Gratuities [eeeek]

[Ret MP]

13 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

You just made my point. Gratuity money is going to many positions that shouldn’t be tipped positions. 
This is why more and more people are opting out and going the cash route. Laundry, and dishwashers aren’t tipped positions. 
Room Steward, waiter, assistant waiter, head waiter (in special circumstances), anyone that PERSONALLY makes my day better.  That’s it, not 1800

 

Just for clarification:  I worked in a few restaurants as a Jr high school kid, washing dishes.  My pay was a %age of the wait staff's tips and a very small hourly wage.  I worked hard to make sure every plate, spoon, and glass was totally clean and spot-free.  If I made the wait staff look good, I got more money.  No, I can't guarantee that all the wait staff was honest and put all the tips in the bucket.   I believe that system is still in existence today - shared gratuities for those behind the scenes.  Now, do they do that on ships, I don't know and more importantly, I don't care.

 

 

[RyderJ201]

It's amazing how on this subject everyone has worked in a restaurant at some point. LOL.

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, RyderJ201 said:

It's amazing how on this subject everyone has worked in a restaurant at some point. LOL.

Hasn't most middle school age and High School age kids.  Or do you always insinuate that people are lying?

[Tiggerontheseas]

7 minutes ago, RyderJ201 said:

It's amazing how on this subject everyone has worked in a restaurant at some point. LOL.

 

I have and my husband hasn't.  My daughter hasn't but my son still does.  That's 50% just for my immediate family.  It doesn't surprise me that many on here have also.  

[Ocean Boy]

I never worked in a restaurant.

[vswan]

I did, both of my kids did, but DH did not. So three out of four.

[Ret MP]

4 minutes ago, Tiggerontheseas said:

 

I have and my husband hasn't.  My daughter hasn't but my son still does.  That's 50% just for my immediate family.  It doesn't surprise me that many on here have also.  

Between Jr. High and Sr. High, I worked in a few restaurants but mostly spent most of my time working at gas stations (you know, the full service, check your tires and engine oil, kinda gas station) and once in an auto parts store (NAPA).  That's during the winter/school season, in the summer I worked for my dad in a Golf Pro Shop, he was the head pro at the golf course near Montreal Canada.  

[RyderJ201]

26 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Hasn't most middle school age and High School age kids.  Or do you always insinuate that people are lying?

No. Only you.

[Ret MP]

Just now, RyderJ201 said:

No. Only you.

Oh, okay!  

[RyderJ201]

Just now, Ret MP said:

Oh, okay!  

LOL.

[Vibe]

 

The cruise line crew that work behind the scenes and those who work in positions that have directly contact with guests agree to their compensation based on the automatic gratuities that the guests pay.

When you pay the automatic gratuities you contribute to that salary plan that is acceptable to the crew when signing their employment contract.

 

I personally don’t like that method, I agree that it is a scam, however I pay the automatic gratuities because I feel that I contributed to every crew members agreed compensation and don’t want to disrupt it.

 

If a crew member goes over and above, I discreetly give them cash as a thank you.

 

The crew members are from areas of the world that does not have many opportunities, they work hard and are away from their families. We are so blessed that we can afford to cruise and have the time to cruise. The $16 per person per day is not going to break any of us. Most of us spend that amount of money on things that are not necessary. Why are some obsessing over this?
 

Keep this in mind:

• Part of the cruise fare is taxes and fees. We have no idea of the breakdown of where that money goes.
• Part of the cruise price includes all of the amenities and shows. If you do not participate in everything, should you expect get a prorated portion of your cruise fare refunded?
• The cruise line adds the gratuities on board so that initial total cost seems lower, the same way hotels have resort fees, both practices are not ideal, but it is what it is.

 

When booking the cruise, I consider the cruise fare, taxes, fees and the gratuities all together as the total cost.

 

I want to enjoy my cruise, pay the automatic gratuities to feel confident that I did not screw any crew member to their agreed compensation, relax and not worry what crew members get paid, it is not my business, it is between them and the company, the same way it is everywhere else.

 

 

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by Vibe

[Ret MP]

27 minutes ago, Vibe said:

The $16 per person per day is not going to break any of us. Most of us spend that amount of money on things that are not necessary. Why are some obsessing over this?
 

Hell, I spent, just today, over $20.00 on 4 cookies.  Yep, $16.00 per day per person isn't an issue for me, not that I'm loaded, far from it. 

 

Yes, I'd prefer to give it to those that I actually see and receive service(s) from.  But, it is what it is. 

[ReneeFLL]

26 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

Actually, I do.  Nothing surprises me when it involves disgusting human behavior or idiocy.  Geeee, I wonder why there are actual articles about it happening.  But, like I said, I can't verify the stories and I didn't witness it myself.  So, who knows?  Not me, for sure.  Maybe they are multitasking, washing pantyhose in a carafe, entertaining their pilot friends, and washing their jeans in the bathroom sink!  Hell, I don't know, I didn't make the crap up, I read about it.  You can Google it, you know.

So you believe everything you read in the internet? 🤣🤣🤣  I used to be a FA with Pan Am and not once did I ever hear of any of us using a carafe to wash clothes in it. Stereotype much about pilots and FAs? Btw, if I was hand washing some jeans and pantyhose I definitely wouldn’t do it separately. Too time consuming. Funny you should mention the disgusting human behavior and idiocy considered your comments on your behavior on the other thread. 👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼

[Ret MP]

1 minute ago, ReneeFLL said:

So you believe everything you read in the internet? 🤣🤣🤣  I used to be a FA with Pan Am and not once did I ever hear of any of us using a carafe to wash clothes in it. Stereotype much about pilots and FAs? Btw, if I was hand washing some jeans and pantyhose I definitely wouldn’t do it separately. Too time consuming. Funny you should mention the disgusting human behavior and idiocy considered your comments on your behavior on the other thread. 👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼

Did I say I believed what I read on the Internet?  I believe I said that even if just a rumor, it was enough for me/us to take precautions and I also said that I didn't verify the information.  Or something like that.  I didn't "stereotype anything, I use examples and if you read it as I intended, it was an attempt at a little humor.    And what behavior is that?  Eating FFs with my hands while moving around the WJ or other buffets?  Do you consider that disgusting human behavior?  Idiocy?  Being a retired active duty U.S. Army soldier, criminal investigator, and traffic accident investigator, I can tell you a thing or two about disgusting/idiocy.   Like I said over and over again, some of you are just worried about optics.  Period.  There is no science or logic to your FEELINGS.

[PompeySailor]

And a Manager of Port Canaveral parking

A Military Police officer and there was another job you had the other day 

I remember something about hospitality manager

 

Wow quite the job hopper - I used to think there were jobs for life back in the day 

 

Jack of all 

it’s only humor 🤣

Hopefully you can even see the funny side 😂🤣😂🤣

Ex Army here 

counterfeiter 

father

brother 

trainer

drinker

eater 

cruiser

lover

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by PompeySailor

[ldubs]

On 9/4/2023 at 12:05 AM, sgmn said:

 

I personally think gratuities should be rolled up in the basic fare, at least outside USA home ports.

 

 

I think it should be rolled into fares everywhere. I have been part of the American tipping culture for many years.  I'm old and I'm tired of it.   Just give the total amount due and be done with it.   

BTW, assuming I understand it correctly, I like the concept of the tiered minimum wage used in the UK.   

[strickers]

As someone about to visit the US and Canada for the first time in a number of years I'm finding that the tipping 'culture' has gotten completely out of hand. What was designed as something to reward outstanding service has become something a reliant and sometimes entitled group expect for whatever service they provide. It's about time employers started paying a fair wage for fair work and employees get the opportunity to shine and take home a little bit more. For servers to become so reliant on tips in order to make ends meet is just wrong, for this to be the norm rather than the exception is obscene and a gross abuse of the situation. Several years I ago I visited Japan where tipping will almost certainly be turned down, the staff pride themselves on providing good service and employers pay them a fair wage.

 

I'm perhaps unusual as a Brit because I do tip, usually 10% if I've had good service but I'm not afraid to not do so if the service is poor or mediocre. I also understand that almost all staff on cruise ships work hard and provide excellent service, for that reason I can accept the daily gratuity but I wish the ships would be more transparent about their pay structure and pay fairly. But with many of the staff coming from poor countries and being reliant on sending money home to support their families there will always be a ready stream of employees willing to do the work.

 

Anyway, rant over. Time to continue working on Plan B just in case Radiance doesn't make it for our 22/09 sailing, (09/22 for my North American friends and 22 Sept which normally avoids all confusion).

 

Sail On.

Edited September 7, 2023 by strickers
Spelling

[cruiseboy89130]

On 9/5/2023 at 12:28 PM, firefly333 said:

Be aware your cabin steward and others will know you removed tips.

No they don't - but you can call GS just before you debark to make sure....

[Kbonner]

59 minutes ago, strickers said:

As someone about to visit the US and Canada for the first time in a number of years I'm finding that the tipping 'culture' has gotten completely out of hand. What was designed as something to reward outstanding service has become something a reliant and sometimes entitled group expect for whatever service they provide. It's about time employers started paying a fair wage for fair work and employees get the opportunity to shine and take home a little bit more. For servers to become so reliant on tips in order to make ends meet is just wrong, for this to be the norm rather than the exception is obscene and a gross abuse of the situation. Several years I ago I visited Japan where tipping will almost certainly be turned down, the staff pride themselves on providing good service and employers pay them a fair wage.

 

I'm perhaps unusual as a Brit because I do tip, usually 10% if I've had good service but I'm not afraid to not do so if the service is poor or mediocre. I also understand that almost all staff on cruise ships work hard and provide excellent service, for that reason I can accept the daily gratuity but I wish the ships would be more transparent about their pay structure and pay fairly. But with many of the staff coming from poor countries and being reliant on sending money home to support their families there will always be a ready stream of employees willing to do the work.

 

Anyway, rant over. Time to continue working on Plan B just in case Radiance doesn't make it for our 22/09 sailing, (09/22 for my North American friends and 22 Sept which normally avoids all confusion).

 

Sail On.

Excellent synopsis

[Billy Baltic]

5 hours ago, Vibe said:

The cruise line crew that work behind the scenes and those who work in positions that have directly contact with guests agree to their compensation based on the automatic gratuities that the guests pay.

Excellent. I’ve been waiting on someone who has access to their contact of employment. Can you share it here please. 

[little britain]

7 hours ago, RyderJ201 said:

It's amazing how on this subject everyone has worked in a restaurant at some point. LOL.

I worked in a pub when at Uni. Does that count? 
Yes we kept all our tips. 

[jean87510]

On 9/4/2023 at 2:18 AM, zimmerman said:

I know this is well trodden ground and highly emotive… I recall this particular gem popped up a few weeks back; someone commented on the fact there were huge queues at guest services and guests were getting their gratuities refunded. This was contested.

 

We’re just off a cruise.

one of the waiters (in a speciality restaurant) we were talking to told us that on the previous week’s cruise, 25% of customers had cancelled their gratuities.

 

he could obviously have been laying some foundation for our sympathies or trying to illicit some generosity from us. Who knows.

 

Was a European cruise sailing out of Italy (so maybe there could be some assertions made about cultural norms).

 

the other thing he told us, he claimed that some staff don’t get ANY salary. Their salaries are wholly dependent on the gratuity pool. So if 25% of guests retract them; their ‘salaries’ are effectively reduced by 25% for that week. I found this a bit alarming. Not sure, I always assumed they got something? Maybe the ‘room and food’ is the something?

He obviously reads Cruise Critic.

[PATRLR]

9 hours ago, Ret MP said:

 Geeee, I wonder why there are actual articles about it happening.  

One reason for at least some of these reports is click bait. Obviously I have no idea if that is the reason for whatever it is that you are referring to.

9 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

You just made my point. Gratuity money is going to many positions that shouldn’t be tipped positions. 

I didn't realize your point was that you didn't like the way RCCL was conducting business.  Nothing more to say about that.

1 hour ago, Billy Baltic said:

Excellent. I’ve been waiting on someone who has access to their contact of employment. Can you share it here please. 

I don't have access to their contracts.   You, me, @Vibe, and everyone else here are just anonymous people on the internet with zero credibility.  But those who hang out over in the NCL forum have come to know one poster (chengkp) who was a former mechanical officer on NCL and other lines.  He has explained the new form of crew contracts pretty well and according to him, what @Vibe wrote is correct - there is a fixed component of their compensation and a variable component based on collection of the daily charge.  Why do I believe chengkp? After all, he's just one more anonymous poster on the internet.   Over time, I've found that some people are just more credible, they build that credibility with what they write.  I believe what chengkp writes.  

[Jetdriver787]

8 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

So you believe everything you read in the internet? 🤣🤣🤣  I used to be a FA with Pan Am and not once did I ever hear of any of us using a carafe to wash clothes in it. Stereotype much about pilots and FAs? Btw, if I was hand washing some jeans and pantyhose I definitely wouldn’t do it separately. Too time consuming. Funny you should mention the disgusting human behavior and idiocy considered your comments on your behavior on the other thread. 👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼

Indeed!……and even if it were true, it’s still better than “Iced Tea!” 🤦🏻‍♂️🤢

[Badatz2]

After reading 6 pages about basically the same thing.  I would like to take a change in direction based on your comments.

 

Why should tipping be a percentage of your bill.   Even the "dreaded and hated" daily gratuity is a fixed amount and not a percentage of my fare.  True there is differences by certain room categories but within the category not all fares are identical.

If a waiter brings me a roast beef entree, is he working harder than if he brought me roast chicken and therefore is entitled to a bigger tip?

Is opening a top craft beer any different that opening a Budweiser?   

You can see where I am going with this.

 

All tips should be either a fixed amount, left to my discretion, or not allowed at all.  Otherwise the cost of the meal, fare, etc. should be all inclusive and If I chose to partake of the service than I will pay it willingly.