GRATUITIES – REWARD OR HIGHWAY ROBBERY?

Whichever side of the fence you fall on there is no doubt that Gratuities are the biggest talked about subject in cruising. They really seem to get people hot under the collar. I know I have done articles about this in the past but with some Cruise lines changing the way they operate and others upping charges, it has reared its ugly head again.

So let’s do the debate and you can make up your own mind?

Waiter with  tips

Tipping all stems from a far more gentile era in cruising, when tips were given to Crew members who gave exceptional service to the guests and this was all considered normal.

Today most cruise lines have a system of Auto tipping whereby you have the option to remove tips at the time of booking but if you do they will automatically be added to your on-board account. Most cruise lines charge around £7-12 per person per day depending on the standard of cabin booked, which over a 14-night cruise can certainly add up.

It amazes me how many times cruise lines want you to say no. To me if you remove them when booking you are saying you do not wish to pay them. Why don’t they just have an option when booking to add gratuities or pay yourself? In most cases you can then go queue up at the guest relations desk and advise that you prefer to pay your tips personally and they will then remove them a second time, leaving it up to you who you tip.  You are often given envelopes in your cabin to leave money for the cabin steward and your waiter etc.

I say in most cases as Norwegian Cruise Lines earlier this year took an unprecedented step towards almost saying tips are compulsory.  You can again remove them at the time of booking and they will be added as before to your on-board account. However, removing them is not as simple as a visit to guest relations. Norwegian require you to file a reimbursement request, which involves completing forms on-board and many customers have said they feel embarrassed and uncomfortable doing this which is probably the aim.

However, back to the debate.

We now know how to remove them, but the question is, Should we?

I can honestly say that I have never been on a ship where I have had bad service from my cabin steward, they have always been very friendly and accommodating and I have been happy to tip for the service.  However, increasing it niggles that on ships which use US dollars you get charged 15% on drinks yet they advise part of the tips are for bar staff. What is the 15% service charge for then?

I can appreciate that many staff from guest relations to waiters offer excellent service so it could be argued that they miss out if you don’t pay the gratuities.  Then of course there are the laundry staff and kitchen staff, maintenance crews etc who you don’t see but keep the ship running smoothly. Some Cruise lines do not include them in the tips anyway and they have a different reward scheme based around their productivity which to me seems fairer as they can hardly impress when they don’t meet the passengers.

smiley staff

If you come from a Country where tipping is not the norm it can be hard to swallow handing over this much cash but a good consultant like myself will mention this to you when you book so you are aware of the charges and can budget them in before deciding if the cruise is right for you so they should not come as a surprise.

I have had customers who feel they will not get good service if they don’t pre-pay the gratuities, saying that the crew will know who has paid and who has not. Cruise lines say this is not the case and crew only find out after the cruise. It could be argued that you may get better service if you have not yet tipped so this could work either way.

Some customers prefer to pre-pay the tips just because it is easier and more convenient to have it all sorted before they go and there is no waiting in potentially long queues to take them off.

I do think tips are important and if you don’t like paying a set amount I don’t think there is anything wrong with removing them and paying them personally as long as you do pay them.

Some guests remove them and don’t pay anything. They may argue that they have not had good service, but If you do on a rare occasion get bad service it is my advice that you should go the guest relations desk and try and resolve it rather than just withdraw the tips as the outcome for you will be far more satisfactory if you have a genuine complaint and will help the cruise line provide a better service.

satisfied

What are your thoughts on this? Do you Pre-pay or Auto pay or not? Have you had any good or bad experiences to share?

I would love to hear from you.

 

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About Me

I have worked in the Travel Industry for 33 years, ever since leaving school. My Dad was in the Navy so I guess I get my wanderlust from him. I was a Manager in a successful Travel Agency for 16 years before joining Cruise.co.uk. I am married and have a son who…

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