Tipping--Just Off Connie and How We Fought It & Feel This is Right

[BurgerBits]

It's been a few years since I cruised. How much would the auto-tip per person be for a 7 day cruise?

 

About eighty-five bucks (USD), give or take.

[RetireeWannabee]

ut oh, moondoggie (isn't that name from the Annette/Frankie movies from the 60s?...) get ready for some SERIOUS flaming...

 

On another thread I mentioned my support of maintaining the control (and tradition) of tipping with envelopes - and the reasons why cruiselines have relegated to this autotipping policy.... and it generated LOTS of flak from offended CCers passionate for autotipping.

 

So get ready for the onslaught...... :)

 

- Rick

 

I hate the envelope thing. Awkward and embarrassing. I love autotips. Would like to be able to adjust them, but so far leave them, and

'extra tip' those that warrant it with Thank You card wtih cash in it (not sure why I don't find that as awful as the Last Night Envelope thing? Maybe because it's unexpected??)

 

Would be nice for both methods to be available to suit all.

[gibbsgirl]

Do they still provide the "chits" and envelopes so that you have something to hand to the server/steward?.....or do you just say "thank you" and your tip is in the bank????????

[2sunny]

Just off Connie on Monday--wonderful trip. However, we refuse to 'autotip'. So, when I visited the Guest Relations desk to get the autotips removed, they were not happy. And, my name was added to a long list of cruisers who did the same thing.

 

We did NOT tip the nebulous 'other staff, and tipped the Asst Headwaiter a bit less than suggested--he only schmoozed at our dinner table, and we preferred to put more $$ in our Waiter's and Asst Waiter's packets.

 

So, we overtipped (in cash, of course) our Waiter, Asst Waiter, and Stateroom Attendants--and felt very good about it.

 

However, I did hand over the cash tips along with a handwritten note (bring your own stationery) to each of the three individuals above--and they were pleased as punch, BECAUSE they send these 'notes' to the head office, and these help to determine their future assignments.

 

A CAVEAT: if you have an onboard credit, and do not plan or drinking or putting charges on your seapass, you CANNOT get this credited back to you. I think that Celebrity figures people will want to use the OBC to cover part of the tips, and, thus will be forced to keep their 'recommended' amounts in place. You CANNOT delete any of the recipients on the 'recommended' list--you can only INCREASE amounts to any that you choose.

 

Fight this system along with us--and perhaps C will get the message.

 

 

I am not sure I understand what you are saying about the OBC. IF you have money left in your OBC account you DO get it back - ABSOLUTELY!!!! We have gotten this money back on many, many occasions! We get them money back in the form we gave it to them - i.e. we give them cash, we get cash back; we give it to them from a debit card it goes back to the debit card; credit card, etc.:D

 

Also, the money that you give to individuals, because you do not chose to do the "auto tips" is put in a pot and IS STILL DIVIDED UP AMONG EVERYONE! You are correct in what you said about the notes that you wrote - but mistaken about the money you give. The crew that you gave the money to has to put the 'overage' that you gave them in the pot to make up for the crew that you gave nothing to! So instead of giving extra as you intended you actually gave them less.

 

I got this information directly from a crew member.

 

Instead of working so hard to "beat the system" why not just reward the Celebrity crew for a "job well done"? Celebrity offers excellent service - :)

[2sunny]

So, tell me how you insisted they do this. I would really like to know, as I think this is crap!!! We tip and we tip well, but I do NOT like someone telling me WHO and how much every little bit goes to. I really don't care who agrees with me on this. The people who do like the auto tip can have it... no one is taking anything away from these people. BUT these same people have A LOT of nerve saying it's THEE only way it should be and that it should never be adjusted. Whatever!!!

 

Anyway... I would appreciate the help in what I can say or do to make them remove mine. I know I am not the only one that thinks this is a load of BS.

 

Flame away... I couldn't care less!

 

All you have to do is go to the purser and asked to have them removed - you do not have to throw a hissy fit or give a lecture or show your ignorance or anything else. JUST very politely ask to have them removed. - period.

You can then chose to tip or not to tip - it is up to you!

 

Those of us that are not ignorant and appreciate the excellent service we receive while aboard Celebrity ships will show our appreciation with appropriate tips plus.

[2sunny]

Like I stated before I agree with Moondoggie. On one of our Celebrity cruises we had an awful and I mean awful Assistant Maitre'D. There was no way were were giving this guy the recommended amount, he definitely didn't deserve it. Why should I be forced to reward people for bad service?

 

We do tip generously when the service warrants it and hold back when service is bad.

 

As far as people not tipping at all....well that is a problem I grant you that, but you should have the option of auto tipping or not and not be FORCED to do it.

 

May I ask what was so awful about the Maitre'd? What did he do to offend you so?

[2sunny]

Fighting auto-tipping isn't exactly a pursuit I'd want to interject into MY cruise, but to each their own...

 

I don't really understand why people get so amped up about $1.25 per day for 'other staff'; after all, there are other staff and we all know that... but since X opened the can of worms its up to them to live with the results...

 

I too feel that the concept of auto tipping is enhanced by the passenger being able to control the gratuity amounts per service group/recipient (adjust-delete etc.) which is more typical of the several lines that have auto tip. Sometimes X is less intricate and more brusk in doing things (like this policy) than you'd expect from a line that propagates a sophisticated service oriented image.

 

By the way "other staff" are those that help in the buffet area that help carry trays, get you a drink refill, clean tables, and answer when rude people yell "hey! boy!"; they also work out on the pool decks taking away dirty dishes, wiping the tables and helping you carry your food and in all of the dining areas keeping the drink dispensing areas clean and operational. They also stand at the entrances to the dining areas holding the dispensers of Antibacterial Gel so that the idiots that cannot or do not chose to wash their hands will not give the rest of us the Noro-Virus!

 

Perhaps $1.25 of your money is not TOO much to be spread between ALL of the hard working people????:rolleyes:

[uktog]

I am not sure I understand what you are saying about the OBC. IF you have money left in your OBC account you DO get it back - ABSOLUTELY!!!! We have gotten this money back on many, many occasions! We get them money back in the form we gave it to them - i.e. we give them cash, we get cash back; we give it to them from a debit card it goes back to the debit card; credit card, etc.:D

 

The rules on refunding OBC seem to have changed. IF the OBC comes about as the result of shareholders credit or on board booking they will not refund any surplus. I had surplus at the end of my trip last week and initially they declined but as I had also had a cancelled shore excursion after reference to a more senior officer it was agreed that any surplus related to that credit and not the shareholder/booking credit and was refunded

[julieanne]

In response to your question, a few days before the end of the cruise I just went to GR and told them that I wished to 'adjust' my tip amount and remove the 'auto tip' from my account. She said that I could only 'adjust upwards' for someone, and could not delete or lower any of the auto tips.

 

I then told her I would pay cash, and she asked me to sign a list/form, and that was the end of it. No, she wasn't happy, but what could she do? So I came back five minutes later and wrote a check (NOTE--there is a limit of $200 per cruise per passenger to write a check at the bank--using the casino ATM results in a fee).

 

(we generally tip well whenever we go out, wherever we are, but I also refuse to put $$ in a 'tip jar' which is at just about every other kind of store...)

I find auto tips annoying at times. I do not find tipping anoyying per se, but I don't like being told what to tip since tipping is a gratuity, something offered for good or exceptional service. You can have all tips removed, then tip as you wish. We have had a few Maitre'D's that weren't worth 10 cents, so we didn't tip them either. Why should I tip someone who came by the table once for the whole 14 day trip? What I really wish is that they would just call it a service charge and just add it into the fare already!

[emptynest1]

I'm sorry if I don't understand the problem. I was just on Constellation and was given the choice of applying the tip to my onboard account or doing what I wanted. I chose to apply to OBC and was given chits and envelopes to distribute. For those I felt deserved extra I gave it in the form of cash and personally handed it to them with a handshake and a thank you. No one twisted my arm to give a tip, I felt the offer to apply to on board account was a convenience and not mandatory as I have the impression some think it is.

I'm I missing something here?

[jackdiamond]

Sadly, it appears that some "stiffers" are still utilizing their euphemisms.

[CathyCruises]

As we were getting ready to leave on our last cruise, we ran into some very nice folks staying in the same hotel. We were telling them about our trip and what a great deal it was. I mentioned that I had gotten pre-paid gratuities. The guy looked at me strangely and asked what that was. I explained--and he looked mortified. Turns out they had been on a ship not too long before and never knew they were SUPPOSED to tip! He was just crestfallen. He kept saying, "You're supposed to tip??? I never knew that! I am so embarrassed!" So whether he didn't get the little envelopes, didn't pay attention, or what have you, not everyone knows how they should act. One poster recently said "I never knew there WAS a dress code!"

 

So between the people who stiff the staff intentionally and those who don't know any better, it's no wonder they have instituted the new policy!

 

And speaking of last nights, years ago my ex-DH and I were on a cruise with SIL and BIL. We had just handed over 'the envelopes'. The assistant waiter bumped the waiter as he was preparing to set down a full cup of hot coffee in front of DH--instead, the entire cup went down DH's back! He jumped up, screamed, and knocked his chair over. Then I jumped up, screamed, and knocked my chair over. It was quite a scene! The poor guy was just mortified--kept apologizing, in between scolding the assistant ferociously. We went down to our cabin and I put cold washclothes on DH's very red back--came a knock at the door, and it was the waiter with a little tube of Unguentine (sp?) with a label wrapped around it explaining how to use it in Korean. I felt way worse for the poor waiter than DH--who was fine after about 15 minutes. Quite a memory though!

 

Cathy

[Karynanne]

I can understand why quite a few people think that the Maitre 'd doesn't do a thing but greet passengers...but in actuality they are very busy seeing to needs of the passengers. Do you ever wonder who carries out the job of supplying the asked for dessert, or the extra shrimp cocktail, or the specialized diet of the passenger? Your assigned Maitre 'd. It's his/her job to see that all the waiters and asst. waiters carry out their job functions smoothly and efficiently. The've worked their way up the ranks, and put in very long hours, so that we are fed well and in a relaxed atmosphere. It just doesn't happen mysteriously...it takes teamwork. And they head the team in their sections.

 

I would never dream of not tipping a Maitre 'd just because I hadn't seen him/her on a daily basis.

[FinelyCruising]

Auto Tipping II - What do you do when you dine and see this???

 

For parties of 8 or more a gratuity of 18% will be automatically charged to your bill.

[woodofpine]

By the way "other staff" are those that help in the buffet area that help carry trays, get you a drink refill, clean tables, and answer when rude people yell "hey! boy!"; they also work out on the pool decks taking away dirty dishes, wiping the tables and helping you carry your food and in all of the dining areas keeping the drink dispensing areas clean and operational. They also stand at the entrances to the dining areas holding the dispensers of Antibacterial Gel so that the idiots that cannot or do not chose to wash their hands will not give the rest of us the Noro-Virus!

 

Perhaps $1.25 of your money is not TOO much to be spread between ALL of the hard working people????:rolleyes:

 

2sunny - you don't seem to have read many (any?) of my posts on this subject. Your eyeball roll is misplaced. I'm not getting my shorts in a wad over $1.25 a day. Frankly, I don't rightly care how they distribute their tips - thats none of my business. Hell, if the aggregate cruise cost remains cheaper than the alternatives I don't care if they impose a gratuity for the greasers down in the engine room! Without them, we're not going anywhere! If the business model delivers a good product at a competitive price that's what I care about.

 

My point was that X could've boosted the suggested tip, cut the others in on a piece of it and avoided some of the penny ante flak over 'who's that?'. My other point is that most lines that have gone to auto tip don't make a big deal about reducing or deleting as some have indicated X does (but I've not fussed with it in 6+ years and 8 cruises. I did delete once in 2002 on Carnival for two reasons, 1) there were a lot of service issues on that cruise [A LOT], 2) and at that time X was 'recommending' that if you had 2 adults and 2 children in a cabin the children could/might 1/2 tip (in other words x3). I've always cruised with 4 kids/6 total (a double and quad). My impression at the time was, 'Why should these Bozos start with a higher baseline than the X crew... so I took one of the kids' gratuities off and paid for 5. The Carnival purser inquired a bit brusquely (I didn't mind, I had my reasons; removing a 5 year old's tip; no harm no faul - not with THAT bunch). On another cruise, I tried boosting a group of tips on Princess via auto tip and found that was a procedural hassle... Telling the purser, "Just divvy up another $100", turned into: which passenger/cabin, how much, to whom... Those were the only two times I ever screwed with the auto tip. These days I just leave well enough alone on the account and hand out bills to the cheerful overdoers. That's the easiest for all concerned. I pump up the good crewman on the comment cards - that seems to have a beneficial impact and I don't mind dissing a crewman mildly if they've been persistantly subpar on little stuff (I only recollect that once) but I don't short their tips (only that once and even that was a 'sort of' relative to X recommendation).

 

Nah - the crew have an interesting but hard life holed up in a hull, and it's not made any easier dealing with the aggregate psychosis caller 'passengers'. ;)

[Sky Sweet]

Auto Tipping II - What do you do when you dine and see this???

 

For parties of 8 or more a gratuity of 18% will be automatically charged to your bill.

 

When I see that I assume that I don't have a choice.

[woodofpine]

Funny Story: A while ago - back before Princess had auto tip, my mother underwrote a family reunion cruise. With the size of the group (about a dozen) she wanted to be the one to tip the maitre d' - so she did... and HOW! She miscalculated it - A LOT - like at least 5 fold...

 

So - she hands him the envelop and thanks him, and he'd been very nice and helpful (we had a high maintenance adult or two); he bows and heads off to maitre d land. A couple minutes later he comes FLYIN' back to the table, gushing in Italian and English, kissing my mom's hands, damn near cryin' in gratitude, carrying on... pulls up a chair... pulls out the pictures of his new born child (during contract), his other child, his wife... how he's going to see his wife and new born in a week (we'd repo'd the canal from SJ and we're disembarking Acapulco) they lived in Seattle (wife was US) how he would fete his wife and kids extra now... and ON and ON... It was quietly hysterical. That guy poured out more emotion and desperation over ship board life in a couple minutes than I REALLY wanted to know. But it was cute! And my mom loved it!

 

I guess that's a point for envelopes - but it really needs to be OVER and ABOVE...

 

That was a great crew - a year later just the 6 of us ran into the main server again and he remembered my kids by name (hell, I barely remember their names!:))

[seasearider]

In response to your question, a few days before the end of the cruise I just went to GR and told them that I wished to 'adjust' my tip amount and remove the 'auto tip' from my account. She said that I could only 'adjust upwards' for someone, and could not delete or lower any of the auto tips.

 

I then told her I would pay cash, and she asked me to sign a list/form, and that was the end of it. No, she wasn't happy, but what could she do? So I came back five minutes later and wrote a check (NOTE--there is a limit of $200 per cruise per passenger to write a check at the bank--using the casino ATM results in a fee).

 

(we generally tip well whenever we go out, wherever we are, but I also refuse to put $$ in a 'tip jar' which is at just about every other kind of store...)

 

Wasn't the amount $12.50 on a 10 day cruise. Doesn't seem to be worth the effort.