I have followed this post with interest but I really don't know what the 'right' solution is. I personally would rather the cruise increased in price by £10 a day than have that ammount added to my bill as tips. I would like to think that the crew would be doing their best for me because it is their job and not because I'll give them extra. I know their pay is not great, but not all of us are made of money. People say that we know what to expect but when we booked our first cruise it was from an advert, not the brochure and no one mentioned tips until we were on board, so it was a bit of a shock and made a dent in what we had budgeted for. Why can't we be given a price and that's it? How do you judge what is 'normal' service and what is 'extra special' service? I don't drink a lot, and I'm not a 'demanding' person so I just get my bed made and my evening dinner served, with the occassional drink inbetween. I don't have the staff running around after me and we mostly use the buffet. Should I tip more or less than those who treat the staff like their personal slaves for two weeks?
I work in my local library. I know most of my regulars by name and I always serve all of them to the best of my ability. I suppose it helps that I love my job. I don't get a tip for getting a book for someone and I wouldn't expect to. I have sometimes received a box of chocolates of biscuits at Christmas and I've been genuinely surprised and grateful, but I don't see that as my 'right'. I don't think that adding tips to your bill encourages staff as they know they'll get it no matter what. By all means give guidelines but it shouldn't be compulsory,and we shouldn't be 'reminded' about it every day for the last week of a cruise. When we sailed on Island Star last year the tip word wasn't mentioned and I don't expect the crew are any better paid.

I have removed several posts from this topic, including some that were offensive which I have dealt with.

Please keep on topic and refrain from making personal attacks/comments on other members as any further instances will result in a ban.

luci

It's not just the cruise companies though is it. Bar staff and waiters are paid low wages in most tourist destinations, including this country. The most my daughter ever got as a barmaid was a drink

The difference between tipping on a cruise or a land based holiday is that tipping is almost compulsory on a cruise with amounts "suggested" by the cruise companies. In a hotel in Europe no-one suggests an amount that you should tip or even puts pressure on you to do so.

luci

Legless,

The Moderator has told me off. On reflection and reading my threads again, I have to agree with the Moderator.
I do apologies for the choice of words I used and I am sorry if I upset you.
Although I still do not agree with your ideas on tipping. I still think you're really over the top. But we all live in a democracy so you choose to be extravagant and I choose not be so extravagant. Hey such is life.

Regards,

Colin B.

I accept your apology.
You must remember I did not want to become disabled but when it happened to me I decided to just get on with life and enjoy it as best I can.
Also what is a lot of money to some people is not to others and when you are in a wheelchair you do need more help from the staff on a cruise. When we go in the buffet they always carry my tray and get what ever food I want and it gives my wife a total rest.
Sometimes when staffs are not as good then I do not tip as much and sometimes not at all. I think I have cruised around 40 times and you have to take the good with the bad. I remember one cruise when my wife got pushed out of the way in the restaurant and he had, A could not care less, attitude. That said we have some wonderful cruises and not many poor ones

Something dawned on me today whilst enquiring about a cruise later this year. Many of the lines have a "standard" charge of $10-$11 pppd which is added to your on-board spend. At current dollar rates that equates to about £8 sterling pppd. If you pre-pay tips when booking, then the costing structure has been based at better dollar rates and is generally about £6 sterling pppd, which can mount up to a decent "saving" for longer cruises.

We are due to take our third cruise later this year, this time on the Caribbean Princess and notice a set amount is suggested and can be paid for in advance.

The first cruise we took was a last minute booking with Island Cruises for a week to see if we like cruising (we did) and the guidelines were tips were not expected unless you felt a member of staff deserved rewarding. On our Royal Caribbean Cruise on the last day the staff almost seemed to be fawning over my husband obviously expecting him to be handing out the envelopes. We received equal service on both lines but did not like the way the staff behaved expectating a tip for service which was no better than we had received on our first cruise.

Hi
Don't take any notice of the staff. Remember if you have not paid the tips in advance(which I never do)They we put the tips on your account. If you want to remove them from your account (which I always do) Go to the reception at the beginning of the cruise and remove them. You MUST sign a form at this stage to remove them. Then on the last night you can tip who you like if you want to. On RCC I have seen people remove them but NOT sign a form and given out tips on the last night only to fine on their account on the last morning RCC have put the tips on their account and there nothing can do. So you have given them twice. Not happy people
Peter

The difference between Island and Princess is that Island expressly state that tips are included in the price, whilst Princess state that they are not! Of course tipping is a personal thing, but do remember that if you choose not to tip then the staff suffer!

We are just returned from a Costa Transatlantic cruise, and one of the things that got many peoples juices going was the fact that for European bookings the on-board service charge (5 euros pppd) is applied on board and cannot be removed. However for USA bookings you can amend/remove the service charge. This is discriminatorybut given that Costa are an unashamedly Italian cruiseline, it would not have surprised me if it had been the other way round!

The difference between Island and Princess is that Island expressly state that tips are included in the price, whilst Princess state that they are not! Of course tipping is a personal thing, but do remember that if you choose not to tip then the staff suffer!

I am not sure why staff should suffer ! You take a job for the going rate whatever that may be. I know somebody who works in a care centre for minimum wage and has never received a tip in his life but does a very worthwhile job and accepts the salary as it is. I can never understand a society that selects certain careers that should be deemed worthy of expecting a voluntary top-up. Under close scrutiny there are no valid reasons to tip and I never heard a good argument in favour of it ( listen to Mr Pink at the beginning of Reservoir Dogs - he got it spot on !! ). I am going on a cruise later this year and will certainly remove them from the bill and will not be tipping individually, I will also be expecting good service. I am not a mean person but I am a fair one, if a job is worthy of higher pay then employers should increase it, if not leave it as it is but do not expect customers to decide and fund it themselves. Its all black and white to me.

beegee wrote:

The difference between Island and Princess is that Island expressly state that tips are included in the price, whilst Princess state that they are not! Of course tipping is a personal thing, but do remember that if you choose not to tip then the staff suffer!

I am not a mean person but I am a fair one, if a job is worthy of higher pay then employers should increase it, if not leave it as it is but do not expect customers to decide and fund it themselves. Its all black and white to me.

If you think about it, if everyone was as "fair" as you then the cruiselines who recommend tipping would have to increase the cruise price to provide higher pay. At the end of the day the customer has to pay for the service provided, and tipping is a universally recognised part of the cruise cost for most cruiselines.

or decide not to go cruising..it not the customers job to pay cruise staff wages..thats up to the cruise line..

If you think about it, if everyone was as "fair" as you then the cruiselines who recommend tipping would have to increase the cruise price to provide higher pay. At the end of the day the customer has to pay for the service provided, and tipping is a universally recognised part of the cruise cost for most cruiselines

Then so be it !!

A fixed cost for a fixed product - the world revolves around this principle. There is no getting away from the fact that the principle of tipping has no justification.

Perhaps you are not aware of what the crew are paid. Those who have direct contact with the clients ie the Cabin Steward the Waiter and his assistant in the restaurant are paid $50 per month.
Those who work elsewhere are paid a low wage but even that is not great. Remember too that these Staff work 7 days a week. They work long hours under pressure to provide you with the standard of service you have received on previous cruises.

This is always an emotive subject on HT boards not so elsewhere. Perhaps it is a British thing almost certainly I think. To remove tips at the end of the cruise is to me unfair and unjust. That is unless you have received appalling service in which case you should discuss this with the Hotel Director whilst on board.

Would you never tip anyone anywhere eg Taxi driver Hairdresser Restaurant etc etc! Have you never said keep the change if you are buying a drink in a bar perhaps?

I don't want this to become yet another bashing of everyone who has a different opinion. Rather I suggest you examine your conscience and see where this leads you. I have NEVER had poor service and have never felt pressured by any crew on board to give tips.

This is my only post on yet another board about the avoidance of paying tips. I would be ashamed to find myself compared to those of us from the UK who adopt this attitude. I know I will be shot down on this issue but it is something which I feel strongly about.

Sue

hi ya...keela1eva...i note your comments valid as well they may be in your eyes...quote only paid $50 per month is that really my concern .
i think i pay rather a lot for my cruise ..and i expect good service for that why should i pay more ..
if the cruise ships expect me to pay their staff wages they have a damn cheek..

Well said johndoe !!

Sue, tipping is a personal thing and I have no problems with anybody who wants to tip but nothing in your post supported the concept of tipping. Just remember there are workers in different fields who will work harder, be more deserving, receive low pay but will never receive a tip in their life. I am also at a loss to understand why it is unjust and unfair to remove tips from your cruise bill, it seems very fair to me. And no I've never said keep the change when buying a drink in a bar, come to think of it I don't think I've heard anybody else say that either !! ( this only happens in Coronation Street I'm sure !! ).

keela1eva2 wrote:

I would be ashamed to find myself compared to those of us from the UK who adopt this attitude.
Sue

And me, but sadly the attitude appears to be rife amongst some!

Me too.
It's a dirty trick to pull on hard workers.
You would have to look a long way to find workers that are more customer oriented and devoted to providing you with a good vacation.
The gratuity system is there to ensure good customer service.
It does that but there are always people who will enjoy that, then not pay the accepted amount.
These folks will all be complaining when the cruise lines adjust the prices upward to UK cruisers.
Whyt do some book a cruise where this system is used and then be so cheap as to opt out of it.
I am scratching my head to think of any other workers that get $50 per month.