Should children have the "auto-tip"

[SKOOKUM]

Im wondering what over people think about if you should have a "auto-tip" for children?

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarthJC

Hey Seb, a newbie from the UK. I am still unsure whether to remove autotips or not. I find it distasteful to hide charges in the small print of the brochures, and I also believe that tips are for exceptional service only. I think I will have to look at the exchange rate closer to departure.

 

My thoughts are: either autotips and no other ship tips (I know baggage handlers, and room service seems to be the norm, but if tipping is automatic to handle us Brits, then everything should be in there!); or just cancel autotips, decide on a fixed amount for room tip and tip where appropriate.

 

For 2 of us on a 10 day trip, autotips would probably work out easier, but in your case with a family on a longer trip I think you should cancel or reduce. I do not agree that tips include children, and would instantly remove them from the full autotip on principle.

 

 

 

REMOVE THE TIP, WHY?

I post this from another thread because I think it warrants a discussion

on its own.

 

 

 

I believe that the staff work harder for the kids.

My kids spill things, ask for wierd requests and 2 of my boys will miss the toilet seat every now and then.

and tooth paste, dont get me started on the tooth paste.

[ladypalmtree]

Why should kids be eliminated from the auto tip? That is insane..they are so messy and needy. The crew takes very good care of everyone, including the children. They work hard for their money. Oh and I have kids so do not flame me on that. What are people thinking? If you cannot afford the cruise then do something else! JMHO...LPT:mad:

[ladypalmtree]

Skookum, I know this is not your post and I am not picking on you..I have two kids and a very messy husband..lol:rolleyes:

[Tak8]

I think the tip applies to all. I take my son on cruises and i realize he will add the same, maybe even more, work for the staff that gets the tip money. We have had waitstaff that have gone above and beyond the norm in making sure my son has an enjoyable cruise experience. Now that he is a teenager, he probably leaves more clothes that the cabin person has to pick up or move around than anyone. Do you tip when you take you children out with you to eat? Then you should tip for them on a cruise.

[quincytoo]

Quite frankly I think children should have to pay more......I am JOKING!!! ...kinda of.....:eek:

 

But seriously children should have to pay the auto-tip.

 

Ladypalmtree.....how was Dreams?? Have you gone on your crusie yet??

[PescadoAmarillo]

Quite frankly I think children should have to pay more......I am JOKING!!! ...kinda of.....:eek:

I think they should too, and I'm NOT joking.

[cruiserbryce]

kids require just as much or more attention and make just as much or more of a mess as adults...I dont believe the tips should be removed for them

[Paumavista]

We absolutely tip for our children......(and have traveled with up to 6 of them). Would never consider "removing" them from the process......

 

Not only do we tip for them for the typical/standard services but we have ALWAYS made sure to tip the Children's Counselors (who are not included in the regular tipping). These people go above and beyond and we are greatful for the fun our children have (and the free time we are able to enjoy as a couple while they are well cared for/entertained).

 

Many times the Children's Counselors are overlooked when it comes to tipping & I think it bears discussing that they are not part of the regular tipping process but should be tipped according to the services and time they provide.

 

JMHO....Just my Humble Opinion.....

Judy

[can786]

My kids were never interested in the kid's or teen clubs so I can't comment on tipping those staff but I have always left the autotip on for them and tipped both cabin steward and dining room staff extra for having to deal with them. Those tips have been well deserved.

 

I agree with the others who say the autotip should be higher for kids.

[DanJ]

It's this kind of stuff that really makes the case for the "auto-tips" being called a service fee, and it should be mandatory. Really, they should just be done away with altogether and the price of the cruise adjusted accordingly. But you get people from other cultures who treat gratuities differently than the American system in place on the ships, and end up screwing (intended or not) the staff out of their hard-earned money.

 

I'm taking my kids on their first cruise this year and fully plan on leaving the tips in place, and will probably give out extra, especially to the kids program people. I mean, the kids will have beds to be made, and those 3rd and 4th bunks are more work than the beds since they have to make the one bed into a couch again and the other gets retracted into the ceiling again. And the kids will definitely eat their share of food and make their mess of dishes.

[Woodmnky]

kids require just as much or more attention and make just as much or more of a mess as adults...I dont believe the tips should be removed for them

I wholeheartedly agree. Kids require a whole other form of service both in the dining room and in the stateroom. While I have empathy for families with several children as I know that the gratuities can add up, this is just part of the cost of cruising.

If you have ever looked up the price of an all inclusive family resort where tips are not allowed, you can instantly see the price difference between this and a crusie.

Either way you will pay tips whether it is labeled as included or not.

[jff50]

We always cruise with our daughter, and always leave the autotip on for her. Personally, I don't see any basis for a higher tip. She is far less demanding on the crew than many/most of the adult passengers that I have observed. On many occassions she has not eaten with us in the dining room. The service required in the buffet/pizzeria/grill is much less than in the dining room. I suspect that she is much more accurate when peeing than many adults that have had too much to drink.

 

In most cases, I suspect that children are the 3rd/4th passenger in a room. I seriously doubt that it takes twice the effort to maintain a cabin with 4 people than it does for a cabin with 2. This is aside from the fact that Princess has some of the least competitive pricing when it comes to 3rd/4th passengers in a cabin. Many of the other cruise lines have very good pricing when it comes to 3rd/4th passengers in a cabin, and reduced tips. Many of the times that I have found good deals on a Princess cruise, it costs more for the 3rd person than it does for either of the first 2. It makes it a lot harder to justify cruising with Princess, although that is always our first choice.

[jff50]

From what I have seen, the passengers that require the most attention/service from the crew are the elderly. I think that there should be an autotip surcharge for people over a certain age.

[DanJ]

This is aside from the fact that Princess has some of the least competitive pricing when it comes to 3rd/4th passengers in a cabin. Many of the other cruise lines have very good pricing when it comes to 3rd/4th passengers in a cabin, and reduced tips. Many of the times that I have found good deals on a Princess cruise, it costs more for the 3rd person than it does for either of the first 2. It makes it a lot harder to justify cruising with Princess, although that is always our first choice.

 

Don't want to hijack the thread into a whole new topic, but I was amazed when I priced out my picks this summer and saw how expensive it would be for the 4 of us on Princess. If it was $1000 each for 2 of us, it was $1000 each for all 4 of us. I still thought the 3rd and 4th on Carnival was high, but at least it was a few hundred less than the first 2 fares.

[Pam in CA]

I agree that the auto-tip needs to be left on. While not all kids are messy or require additional work, many are and as with so many things, the few make it necessary to apply across the board, regardless of age.

 

A few years ago, I was on a cruise and in Anytime dining where all three tables in the waitstaff's area had reservations for the week; there was a large table next to us with two families: four adults and six kids, some of them quite young and the oldest was probably 12. One night, the parents didn't show up, just the kids. The Maitre D' asked them to move to a table for six, which they refused to do, saying it was their table. The M.D. finally got them to move and it took three waitstaff 10 minutes to clean the table and the mess these kids had made on the floor and the entire surrounding area.

 

Last summer, while on the Crown, we had late Traditional dining and there was a very large group of friends traveling together -- probably about 50 people total. The kids were put at a large table by themselves with the parents nearby but also right next to us. They screamed, yelled, ran around, threw food at each other, made a chorus of rubbing their fingers around the top of their water glasses, etc. and the parents did nothing. A couple of evenings, the kids waltzed in at 9:00PM, long after the parents were seated, and disrupted the entire section of the dining room by coming so late. We wound up sitting with dirty entree dishes for over 20 minutes while the kids were taken care of and their orders taken. I couldn't believe that the parents wouldn't control them better but they didn't.

[jff50]

Don't want to hijack the thread into a whole new topic, but I was amazed when I priced out my picks this summer and saw how expensive it would be for the 4 of us on Princess. If it was $1000 each for 2 of us, it was $1000 each for all 4 of us. I still thought the 3rd and 4th on Carnival was high, but at least it was a few hundred less than the first 2 fares.

 

 

We booked a NCL cruise for this November for 2 primary reasons:

• Fantastic itinerary--Istanbul to Barcelona (2 cities that I really want to visit and be able to spend extra time in, pre and post cruise)
  
• Price of 3rd person in a room--The 3rd person in a NCL minisuite was less than $200. 3rd person in a 12 day Princess Med cruise would have been in the neighborhood of $1800.
  

Seems to me that 3rd/4th persons in a cabin (often children) are subsidizing those cabins with only 2. I suspect that NCL's price of less than $200 is much closer to the actual/incremental cost of a 3rd passenger than Princess' $1800. The most precious commodity on a cruise ship is space. The 3rd person in a cabin takes up little/no additional space. The incremental cost to feed/service a 3rd person is minimal.

[Pam in CA]

From what I have seen, the passengers that require the most attention/service from the crew are the elderly. I think that there should be an autotip surcharge for people over a certain age.

And what age would you suggest? I'm considered "elderly" by young people and am definitely a senior citizen. A couple of years ago while on a HAL cruise, we had a 96 year old woman, Gertrude, who was recovering from a stroke but by gad, she flew by herself to Amsterdam, boarded the ship, took tours in every port, went to shows, etc. She didn't require ANY more help than, say, someone in their 30s or 40s. When we were in Edinburgh, she took the tour into the city and then went shopping for casmere sweaters, finding several she liked. When she went to pay, she discovered that she'd brought only her cruise card. The proprietor said, "That's all right, dear. Take them with you and send me a check when you get home." That was Gertrude. :) She was a hoot and I'd be privileged to cruise with her again.

 

IMHO, it's not age but mentality. I know there are people in their 50s and 60s in nursing homes waiting for who knows what? A few months ago, Kaiser Permanente ran a TV ad showing "elderly" women dancing, cheerleading, swimming, hiking, etc. and the music played, "When I grow up, I want to be an old woman!"

[DrivesLikeMario]

Yes, they should. You would tip for them at a land-based restaurant.

[BLS]

Yes, they should. You would tip for them at a land-based restaurant.

I have to agree. Kids are passengers too and tips shold be left in place. (I'm not saying they are messier than adults, but there are beds to make, towels to pick up and meals to be served.

The crew works hard for the tips. We always leave the auto tip in place and tip more to those that deserve it.

[vjmatty]

Auto-tipping and kids in the same thread....are you going for a record? ;)

 

I don't see where kids are necessarily less work, and in some cases can be more. On cruises with 3rd and 4th passenger cabins, the steward has to remake the pull-downs and sofa beds every time.

 

On MSC, the tips were half price for the kids, but that might have been part of the "kids sail free" promotion.

[jff50]

I agree that the auto-tip needs to be left on. While not all kids are messy or require additional work, many are and as with so many things, the few make it necessary to apply across the board, regardless of age.

 

A few years ago, I was on a cruise and in Anytime dining where all three tables in the waitstaff's area had reservations for the week; there was a large table next to us with two families: four adults and six kids, some of them quite young and the oldest was probably 12. One night, the parents didn't show up, just the kids. The Maitre D' asked them to move to a table for six, which they refused to do, saying it was their table. The M.D. finally got them to move and it took three waitstaff 10 minutes to clean the table and the mess these kids had made on the floor and the entire surrounding area.

 

Last summer, while on the Crown, we had late Traditional dining and there was a very large group of friends traveling together -- probably about 50 people total. The kids were put at a large table by themselves with the parents nearby but also right next to us. They screamed, yelled, ran around, threw food at each other, made a chorus of rubbing their fingers around the top of their water glasses, etc. and the parents did nothing. A couple of evenings, the kids waltzed in at 9:00PM, long after the parents were seated, and disrupted the entire section of the dining room by coming so late. We wound up sitting with dirty entree dishes for over 20 minutes while the kids were taken care of and their orders taken. I couldn't believe that the parents wouldn't control them better but they didn't.

Not sure that these examples are the best basis for making policy decisions. This type of behavior is unacceptable regardless of who it is or whether or not they are included in the autotip. I've encountered obnoxious people in any/all demographic categories--it just seems to be that bad behavior by kids tends to be generalized, while bad behavior by others is less likely to be attributed to their entire demographic. Unfortunately, you can't pre-select those families where the parents have done a poor/non-existent job of parenting, and ban them from cruising. Similarly, you can't ban adults that tend to become obnoxious drunks (or adults that are naturally obnoxious when sober) or other undesirables.

 

The autotip really is part of how the cost of the cruise is allocated among passengers--along with the basic cruise fare, the cost of drinks, etc. On the whole, Princess overcharges 3rd/4th passengers for the space and resources they use. Since these 3rd/4th passengers tend to be kids, they are being overcharged on the whole.

[jff50]

And what age would you suggest? I'm considered "elderly" by young people and am definitely a senior citizen. A couple of years ago while on a HAL cruise, we had a 96 year old woman, Gertrude, who was recovering from a stroke but by gad, she flew by herself to Amsterdam, boarded the ship, took tours in every port, went to shows, etc. She didn't require ANY more help than, say, someone in their 30s or 40s. When we were in Edinburgh, she took the tour into the city and then went shopping for casmere sweaters, finding several she liked. When she went to pay, she discovered that she'd brought only her cruise card. The proprietor said, "That's all right, dear. Take them with you and send me a check when you get home." That was Gertrude. :) She was a hoot and I'd be privileged to cruise with her again.

 

IMHO, it's not age but mentality. I know there are people in their 50s and 60s in nursing homes waiting for who knows what? A few months ago, Kaiser Permanente ran a TV ad showing "elderly" women dancing, cheerleading, swimming, hiking, etc. and the music played, "When I grow up, I want to be an old woman!"

Actually, I was being facetious in my comment. It was in response to so many of the comments about a higher tip for children because they demand more service. Personally I'd prefer a system that fairly allocated the cost of the cruise (fare and tips) based on the resources used. Since space is the most valuable/costly thing on the ship, I'd like to see more of a break for 3rd/4th passengers (similar to other cruise lines). I suspect that a large portion this break will go towards kids.

[ggprincess2004]

Definitely leave the auto tips on for kids, for all passengers. Princess has a method of doing this that is geared to the US passenger component, and while it may confound those of other nationalities, it is appropriate, based on the overall compensation system in place (whether right or wrong on the part of Princess) to keep the auto tips in place out of fairness to the crew.

[Pam in CA]

I'd like to see more of a break for 3rd/4th passengers (similar to other cruise lines). I suspect that a large portion this break will go towards kids.

Heck, I'd like to see a break for single cruisers! If I get a balcony, I usually pay 200% so IMHO, singles should be whining more than those paying a 3rd/4th rate since there isn't even a 2nd person in the cabin.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

It's this kind of stuff that really makes the case for the "auto-tips" being called a service fee, and it should be mandatory. Really, they should just be done away with altogether and the price of the cruise adjusted accordingly. But you get people from other cultures who treat gratuities differently than the American system in place on the ships, and end up screwing (intended or not) the staff out of their hard-earned money.

 

I'm taking my kids on their first cruise this year and fully plan on leaving the tips in place, and will probably give out extra, especially to the kids program people. I mean, the kids will have beds to be made, and those 3rd and 4th bunks are more work than the beds since they have to make the one bed into a couch again and the other gets retracted into the ceiling again. And the kids will definitely eat their share of food and make their mess of dishes.

 

If I travel to another country I should be expected to abide by their culture, so if somebody from another culture decides to come here they should abide by the customs here.

 

I believe in the UK instead of a tip they add a service charge to a bill in a restaurant. If I went to the UK and ate dinner at a restaurant should I refuse to pay the service charge because we don't do it that way in the U.S.?

 

Bill