What wages do P&O pay staff?

[NSWP]

You frequent P&O Aust cruisers, can anybody tell me with some reliability, how much P&O pays their service staff on ships, i.e. Cabin Stewards, waiters?

 

With less tips coming into the Automatic Wage Subsidy pool, say on Pacific Dawn, compared to Regal Princess, (due to reduced auto tips and aussie attitude to tipping generally) one would think the staff wages would have to be made up by P&O.

 

Cheers..Les:cool:

[strawberrypatch81]

I'm not sure what the waiters get paid but I don't think it's much. They are always so happy and smiling. I wonder how they do it.

 

I did a few paid cruises working in the kids club, shark shack on Pacific Sky and I know for a 9 night cruise, I got paid bout $800 which I was happy about. But I would imagine waiters and stewards would get paid a lot less.:( Hopefully they get good tips.

[qld cruiser]

You frequent P&O Aust cruisers, can anybody tell me with some reliability, how much P&O pays their service staff on ships, i.e. Cabin Stewards, waiters?

 

With less tips coming into the Automatic Wage Subsidy pool, say on Pacific Dawn, compared to Regal Princess, (due to reduced auto tips and aussie attitude to tipping generally) one would think the staff wages would have to be made up by P&O.

 

Cheers..Les:cool:

 

 

 

Hi Les, I think that is a prickly subject with staff. I have heard people ask the waiters etc, but I am sure if anyone told, they would be in trouble.

Personally I would never ask,

no-one working on the ships would have the nerve to ask me how much

I get .!!

I do know whatever money they get, they have worked hard for, and I don't mind giving waiters, cabin stewards etc extra at the end of each cruise.

but, as you said coming from earning tips in U.S dollars to Aussie dollars,would be a reduction for the workers.

A lot of the service workers on P.D have gone over from Pacific Sun, so

they would be used to our way of tipping.

 

Hopefully someone can help you.

 

kind regards, Lorraine:) :)

[Tigerman00]

I Have often wondered how much a cruise director earns ...:)

[fishtaco]

If it wasnt enough then they wouldnt work there,but am sure it would be more than they(Asian staff) would earn doing the same job on dry land in their own country.I read on a therad here somwhere that a lot of the staff work for mainly tips on the U.S route,s,so would think that their basic wage would be greater for those on Aus based ships?

[NSWP]

I ask the question because a guy on Princess boards alleges cabin/wait staff are paid.. US$ 1.03 per DAY ! seems awfully low to me. There was a website I looked at once which listed positions on all classes of ships, Capt salaries were anything from $100k to 150k p.a. I have had a couple of service staff on Princess ships tell me they earned up to $1000 a month with tips on a good tipping cruise, which I would interpret as one with most autotips left on and a bit more on top direct from the pax.

 

If it is true they get $1.03 per DAY base pay, then on a cruise with a lot of Auto tips reduced or wiped by the pax, the crew would get almost nil, wonder they come back on board to work.

 

Cheers.:eek:

[aussiedisneyfan]

I have a vague recollection of them earning around $200 per month. A friend asked but it was a few years back.

 

One of the captains we spoke to earned about $100 000US. He told, didn't ask.

[AuzzieCruiser]

I've heard the $200 a month floating around for a while. That was a while back. Hope it has gone up since.

[cheznandy]

I got to know one of the security staff on our 2006 PS cruise, and yes, I know that all security has changed and is now recruited from NZ, he told me then that he only got $700 fornight:eek: and worked four weeks on four off, which is only $350 a week, I guess when you figure in board is included, but that four weeks off is unpaid!! I later caught up with him in Sydney and he has since left due to lots of changes and fueds:rolleyes:

 

Chez

xx

[fishtaco]

I ask the question because a guy on Princess boards alleges cabin/wait staff are paid.. US$ 1.03 per DAY ! seems awfully low to me. There was a website I looked at once which listed positions on all classes of ships, Capt salaries were anything from $100k to 150k p.a. I have had a couple of service staff on Princess ships tell me they earned up to $1000 a month with tips on a good tipping cruise, which I would interpret as one with most autotips left on and a bit more on top direct from the pax.

 

If it is true they get $1.03 per DAY base pay, then on a cruise with a lot of Auto tips reduced or wiped by the pax, the crew would get almost nil, wonder they come back on board to work.

 

Cheers.:eek:

 

All auto tips go into a big P&O pool and are distributed throughout p&O staff worldwide,so the auto tips you leave on or off do not directly affect the staff on your particular cruise and I am pretty sure that all crew get a percentage prorata to their service and position aboard ie laundry staff get less than waitstaff.

I am not sure about this but I think everyone including the officers also get a share?

On U.S cruise lines the staff must meet a tip quota to stay working aboard,that is above auto tips thus there base wage is very very low and is made up by individual tips that is pooled and shared on that particular cruise.

[sayaguru]

My daughter went for a job working in the shops on the cruise ships. The pay was $US1200 a month starting. Which is not very good money even considering you get food, board etc. The hours are REALLY long. They kept stressing that in the interviews. 11+ hours a day.

 

The wages on jobs depend on the job, whether you get tips and where you are from. $2 a day is the minimum wage in Indonesia (no tips). So while wages may seem low to us a wage with fre board, food etc may be good to others. You can't compare stewards wages etc without knowing what it means to them.

[CruiseKidz]

My daughter went for a job working in the shops on the cruise ships. The pay was $US1200 a month starting. Which is not very good money even considering you get food, board etc. The hours are REALLY long. They kept stressing that in the interviews. 11+ hours a day.

 

The wages on jobs depend on the job, whether you get tips and where you are from. $2 a day is the minimum wage in Indonesia (no tips). So while wages may seem low to us a wage with fre board, food etc may be good to others. You can't compare stewards wages etc without knowing what it means to them.

excuse my ignorance, but who's business is it do you tell people how much you earn???????????????????

[sailawaysally]

I asked our cabin steward on our cruise if she could keep the money we gave her and she said 'NO'. I said 'You mean you have to tell them what you have been given and she said yes! I had heard that if they didn't hand it over they risked being sacked. We gave it to her anyway because I thought maybe she is supposed to say that but may keep it after all. I guess 'pooling' it and then sharing with those we don't see, like kitchen staff etc, it works out fairer.

[arxcards]

I asked our cabin steward on our cruise if she could keep the money we gave her and she said 'NO'. I said 'You mean you have to tell them what you have been given and she said yes! I had heard that if they didn't hand it over they risked being sacked. We gave it to her anyway because I thought maybe she is supposed to say that but may keep it after all. I guess 'pooling' it and then sharing with those we don't see, like kitchen staff etc, it works out fairer.

 

If you leave the auto-tips (AWS) on, they will get to keep the added tip in their wages, but it needs to be handed in and recorded as income.

If you take the AWS off, the tip you personally give is handed into the pool and is distributed the same as the AWS.

 

Cheers

Geoff

[pink poodle]

A few cruises ago we gave our excellent, wonderful waiters an envelope each with some cash inside as they had been outstanding the whole cruise and we wanted them to know that we appreciated all they had done. I was really surprised when the waiter wrote our names and cabin number on the envelopes and said that they had to hand them in to their boss or someone or they'd be in trouble. We wanted that money to go specifically to them, no one else.I was disappointed as they had earned that money.I ended up writing a letter to the captain praising them and telling him how great they'd been. Now we always leave a thank you card and some money for the cabin stewards inside our cabin so that no one else will take it from them.Still trying to figure out how to tip the waiters so that they can keep the money themselves.

[arxcards]

Still trying to figure out how to tip the waiters so that they can keep the money themselves.

Easy - leave the autotips on, and any extra you give them they can keep. They still have to report it to make sure it is extra to the auto-tips and to declare as income (no cash in hand stuff), but comes back to them.

 

Cheers

Geoff

[LizCruising2007]

excuse my ignorance, but who's business is it do you tell people how much you earn???????????????????

 

I actually don't think it's a strange question at all and certainly not 'rude'. It is pretty common to have general questions in regards to pay etc. and this is not limited to the cruising industry. All of the employment websites out there offer pay comparison options and you can go in and select the industry and type of position and it brings up the average pay. This question is no different.

[NSWP]

I too do not consider it RUDE to discuss a persons wage..I have never asked but been asked on cruises about my previous vocation and salary, does not bother me in the least to tell them. Many ships low paid staff, i.e cabin stewards and wait staff let you know what wages they get, if they are telling the truth that is, only human nature to attract a bit of sympathy and a few more $. I believe what most of the staff tell me about their poor pay and if the service is good they will get a few notes from me.

 

You can get some info on cruiseship staff wages by just surfing the net for Cruiseship salaries, not allowed on here to mention websites, I know.

 

Automatic Wage Subsidy on ships is nothing knew according to Phillip on the Auto tipping thread, current on Princess boards, it goes back to the White Star Line - Titanic era, early 20th century. This Phillip appears to be a ships Capt or senior officer, he talks the talk, he is good and reasonable.

 

Cheers..Les:cool:

[Kezzie81]

A friend of mine works as a sound engineer aboard Holland American cruiseliners he is Australian and gets paid around $2200 us per month plus tips. His flights to and from Australia are also paid for including his food and accommodation. He is however expected to tip other staff just the same as the guests.

 

I did just find this however, its in US dollars but this recruitment company also claim to recruit for P&O Australia so it may give you and idea.

 

Cabin Steward / Stewardess / Cabin Attendant (daily cleaning of passenger cabins) - no experience required, some experience preferred. Basic English Language skills required. Salary range: $1800-2200 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Head Room Steward.

Assistant Cabin Steward / Stewardess (daily cleaning of assigned areas and passenger cabins, passenger laundry requests) - entry level position, no experience required. Basic English Language skills required. Salary range: $1200-1500 U.S. per month, depending on percentage of tips (gratuities). Possibilities for promotion to Cabin Steward / Stewardess

Room Service Attendatn/Bell Boy (males and females) - general duty is to provide guests with the option of ordering room service, to ensure that passengers receive the service & the same comfort inside of cabin like they have in 5-stars dining room. Also they have to assist to Cabin stewards in the cabins cleaning after each disembarkation. It is recommended to have some previous restaurant or bar experience at least on the land. Ability to speak, read & write in English is an advantage. Salary range: $700-1000 U.S. per month, depending on tips (gratuities).

Cruise Director (The cruise director is in charge of all on-board .entertainment, creates, coordinates, and implements all the daily activities, acting master of ceremonies at social activities and evening shows). Professional entertainment background preferred or 2-5 years on board working your way up from an entry-level cruise staff position. Public speaking, delegate responsibilities and strong organizational abilities required. Fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: $3800-7500 U.S. per month, depending on the cruise line

Dining Room Assistant Waiter / Waitress (assisting dining room waiters in the food and beverage service, serve passengers as directed by the waiter) - Experience required. Good English Language skills required. Salary range: $1400- 2100 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Dining Room Waiter.

Dining Room Waiter/Waitress, (serving passengers, explain the dishes, make recommendations, supervise assistant waiters assigned to their tables) - lots of experience and fluent English Language skills required. Salary range: $2200-3800 U.S. per month, depending on gratuities from passengers. Possibilities for promotion to Dining Room Head Waiter

[Kezzie81]

sorry about the colours and the text, i just copied and pasted!

[fishtaco]

?????? Not so!! The tips are done on each individual ship. Some departments have goals to reach and then they get bonuses. Officers do not get tipped they are on a wage. Officers are required to tip their own cabin staff the same as passengers.

 

Different wages are set according to rank, promotion and country of origin.

Each cruise line has different wage structures. Even between Cunard and Carnival and Princess.

 

Even for someone who does the accounts on the ship it can get confusing!!

 

There are too many anomalies for me to say exactly who gets paid what.

 

I was told by P&O when I phoned them b4 my first cruise that all onboard auto tips were pooled and shared evenly between crew no matter what ship they were on,and that they go back to base first and then distibuted pro rata? So I was only going on what P&O told me,make sense to me though! That way everybody gets their share of the tips?.

[arxcards]

I was told by P&O when I phoned them b4 my first cruise that all onboard auto tips were pooled and shared evenly between crew no matter what ship they were on,and that they go back to base first and then distibuted pro rata? So I was only going on what P&O told me,make sense to me though! That way everybody gets their share of the tips?.

Den,

What you say makes some sense, but the pooling only happens within each ship. The pooling is only about sharing on a ship, so that the support staff get their slice too.

Kaz's other half works on these ships, and she has knowledge first hand.

Cheers

Geoff

[NSWP]

Thanks for that..I note the little proviso on the wages..'Dependent on gratuities'..They should say..altogether now ... AUTOMATIC WAGE SUBSIDY.'

 

Cheers.Les:rolleyes:

[fishtaco]

Den,

What you say makes some sense, but the pooling only happens within each ship. The pooling is only about sharing on a ship, so that the support staff get their slice too.

Kaz's other half works on these ships, and she has knowledge first hand.

Cheers

Geoff

 

I dont Know myself but P&0 definatley told me that all auto tips are pooled to P&O and then distributed throughout all their fleet evenly?

And that this was the best and fairest way to do it?

The reason I called them about this was because I did not agree with auto tips and this changed my mind,maybe P&O wing of the cruise line do this only? Or the person I spoke to just made it up to get me off the phone?:D