% of guests who remove gratuities

[Vibe]

22 minutes ago, molsonschooner said:

how does anyone know if a person got got a cash tip

If someone sees it and reports it.   Not very likely to happen. However, it is a rule that the cruise line has implemented.

Edited March 1, 2023 by Vibe

[Morecruisesplz]

4 minutes ago, Vibe said:

If someone sees it and reports it.   Not very likely to happen. However, it is a rule that the cruise line has implemented. 

Where is this rule written? Do you cruise? Cash tip a favorite bar tender? Where does the cash go? Yep, right in their pockets. Same with cabin stewards, head waiters and the guy cleaning the bathroom. 

[Vibe]

20 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Oh, you must understand sir, that it's a rule and staff must comply! Common knowledge and all that stuff. 😃 

The common knowledge part of it is that when you remove your tips the crew knows about it. Supervisors question the crew about it and wonder if it was due to poor service. They also print a list.

[Ryder101]

1 hour ago, Vibe said:

BTW if a crew member receives cash from a person that removes their tips, they are supposed to turn in the cash to the tipping pool.  It is common knowledge among the crew and supervisors of who removes their tips.

They are not supposed to, and they don't. They keep the cash tips for themselves. I've asked them when handling it to them. Same answer every time.

 

So what about common knowledge. It just means try hard to get a cash tip from the person who removed the auto gratuity.

[Vibe]

3 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Where is this rule written? Do you cruise? Cash tip a favorite bar tender? Where does the cash go? Yep, right in their pockets. Same with cabin stewards, head waiters and the guy cleaning the bathroom. 

The crew that serves the persons that remove their tips are questioned by their supervisor they are reminded to turn in cash tips. I found out this information from high level management people.

Edited March 1, 2023 by Vibe

[Morecruisesplz]

4 minutes ago, Vibe said:

The common knowledge part of it is that when you remove your tips the crew knows about it. Supervisors question the crew about it and wonder if it was due to poor service. They also print a list.

Stop. You are just grasping at straws. Once again, do you cruise? Or is this Ai?

[Vibe]

1 minute ago, Ryder101 said:

They are not supposed to, and they don't. They keep the cash tips for themselves. I've asked them when handling it to them. Same answer every time.

 

So what about common knowledge. It just means try hard to get a cash tip from the person who removed the auto gratuity.

They can keep extra tips form a persons that pays auto gratuity. They have to turn it tips from the people that remove them.  

[Vibe]

2 minutes ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Stop. You are just grasping at straws. Once again, do you cruise? Or is this Ai?

I am about to take my 102nd cruise.

[Vibe]

Just now, Vibe said:

I am about to take my 102nd cruise. various cruise lines. Mostly Royal Caribbean and Disney.

 

[Mum2Mercury]

29 minutes ago, molsonschooner said:

how does anyone know if a person got got a cash tip

Surely everyone's had an odd situation now and then that led to something you thought private coming to light. I know every now and then I find out my students have done something wrong (or stupid) through very unexpected channels.  

I wonder how big a deal it is if staff "hides" cash tips.  

2 minutes ago, Vibe said:

The common knowledge part of it is that when you remove your tips the crew knows about it. Supervisors question the crew about it and wonder if it was due to poor service. They also print a list.

I've never taken away tips, but I can see that -- with the pressure to get high scores on surveys -- that it could really make a difference to them.  I never considered that before. 

[Ryder101]

1 hour ago, Vibe said:

If they are caught.  I have many friends and family that work at Disney, if they receive a cash tip and do not turn it in, they will be reprimanded.  It happens often. 

You are not allowed to accept no less keep tips in jobs that are not tip related positions. Same for retail, etc. Because it can be seen as a bribe for a service or item, etc. Your comparing tipping and non tipping positions. 

[Morecruisesplz]

4 minutes ago, Vibe said:

I am about to take my 102nd cruise.

And you live in Florida and have a lot of meetings with cruise mgmt. Open your eyes on your 103rd cruise and watch the cash.

[Vibe]

1 minute ago, Ryder101 said:

You are not allowed to accept no less keep tips in jobs that are not tip related positions. Same for retail, etc. Because it can be seen as a bribe for a service or item, etc. Your comparing tipping and non tipping positions. 

You are correct. I was just using that as a comparison

[Ryder101]

1 hour ago, Vibe said:

So sad that so many people are so upset about a 16.00 per day charge

It is sad for you. I'm not upset at all.

[Ryder101]

52 minutes ago, Vibe said:

If you remove your tips early, they crew will find out sooner.

What's your point?

[rolloman]

1 hour ago, fredmdcruisers said:

Fairy dust thinking. Completely diff situation in a non tipped position. Every position on a cruise ship is a tipped position!

Clearly it is not a Disney reference as you replied to the poster #288...it is called "pixie dust" in Disney vernacular and is used as a term which meaning is to create magic for a guest. Secondly, just for starters... the Captain and his officers onboard do not accept tips...

[Ryder101]

41 minutes ago, Eddie Wilson said:

 

I also have heard this policy.

 

So I do it another way.  I do NOT opt out of daily charges for tips, and at the end of the cruise I also use the envelope for ADDITIONAL tip to room steward, waiter and asst waiter.  

Last couple of cruises they only provided one extra tip envelope, so I ask room steward for a few more.  

Eddie

I don't want to provide extra tips. I'm not responsible for everyone's entire salary.

[Ryder101]

25 minutes ago, Vibe said:

If someone sees it and reports it.   Not very likely to happen. However, it is a rule that the cruise line has implemented.

Again, I have ask crew as I have given them cash and was told they can keep it.

[Vibe]

1 minute ago, fredmdcruisers said:

And you live in Florida and have a lot of meetings with cruise mgmt. Open your eyes on your 103rd cruise and watch the cash.

I personally do not like the auto tipping policy. However, I leave my auto tips in place, by doing so I feel confident that my personal contribution goes to whatever system the cruise line has in place to pay the crew who took the job with the agreement for that form of payment. The $16.00 per person per day is just part of the total cruise expense for me, I am not going to obsess it. The auto tipping system is not for me to decide if it is fair. I do not go to a store or a place of business and be concerned about how those employees get compensated. 

 

I discretely give extra cash tips to the crew members that I have contact with that go over and above, many times its crew in positions that normally don't receive extra cash tips. 

 

The cruise lines add port chargers, taxes and fees. I am surprised that some of you don't get a debate going about what the fees are and where that money goes. 

[Ryder101]

18 minutes ago, Vibe said:

They can keep extra tips form a persons that pays auto gratuity. They have to turn it tips from the people that remove them.  

No they do not. 

[Eddie Wilson]

5 minutes ago, Ryder101 said:

I don't want to provide extra tips. I'm not responsible for everyone's entire salary.

 

I think that is your prerogative. 

And I would hope you would respect others prerogative.  

Edited March 1, 2023 by Eddie Wilson

[Mikew0805]

12 hours ago, Ryder101 said:

It's 10 to 15%. Crew members have quoted those numbers to multiple people on multiple occasions. 

 

 

9 hours ago, Ryder101 said:

No. Never. I've seen them make an entire separate line at guest services day 1 to handle the volume of people removing them. I've been ask at the start of the line why I was in line and sent to a line full of people just for this purpose. I've also had plenty of problems that have had me at guest services on various days and you can't help but hear what the people on either side of you are asking about. Read how many likes my posts have gotten. I really believe it is 10 to 15%. 

 

I really don't care what "crew members have quoted." I do not believe that number is anywhere near 10%-15%, and that is my opinion based on supposition. Just like the rest of this thread...It is all supposition. 

 

In your same scenario above, I am in line at guest services on average 1-2 times day. I bring cash from the casino to pay down my account on a regular basis. (Sometimes not regular enough, but I digress. 🙄 ) in 80+ cruises, I cannot remember once when I have heard someone in line, or at the desk say they wanted to remove gratuities. Granted, I do not make a point to listen to what everyone else is doing but when I am in line and the line greeter asks if they can help me, I can also hear the responses of the couple in front and behind me. I have yet to hear it. That does not mean it does not happen, but I would think by now if it was 10-15% I would have heard it at some point. 

 

[Vibe]

1 minute ago, Ryder101 said:

No they do not. 

Sorry they do. I know this from a person in a high level management position. 

[Ryder101]

5 minutes ago, Vibe said:

I personally do not like the auto tipping policy. However, I leave my auto tips in place, by doing so I feel confident that my personal contribution goes to whatever system the cruise line has in place to pay the crew who took the job with the agreement for that form of payment. The $16.00 per person per day is just part of the total cruise expense for me, I am not going to obsess it. The auto tipping system is not for me to decide if it is fair. I do not go to a store or a place of business and be concerned about how those employees get compensated. 

 

I discretely give extra cash tips to the crew members that I have contact with that go over and above, many times its crew in positions that normally don't receive extra cash tips. 

 

The cruise lines add port chargers, taxes and fees. I am surprised that some of you don't get a debate going about what the fees are and where that money goes. 

If you don't concern yourself with how people are compensated in other businesses, why care so much about this?

 

For me the crew signed a contract knowing full well not every passenger was going to tip well (or at all for that matter). It was an estimate. Royal could not guarantee tipping figures in writing. Royal and the crew member went into this agreement. I however did not. I guaranteed nobody anything. And bottom line removing automatic gratuities is allowed by Royal Caribbean. I don't put a gun to anyone's head. 

[Ryder101]

10 minutes ago, Eddie Wilson said:

 

I think that is your prerogative. 

And I would hope you would respect others prerogative.  

Absolutely. For themselves. Not to tell, push, guilt, or force me to do the same.