To pay or not to pay?!

The great tipping debate. This week another cruise line has informed us they are increasing their tipping charge. MSC Cruises have advised they will now be adding 8.50 Euros per person per day as opposed to 7 Euros. This seems a fairly high increase. Maybe they have done it to us Brits as the rate of the Euro is getting better for us? Who Knows?

How do you feel about pre paying your tips? This is something I most probably chat to my customers about ever day!! Some don’t mind pre paying them, some people think its a rip off and some people like me think its unfair to charge us tips when we haven’t yet received the service, After all that’s what we are paying for right?

I am all for tipping when I have received the service in  this day and age though and the with the price of cruising dropping I have recently spoken to some very unhappy customers. They feel the service on board is not what it used to be. Now maybe this is because the cruise lines are getting us to pre pay our tips or adding them to our on board account. Maybe the staff that used to work so hard for the tips don’t actually see as much of the money as they used to?

Royal Caribbean had the right idea last month. Part of the promotion included FREE tips. Great idea now maybe that’s the way the cruise lines should work then if you as a customer feel like tipping more go for it.

P&O have the most reasonable daily gratuity charge of £3.95 per person per day. Now remember you cannot pre pay this. If you head to the pursers desk they will happily remove the charge for you to tip as you wish. I am heading off on Aurora next month and will be removing the gratuity charge for my son and instead giving a nice tip to the kids club staff!!

Now we come to the service charge!! So you have pre paid your tips and think right that’s all sorted lets head to the bar and purchase a drink. The drink costs a little more than expected but you’re on holiday so sign for the drink, tip the waiter and off he goes. You then think lets take a look at that receipt well you got charged for the drink, then a 15% service charge then you gave a 10% tip …. WOW that was an expensive drink!! Most cruise lines do this well the American ones anyway. P&O cruises & Fred Olsen do not charge this extra service charge.

This is where the Luxury cruise lines become more value for money. Take a Regent cruise it may cost you as little as £800 per person more for a 7 night Regent cruise but then remember this includes tips, shore excursions, speciality dining, all drinks and more often than not you are getting a balcony cabin as they have very few or no inside and outside cabins. So next time you are thinking about a cruise remember all the hidden extras what is the real cost of your week away?