Congratulations - You're now auto-tipping 18% on drinks instead of 15%.

[runner15km]

2 hours ago, n6uqqq said:

Who get's the 18% tip for the self service beer?

Tips are spread out throughout the whole beverage department. This includes staff who haul the booze from the hole up to the bars and the staff who washes the glasses etc.  Cash tips go in their pocket. 

[GMRPHRN]

In the past with a 15% automatic tip, an $8.25 drink (for example - Kiss on the Lips) would cost me $9.48 if my math is correct. I would then add $1 making the total $10.48.  An 18% gratuity will make the initial price $9.73. So still cheaper than if I added a dollar. A .25 cent increase hardly seems to matter but of course it could get pricey the more you buy. I wish I had already prepaid cheers for my Feb cruise. 

[LabRat]

On 11/30/2018 at 1:42 PM, Micah's Grandad said:

Has it been established how much of the 18% actually goes to the crew as pay?

 

 Here: https://www.cruiselawnews.com/2018/12/articles/gratuities/carnival-cruise-line-pockets-portion-increased-drink-gratuities/

 

No info on the entirety, but 1.5% of the 3% increase goes toward server pay.    "...from the the 3% increase, 1.5% will go to the Carnival server and the remaining 1.5% will go into a pool to fund Carnival expenses including the costs of  uniforms and return airline tickets for crew members. "

 

I'm all for making the lives of the crew easier, but hidden cash grabs by the corporation annoy me.  Just raise the damn ticket price so that I know what I'm buying and can compare. The more a company tries to disguise charges, the less likely I am to be a repeat buyer. 

 

Edited December 2, 2018 by LabRat

[tonit964]

The auto tip of 15% has been the same since I can remember so another 3% is nothing.

[BlerkOne]

2 hours ago, LabRat said:

I'm all for making the lives of the crew easier, but hidden cash grabs by the corporation annoy me.  Just raise the damn ticket price so that I know what I'm buying and can compare. The more a company tries to disguise charges, the less likely I am to be a repeat buyer. 

 

 

It isn't a cash grab or disguised charges. Carnival is more transparent than other cruise lines.

 

Gratuities are not revenue for the company as in taxable. If they raise the ticket prices, it is revenue and taxable, so they would have to raise prices even more to mitigate taxes.

 

Gratuities are paid on provided and optional services. I don't want to subsidize optional services I don't use and doubt many people do.

 

When you build gratuities into ticket prices, you eliminate what little incentive is left for staff to go above and beyond.

 

Glad you aren't in charge of Carnival.

[LabRat]

18 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

 

It isn't a cash grab or disguised charges. Carnival is more transparent than other cruise lines.

 

Gratuities are not revenue for the company as in taxable. If they raise the ticket prices, it is revenue and taxable, so they would have to raise prices even more to mitigate taxes.

 

Gratuities are paid on provided and optional services. I don't want to subsidize optional services I don't use and doubt many people do.

 

When you build gratuities into ticket prices, you eliminate what little incentive is left for staff to go above and beyond.

 

Glad you aren't in charge of Carnival.

 

Yes, "Carnival expenses" is ever so transparent.  I'm happy to pay gratuities TO THE SERVICE STAFF, and very happy to do so on services I use.  But vague statements by a corporation as to where the money will be allocated generally means disguised cash grab.

 

Glad you aren't in charge of critical thinking.

[sparks1093]

40 minutes ago, LabRat said:

 

Yes, "Carnival expenses" is ever so transparent.  I'm happy to pay gratuities TO THE SERVICE STAFF, and very happy to do so on services I use.  But vague statements by a corporation as to where the money will be allocated generally means disguised cash grab.

 

Glad you aren't in charge of critical thinking.

If it were a cash grab it would need to be reflected in SEC filings and I've never seen anything suggesting that it is. 

[PhillyFan33579]

On 11/30/2018 at 7:23 PM, Jared100 said:

I personally disagree with the auto added gratuities because I tip per drink, as do most people who understand social standards. This causes me to feel like i am paying double tips, but if I don't tip per drink I feel bad and think the bartender will not like me

 

If a bartender doesn’t like you, it’s more likely based on your personality, your friendliness, etc. I have gotten to know several bartenders well on Carnival ships, and have consistently heard there is no relationship between the amount someone tips and their likeability. 

[Khunter3]

On 11/30/2018 at 9:13 AM, ProgRockCruiser said:

Indeed, this has been posted elsewhere (but not so obvious that you would have seen it as such):

 

 

I'm OK with this as a general idea, and since I have already purchased Cheers for tomorrow's cruise (aaahhh!!!!) it doesn't affect us "now".

 

But I do now have to stop and think, at least for future cruises: will I change my habits, and just tip $1 cash per "round" of two drinks, rather than $1 on the receipt per drink that I typically do?  I dunno...

It will affect you as the price goes up regardless of when you purchased the package.

[Moviela]

On 12/1/2018 at 7:22 AM, Nic6318 said:

 

 

For those that think there is some conspiracy in these cruise lines finding was to increase their revenue rather than add to the pay of their employee, have you considered that they could just raise the price of the cruise itself by just a few dollars for everybody and make much more money, with nobody recognizing the case. Cruising is as cheap as it gets for vacation choices. Those that pay more do so as a choice.

 

Tips have little to do with the price of the cruise. I know a line where 100% of grats go to the employees. The company even picks up the rake taken by the banks for credit cards. The price of the cruise is very sensitive to the market. You'd need mad math skills to determine which room costs how much on a giving sailing. Computers do the work to make sure the ship leaves the dock full. The algorithm knows dates, times, even long range weather, holidays, and festivals to determine the exact price. Increasing it by just a couple of bucks can adversely affect the return on investment. Humans watch the competition and natural disasters to tweak as necessary, with advice from history in such situations.

[Expat Cruise]

Why should money they claim as a tip be going to pay for airline tickets, level pay and uniforms? Of the 3% added fee only 1.5% goes to the crews tip pool. It is just another example of Cruise Lines making billions and trying to get the guest to pay extra unneeded fees. 

 

[sparks1093]

2 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

Why should money they claim as a tip be going to pay for airline tickets, level pay and uniforms? Of the 3% added fee only 1.5% goes to the crews tip pool. It is just another example of Cruise Lines making billions and trying to get the guest to pay extra unneeded fees. 

 

So don't cruise. As long as it benefits the crew it's okay by me. 

[Expat Cruise]

7 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

So don't cruise. As long as it benefits the crew it's okay by me. 

People do not have the right to tell others not to cruise.  For those that want to do so many ways to get round these increases which are not they are claimed to be.  As long as guests stay within the terms of the contract, no one can stop someone from cruising.

[sparks1093]

14 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

People do not have the right to tell others not to cruise.  For those that want to do so many ways to get round these increases which are not they are claimed to be.  As long as guests stay within the terms of the contract, no one can stop someone from cruising.

I was suggesting a solution to your problem. If you want to keep tilting at windmills that is certainly your right but I learned a long time ago that life is too short for that.

[coevan]

9 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

Cruise Lines making billions and trying to get the guest to pay extra unneeded fees. 

 

 

 

Billions on a 1.5% increase? Why do people think Carnival wants to rip off their guests, it's absurd. They have one function, as I do as a retail operator, get the guests to come back again and again. To me, they seem to have achieved their goal. 

[figdu]

22 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

If it were a cash grab it would need to be reflected in SEC filings and I've never seen anything suggesting that it is. 

Having been an officer of a publicly traded company, I can tell you this is simply not true.  It is nothing more than a line item which would never see the light of day.

[sparks1093]

10 minutes ago, figdu said:

Having been an officer of a publicly traded company, I can tell you this is simply not true.  It is nothing more than a line item which would never see the light of day.

There are many on here that read those published reports and would see that line item, at least that is what folks on this board say who purport to be experts on the matter. Maybe they're wrong.

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

Honestly, if you really think that Cruise Law News is a relevant source of information, he is not. The cruise lines are multi billion dollar companies who conduct business above board. At the end of the day, US restaurants have been adding 18% gratuities to parties of 6 or more for years, and have shoved the " opportunity" to tip each single second they get.  The crew deserve this and non of us including myself have no right to assume where the money goes or value what Cruise Law News churns out. We must believe the company on face value

[figdu]

7 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

There are many on here that read those published reports and would see that line item, at least that is what folks on this board say who purport to be experts on the matter. Maybe they're wrong.

I cannot speak for others that purport to be experts.  I can only speak from experience in looking at internal financial documents that include all line items versus rolled up numbers that are reported.

[BlerkOne]

10 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

Why should money they claim as a tip be going to pay for airline tickets, level pay and uniforms? Of the 3% added fee only 1.5% goes to the crews tip pool. It is just another example of Cruise Lines making billions and trying to get the guest to pay extra unneeded fees. 

 

 

You are free to not cruise.

 

It still amounts to employee compensation. Do you know of any other cruise line that attempts to tell you where gratuities go?

[BlerkOne]

10 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

Why should money they claim as a tip be going to pay for airline tickets, level pay and uniforms? Of the 3% added fee only 1.5% goes to the crews tip pool. It is just another example of Cruise Lines making billions and trying to get the guest to pay extra unneeded fees. 

 

 

You are free to not cruise.

 

It still amounts to employee compensation. Do you know of any other cruise line that attempts to tell you where gratuities go?

[Crazy4Camping]

On 12/1/2018 at 10:22 AM, Nic6318 said:

 

Hi

Why on earth would you feel the bartender would not like you. That's really not part of their job. It's really not important to be liked by a bartender. You are already supporting them in their employment, and you are additionally giving what is mandated as a sufficient "tip". Once you have done this, you have done your part. Enjoy your vacation. 

 

For those that think there is some conspiracy in these cruise lines finding was to increase their revenue rather than add to the pay of their employee, have you considered that they could just raise the price of the cruise itself by just a few dollars for everybody and make much more money, with nobody recognizing the case. Cruising is as cheap as it gets for vacation choices. Those that pay more do so as a choice.

I guess I'm still trying to figure out why folks think this is such a cheap vacation.  When all is done and paid for, we will have paid over $3k for a weeks vacation for 2 people.  We spent that several years ago to have our family of four go to Disney-food, flights, rental car, hotel, tickets to the kingdoms, everything.  I'm not saying it won't be worth it.  I'm really looking forward to our first and only cruise but I wouldn't say it's "cheap" by any means-unless you live close enough to drive to a port and you don't drink anything alcoholic.  JMHO

[WashCoCruisers]

On 11/30/2018 at 12:36 PM, rtfnl said:

I'm all for tipping 18% and usually tip extra, however if not for Cruise Critic I would not have known that it has been raised to 18% since Carnival has not communicated with guests who are immediately affected by the change (sailing tomorrow on the Sunshine). I just got off the phone with the Group department for something and was told the CSRs were emailed today about the change and it being effective today.  Cheers and tips will be purchased and paid tomorrow. 

 

I got an e-mail telling me that there is an increase coming???

[SwordBlazer Cruising]

Let me ask a question. Since there are so many people who are concerned where a crew members tip goes, is there the very same public outcry when people smuggle onboard bottles of alcohol and other items which force a cruise line to raise the actual cruise cost? Come on guys, these crew members deserve the gratuities and really who are we to drill down and question to the PENNY how a cruise line " compensates" a crew member? I am not aware of anyone here that works as a director or is an officer for Carnival?

[sparks1093]

27 minutes ago, SwordBlazer Cruising said:

Let me ask a question. Since there are so many people who are concerned where a crew members tip goes, is there the very same public outcry when people smuggle onboard bottles of alcohol and other items which force a cruise line to raise the actual cruise cost? Come on guys, these crew members deserve the gratuities and really who are we to drill down and question to the PENNY how a cruise line " compensates" a crew member? I am not aware of anyone here that works as a director or is an officer for Carnival?

Actually there is a fairly good outcry when the topic of smuggling is broached. Once I've left a tip it is out of my control and I try not to worry about things that I can't control, but that's just me.