Prepaid Gratuities

[Cotton]

...Roger.......... so does he only get the $10 or does he get the other or a portion of each......

 

If Roger was your dining room waiter, he and your asst. dining room waiter share $5.50 per day per passenger. Was that your question?

[Sablerose]

We liked having our tips on the S&S bill, because we knew they were "taken care of." We then handed out thank-you cards to our favorite bar staff, our wait staff, and our cabin steward with modest extra tips in them.

 

In non-cruise life we consider ourselves good tippers so it wasn't a big deal to give something modest at the end of the cruise. In retrospect we wondered if we "should have" extra-tipped more, but part of that for me was being familiar with the (old-school) ritual of handing out envelopes stuffed with money at the end of the cruise to everyone who received tips. That's how it was done the last time I was on a ship.

 

After doing a little tally in my head of how our two-people of automatic tips was probably broken down, I didn't feel bad about tipping a modest extra amount to our dining room wait staff (2 nights we didn't eat with them, but we didn't stiff them for those two nights) and a little extra for the bar staff (on top of the random extra buck here and there on the bar that we left for them).

 

I don't know if that makes sense. I just wanted to clarify that some folks I've read about tip their cabin steward an extra $50, or their dinner waiter an extra $100, and that was neither within our budget or something we felt obligated to do.

[Cotton]

we maybe use the dining room once a week we have 2 kids why we all are expected to pay tips for something we dont use is beyond me so we dont........

Because - The dining room waiters ALSO work in the Lido Buffet area, so they ARE working for you one place or the other.

 

we pay the cabin boy and a few bar staff and some of the kids club staff

What you're saying is that you remove your automatic tips and pay whomever you want to?

There's already a tip on the bar drinks. So, you're 'paying' the bar staff extra but stiffing your food waiter???:o BTW, "cabin boy" is a debasing term. It's "cabin steward".

[big_duck]

And to answer the question... "tips" is actually an acronym... TIPS (to insure prompt service) :)

 

No it is not.

 

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.htm

[Cotton]

A 'few' of the remarks on this thread should make it clear why Carnival put the automatic tips in place.

 

On long ago cruises - the amount for tips to individuals were 'suggested', and envelopes were left in cabins for passengers to put cash in, and hand out to their servers, stewards, whomever.

 

The problem was that MANY people either 'way under-tipped OR didn't tip at all!:eek: The envelope tipping system was that passengers gave out the envelopes on the last evening. It was amazing how may people didn't show up in the dining room on the last evening - and stiffed the staff!

 

So - the only fair way to make sure the deserving crew members received their well-earned tips was to make it "automatic" on the S&S accounts. (I think the majority of cruisers leave the tips in place, or I certainly hope so, as it's a fair amount.)

 

I think this was one of the best things Carnival ever came up with. These service people deserve every cent they get.:)

[cruise crazy mick]

i replied earlier to this , now reading through all the replies , i have only just realised it looks like these people do not get a wage at all . is that not illegal , you would think the cruise lines would tell you this when you booked .they should just charge all the children that share a cabin full price . at least that would look better than making them ( or their parents) payfor things they never use ie dining room

[cruise crazy mick]

we maybe use the dining room once a week we have 2 kids why we all are expected to pay tips for something we dont use is beyond me so we dont........

Because - The dining room waiters ALSO work in the Lido Buffet area, so they ARE working for you one place or the other.

 

we pay the cabin boy and a few bar staff and some of the kids club staff

What you're saying is that you remove your automatic tips and pay whomever you want to?

There's already a tip on the bar drinks. So, you're 'paying' the bar staff extra but stiffing your food waiter???:o BTW, "cabin boy" is a debasing term. It's "cabin steward".

ooh debasing . i do not speak french either. but i do own three businesses in the food sector, and nobody but nobody pays my staff but me . but maybe life is different here in the uk , where you negotiate your wage before you take the job , where if you are good you you stay, and if you are crap you go

[Cotton]

Webster's Dictionary: "debasing" - to make lower in value, dignity

 

....and to answer your post before the last one.... The crew makes a salary, but it's minimum wage. They depend on tips, just as in most restaurants to make a decent take-home pay.

[Arwenmark]

 

Unless you are not eating anywhere on the ship then the same waiters are waiting on you where ever you are they man all three meals in the dining room and rotate on the buffets, they work 12 to 15 hours a day. so just because you are not sitting at the dining room table every night of the week does not mean you are not being served by these people.

[Arwenmark]

Webster's Dictionary: "debasing" - to make lower in value, dignity

 

....and to answer your post before the last one.... The crew makes a salary, but it's minimum wage. They depend on tips, just as in most restaurants to make a decent take-home pay.

 

Where did you get the idea that the crew makes minimum wage? that is certainly not the case. and YES they do depend on the tips.

 

Some of them make $50 a month in regular pay, and many have to pay their own way home at the end of the contract as well.

[cruise crazy mick]

Webster's Dictionary: "debasing" - to make lower in value, dignity

 

....and to answer your post before the last one.... The crew makes a salary, but it's minimum wage. They depend on tips, just as in most restaurants to make a decent take-home pay.

yes i know what debasing means, i was refering to the underlined bit at the bottom . i have booked the next cruise with carnival direct so i have prepaid already , regardless of what happens . last year i donated £10.000 pounds for relief in new orleans now that is something i do believe is a worthy cause

[trishalee]

I do agree that there are plenty of tightwads on this earth who would avoid dinner on the last night to stiff the waiters for their tips. These people don't even deserve discussion - and are the reason for the tips being charged in advance. This being said, I can notice a subtle difference in service from the days when their service earned the tip. There is not the reason to excel any more, to be the best. They know that most passengers are not going to stand at the purser's desk for hours just to lower a tip for so-so service so many are no longer going that extra mile to provide GREAT service. Why bother?

[Cotton]

yes i know what debasing means, i was refering to the underlined bit at the bottom .

Now I understand what you meant. I'm from New Orleans, and am of French origin.

 

"Let the good times roll!"

 

last year i donated £10.000 pounds for relief in new orleans now that is something i do believe is a worthy cause

Thank you. I'm sure they appreciate your generosity.:)

[Jasonsterling]

I prepay my tips now and leave extra at the end for excellent service. I have always had to leave extra at the end because the service was always excellent- I've noticed no difference from the "tip envelope days" to now. Also, I really wish Carnival would make it clear to their passengers that the buffet staff is also the dining room staff so there would no longer be this rationalization that tips can be lowered by avoiding the dining room. Plus, if you were to add up the cost of one meal in the formal dining room at land prices and then multiply the total by 20% you'll see that Carnival's tipping policy actually let's you off pretty cheaply.

 

All arguments about Carnival paying it's staff should be left to one side- the fact is that we all know Carnival does not pay their staff much in anticipation of our tipping them their salary- now, knowing this if you still chose to sail Carnival you should do the right thing and tip the full amount. If you're not cool with that you should perhaps search around for a line that does not allow tipping.