I totally agree!! Yes it would add a bit on to the cruise but preferable to the Jade situation. I would feel mortified that because of where I come from I should be tarred with the same brush!! I know that there will be people out there who will disagree but that is my view on the subject.

Sue

Lots of insider stories from staff at the moment about how difficult it is to staff the Independence due to the British pax who are not willing to pay gratuities- even though they are aware when they book that is how the system is ... many resignations , and requests to transfer to other RCCL ships out of the UK market.

I agree too. OK so the initial price goes up - so what? Where else are you expected to pay the staff their wages directly? With a mandate to opt out too? It's insane. Then you can give a bit extra if you've had good service. Just what a tip is meant to be.

Hi it's simple. Don't pay for your tips when you book. When you get on board your tips will have been added to your aboard account so go to the reception and sign a form to remove them. If you do not sign they will stay on your account. Then tip who ever you want at the end of the cruise but only if you think you have had good service. We went on that ship last year and it was very good and a must is the ice ring. Have a great time.
Legless

I think people are talking about NCL and the freestyle concept where it is hard to tip as a lot of staff throughout the cruise will have served you. If people don't want to pay tips then they should perhaps book with a Company where tips are included.
You can bet your boots that the price with these companies will have the tips hidden in their pricing. nI really don't understand WHY tips are such a big issue. For me if I go to a Restaurant to the hairdressers take a taxi etc etc when I tip that person so why not the staff on a cruise ship. Do they not deserve reward any more than the other categories I have mentioned.
Yes the Americans go over the top with tipping but the suggested amounts are that a fortune.

Sue

I also seen the queues on Jade to remove the service charges , but they started at midnight on the Wed ,we were down collecting our disembarkation luggage labels and there was a little altercation going on at reception desk with guests who had just been ordered out of the Spinnaker because the staff had taken it over for a private party, so we stayed to watch the goings on and that was when we discovered that other people had already started to remove service charges now they were also queuing again at 8.30am next morning and there was a continuous queue until about 4.30pm I would say 80% of quests on Jade removed or reduced there service charges
A couple we meet also from NI had paid £3.500 for their cruise an outside cabin
with all services prepaid as they always do and are happy to do so but
they went to see if they could get a refund they were very disappointed with the food and the service and felt that they had paid enough without having to pay for speciality restaurants to get the quality of food that is the norm on other cruise lines

I think the company have to do something about this. Not sure what but it will be like this every time and the poor staff who work so hard will get no remuneration for the service they give.
I would be embarrased to death just observing it all. It must also be soul destroying for the Guest Relations also as all the bills need to be changed.
The staff involved work all night to get the final bills out and up to date. I also find it so hard when people know right at the outset that tipping is expected.

Sue

We have opted for Freedom Dining on the Oceana in September. I think the gratuties are £6.75pppd. I am intending keeping £3.75pppd on the account for the dining staff, but giving the £3pppd direct to our cabin steward. Does that seem fair?

I really want to avoid tipping twice by leaving it on the account and feeling obliged to tip again at the end of the cruise.

luci

Part of the solution is for ALL uk booking to include the tips as part of the price and don't show them on the on-board account, if you book direct on-line with NCL UK they are included tips now.

I guess those that are pre-payers get a credit on their bill but still see the $10pppd on the account which does not help I would stop this

This will still leave the mean brits that book through US and still won't pay up though.

Problem is that brits have this reputaion throughout the industry and the other lines are not imune, Princess,RCI,Celebrity etc all suffer from brits under tipping as a group.

I do hope the recent Jade passengers have not messed it up too much, our North Cape trip next week is coming together nicely, the planning is falling into place we have our restaurant bookings for some nights in place a good Meet and greet organised and some of the shore days planned.

Still need to find out about a Midnight Sun party but we will organise one if the ship does not(we will get te ship to help though.

Sad that some of those we travel with have had to cancel late due to various health issues but the rest of us should have a good time.

emdia43 wrote:

Lots of insider stories from staff at the moment about how difficult it is to staff the Independence due to the British pax who are not willing to pay gratuities- even though they are aware when they book that is how the system is ... many resignations , and requests to transfer to other RCCL ships out of the UK market. :(

Did RCI not learn from the Navigator which had the same problem. what do the insiders say?

It has been reported elsewhere that 800 passengers withdrew their tips on the 30 May cruise we were on with NCL Jade. We paid our tips in full through our on-board account, and cannot understand why people can be so mean! Some argue that they are unaware of the tipping system etc., but 800 people unaware....as we Scot's often say "Aye Right!".

We had a couple of uncomfortable discussions with people who had heard about the long queue to remove tips, and pleaded with them not to join the throng of people...sadly they did just that, and returned with huge grins. Pity the poor staff, who certainly would not be grinning.

Might be interesting Windjammer if you can privately get alongside Julian, the Hotel Director, to establish the true facts as to what happened and why. He is English, and a really nice guy, and is probably highly embarassed at the actions of a significant number of his own counytrymen and women!

800 people unbelievable!! I can't for the life of me understand human nature. They go on a Ship with a policy regarding tips etc. They then wait until the end of the cruise and go along ane remove them. What is the capacity of Jade? I would think around the 2000 mark but she could be bigger than that?.

This is going to continue for the remainder of the season. I read somewhere that Jade is going to remain over the winter also.
Will the staff at whose table ate and whose rooms were cleaned by those who paid get this money or will it have to be divided are shared by all.

Reading this makes me ashamed of my own Countrymen and Women!! I do hope that NCL can do something about this.

Sue

If Hamrag thinks it is only fair to give the right amount of tips even if you don't get the service than just think what Accountants charge per hour and you will see why he is not bothered

Pity you decided to personalise this Legless...I can take it though! Hard to believe that 800 out of 2400 people "did not get service" to the extent that the whole of the tip was removed....in most people's opinion it was more about reducing the overall bill, significantly reducing the rate per hour of the crew members.

You are absolutely right Graham. I also think it wrong to start to personalise the matter. Whilst there may have been some problems I have never in all the years I have been cruising known this to happen. I have been reading the comments on Cruise Critic and the problems are mainly to do with the wait for tables etc dining room service. One person said his cruise was a disaster as he was below the pool deck. This is a reason to look at the ships plan and then choose your room accordingly. On Ships of this size then open seating is going to be a problem is everyone wants to dine around the same time.
On Princess we used to book a table with a particular waitress we got to know on a previous cruise. No problem with this. I do feel sorry for the Guest Relations staff who also have to deal with this and especially right on the last day when accounts then have to be revised.
You can say what you like but I still think it is disgraceful and I would be deeply ashamed to have been on that ship.

Sue

Sue

I have just paid £68 for 2 hours labour with a plumber!! Are we going to say I should not pay him either!! Total cost of the work £84 including VAT People can't work for nothing!!

Sue

then let the cruise companies pay their staff correctly out of the vast profits they make .....its not the passengers duty to make up their wages.......

hamrag wrote:

It has been reported elsewhere that 800 passengers withdrew their tips on the 30 May cruise we were on with NCL Jade. .......
Might be interesting Windjammer if you can privately get alongside Julian, the Hotel Director, to establish the true facts as to what happened and why. He is English, and a really nice guy, and is probably highly embarassed at the actions of a significant number of his own counytrymen and women!

800 is a lot, what was the %of brits on board? Our trip is 50% so if a similar No. remove tips it will be over 60% of brits and that is a serious problem.

I am sure this will come up but is a very difficult subject and sensitive information.

Most of our group have now move into suites for this trip, so we are less likely to encounter some of the issues, I will definately be on the lookout for service issue that I can bring to the attention of management and hopefully they will be resolved quickly.

I wonder if one of the problems is the british reserve and people prefering to let issues fester till they get angry rather than highlighting them early and getting something done.

Could be but as you say if there is an apparent problem then I am confident if someone puts themselves out there they will try to address the problem.
I know this because it happened and the issue was sorted out before the end of the cruise. A decision made in Miami and not on the ship itself.
It let me see yes they can do something but you just have to have the will to do it.

Good luck Windjammer.

Sue

I believe, but have no proof, people withheld their service charges because others did. I heard several people asking why there was such a long queue, when they found out, they joined the queue. The attitude being "if they aren't paying why should I ?" I cannot believe passengers thought the service was so bad to justify not paying, it just seemed too easy to recoup $280 so they went for it.

As to the % of Brits, it must have been 80% plus IMO.

Bob