Gratuities Going Up

[3Sisters]

Gratuities are going up again, and it isn't just one dollar extra daily but two dollars extra! That's a pretty significant jump, but it's just in time for the holiday season. The timing seems pretty strategic to me. I don't mind paying the upcharge as long as 100% of that surplus is going directly to the crew. RCL's crew always goes above and beyond. They work exceptionally hard and deserve the extra bump. Do you agree? 

[LukeJ]

The timing it seems is perfect for the companies. I think it's disgraceful that they do this, after everything that we as guests have already paid for our vacation. Being from the UK, we do pay gratuity, only voluntarily if we believe the service is any good. 

[Rayk]

Gratuities included.  What does it mean? We are paying a lot extra for service that is simply expected and yet not given the chance to evaluate the service that actually warrants an extra reward.   If gratuities are included then  why do the crew leave the envelope in your cabin?   You have already paid.   On boarding we head straight to Guest Services and advise them that we will look after any gratuities ourselves and not to bill us. It works. No tipping in Japan as they consider it an honour to work for you.  Australians are very, very hesitant and reluctant to tip but will round up on occasion.   RCL have stopped the turn down service and only visit your cabin once a day.  Thus we pay more for less.

[Tootie]

That's almost a 25% increase in about 15 months. While I agree staff works, the gratuities are out of whack in my book. How long does it take to "clean" a cabin - we already pay 18% on all alcoholic drinks and that is ridiculously high. We hear that the tips are shared but to what extent? When we tip our room steward - on top of the assessed fee - is that shared or does the cabin team keep that among themselves? Same for the dining room staff and the bar. I'm pretty generous with gratuities but by the time you add up all of the tips you give to staff individually and kick in the 18%, your vacation is approaching 25% to 30% in tips. Way too much!

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I agree the timing is uncanny. I'm curious if all cruise lines out of the UK "encourage" tipping like the U.S. does. I typically give extra cash to the crew members who stand out to me, and I think I would do more if I weren't tipping so highly already! 

@Rayk Do you opt out of tipping most cruises? If so, how do you usually tip the crew that stands out to you? 

@Tootie That's very true. The rate is very steep, even in today's market. I do question how all gratuities are divided up amongst everyone. It's nice to tip cash so the crew doesn't have to have taxes deducted from those earnings. I want those who stood out to me to know how great they are! 

[FJB]

And then there’s this - don’t tip ahead of time and you are likely getting cold food…

https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-food-drink/tip-driver-pay-price-doordash-warns-delivery-delays-happening-no-tip

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB This is wild! Is this truly happening? It's a shame, but it's not surprising. DoorDash employees are going to put poor tippers on the back burner, especially if there are other customer options. I doubt cruise lines will be pulling these types of stunts, but you get served quicker if you are tipping your bartenders well. The service industry thrives on tips. If you are ordering DoorDash and can't afford/don't want to tip, you should get your food yourself. That's just my strong opinion. 

[LukeJ]

@Kendall James-Vargas I agree with what you're saying and yes as we voluntarily tip, we tend to tip more to the waiting staff that has been dealing with us. And if they do a good job, then they get a good tip. What I don't like is being told I have to tip regardless because the service could be poor, and I'm being told to give money to a unworthy waiting person or bar etc.. there are loads of lowly paid jobs around, and not many of them get tips.

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@LukeJ I love dining with the same staff every day! It's so special to make those connections with the crew members and dine with them every evening without fail. It feels so natural to tip to those crew members who took exceptional care of us, and I prefer to do it this way. I see your point. It's hard to just tip and not see where it's going. I also prefer to give directly to those who stand out to me, but I also see the idea of giving a base tip to everyone, also known as the daily service charge. I do happen to appreciate tipping to those crew members that go unnoticed. It's my hope that the dishwashers and general housekeeping staff are receiving at least part of those daily gratuities. I do appreciate a nice and clean bathroom in the main lobby/out by the pool.