I emailed the executive office with questions about auto-gratuity dispersement.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

3 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I never said that, I was just pointing out the fact that in your scenario they are making more money for fewer cleanings; that’s all. 

I would NEVER say anyone makes too much. Everyone should grab as much as they can for as long as they can. 

So what?  Isn't what they make between the employee and the company?  

[time4u2go]

4 hours ago, springfire said:

Good thing Royal has given us a choice on gratuity.  It is nice that cruisers have the option to prepay their gratuities and not worry about it during their cruise.  Many other cruisers prefer to allow Royal to have daily automatic gratuities deducted from their credit cards while on their cruise.   Many cruisers contact guest services and request automatic gratuities be removed and give gratuities directly to those that they feel deserve.   Some cruisers may not even give gratuities to anyone. Cruisers have many different reasons for making their gratuity decisions.  All of these options are acceptable to Royal.

 

The decision on allocating your gratuity is up to you.  Many on here get upset if you don't tip their way.   Tip what makes you feel good and don't worry how others decide to tip! 

 

Happy Cruising 

 

 

Great post. Royal does indeed allow passengers to make a choice. For some reason, some on here feel the need to convince others that their choice is wrong. 

[not-enough-cruising]

32 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

So what?  Isn't what they make between the employee and the company?  

Absolutely 100% correct and my gratuity is between the crew member and me 

 

I don’t get involved in company business and I don’t allow the company to get into my business 

[sanger727]

I don't believe any cruise lines are taking a cut of the gratuities to add to their bottom line. I have heard on some lines, however, that some of the gratuities go to a "crew welfare fund" that does things like crew parties. So, that might be interpreted as the cruise line taking a cut, but it's still being used towards the crew. 

[Ocean Boy]

38 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

So what?  Isn't what they make between the employee and the company?  

You've been on CC plenty long enough to know the answer to that question.

[time4u2go]

4 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Absolutely 100% correct and my gratuity is between the crew member and me 

 

I don’t get involved in company business and I don’t allow the company to get into my business 

Well said. 

[buckeyefrank]

On 12/5/2023 at 1:57 PM, budmeister said:

First questions and answer: 

"How are the gratuities we pay with auto-gratuities divided among the dining team if we do not eat in the main dining room at all ? Do 100% of the gratuities still go to the dining team?

 

If we do eat in the dining room each night, do 100% of the auto- gratuities go to the dining team that served us?

 

Do 100% of the cabin steward auto-gratuities go to the cabin steward for our cabin?" 

 

"Thank you for choosing Royal and sailing on the Wonder Of The Seas. Please be advised that gratuities are distributed to the crew, such as dining, bar, and culinary services staff, stateroom attendants, other hotel services teams, and others who work to enhance the overall cruise experience."

 

I was not satisfied, so I replied with :

 

"Do 100% of the gratuities go to the crew?

 

Do surveys effect gratuities received? "

 

"Thank you for the email reply. 100% of all gratuities are distributed to the crew. Surveys do not impact gratuities distribution."

 

I imagine it would be a bad idea to lie in writing signed by a member of the executive office. I choose to believe that I am being told the truth.

 

 

They can't legally take monies designated for crew purposes and take it as income.  During their year-end financial audit (as well as interim audits periodically throughout the year), they check to ensure that funds are being used for specified purposes.  If RCL was taking tips and moving it to income, the auditors would have a fit and make a description of the issue in the financial statements.  The money not be distributed exactly how each person wants it to be, but it IS going to the crew.  It can also take many forms, crew parties, additional vacation days for good service, etc.

[buckeyefrank]

On 12/7/2023 at 2:55 PM, not-enough-cruising said:

Absolutely 100% correct and my gratuity is between the crew member and me 

 

I don’t get involved in company business and I don’t allow the company to get into my business 

I see it completely differently.  RCL is offering a vacation experience on whatever vessel is being booked.  That includes a certain level of service for dining, room service, entertainment, etc.  Part of the cost of the cruise includes the daily tip, which I see as no different from the base rate.  What RCL does with and what RCL pays their employees is none of my concern.  No different than going to a restaurant.  I know the expected percentage to tip and don't care how the server splits that with the back side of the house.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, buckeyefrank said:

I see it completely differently.  RCL is offering a vacation experience on whatever vessel is being booked.  That includes a certain level of service for dining, room service, entertainment, etc.  Part of the cost of the cruise includes the daily tip, which I see as no different from the base rate.  What RCL does with and what RCL pays their employees is none of my concern.  No different than going to a restaurant.  I know the expected percentage to tip and don't care how the server splits that with the back side of the house.

This is precisely why we all have the option of how we handle it.

[not-enough-cruising]

6 minutes ago, buckeyefrank said:

They can't legally take monies designated for crew purposes and take it as income.  During their year-end financial audit (as well as interim audits periodically throughout the year), they check to ensure that funds are being used for specified purposes.  If RCL was taking tips and moving it to income, the auditors would have a fit and make a description of the issue in the financial statements.  The money not be distributed exactly how each person wants it to be, but it IS going to the crew.  It can also take many forms, crew parties, additional vacation days for good service, etc.

"legally?"

Whose laws?

[buckeyefrank]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

"legally?"

Whose laws?

They're a US corporation subject to US GAAP international accounting rules based on the fact that they are a publicly traded company and on the NYSE.  The external auditors review the procedures and workflows, perform testing on the controls around those processes and perform testing on some of the actual activity conducted during the year.  The auditors would be testing specifically for any items recorded in income that shouldn't be there.... like swindled tips.

[not-enough-cruising]

3 minutes ago, buckeyefrank said:

They're a US corporation subject to US GAAP international accounting rules based on the fact that they are a publicly traded company and on the NYSE.  The external auditors review the procedures and workflows, perform testing on the controls around those processes and perform testing on some of the actual activity conducted during the year.  The auditors would be testing specifically for any items recorded in income that shouldn't be there.... like swindled tips.

Royal Caribbean Group is an international holding company incorporated in Liberia, not a US corporation

 

Royal Caribbean cruise line is traded on the NYSE, but not RCG

Edited December 12, 2023 by not-enough-cruising

[buckeyefrank]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

Royal Caribbean Group is an international holding company incorporated in Liberia, not a US corporation

Doing business in the USA and listed on the NYSE.  The SEC requires a financial audit every year from them and Carnival, and NCL....   That doesn't include the audits from other jurisdictions that are required, which may or may not be piggy backed off the US audit.

 

It doesn't matter the jurisdiction, they are required to have an audit and tips are absolutely looked at.

Edited December 12, 2023 by buckeyefrank

[not-enough-cruising]

5 minutes ago, buckeyefrank said:

Doing business in the USA and listed on the NYSE.  The SEC requires a financial audit every year from them and Carnival, and NCL....   That doesn't include the audits from other jurisdictions that are required, which may or may not be piggy backed off the US audit.

 

It doesn't matter the jurisdiction, they are required to have an audit and tips are absolutely looked at.

You obviously seem to be better versed than I on the accounting end; it doesn't change how I feel about it, but I defer to your knowledge base.

[buckeyefrank]

46 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

You obviously seem to be better versed than I on the accounting end; it doesn't change how I feel about it, but I defer to your knowledge base.

I am a CPA and can tell you that 100% of the tips... service charges... whatever a line calls them goes into employee only programs.  You may or may not like how it's spent, but it all goes to the employees.

[not-enough-cruising]

15 minutes ago, buckeyefrank said:

I am a CPA and can tell you that 100% of the tips... service charges... whatever a line calls them goes into employee only programs.  You may or may not like how it's spent, but it all goes to the employees.

Just because the money is going to “employee programs” doesn’t change the fact, in my mind, that the cruise line is taking case from the pockets of those I wish to reward, to pay for things, that ultimately are the responsibility of the corporation. Again, just my thoughts; and we all have choices. 

Edited December 12, 2023 by not-enough-cruising

[budmeister]

3 hours ago, buckeyefrank said:

They can't legally take monies designated for crew purposes and take it as income.  During their year-end financial audit (as well as interim audits periodically throughout the year), they check to ensure that funds are being used for specified purposes.  If RCL was taking tips and moving it to income, the auditors would have a fit and make a description of the issue in the financial statements.  The money not be distributed exactly how each person wants it to be, but it IS going to the crew.  It can also take many forms, crew parties, additional vacation days for good service, etc.

I find that interesting. I cannot imagine the uproar if the tips clients leave on credit cards for our   business were used for employee parties or extra vacation days, rather than 100% distributed to employees as tips on their paychecks. 

[Seville2Cabo]

5 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Royal Caribbean cruise line is traded on the NYSE, but not RCG

I think RCG trades under RCL on the NYSE.  When they changed to RCG, they did not change their trading symbol

[Ocean Boy]

1 hour ago, Seville2Cabo said:

I think RCG trades under RCL on the NYSE.  When they changed to RCG, they did not change their trading symbol

Correct.

[ReneeFLL]

@budmeister You should’ve asked why did the gratuities increase and the services decrease. Something tells me they would have ignored the question.

[pcur]

On 12/5/2023 at 12:15 PM, budmeister said:

 I did not mean to start this kind of a breakdown thread. I meant more about dining positions, as I rarely eat  in the dining room. I am curious, but I do not need to know. I am glad that all tips go to crew and that they are not jipped because of bad or no surveys. I don't know how tips are distributed by position anywhere I tip at home either. 

It's my understanding that if you do not eat in the main dining room, then the "dining related" portion of your gratuities are distributed to the "dining services" category.  This is all the other eating venues that do not record your cabin number when you go in. 

 

Every time your cabin number is entered into the system, the portion of your grats that would have gone to the staff in the MDR, now are diverted to the restaurant where you are recorded as eating that meal.  The tips are pooled for the staff in that restaurant.

[lovesthebeach2]

3 hours ago, pcur said:

It's my understanding that if you do not eat in the main dining room, then the "dining related" portion of your gratuities are distributed to the "dining services" category.  This is all the other eating venues that do not record your cabin number when you go in. 

 

Every time your cabin number is entered into the system, the portion of your grats that would have gone to the staff in the MDR, now are diverted to the restaurant where you are recorded as eating that meal.  The tips are pooled for the staff in that restaurant.

I’m a bit confused. I thought the dining portion of the gratuity is distributed equally to everyone who works in dining, whether they are in the MDR, WJ, Sorrentos, etc.

 

For example, If don’t eat in the MDR, where would our portion of the days tip be diverted if I eat in the WJ, Sorrentos, Park Cafe, or just nibbles in the Diamond lounge. They would have no idea who would get it.

 

I’ve pre booked meals in specialty dining and the 18% is already added, so why would my portion from MDR be distributed there, when they’ve already received the 18%?

 

And if many people never go to MDR, then the servers there get no gratuity ever?

 

I saw a crew member working in the WJ, Cafe 270, and Giovanni’s as a server on Odyssey. She was all over the place. So did she get extra tips because she was working in so many different places.

 

sorry I’m so confused, maybe I didn’t understand your post.

 

 

[Ocean Boy]

8 hours ago, pcur said:

It's my understanding that if you do not eat in the main dining room, then the "dining related" portion of your gratuities are distributed to the "dining services" category.  This is all the other eating venues that do not record your cabin number when you go in. 

 

Every time your cabin number is entered into the system, the portion of your grats that would have gone to the staff in the MDR, now are diverted to the restaurant where you are recorded as eating that meal.  The tips are pooled for the staff in that restaurant.

How do they know where I eat? I don't swipe my seapass when I go into the Windjammer, Sorrento's, Solarium Cafe, Park Cafe, etc. For that matter,  how do they know if I'm in the MDR? Does the server take attendance?

[pcur]

5 hours ago, lovesthebeach2 said:

I’m a bit confused. I thought the dining portion of the gratuity is distributed equally to everyone who works in dining, whether they are in the MDR, WJ, Sorrentos, etc.

 

For example, If don’t eat in the MDR, where would our portion of the days tip be diverted if I eat in the WJ, Sorrentos, Park Cafe, or just nibbles in the Diamond lounge. They would have no idea who would get it.

 

I’ve pre booked meals in specialty dining and the 18% is already added, so why would my portion from MDR be distributed there, when they’ve already received the 18%?

 

And if many people never go to MDR, then the servers there get no gratuity ever?

 

I saw a crew member working in the WJ, Cafe 270, and Giovanni’s as a server on Odyssey. She was all over the place. So did she get extra tips because she was working in so many different places.

 

sorry I’m so confused, maybe I didn’t understand your post.

 

 

Whenever your room number is recorded, or you are assigned a table, those servers get their portion of your dining gratuities.

 

When you are out and about, and no specific restaurant records you as dining with them, your dining gratuities goes to "Dining Services".

[pcur]

48 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

How do they know where I eat? I don't swipe my seapass when I go into the Windjammer, Sorrento's, Solarium Cafe, Park Cafe, etc. For that matter,  how do they know if I'm in the MDR? Does the server take attendance?

When you are in the MDR at a specific table, your presence is noted.  If you are not recorded in a specific place that can "claim" that portion of that day's gratuities, then it goes to the pooled "Dining Services", and it distributed throughout the no-charge eating venues.