Prepaid tips vs cash

[Brew City G]

Hi Guys, I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I just want to be positive before I do this on my next cruise. I have heard with pre paid tips, charged to your sea pass daily, don't nessecerrly  go to who you expect them to go to. I have heard tips are pooled and distributed to employees who "grade well in surveys", even on other cruises. Don't get me wrong, we always pre pay gratuities, and throw an extra $20 in an envelope for our stateroom attendant, head waiter and asst waiter, we also give the matride $10 bucks for clearing our table and asking us to dine in one of the pay restuarants.  We also tip $1.00 on every drink we get with the drink package, so we are not cheapskates. So if I go to customer service and ask to have my gratuities taken off my account, and then, give my stateroom attendant ( for a party of 4) $6.00 x 4 = $24.00 x7 = $168.00 + $20.00 (which we normally add on ) and ect for everyone else, would I be upsetting the apple cart? 

Let me know, and thanks in advance for your replies

[Merion_Mom]

Yes, you would be upsetting the apple  cart.  Your daily gratuities go to the housekeeping staff, mainly your cabin steward, plus the restaurant staff, for all of the venues on the ship, mostly to your assigned wait team in the main dining room.

 

Just leave the auto-gratuities on and tip anyone else what you wish.  That is the fairest way.

 

IMO.  Of course.  😄

[papaflamingo]

" I'm sure this has been brought up before"  Yeah...once or twice.  😜

 

" I have heard with pre paid tips, charged to your sea pass daily, don't nessecerrly  go to who you expect them to go to."  The only  one's who really know how tips are divided are crewmembers.  IMHO it's not my business, nor yours, what the compensation agreement is between Royal Caribbean and their employees, just like it isn't anyone's business the compensation agreement between you and your employer or me and my employer.   Royal Caribbean says the "gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams."  Believe them or don't, that's your choice.  Many conspiracy theorists on this forum will tell you all sorts of stories about Royal Caribbean keeping the tip money for themselves.  Yeah....sure..... the multi-billion dollar company is stealing the tips from their employees.  Uh Huh... sure they are.  

So, if I were you, I'd do what I want.  I hate having to carry a bunch of cash around and find all the people who served me at the end to hand out tips.   I simply leave the auto gratuities, and then tip those who I feel went above and beyond for me, as you state you do too.   Oh yeah... obviously I don't buy that Royal Caribbean is stiffing their employees.  So IMHO leaving the auto gratuities ensures everyone that deserves them gets their fair share, and no one has to answer to a supervisor as to why the auto gratuities were removed.   Yeah... I agree with Merion Mom, you'd upset the applecart. 

Edited February 21, 2019 by papaflamingo

[4774Papa]

We always pay the auto gratuities and during Diamond happy hour for great service, we tip a little more, like a dollar or two a night for our server.

[sparks1093]

Thing is, if there is a tipping pool even if you provide cash to the crew they would be required to turn it in to the pool, otherwise there's no point having a pool. Once I've left a tip what happens to it is beyond my control and I know that I've eaten in many restaurants where the tips were pooled. I never told my waitress "this tip is just for you, don't share it with anyone else".

[Joseph2017China]

8 hours ago, Brew City G said:

Hi Guys, I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I just want to be positive before I do this on my next cruise. I have heard with pre paid tips, charged to your sea pass daily, don't nessecerrly  go to who you expect them to go to. I have heard tips are pooled and distributed to employees who "grade well in surveys", even on other cruises. Don't get me wrong, we always pre pay gratuities, and throw an extra $20 in an envelope for our stateroom attendant, head waiter and asst waiter, we also give the matride $10 bucks for clearing our table and asking us to dine in one of the pay restuarants.  We also tip $1.00 on every drink we get with the drink package, so we are not cheapskates. So if I go to customer service and ask to have my gratuities taken off my account, and then, give my stateroom attendant ( for a party of 4) $6.00 x 4 = $24.00 x7 = $168.00 + $20.00 (which we normally add on ) and ect for everyone else, would I be upsetting the apple cart? 

Let me know, and thanks in advance for your replies

 

Think about this.  It is the 21st century.  Thousands of people on every ship, times the number of ships sailing every day, have these items called computer programs that manage an employees pay.  The programs are set up in such a way that the employee is expected to have $xxx.00 in tips.  Knowing that not all people tip, some remove them, the personal program, calculates a preset amount of just say 80% of their guests.  During the cruise, 60% of guests remove or don't pay auto tips.  That person, and the cruise line assumes they get 80% of the expected tip amount, so they add it to the paycheck, which assumes, the employee received cash, which in most cases they did.  The remaining 20% is handled differently, based on some formula.  So if you tip cash, thinking it goes to them only, you are wrong.  All you are doing, is making it more difficult for them, because their cash, offsets the taxes they pay on their check for the assumption, that you gave them cash.  Tipping extra, is different, because, any extra money goes to the assumption that others, removed tips, and "forgot" to tip them after they saw their bar bill or gambling losses. 

 

Bottom line, forget what you heard, just auto tip, and give extra if you want.  (note, drinks have an 18% tip, so if you tip extra, you are tipping 40%, and they love you).  It's not my business how tips are handled, once it leaves my hand. 

[BNBR]

8 hours ago, Brew City G said:

Hi Guys, I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I just want to be positive before I do this on my next cruise. I have heard with pre paid tips, charged to your sea pass daily, don't nessecerrly  go to who you expect them to go to. I have heard tips are pooled and distributed to employees who "grade well in surveys", even on other cruises. Don't get me wrong, we always pre pay gratuities, and throw an extra $20 in an envelope for our stateroom attendant, head waiter and asst waiter, we also give the matride $10 bucks for clearing our table and asking us to dine in one of the pay restuarants.  We also tip $1.00 on every drink we get with the drink package, so we are not cheapskates. So if I go to customer service and ask to have my gratuities taken off my account, and then, give my stateroom attendant ( for a party of 4) $6.00 x 4 = $24.00 x7 = $168.00 + $20.00 (which we normally add on ) and ect for everyone else, would I be upsetting the apple cart? 

Let me know, and thanks in advance for your replies

 

 

Will you be tipping in the buffet or any other non-dining room venue?  Grab a slice of pizza, here's cash.  Walk around to each buffet station handing out money?  Maybe you can take the ship behind the scenes tour so that you can see the laundry folks and hand them tip money, too? 

[Cruiselover0426]

7 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

Yes, you would be upsetting the apple  cart.  Your daily gratuities go to the housekeeping staff, mainly your cabin steward, plus the restaurant staff, for all of the venues on the ship, mostly to your assigned wait team in the main dining room.

 

Just leave the auto-gratuities on and tip anyone else what you wish.  That is the fairest way.

 

IMO.  Of course.  😄

I totally disagree.  I want to tip (or not tip) who I chose for services rendered (or not rendered).  Cash tips go directly to the person you chose to give them too.  Auto tips go to a pool and are distributed almost as a wage kind of thing.  Also, tipping is a CHOICE and should never ever be assumed or taken out of a sea pass account.

The first thing we do is remove the auto tipping and then we reward the people we choose to reward in the amount that we see fit. (which BTW is almost always more if the service is provided)

[springfire]

8 hours ago, Brew City G said:

Hi Guys, I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I just want to be positive before I do this on my next cruise. I have heard with pre paid tips, charged to your sea pass daily, don't nessecerrly  go to who you expect them to go to. I have heard tips are pooled and distributed to employees who "grade well in surveys", even on other cruises. Don't get me wrong, we always pre pay gratuities, and throw an extra $20 in an envelope for our stateroom attendant, head waiter and asst waiter, we also give the matride $10 bucks for clearing our table and asking us to dine in one of the pay restuarants.  We also tip $1.00 on every drink we get with the drink package, so we are not cheapskates. So if I go to customer service and ask to have my gratuities taken off my account, and then, give my stateroom attendant ( for a party of 4) $6.00 x 4 = $24.00 x7 = $168.00 + $20.00 (which we normally add on ) and ect for everyone else, would I be upsetting the apple cart? 

Let me know, and thanks in advance for your replies

 

The automatic service gratuity is $14.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Junior Suites and below, or $17.50 USD per person, per day for guests in Grand Suites and above, applied to each guest’s SeaPass account on a daily basis. The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience.

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The way Royal has the automatic gratuity setup, you have no idea where your gratuity is going.  I never prepay prefer to remove automatic and tip in cash.  The choice is yours.  Some cruisers prefer to prepay, some prefer to use automatic gratuity, others prefer to pay in cash.   Do what works best for you.  Royal is good with any of these choices.

[BNBR]

2 minutes ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

I totally disagree.  I want to tip (or not tip) who I chose for services rendered (or not rendered).  Cash tips go directly to the person you chose to give them too.  Auto tips go to a pool and are distributed almost as a wage kind of thing.  Also, tipping is a CHOICE and should never ever be assumed or taken out of a sea pass account.

The first thing we do is remove the auto tipping and then we reward the people we choose to reward in the amount that we see fit. (which BTW is almost always more if the service is provided)

 

You are so generous.  I'm sure the 98% of tipped crew who you stiffed appreciate your generosity very much.  Maybe on your next cruise they will all throw a gala in your honor.

[Cruiselover0426]

33 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

Will you be tipping in the buffet or any other non-dining room venue?  Grab a slice of pizza, here's cash.  Walk around to each buffet station handing out money?  Maybe you can take the ship behind the scenes tour so that you can see the laundry folks and hand them tip money, too? 

At the buffet you serve yourself.  That is one of my things about the auto tipping.  I get my own food, I get my own drinks, I'm not tipping anyone for that.  Why should I?  I'm not on the ship to pay the salaries of the people hired to prepare the food and maintain the buffet.  Tips are for services rendered to me.  That is my opinion.

[AFwifelife]

Personally we leave the auto gratuity as it is (prepaying actually) then tip above and beyond as we see fit. Since RC doesn’t give an actual breakdown, I would never want to take away a tip from someone who helped in our vacation but we didn’t meet face to face. 

[Cruiselover0426]

10 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

You are so generous.  I'm sure the 98% of tipped crew who you stiffed appreciate your generosity very much.  Maybe on your next cruise they will all throw a gala in your honor.

Wow. How rude.   What a jerk!

Edited February 21, 2019 by Cruiselover0426

[BNBR]

 

3 minutes ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

At the buffet you serve yourself.  That is one of my things about the auto tipping.  I get my own food, I get my own drinks, I'm not tipping anyone for that.  Why should I?  I'm not on the ship to pay the salaries of the people hired to prepare the food and maintain the buffet.  Tips are for services rendered to me.  That is my opinion.

 

Oh, cool.  I haven't tried clearing my own plates and washing them myself nor have I gone behind the bar in the buffet and made my own drinks.  Is that a thing?  I may have to try it.

[BNBR]

Just now, Cruiselover0426 said:

Wow. How rude.  You know nothing about me or what I do. What a jerk!

 

I know exactly what you said.  Which is that you remove your auto tips and only hand out tips to certain people, while stiffing everyone else.  What more do I need to know?

[George C]

I did perfer when there was no auto tips but that was 15 or so years ago, now we leave auto tips and tip extra to room steward and waiters and bartenders. 

[Cruiselover0426]

Just now, BNBR said:

 

I know exactly what you said.  Which is that you remove your auto tips and only hand out tips to certain people, while stiffing everyone else.  What more do I need to know?

I can't "stiff" someone that didn't provide a service to me! LOL.  You are a rude jerk.

Definition of "tipping" - the act of giving an amount of money to someone who has provided a service,especially in a hotel or restaurant:

Which is exactly what I do.  Thank you very much.  Keep your rude comments to yourself.  

[Cruiselover0426]

4 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

 

Oh, cool.  I haven't tried clearing my own plates and washing them myself nor have I gone behind the bar in the buffet and made my own drinks.  Is that a thing?  I may have to try it.

It is not my job to pay the salary of the dishwashers hired to work on cruise ships.  Do you tip dishwashers in restaurants you go to? If you do that's weird but what ever.  All bar drinks have a tip included when purchased (including packages and robots) so there is no need to leave a tip there unless you choose to give cash extra.  they are not even part of the pool.  So you may try what you would like but I will still tip my way and you can stick it where the sun don't shine.

[BNBR]

2 minutes ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

I can't "stiff" someone that didn't provide a service to me! LOL.  You are a rude jerk.

Definition of "tipping" - the act of giving an amount of money to someone who has provided a service,especially in a hotel or restaurant:

Which is exactly what I do.  Thank you very much.  Keep your rude comments to yourself.  

 

You can act out as defensively and bold your words to show how angry you are.  It's ok.  But that doesn't change the fact that you are stiffing hard working, disadvantage workers.  You like to be able to walk around handing out cash and looking like a hot shot.  You would be embarrassed to stiff the people standing in front of you.  But the people you can't see, out of mind, right?

 

Royal explains this clearly:  "The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience."

 

These people behind the scenes are putting in a team effort to provide the service to you.  They are absolutely providing a service to you, or do you think your stateroom attendant is the one who washes your dirty towels?  The point with the auto gratuity is that it helps distribute the tips to the people you can't see and hand your cash to personally.  It's laid out clearly.  It's indisputable.  They provide a service to you.  You remove the auto gratuity.  You stiff them.  Period.  You can play word circus all you want to justify your behavior but it doesn't change the facts.

[Cruiselover0426]

2 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

You can act out as defensively and bold your words to show how angry you are.  It's ok.  But that doesn't change the fact that you are stiffing hard working, disadvantage workers.  You like to be able to walk around handing out cash and looking like a hot shot.  You would be embarrassed to stiff the people standing in front of you.  But the people you can't see, out of mind, right?

 

Royal explains this clearly:  "The gratuity applies to individual guests of all ages and stateroom categories. As a way to reward our crew members for their outstanding service, gratuities are shared among dining, bar & culinary services staff, stateroom attendants and other hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience."

 

These people behind the scenes are putting in a team effort to provide the service to you.  They are absolutely providing a service to you, or do you think your stateroom attendant is the one who washes your dirty towels?  The point with the auto gratuity is that it helps distribute the tips to the people you can't see and hand your cash to personally.  It's laid out clearly.  It's indisputable.  They provide a service to you.  You remove the auto gratuity.  You stiff them.  Period.  You can play word circus all you want to justify your behavior but it doesn't change the facts.

Seems you are a little slow catching on.  Again, straight out of the dictionary: "tipping" - the act of giving an amount of money to someone who has provided a service,especially in a hotel or restaurant:

 

[BNBR]

3 minutes ago, Cruiselover0426 said:

It is not my job to pay the salary of the dishwashers hired to work on cruise ships.  Do you tip dishwashers in restaurants you go to? If you do that's weird but what ever.  All bar drinks have a tip included when purchased (including packages and robots) so there is no need to leave a tip there unless you choose to give cash extra.  they are not even part of the pool.  So you may try what you would like but I will still tip my way and you can stick it where the sun don't shine.

 

I don't care how you tip.  I'm just pointing out that you stiff disadvantaged workers and that seems to offend you.  If that offends you, maybe you need to stop doing it?  Just stand by it... scream from the top of the lido deck "I would rather keep my money than help disadvantaged workers who provide services to me" - own it.  It's fine.

 

As for tipping a dishwasher in a US based restaurant.  No, I don't.  But cruise ships are not a US based restaurant and the tipping customs are totally different.  Cruise ships even make it super simple to abide by the customs.  You have to seriously make an effort (as you do) to go out of your way and stiff the staff.  But people like you will come up with every silly reason to do so, as you are proving here.  You aren't fooling anyone.  As I said, just own it.  Be YOU.  No reason to beat around the bush and make up silly excuses to justify your behavior.

[BNBR]

Just now, Cruiselover0426 said:

Seems you are a little slow catching on.  Again, straight out of the dictionary: "tipping" - the act of giving an amount of money to someone who has provided a service,especially in a hotel or restaurant:

 

 

Lol, "hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience" - Fits the definition perfectly.  And it's ME who is slow?  Oh boy.... aren't you special.

[Cruiselover0426]

1 minute ago, BNBR said:

 

I don't care how you tip.  I'm just pointing out that you stiff disadvantaged workers and that seems to offend you.  If that offends you, maybe you need to stop doing it?  Just stand by it... scream from the top of the lido deck "I would rather keep my money than help disadvantaged workers who provide services to me" - own it.  It's fine.

 

As for tipping a dishwasher in a US based restaurant.  No, I don't.  But cruise ships are not a US based restaurant and the tipping customs are totally different.  Cruise ships even make it super simple to abide by the customs.  You have to seriously make an effort (as you do) to go out of your way and stiff the staff.  But people like you will come up with every silly reason to do so, as you are proving here.  You aren't fooling anyone.  As I said, just own it.  Be YOU.  No reason to beat around the bush and make up silly excuses to justify your behavior.

You are very self centered.  I live in the United States of America and live by those customs.  That actually has nothing to do with my original post though.  If you feel that Royal Caribbean does not sufficiently compensate their employees and that you are obligated to make up for that deficiency then maybe you might try another cruise line or another type of vacation where employees are compensated fairly.  Why support Royal if they don't treat their employees right?  Hmmmmm.....

[BNBR]

Just now, Cruiselover0426 said:

You are very self centered.  I live in the United States of America and live by those customs.  That actually has nothing to do with my original post though.  If you feel that Royal Caribbean does not sufficiently compensate their employees and that you are obligated to make up for that deficiency then maybe you might try another cruise line or another type of vacation where employees are compensated fairly.  Why support Royal if they don't treat their employees right?  Hmmmmm.....

 

I live in the United States of America and live by those customs. 

 

Lol.  And it's ME who is self-centered?

[Cruiselover0426]

3 minutes ago, BNBR said:

 

Lol, "hotel services teams who work behind the scenes to enhance the cruise experience" - Fits the definition perfectly.  And it's ME who is slow?  Oh boy.... aren't you special.

If they are working behind the scenes they are receiving a salary to do so. Tipping is for services rendered.