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Do room stewards know that you prepaid gratiuties?


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2 hours ago, ALKID said:

Interesting theory, but then why does their pay not change from week to week?  How do they even figure out how much to deduct from a dishwashers pay because someone removed some of the gratuities?  How long would that take for the thousands of employees?  Some lines even share the tips fleetwide, so if someone on one ship decides to remove his gratuities, then how do they figure out how much to deduct from the paychecks of the crew on a different ship?  I


Crew members pay can drastically change from paycheck to paycheck if a lot of gratuities are removed that directly impact them. When you remove gratuities they directly impact the cabin steward assigned to your cabin and the wait staff at your assigned table in the MDR (it’s a little more complicated for passengers with YTD). 
 

RCI, and I assume this is the same for every cruise line, closely tracks what every passenger does on the ship from start to finish. It’s not a coincidence that some passengers frequently get free stuff like free cabin upgrades when ships are sailing at less than 100%, while other passengers never get offered a thing. 
 

It’s no different than when you fill out a survey after the cruise. The survey knows exactly who you are and who you are addressing when answering questions about your cabin, MDR, etc. 

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1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:


Not sure where you are getting your information from, but the base salary of gratuity based positions is much lower than $1100. That’s why it is a big impact on them when guests remove gratuities. Fortunately only a very small percentage of people actually remove gratuities, but many crew members are supporting an entire family back home, so every dollar lost counts. 

Where do you get your information from?

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We always prepay and ALWAYS leave then a tip at the end, just like a leave good bartenders tips.  Good service doesn't go unnoticed with me.  We don't know if their employer recognizes their good service or even care, so the least we can do is let them know they are appreciated, especially NOW with after having not been able to work for what a year and a half.

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37 minutes ago, mickeychicky said:

…We don't know if their employer recognizes their good service or even care, so the least we can do is let them know they are appreciated, especially NOW with after having not been able to work for what a year and a half.

If you name them in the survey and have good comments for the employee the cruise line definitely knows and they receive benefits for this.

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6 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

 

Exactly -- wonder where those in the "know" actually get their info from when these policies change constantly even from ship to ship. Tipping is as fluid as the liquids people pour into their rum runners. 

Or it could simply be because Celebrity publish how the system works, that all the money is given to the crew that are included in the system, and that Celebrity make no deductions from the amount. Clearly it takes X a little while to sort out the exact amounts due to each person at the end of each cruise which probably accounts why tips are paid out 2 weeks after each cruise ends. With regard to how much any of the major individuals (e.g. waiter, cabin steward) receives you can ask for a list at Guest Services on any ship. If you have Select dining when you check in each night the person escorting you to the table is given a small piece of paper. Once you reach the table that paper is handed to the waiter as it's their record for the tips due for that table for that night. If the paper isn't handed over or you just arrive at the table unescorted just watch and you will see the waiter going to the check in desk to collect it.

Nothing is hidden, the system is well thought out and all Celebrity ships operate identically. 

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5 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:


Not sure where you are getting your information from, but the base salary of gratuity based positions is much lower than $1100. That’s why it is a big impact on them when guests remove gratuities. Fortunately only a very small percentage of people actually remove gratuities, but many crew members are supporting an entire family back home, so every dollar lost counts. 

Not sure where your information comes from but it is completely wrong. 
 

Minimum wage for sea-farmers is controlled by international convention, and it STARTS at $1100 per month, guaranteed. This amount can not be withheld in part or in full, also this amount can NOT be tied to or adjusted by any shared gratuity or service charge.  
 

This is dictated, managed, and governed by the United Nations International Labour Organization. 
 

THAT is where I get my information, and that is how I know that the base salary doesn’t fluctuate regardless of the auto gratuity being removed. 

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1 hour ago, the penguins said:

Or it could simply be because Celebrity publish how the system works, that all the money is given to the crew that are included in the system, and that Celebrity make no deductions from the amount. Clearly it takes X a little while to sort out the exact amounts due to each person at the end of each cruise which probably accounts why tips are paid out 2 weeks after each cruise ends. With regard to how much any of the major individuals (e.g. waiter, cabin steward) receives you can ask for a list at Guest Services on any ship. If you have Select dining when you check in each night the person escorting you to the table is given a small piece of paper. Once you reach the table that paper is handed to the waiter as it's their record for the tips due for that table for that night. If the paper isn't handed over or you just arrive at the table unescorted just watch and you will see the waiter going to the check in desk to collect it.

Nothing is hidden, the system is well thought out and all Celebrity ships operate identically. 

Sorry this was posted by mistake - it was supposed to be on a Celebrity thread. Although Royal operate a very similar system I am not 100% sure they are identical. Sorry for any confusion.

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5 hours ago, the penguins said:

You said my statement wasn't true. Which part of it are you saying is untrue?

The part where you said the crew are slaves. Not only is that not true, but its also a little insensitive to people throughout history who have been forced into true slavery.

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12 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Not sure where your information comes from but it is completely wrong. 
 

Minimum wage for sea-farmers is controlled by international convention, and it STARTS at $1100 per month, guaranteed. This amount can not be withheld in part or in full, also this amount can NOT be tied to or adjusted by any shared gratuity or service charge.  
 

This is dictated, managed, and governed by the United Nations International Labour Organization. 
 

THAT is where I get my information, and that is how I know that the base salary doesn’t fluctuate regardless of the auto gratuity being removed. 

The base salary will remain the same but the actual "take home pay" will fluctuate if tips are removed.

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17 minutes ago, Bird82 said:

The part where you said the crew are slaves. Not only is that not true, but its also a little insensitive to people throughout history who have been forced into true slavery.

It was PHILLYFAN33579 on Page 2 post number 46 who used the word "slave" nothing whatever to do with me. I would never use the term in respect of any crew member as clearly this is not the case.

 

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18 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I never claimed anything different, that’s just common sense (which appears to be less and less common these days) 

Which was the point the original poster was making i.e. any one who removes the auto gratuities is reducing the "take home" pay of all crew members except the few they choose to tip face to face.

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10 hours ago, bjlaac said:

Finally the amount of the daily charge has also gone up disproportionately from the $2.50.  The average household income in 1980 was around $21k compared to approximately $100K today (last published number is $97,000for 2021). 

I'm curious where you're finding the average household income of $100k. Everywhere I look I'm only finding about $70k (I do see the same $21k for 1980 though). Thank you. 

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2 minutes ago, CanHardlyWait4NextYear said:

Median means average. 2020 census $67,521.

 

Mean is average (all sample values summed and then divided by the number of samples).  Median is the point where there are the same number of items in the sample that are both above and below the value.  In the case of median income, it means there are the same number of households making above $67,521 as there are below $67,521.

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34 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Which was the point the original poster was making i.e. any one who removes the auto gratuities is reducing the "take home" pay of all crew members except the few they choose to tip face to face.

No, the original post was asking “do the room attendants know if  you pre paid or not” 

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22 hours ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Meaning what? Crying, banging head against cabin door? Maybe he was just trying to get you to pony up some cash. The whole story sounds bizarre!

OK, really? I can't believe you asked me that question and what difference would it make? In my opinion, he looked very upset. Remember, that is my opinion. He was grumbling to himself and tossing some linens around (not like a football throw), so I politely asked him if he was all right or just having a bad day, when he proceeded to tell me about the guests' messy rooms and leaving him no tips. Geez! Hope this is plain enough, not that it matters! Cheers friends!

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