Why haven't daily gratuities gone down?

[Merion_Mom]

31 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Because the daily service charge is going up. If you haven't noticed, the US is driving worldwide inflation. 

 

 

citation?

[BirdTravels]

28 minutes ago, BennyandBo said:

Royal is cheap and wants it's customers to make up there employees salaries so they don't have to.

So, some people really don't understand how the world works. Around my home town in the good 'ole USA, minimum wage is $15/hour. If you are a service worker who receives tips, your employer can pay as little as $5/hour. This assumes that the first $10 per hour in tips goes to getting you up to minimum wage. And you need to earn a lot more tips to make a livable wage. That is hard at the local diner where people leave loose change or a buck as a tip on a $20 breakfast, after taking up a table and nursing a coffee for 3 hours. Same is true of crew where some of the gratuity is used to get them up to their minimum contract value before they really start earning "tips". And that doesn't even account for the fact that they work 7 days a week, 10+ hours a day for that minimum contact value. 

[birdofsong]

Does anyone really need their cabin cleaned more than once a day?  How dirty are you? 

[not-enough-cruising]

3 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

So, some people really don't understand how the world works. Around my home town in the good 'ole USA, minimum wage is $15/hour. If you are a service worker who receives tips, your employer can pay as little as $5/hour. This assumes that the first $10 per hour in tips goes to getting you up to minimum wage. And you need to earn a lot more tips to make a livable wage. That is hard at the local diner where people leave loose change or a buck as a tip on a $20 breakfast, after taking up a table and nursing a coffee for 3 hours. Same is true of crew where some of the gratuity is used to get them up to their minimum contract value before they really start earning "tips". And that doesn't even account for the fact that they work 7 days a week, 10+ hours a day for that minimum contact value. 

Apples and Buicks

 

P.S.

A tipped service position was never meant to provide a "living wage"

Edited May 8, 2023 by not-enough-cruising

[BirdTravels]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

Apples and Buicks

Why? The cruise line is doing exactly what US restaurant owners do. People in the US are oblivious to the fact that service workers can be paid a whole lot less than minimum wage. And gratuities are used to get them up to a minimum "contract value" (i.e., the minimum wage in their locality). 

[Biker19]

Just now, BirdTravels said:

And gratuities are used to get them up to a minimum "contract value"

Except, on the ship, even if everyone removed the grats, RCI still has to pay that min contract salary - not so at a US dining venue.

[Mum2Mercury]

1 hour ago, maggieq said:

Regardless, these people work extremely hard IMO ... 

1 hour ago, MD_Dan said:

... The way to fight this is not to punish the worker ... 

This isn't about punishing the workers.  It's about getting less service for more money.  Anyway, if we were to start paying less ... but the staff are servicing more rooms, they should not see a drop in payment.  

 

The whole thing's a mess.  

4 minutes ago, birdofsong said:

Does anyone really need their cabin cleaned more than once a day?  How dirty are you? 

Does anyone really need to go on a cruise?  No, but having your room serviced twice a day /always having your room fresh is part of the cruise experience.  

[d9704011]

7 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

So, some people really don't understand how the world works.

Yes.

 

In Ontario, the minimum wage is $16.55/hour.  Service industry workers are not paid less than this.  You need to adjust your understanding of how 'the world' works.... it doesn't necessarily mimic what's permissible in your state.

[Sunshine3601]

2 hours ago, rucruisn2 said:

I agree with the OP.  Why are we paying for half the service?  Did they lay off cabin stewards?  If so, why are we paying for people no longer employed?  I'll bet Royal isn't paying unemployment for these people.

No, layoffs.    Labor wages have gone up everywhere.   As there are fewer people applying to work on cruise ships I highly doubt they are paying less than last year.    While cruise ships were shut down during covid, Royal was taking care of their employees.    I heard this from many workers in the last 2 years, even the workers at CocoCay including the people that sell souvenirs and hair braiding.

[Tippyton]

52 minutes ago, BennyandBo said:

The US is not solely responsible for inflation worldwide. That's laughable.

Not an economist, but since most currencies are anchored on the dollar, and the dollar is devalued by printing money (inflation), it begs at some level that our fiscal policy has a part in worldwide inflation.

[sabrefan15]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Carnival raised theirs too and went to once a day housekeeping.

 

Are you over there telling them too it's unfair. Get over it. Prices are increasing. I'd rather they cut housekeeping than food. Each has something important to them. I was already telling them just do me once a day but I didnt cut tips. I personally dont like someone in my cabin twice a day, so your whining is lost on me. I was already asking for once a day, leave me alone. I dont like to be fussed over.

I'm not whining, just replying to the person who said gratuities haven't gone up.

 

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Carnival raised theirs too and went to once a day housekeeping.

 

Carnival raised theirs twice in a 12 month period.

[firefly333]

8 minutes ago, sabrefan15 said:

I'm not whining, just replying to the person who said gratuities haven't gone up.

 

You quoted me, I never said that. 2 people quoted me to say tips went up, like they thought this was new news. 

 

Just reading now and glad to see smokey post, he sounds like the voice of reason. The difference doesnt bother me in higher tips and I'm fine with once a day housekeeping.  I'm more of a foodie and enjoy someone cooking for me and washing the dishes. .. when that's gone then I'll leave rcl but this is a nothing to me, just someone else complaining. 

[firefly333]

9 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

Carnival raised theirs twice in a 12 month period.

Yes, though I dont chart increases like some here seem to, knew they had 2 raises.

 

Dont cruise with them until next January, so I follow but not that close.

 

And carnival isnt giving obc for discounted cruisefares .. if they deny my obc when I apply that I will mind as I think its $250 obc for 14 days. And bacon every other morning in their buffet .. I came back to rcl .. better value. Housekeeping doesnt matter to me, just food and cost/obc. We will see if I get obc as I got a discount, but not really cheap like a casino rate. I think by comparison rcl is generous.

[Ret MP]

26 minutes ago, birdofsong said:

Does anyone really need their cabin cleaned more than once a day?  How dirty are you? 

I wasn't going to get involved in this thread but when I saw this, it tripped my trigger.  First, it's insulting, and second, it has nothing to do with personal hygiene.  

 

It's a customary service or at least was, that we all paid for that RCCL, et al, have done away with without a balance.  Do I need or require my bathroom to be cleaned twice a day?  No!  I don't need a pat on the butt and a cookie/candy on my pillow either or a towel rabbit.  But, I would like a fresh clean towel every time I get out of the shower which could be 2 or 3 times a day, just like at home.  The difference is that at home, I don't pay thousands of $$$ a week for that luxury.  I haven't cruised with this new policy yet. But, you can bet your butt that I will be asking/demanding at least 3 sets of towels for my wife and me and if the Steward does a good job, has a great attitude, has a sense of humor, and so on, he/she will get a great tip.  

 

 

[Hoopster95]

Before anyone else on this topic makes one more post, I would like them to post exactly what a cruise worker gets paid, what law states their pay scale, and what these "gratuities" actually are.

 

Edited May 8, 2023 by Hoopster95

[BennyandBo]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

Pretty much. 

No

[Ret MP]

3 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

Before anyone else on this topic makes one more post, I would like them to post exactly what a cruise worker gets paid, what law states their pay scale, and what these "gratuities" actually are.

 

I don't know how accurate this is but it was posted on another cruise social media board.  As fare as their pay, ?????

 

[BennyandBo]

47 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

So, some people really don't understand how the world works. Around my home town in the good 'ole USA, minimum wage is $15/hour. If you are a service worker who receives tips, your employer can pay as little as $5/hour. This assumes that the first $10 per hour in tips goes to getting you up to minimum wage. And you need to earn a lot more tips to make a livable wage. That is hard at the local diner where people leave loose change or a buck as a tip on a $20 breakfast, after taking up a table and nursing a coffee for 3 hours. Same is true of crew where some of the gratuity is used to get them up to their minimum contract value before they really start earning "tips". And that doesn't even account for the fact that they work 7 days a week, 10+ hours a day for that minimum contact value. 

I understand. I just don't give a rats ass. And in my state restaurant workers make $11 an hour plus tips. Way more than others. 

[Merion_Mom]

40 minutes ago, birdofsong said:

Does anyone really need their cabin cleaned more than once a day?  How dirty are you? 

 

It's not always "cleaning".  It's the straightening up, the new towels, the new Cruise Compass, perhaps dropping off the clean laundry, fresh ice.  The two "cleanings" - which are better called service visits - were never equal.  Generally, the morning service was the full cleaning; the later service was rightly called "turndown service."

[not-enough-cruising]

43 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Why? The cruise line is doing exactly what US restaurant owners do. People in the US are oblivious to the fact that service workers can be paid a whole lot less than minimum wage. And gratuities are used to get them up to a minimum "contract value" (i.e., the minimum wage in their locality). 

However cruise ship crew sign a contract GUARANTEEING their wage, regardless off gratuity - not at all like land based service positions. 

[BennyandBo]

44 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Why? The cruise line is doing exactly what US restaurant owners do. People in the US are oblivious to the fact that service workers can be paid a whole lot less than minimum wage. And gratuities are used to get them up to a minimum "contract value" (i.e., the minimum wage in their locality). 

No people in the US are not oblivious. We know how waiters and waitresses get paid in different states and the part tips play into it. Stop assuming you are the only one who knows stuff.

[Hoopster95]

6 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

I don't know how accurate this is but it was posted on another cruise social media board.  As fare as their pay, ?????

 

 

This is not their guarantees salary

[pilot]

52 minutes ago, birdofsong said:

Does anyone really need their cabin cleaned more than once a day?  How dirty are you? 

That is not the point. 

[BennyandBo]

9 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

I don't know how accurate this is but it was posted on another cruise social media board.  As fare as their pay, ?????

 

"Other hotel services $7.00". LOL. Yeah, the salary Royal Caribbean wants us to pay, so they don't have to.