Will Cruise lines scrap tips ??

With P&O , Marella and Ncl Cruises all including tips within their fare prices now ,  will we see a wide spread switch across the board and all cruise lines scrapping gratuities.

There is no topic more discussed and debated among seasoned cruisers then the tipping process . Whom , when and where and just the general etiquette when it comes to the best way to tip – and even if you should be doing so at all.

I always ask my clients if they would like to prepay the tips at time of booking but would generally say that 90% of them say no. I really think it comes down to a culture thing and us Brits do not like to tip before we have received the service. Obviously in America its part of every day life for them so they tend to not bat an eyelid when it comes to pre-paying tips.

I get clients with many grumbles about the tips such as they are too much , they don’t go to the right people and the pressure of being made to pay them at all.

If cruise lines did scrap them they would only add them to the cruise fares as a hidden extra but then it would take away the whole should we shouldn’t we debate so it would be a good idea in my eyes.

Many luxury and boutique cruise lines (like Azamara, Crystal, Seabourn and Silversea, among others) have no-tipping policies in place. In these cases, the staff service fees are built directly into the all-inclusive fares, and their crewmembers are paid accordingly.

I think if the cruise lines just leave them off all together and then if you have had very good cabin Steward or a good attentive waiter at dinner you can always leave them a tip at the end,  should you want to.

We all have an opinion on this subject and not everyone will agree on scrapping tips. Some people think that the staff onboard get paid very little for what they do and they work very hard. They also worry that if the staff stop receiving these tips, will the level of service go down.

If tips are scrapped on all major cruise lines then I think it would make life simpler for passengers onboard , but lets see if that happens anytime soon .

What do you think ??

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About Me

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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