Auto-tip??

[baxley]

I've only taken one cruise on RC and handed out tip envelopes at the end of the cruise. Could someone please explain how auto-tip works on Princess? Thanks for your help.

[Colo Cruiser]

You still have the choice or do both as envelopes are still available.

 

 

 

Discretionary Hotel and Dining Charge

During your cruise, you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. Many more crew support those who serve you directly. To save you the worry of who to tip and how much, Princess makes it easier for you to reward excellent service by automatically adding a discretionary Hotel and Dining charge of $11 USD for suites and mini-suites and $10.50 USD for all other staterooms per person per day (including children) to your shipboard account on a daily basis. This charge will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including the wait staff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, galley staff, laundry staff and others.

 

Casino dealers and Lotus Spa personnel do not share in the Hotel and Dining charge as not all passengers utilize these services.

[coiran]

It should be pointed out though, if you elect to not autotip whatever you put in an envelope the receiver must put into the autotip pool!

Ron

[Kerry&LuAnn]

We like the autotip method because it is so convenient. And if a particular crew member provides exceptional service for us, we'll hand her/him something extra on the final day.

[Pam in CA]

The "auto tip" is essentially the same amount as that "recommended" by cruiselines without the auto-tip. As has been said, you can remove the auto-tip but if you tip with individual envelopes, the money goes right into the tipping pool and the person you've tipped doesn't get to keep it. Also, it can be construed by the supervisors that if you've removed the tip, then there must have been something wrong with the service so you could be doing a disservice to the people you tip. However, if you leave the auto-tip on and tip an additional amount, they get to keep that.

[phxmacbear]

Pam,

I'm confused...if I understood you correctly, you're saying that if you remove the Autotip but give an individual a tip, they have to put it in the "pool" of autotips...BUT if you leave your autotip intact and give an individual an additional tip, they can keep it...

 

Makes sense in theory, but how on earth would anyone be able to track that?

If i give an envelope of cash to my room steward, how does Princess or a supervisor or anyone but the room steward even know??? And even if the room steward is totally honest and tells the supervisor that he received a tip, what do they do...ask him the cabin number and then look it up to see if that cabin removed the autotip and then tell the room steward to keep it or hand it over? I don't know, that doesn't seem like it would work...

 

(Unless there's some policy where the room stewards are searched before and after a shift and are not allowed to have any cash on them...therefore if they end the shift with cash, they are forced to say where they got it...but that seems a bit much to believe)

[caribill]

Pam,

I'm confused...if I understood you correctly, you're saying that if you remove the Autotip but give an individual a tip, they have to put it in the "pool" of autotips...BUT if you leave your autotip intact and give an individual an additional tip, they can keep it...

 

Makes sense in theory, but how on earth would anyone be able to track that?

If i give an envelope of cash to my room steward, how does Princess or a supervisor or anyone but the room steward even know??? And even if the room steward is totally honest and tells the supervisor that he received a tip, what do they do...ask him the cabin number and then look it up to see if that cabin removed the autotip and then tell the room steward to keep it or hand it over?

 

 

Exactly.

[paul929207]

Pam,

I'm confused...if I understood you correctly, you're saying that if you remove the Autotip but give an individual a tip, they have to put it in the "pool" of autotips...BUT if you leave your autotip intact and give an individual an additional tip, they can keep it...

 

Makes sense in theory, but how on earth would anyone be able to track that?

If i give an envelope of cash to my room steward, how does Princess or a supervisor or anyone but the room steward even know??? And even if the room steward is totally honest and tells the supervisor that he received a tip, what do they do...ask him the cabin number and then look it up to see if that cabin removed the autotip and then tell the room steward to keep it or hand it over? I don't know, that doesn't seem like it would work...

 

(Unless there's some policy where the room stewards are searched before and after a shift and are not allowed to have any cash on them...therefore if they end the shift with cash, they are forced to say where they got it...but that seems a bit much to believe)

If you tip individuals, they have to contribute to the tip pool up to the amount of the autotip that would go into the pool. They can keep any extra.

[cynbar]

Pam,

I'm confused...if I understood you correctly, you're saying that if you remove the Autotip but give an individual a tip, they have to put it in the "pool" of autotips...BUT if you leave your autotip intact and give an individual an additional tip, they can keep it...

 

Makes sense in theory, but how on earth would anyone be able to track that?

If i give an envelope of cash to my room steward, how does Princess or a supervisor or anyone but the room steward even know??? And even if the room steward is totally honest and tells the supervisor that he received a tip, what do they do...ask him the cabin number and then look it up to see if that cabin removed the autotip and then tell the room steward to keep it or hand it over? I don't know, that doesn't seem like it would work...

 

(Unless there's some policy where the room stewards are searched before and after a shift and are not allowed to have any cash on them...therefore if they end the shift with cash, they are forced to say where they got it...but that seems a bit much to believe)

 

From what we read here, staff are dealt with severely, even fired, if discovered to be concealing tips. Apparently they are supposed to report them to their supervisor who does check to see if the auto tip has been removed, and then proceeds accordingly. In the DR, of course any exchange of cash could be clearly seen. For the steward, I suppose it's harder-- but there is always the risk of another employee reporting on them, or perhaps Princess sometimes checks with passengers who've removed the tip to see if there was a problem. Most of the staff probably wouldn't want to take a chance, there's a lot to lose for a small monetary gain.