Salary and Gratuity

[Gerd]

Hello all,

 

While reading all the comments about the actual QM2 - indeed very especial Cruise, one think is disturbing me – TIP – that’s why I put my comment here.:confused:

 

It is certainly not faire and nonsense to begin to talk about "the Brit’s" and the "US" people, because some people shows up a different argument then others, but one think is really different.

 

Here in the, so called "old Europe", I am German - each employer pays his employees in a really different manner --> that means, he pays his salary as it must be following its local and country behavior and law, meanwhile following all existing agreements from the concerned union.

 

On the other side of the Atlantic, and I’m been already several times there, the employer do not pay the full salary – but each client have to fill-up the missing part - TIP. I do not know how and when this manner was established, but we do not have this her at all.

 

For European, for each small "gesture" one has to pay him -> and for me, the word "TIP" is salary not gratuity, this is really uncommon and surprising for each first time visitor.

But we learn this -> and of course, we do obey to this system.

 

 

In mostly all European countries, we understand, that the service personal is paid by his boss in a adequate manner that both can live with.

 

Ones my Dinner – or what else for service is finish – and if I was satisfied with this service, then we do give a "Trinkgeld" -> that’s all. This is our manner to tell him or here, ""thanks, your service was appreciated, and you did a good job"".

 

 

But finally, please don’t forget, all people, working in the Cruise Ship industries, and all other service branches, which follows this service system, needs really to get those TIPs. Because without this money, they can not survive……

 

 

So please, please, do not cancel the automatic TIP while onboard – because while doing this, YOU DO NOT punish the SHIP Operator, but those very well working and peaceful peoples, which serve you with a smile all around your day.

 

 

 

Hoping someone on QM2 reads this, and change his mind. ;)

 

 

Smooth cruising

 

G E R D

[Emu]

Agree totally............ don't punish the service staff for things beyond their control.

 

I have also found that if you talk to some of the housekeeping staff etc, you will find they have interesting and complicated backgrounds and often are supporting an extended family at home on the wages and tips, whilst being away for long periods of time.

 

Work on the Karma theory.............. how you treat people is how you will in return be treated.:)

[travel-to-go]

Hello all,

 

While reading all the comments about the actual QM2 - indeed very especial Cruise, one think is disturbing me – TIP – that’s why I put my comment here.:confused:

 

"Trinkgeld" -> This is our manner to tell him or here, ""thanks, your service was appreciated, and you did a good job"".

 

 

But finally, please don’t forget, all people, working in the Cruise Ship industries, and all other service branches, which follows this service system, needs really to get those TIPs. Because without this money, they can not survive……

 

G E R D

 

VERY well put!

And I like that term- Trinkgeld! It has a nice sound to it- In many Asian countries there are "obligatory" small gifts when one visits. (one must folllow the custom, and accept graciously.) There are whole industries popped up to provide these small gifts.

G E R D, thank you for your insight. You taught me something today!

 

Karie

[Bollinge]

I saw a copy of a crew contract on the internet a few months ago. I think it was from Carnival or RCCL.

 

It said the crew member involved was entitled to a minimum (low) wage, to be augmented by tips. In the event of those tips not being forthcoming (and I can think of many reasons why that might be, including the present brouhaha on QM2) the Cruise line would make up the wages to a certain (reasonable) level.

 

Of course, I can't find the exact article to reproduce here right now, but it was a report of legal proceedings brought by a crew member in respect of an injury sustained on board. This is why the minutiae of the crew contract was laid bare.

 

Perhaps those irate passengers aboard are aware that Cunard will have to make the wages up.

 

Tips should be included in the fare anyway.

 

P.S. In Germany and Austria; trinkgeld - "drink money". In France; pourboire "for drink"

[Happy ks]

I completely agree with this statement. However, not many people in the US are in a job where they receive gratuity. Those jobs are left to service personnel, such as restaurant or bar waitstaff, hairstylists, cab or shuttle drivers. Their base pay also represents a very small wage, one that would not be a liveable wage. I would have to say the vast percentage of people who work for tips represent a small part of the workforce. If these positions only paid an hourly wage, I doubt we'd see a lot of people flocking to those positions.

 

I wouldn't mind, at all, if the "tips" for ship employees were added in as a service charge, then we could truly give a gratuity as a gift and a thank you, as it is intended.

[Gerd]

Hello all,

 

let me post a supplementary remark to the TIP behavior.

 

If we take someone who works in a car garage - he dos not have at all contact to the owner of this car – so he must be paid, and he is fully paid by his employer. But if we look closer, he is as well doing service work, and this is either valid at a Petrol station, Super Market, Pharmacy…..

 

But why in all Restaurants, Hotels, Cruise Ships etc. etc. working people – in direct contactor with the client, or not, why those hard working people do not receive the adequate and full salary from his employer ???

It is difficult to understand, why in some industry branches the calculated business volume includes all, and really all expenses, and in some it is not ??

 

And where is the everywhere mentioned equality for everybody ???

 

 

As long, as these discrepancies exist, and the different is huge, as long we talk about the drawback, and its unresolved problem around TIP ""should I leave it, or should I cancel it"".

 

 

And on the actual problem on the QM2, at least passenger could not punish the wrong part of the Cruise business – the harmful Crew.

 

 

G E R D

[bobby1119]

So please, please, do not cancel the automatic TIP while onboard – because while doing this, YOU DO NOT punish the SHIP Operator, but those very well working and peaceful peoples, which serve you with a smile all around your day.

Hoping someone on QM2 reads this, and change his mind. ;)

 

Smooth cruising

 

G E R D

 

Bravo, Gerd... You are a decent and sensible person! In all seriousness, withholding tips to the crew will be a significantly more wreckless act than the very accident itself that started this latest Queen Mary 2 saga and certainly more damaging to the soul of the ship, its hard-working crew, than the seawall was to the pod.

 

bobby1119

 

QE2 (veteran crosser & cruiser)

Queen Mary 2 (growing on me with each new voyage)

Caronia

Norwegian Spirit

Ocean Princess

Galileo Galilei

Raffaello

Michelangelo