Removing Gratuities Onboard at Guest Services

[TheMichael]

9 hours ago, Mapleleafforever said:

And then there's the people who don't want gratuities to be included in the up front cruise fair because they're afraid they'll get subpar service and want something to hold over the crew's head. 

 

Okay, power AND ego.

 

8 hours ago, bjlaacjlc said:

Just listen to your self righteous dribble.....  Do you really believe you need to tip every single worker on the ship because the cruise line told you too?  I'd really like to know if everyone proclaiming we must tip every one of the non commissioned offers do the same thing on land, if not you are just playing into the cruise lines brain washing.

 

"I don't BELIEVE the dishwashers work hard!!"

 

It's a sad commentary on humanity to see people rationalize and hyberbolize rejecting a charge they know goes towards the staff's living wage. If you don't like it, guess what, Virgin does that without making you tip - buck up and go cruise there. If it's really about the principle and not the money, show that it is.

Edited August 15 by TheMichael

[cruiseboy89130]

14 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Transparency about the process from the cruise line would certainly help a lot of people with this process and their decision on how to handle it.

 

One cruise line, I believe it was Princess, recently published a fairly transparent article about their process. The auto gratuities on that particular line were pooled, not on the ship that you were sailing, but across the entire fleet. The pooled tip were then dispersed amongst the staff, partly to satisfy salary requirements, partly as gratuity, and partly as bonus for performance as well as retention. The pooled gratuities went to many positions that you would never think about being a tipped position.

What makes you think other cruise lines do not do it the same way?

There is efidence Royal is pooling across the fleet too....

[cruiseboy89130]

13 hours ago, CruiseDad-NYC said:

Incidentally, on the last day, there was a note on the final paperwork place in our cabin that included a slip with the cruise line's recommended gratuities and some envelopes were provided.

That always happens - everybody gets this!

[andrewwilliamnewman]

12 hours ago, cruisegirl1 said:

Agree.  Has anyone taken a look at the mess a young child leaves after a meal? 

 

M

I get on my hands and knees on the floor and make sure the floor is spotless before leaving the table. 

 

The waiters always tell us to leave it, not to worry, and they'll take care of it.

 

They are embarrassed of us doing this, however I feel it demeaning on them if they have to do this, so I take care of it myself.

 

I understand others probably do not do this however. 

 

Do the staff at Adventure Ocean get included in the 'tipping pool'?

Or are they just well paid as they are qualified childcare providers?

Edited August 15 by andrewwilliamnewman

[gavvy]

10 hours ago, Tatka said:

 

Why? Because in most cases autogratuities are remove to pay less or not pay at all.

 

So it is not name calling, but rather describing. 🙂

 

 

How do you know this- do you ask every person who removes them what the tip plan is?

 

You are making things up to suit your narrative, you have no idea what anyone does just as much as you have no idea who is in the tip pool or who gets the money from it.

 

At the end of the day as I said use the auto tip or don't Royal gives you the option to do both.

 

I tip for service received and give what I think is a fair amount, it broadly comes to what the auto tip would have been anyway but I give it to those who have impacted my cruise directly via good service.

 

[not-enough-cruising]

1 hour ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

What makes you think other cruise lines do not do it the same way?

There is efidence Royal is pooling across the fleet too....

I don’t doubt at all Royal and other lines do this; I just don’t have confirmation from the other lines. 

[not-enough-cruising]

2 hours ago, TheMichael said:

 

 

It's a sad commentary on humanity to see people rationalize and hyberbolize rejecting a charge they know goes towards the staff's living wage. If you don't like it, guess what, Virgin does that without making you tip - buck up and go cruise there. If it's really about the principle and not the money, show that it is.

My cruise fare goes towards everyone’s wages. 
 

A gratuity, by definition, is money given for performance beyond the expected minimums. 
 

I will make you a promise, right here and now. The next time I get a plate or fork that is extra clean, I’ll seek out the dishwasher and give him $5.

Edited August 15 by not-enough-cruising

[Badatz2]

13 hours ago, bjlaacjlc said:

That's not the way tips work and you know it, I suspect you are just joking around intentionally trying to be a wise guy.  Either way, I really don't care.  We're all grown ups and can make our own choices.

Tips should work that way.  The amount given should be related to the service given and not as a percentage of my financial ability.

I always give what I consider to be a fair tip and will never eat at a restaurant that adds a fixed percentage to the bill.

[Biggins88]

Have a conversation with them on the first day when they introduce themselves. Give them $100 and let them know after they do a great job you will give them the rest of the tip on the last day. Let them know you are removing auto gratuities. It’s a win win. 

[TeeRick]

My bottom line response to this thread.

 

Just tip at least the recommended amount per day for your cabin class.  Either Auto or cash.  Your business.  That is part of the price of cruising.

[Tatka]

2 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

My cruise fare goes towards everyone’s wages. 
 

A gratuity, by definition, is money given for performance beyond the expected minimums. 
 

I will make you a promise, right here and now. The next time I get a plate or fork that is extra clean, I’ll seek out the dishwasher and give him $5.

 

 Nice to know you are working for Royal Caribbean and decide how your cruisefare used. 🙂

[Tatka]

4 hours ago, gavvy said:

How do you know this- do you ask every person who removes them what the tip plan is?

 

You are making things up to suit your narrative, you have no idea what anyone does just as much as you have no idea who is in the tip pool or who gets the money from it.

 

At the end of the day as I said use the auto tip or don't Royal gives you the option to do both.

 

I tip for service received and give what I think is a fair amount, it broadly comes to what the auto tip would have been anyway but I give it to those who have impacted my cruise directly via good service.

 

 

  I used studies, confession (often bragging) by people who remove (some even advise others to do so), and also confessions by removers how much they paid in cash instead of.

 

 I explained why Royal gives you a choice.This  is done not so people start removing autogratuities.

Edited August 15 by Tatka

[not-enough-cruising]

Just now, Tatka said:

 

 Nice to know you are working for Royal Caribbean and decide how your cruisefare used. 🙂

I don’t need to work for the cruise line or have any opinion on how my fare is used.

However, as long as they are called gratuities and they are optional, it is 100% my prerogative as to how I handle them.

 

if Royal wants to use that money to pay wages, I’m perfectly fine with that. They need to add it to the cruise fare and stop trying to gaslight, or guilt trip me.

 

[Tatka]

1 minute ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I don’t need to work for the cruise line or have any opinion on how my fare is used.

However, as long as they are called gratuities and they are optional, it is 100% my prerogative as to how I handle them.

 

if Royal wants to use that money to pay wages, I’m perfectly fine with that. They need to add it to the cruise fare and stop trying to gaslight, or guilt trip me.

 

 

There are many loopholes which people can use to their advantage adding whatever excuses they want.

It is interesting that they are using services of business which is built on this model. 🙂

[bjlaacjlc]

2 hours ago, Badatz2 said:

Tips should work that way.  The amount given should be related to the service given and not as a percentage of my financial ability.

I always give what I consider to be a fair tip and will never eat at a restaurant that adds a fixed percentage to the bill.

Just so I understand your logic and reasoning you are telling me when you go anyplace that tips are generally part of the expected bill you leave the same amount?  I'm just curious if you ate in two different places with one costing $200 and another $50 you would leave the same amount of tip in both places?

[not-enough-cruising]

23 minutes ago, bjlaacjlc said:

Just so I understand your logic and reasoning you are telling me when you go anyplace that tips are generally part of the expected bill you leave the same amount?  I'm just curious if you ate in two different places with one costing $200 and another $50 you would leave the same amount of tip in both places?

If the service was exactly the same, then yes, I would tip the same. 
 

Furthermore; if the server at the $50 restaurant outshined the server at the $200 restaurant; I would tip the former more than the latter. 

[kirtihk]

9 hours ago, notscb said:

What do you mean by this? They are still the housekeeping department and there aren't separate housekeepers (on Royal, at least). "Attendant" is just a more friendly word, their job duties didn't change. Sometimes, there's a "lead" and someone in training or helping them, but again, their jobs didn't change when the word changed.

It was an irony.

[Mapleleafforever]

2 hours ago, TeeRick said:

My bottom line response to this thread.

 

Just tip at least the recommended amount per day for your cabin class.  Either Auto or cash.  Your business.  That is part of the price of cruising.

Seeing as it's the price of cruising it should just be added to the initial cruise fare, no?

[kirtihk]

4 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

My cruise fare goes towards everyone’s wages. 
 

A gratuity, by definition, is money given for performance beyond the expected minimums. 
 

I will make you a promise, right here and now. The next time I get a plate or fork that is extra clean, I’ll seek out the dishwasher and give him $5.

What's a criteria for "extra"?  When I came to US (in 1991), I worked as a dishwasher for first 4 years (having master's degree in math and engineering).  So, I would like to know a visual effect (from a scientific aspect perspective) of extra clean vs clean.

[goldfish65]

I think something to bear in mind, a big reason automatic gratuities became a thing in the first place is because some were not tipping.

 

There are people who if you give them a chance, they will not tip at all.

 

I have worked for tips my whole life so I know from experience. 

[Vibe]

40 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

If the service was exactly the same, then yes, I would tip the same. 
 

Furthermore; if the server at the $50 restaurant outshined the server at the $200 restaurant; I would tip the former more than the latter. 

The automatic gratuity system allows for tipping the crew that work in the Windjammer, Sorrentos, Cafe Promenade, Park Cafe. Etc. They work hard and long hours. Since you don’t contribute to that system, do leave a cash tip on the table at those venues?  

[chengkp75]

5 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

A gratuity, by definition, is money given for performance beyond the expected minimums.

Just to let you know how the IRS defines "gratuity" and "service charge" and about what an "automatic gratuity" means:

 

It’s important to understand that even though it’s called a gratuity, as far as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the US is concerned, automatic gratuity charges are labeled a service charge. 

The IRS explains the main elements that distinguish tips from service charges by explaining what it takes in order to qualify as a tip:

 

-The customer can’t be required to pay it

-The customer gets to determine the amount

-It’s not the result of negotiations or decided by policy

-The customer determines who (usually the server) gets to receive the payment

 

On the other hand, the IRS defines service charges as including:

 

-Automatic gratuity placed on large dining parties

-Banquet event fees

-Cruise trip packages

-Hotel room service charges

-Bottle service charges

 

Not sure how many of the "gratuity" defining conditions the cruise "DSC" or "service gratuity" as RCI calls it, meet.

[not-enough-cruising]

11 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

What's a criteria for "extra"?  When I came to US (in 1991), I worked as a dishwasher for first 4 years (having master's degree in math and engineering).  So, I would like to know a visual effect (from a scientific aspect perspective) of extra clean vs clean.

That’s my point exactly. Dishwashers get paid to wash dishes. Why should I tip them? They are only doing the job they were hired to do. 

[not-enough-cruising]

4 minutes ago, Vibe said:

The automatic gratuity system allows for tipping the crew that work in the Windjammer, Sorrentos, Cafe Promenade, Park Cafe. Etc. They work hard and long hours. Since you don’t contribute to that system, do leave a cash tip on the table at those venues?  

No I do not. Those venues are listed as “included in my fare” by Royal Caribbean. 

[chengkp75]

1 minute ago, not-enough-cruising said:

No I do not. Those venues are listed as “included in my fare” by Royal Caribbean. 

Uh, I believe the Windjammer is "included in your fare"