Is tipping mandatory

[logan312]

If something truly gets me upset, I will go and request that days tipping be removed and tell the agent why.

[Cru1s1ng2009]

On 12/17/2023 at 9:31 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:

You are screwing over crew members who depend on tips, but who work behind the scenes and never interact with passengers. However, under the current system you aren’t doing anything wrong, unless it bothers you that you are taking advantage of hard working crew members. 

sadly people like this dont care. they truly think they are making wise business decisions by stiffing people. so stupid.  

[Cru1s1ng2009]

i cant wait till the day that they refuse to remove tips and make it part of the cruise fare like they do for taxes and fees. 

I hate this and people who do this. 

and all caps to make my point:

 

IF YOU CANT AFFORD TO CRUISE, DONT CRUISE!

[taglovestocruise]

2 minutes ago, Cru1s1ng2009 said:

i cant wait till the day that they refuse to remove tips and make it part of the cruise fare like they do for taxes and fees. 

I hate this and people who do this. 

and all caps to make my point:

 

IF YOU CANT AFFORD TO CRUISE, DONT CRUISE!

+100% .. remove tipping and roll it into the fare... getting old watching grats being raised every year or so to make up for the non tippers. 

[teddie]

1 hour ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

That's been my understanding. If a crew member receives cash tips, they have to turn it in and report which guest - if the guest has left autogratuities on, the crew is allowed to keep the cash; if the guest has removed the autogratuities, the cash up to the amount the autogratuities would have been is kept for the standard division and they get the remaining cash back

 

Regarding the crew reporting their cash tips--I'd love to know the real story here.  Are there any RCI crew members out there who have divulged the answwer?  How would the company truly know if a crew member pockets my cash tip?  It cannot be logically assumed that if a pax chooses to cancel the auto-grat, that they will tip in cash instead.  Doesn't take into account all the lovely stiffers out there....

 

Plenty of wait staff in the food industry "pool" their tips.  It's essentially on the honor system if the tip is made in cash, though.  

 

Again, I pay autotips, plus extra in cash to my room attendant.  

 

Teddie

[Cru1s1ng2009]

17 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

+100% .. remove tipping and roll it into the fare... getting old watching grats being raised every year or so to make up for the non tippers. 

its so frustrating. i wont sail with people who don tip anymore. it drives me crazy and gives me second-hand embarassment which makes me tip even more on top of the extra i already tip. 

[time4u2go]

26 minutes ago, Cru1s1ng2009 said:

i cant wait till the day that they refuse to remove tips and make it part of the cruise fare like they do for taxes and fees. 

I hate this and people who do this. 

and all caps to make my point:

 

IF YOU CANT AFFORD TO CRUISE, DONT CRUISE!

I'm pretty sure nobody here has suggested they can't afford to cruise.

[Cru1s1ng2009]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

I'm pretty sure nobody here has suggested they can't afford to cruise.

then why not tip if it is customary? if it is a societal norm from where you are sailing from, why not tip? 

[time4u2go]

1 minute ago, Cru1s1ng2009 said:

then why not tip if it is customary? if it is a societal norm from where you are sailing from, why not tip? 

I'm also pretty sure that nobody here has suggested that they won't tip.  (If I'm wrong on that, please let me know who suggested it.)  Removing auto gratuities does not mean no tip.  There's still the cash option.

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

27 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

I'm pretty sure nobody here has suggested they can't afford to cruise.

The person who says $725 in gratuities for six people for a seven day cruise is too much, that an "acceptable" amount would be $40 ($20 for the waiter, $20 for the room steward).  Not per day or per person, TOTAL for the trip. 

[time4u2go]

1 minute ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

The person who says $725 in gratuities for six people for a seven day cruise is too much, that an "acceptable" amount would be $40 ($20 for the waiter, $20 for the room steward).  Not per day or per person, TOTAL for the trip. 

I saw that, but they didn't say they can't afford to cruise.

[Morecruisesplz]

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

The person who says $725 in gratuities for six people for a seven day cruise is too much, that an "acceptable" amount would be $40 ($20 for the waiter, $20 for the room steward).  Not per day or per person, TOTAL for the trip. 

You need to go back and read the posts. Totally misinterpreted what that person said. 

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

4 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

I saw that, but they didn't say they can't afford to cruise.

 

4 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

You need to go back and read the posts. Totally misinterpreted what that person said. 

I agree, they didn't say it using those exact words, but it could be inferred...

 

Original Post... 

On 12/24/2023 at 2:51 PM, tvo7 said:

Just got off Harmony of the Seas and for 6 people interior, total around 725 in gratuities.  To me that sounds ridiculous.  

 

What would happen if I do not autopsy gratuity but just give the MDR guy a 20 and the stateroom guy a 20 qt the end of the cruise.  

Would I be flagged in their computer for the next trip?

 

That makes it sound like they just don't like the amount.  A follow up post however complains about the cost (that it can be used for another cruise).

On 12/25/2023 at 4:37 PM, tvo7 said:

Question.  I do not know anyone on here personally.  

 

For someone like me who is not as wealthy as 99 percent of others on this forum,  a 725 gratuity is like 1 cruise right there for 1 person.  

 

Does anyone know of anyone, who takes off auto grats and tips staff zero.  If so, did they go on multiple cruises like this without paying one cent in tips?

 

I interpret that as the gratuity is too much for their budget (which there's nothing wrong with).  AND poster wants encouragement to NOT tip.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Morecruisesplz]

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

 

I agree, they didn't say it using those exact words, but it could be inferred...

 

Original Post... 

 

That makes it sound like they just don't like the amount.  A follow up post however complains about the cost (that it can be used for another cruise).

 

I interpret that as the gratuity is too much for their budget (which there's nothing wrong with).  AND poster wants encouragement to NOT tip.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interpret, inferring, encourage to not tip. Stop. The poor simply correctly thought the increased tips are getting to a lot! Who are you to tell him not to cruise then? Just do what you do.

 

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

4 minutes ago, Morecruisesplz said:

Interpret, inferring, encourage to not tip. Stop. The poor simply correctly thought the increased tips are getting to a lot! Who are you to tell him not to cruise then? Just do what you do.

 

So if I come on here and complain that this invoice is too expensive... 

People wouldn't (rightly IMO) say "change ship, change itinerary, change date, change cabin"?  

 

Actually, I didn't say "not to cruise".  I said "find a cheaper vacation".  That could still be a cruise.  But on a smaller ship, or at a different time, or a different itinerary. 

 

But yes, PP gave the impression they couldn't afford the cruise because of the gratuity.  AND wanted encouragement to not tip at all.  

[tvo7]

Oh my gosh, 2 people for 130k?

 

That's more than I make in 2 years. 

 

Can 2 people use up all the room in the townhouse?

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

It's WAY out of my price range also.  So I won't be booking it. 😞

[Another_Critic]

17 minutes ago, tvo7 said:

Oh my gosh, 2 people for 130k?

 

That's more than I make in 2 years. 

 

Can 2 people use up all the room in the townhouse?

Remember to allocate money for a BIG tip for the Genie.  I've heard the normal tip is 10%, so another $13k.

[glentally]

1 hour ago, Cru1s1ng2009 said:

then why not tip if it is customary? if it is a societal norm from where you are sailing from, why not tip? 

There are a lot of different customs my love!

Edited December 26, 2023 by glentally

[not-enough-cruising]

2 hours ago, Cru1s1ng2009 said:

i cant wait till the day that they refuse to remove tips and make it part of the cruise fare like they do for taxes and fees. 

I hate this and people who do this. 

and all caps to make my point:

 

IF YOU CANT AFFORD TO CRUISE, DONT CRUISE!

THIS TOPIC HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT ONE CAN OR CANNOT AFFORD 

[not-enough-cruising]

2 hours ago, teddie said:

 

Regarding the crew reporting their cash tips--I'd love to know the real story here.  Are there any RCI crew members out there who have divulged the answwer?  How would the company truly know if a crew member pockets my cash tip?  It cannot be logically assumed that if a pax chooses to cancel the auto-grat, that they will tip in cash instead.  Doesn't take into account all the lovely stiffers out there....

 

Plenty of wait staff in the food industry "pool" their tips.  It's essentially on the honor system if the tip is made in cash, though.  

 

Again, I pay autotips, plus extra in cash to my room attendant.  

 

Teddie

The crew puts the cash in their pocket and it is never mentioned again. 

[not-enough-cruising]

2 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

+100% .. remove tipping and roll it into the fare... getting old watching grats being raised every year or so to make up for the non tippers. 

Grats being raised annually has nothing to do with people removing them. 
They raise the gratuities because you pay them without questioning it. 

[teddie]

23 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

The crew puts the cash in their pocket and it is never mentioned again. 

That's what I would hope for.

Teddie

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

2 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

The crew puts the cash in their pocket and it is never mentioned again. 

 

1 hour ago, teddie said:

That's what I would hope for.

Teddie

You can hope, but you don't know.  Just like no one here KNOWS that cash goes into the pool. 

[uvadover]

2 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

THIS TOPIC HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT ONE CAN OR CANNOT AFFORD 

When you resort to yelling, you've lost.  But it clearly touched a nerve that removing auto-gratuities is typically the sign of a miser, who will gladly stiff the staff to save a few bucks on an otherwise awesome vacation.