Extra tipping

[George C]

On 7/2/2020 at 9:39 AM, MCC retired said:

 

Per CCL website

 

Bringing Liquor and Beverages On Board - Embarkation

Guests are prohibited from bringing water, sodas and other non-alcoholic beverages that are packaged in glass or plastic bottles.

 

On embarkation day, a small quantity of non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., sparkling water, sodas, energy drinks, juice, and milk), packaged in cans or cartons, may be brought on board and must be in the guest's carry-on luggage. A small quantity is considered a maximum of 12 sealed, unopened cans/cartons of 12 ounces each or less, per person.

 

Rccl has same policy . 

[clo]

10 hours ago, mom says said:

If that's not the definition of a bribe, I  don't know what is.

I've not figured out why any one wouldn't 'get' that. Or perhaps they do but don't want to admit their motive. 

Edited July 5, 2020 by clo

[Elaine5715]

10 hours ago, mom says said:

If that's not the definition of a bribe, I  don't know what is.

 

5 hours ago, sanger727 said:

First of all, I don’t do that because that is definitely a bribe. Second of all, that’s an entirely different scenario. The desk clerk isn’t providing you service for the length of your stay, as your room steward is. 

Experienced service industry workers understand  guests who proffer a grat at the start of the relationship.  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13331184-heads-in-beds

FYI Front Desk clerks love experienced travelers https://frontdesktip.com/

Edited July 5, 2020 by Elaine5715

[sanger727]

9 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

 

FYI Front Desk clerks love experienced travelers https://frontdesktip.com/

I’m sure they do. Free money is free money. I prefer to pay for the things I want and I want what I paid for. Not pay for a cheaper item in the hope I run into an unscrupulous employee who will accept a bribe for a free upgrade. 

[sparks1093]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

But, by giving the steward cash in advance, you are trying to ensure that your needs are catered for before anyone else's. However you want to dress it up, you are bribing the steward to do something for you,  at the expense of other people. 

That isn't the implication at all, unless you cast it in that language when you pro-offer the tip in advance. There is a difference between "please make sure my ice bucket is full" and "please make sure my ice bucket is filled before anyone else's". It would be no skin off my nose if my ice bucket were to be filled last so it wouldn't be at my expense in any case.

[nosapphire]

2 hours ago, evandbob said:

Tipping Culture varies from country to country, and then sometimes from area to area.  As a Noo Yawker for 68 yrs, I was surrounded by examples of how tipping made our city operate and became quite accustomed to it.  However, I can see how someone brought up in the UK, OZ or NZ has a different view.

 

When we did a land tour of OZ & NZ, I often had to restrain myself from offering a typical NY 25% gratuity to every tour guide or wait staff.  When we did feel it appropriate to offer a tip for exceptional service, we kept it to 10%.

 

There should be no need to impugn the motivation of anyone else about tipping.  To ascribe a perjorative like bribing or being cheap serves no purpose other than "polite" negative criticism or worse.

 

If cruising does not re-start, this whole thread becomes moot.

Isn't that why so many service trades really like Americans? They see tipping as a straightforward part and parcel of life, to be done according to service received and without embarrassment. Whereas many of us from the UK are frantically trying to work out whether or not we should tip, and if so, how much? (Our guide books are pretty useless - first time we went to Belgium we read the guide that said "tips are not expected or needed" and got chased down the road by a distraught waitress. Guide book lied.)

[Elaine5715]

26 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

Isn't that why so many service trades really like Americans? They see tipping as a straightforward part and parcel of life, to be done according to service received and without embarrassment. Whereas many of us from the UK are frantically trying to work out whether or not we should tip, and if so, how much? (Our guide books are pretty useless - first time we went to Belgium we read the guide that said "tips are not expected or needed" and got chased down the road by a distraught waitress. Guide book lied.)

An amazing number of guide  books are written by people who expect freebies/upgrades based on their "status" granted to them by a department who is never in front of guests or because they are bloggers. They are offended that others may be better guests.  The same  folks who decry that they are "Platinum/Diamond/Zinc and should get xxx privileges over anyone else  seem  to forget service industry runs on tips.  https://www.cntraveler.com/stories/2008-11-11/etiquette-101-tipping-guide  This is a true guide to tipping around the world.  

[c-boy]

2 hours ago, clo said:

I've not figured out why any one wouldn't 'get' that. Or perhaps they do but don't want to admit their motive. 

I'll admit that I financially lobby for my needs and tip heavily, is that going to land me in jail

Edited July 5, 2020 by c-boy

[mom says]

2 hours ago, c-boy said:

I'll admit that I financially lobby for my needs and tip heavily, is that going to land me in jail

Has anyone said the practice is illegal? I think not. And in your country, at least, quid pro quo seems to have been deemed acceptable. However the ethics is still questionable.

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, mom says said:

Has anyone said the practice is illegal? I think not. And in your country, at least, quid pro quo seems to have been deemed acceptable. However the ethics is still questionable.

No, it is not.  I have found Canadian service industry professionals happily accept gratuities at any interaction while frequenting their establishments.  

[mom says]

12 minutes ago, Elaine5715 said:

No, it is not.  I have found Canadian service industry professionals happily accept gratuities at any interaction while frequenting their establishments.  

Gratuities, yes. Bribes, which was what I was talking about, accepted, yes. We're  a polite lot, generally. But would you like to know what is said once you're  out of hearing?

[wowzz]

46 minutes ago, mom says said:

Gratuities, yes. Bribes, which was what I was talking about, accepted, yes. We're  a polite lot, generally. But would you like to know what is said once you're  out of hearing?

Oh, how I love Canadian irony!   

[pc_load_letter]

Room stewards work hard and bust their ass long hours and for very little pay. Not to mention having to deal with idiot and disgusting cruisers.

 

On a 3 or 4 day cruise, I will give the steward $20. Along with sometimes $20 for a bartender or two. It always gets me good service.

 

For five days or more, I give $40 for room stewards.

[getting older slowly]

Here in Australia it is simple we Tip for good service.....   and if you have a problem, bring to their attention straight away......  Don't wait until the end.......

 

Cheers Don 

[George C]

26 minutes ago, pc_load_letter said:

Room stewards work hard and bust their ass long hours and for very little pay. Not to mention having to deal with idiot and disgusting cruisers.

 

On a 3 or 4 day cruise, I will give the steward $20. Along with sometimes $20 for a bartender or two. It always gets me good service.

 

For five days or more, I give $40 for room stewards.

Agree , some room stewards are way better than others , we tip all extra , but the amount depends on the service. As for bartenders we tip with every drink. 

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, mom says said:

Gratuities, yes. Bribes, which was what I was talking about, accepted, yes. We're  a polite lot, generally. But would you like to know what is said once you're  out of hearing?

Sure, they said, "She's a George".  Welcome Back! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13331184-heads-in-beds

[ldubs]

13 hours ago, sparks1093 said:

To me in order to be a bribe there needs to be an underhanded element involved, i.e. you are trying to get the crew member to do something that they shouldn't do. If it's something that they would normally do anyway I don't see it as a bribe, just payment up front for services that will be rendered. 

 

Agree.  A bribe is associated with some kind of dishonesty.  And the idea that a room attendant will be insulted if you give them money is almost comical.  Well, maybe if you give them a few bucks and expect a lot, but otherwise, they are happy to have the extra cash.   

 

I think folks are getting too wrapped up in this.  Anyone wants to slip some money up front, no skin off my nose.  

[clo]

4 hours ago, mom says said:

Has anyone said the practice is illegal? I think not. And in your country, at least, quid pro quo seems to have been deemed acceptable. However the ethics is still questionable.

It just seems different. When we go to a restaurant we don't tip the server in advance. When we go a hotel, we don't either. How it tipping in advance isn't a bribe is beyond my understanding.

 

From Harvard Business School:

 

"One could even argue that the main difference between the two acts is merely the timing of the gift: Tips follow the rendering of a service, whereas bribes precede it."

https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/are-you-paying-a-tip-or-a-bribe

 

[c-boy]

4 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Agree.  A bribe is associated with some kind of dishonesty.  And the idea that a room attendant will be insulted if you give them money is almost comical.  Well, maybe if you give them a few bucks and expect a lot, but otherwise, they are happy to have the extra cash.   

 

I think folks are getting too wrapped up in this.  Anyone wants to slip some money up front, no skin off my nose.  

A smile and a Benjamin followed by  " I hear good things about you,  keep up the good work ". 

[clo]

24 minutes ago, c-boy said:

" I hear good things about you,  keep up the good work ".

But is that true?

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, c-boy said:

A smile and a Benjamin followed by  " I hear good things about you,  keep up the good work ". 

Does anyone actually say that? 

Absolutely cringe worthy, and demeaning in the extreme.

[getting older slowly]

Wow Tipping turns into Bridery...

what next  a simply Thank You is now rude without handing over money....

 

Things certainly do get out of hand in a Pandemic ..... 

 

Time for a drink Cheers Don

[nosapphire]

In my (fairly limited) experience, most people on a cruise tip at the end of the cruise (please  - not on the morning of departure, when your steward will wrestling with 3 duvet covets at once...).

The only problem I can see with tipping at the start of a cruise is if it is the first time your steward has been tipped at the start, whether they will spend the rest of the cruise wondering what you are going to ask for..so maybe say, "Oh, I'll give you this now as the last day is always such a rush" (Then if you want to, you can surprise them with another tip at the end).

 

By the by, if your cruise is a UK/European line that adds "optional" gratuities to your bill at the end... please don't be one of those queuing up at reception to have it removed. So many people do that, proudly saying "I prefer to give the tip directly to the person" - but the tips added to your bill go to all the service crew, not just the ones you see, and they rely on it.

Leave the optional gratuities on your bill, and if you want to give an extra tip to your steward, waiter, busboy, tell them with a smile that it is a little extra on top to say thank you.

 

 

[sparks1093]

10 hours ago, clo said:

It just seems different. When we go to a restaurant we don't tip the server in advance. When we go a hotel, we don't either. How it tipping in advance isn't a bribe is beyond my understanding.

 

From Harvard Business School:

 

"One could even argue that the main difference between the two acts is merely the timing of the gift: Tips follow the rendering of a service, whereas bribes precede it."

https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/are-you-paying-a-tip-or-a-bribe

 

It isn't a huge deal, but tipping at the point of requesting an extra service isn't bribery. The only time that I leave extra in addition to the daily tip is if something extra is done by the crew member, either at my request or on their own initiative. The daily tip is more than sufficient for what they are required to do. We don't tip a server in advance because 1) the tip is dependent upon the total bill and 2) the entire transaction will be over if a matter of an hour or two. In a hotel I rarely even see the person who is receiving the tip. The only reason that I am responding is because words have meanings and inflating a word's meaning should be avoided. A bribe is something given to persuade (someone) to act in one's favor, typically illegally or dishonestly, by a gift of money or other inducement. 

Since the person offering the tip at the start of the cruise isn't asking for anything illegal or dishonest it doesn't fall into the category of bribe.

[gerryuk]

18 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

The problem is if you withhold all of the recommended tips that you are holding the crew accountable for something that they didn't do and that they don't have any control over. I fully understand cruising on a tight budget but the tips should only be withheld or adjusted if there is something wrong with the service provided (just my opinion of course). 

Shouldn't the cruise line be held accountable if they are paying such low wages, not the customer?

I will be doing a 30 day cruise with Costa in September (if it sails) this year, you have to pay £10 per day in service charges whether you like it or not, i will not be paying another penny on top, i am not a charity.