Auto Tip or Not?

[MercedMike]

I didn't realize this was such a can of worms, and against my better judgment, I feel I need to ask...I now understand the theory that the individual tips are shared, but in reality does this really happen?...Many people have posted how they give $20 up front to their steward or to the maitre d' to ensure a little something extra for the cruise (we have done this), does everyone believe when you slip an Andrew Jackson to a crew member everyone gets a cut?

 

Absolutely. A crew member who receives a cash tip but fails to report it to the pool is taking a huge chance. If his fellow crew members discover it, he would be ostracized both on the job and off. No one would help him, things would be made tough for him, and he would have no friends in the crew quarters. If his boss finds out about it, he could lose his job. Why would he take the chance for $20?

 

The fact is that the autotip system WORKS WELL and the crew members LIKE IT. Trying to figure out some way around it is doing nobody a favor.

 

The thing that you CAN do for an extra good server is to put his or her name on your comment card. We have been told again and again by servers that this is very important to them. They can get rewards like extra time off or the best shifts, and it figures strongly into promotions. On one trip, we told our server we would mention his name, and he asked us to mention his assistant server instead because she was up for a promotion and it would possibly make the difference for her! So a favorable mention on the comment card is worth a lot more to them than a small extra tip!

[sultan_sfo]

Not quite. The cash tips (to the cabin steward) during the cruise are set aside by the deck supervisor in an envelop showing the cabin number. If and only if the auto-tips are removed, the cash goes into the pool. If at the end of the cruise, the auto-tips are in place, the cash goes back to that individual. Again, when we give cash tips, as a reassurance we casually mention that these are extra tips so the individual is aware that we know about the auto-tips. For room service, we don't mention that it is extra. /Sultan

 

...

Many people have posted how they give $20 up front to their steward or to the maitre d' to ensure a little something extra for the cruise (we have done this), does everyone believe when you slip an Andrew Jackson to a crew member everyone gets a cut?

[fathercop]

LARGIN - Very, very, funny! I love that card!

 

Believe me, I do not like paying the auto-tip for my teenage girls, who it seems to me use very little of the ship's service, except for the pizzaria, but I feel that their cabin steward, wait staff, etc., do work hard for their pay and so I leave the auto tip in place and always give extra to the cabin steward, escpecially because he/she has to clean my daughters' stateroom on a daily basis twice! YIKES!!!! The girls make it a near HAZ-MAT situation!!!!:eek:

[fathercop]

Absolutely. A crew member who receives a cash tip but fails to report it to the pool is taking a huge chance. If his fellow crew members discover it, he would be ostracized both on the job and off. No one would help him, things would be made tough for him, and he would have no friends in the crew quarters. If his boss finds out about it, he could lose his job. Why would he take the chance for $20?

 

The fact is that the autotip system WORKS WELL and the crew members LIKE IT. Trying to figure out some way around it is doing nobody a favor.

 

The thing that you CAN do for an extra good server is to put his or her name on your comment card. We have been told again and again by servers that this is very important to them. They can get rewards like extra time off or the best shifts, and it figures strongly into promotions. On one trip, we told our server we would mention his name, and he asked us to mention his assistant server instead because she was up for a promotion and it would possibly make the difference for her! So a favorable mention on the comment card is worth a lot more to them than a small extra tip!

 

 

MIKE - Very true about the comment cards. We know that one of our waiters who was on the Star got his promotion because of our comment card. He was excellent! Absolutely the best, most knowledgable, friendliest waiter we have had to date! I hope Sergio is out there reading this!

[Palms2Pines2Sea]

As a lifelong veteran of the hotel/restaurant business, please accept my humble plea to never, never, never remove the auto tip. It is a proven system that has been put in place to make sure that each and every member of the service team receives his or her share. And yes, that includes MANY people who gave you service indirectly, yet you might never have encountered them personally.

Anything extra that you may wish to bestow upon someone who has given you service for which you are extra appreciative is fine, although I will tell you that I know of one cruise line that requires those staff who receive cash tips to turn 100% of those tips over to the 'master' tip pool. I do not know what the Princess policy is, nor should it truly matter. If I tip extra, which I do regularly and happily, it is not my concern what the recipient does with that.

But please, please do not remove the auto tip. It ain't broken, so don't try to fix it!

[Pam in CA]

I didn't realize this was such a can of worms, and against my better judgment, I feel I need to ask...

 

I now understand the theory that the individual tips are shared, but in reality does this really happen? Yes, absolutely. And, if the person doesn't turn in the tips and are caught, they could lose their job. At the very least, they're questioned why the passenger removed the auto-tip and it could affect their job performance review.

 

Taking the auto tip off is not a question of being cheaper, for us it is an aknowledgement of excellent service received by a few individuals. But what about all of those who help that individual provide that service? Do you carry cash around with you throughout the cruise and tip in the buffet? In the dining room for breakfast or lunch? What about the steward's helper? There's a whole cleaning crew that help the stewards. There are MANY who are behind the scenes that make the person you're tipping individually look good.

 

Many people have posted how they give $20 up front to their steward or to the maitre d' to ensure a little something extra for the cruise (we have done this), does everyone believe when you slip an Andrew Jackson to a crew member everyone gets a cut?

Absolutely not. I expect good service and then I reward service that goes above and beyond. I don't think a pre-tip makes any difference in the quality of service I get because I know that there are so many (see above) behind the scenes who help that person you give the pre-tip to.

 

One of the best restaurants I went to in the Boston area had a shared tipping system. When you tipped, all of the other servers and the chefs received a portion of the tip. That meant that the entire waitstaff had an incentive to make sure you had an excellent dinner and dining experience.

[nomars_girl]

Believe me, I do not like paying the auto-tip for my teenage girls, who it seems to me use very little of the ship's service, except for the pizzaria,

 

They don't use towels? They don't use sheets? They don't eat any meals in the dining rooms or buffets? Kids use all the services adults do and often more.

[Pam in CA]

Believe me, I do not like paying the auto-tip for my teenage girls, who it seems to me use very little of the ship's service...

Not everyone uses all of the ship's "services" but it all evens out in the end. Your teenage girls are probably using just as many, if not more, resources than me since I don't use the pool, don't go to the entertainment, don't go to MUTS, etc. and leave my cabin clean and neat before leaving every day.

[nijh]

I didn't realize this was such a can of worms

 

It's a wonder you haven't been hunted down and shot :D

[icemaiden]

i will be leaving auto tips on and tipping extra to members of staff that i think deserve it when they go the extra bit to make your cruise special, but one thing i would like to know is, if the auto tip is taken off a room, how do the rest of the ship know that if a crew member has been tipped by them, the only thing the crew member needs to say is that he or she got an extra tip from one of the rooms that left their auto tip on, how would that be proved after the passengers have left the ship, that is what i dont understand , i dont like to think that if i give more money on top of my auto tip to my cabin steward and head waiter that they have to share it,at the end of the day they get a wage for their job the ones behind the scenes and theres loads of people out of work, i dont get tips in my job but hey thats life , sorry if this offends anyone but thats just my point of view

[dobiemom]

IMO all passengers that remove the auto-tip should have their cruise card exchanged for this one.. :D :D :D

 

 

:D :D

 

But I bet no one admits from the start that the auto-tips will be removed. So how would they get the card at the beginning of their cruise?

[davewilliamt]

I find it highly dubious the crew is aware of the auto-tip.

 

How is it they are intimately aware of my tipping preference, but not of my other onboard preferences?

 

Why do I need to remind them of egg-crates, robes, special occaissons in the dining room, etc.

 

I never put my room number on an envelope. And I rarely use the envelopes provided.

[Pam in CA]

I find it highly dubious the crew is aware of the auto-tip.

I guess nothing we say will convince you otherwise. Believe what you want.

[woodofpine]

If you really don't believe the service provided warrants gratuity compensation, you must not be enjoying yourself so DON'T CRUISE!

 

If you do cruise - why pretend you understand "the system" better than the people who live by it - you DON'T!

 

It amazes me the myriad rationales passengers come up concerning things they have no real insight into to justify behavior that deviates from what is suggested by those that have insight (self serving the ego to protect the wallet).

 

The product delvery system works well enough to induce a LOT of people to cruise, why screw with it?

 

It's not a valid rationale to say, "I'm deducting the auto tip so I can be generous in person" (Leave it on and folk over an ADDITIONAL $10 or $20 - THAT'S generous!)

 

Don't deduct the auto-tip and say, "The system really ought to work this way or that..." (How Many Cruise Lines Do You Manage?)

 

Personally, I really have a problem with the idea that I MUST hand the tip over personally... why? Is one's Ego that needy? After all, that has virtually ZERO to do with benefitting the crewman you're purporting to 'grace'. They've got WORK to do!

[Cruising Caribbean]

A crew member who receives a cash tip but fails to report it to the pool is taking a huge chance. If his fellow crew members discover it, he would be ostracized both on the job and off. No one would help him, things would be made tough for him, and he would have no friends in the crew quarters. If his boss finds out about it, he could lose his job.

Now how on earth do you know this? How do any of us know any of this? The crew isn't suppose to talk about it, I have heard some BS stories from some of the crew. We all get up in arms about the whole thing, in a frenzy.... I leave the auto tip on and tip extra where warranted. Why? Because it's easier that way. I don't know what happens if I remove them. If I believe people on here, it hurts them all but I don't think anyone on here is a current cruise ship employee.

[ssantow]

This is like beating a dead horse.

 

ALL tips including auto tips are placed in the pool and divided among all the staff.

 

Therefor it does not matter what you tip or how you do it.

[LARGIN]

This is like beating a dead horse.

 

ALL tips including auto tips are placed in the pool and divided among all the staff.

 

Therefor it does not matter what you tip or how you do it.

 

Incorrect... All tips are not. Only the $10 pp "Hotel" charge and tips from passengers that removed the autotip are placed into the pool.

[cookiersmom]

Until seeing this thread and others, I would have intended to remove the auto-tip.

Here is my reasoning: I have previously cruised primarily on RCCI, which did not at the time (not sure about now) have Auto Tip. We usually got EXCELLENT service, always at least quite good. We then always tipped at least the recommended amount, often more for especially good service.

 

Then, about two years ago, DH and I did a Holland America cruise thru the Panama Canal, which had auto-tip. It was the most horrible cruise experience you could imagine. The wait staff in the dining room was all of one nationality, not understandable, and our waiter and assistant were really mediocre, and did little to make sure we or the other patrons were happy with our meals, etc. The ship had many issues, including plumbing and air conditioning issues, and the staff at the pursers desk was rude and unaccomodating ("it's not my job"). Our cabin steward was ok, but nothing special as had been done by our RCCI stewards, who used to make a lot of efforts to leave very cute vingettes with our pillows, our kids stuffed animals, etc, every day. We naturally made the connection that with auto-tips on HAL (which were VERY difficult to have removed on board), the staff could care less about service.

 

Now, I DO understand from all of you that this is NOT the case on Princess, and that removing them causes questioning, doubt of the staff members. So, I will leave on the auto-tipping, and will then only take it off if for "cause", which I trust, from all of your good words, will not happen!

I would not want my steward or other servers to think I was "pre-stiffing" them. That would definately not be my intent.

 

I don't prefer the auto-tipping, as I DO prefer to reward good service. But, I was not aware how many people don't believe in it, and therefore, the staff was getting messed up, with minimal pay, assuming tips to make up the difference, but then not getting the tips from many pax.:eek:

[qiangf2]

I always leave the auto-tip on. But I know it probably won't help us much in motivating a better service as a return. I did it just for the sake of convenience

[Jesterscourt]

We just sailed Princess a few weeks ago. In addition, to the auto tip, I gave our room steward $20 on the first day. He looked uncomfortable accepting it and I felt almost like it was a payoff just to have him do his job. He was so busy due to the increase in cabins he was in charge of, that he always looked busy and stressed. I'm not sure giving the extra money made a difference in service, but I hope he was able to keep it.

[icemaiden]

just a thought and an example if there are 1950 passengers at 10 dollars a day total 70 dollars a week thats $136,500 and theres 900 crew thats $150 dollars each a week in tips, the sea princess has 1950 passengers if theres 2 to a room and 900 crew, just took the sea princess as an example

[LARGIN]

just a thought and an example if there are 1950 passengers at 10 dollars a day total 70 dollars a week thats $136,500 and theres 900 crew thats $150 dollars each a week in tips, the sea princess has 1950 passengers if theres 2 to a room and 900 crew, just took the sea princess as an example

 

So what's your point? $150 a week in the pool if ALL passengers leave the autotip in place which is not the case.. My Pursor friend says that on the average between 20-40% remove the autotip and on Aussie & European cruises the number can be higher.

[icemaiden]

largin my point is exactly what it says, i think thats not bad tips for a week, and if they get personal tips its a bonus, but i dont like the comment about aussies and europeans ,as usual we get comments about not tipping i have always tipped well as a european, for standard and good service, we europeans tip in restaurants and bars, but we dont tip all the way down the line to the dish washers, i wouldnt have any money left from my wages if i did that, its the luck of the job if you get one that recieves tips, and on another note about the crew member that says the aussies and the europeans prob more autotips are taken off, hes not gona say that your country take them off the most is he , he wouldnt want to bite the hand that helps him out

[LARGIN]

icemaiden.. My Purser friend is from England. He tells it as it is..

Let me do the math using your $150 per week.. The average crew member works between 14-16 per day.. Lets say 15 hours for the math part.. 15 x 7 = 105 hours per week.. That equates to $1.43 per hour for his/her time making sure you have a great cruise.. Leave the auto-tip in place and give extra.. Do not know about Europe but at most of the fine restaurants here in the US, the busboys, bartenders, cooks and kitchen help all get a piece of the waiters tip.

[icemaiden]

hi largin, i am not disagreeing with leaving the autotip on and i do tip extra, my point is that with the autotip in place i dont want to give my extra tip to someone in particular and they have to share it,i have noticed another thread running about the same subject it is everyone to their own thing , and in another forum i was on there was a family that had saved for a couple of years to all go on holiday and the tipping was worrying them, i think that if someone takes it off they have their reasons be it being tight fisted or their circumstances, i would never judge anyone for taking them off and i do realise that the staff onboard work hard , we all work hard and do a good job as we should, i think that princess should include the hotel or gratuity charge within the price like carnival do and any cash tips the crew get are their own, another thing is that in america we tipped 15% to the waiter and 20% for better than the norm, in the UK we usually pay 5% to 10 % more if you want thats the way its works here, every country is different, i have known people really minted and they dont leave tips, infact my hubby has left extra himself when out with people cause they didnt leave anything , you know what they say money goes to money sometimes, thats why they have it their tight, its a can of worms tipping probably its well left alone and for the cruiseline to sort something better out:o