Gratuities

[keesar]

If I have left over OBC,  I split it among deserving staff who made my trip special.  Go to Guest Relations to get a form and then have those deserving individuals add their names and employee numbers.  I then write in the amounts and return the completed form to Guest Relations.  Very simple.  

[gcornell]

I tip once for good service.  Not twice.  

[PTC DAWG]

9 hours ago, Pushka said:
 

I understand why people tip for good service and we do this too. What I dislike is people who tip 'in advance' to get good service. That is a bribe in my books. 

I knew we would get there eventually. 

[jwlane]

17 hours ago, lwid77 said:

 

What is the expectation for gratuities over and above that? 

To succinctly answer your question, there is none.

[the penguins]

13 hours ago, keesar said:

If I have left over OBC,  I split it among deserving staff who made my trip special.  Go to Guest Relations to get a form and then have those deserving individuals add their names and employee numbers.  I then write in the amounts and return the completed form to Guest Relations.  Very simple.  

The Boss (Anita) makes sure ours is wisely invested in the Casino.

[bikerunner]

Never can understand this about tips. It’s purely personal in nature what someone else does has no bearing nor do I care what they do.  I observe a lot and just got off the ta on the silhouette.   It’s very sad how some people treat the staff.  Called out a few people.  Saw one lady go all off on guest services because she did not have a nightlight in her room and guest services would not remove the bathroom door for her. Many people should just not travel.  Saw many cut in lines at cafe Al bacio. , hence call outs to let them know other people are waiting, was not that nice at times. Okay sorry.   This is about tipping.  Like said it is personal in nature. I do rip extra.  We had special meals prepared for us in aqua, pays to ask and be nice to staff hey will go above and beyond.  

[d9704011]

What is this 'above and beyond' thing I often read about?  How can I recognize it compared to regular service standards/expectations?

[Ergates The Ant]

Despite all the aggro, it can be helpful to have some discussion around tipping/ gratuities, whatever it’s referred to. 

On my first visit to the US, ( nearly 50 years ago) I paid the bill as I would here in the UK but didn’t tip. I was mortified to later discover that the waiting staff relied on the tips as they weren’t paid the full rate. ( I also got caught out a few times trying to give the ‘correct’ cash in shops without realising that the sales tax wasn’t included in the quoted price)

 

So in the US, I follow the custom and pay up the ‘compensation’ to staff for their employers lack of a decent reward for a job done, but I rarely tip extra. 
 

And when I am in the UK and Europe, I pay the quoted price for a meal, in the knowledge that the staff who serve it are being paid at least the minimum wage, and their employer is making a contribution to their National Insurance, which in the UK provides them with free healthcare and unemployment benefits. I only tip if I’ve had service above and beyond, and only a couple of pounds, and direct to the individual. And in Europe visiting friends who are locals, I follow their example and just leave the equivalent of the small change.

 

Customs are different wherever one visits, and so I pay a ‘gratuity’ in the US and on US ships, and reserve the right to be horrified if someone suggested to an American visitor that they should tip 20% in Europe! Especially as lower paid workers in the UK can apply for all sorts of extra benefits, which I as a higher tax payer, am subsidising!

Sorry for the length of the rant!

[d9704011]

31 minutes ago, Ergates The Ant said:

I only tip if I’ve had service above and beyond,

I read your rant.

[DennysDad]

Is Celebrity Automatic gratuities program like Royal Caribbean?

 

You get charged daily.

 

If not happy, or you prefer cash, you can remove and tip directly to those serving you?

[markeb]

29 minutes ago, DennysDad said:

Is Celebrity Automatic gratuities program like Royal Caribbean?

 

You get charged daily.

 

If not happy, or you prefer cash, you can remove and tip directly to those serving you?

 

You can do that. It works exactly like Royal Caribbean. There will be a daily charge to your account that you settle with your outstanding charges at the end of the cruise.

 

If you're not happy, you should work that out with their supervisors, not by removing gratuities. If you remove the gratuities and pay cash, they'll have to turn them in, just like 99% of the service jobs in the US, and they'll be pooled and distributed EXACTLY THE SAME AS IF YOU'D LEFT THEM IN PLACE. You can theoretically give additional gratuities directly to those serving you if the baseline (autograt) has been met. 

 

Enough about tipping for today.

[DennysDad]

9 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

You can do that. It works exactly like Royal Caribbean. There will be a daily charge to your account that you settle with your outstanding charges at the end of the cruise.

 

If you're not happy, you should work that out with their supervisors, not by removing gratuities. If you remove the gratuities and pay cash, they'll have to turn them in, just like 99% of the service jobs in the US, and they'll be pooled and distributed EXACTLY THE SAME AS IF YOU'D LEFT THEM IN PLACE. You can theoretically give additional gratuities directly to those serving you if the baseline (autograt) has been met. 

 

Enough about tipping for today.

The question was can they be removed just by requesting. I take it from your answer, it is yes. 

How much is the automatic gratuity daily per person for a standard inside cabin?

[jean87510]

On 5/7/2024 at 5:30 PM, lwid77 said:

Hello everyone!

 

I have a questions about gratuities and understand it can be a hot button topic for some.  This is our first cruise and we are booking on the Constellation going from Rome to Venice and our fare included gratuities.  

What is the expectation for gratuities over and above that?  Particularly for the room steward and restaurant waiters.  

Do you tip waiters every time you dine?

 

Thank you!

No.

 

Gratuities are included.

[Arizona Wildcat]

13 hours ago, Ergates The Ant said:

Despite all the aggro, it can be helpful to have some discussion around tipping/ gratuities, whatever it’s referred to. 

On my first visit to the US, ( nearly 50 years ago) I paid the bill as I would here in the UK but didn’t tip. I was mortified to later discover that the waiting staff relied on the tips as they weren’t paid the full rate. ( I also got caught out a few times trying to give the ‘correct’ cash in shops without realising that the sales tax wasn’t included in the quoted price)

 

So in the US, I follow the custom and pay up the ‘compensation’ to staff for their employers lack of a decent reward for a job done, but I rarely tip extra. 
 

And when I am in the UK and Europe, I pay the quoted price for a meal, in the knowledge that the staff who serve it are being paid at least the minimum wage, and their employer is making a contribution to their National Insurance, which in the UK provides them with free healthcare and unemployment benefits. I only tip if I’ve had service above and beyond, and only a couple of pounds, and direct to the individual. And in Europe visiting friends who are locals, I follow their example and just leave the equivalent of the small change.

 

Customs are different wherever one visits, and so I pay a ‘gratuity’ in the US and on US ships, and reserve the right to be horrified if someone suggested to an American visitor that they should tip 20% in Europe! Especially as lower paid workers in the UK can apply for all sorts of extra benefits, which I as a higher tax payer, am subsidising!

Sorry for the length of the rant!

I agree with you on most everything.  Except in the US wages for food service employees varies greatly.  In at least 6 states food service workers have the same wages and retirement and health benefits as every other employee.  In some places the minimum wage is $20 an hour and received by all.employees.  In others it is $7.25 and a waitress (tipped staff) could earn as little as 4.25.

Last, a comment specific to my home state.  Lower income families are eligible for free medical insurance with deductibles that are $10 or often zero.  Parents need to simply sign up their children.  Sadly almost half do not.

 

Thus if in the US, one might Google wages for where they will be visiting.  A tip might be be appropriate for superior service, but not being served a cup of tea.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, DennysDad said:

But neither is the current system.

Agree.  Not sure what the answer is though.  If the cruise industry paid a salary to crew and didn't rely on gratuities then I imagine cruise fares would increase significantly...and then there would be an outcry about that as well.

[DennysDad]

I've only spent 2 hours looking into this cruise line. Was and am trying to understand how it works. I did think it was upscale and my quoted price included all gratuities. But it's like Royal Caribbean if I'm understanding right?

[Pushka]

44 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Agree.  Not sure what the answer is though.  If the cruise industry paid a salary to crew and didn't rely on gratuities then I imagine cruise fares would increase significantly...and then there would be an outcry about that as well.

For the majority of cruise lines but not all, Australian fares include tips. Problem solved. 

[billc23]

2 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Except in the US wages for food service employees varies greatly.  In at least 6 states food service workers have the same wages and retirement and health benefits as every other employee.  In some places the minimum wage is $20 an hour and received by all.employees.  In others it is $7.25 and a waitress (tipped staff) could earn as little as 4.25.

True, but my understanding is: If reported TIPS do not bring the paid wage up to at least minimum wage, then the employer makes up the difference. Effectively all waitstaff receives at least minimum wage. 

[Ergates The Ant]

7 hours ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

I agree with you on most everything.  Except in the US wages for food service employees varies greatly.  In at least 6 states food service workers have the same wages and retirement and health benefits as every other employee.  In some places the minimum wage is $20 an hour and received by all.employees.  In others it is $7.25 and a waitress (tipped staff) could earn as little as 4.25.

Last, a comment specific to my home state.  Lower income families are eligible for free medical insurance with deductibles that are $10 or often zero.  Parents need to simply sign up their children.  Sadly almost half do not.

 

Thus if in the US, one might Google wages for where they will be visiting.  A tip might be be appropriate for superior service, but not being served a cup of tea.

Thanks for that information, Arizona Wildcat. Sad that so few states treat service workers with the same privileges that others enjoy. It’s the shame that all the cruise lines operating out of the UK don’t employ the same gratuities included policy that they do out of Australia.
I just find it bizarre that I am quoted an often very high price for a cruise, and then discover that I’m supposed to pay extra for elements that I would have reasonably expected to have been included! Just seems ridiculous to me, but I’ve learnt to just roll my eyes and go with the flow!

Can’t understand why some of those who get so agitated by anyone who dares to consider withdrawing the ‘optional’ gratuities, don’t do the decent thing and lobby to get the service charges included in the fare. Like nearly every other industry, and most of the world.
 

[the penguins]

17 minutes ago, Ergates The Ant said:

Thanks for that information, Arizona Wildcat. Sad that so few states treat service workers with the same privileges that others enjoy. It’s the shame that all the cruise lines operating out of the UK don’t employ the same gratuities included policy that they do out of Australia.
I just find it bizarre that I am quoted an often very high price for a cruise, and then discover that I’m supposed to pay extra for elements that I would have reasonably expected to have been included! Just seems ridiculous to me, but I’ve learnt to just roll my eyes and go with the flow!

Can’t understand why some of those who get so agitated by anyone who dares to consider withdrawing the ‘optional’ gratuities, don’t do the decent thing and lobby to get the service charges included in the fare. Like nearly every other industry, and most of the world.
 

Decent thing?

1) Your suggestion would make no difference to the total price. 

2) you know the current way the tips are presented as "optional" are really only done that way because it's normal in the US and 80% of the cruise lines passengers are from the US/Canada.

3) having tips separately has I believe tax advantages to both the cruise line and the crew. 

4) you have the option to book with cruise lines that include tips (P and O, Virgin etc).

5) you also know that removing the tips means some crew work for less or have you found a way of tipping for example the laundry staff?

We would like to see taxes, port charges and tips all included in the basic price but until they are we will not penalise the crew.

By all means lobby the cruise line but in the meantime please don't penalise the crew.

[Ergates The Ant]

Never suggested removing the ‘tips’, why would you say that?

 

The service charge has to be labelled optional to those booking in the UK, as otherwise it would have to be included in the overall price. This resulted from a consumer law change after the low cost airlines were advertising ridiculously low prices and then charging for compulsory extras, I believe it was contravening Trades Descriptions acts. ( or something like that, hopefully readers will get the general idea)

 

I still think it would be the decent thing to recognise the efforts of the lowest paid workers with a proper guaranteed wage in the first place. If gratuities can be included in the fare from Australia, it can be done from the UK. And of course it wouldn’t make any difference to the overall cost, which will just look higher. I’m perfectly capable of adding up the charges needed to see the total cost of the cruise. But if the ‘gratuity’ is, and should be, an essential part of the cruise cost, then add it in to start with, and remove the possibilities of misleading passengers and depriving the crew. This should apply to cruises out of the UK, as American cruisers have grown up with their system and are accustomed to it.

No further comment from me.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

 

We would like to see taxes, port charges and tips all included in the basic price but until they are we will not penalise the crew.

By all means lobby the cruise line but in the meantime please don't penalise the crew.

In Canada , the taxes  and port fees have to be included in the price , just have get the daily “service charge” included 

You can lobby your government to have them included in the price 

 

Just to be a bit off topic , how about the resort fees some hotels add on to the price of the room 😱