Does anyone have the gratuity removed from their onboard acct?

[keep on cruisin]

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[keep on cruisin]

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[johnql]

wsod

[Kurbanfan]

If you keep the automatic tip and enjoy your waiter/runner/steward, what is the standard amount for extra tipping them?

 

Your auto tip is for great service. If your enjoy your service no need to tip more. What is with all this talk about tipping on top of tipping. Where does it stop:confused:

Now if your server or steward does anything above or beyond their usual duties....then yes by all means give them something extra. But for doing their jobs.......no

[cwc]

To the Australian & British cruiser, I have notice many times on the "local" website (in Australia/britian), the cruise price are slighly higher than US base site and also some of them mentioned gratuity include in cruise fare.

 

So... my though to you is maybe "unknowingly tips" the waiters before you go on your cruise and removing the automatic charges onboard will be a wise thing since you already paid for it.:D

[JolieMadam]

Agree with johngl, the tipping policy no matter where you hail from or what the custom is in that country...is still the policy of the cruiseline itself and you only hurt the employees with that Aussie attitude by removing the auto tipping. It also has nothing to do with what country you are sailing out of either.

[on board]

I never put the tips on my sea pass! I do tip at the end of the cruise and I do this according to the service I got! Who cares if anyone disagrees or agrees with this method! I give them cash in an envelope what they do or do not do with it, or if they turn it in is of no concern to me just as what we do with our money that we earn and get through a paycheck is of no concern to anyone else. If I receive good service they will be well tipped, however in the case of my last cruise my room attendant seemed to be on vacation the entire time except for the last night of the cruise, so he got very little from us due to us having to hunt down our own toilet tissue twice, had to hunt down our own pool towels everyday but one, had to take the nasty molded shower curtain down twice and each time all this happen we had even requested on several occasions for each and everything to be done! This is just a few things that happen on our 11 night cruise. I am a firm believer that everyone needs to earn their income, tips, and perks in life. Mine certainly don't come free to me! :rolleyes:

[sandancer]

We cruised with NCL last year and did not have the option to remove the $10 pp per day SERVICE CHARGE. We were given to understand that this was in place of traditional gratuities. We tipped extra in the speciality restaurants for the excellent way in which we were looked after. One waiter in the buffet told us that they do not get the money from the service charge and only got tips if guests gave them direct. How much truth there was in that I do not know but I really like the idea that the tips are shared amongst staff who would not normally get anything, like the little guy polishing the brass in the elevators at 1am.

[sandancer]

We cruised with NCL last year and did not have the option to remove the $10 pp per day SERVICE CHARGE. We were given to understand that this was in place of traditional gratuities. We tipped extra in the speciality restaurants for the excellent way in which we were looked after. One waiter in the buffet told us that they do not get the money from the service charge and only got tips if guests gave them direct. How much truth there was in that I do not know but I really like the idea that the tips are shared amongst staff who would not normally get anything, like the little guy polishing the brass in the elevators at 1am.

[HawaiiCruisers]

Tipping should be a personal choice for services performed. The cruise lines need to eliminate the automatic charge. I worked in the service industry and part of my income was a result of tips received. When I got a penny tip or no tip at all it usually made stop and ponder what was the poor service I performed. Many cases it was because I did not do the best job I could have done. On board ships with the auto tips it only leads to mediocrity worse yet attitudes of I don't care.

 

A tip is earned --- and should not be expected.

 

My opinion is that the service on ships have gone down because of the auto deduction policy of the industry.

 

Is it wrong because I tip say 20% and someone else tips 15% no! It is what it is for many reasons.

 

You can bet that 100% of the auto deducted tips do not get distributed to those who should have it but instead a percentage is withheld by the cruise line for their profit taking.

 

Again to me tipping is personal and culture aside it should be at the option of the person whose money is being withheld.

 

The cruise line cannot withhold any monies without your consent. If they withhold without your consent then you can challenge the bill with your credit card company and will win. NCL might say it cannot be removed but as long as it is called a tip you the owner of the credit card have final say about what money is charged and if necessary then push the cruiseline not to charge a tip and if they do request it in writting that they refuse to remove the charge --- your credit card company will debit the cruise line. It's that simple take charge of your credit card and money.

 

I agree with the person from down under -- it is their choice to tip or not. Doesn't matter what I or anyone else believes. I believe that tipping is good but not automatic tipping....

[johnql]

You can bet that 100% of the auto deducted tips do not get distributed to those who should have it but instead a percentage is withheld by the cruise line for their profit taking.

Do you have any proof whatsoever to back up this statement?

[packercruising]

We have been on 4 cruises since the onset of Automatic tipping and I have seen no decline in service because of it.

[johnql]

We have been on 4 cruises since the onset of Automatic tipping and I have seen no decline in service because of it.

I've been on at least that many and completely agree with you.

[Ocham's_Razor]

I never put the tips on my sea pass! I do tip at the end of the cruise and I do this according to the service I got! Who cares if anyone disagrees or agrees with this method! I give them cash in an envelope what they do or do not do with it, or if they turn it in is of no concern to me just as what we do with our money that we earn and get through a paycheck is of no concern to anyone else. If I receive good service they will be well tipped. I am a firm believer that everyone needs to earn their income, tips, and perks in life. Mine certainly don't come free to me! :rolleyes:

 

I agree 100% ;)

[Ocham's_Razor]

I never put the tips on my sea pass! I do tip at the end of the cruise and I do this according to the service I got! Who cares if anyone disagrees or agrees with this method! I give them cash in an envelope what they do or do not do with it, or if they turn it in is of no concern to me just as what we do with our money that we earn and get through a paycheck is of no concern to anyone else. If I receive good service they will be well tipped. I am a firm believer that everyone needs to earn their income, tips, and perks in life. Mine certainly don't come free to me! :rolleyes:

 

I agree 100% ;)

[newmexicoNita]

Are these Australian cruises that you go on and don't tip? If they're not then you really should tip. The workers on these ships are not Australians and should not be forced to lose wages because you don't tip in your culture.

 

I always tip or don't tip according to the place I'm in, not where I'm from.

 

Please get a "when in Rome...." attitude and lose the "that's not what we do back home" attitude.

 

The cruise ship workers depend on tips as part of their salaries while the Aussie's are paid well for their services. I've been to Oz 6 times and I like your system better, but I can't punish the rest of the world who don't pay their staff well.

You are so right about the tipping: unless the cruise that is being referred to is strictly Austranlian tippin gis still expected and the guidelines should be followed. We too follow the guidelines of the place we are touring, not what is accepted at home. I find the argument totally unexceptable. The exception would be an Australian cruise line, which I do not think exists. I don't care where the cruise sails from, tips are expected. For those who think the auto tips do not go to the wait staff, where do you get this infomation and do you believe everything you are told? I cetainly have not seen a decline in service since auto tipping became a policy for most lines, I don't know where anyone got the idea the tips could not be removed if cruiseing NCL and the reason so many lines have gone with auto tipping is two fold: it is easier for the passengers and it eliminates the stiffing that occurs too often. NMNita