Tip or not to Tip … Are the cruise lines listening to YOU their customers ….

Well well well …. Celebrity released an announcement that they would no longer be automatically charging their customers gratuities if they wish to dine on their version of Freedom Dining – Their Select Dining option when choosing to cruise with them ….. This would now be down to YOU their customers .. it would be your choice …. Should it not have been this way all the time??

I appreciate good food and eating out and having worked as a waitress when I first put myself out there in the real world to work, I appreciate how hard it can be, so yes you could say this has changed my view on dining out and whether or not I leave a tip…. HOWEVER …. Also having worked as a waitress I appreciate the reward of a tip must come through excellent service, being attentive to the customers needs and requirements …. a great example of this is recently myself and the family went out for a meal to Miller and Carter, the lady that served us was so caring and genuinely showed an interest into looking after my needs of having to eat on a strict Gluten Free diet …. so did we leave her a tip … yes we did!!

This leads me very nicely on to talk about the recent release of the Cruise.co.uk Community Awards 2016 and included in this was the tipping poll as I would like to call it …. amazingly 44% of you all shared your views on being able to tip who you want and in cash …. for myself I completely agree and would be in this area also, as do we really know what happens to the tips that we pre pay before we embark on a cruise or indeed those gratuities that we just pay that have been added to the on board account for us to pick up on the bill at the end?? It is always rewarding to be able to compliment someone face to face or the person that has specifically cared for your needs, remembered your favorite cocktail on board at the martini bar in the evening, cleaned your cabin so it looked spic and span for you be able to come back to the cabin and relax comfortably after a long day sightseeing …. 

At the awards the following cruise lines came out in the top three for having the fairest tipping policy … P&O winning the Gold, Thomson Cruises winning the Silver and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines the Bronze. 

But wait …. These are all British Cruise Lines …. so does our frustration mainly come from the American Cruise Lines such as Norwegian Cruise Lines, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean for example???

I think it comes down to being given that choice …. I want to appreciate excellent service, however I want to be able to do this in the way I choose ……

One final thought from me does go out to the all of the other crew members that we do not get to see on our cruises whilst we enjoy that martini, or relax in our cabin, there are so many crew that work behind the scenes that have not seen their family for months on end, that we do not get to see to say thank you to so is this fair to them?

Do they deserve to be included in the tips that are received on board?

Or should the staff be paid more by the cruise lines?

I would love to receive feedback and comments from yourselves … the CUSTOMERS and what you deem to be fair for the crew on board and how you like to reward excellent service given to you ….

For more information on the tipping policies for the cruise lines as they stand at present please visit http://www.cruise.co.uk/guides/cruise-information-gratuities/