Gratuities on a Cruise

rodeline

Does anyone know if a cruise can force you to pay "gratuities"?

The way I understand them is that they are tips but for example, easycruise will charge you 8 euro per day for gratuities. I believe this is common practice in all companies, but is it legal or avoidable?

It's not that I'm cheap, but I don't think it is fair that they disguise an extra charge to supplement low wages as a tip. If I get good service I tip, if I don't, then why should I be forced to do it at the rate they want?

Cheers!

marshallka

Sometimes I think you pay for "gratuities" in with the bills each day. There is some good info here of what to expect

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/1176589/Cruise-advice-take-a-tip-on-gratuities.html

stoneman

rodeline wrote: »

Does anyone know if a cruise can force you to pay "gratuities"?

The way I understand them is that they are tips but for example, easycruise will charge you 8 euro per day for gratuities. I believe this is common practice in all companies, but is it legal or avoidable?

It's not that I'm cheap, but I don't think it is fair that they disguise an extra charge to supplement low wages as a tip. If I get good service I tip, if I don't, then why should I be forced to do it at the rate they want?

Cheers!

I am with you on this, but my guess is that if they put it in the T&C's and they have your CC details, they have the right to take it. As I say it is a guess, so i would contact Easycruise.

rodeline

Thanks Marshallka, but it looks like the author of the article only researched what companies do, but doesn't give a definitive answer. Easycruise say in their Ts & Cs they'll charge you. What I wonder is if you are entitled to refuse.

abc123456

Most cruise lines charge a gratuity built into the price of drinks and several other services onboard where a product is brought or delivered to the customer. They also advise a daily amount of gratuity per customer, eg Princess Cruises advise $10.50 per day per customer in a balcony cabin, eg on a 10 night cruise for two people (kids included), the gratuity would be $210.
This gratuity is divided between your cabin steward, waiter and assistant, and a few other "behind the scenes" workers who all contribute to serving you on your cruise.
Some cruise lines add the total amount of gratuity to your onboard account, others like Princess add it on a daily basis. Royal Caribbean gratuity can be pre-paid on booking.
These gratuities can be removed if requested, usually if you feel the service is not good for some reason (rarely though).
Remember that cruise employees depend on these gratuities to supplement their wages, and that if the service they provide is bad, the customer will not tip, and therefore that employee will likely be fired, as the tip is shared.
Tough as it is on the employees, that is the industry standard. It is also the custom of cruising to tip in this manner. If service is briliant, you can always tip more personally, but still retain the auto-tip.
As I said it is a custom of cruising, and that is the way it is. I suggest that if you are tight enough to not pay the tips for the sake of it, you will be embarrassed onboard. To avoid this, I suggest you holiday by other means.

Christa1

We did a Carnival Cruise in the Caribbean and the gratuity was covered in the total costbof our cruise. When we checked in for the cruise we were given a booket of 'tips' with a monetary value and each one was marked with who it should be left for, room steward. waiter, head waiter etc, I thought this was ar eally good idea and my husband actually gave money too to those who had been exceptionally attentive, but that was his choice. It is true that wages are low and tips are used to make up their salaries but this is no different to the US where you really are expected to leave a minimum tip of 15% up to 20%. We were pulled in NY last year for not giving the taxi driver enough tip!!

rodeline

abc123456 wrote: »

Most cruise lines charge a gratuity built into the price of drinks and several other services onboard where a product is brought or delivered to the customer. They also advise a daily amount of gratuity per customer, eg Princess Cruises advise $10.50 per day per customer in a balcony cabin, eg on a 10 night cruise for two people (kids included), the gratuity would be $210.
This gratuity is divided between your cabin steward, waiter and assistant, and a few other "behind the scenes" workers who all contribute to serving you on your cruise.
Some cruise lines add the total amount of gratuity to your onboard account, others like Princess add it on a daily basis. Royal Caribbean gratuity can be pre-paid on booking.
These gratuities can be removed if requested, usually if you feel the service is not good for some reason (rarely though).
Remember that cruise employees depend on these gratuities to supplement their wages, and that if the service they provide is bad, the customer will not tip, and therefore that employee will likely be fired, as the tip is shared.
Tough as it is on the employees, that is the industry standard. It is also the custom of cruising to tip in this manner. If service is briliant, you can always tip more personally, but still retain the auto-tip.
As I said it is a custom of cruising, and that is the way it is. I suggest that if you are tight enough to not pay the tips for the sake of it, you will be embarrassed onboard. To avoid this, I suggest you holiday by other means.

Thanks you for your suggestion ABC, but fortunately I'm confident enough to stand for what I believe and I can't see how they'll embarrass me. My point is why should I accept to subsidice sweat-shop wages with a well disguissed 25% increse on my fares. It's just like restaurants that add a "discretionary service charge". If it is discretionary it is up to me. If their costs mean they have to charge more to make money, then I'm happy to pay for it. What I can't stand is being given the responsibility for the HR management and salary structure and make me feel guilty about it. When I receive good service I tip and that's it. So I guess I'll just do what I do when I go to a restaurant and request for the charge to be withdrawn.

Christa1. When I lived in New York I never tipped cabbies. they've got a meter and therefore you pay exactly for what you get. I can't see what would make the case for a 20% tip.

getmore4less

chose a cruise line that includes these "tips/wages" in the fares

Thomson.
Ocean village

Some of the up market lines.

If you don't like the cheap fares because of the low pay don't cruise.
Consider the recomended tips as part of your cruise fare and budget accordingly

On most ships that use the auto gratuities route expect the cash tips paid by those that remove the auto payment to be handed into the pool.

If $10-$12 is 25% of yor cruise fares you are at the cheapst ofthe cheap end of the market or finding some stonking deals

Very good rates are more like $75pppd which makes the extra $10 13%

PolishBigSpender

Is Easycruise still the chav-liner that it was when it first started?

wannaberichbtch

I booked an Easycruise in Feb for 1 week from Bodrum, They changed all itineraries in March to 3 or 4 days from Kusadasi, I booked through Hotels4u who I contacted in March as I saw the posts about changes on Cruisecritic. Hotels4u didnt even know about it & I am still trying to get a refund (Which I was offered as an option). On going through the cruise critic forum there are lots of postings from customers about Easycruise cancelling or amending cruises so I wouldnt want to chance booking with them again.