Do our tips go to the staff?

[isdoo]

When we book from the UK RCI add tips on automatically to the invoice - I just wondered where this goes to?

 

I guess the reason they do that is because most British people do not believe in tipping, every five minutes - and just will not do it.

 

(although I am sure every British person on these forums always tips :p )

[bUU]

I've seen no reason to believe that the automatic gratuities go anywhere but towards the staff.

[MrsPete]

I dunno. Half the boards proclaim that the tips are pooled amongst all the staff, the other half is 100% certain that each person keeps what he is given. Some people say that RC keeps the gratuities that are charged. I don't know what the truth is. Because I don't know, I will continue to tip personally and in cash. That's gives me more control and more certainty that my money went where I wanted it to go.

[bUU]

Either of those two alternatives still end up with the gratuities in the hands of the staff, which I believe was the OP's concern.

 

Most gratuity-pooling systems on-land require all servers to turn in all cash tips, with draconian penalties for violating the rule. Keep in mind, though, that such systems are specifically structured for the servers' mutual benefit. All tasks need to be done, and yet some tasks are tipped more than others. Gratuity-pooling helps ensure a level of fairness across-the-board.

[KatEnz]

Just got off Serenade of the Seas 11/27 departure and we had an amazing time. We spoke to our waiter on how the tips worked. He explained to us that if we paid the tips automatically and not hand in the vouchers that are given to us at the end of the trip to the staff (waiter, assistant waiter, state-room attendant..etc) then they do not get the tip, even if guest did pay automatically.

 

So if you paid automatically and did not hand in the tip voucher to the staff in its envelope they can't redeem the tip.

 

As far as the tips automatically charged from drinks and etc...we did not ask how that worked.

[bUU]

That's interesting. It sure makes sense that the automatic tips where vouchers aren't handed out to staff go to the pool that goes towards all staff. I wonder if you could actually give vouchers to your servers at the Windjammer, assuming you elect to eat at the Windjammer every night. Folks have wondered about tipping at the Windjammer for dinner.

[melissa76]

That can't be right, can it???

 

I was on the navigator in June and we never got vouchers or questionnaires or anything (our cabin steward didn't do much of anything even though we were in an Owner's Suite).

 

We paid all our gratuities automatically. So are you saying that Royal Caribbean kept all that money because we didn't hand out vouchers??

 

It would seem to me that our steward would have DEFINITELY left us vouchers if it was the only way for him to get his money!!

 

What do you guys think?

melissa :)

[bUU]

Or he decided to do-away with the middleman and just take the vouchers without passing them through your hands.

 

I don't buy claims that the cruise line keeps any of that money. There are so many servers working at the Windjammer, Seaview Cafe, etc., that there are more than enough servers who need to be compensated from the pool.

[hstrybuf]

Melissa, your steward must have goofed! We were on the Navigator last month and our steward definitely left the vouchers in our cabin. :confused:

[mojo4trav]

I was also told that the vouchers must be handed in, without them they get nothing. If you prepay gratuities too late, you will not get the vouchers from the steward. Also, was told by a bar captain on Navigator this past October NOT to add additional gratuity to the receipt if we want to make sure the bartender gets the tip, as tips received via seapass charge are pooled. This is the reason an extra $20 or so will get you EXTRA SPECIAL treatment from a bartender. ;)