PG contributing to the crew fund.

[Iamboatman]

I have done that as well...along with the tip.

[Gail C]

On our last trip, Mariner 2006, we asked our butler what happened to partially full bottles of booze, he said they went to the crew bar. We had 2 unopened bottles of champagne we wanted to give to him for his cabin. He really wanted them and we went through a signing off proceedure for him to have them. Fine with us, but they are very careful, and should be, about this sort of thing.

[Dolebludger]

Well then I guess I always "contribute to the crew fund" as I don't drink much of the "hard stuff" but just cokes and beer. But additionally, I usually contriute cash to the crew fund. Like Adm. Nelson, I don't like the "tipping culture" as it is a burden, and often unfair to the crew. Example: On Regent, a stewardess told us that she had worked as such on Disney, but less thah half the cabins tipped her, because they were so surprised by all the $4 cokes and drinks of water that they had no budget left to tip. She had gone through the waiting list to get on a ship like Regent, and was happy she finally made it. As far as tips go, as an isolated item, any idiot can find the price of a cruise, and determine the "suggested tips" and add them in and come up with a total price. But what some of these lines don't tell you is how highly priced even soft drinks and bottled water are. Then, if you add in a few drinks or beers from the bar, you can really blow a new cruiser's budget in a hurry. And when this happens, guess who gets the short end of the stick? Well it is the service crew who depend on tips to supplement a deflated pay scale.

 

Regent, Silverseas, and Seaborn have it right. Include the tips in the fare right up front (along with the whole soft and "hard" drink bar bill) so that only those who are OK with the total charge will be onboard. Other systems that "hide" all the "extra charges" from passengers until they are onboard only result in those who are "unpleasantly surprised" by their ship's bill stiffing the service crew on tips. If these passengers find that they have exceeded their vacation budget, this is the only way they can bring it into line, and it hurts the service crew.

 

Thus, I really favor the concept of taking Regent, Silverseas, and Seaborn at their word that "tps are included" and contributing to the crew fund if you wish, for any reason, including that you feel you got exceptional service.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I was told by the head chef on Voyager last summer that any partial bottles are poured down the drain, period. Access to alcohol by the staff is strictly controlled--they can *buy* from the ship's stores, but that too is controlled rather tightly.

[Admiral Horatio Nelson]

Drinking amongst the crew is quite strictly controlled, you are not for instance allowed to have alcohol in your cabin. However there is a crew bar and they can drink there.

[Nevian]

Thanks Admiral Nelson for the 'international' perspective. We only book a non tipping line like Regent for our cruises because we find tipping so awkward and unpleasant.

 

As Iamboatman points out, we don't all follow American customs.

 

In US we do our best bearing in mind the 'when in Rome' theory but it is difficult. Oddly enough it is not a money thing, it is a cultural cringe really.

 

Regent is to be commended for their stance as far as we are concerned.

 

Nevian

[Dolebludger]

Nevian:

 

You might be surprised to learn that, even though tipping is "customary" to service personnel in the US, many Americans "stiff" these people (refuse or neglect to tip)! Many of the service crew personnel of Regent have told me how much more they prefer Regent's system, as they are guaranteed as much (or more) than they would recieve on a line with tipping if all guests tipped the recommended amount. But all guests don't, and that is the problem. I hear there is a long waiting list for service crew employment on Regent and other "tips included lines" for this reason.

 

So Regent's system is good for the crew, as well.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[piri]

Thanks Nevian for expressing my feelings EXACTLY ! For those not used to tipping it is so uncomfortable and a little demeening. Of course "when in Rome" like you, I do it , but almost get into a cold sweat doing so. To us Silversea or Regent is the way to go. We much prefer to pay up front and accept good service with a smile and a thank you.

To travel on a ship where the staff were paid a pittance and I had to tip all the time would be for me, a very stressful holiday.

[Dolebludger]

By the way, I believe Wendy is correct that opened bottles of liquor in the suites are poured down the drain, by ship's policy. I have actually seen this done (could have cried!). I was told that this is done for safety reasons, as someone could accidentially or intentionally put a harmful substance into an opened liquor bottle, and keeping it around might cause someone to be poisened. I know, it's a long shot of that happening, but I guess Regent would rather be safe than sorry.

 

Thanks,

Richard

[canadagal]

Doleman and Wendy......I'm glad someone brought up the point about pouring half opened bottles of booze down the drain. I was told the exact same thing happened on all 3 lines......SS, Seabourn and Regent when inquiring onboard each of these lines. I shutter at the thought of what some pax could leave behind for crew that could be in any opened bottles. Would any of you want to drink from a bottle that was left in your cabin? I certainly would not so I am glad to hear that it is still the practice to pour opened bottles down the drain......yes it is a terrible waste but in this day and age of various contagious diseases and warped minds it's far better to be safe.

Pat

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Yeah, it's made me wish they would just give us a pint bottle. We have often had full litres minus 2-3 drinks at the end of a cruise. What a drag, but what can you do? I'd rather have wine usually, so I perhaps now I can just ask for a bottle of white, and it won't go to waste.

[Kathy Z]

I can also confirm that unopened bottles of liquor must go down the drain. We had been told the contrary version of this before our 2004 b2b cruise on the PG and had left 3 mostly full bottles with the cruise director. Found out when we returned 9 months later that they were still under his desk as he didn't have the heart to throw them out! But after a few good laughs and having them presented back to us at La Veranda by the cruise director (different one from previous year), they did get tossed.

[Dolebludger]

Yes, that is for sure. On our last PG cruise in '05, we disimbarked late to go to our day room, as we didn't want to take the "bus trip" tour again. A steward came in the room and was collecting liquor bottles. I had to say "just a minute, we want to take ours with us" as in those land hotels liquor is priced as if it were gold! Then I asked him what he did with the botles he collected, and he told me if they had been opened , they went down the drain. Well, not only did we take the liquor to our day room, but we also took some soft drinks, as they too are priced like gold in land in FP.

 

So there is no way to donate an opened bottle of liquor to the crew fund. If it is unopened, perhaps, I don't know. So I generally give them some cash.