Is tipping getting out of hand??

[amybear912]

We've noticed on the last two cruises a surprising number of people who don't show up to dinner the last night, and in fact, may only show up the first night and lobster night, in an apparent attempt to NOT have to tip the dining staff.

 

In fact, I'm becoming suspicious that as the industry capacity has grown, as prices to sail have come down in relative terms, and as the clientelle is becoming less and less middle and upper middle class, people working on ships (who work primarily FOR tips as their pay) are getting stiffed all over the place.

 

which is why you will see tips become a mandatory bill item automatically added on.

 

People can't complain. They will have no one to blame but themselves.

 

The problem is that when tipping becomes mandatory, service, PERSONAL SERVICE will suffer. Why? You've removed the incentive for them to go the extra mile. To work hard.

 

To me, personal service in the room, and at meals, is one of the truly great things about cruises.

 

When personal service becomes something more akin to being at Denny's or Best Buy, I think that's when I stop cruising.

 

Bravo!

[dfishner]

Why is it so important for anyone to know what the staff makes? when you go out to eat are you really concerned how much the food server makes? Tipping is for services rendered. If the service goes beyond our expectations we tip more, if it is good we did the suggested amount. We reconize that the staff is on duty long hours but it does not concern me on how much the staff makes like it does not concern me how much anyone on these boards make it is none of our business. What it comes down to is were you taken care of and were your expectations met or not. I never have been on a cruise except once where we actually tipped lower and it was on the Zuiderdam. When a staff member exceeded our expectations those times we tipped over the suggested amount.

 

I believe the guidelines are fair, where else can you go and have a clean room, not have to make beds, cook, get waited on breakfast, lunch and dinner, do not have to clean dishes and for $10 per person per day I would say that is worth it in my book not to have to do any of the above for a week. Were you taken care of for your stay that to me is the defining question. That goes for the cabin steward I might not see or the head waiter who comes over to the table once or twice they are all a part of our having a great vacation.

 

As for the whole tipping questions some of the travel agency are offering paid gratuities as part of booking with them on RCL. I believe that is the best answer to this question. We just did this for our upcoming Marnier cruise.

[CruiseKidz]

Why is it so important for anyone to know what the staff makes? when you go out to eat are you really concerned how much the food server makes? Tipping is for services rendered. If the service goes beyond our expectations we tip more, if it is good we did the suggested amount. We reconize that the staff is on duty long hours but it does not concern me on how much the staff makes like it does not concern me how much anyone on these boards make it is none of our business. What it comes down to is were you taken care of and were your expectations met or not. I never have been on a cruise except once where we actually tipped lower and it was on the Zuiderdam. When a staff member exceeded our expectations those times we tipped over the suggested amount.

 

I believe the guidelines are fair, where else can you go and have a clean room, not have to make beds, cook, get waited on breakfast, lunch and dinner, do not have to clean dishes and for $10 per person per day I would say that is worth it in my book not to have to do any of the above for a week. Were you taken care of for your stay that to me is the defining question. That goes for the cabin steward I might not see or the head waiter who comes over to the table once or twice they are all a part of our having a great vacation.

 

As for the whole tipping questions some of the travel agency are offering paid gratuities as part of booking with them on RCL. I believe that is the best answer to this question. We just did this for our upcoming Marnier cruise.

Dear poster to quote you

 

I believe the guidelines are fair, where else can you go and have a clean room, not have to make beds, cook, get waited on breakfast, lunch and dinner, do not have to clean dishes and for $10 per person per day I would say that is worth it in my book not to have to do any of the above for a week.

 

Well I can do this at home for free, but I have paid a heck of alot more for my cruise than you will ever have to pay in the US, maybe 2-3 times more the rate, do me a favour don't talk to me about wages an employer should be paying disguised as a tip.

[Nliedel]

The tipping guidelines have not changed for a very long time. I have no issues tipping those people. I sort of resent tip jars at every little shop I go into, these days. I've seen them in some pretty odd places. I don't feel obligated to tip in Starbucks (not one of the aforementioned odd places), but have if the service warrents it.

[CruiseKeeper]

We've noticed on the last two cruises a surprising number of people who don't show up to dinner the last night, and in fact, may only show up the first night and lobster night, in an apparent attempt to NOT have to tip the dining staff.

 

In fact, I'm becoming suspicious that as the industry capacity has grown, as prices to sail have come down in relative terms, and as the clientelle is becoming less and less middle and upper middle class, people working on ships (who work primarily FOR tips as their pay) are getting stiffed all over the place.

 

which is why you will see tips become a mandatory bill item automatically added on.

 

People can't complain. They will have no one to blame but themselves.

 

The problem is that when tipping becomes mandatory, service, PERSONAL SERVICE will suffer. Why? You've removed the incentive for them to go the extra mile. To work hard.

 

To me, personal service in the room, and at meals, is one of the truly great things about cruises.

 

When personal service becomes something more akin to being at Denny's or Best Buy, I think that's when I stop cruising.

 

Respectfully, please don't assume that all those empty chairs belong to non-tippers. If I decide to not attend on the last evening because I'm packing or have finally snagged a reservation at an alternate venue, I don't want to be thought of in that way. You don't have to attend the final dinner to tip. Tips can be put on the sea pass card or handed out at any time during the cruise. You may not see me at the final dinner and I'm probably tipping somewhere else in addition to having already tipped my dining room staff. I'm betting I'm not alone. :)

[Inshape]

I do not want tips to be automatically added. Then there is no need for good service. I tip and I tip the amount asked for and more to the waiter and assist usually cause they entertain the kids. I even gave a bit more to the cabin steward this past time since he knew all of us by name and stopped each time he saw us to say hi. We also have 2 cabins and the kids are little messes! I also never put it on the sea pass...they then have to wait 2 weeks for their tips. I make sure I get the envelopes and hand the money to each on the last night. This way I control what goes in the envelop. I have never done less, but if someone fell short of their duties a tip of lower proportion would be given.

[jbond]

We've noticed on the last two cruises a surprising number of people who don't show up to dinner the last night, and in fact, may only show up the first night and lobster night, in an apparent attempt to NOT have to tip the dining staff.

How very presumptive of you.:mad:

Why is it so important for anyone to know what the staff makes? when you go out to eat are you really concerned how much the food server makes? .............We reconize that the staff is on duty long hours but it does not concern me on how much the staff makes like it does not concern me how much anyone on these boards make it is none of our business.

Well said. I couldn't agree with you more.:D

[katiel53]

I know there are people who don't show up in the dining room the last night. We happened to be two of them on our Mariner cruise in May. We spent most nights eating in Portofino/Chops. Our last night, we didn't want to go to the dining room.

 

We did see our waitress/assistant waiter in the buffet in the mornings. We only went there a couple of times. We ate lunch in the dining room when it was available.

 

To assume we didn't tip, is a bit much. We tipped full amounts for our dining room people. We had 2 dinners there, but we knew they worked other places during the day. We knew that Saturday night we wouldn't be eating in the dining room, so we went down at early seating (We had late) and tipped our waitstaff. We also tipped extra at Portofino/Chops because we felt we had service that went beyond what we expected.

 

I have read where many people skip out on the last night, wow, I know I will be flamed for this one, but more times it's either young people (whose bar bill got bigger than their wallets) or people with young families who feel they shouldn't have to tip for their kids. But, not everyone does and I know there are exceptions to what I have just posted. It's hard to make a generalization, but those who skip out know who they are and hopefully, they can live with it. Off my soapbox.

[dfishner]

Dear poster to quote you

 

I believe the guidelines are fair, where else can you go and have a clean room, not have to make beds, cook, get waited on breakfast, lunch and dinner, do not have to clean dishes and for $10 per person per day I would say that is worth it in my book not to have to do any of the above for a week.

 

Well I can do this at home for free, but I have paid a heck of alot more for my cruise than you will ever have to pay in the US, maybe 2-3 times more the rate, do me a favour don't talk to me about wages an employer should be paying disguised as a tip.

Where on earth did you get wages an employer should be paid disguised as a tip from my post? I never mentioned it. I was talking about how it was worth it to me....not you not anyone else. I frankly do not care if you tip or not.

I also do not care that you pay 2-3 times the amount I paid and how do you know how much I paid anyway you don't.

I was not even writing about the merits of tipping or not to tip was just stating it was worth it to me not to do those things for a week. It would not be much of a vacation if you did.

[polodad]

As I understand it the words TIPS stands for the acronymn (to insure prompt service). It is a gratuity, not an obligation.

 

I think if it is added into the bill, as on Princess, it removes the incentive for service. If a salesman is taken off commission does he still feel the pressure to perform sales?

 

We usually tip the standard, but we recognize and like to reward extra service. On our last recent cruise on AOS I requested of our steward a couple of bathrobes to use and a feather pillow. He came through on the requests and did great animal towels. Consequently we tipped him substantially more then the suggested guidelines. "If they take care of us we take care of them".

[leahsdad]

On our last cruise we didn't eat in the dining room once--however we did deliver our tips envelopes with our table number on them to the head waiter

 

we were aware that the dining room crew also staffs the windjammer--also our waiter and asst. were there every nite to serve us---unlike a restaurant they were not going to get another customer if we didn' show up

 

jmho

 

Paul

[pamelacourson]

instead of calculating the salary of these hardworking people you, mostly in Royal caribbean, you should realize and ask again about the fact that they work 14 hours a day if not more for 7 days a week with no day off and the company pays them only 50US a month, plus they have to cost themselves the ticket in return to their countries which some times when they are in Alaska or Europe can be up to 800US, plus their medical re new, plus they don t have any kind of insurance or paid vacations, so if you calculate properly again plus the fact that a lot of people play smart and don t pay any tip at all, most of the times these poor people is working for nothing, and i don t think i have to tell you that their food and accomodations are not same than us, are like a prision disgusting, so think and ask twice before you write something like that.

[pamelacourson]

i would like to see any off you in this people shoes, everybody screaming at you, upset and drunk passengers demanding crazy things out of the menu, complaining about everything, not even let the poor guy take the orders, i bet the go inside to the kitchen to cry, but most of them,they don t have better choice and still families to feed.

[iheartbda]

You know...It is more fun to sit an watch these threads rather then reply.

 

 

......just dropping in to watch a bit although I will admit to weakening and posting something along the way in the battle. This whole thread is a quintessential topic for the FIGHTAWAY LOUNGE. Some of you will know what I'm talking about.

[French_Fry]

Okay, I have been trying to ignore this subject and not state my opinions... fearing starting WW3 but, I'm feeling rather saucy today... so as someone who worked in the service industry for 10 years, here I go.

 

Acccording to the RCI guidelines, tipping is as follows per person:

$5.75 - suite attendent

$3.50 - stateroom attendent

$3.50 - waiter

$2.00 - assistant waiter

$.75 - head waiter

 

So, let's say my husband and I are going on a 4 night cruise. Based on that, our stateroom attendent will have earned $28 from us alone. That does not seem too bad does it? However a stateroom attendent will take care of anywhere from 20-30 rooms (based on information from a previous stateroom attendent). So, for math sake, let's just say they take care of 25 rooms. Over 4 nights, they are making $700 (not to mention the free room and board and the monthly stipend that they do receive... as working for tips only in the US Gov is not legal) and that is only IF each room has the minimum of 2 guests and not a single person tips above and beyond. In tips alone, that is $175 a day minimum. And yet, people talk about tipping extra in the beginning of the cruise in order to get decent service??? In my opinion (again as someone who worked for tips for a very long time) tipping should be earned, not expected or demanded by people. I am all for tipping a job well done, however when I hear of people being disappointed because they received an extra $30 for great service, it makes me feel like that person is in the wrong business! So, to me, yes, tipping and the tipping expectation has definitely gotten out of hand.

 

Erica

 

Since you feel that way I challenge you and anyone else that feels the same way to sign a standard cruise ship contract and go to work there and report back to us here when you and/or anyone else is done and tell us if you still feel the same way about how tipping has gotten way out of hand. Cause until you have been in thier shoes there is no way you can really understand what goes on. And NO I also do not know what goes on, but for me tipping is not this pain in the arse issue that so many here try to make it, in this thread and all the others! I tip for the service rendered.

And never think twice about doing it.

[Gracie115]

French Fry-

 

Well said and I might add, if the majority of those posting here, including myself, actually did one of these jobs...server, busperson, housekeeper...we would no doubt be demanding a LOT more than what some here consider excessive. Cleaning up other people's ca-ca and listening to obnoxious, drunk diners and remaining friendly and courteous in that situation warrants the "suggested" tip all by itself. No, everyone doesn't do it but I bet you'd be hard pressed to find a server/housekeeper that doesn't have AT LEAST one nasty guest for each and every sailing.

[CruiseKidz]

Where on earth did you get wages an employer should be paid disguised as a tip from my post? I never mentioned it. I was talking about how it was worth it to me....not you not anyone else. I frankly do not care if you tip or not.

I also do not care that you pay 2-3 times the amount I paid and how do you know how much I paid anyway you don't.

I was not even writing about the merits of tipping or not to tip was just stating it was worth it to me not to do those things for a week. It would not be much of a vacation if you did.

 

Ofcourse you are commenting on the merits of tipping when you refer to $10 pp.

Contributing to a tipping thread is well...talking about tipping.

I make the point about paying on average 2-3 times more for my cruise here in Oz because based on quotes if I crusied from Us it would be up to a third cheaper. I don't ask anyone to care about what I pay for my cruise but as long as the US cruisers get the cheap deals they can afford to tip at the rate they do and us Aussies will let you all pick up the tab.

[amybear912]

you need to stay in Oz if that is your attitude...

[dfishner]

Ofcourse you are commenting on the merits of tipping when you refer to $10 pp.

Contributing to a tipping thread is well...talking about tipping.

I make the point about paying on average 2-3 times more for my cruise here in Oz because based on quotes if I crusied from Us it would be up to a third cheaper. I don't ask anyone to care about what I pay for my cruise but as long as the US cruisers get the cheap deals they can afford to tip at the rate they do and us Aussies will let you all pick up the tab.

I was making the comment that it was worth it to me not for anyone else. You are right it is less expensive here. I would guess from your comments that tipping is included as they do in Europe if that is the case I do understand your comments. I also stated in the last line of my post that certain travel agencies are paying for the gratuities as part of booking with them, which I took advantage of for our next cruise which to me is a great deal since it saves me money. If they do not offer that where you live then it is wrong. I have no intention in getting into an exchange of to tip or not tip with you since we are from different countries and gratuites or service added are different. If the cruise companies did pay their staff a living wage as you wrote then the cruise companies would turn around and pass off the cost to all the consumers, so if you think what you are paying now is expensive the rate would go up even higher. It is a business and the cruise companies will do nothing to erode it profitability to themselves or their stockholders. That cost would be pass on to all of us.

 

Thanks for the lively exchange, I have enjoyed it. have a good one.

[shipshape sam]

We are becoming lemmings. We have become more selective with our tipping, especially any tip beyond the 'suggested' tipping guidelines. The one I particurally dislike it the new additional tip line on drinks. This new 'additional' tip line came out a couple of years ago. This is in addition to the 15% automatically added in.

[amybear912]

We are becoming lemmings. We have become more selective with our tipping, especially any tip beyond the 'suggested' tipping guidelines. The one I particurally dislike it the new additional tip line on drinks. This new 'additional' tip line came out a couple of years ago. This is in addition to the 15% automatically added in.

 

When we first board, we like to sit on the pool deck and enjoy a few drinks in the sun... we have found that by tipping the roaming pool bar attendant an additional $1 or 2 the first time (and a couple of times after that) that we receive our drinks quicker and stiffer:) .... not only that, but as a result, throughout the cruise they take very good care of us... sometimes throwing a free drink our way... but that same pool bar attendant will remember us throughout the cruise and provide exceptional service... hence proving the entire business model of tipping works!

[alcheme]

We've noticed on the last two cruises a surprising number of people who don't show up to dinner the last night, and in fact, may only show up the first night and lobster night, in an apparent attempt to NOT have to tip the dining staff.

 

In fact, I'm becoming suspicious that as the industry capacity has grown, as prices to sail have come down in relative terms, and as the clientelle is becoming less and less middle and upper middle class, people working on ships (who work primarily FOR tips as their pay) are getting stiffed all over the place.

 

which is why you will see tips become a mandatory bill item automatically added on.

 

People can't complain. They will have no one to blame but themselves.

 

The problem is that when tipping becomes mandatory, service, PERSONAL SERVICE will suffer. Why? You've removed the incentive for them to go the extra mile. To work hard.

 

To me, personal service in the room, and at meals, is one of the truly great things about cruises.

 

When personal service becomes something more akin to being at Denny's or Best Buy, I think that's when I stop cruising.

 

But not in the bars, since you would rather smuggle your own cheap liquor on than pay for your drinks and tip the bartenders. The the bartenders fend for themselves, right? ;)

 

Sorry for butting in, but it was hard not to, seeing gorc's "Pollyanna" (one of the less hateful names he's called me in other convos) post above, after being called every name in the book by him and insulted repeatedly, just because I don't agree with sneaking your own booze on board to avoid buying drinks from the ship. :rolleyes:

 

That said . . . I actually agree with him on this topic, although I'm sure many of those who are not in the dining room on the last night just made other plans and are not necessarily stiffing the waiters (but unfortunately, some are).

[jbond]

I think if it is added into the bill, as on Princess, it removes the incentive for service.

We have cruised many times with Princess and I have never noticed any lack of "incentive for service". My experience is that the service on Princess and RCI are equally great. You do have the option on Princess to remove the gratuity from your bill and pay in whatever manner you wish. It just takes a trip to the pursers desk, just like it does to add it to your RCI account.

[SusieV]

I have read where many people skip out on the last night, wow, I know I will be flamed for this one, but more times it's either young people (whose bar bill got bigger than their wallets) or people with young families who feel they shouldn't have to tip for their kids. But, not everyone does and I know there are exceptions to what I have just posted. It's hard to make a generalization, but those who skip out know who they are and hopefully, they can live with it. Off my soapbox.

 

Whoa... talk about stereotypical generalizations...

 

Cheap people come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. To blame it on one group is awfully presumptuous.

[Happy ks]

We are becoming lemmings. We have become more selective with our tipping, especially any tip beyond the 'suggested' tipping guidelines. The one I particurally dislike it the new additional tip line on drinks. This new 'additional' tip line came out a couple of years ago. This is in addition to the 15% automatically added in.

 

 

This line is in place for the customer use only, it does not have to be used. It is not asking for extra tips, no one has to do that. I think 15% is adequate for cocktails or soft drinks, so I mark it with a diagonal line and write the total myself.

 

We had a new machine that was doing this in our business (hair salon), it showed suggested tip amounts. We objected to it, the service walked us through to remove the "suggested tips" line. I think we did this about 6 -8 years ago, so it is not new.