Shocking 60% of guests removed gratuities on NV Transatlantic

[vacationlover_mn]

FYI, it really happened.  You can think whatever, but I have no reason to lie.

[vacationlover_mn]

20 minutes ago, KS Sunflower said:

Had you been to the beach that day?. I don't think the cabin attendant carries around sand, just to put in the bed of poor tippers.. but believe as you will.🙄

Sigh. No.  No excursion that day.  And, I have no reason to lie about it.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

5 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

FYI, it really happened.  You can think whatever, but I have no reason to lie.

I totally belive you!

I have seen this over and over when staff is all about getting tipped the way they want it ....

One of the reasons why I think tipping is bad!

Edited December 2, 2018 by Thorben-Hendrik

[twangster]

1 minute ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

I totally belive you!

I have seen this over and over when staff is all about getting tipped the way they want it ....

One of the reasons why I think tipping is bad!

 

It isn't tipping.  

 

In other news I like to pay for the daily sand-free bedding package.  

[Thorben-Hendrik]

5 minutes ago, twangster said:

I like to pay for the daily sand-free bedding package.  

I am thinking about getting the ultimate sandfree - package - so I can have a sandfree nap after lunch on seadays!

I also hate beaches.....there is SO much sand on them!

Edited December 2, 2018 by Thorben-Hendrik

[BNBR]

11 hours ago, ditmar2007 said:

YES, THIS!!! I'm not here for your company. I'm either here for my own, or to be with my friend/partner/kid/whomever I'm travelling with.
 

Don't come to my table and interrupt me to ask if everything is ok. If it wasn't, you'd know by now.

 

Dane here. Other nationalities that come to Denmark find our waiters unfriendly. We simply like it that way. 

 

You definitely do not speak for Danes.  My entire extended family is Danish and I spend quite a bit of time there.  I don't think any of them would agree with your characterization. 

[Thorben-Hendrik]

5 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

You definitely do not speak for Danes.  My entire extended family is Danish and I spend quite a bit of time there.  I don't think any of them would agree with your characterization. 

OMG!

[Ourusualbeach]

40 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Maybe they have an "Emergency kit" ...sand, nails, bed-bugs....

depending on the level of tipping?

 

Extra soot for the aft balconies. 😂

[Thorben-Hendrik]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Extra soot for the aft balconies. 😂

Yeah!

And extra shampoo to get the stains of the carpet.....🤣

[voyager70]

32 minutes ago, vacationlover_mn said:

FYI, it really happened.  You can think whatever, but I have no reason to lie.

 

I believe you, and I hope you reported them.  That's totally inexcusable.

 

 

[frank808]

On 12/1/2018 at 12:09 PM, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Mandatory gratuities are forbidden all around the EU and in many countries.....since RCI is selling in all those countries they just can not make grats unremovable!

The rule is not for BAD service....it says something else!

Actually I find service at RCI to be mediocre at best...always issues on any cruise lately!

One example that never fails:

Have you ever seen all Coke machines functioning for a 24 hour period?

Have you always had your room made before 1 pm? 

Meals always hot?

And the list goes on and on.....

5 Minutes can save you 15%!

 

23 hours ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

I am not urging anyone - I just state an opinion on how I feel about it....

Your prior post urges people to remove tips.  Post definitely is not stating your opinion.

 

Yes, my room has always been serviced before 1pm on every cruise even b2b.

Edited December 2, 2018 by frank808

[mugtech]

Yes he did 

[mugtech]

No he didn't 

[mugtech]

He most certainly did.

[mugtech]

He most certainly didn't. 

[vacationlover_mn]

52 minutes ago, voyager70 said:

 

I believe you, and I hope you reported them.  That's totally inexcusable.

 

 

Unfortunately, we were young and meek and inexperienced... now that it’s 20 yrs later... 1) we tip more and 2) we would report a steward who would do this to us!!!

[vacationlover_mn]

1 hour ago, KS Sunflower said:

Had you been to the beach that day?. I don't think the cabin attendant carries around sand, just to put in the bed of poor tippers.. but believe as you will.🙄

One thing DH just reminded me of... we DID have sand in the room... being cheesy newlyweds, we had a beer bottle of sand we collected throughout the the week, sitting on our table...

[GigiK]

11 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

Fun side topic- on our first cruise, back when you left the tip out the last night before final turn down service, we tipped very little (can’t remember the reason- probably we were tight on money, etc etc). When we got back for the evening, our room steward had put sand in our beds, under the covers...  

 

Although wrong, that is pretty funny. At least he had done something you *knew* about! Years ago just as you mentioned when you left envelopes, we had the sweetest steward and had asked her for several extra things, so we left her a little extra. When we got back to the room, she had left us a little bag full of the chocolates they used to leave on your pillows. Completely unexpected, but she had been so sweet the whole trip.

[vacationlover_mn]

40 minutes ago, GigiK said:

 

Although wrong, that is pretty funny. At least he had done something you *knew* about! Years ago just as you mentioned when you left envelopes, we had the sweetest steward and had asked her for several extra things, so we left her a little extra. When we got back to the room, she had left us a little bag full of the chocolates they used to leave on your pillows. Completely unexpected, but she had been so sweet the whole trip.

In hindsight agree- it’s a funny old story!  It definitely did not sour us on cruising 🙂

[davekathy]

13 hours ago, vacationlover_mn said:

Fun side topic- on our first cruise, back when you left the tip out the last night before final turn down service, we tipped very little (can’t remember the reason- probably we were tight on money, etc etc). When we got back for the evening, our room steward had put sand in our beds, under the covers...  

No tip gets you the short sheet treatment. 

[voyager70]

9 minutes ago, davekathy said:

No tip gets you the short sheet treatment. 

 

Could have been worse.  My sister worked in the restaurant industry for years.  I can't even repeat some of the stuff she saw servers do to nasty customers food.  

[The_Big_M]

On ‎12‎/‎2‎/‎2018 at 1:40 AM, twangster said:

In Australia where it's bundled in why should crew work hard?  If they slack off there is nothing any guest can do about it.  

 

If they converted all sailings to have it bundled and mandatory, service would eventually decline.  Be careful what you wish for.  

 

Gee, management in the US must have an easy life.

 

Here, if people don't work hard, they get managed, and terminated, and there are sessions and training on expectations regularly.

 

From my recent trip to the US where I experienced terrible service in bus stations and supermarkets, I had doubts about why staff weren't being trained properly. Thanks for confirming that they don't have any management that actually cares about customer service and the customer experience.

[GUT2407]

2 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

 

Gee, management in the US must have an easy life.

 

Here, if people don't work hard, they get managed, and terminated, and there are sessions and training on expectations regularly.

 

From my recent trip to the US where I experienced terrible service in bus stations and supermarkets, I had doubts about why staff weren't being trained properly. Thanks for confirming that they don't have any management that actually cares about customer service and the customer experience.

I doubt either of those are tipped positions though.

[Bloodgem]

3 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

From my recent trip to the US where I experienced terrible service in bus stations and supermarkets, I had doubts about why staff weren't being trained properly. Thanks for confirming that they don't have any management that actually cares about customer service and the customer experience.

Have you worked in a supermarket?

Customers shouting at you because the store has not got their favourite brand in stock.  Cashiers been shouted at because the till glitches and one of my favourites is customers who shout at you because you have had to interrupt their phone call to ask for payment. 

After been shouted at by several customers the staff training tends to get forgotten.

[momto2js]

I have recently had to personally consider the daily service fee (of what ever you want to call it) in regards to an overall BAD experience.  We had a delayed embarcation and did not board until 1am.  So in short, we miss the first day on board.  For my family of 4, paying $60 for something we didnt get felt, well wrong.  However I knew the crew still worked that day, in particular the room steward worked 48 hours with just about 5 off.  

 

So in the end, I did remove the first days prepaid service fee, and I left it in cash for the steward.  I also have done some mental math and do not believe the crew gets all of the collected service fee in addition to a salary.  So for this one day, that was a pretty awful way to start a trip, I decided the line would not get my service fee.  It would not surprise me to hear that many removed the entire trip after how embarkation was handled and how concerns after boarding were addressed.  

 

 

Edited December 3, 2018 by momto2js