Let’s talk about tips!

This is always a subject which divides cruisers!  The matter of gratuities (which are on-board tips for staff)  I got to thinking about gratuities as we posted a news story this week about Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, two of the major cruise lines, increasing their gratuities.  Take a look at our recent news story which had led to much debate from our customers:

http://www.cruise.co.uk/bulletin/two-mega-cruise-lines-enter-2018-increased-gratuities/?affref=debbiec

Some cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and MSC allow customers to pre-pay tips before they go.  This allows customers to pay them off and not have to worry about the expense going onto their on-board account whilst on the cruise.  Other cruise-lines such as P&O do not allow this option.  Other cruise lines such as Marella cruise lines and NCL actually include all tips in the total cost so that the customer does not see the expense or have the chance to take it off.  Is this the best way forward?  I would say it is in order to allow for hard working staff members to get the extras they deserve for service!

Customers are sometimes sceptical about where their tips go to and would prefer to pay individually to their cabin stewards and waiters for their service.  This is possible on a lot of cruise lines and the gratuities can be taken off at guest services to allow for this.  There are many though who then don’t pay these tips and it does beg the question of the fairness of distribution of the tips as those who work hard but in the background will get far less.

Take a look at our guide to the gratuities.  With them changing all the time though you may find they have increased since this has been written but is still a helpful guide:

http://www.cruise.co.uk/guides/cruise-information-gratuities/?affref=debbiec

What do you do for tips?  Are you happy to pay them or do you think they’re an extra expense which the cruise lines shouldn’t charge?