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Billiegirl
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Travelling soon on HAL and wondering what the company’s policy is on service charges. Although it says gratuities are added to your onboard account, are they mandatory because we prefer to give directly to the people who look after us. We are not trying to avoid paying, just who it goes to.

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Leave the HSC in place, please.  

 

You don't see some of the people that look after you (think laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc.) and this way it is distributed proportionately to all involved.

 

If you remove the HSC to tip individually, the crew members whom you tip must turn over the money.  If you leave the HSC in place, you can tip extra (if you choose) and they get to keep the tip.

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Well, you've certainly started a controversial topic.

Generally speaking, it is much easier to just go with the Hotel Service Charge and tip extra cash to those you want to.

Are you going to carry cash all the time? And give it to the various members of the wait staff in the Lido and the MDR?  You may not see the same people everyday. 

Make life easier for you and the staff.  Leave the HSC in place.

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58 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

Well, you've certainly started a controversial topic.

Generally speaking, it is much easier to just go with the Hotel Service Charge and tip extra cash to those you want to.

Are you going to carry cash all the time? And give it to the various members of the wait staff in the Lido and the MDR?  You may not see the same people everyday. 

Make life easier for you and the staff.  Leave the HSC in place.

I agree with this poster too. We prefer on HAL, the Anytime dining option and  you will have different servers every night. Also if choose to eat in a couple SR you will  see those servers only once. For these reasons we pay the HSC and tip to others directly if we feel the service was over and above.

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1 hour ago, kazu said:

If you remove the HSC to tip individually, the crew members whom you tip must turn over the money.  If you leave the HSC in place, you can tip extra (if you choose) and they get to keep the tip.

 

Is this true? How does this work? Just curious! I always leave the gratuities in place and give extra to my stateroom stewards, but how would they know whether they had to "turn over the money"? This is the first I've heard of this. And I sometimes give an extra tip at the end of the cruise to a bartender or other crew member I thought had gone out of their way for me - do they then check to make sure I've left the gratuities in place to see if they have to "turn over" that tip? Sometimes I'm not even certain they know my name/stateroom number (although I guess they would since I pay with my card, but still... is this really the policy?)

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2 minutes ago, Moriah said:

 

Is this true? How does this work? Just curious! I always leave the gratuities in place and give extra to my stateroom stewards, but how would they know whether they had to "turn over the money"? This is the first I've heard of this. And I sometimes give an extra tip at the end of the cruise to a bartender or other crew member I thought had gone out of their way for me - do they then check to make sure I've left the gratuities in place to see if they have to "turn over" that tip? Sometimes I'm not even certain they know my name/stateroom number (although I guess they would since I pay with my card, but still... is this really the policy?)

 

It is very true.  When someone removes the HSC a list is produced - the stewards, etc. have it and they must turn over any cash given to them.

 

Since you keep the HSC in place, any extra tips you give are theirs to keep.  It's in their contract.

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1 minute ago, kazu said:

 

It is very true.  When someone removes the HSC a list is produced - the stewards, etc. have it and they must turn over any cash given to them.

 

Since you keep the HSC in place, any extra tips you give are theirs to keep.  It's in their contract.

 

So all crew members are to consult this list? As said, I sometimes give tips to other crew members like bartenders and waiters and anyone I think was particularly nice and helpful during the cruise -- often its the barista at Explorations Cafe 🙂 (I keep a list in my phone and go around on the day before disembarking and hand out small tips - as said, I'm sure some of them don't even know my name. I hope they keep those tips!). 

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Sitting here thinking about this some more ...so bartenders can see I'm not on the list.. but... I like to give tips to the guys who are incessantly shining things!! On HAL ships in particular, every morning I'm up early and as I walk through the ship every brass and metal thing is being polished and every carpet is being vacuumed... even later in the day as I use the stairs, there is always someone shining away... I often thank them for making the ship so beautiful and if I see the same person more than once I'll often give them a tip as well.  It just makes me feel good to appreciate their work.  Now, these people do NOT (for sure) know my name so would not know where to look on the list to make sure I've left my gratuities in place - I hope they get to keep their tips? :classic_unsure:

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3 minutes ago, Moriah said:

 

So all crew members are to consult this list? As said, I sometimes give tips to other crew members like bartenders and waiters and anyone I think was particularly nice and helpful during the cruise -- often its the barista at Explorations Cafe 🙂 (I keep a list in my phone and go around on the day before disembarking and hand out small tips - as said, I'm sure some of them don't even know my name. I hope they keep those tips!). 

 

Bartenders and waiters are not affected as they get the automatic 15% service charge on the bar bills.

 

As long as you keep the HSC in place, everyone gets to keep their tips.  It's a non issue. 😉

 

You'll be surprised how many know your name or can easily find out 😉   All they have to do is look at the pics that they have for identifying you when your key card is scanned.

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To answer OP's question, no, the service charge is not mandatory.  You are free to adjust the service charge as you see fit.  Please see this link from HAL's website for instructions on how to do so:  https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.shipboard-life.is-there-a-hotel-service-charge-gratuity-tip.html

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If you do decide to remove the Hotel Service Charge, you will be asked why you are doing so.  HAL wants to make certain that all crew members are doing their jobs well.

 

We always leave the Hotel Service Charge in place so that extra tips we give crew members, they can keep it and do not have to turn it in to their supervisors who then turn the monies into the office to be divided among all the crew.

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51 minutes ago, POA1 said:

To clarify, "the list" of pax who removed the HSC goes to the room stewards and dining stewards. 

 

Having accidently seen a list I can verify that one is produced and provided to room stewards.   At the top of the list is a reminder in three or so languages that any cash tips received from the passengers listed below must be turned in.   

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4 hours ago, kazu said:

 

If you remove the HSC to tip individually, the crew members whom you tip must turn over the money.  If you leave the HSC in place, you can tip extra (if you choose) and they get to keep the tip.

Not trying to stir any pot here, because this is the way I want it to be.

 

However, just how is this determined?  I, for the life of me cannot figure it out.

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23 minutes ago, DocJohnB said:

Not trying to stir any pot here, because this is the way I want it to be.

 

However, just how is this determined?  I, for the life of me cannot figure it out.

 

Simple, there is a list given out to the stewards (cabin & dining room at least) as to who has removed HSC. They have to turn in any cash tips they receive to be pooled.  

 

reading the thread gives you all your answers I think

See below :

1 hour ago, POA1 said:

To clarify, "the list" of pax who removed the HSC goes to the room stewards and dining stewards. 

 

31 minutes ago, Randyk47 said:

 

Having accidently seen a list I can verify that one is produced and provided to room stewards.   At the top of the list is a reminder in three or so languages that any cash tips received from the passengers listed below must be turned in.   

 

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2 hours ago, cbr663 said:

To answer OP's question, no, the service charge is not mandatory.  You are free to adjust the service charge as you see fit.  Please see this link from HAL's website for instructions on how to do so: https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/faq.shipboard-life.is-there-a-hotel-service-charge-gratuity-tip.html

 

Second this. Tipping is a personal decision. Many posters have given you the pros and cons of removing or adding to the HSC. It's your decision after you process these facts and opinions.  

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4 minutes ago, Tiggipaws said:

Just wondering if you did remove the HSC, would you get inferior service from your room steward, or would they try to impress you for a tip?

 

I've never removed HSC so I have no personal experience, but having worked in the service industry and reliant on reward for good service, I know what I would do (and it wouldn't be try to impress 😉 ).  I'm sure they would still be professional but I doubt they would go out of their way.

 

Most cash tips would NOT equate to what they would receive with the HSC left in place and considering they have to be pooled.....

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One thing missing from this discussion is the crew's preferences.  Recently, the District of Columbia moved to eliminate the 'tipped minimum wage' that allowed enterprises to pay a lesser minimum wage to those in the service industry that received tips to supplement their wages.  The district voted to eliminate this provision.  The DC council voted to over rule this vote because of the strenuous objection of the workers.  

 

Has anyone stopped to think that the crew might prefer a system where tipping is a major portion of their compensation?

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52 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

One thing missing from this discussion is the crew's preferences.  Recently, the District of Columbia moved to eliminate the 'tipped minimum wage' that allowed enterprises to pay a lesser minimum wage to those in the service industry that received tips to supplement their wages.  The district voted to eliminate this provision.  The DC council voted to over rule this vote because of the strenuous objection of the workers.  

 

Has anyone stopped to think that the crew might prefer a system where tipping is a major portion of their compensation?

Same thing recently happened in Maine.

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2 hours ago, kazu said:

reading the thread gives you all your answers I think

Not really Jacqui.

 

While I have been around C/C boards long enough to know (or understand) that lists are prepared for staff of those who have and who have not removed "gratuities", I have never actually seen such a list either accidentally or otherwise.  Nor, have I ever been privy to any crew member's contract to see what it says in regards to this subject (nor, for that fact, do I want to).

 

I just don't feel there is any realistic way for a supervisor (an anybody else) ascertaining which monies in a steward(ess)'s pocket came from a person who has withdrawn their HSC and which came from an "extra gratuity".

 

I have been cruising since 1993 (on most of the mass market lines) and have extended gratuities under both the old system and the newer system.  I have NEVER withdrawn from the HSC and and have NEVER NOT extended additional gratuities (as warranted).   I just have never gotten the "warm, fuzzy" that others have that the HSC in the best interest of "all" the crew.

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1 hour ago, RocketMan275 said:

One thing missing from this discussion is the crew's preferences.  Recently, the District of Columbia moved to eliminate the 'tipped minimum wage' that allowed enterprises to pay a lesser minimum wage to those in the service industry that received tips to supplement their wages.  The district voted to eliminate this provision.  The DC council voted to over rule this vote because of the strenuous objection of the workers.  

 

Has anyone stopped to think that the crew might prefer a system where tipping is a major portion of their compensation?

Good point, recently my wife and I ate at a 5 star restaurant in Galveston Texas. Our bill for the two of us was $250, the service was exemplary and the food was out of this world. Dinner was about 2 hours long and my tip was $60. So for those two hours our waiter made $30 per hour. Times that by the 4 or 5 tables that our server worked and do you think he would be happy with a guaranteed $15 an hour from his employer? 

Edited by terrydtx
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