Gratuities

[german_navy]

Does anybody know how the $14.50US per day are distributed? Guest relations on Reflection just very recently told us that $5,50 (or so) goes to the room attendant, the rest to the staff of the MDR. The employees at guest relations tend to tell many things so I am not sure if this distribution of the daily gratuity is really correct.  Can anybody confirm that?

[Gordoncruickshank]

17 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

To answer the Op's question.  

 

Yes you can go to Customer Service and ask to have tips removed.   There are many reasons for this.   We once ate in Olympic for the entire cruise.    If the standard tipping were used our tips for dining would have gone to the main dining room (prior to Luminea).    They advised the only way we could direct the tips was to remove them and pay in cash or designate individually on a separate request.    

In the pre Luminae days we used Blu all the time and after a couple of days the host in Blu asked us if we wanted to move our tips from the MDR to Blu. Said ok and it was done. Strange how different ships do things differently (or more probably different people on guest services).

[Gordoncruickshank]

13 hours ago, ghstudio said:

 

It was not an arbitrary decision on Celebrity's part to change prices on UK origin cruises to include the gratuity....it was done because those on those cruises were complaining about having to leave tips as part of their drink cost.  Perhaps one should question Celebrity on why they continue to have that policy.

 

from Trip Advisor...parent company of cruise critic:  https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g186216-s606/United-Kingdom:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html.

 

I am not questioning different customs in different countries, however when in Rome...... and leaving the standard tip is what "the roman's do". 

That is a fair reflection of how things work here. It is generally all built into the minimum wage, which is built into the cost of the service.

[crazyman3]

Well, I'm with Orator on this one!

 

We pre-pay gratuities and then provide something extra for those who have provided something extra.

 

So we will nearly always tip the Michael's Club concierge ---but with a special gift. Research about the person pays dividends!

 

A favourite waiter.... a cleaner.... our butler (sometimes a gift)... our room attendant.

 

We never tip a person in a management position. The same as in a restaurant or hotel: we tip the porter and the maid.

 

Here in the UK, we tip the paperboy at Christmas, we tip taxi drivers, our ironing lady at Christmas, waiters and  occasionally we add a little extra for plumbers/builders/electricians. 

 

There is also that extra something that is important: personal praise! I will let managers know when I have received outstanding service. 

[fastnloose]

21 hours ago, podfir said:

Sailing on Equinox later this year, we have opted not to prepay gratuities. Can we go to customer services and ask them not to add the $15 per day/per person at the start of the cruise? We prefer to tip as we go for good service.

Yes you can

[Diamond lover]

16 hours ago, ghstudio said:

 

It was not an arbitrary decision on Celebrity's part to change prices on UK origin cruises to include the gratuity....it was done because those on those cruises were complaining about having to leave tips as part of their drink cost.  Perhaps one should question Celebrity on why they continue to have that policy.

 

from Trip Advisor...parent company of cruise critic:  https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g186216-s606/United-Kingdom:Tipping.And.Etiquette.html.

 

I am not questioning different customs in different countries, however when in Rome...... and leaving the standard tip is what "the roman's do". 

 

Except the Romans don't tip lol.

 

[Miaminice]

4 hours ago, german_navy said:

Does anybody know how the $14.50US per day are distributed? Guest relations on Reflection just very recently told us that $5,50 (or so) goes to the room attendant, the rest to the staff of the MDR. The employees at guest relations tend to tell many things so I am not sure if this distribution of the daily gratuity is really correct.  Can anybody confirm that?

 

Total Standard Staterooms: $14.50

Stateroom Attendant: $6.20

Dining Room: $6.25

Other Hotel Services: $5.05

[ghstudio]

5 hours ago, german_navy said:

Does anybody know how the $14.50US per day are distributed? Guest relations on Reflection just very recently told us that $5,50 (or so) goes to the room attendant, the rest to the staff of the MDR. The employees at guest relations tend to tell many things so I am not sure if this distribution of the daily gratuity is really correct.  Can anybody confirm that?

 

Why does this matter to so many? are tips shared? and so on.  When you buy something, do you ask how much goes towards advertising, shipping, cost of goods....you pay the price asked.  You don't get to decide if the stateroom attendant shares in a pool or shares with someone else. 

 

The distribution/etc shouldn't effect your tip or your extra tip.   "I would give you more, but I know you share it so I am not giving more to make up for it"....how would that conversation go?  "I want to tip you, not the other hotel services....so don't share this"....as if you think that will really happen....there is a code of ethics on the ship. "I know that you share tips on drinks and you only get 30% so here's $.50 a drink, but don't share it"

 

Let whatever happens behind the scenes happen....just tip as if it all goes to the person you are tipping.

[Lady Arwen]

2 minutes ago, ghstudio said:

 

Why does this matter to so many? are tips shared? and so on.  When you buy something, do you ask how much goes towards advertising, shipping, cost of goods....you pay the price asked.  You don't get to decide if the stateroom attendant shares in a pool or shares with someone else. 

 

The distribution/etc shouldn't effect your tip or your extra tip.   "I would give you more, but I know you share it so I am not giving more to make up for it"....how would that conversation go?  "I want to tip you, not the other hotel services....so don't share this"....as if you think that will really happen....there is a code of ethics on the ship. "I know that you share tips on drinks and you only get 30% so here's $.50 a drink, but don't share it"

 

Let whatever happens behind the scenes happen....just tip as if it all goes to the person you are tipping.

The voice of reason and sanity FINALLY!  Yes, yes, yes exactly right on!  Just pay the darn tips (and extra if you choose) and be done with it.  This topic has been analysed to death!!  

[Gordoncruickshank]

22 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

This topic has been analysed to death!!  

Over many, many years and you still will not change the mind the those who want to do it their way.

[BPCW]

19 hours ago, luvstosail said:

 Also, just IMHO another thing , I feel a lot of passengers feel  as I do that the $$ amount of pre-paid tips are a bit out of line.

 

Luvstosail

Boston Ma

31 X cruises so far 

 

 

Just my opinion but if you think $15/day for someone to serve you drinks all day, bus your tables for breakfast and lunch, serve you a nice 3 course meal every night, and clean your stateroom multiple times per day is "out of line",  what is "in line"???

Edited January 24, 2019 by BPCW

[arsenalboy]

1 hour ago, Miaminice said:

 

Total Standard Staterooms: $14.50

Stateroom Attendant: $6.20

Dining Room: $6.25

Other Hotel Services: $5.05

 

So where does the $3 come from.....

[r5516]

I like pre-paid gratuities but I also tip room service breakfast servers in cash and whenever I am receiving free drinks as a Captains' Club perk I also tip the bartender in cash $5 or more.

[wrk2cruise]

4 hours ago, crazyman3 said:

Well, I'm with Orator on this one!

 

We pre-pay gratuities and then provide something extra for those who have provided something extra.

 

So we will nearly always tip the Michael's Club concierge ---but with a special gift. Research about the person pays dividends!

 

A favourite waiter.... a cleaner.... our butler (sometimes a gift)... our room attendant.

 

We never tip a person in a management position. The same as in a restaurant or hotel: we tip the porter and the maid.

 

Here in the UK, we tip the paperboy at Christmas, we tip taxi drivers, our ironing lady at Christmas, waiters and  occasionally we add a little extra for plumbers/builders/electricians. 

 

There is also that extra something that is important: personal praise! I will let managers know when I have received outstanding service. 

 

I've always struggled with the Michaels Club Concierge.  Too me this is almost a management position.  What about the Suite Manager?

I always treat the MC bar staff very well (in my opinion), not that I drink much but because I enjoy the MC atmosphere and spend quite a bit of time in the lounge and always develop a nice relationship with them.

 

[Miaminice]

40 minutes ago, arsenalboy said:

 

So where does the $3 come from.....

 

 my commission ...

You are correct, of course! A typo somewhere. Will check when I am back home.

[german_navy]

1 hour ago, ghstudio said:

 

Why does this matter to so many? are tips shared? and so on.  When you buy something, do you ask how much goes towards advertising, shipping, cost of goods....you pay the price asked.  You don't get to decide if the stateroom attendant shares in a pool or shares with someone else. 

 

The distribution/etc shouldn't effect your tip or your extra tip.   "I would give you more, but I know you share it so I am not giving more to make up for it"....how would that conversation go?  "I want to tip you, not the other hotel services....so don't share this"....as if you think that will really happen....there is a code of ethics on the ship. "I know that you share tips on drinks and you only get 30% so here's $.50 a drink, but don't share it"

 

Let whatever happens behind the scenes happen....just tip as if it all goes to the person you are tipping.

 

Why this matters? Very simple: we never use the main dining room. I hate sitting and eating in noisy and overcrowded places. So we always use the buffet of the Oceanview Cafe and sit outside. For us cruising is not about eating. So, in our case it actually makes no sense  to tip the MDR. 

[cruisestitch]

The MDR dinner staff also work the buffet at breakfast and lunch.

 

your dining staff tips go to those people as well, not just to the MDR dinner servers.

[crazyman3]

1 hour ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I've always struggled with the Michaels Club Concierge.  Too me this is almost a management position.  What about the Suite Manager?

I always treat the MC bar staff very well (in my opinion), not that I drink much but because I enjoy the MC atmosphere and spend quite a bit of time in the lounge and always develop a nice relationship with them.

 

 

Mmm... yes the MC concierge is verging on management.

 

This next cruise will be our sixth CS or above but we've never had a Suite Concierge. Saying that, there were two MC concierges on the Reflection in 2017. 

[zdad59]

21 hours ago, luvstosail said:

.  Also, just IMHO another thing , I feel a lot of passengers feel  as I do that the $$ amount of pre-paid tips are a bit out of line. 

Luvstosail

Boston Ma

31 X cruises so far 

 

 

Think about being on vacation but not on a cruise ship.     just making up numbers (reasonable ones)....breakfast for 2 will run about $20.    Lunch for 2 will run about $20.    A nice sit down dinner will run  at least $40.     That’s $80 a day to eat...conservatively.     A 15% gratuity on that would be  $12.     Stop at the bar for a couple of drinks..add another $3 in tip.    If your are staying I a hotel, I hope you’ll leave a smal tip each day for the maid.   I do, usually $5 per day (On a  $100 a nite room that’s a 5% gratuity).     So add it up you are tipping out at least $20 a day.    And I do think my number are conservative.  

 

So. when you look look at it that way $15 per day is a bargain.    (If service is poor, then I encourage you to go to the customer service desk and have the gratuity removed.)

 

We will always go beyond the auto tips.  Slip the room steward some cash on sail away day, and if service is good a nice tip envelope at the end of the cruise as well.  We Always tip the bartenders extra, especially if I find my “regular place” (usually the Solarium bar).    On the last night, if service was consistent and good the MDR waiter, assistant server and room manger get a nice envelope.    I am of the opinion that these people bust their balls to make my vacation an awesome experience.   They deserve FROM ME to be recognized for that....monetarily.   

 

As as I quoted Todd Wilkinson in an earlier post.....”I don’t believe in tipping.  I believe in over tipping.”

[Gordoncruickshank]

2 hours ago, arsenalboy said:

 

So where does the $3 come from.....

That's the extra for the butler!!

[WestLakeGirl]

German navy, so you aren’t eating dinner in the MDR, but you are eating somewhere, right?  And shouldn’t the employees in those venues be getting tipped for serving you.

 

It’s a mistake to think that the waitstaff tip only gets distributed to the waiter and assistant who are in the dining room at dinner.

 

 

[Lady Arwen]

2 hours ago, german_navy said:

 

Why this matters? Very simple: we never use the main dining room. I hate sitting and eating in noisy and overcrowded places. So we always use the buffet of the Oceanview Cafe and sit outside. For us cruising is not about eating. So, in our case it actually makes no sense  to tip the MDR. 

Do you eat anywhere?  Do you have food prepared for you or do you cook your own?  Do you wash your own dishes?  You sit outside to eat, so of course  that's different than eating indoors?  Sorry, but I've heard every excuse known to mankind about why you don't need to tip and it all boils down to the one real reason......too damn cheap.

[german_navy]

50 minutes ago, WestLakeGirl said:

German navy, so you aren’t eating dinner in the MDR, but you are eating somewhere, right?  And shouldn’t the employees in those venues be getting tipped for serving you.

 

It’s a mistake to think that the waitstaff tip only gets distributed to the waiter and assistant who are in the dining room at dinner.

 

 

Well, first of all these people should get paid properly by their employer. But this is a different story.

 

And I am not saying that I do not pay the gratuities. I am just stating what the Guest Relation Manager on the last cruise told me. 

 

By the way: this thread has a pretty intolerant tone. Some people should simply respect different thinking and acting. 

[gold1953]

27 minutes ago, german_navy said:

Well, first of all these people should get paid properly by their employer. But this is a different story.

 

And I am not saying that I do not pay the gratuities. I am just stating what the Guest Relation Manager on the last cruise told me. 

 

By the way: this thread has a pretty intolerant tone. Some people should simply respect different thinking and acting. 

I was told that the grats for the evening dining room wait  staff on our 15 night cruise was $155 Can funds a person .  This came Celebrity head office and I agree that if you choose not to eat in the dining room that you should not have to pay this amount. 

[Lady Arwen]

16 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

I was told that the grats for the evening dining room wait  staff on our 15 night cruise was $155 Can funds a person .  This came Celebrity head office and I agree that if you choose not to eat in the dining room that you should not have to pay this amount. 

I just give up.....says me hitting my head against a brick wall