Staff gratuities with "free" grats???

[riffatsea]

Princess often runs sales that offer bookings with "free" gratuities.

I am wondering if the cruise line pays the staff themselves or if staff just goes without from those cruisers who book that promotion???

Knowing the answer to this would help us decide how much extra to tip on those sorts of bookings.

 

[cruzsnooze]

Only Princess knows for sure. The extra you give is also turned in to the pool, it doesn't stay with the crew member. If you have included gratuity stop thinking about it and enjoy your cruise, you're all set. 

[NavyVeteran]

The staff receives the same amount from a free gratuities promotion as they would receive from the normal automatic gratuities. There have been many discussions about how the pool is distributed, but the same amount goes into the gratuity pool in either case.

 

Without making a specific recommendation about possible extra gratuities, I would provide the same extra gratuities (if any) with a free gratuity promotion as I would in addition to the normal automatic gratuities.

[skynight]

Agree with NavyVeteran.

[fishywood]

The amount of the DSC that would have been charged to your onboard folio is still recorded as a credit to income on the ship's books--note how it shows as 'paid' by you in your cruise personalizer.  But in this case the corresponding debit is to a corporate promotional account rather than cash. As long as the 'free prepaid gratuities' promotion is run during a period when revenue from fares is expected to cover the difference there is no effect on the bottom line. 

 

So its just the magic of accounting making it appear you got something for "free". There is no reason to assume the payroll formula for your steward, dining room team et al. is any different. (Now as for what that formula actually is....)

[Pierlesscruisers]

26 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

Only Princess knows for sure. The extra you give is also turned in to the pool, it doesn't stay with the crew member. If you have included gratuity stop thinking about it and enjoy your cruise, you're all set. 

 

I don't believe you're correct in this. From what I have been told, by crewmembers as well as seeing it on CC, is that the tip that is provided directly to the crewmember is turned in to the ship where it is checked to see if the person providing the tip is still "signed up" for the automatic gratuities or not. If he/she is, then the additional gratuities are returned to the recipient. If they have been removed from the auto gratuities list, then the additional gratuities are kept and added to the gratuity "pool" to be shared by all. The checking on the auto gratuities is done after the books are "closed" so to speak so that the cruiser can't go and remove themselves from the auto gratuities after the check has been made. 

 

While we on CC most likely do not have personal knowledge of the exact working of the "system", I would suspect that the crewmembers probably know how the system works.

 

Tom

[Jaymuxman]

2 hours ago, Pierlesscruisers said:

 

I don't believe you're correct in this. From what I have been told, by crewmembers as well as seeing it on CC, is that the tip that is provided directly to the crewmember is turned in to the ship where it is checked to see if the person providing the tip is still "signed up" for the automatic gratuities or not. If he/she is, then the additional gratuities are returned to the recipient. If they have been removed from the auto gratuities list, then the additional gratuities are kept and added to the gratuity "pool" to be shared by all. The checking on the auto gratuities is done after the books are "closed" so to speak so that the cruiser can't go and remove themselves from the auto gratuities after the check has been made. 

 

While we on CC most likely do not have personal knowledge of the exact working of the "system", I would suspect that the crewmembers probably know how the system works.

 

Tom

This is EXACTLY what I was told by our waitstaff in the dining room. We gave him additional gratuity on the last night and he asked for our room number.  He told us he had to turn it in and if we had left the gratuities on our shipboard account, the extra would be returned to him. We assured him we had left them on the account and he said he really appreciated the extra.

[DrivesLikeMario]

I even write on the extra tip envelope "in addition to daily service charges" so the crew member knows and doesn't have to wait to find out if it's truly extra.

[Coral]

51 minutes ago, Jaymuxman said:

This is EXACTLY what I was told by our waitstaff in the dining room. We gave him additional gratuity on the last night and he asked for our room number.  He told us he had to turn it in and if we had left the gratuities on our shipboard account, the extra would be returned to him. We assured him we had left them on the account and he said he really appreciated the extra.

This is how I understood it also.

[OCruisers]

4 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

The staff receives the same amount from a free gratuities promotion as they would receive from the normal automatic gratuities.

 

Yes, per above .....  

Our cabin steward confirmed he got the same when folks had free gratuities as he did from those using the daily auto gratuities.  

[Aus Traveller]

4 hours ago, NavyVeteran said:

The staff receives the same amount from a free gratuities promotion as they would receive from the normal automatic gratuities. There have been many discussions about how the pool is distributed, but the same amount goes into the gratuity pool in either case.

 

Without making a specific recommendation about possible extra gratuities, I would provide the same extra gratuities (if any) with a free gratuity promotion as I would in addition to the normal automatic gratuities.

I also agree.

[Micahs Grandad]

2 hours ago, Jaymuxman said:

This is EXACTLY what I was told by our waitstaff in the dining room. We gave him additional gratuity on the last night and he asked for our room number.  He told us he had to turn it in and if we had left the gratuities on our shipboard account, the extra would be returned to him. We assured him we had left them on the account and he said he really appreciated the extra.

Was wondering why the waiter asked for our cabin number and now we know.

[joybook]

Based on my experience and discussions with crew members I would take most of these comments with a grain of salt. Believe them if you wish. There is a saying 'There are none so blind as those who do not want to see and none so deaf as those who don't want to hear.

[PrincessLuver]

31 minutes ago, joybook said:

Based on my experience and discussions with crew members I would take most of these comments with a grain of salt. Believe them if you wish. There is a saying 'There are none so blind as those who do not want to see and none so deaf as those who don't want to hear.

 

I agree.....we have heard so many different stories from crew on many different cruises that I think it is kept confidential on what Princess does with gratuities.....and who knows what happens to the tips in the casinos?

[turquoisesea]

4 hours ago, Jaymuxman said:

This is EXACTLY what I was told by our waitstaff in the dining room. We gave him additional gratuity on the last night and he asked for our room number.  He told us he had to turn it in and if we had left the gratuities on our shipboard account, the extra would be returned to him. We assured him we had left them on the account and he said he really appreciated the extra.

I agree. I was told this also by our wait staff.  

[Aus Traveller]

38 minutes ago, PrincessLuver said:

 

I agree.....we have heard so many different stories from crew on many different cruises that I think it is kept confidential on what Princess does with gratuities.....and who knows what happens to the tips in the casinos?

I am sure that tips in the casino would stay with the casino staff.

[cruzsnooze]

Other than as specified in these Terms or the Acceptance of Employment Terms and

Conditions, the Company makes no promise, guarantee or commitment, and crew

member agrees he/she does not expect or anticipate payment by the Company of any

compensation beyond the Minimum Wage Guarantee.

It has been the Company’s experience that passengers often wish to recognize and

reward shipboard staff for working successfully and as a cohesive team to make the cruise

experience enjoyable. Accordingly, during each voyage of each vessel a voluntary

contribution by each passenger will be suggested for that purpose. Passengers are not

obligated to make a contribution or to adhere to the Company’s suggested guidelines for

such a contribution. Nonetheless, to the extent passengers follow the suggested

contribution guidelines in whole or in part, or deliver their contribution to the Company or

directly to any crew member(s), each and every crew member agrees that any such

contribution is not his personal wage, but rather a contribution to the Discretionary Hotel

and Dining Charge Pool (the “Pool”). Each and every crew member also agrees to deliver

any such voluntary passenger contribution he or she receives from any passenger under

any circumstances to the Pool immediately upon receipt of the contribution from the

passenger. Other than as stated below, the Company is in no way liable to make up any

difference between the total of the suggested contributions to the Pool and the actual

contributions for any given vessel voyage. The solicitation of compensation of any kind by

crew members from passengers is strictly prohibited.

A separate Pool of passenger contributions will be collected and maintained by the

Company for each voyage of each vessel for the benefit of crew members eligible to

receive distributions from the Pool, i.e. those working on the vessel voyage associated with

a particular Pool in positions so specified in each crew member’s Acceptance of

Employment Terms & Conditions. Employees who might be eligible to participate in the

Pool include all persons working in any capacity in the Hotel and Food and Beverage

Edited April 23, 2019 by cruzsnooze

[Colo Cruiser]

10 hours ago, cruzsnooze said:

Only Princess knows for sure. The extra you give is also turned in to the pool, it doesn't stay with the crew member. If you have included gratuity stop thinking about it and enjoy your cruise, you're all set. 

 

This is incorrect.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

Other than as specified in these Terms or the Acceptance of Employment Terms and

Conditions, the Company makes no promise, guarantee or commitment, and crew

member agrees he/she does not expect or anticipate payment by the Company of any

compensation beyond the Minimum Wage Guarantee.

It has been the Company’s experience that passengers often wish to recognize and

reward shipboard staff for working successfully and as a cohesive team to make the cruise

experience enjoyable. Accordingly, during each voyage of each vessel a voluntary

contribution by each passenger will be suggested for that purpose. Passengers are not

obligated to make a contribution or to adhere to the Company’s suggested guidelines for

such a contribution. Nonetheless, to the extent passengers follow the suggested

contribution guidelines in whole or in part, or deliver their contribution to the Company or

directly to any crew member(s), each and every crew member agrees that any such

contribution is not his personal wage, but rather a contribution to the Discretionary Hotel

and Dining Charge Pool (the “Pool”). Each and every crew member also agrees to deliver

any such voluntary passenger contribution he or she receives from any passenger under

any circumstances to the Pool immediately upon receipt of the contribution from the

passenger. Other than as stated below, the Company is in no way liable to make up any

difference between the total of the suggested contributions to the Pool and the actual

contributions for any given vessel voyage. The solicitation of compensation of any kind by

crew members from passengers is strictly prohibited.

A separate Pool of passenger contributions will be collected and maintained by the

Company for each voyage of each vessel for the benefit of crew members eligible to

receive distributions from the Pool, i.e. those working on the vessel voyage associated with

a particular Pool in positions so specified in each crew member’s Acceptance of

Employment Terms & Conditions. Employees who might be eligible to participate in the

Pool include all persons working in any capacity in the Hotel and Food and Beverage

 

Please provide a link showing where this came from.

[Dani24]

Here’s a link to the employee handbook that has that exact language (on page 6)

www.inozemstvo-posao.com/forumattachments/02-Terms_&_Conditions_of_Employment.pdf

Edited April 23, 2019 by Dani24

[SinbadThePorter]

2 hours ago, Colo Cruiser said:

 

This is incorrect.

 

 

No, this is actually incorrect.

 

Never before in the field of cruising was so much money thrown by so many cruisers at something of which they have almost no understanding.

Edited April 23, 2019 by SinbadThePorter

[riffatsea]

Thank you to everyone who has answered on this thread.

 

[famski740]

Dani24 -- Thank you for obtaining a copy of the Employee Handbook.  It may answer a lot of questions.

[Colo Cruiser]

9 hours ago, Dani24 said:

Here’s a link to the employee handbook that has that exact language (on page 6)

www.inozemstvo-posao.com/forumattachments/02-Terms_&_Conditions_of_Employment.pdf

Thanks for the link...........

Much has changed in 12 years since this was used.

[voljeep]

28 minutes ago, Colo Cruiser said:

Thanks for the link...........

Much has changed in 12 years since this was used.

LINK?

[c-boy]

1 hour ago, riffatsea said:

Thank you to everyone who has answered on this thread.

 

roflmao  🤣    Run .....