Are you being TIPPED over the edge ??
Well if ever there was a hot topic between cruisers new and old then it is the issue of tipping. Something that is part of everyday life for the Americans, but we British, find slightly harder to grasp. After all, tipping is something that should be offered when we have had exceptional service that is a chance for us to show our gratitude for it. Should it be something that is compulsory and forced upon us at time of booking?????
A lot of passengers always say to me please don’t include the grats as I like to tip the people myself , after all it is our hard earned cash surely it should be down to us who receives it. But then this brings up new problems as to who to tip, where and when. So where do our tips go? Well generally speaking they are usually distributed to the men and women on the cruise lines who serve there passengers but are paid a very low wage. It is usually these tips that make up the salary and are heavily relied on by the crew. If you are cruising with a luxury line you usually find that the tips are just built into the fare and are not separated making it impossible to see what it is being applied to. Maybe this should be the case with all cruiselines and this way we wouldn’t have to debate the topic at all. I think the main niggle with most people is that they find the tips to be too high and feel they only want to pay the person they deal with. I believe you are either a tipper or not regardless of the service you receive. I have to say when I go on a land based holiday and eat out at different restaurants and cafes I always leave a tip just because that’s what I have always done on holiday and its just part of the norm, if I think about this and then compare the tips on ships I think that it is more then reasonable for the amount they ask as you have so many people looking after you and eating and drinking throughout the day that its probably cheaper then the land based tips. I do agree with those of you who have received bad service not wanting to tip, because then what are you tipping for – just for the sake of it. This is another issue that is raised by clients, why should I prepay for tips when I haven’t even received the service yet, this is the beauty of the likes of celebrity, and royal Caribbean etc as you can just pay for them at the end of the cruise. To give you an idea most cruises will charge between $10 -$12pp per day for your tips and then also most of the American lines will add on a 15% service charge onto your drinks bill. The tips are definitely something to investigate before you book your cruise as it allows you to budget accordingly. Also another problem with the tips is that more and more cruises are now changing the way that customers dine by offering more dining options and the open dining, where you can be served by numerous people throughout your holiday. I think in this case a service charge to be added onto the booking at the beginning and then spread between all the staff would be a lot easier. My overall thought on this is that I do believe that the tipping is all part of a cruise holiday and providing you have had the service that you expected then why not. How do you all feel about this and how do you like to pay your tips – if at all????
A lot of passengers always say to me please don’t include the grats as I like to tip the people myself , after all it is our hard earned cash surely it should be down to us who receives it. But then this brings up new problems as to who to tip, where and when. So where do our tips go? Well generally speaking they are usually distributed to the men and women on the cruise lines who serve there passengers but are paid a very low wage. It is usually these tips that make up the salary and are heavily relied on by the crew. If you are cruising with a luxury line you usually find that the tips are just built into the fare and are not separated making it impossible to see what it is being applied to. Maybe this should be the case with all cruiselines and this way we wouldn’t have to debate the topic at all. I think the main niggle with most people is that they find the tips to be too high and feel they only want to pay the person they deal with. I believe you are either a tipper or not regardless of the service you receive. I have to say when I go on a land based holiday and eat out at different restaurants and cafes I always leave a tip just because that’s what I have always done on holiday and its just part of the norm, if I think about this and then compare the tips on ships I think that it is more then reasonable for the amount they ask as you have so many people looking after you and eating and drinking throughout the day that its probably cheaper then the land based tips. I do agree with those of you who have received bad service not wanting to tip, because then what are you tipping for – just for the sake of it. This is another issue that is raised by clients, why should I prepay for tips when I haven’t even received the service yet, this is the beauty of the likes of celebrity, and royal Caribbean etc as you can just pay for them at the end of the cruise. To give you an idea most cruises will charge between $10 -$12pp per day for your tips and then also most of the American lines will add on a 15% service charge onto your drinks bill. The tips are definitely something to investigate before you book your cruise as it allows you to budget accordingly. Also another problem with the tips is that more and more cruises are now changing the way that customers dine by offering more dining options and the open dining, where you can be served by numerous people throughout your holiday. I think in this case a service charge to be added onto the booking at the beginning and then spread between all the staff would be a lot easier. My overall thought on this is that I do believe that the tipping is all part of a cruise holiday and providing you have had the service that you expected then why not. How do you all feel about this and how do you like to pay your tips – if at all????
4 Comments on “Are you being TIPPED over the edge ??”
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I have been working in the Travel Industry for 16 years and originally started out in Business travel. After doing this for a while I was given an opportunity to move into the cruising industry and haven't looked back since. I thoroughly enjoy my job and can't think of anything…
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You have great points there, that’s why I always check your blog, it looks like you are an expert in this field. keep up the good work, My friend recommends your site.
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Gratuities-certainly…but only when deserved. Automatic gratuities…never. Improve the staff’s basic wage although that will increase the cruise price. Cruiselines won’t do this, of course, as they want to keep the published price for cruises down in the competitive market.
if you aren,t happy with what looks like compulsory gratuities just go to the reception and tell them that you want to opt out of that situation and give your own gratuities.you just have to sign a form and it doesn,t happen-bob s.
Quote: Should it be something that is compulsory and forced upon us at time of booking????? Tips are not compulsory!!!
They can be stopped or adjusted, and although staff wages do seem low to us, the staff are on good wages compared to their home country.
If you except a set daily amount on booking your cruise, you might find the service has been lacklustre, so I find it better to ask for envelopes and tip each according to the service received.