Tips and Gratuities-Cruise lines -Royal Carribbean

teralin

You can still visit guest services onboard the ship and reduce or remove the gratuities if you wish. They rely on the embarrassment factor stopping some passengers doing this.

vivatifosi

Deleted_User wrote: »

Precisely.
I've been on one cruise and what struck me was how everyone expected a daily tip simply for doing their job.
I don't tip a hotel maid for cleaning my room so why should I tip a person on board for doing exactly the same thing.

Cruise lines set up for mainly British passengers often include the tips, cruise lines set up for mainly American passengers don't. So the $12 per day is actually factored into the wages.

If you were in America, you would be expected to tip your maid for cleaning your hotel room, it's just one of the differences in how wages are structured there.

Similarly, if you look at wages in America, the rules are set by State, but the minimum wage for someone who works in a service industry that expects tips (say wait staff in a restaurant) will have a far lower minimum wage tariff set for that job. It isn't just one minimum wage as happens here. It's just how the system operates in the States and as Americans are the largest cruise contingent they aren't going to change it to suit us any time soon.

I booked a cruise a few years back with NCL that was an all inclusive price out of the UK, in line with the preferred method of pricing here, but Brits on board were complaining that others had bought the same cruise in America for less. What they then have to realise is that the Americans then have to factor in the tips, the port charges, etc.

[Deleted User]

vivatifosi wrote: »

If you were in America, you would be expected to tip your maid for cleaning your hotel room, it's just one of the differences in how wages are structured there.

I have travelled extensively in America for many years on business and pleasure and never once left a tip for a hotel maid - and none of my American friends do either.

The whole concept of paying low wages to people from poor countries and expecting passengers to make up the difference is one of a number of things I dislike about crusing. It simply encourages better-off people to expect servility from those workers who come from mainly poor countries and it's all the more galling as their employers make vast profits.

Likewise this concept that when you're on board you can pay extra to gain access to a select area or restaurant.Considering what you've paid to be on board in the first place it's laughable and confirmation that a fool and their money are easily parted.

I'd much rather pay a set price and tip people who genuinely offer service above and beyond the call of duty.

zagfles

vivatifosi wrote: »

Cruise lines set up for mainly British passengers often include the tips, cruise lines set up for mainly American passengers don't. So the $12 per day is actually factored into the wages.

If you were in America, you would be expected to tip your maid for cleaning your hotel room, it's just one of the differences in how wages are structured there.

Yes, but it's not added to your bill automatically! It's completely up to the guest if and how much and how they tip. The idea of adding it to the bill and having to ask for it back if you don't want to tip is ludicrous :rotfl:

getmore4less

cruisercritic wrote: »

Hello Fellow Cruisers. ..as some of you may know, from the 6th March 2013 Royal Carribbean will add tips/gratuties to your seapass account.This will not be optional. ..does anyone have any thoughts or comments to make on this.

SCARE MONGERING

That's not what is being reported.

or what is reported on the RCI web site


http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions/onboard/onboard-gratuities/


Onboard Gratuities

How can I pay tips? For the convenience of guests, pre-paid tips may be arranged online or added to your booking by your travel agent or Personal Cruise Specialist, before your sailing date. If you have opted not to pre-pay your Service Charge before your cruise, then for all sailings that commence after 1st March 2013, for your convenience we will automatically add a $12.00 per guest per day* service charge to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis. * For Grand Suites and above the daily charge will be $14.25c. Alternatively, you may pay in cash at the end of your cruise directly to the crew members you wish to recognise for their service (If you require an envelope for the crew member concerned, please see the Guest Relations Desk).
Please note, we no longer provide the pre-paid gratuity vouchers at the end of the cruise.

Please note gratuities are discretionary so in the unlikely event that a guest on board being charged the daily automatic gratuity does not receive satisfactory service, our guests may request to modify (increase, decrease or remove) the daily amount by visiting Guest Services during their cruise.

George_Michael

That's not what is being reported.

But surely that is exactly what is stated in the link you provided.

How can I pay tips?
For the convenience of guests, pre-paid tips may be arranged online or added to your booking by your travel agent or Personal Cruise Specialist, before your sailing date. If you have opted not to pre-pay your Service Charge before your cruise, then for all sailings that commence after 1st March 2013, for your convenience we will automatically add a $12.00 per guest per day* service charge to each guest's SeaPass account on a daily basis.

So you can choose to prepay before you go but if you opt not to do this then $12 will automatically be charged to your account.

You can request the money back if you wish, but the automatic charge of $12 per day is not optional.

getmore4less

The point is that those trying to scare people and cause trouble miss out the fact you can have them adjusted any day and revert to the cash option. A deliberate attempt to mislead

You can modify/cancell any time during the cruise ans opt back to the cash option, If you do this on boarding they will never hit the account in the first place.

davelewis

Just sailed with Cunard (Queen Mary 2) to Dubai. They automatically add $11 per person per day tips to your on board account.

We simply accepted this and didn't question it. However lots of other passengers we met on board said to cancel the automatic tips. We did cancel them and at the end of our cruise we tipped several members of staff personally.


I agree with previous posts that cruise companies should pay a fair wage and not rely on passenger tips. I must say that several members of staff we spoke to said they would chose to work for Cunard over other companies so their pay/conditions can't be too bad!

Goldiegirl

Tipping is part of cruising tradition and culture - it's the way things are done.

I'm more than happy to accept 'auto-tipping". It means there's one thing less for me to think about.

Everything happens automatically, haven't got to worry about making sure I've got enough cash available to go into the envelopes.

getmore4less

look guys the OP was a blatent troll trying to stir with misleading information.

Joined using a industry "known" and protected name.

not been back since even to check followup