Why Not Call it Charity instead of Tipping?

[VaBeachCruisers897]

TIPS, IMO, are for good service. If I don't receive good service, I'm lowering my auto tip. I'm not picky either. I want a clean cabin, fresh towels, turn down service from my cabin steward. I'd like my server to remember what I order and be pleasant. Is this too much?

 

I'm sick of all these posters stating that they would NEVER remove or lower the automatic gratuities no matter what the service was like b/c those poor stewards, waiters, etc. are from 3rd world countries and send all of their money home to their families, etc. If I get poor service, I will lower the tip or remove it all together and explain why. I don't care where the steward or server is from or how many children they have starving in some godforsaken place, if they don't do a good job, they're not getting any money from me. If I wanted to tip them just because their poor, then lets just quit calling it tipping and call it charity.

 

 

No argument here... I have been known to give riduculous tips & if drunk they get larger..... but not when the service is poor.. If you reward poor service they will never learn.

[KS&JW]

I believe in speaking up first. Ask for what you want. For instance, if you drink a lot of water or iced tea with dinner, let the assistant waiter know. If he doesn't keep up, let your waiter know. If there's still a problem, talk to your assistant maitre d' and then the maitre d'.

 

Give people the opportunity to make things right. Don't hold a grudge and reduce your tip because on the second night of the cruise your waiter wrote down the wrong salad dressing and had to bring you a new salad.

 

You took the words out of my mouth. :)

[bplazo]

I have never had a service issue on a ship. Some nights the dinners have come out slow but no biggie. Do any of you consider that maybe if you are receiving less than what you consider "excellent service" that perhaps your server is having a rough evening or maybe he has a table of "difficult" customers. As long as my server is not rude and is trying I feel that he is doing an excellent job.

[CC Help Michell]

IMHO... Those who work in the service industry know, or they should, that the amount of money they can make in tips is directly proportional to the level of service they provide. By Carnival, or any other service provider using Auto-tips they are taking away the incentive for the service-staff to provide the level of service they should be providing to their customers. Think about it, it’s human nature; if they can make the same amount of money (tips) and provide less service, then why should they work harder to satisfy their customers. Money can be a great motivator, work hard make more money, work less, then make less.

 

Now before I get flamed: I realize these folks more the most part work their a$$, and the majority of them do go above and beyond to provide first class service. But their will always be those who do the minimum amount of work and expect the maximum amount of remuneration. I’m sorry, but I will not reward this kind of behavior with MY hard-earned money.

 

As a mater of principal, I remove auto-tips on day one. I know that the crew member is informed about that, I think that’s a good thing. They know, or at least they should, that if they don’t perform to my level of expectation, they get no monetary reward from me. However, if they perform to my expectations they will be rewarded for the work done. If they perform above my expectation, they will be handsomely rewarded.

 

In my opinion auto-tipping is nothing more than increasing the price of my cruise by $10.00 a day/per person. I would just as soon pay the extra upfront, and tip the staff according to the service level provided by the individual.

 

Regarding the highlighted portion -- you do realize that because of what you do "on principle" everyone you tip in cash has to turn ALL that cash into the tip pool? That's the policy on most autotip lines, Carnival included, when a passenger removes all auto tips. If you left them in place, the people you tip extra in cash could keep it.

 

Second, do you make your expectations for what would constitute adequate or above-adequate performance clear to everyone you meet? Or are they left trying to hit an unknown target? For me, personally, the whole "Make 'em EARN those tips! Make 'em WORK to please me if they want my money!" thing is sort of.... demeaning. I go into the cruise expecting that the auto tip WILL be earned by these service professionals, and if for some reason service is lacking, I take it up with the service person, or their superior, right away.

[yarlenna]

A point of clarification, maritime workers, all those behind the scenes, make normal maritime wages. For them working a cruise ship is the same as working a cargo carrier. Its only those in the hotel section, serving the public that get small salaries. But a really good one can make more money than all but the top officers, maybe even more than them. An independent businessman doesn't get ANY pay unless he makes his business succeed. Then he pays himself a salary out of monies already his. But that's no reason to buy or not buy from his business. Only the value you perceive is reason to patronize his business. By the same token, what the waiters, room Stews make is none of our business. If you're treated well, you should tip well. Why complicate a simple system with emotions, and rationalizations?

 

Dan

 

Emotions, and rationalizations? I am not sure. I think that slavery is hard to see without emotions, and rationalizations.

[dolfandude]

Im glad Im not your server in a restaurant. Yikes.... people are human to me and Im able to get over it if they forget something. Iv even had a bad cabin steward and tipped him. He was always slow and late, forgot to give us stuff, came into the room when I had the sign out "do not disturb". Guess I still feel that I should tip. I think he did the best he could do, just was not meant for that job.

 

But yet you rewarded him! Why don't the cruise lines just pay these fine folks a legitimate salary? But no, they have to get third world labor for minimal wages and let the passengers make up the difference. Same for restaurants everywhere. Here I go......... why shouldn't we tip the fast food worker or the salesperson in the mall? They're providing us a service too. Why does serving food, driving a cab or cleaning a room "require" (to most) getting tipped? Don't get me wrong....I STILL follow the protocol on tipping. I worked as a tipped waiter and bartender through college, so I've been there. But I just don't agree with it at all. The employer wins!:mad:

[dan40]

Emotions, and rationalizations? I am not sure. I think that slavery is hard to see without emotions, and rationalizations.

 

Well I am positive that slavery would be IMPOSSIBLE to see without emotions.

 

But your use of the word, "slavery" to describe the conditions of workers on cruise ships is complete nonsense. They do not get large salaries but they do make good money with the tips. The best make excellent incomes even compared to Americans. Compared to their homelands, many make fortunes.

They do get free room and board and medical while aboard. Check what you spend for those things on a % basis. And the workers ARE free to leave and Slavery never had that clause.

Do you dine out in your local area at other than fast food restaurants? I'm sure you do. Do you know your waitpersons make less than $3.00 an hour not including tips?

Do you realize that in many of the finest restaurants in the USA, the waitpeople have to PAY their employer to work there? One waiter that I'm acquainted with has to pay his employer $250.00 a WEEK for his job [and its been over 5 years since we discussed his income]. He still banked well over 100G's a year after paying the fare. They, and the cruise workers are working free will and/or free enterprise. That HAS NOTHING to do with slavery. Keep it real [not reality show "real"]

 

Dan

[BobBeaSea]

Well I am positive that slavery would be IMPOSSIBLE to see without emotions.

 

But your use of the word, "slavery" to describe the conditions of workers on cruise ships is complete nonsense. They do not get large salaries but they do make good money with the tips. The best make excellent incomes even compared to Americans. Compared to their homelands, many make fortunes.

They do get free room and board and medical while aboard. Check what you spend for those things on a % basis. And the workers ARE free to leave and Slavery never had that clause.

Do you dine out in your local area at other than fast food restaurants? I'm sure you do. Do you know your waitpersons make less than $3.00 an hour not including tips?

Do you realize that in many of the finest restaurants in the USA, the waitpeople have to PAY their employer to work there? One waiter that I'm acquainted with has to pay his employer $250.00 a WEEK for his job [and its been over 5 years since we discussed his income]. He still banked well over 100G's a year after paying the fare. They, and the cruise workers are working free will and/or free enterprise. That HAS NOTHING to do with slavery. Keep it real [not reality show "real"]

 

Dan

 

Dan, thanks for telling us about the waiter you had the problem with...WOW!

Luckily, we haven't experienced anything like that, I can well understand not tipping him. Just weird but it happens. On Sovereign of the Seas in 1990, saw a waiter fired on the spot in the dining room at dinner one night. I don't know the full story of what happened, our waiter mentioned insubordination, but it was strange, there was a bit of a scene.

 

Agree with your post above, the money the primary service providers make isn't as bad as some cruisers might think. I've put a link below if anyone is interested, it might be old. I also agree any references to slave labour are wildly "over the top" and certainly not a reflection of reality.

 

http://www.cruiseshipjob.com/position.htm

[iheartbda]

We ran into a couple in Cozumel that were on another Carnival ship and she told me that she took off her tips as soon as she got on the ship and was only giving the room steward $5.00 per day. They were a family of four and she felt that it was more than enough. She flet that she already spent enough money going on the vacation why spend more giving out tips.

 

We almost always leave the suggested amount with the exception of this past cruise where our room steward was totally rude the entire cruise.

 

I'd be willing to guess that woman never denied herself a drink or her kids times in the arcade, etc. because they already spent enough money going on vacation. Tips have NOTHING to do with how much your vacation costs. A family of four??? If they were in the same cabin, I can imagine the mess the poor cabin steward faced everyday.

 

Totally rude, how so? People say these kinds of things but never give details as to what the problem was. Just curious.

[newmexicoNita]

TIPS, IMO, are for good service. If I don't receive good service, I'm lowering my auto tip. I'm not picky either. I want a clean cabin, fresh towels, turn down service from my cabin steward. I'd like my server to remember what I order and be pleasant. Is this too much?

 

I'm sick of all these posters stating that they would NEVER remove or lower the automatic gratuities no matter what the service was like b/c those poor stewards, waiters, etc. are from 3rd world countries and send all of their money home to their families, etc. If I get poor service, I will lower the tip or remove it all together and explain why. I don't care where the steward or server is from or how many children they have starving in some godforsaken place, if they don't do a good job, they're not getting any money from me. If I wanted to tip them just because their poor, then lets just quit calling it tipping and call it charity.

I see your point but totally disagree with your thinking.

 

Nita