Rare kernow Posted June 24, 2019 #1 Share Posted June 24, 2019 http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/335731/msc-cruises-to-include-service-charges-within-fare?fbclid=IwAR0AfEGhJ9Fbu22YVZoQP1XhcsyR26448dvzfnfVCBFE7V76aYF8_2Xu3hY As yet another cruise line is to include service charges in the basic fare, hopefully RCL will consider doing the same for UK bookings. I think most of us in the UK would prefer this even if it means prices increase to cover it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted June 24, 2019 #2 Share Posted June 24, 2019 I'd be curious to get feedback from those who cruise on MSC when the service charge is included. I wonder if they will be giving envelopes or offering other ways to add more gratuity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kernow Posted June 24, 2019 Author #3 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Officially MSC don't encourage extra cash tips on top of the service charge, they actually print words to that effect in the daily planner (can't remember the actual wording). Some people do still discreetly give extra cash at the end of the cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted June 24, 2019 #4 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Just now, kernow said: Officially MSC don't encourage extra cash tips on top of the service charge, they actually print words to that effect in the daily planner (can't remember the actual wording). Some people do still discreetly give extra cash at the end of the cruise. Good to hear, maybe it will start a trend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare h20skibum Posted June 24, 2019 #5 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Didn’t P&O start doing that there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kernow Posted June 24, 2019 Author #6 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Yes, P and O started including tips from May 2019. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorben-Hendrik Posted June 24, 2019 #7 Share Posted June 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Host Clarea said: Good to hear, maybe it will start a trend. 👍 👍 👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorben-Hendrik Posted June 24, 2019 #8 Share Posted June 24, 2019 1 hour ago, kernow said: Some people do still discreetly give extra cash at the end of the cruise. 👎👎👎 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted June 24, 2019 #9 Share Posted June 24, 2019 When we sailed HAL back in the day. They had an official no tipping required, but they still left envelopes in cabin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapau27 Posted June 24, 2019 #10 Share Posted June 24, 2019 4 hours ago, Host Clarea said: I'd be curious to get feedback from those who cruise on MSC when the service charge is included. I wonder if they will be giving envelopes or offering other ways to add more gratuity. On P&O an abundance of tip envelopes are on the counter at GS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SantaFeFan Posted June 24, 2019 #11 Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, kernow said: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/335731/msc-cruises-to-include-service-charges-within-fare?fbclid=IwAR0AfEGhJ9Fbu22YVZoQP1XhcsyR26448dvzfnfVCBFE7V76aYF8_2Xu3hY As yet another cruise line is to include service charges in the basic fare, hopefully RCL will consider doing the same for UK bookings. I think most of us in the UK would prefer this even if it means prices increase to cover it. Makes no difference to me if it's included in the base fare or added on a daily basis. It's all the same money in the end since the fares will have to rise accordingly to make up the difference. Anyone who thinks that the cruise lines will be charging the same fare and paying the crew's gratuities themselves out of the same revenue earnings is smoking some pretty good weed! 😉 I consider the auto gratuities no different than port taxes and fees - all are just part of the total cost of cruising. We pre-pay the gratuities along with those port fees, so including the gratuities in the base fare would only be a very minor convenience. Edited June 24, 2019 by SantaFeFan 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
venicia Posted June 24, 2019 #12 Share Posted June 24, 2019 We had an amazing Butler, Cabin Stewart and waiter in MSC Seaside Yacht Club and we tipped extra at the end of the cruise. DH shook hands with them with currency in his hand. I think he also tipped extra to one of the waiters in the lounge, but not sure about that. We always pay our grat's with the final payment and we think it would be fantastic to simply have them included in the price. So what if they raise the price, if you pay your grat's it will still come out to the same amount of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare twangster Posted June 24, 2019 #13 Share Posted June 24, 2019 I've always imagined that Royal already bumps fares up in the UK knowing a consistent percentage of cruisers have them removed once on board. There is no way they will let this come off the bottom line or lower profits from it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare kernow Posted June 24, 2019 Author #14 Share Posted June 24, 2019 8 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said: Makes no difference to me if it's included in the base fare or added on a daily basis. It's all the same money in the end since the fares will have to rise accordingly to make up the difference. Anyone who thinks that the cruise lines will be charging the same fare and paying the crew's gratuities themselves out of the same revenue earnings is smoking some pretty good weed! 😉 I consider the auto tips no different than port taxes and fees - all are just part of the total cost of cruising. I agree with you, we always pre pay and count them as part of the cost of the cruise. The problem is though that in the UK we don't have the same tipping culture and many don't want to pay extra. We were on Indy in May and the amount of people openly removing the tips was unbelievable, the staff must be losing a lot of money. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mac_tlc Posted June 24, 2019 #15 Share Posted June 24, 2019 15 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said: Makes no difference to me if it's included in the base fare or added on a daily basis. It's all the same money in the end since the fares will have to rise accordingly to make up the difference. Anyone who thinks that the cruise lines will be charging the same fare and paying the crew's gratuities themselves out of the same revenue earnings is smoking some pretty good weed! 😉 I consider the auto gratuities no different than port taxes and fees - all are just part of the total cost of cruising. We pre-pay the gratuities along with those port fees, so including the gratuities in the base fare would only be a very minor convenience. ^^^ +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorben-Hendrik Posted June 24, 2019 #16 Share Posted June 24, 2019 1 hour ago, grapau27 said: On P&O an abundance of tip envelopes are on the counter at GS. 😂🤣😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare little britain Posted June 24, 2019 #17 Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) 7 hours ago, Host Clarea said: I'd be curious to get feedback from those who cruise on MSC when the service charge is included. I wonder if they will be giving envelopes or offering other ways to add more gratuity. I’ve done 2 MSC cruises so far this year. When you sign for a drink there isn’t even a line for you to add extra gratuity! Imagine that! 15% included and that is it. I’ve never seen anyone tip cash and there definitely no envelopes left in your cabin either, and I haven’t seen any at GR! Refreshing. To echo Graham I Hope RCI UK go this way too.... Edited June 24, 2019 by little britain 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SantaFeFan Posted June 24, 2019 #18 Share Posted June 24, 2019 (edited) 7 minutes ago, little britain said: I’ve done 2 MSC cruises so far this year. When you sign for a drink there isn’t even a line for you to add extra gratuity! Imagine that! 15% included and that is it. I’ve never seen anyone tip cash and there definitely no envelopes left in your cabin either, and I haven’t seen any at GR! Refreshing. To echo Graham I Hope RCI UK go this way too.... Almost all cruise lines include the gratuity in the total cost of a drink when you sign for it. The line to add extra gratuity is just that - EXTRA, and entirely optional. No one has to tip extra. "Imagine that! 15% included and that is it." Not sure why you think what MSC is doing is somehow something to get excited about. 😕 Edited June 24, 2019 by SantaFeFan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjkacmom Posted June 24, 2019 #19 Share Posted June 24, 2019 NCL did this briefly and went back to the DSC, I guess cruisers were turned off by th3 higher price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare little britain Posted June 24, 2019 #20 Share Posted June 24, 2019 1 minute ago, SantaFeFan said: Almost all cruise lines include the gratuity in the total cost of a drink when you sign for it. The line to add extra gratuity is just that - EXTRA, and entirely optional. No one has to tip extra. "Imagine that! 15% included and that is it." Not sure why you think what MSC is doing is somehow something to get excited about. 😕 My point is, that there is no where to add extra, unlike the RCI receipts which seem to be designed to hope that you fail to notice that it is there already and you will add more. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarea Posted June 24, 2019 #21 Share Posted June 24, 2019 1 hour ago, little britain said: I’ve done 2 MSC cruises so far this year. When you sign for a drink there isn’t even a line for you to add extra gratuity! Imagine that! 15% included and that is it. I’ve never seen anyone tip cash and there definitely no envelopes left in your cabin either, and I haven’t seen any at GR! Refreshing. To echo Graham I Hope RCI UK go this way too.... Very nice to hear! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish65 Posted June 24, 2019 #22 Share Posted June 24, 2019 1 hour ago, little britain said: My point is, that there is no where to add extra, unlike the RCI receipts which seem to be designed to hope that you fail to notice that it is there already and you will add more. The bartenders can't be too happy about the change making it harder for people to tip extra if they want to, I feel bad for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paulette3028 Posted June 24, 2019 #23 Share Posted June 24, 2019 4 hours ago, John&LaLa said: When we sailed HAL back in the day. They had an official no tipping required, but they still left envelopes in cabin Well, by leaving the envelopes in cabins they are subtly telling you 'to tip' regardless of their official 'no tipping required' message. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sloopsailor Posted June 25, 2019 #24 Share Posted June 25, 2019 (edited) 6 hours ago, little britain said: My point is, that there is no where to add extra, unlike the RCI receipts which seem to be designed to hope that you fail to notice that it is there already and you will add more. Ahhh, the old conspiracy theory mentality!!! Must be a popular pastime in Sussex! 😉 That "extra tip" line is there so people who want to be generous can tip extra if they feel they have been served "above and beyond". Nothing unscrupulous about it. The cruise lines get no benefit from people giving extra tips out of generosity. It is there ONLY for the benefit of the people serving you. Try the generosity thing. You might actually feel good about yourself if you do! 👍 Edited June 25, 2019 by sloopsailor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorben-Hendrik Posted June 25, 2019 #25 Share Posted June 25, 2019 7 hours ago, SantaFeFan said: Not sure why you think what MSC is doing is somehow something to get excited about. 😕 Genuine good service - no hunting for tip bribes! 👍 👌 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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