Pre-Paid Gratuities

[duquephart]

JA is one of those who have reported such conversations. The crew are, presumably, putting their job in jeopardy by letting this cat out of the bag.

[Mike07]

14 hours ago, duquephart said:

The whole "pre-pay" business baffles me. Think about it.

 

 

I agree... I don't do it on VE/VO, but I do on VR since it's the same amount in USD as Euro. So, you save a few bucks prepaying. Still unsettling.

[duquephart]

Just now, Mike07 said:

 

 

I agree... I don't do it on VE/VO, but I do on VR since it's the same amount in USD as Euro. So, you save a few bucks prepaying. Still unsettling.

 

Let's say you are going to go to a favorite restaurant one night a year from now. Do you send them a tip today?

[Mike07]

11 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

Mike - I know what you are saying, but there is never an "argument" when you are paying onboard.  You can simply give them an amount that you are comfortable paying and they will add to the amount, reduce the amount, or remove the complete amount.  We have done all.

 

ONCE, I had a Program Director on a River ship say something like - "you realize that you are taking money away from the crew" - and on that comment, when I was just going to reduce the gratuity, I asked her to remove it completely.  I later shared this story with tellus@

 

If this is truly discretionary, then NEVER shame me for wanting to make a change to the amount.  NEVER.  That was unacceptable and the only time this ever happened.

 

 

We can debate this to the end of time in this subforum when we're not irate at Viking Air, but I really wish Viking took the "no nickel and diming" one step further and actually just included gratuities with the fare. I think everybody would be fine with that.

 

Though, that was incredibly stupid for the Program Director to say especially when some countries don't pay said gratuity fee (yes, I realize it's built into the price of the fare and cultural).

Edited September 23 by Mike07

[Mike07]

1 minute ago, duquephart said:

 

Let's say you are going to go to a favorite restaurant one night a year from now. Do you send them a tip today?

 

Believe me, I'm with ya. Based upon my last VR cruise, maybe I shouldn't have prepaid gratuities b/c the service was honestly bad.

 

Exceptionally rare over the 8 day cruise for staff to offer to get me another coke, drink or refill my water without me asking.

[Breckski]

7 hours ago, duquephart said:

JA is one of those who have reported such conversations. The crew are, presumably, putting their job in jeopardy by letting this cat out of the bag.

Maybe we could get Lina to investigate.  Not her normal M&A target, but I'm sure she'd like to help out in the pure consumer protection front also.

 

But in all seriousness, I've always thought Viking saying the gratuities are "shared" means something like 2 for me and 1 for you.  If true, the room steward could be getting something like 5% of the gratuities automatically charged.  If so, they'd certainly rather the customer tip them directly than doing the standard Viking thing and could lead to them occasionally letting the cat out of the bag.

 

[RobEsson]

18 hours ago, Breckski said:

If so, they'd certainly rather the customer tip them directly than doing the standard Viking thing and could lead to them occasionally letting the cat out of the bag.

 

... which is why, in addition to the prepaid regular gratuities, I tip our room stewards a crisp $100 bill each upfront when I first meet them. I don't KNOW for sure that it necessarily gets us better service, but we do get GREAT service, so it might be part of it for all I know ...

[duquephart]

20 minutes ago, RobEsson said:

... which is why, in addition to the prepaid regular gratuities, I tip our room stewards a crisp $100 bill each upfront when I first meet them. I don't KNOW for sure that it necessarily gets us better service, but we do get GREAT service, so it might be part of it for all I know ...

 

Bribes probably don't hurt but you will be well taken care of either way.

[Jim Avery]

Pre paid gratuities is the essence of “Nickel and Diming”.🍹

[duquephart]

Viking has clearly done a first-rate job of hornswoggling a major market.

[millybess]

55 minutes ago, duquephart said:

Viking has clearly done a first-rate job of hornswoggling a major market.

Still no proof 😴

[duquephart]

1 minute ago, millybess said:

Still no proof 😴

 

Either way ----- although I tend to believe the words of actual crew before I swallow the double talk of a corporate entity.

[millybess]

18 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

Either way ----- although I tend to believe the words of actual crew before I swallow the double talk of a corporate entity.

Hearsay.

[duquephart]

5 minutes ago, millybess said:

Hearsay.

 

"Hearsay" as quoted by one of the most respected posters on the one hand and mumbo-jumbo marketing BS from megacorporate on the other. Decisions, decisions.

[millybess]

18 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

"Hearsay" as quoted by one of the most respected posters on the one hand and mumbo-jumbo marketing BS from megacorporate on the other. Decisions, decisions.

I agree that a conversation with a crew member was confirmed by one of the most respected posters on CC, but that doesn't mean it's not hearsay.

[duquephart]

3 minutes ago, millybess said:

I agree that a conversation with a crew member was confirmed by one of the most respected posters on CC, but that doesn't mean it's not hearsay.

 

Maybe not ----- but still the better bet.

[millybess]

Just now, duquephart said:

 

Maybe not ----- but still the better bet.

There could be many reasons why a crew member would say this.  It could be true or it could be untrue.  I just don't think it should be stated as "fact".  JMO.

[Zippeedee]

I so hate this topic but just for completeness… unless you are going to walk through the galley, laundry room and who knows where else handing out cash, just pay the auto gratuity and stop pretending you care about the crew. 
I absolutely despised the old method on other cruise lines of tip envelopes and the all the people who skipped the dining room on the final night to avoid tipping (and the obsequious maitre’d you never saw all week who stopped by your dinner table to make sure they didn’t miss out on their envelope).

Just one more opinion in a world of opinions.

[millybess]

38 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

I so hate this topic but just for completeness… unless you are going to walk through the galley, laundry room and who knows where else handing out cash, just pay the auto gratuity and stop pretending you care about the crew. 
I absolutely despised the old method on other cruise lines of tip envelopes and the all the people who skipped the dining room on the final night to avoid tipping (and the obsequious maitre’d you never saw all week who stopped by your dinner table to make sure they didn’t miss out on their envelope).

Just one more opinion in a world of opinions.

We have never cruised another line, just Viking.  On any cruise we would find that offensive.  

[Mike07]

56 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

I so hate this topic but just for completeness… unless you are going to walk through the galley, laundry room and who knows where else handing out cash, just pay the auto gratuity and stop pretending you care about the crew. 
I absolutely despised the old method on other cruise lines of tip envelopes and the all the people who skipped the dining room on the final night to avoid tipping (and the obsequious maitre’d you never saw all week who stopped by your dinner table to make sure they didn’t miss out on their envelope).

Just one more opinion in a world of opinions.

 

I've heard Disney still does envelopes, but I also have never sailed DCL.

[cruisemate2007]

Well, it has been interesting to hear everyone’s opinion on this topic.  I only threw it out there since have not cruised in a long time and wanted to know if anything has changed.  I have decided to pay based on how I am treated; I am not prepaying for services that I am not sure I will receive.  Thank you all for chiming in 😊.

[Zippeedee]

1 hour ago, Mike07 said:

 

I've heard Disney still does envelopes, but I also have never sailed DCL.

DCL has automatic gratuities and gives out envelopes to encourage extra tips.

[Jim Avery]

18 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

DCL has automatic gratuities and gives out envelopes to encourage extra tips.

I guess the point is it’s not gratuity if it’s automatic.

[millybess]

12 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

DCL has automatic gratuities and gives out envelopes to encourage extra tips.

During our travels, we often see an envelope in our hotel room that is left for a tip.  If we feel that a tip is warranted, we will leave a tip under the coffee maker.  Tipping in an "available" envelope is not a custom we want to encourage.  

[OneSixtyToOne]

58 minutes ago, millybess said:

During our travels, we often see an envelope in our hotel room that is left for a tip.  If we feel that a tip is warranted, we will leave a tip under the coffee maker.  Tipping in an "available" envelope is not a custom we want to encourage.  

A friend we know in hospitality says to leave a tip on the pillow so there is no confusion. If they find money on a flat surface they aren’t sure if it was left as a tip or just forgotten.