, making towel animals for kids, whatever, then he's gone beyond the minimum, and you might consider an additional tip.

 

What is an appropriate additional amount? Again up to you. If he's going to get about $56 from your room, then $20 additional is essentially a 30% salary increase. I see people talking about leaving really large amounts--either they just like to talk on the boards, or they want to give the guy double or triple the standard amount!

[SadieN]

The autograt pool also tips out those not directly serving you but do make your cruise enjoyable, ie the crew that cleans the public areas. Without them the ship would be a disaster.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[moki'smommy]

The autograt pool also tips out those not directly serving you but do make your cruise enjoyable, ie the crew that cleans the public areas. Without them the ship would be a disaster.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

On some lines, these are considered "non-tipped" positions and paid appropriate salaries. On Princess, they are part of the tipping pool.

[RDC1]

On some lines' date=' these are considered "non-tipped" positions and paid appropriate salaries. On Princess, they are part of the tipping pool.[/quote']

 

I think you would find that the structure of the people in the tipping pool is pretty similar in the mass market lines. The people behind the scenes such as those in the kitchen, laundry, cleaners that work in the hotel department are in the tip pool on most of the CCL owned lines as well as most of the RCL owned lines.