Will ALL Cruise Lines Eventually Scrap Gratuities ?
Will All Cruise Lines Eventually Scrap Gratuities? now that is a good question!!
I think it could be a possibility in the future, will the likes of Cunard, Princess etc follow in the footsteps of Norwegian Cruise Line, Marella, and P&O who all included gratuities in the cost of the cruise fare? With Princess and Cunard both under the Carnival umbrella they could both be a possibility but then again these cruise lines have a different clientele.
I always ask my customers if they would like to pre-pay their gratuities and 90% of the time its a NO, some customers even like to go on to explain why the reasons tend to be , I like to tip hand in hand to the people who deserve it, The staff don’t see the tips, I don’t trust that the cruise line actually give them anything and some just pay the recommended daily amount at the end with their final bill.
It would be interesting to see some figures from different cruise lines with different clientele showing how many people actually pre-pay, pay with the final bill or tip on own accord. Me personally I think the idea of ALL cruise lines including the gratuities would be the best option, this doesn’t put pressure on anyone who feels like they HAVE to tip, I often have first time cruises worried that they won’t be following the crowd and will always ask for my opinion. I always like to tip hand in hand to the staff members who I think deserve it but I don’t think there is a correct answer, its really just personal preference, and everyone’s preferences are different.
If cruise gratuities aren’t prepaid, most non-luxury lines automatically add tips of anywhere from £5 to £10 per person, per day, to passengers’ shipboard accounts, usually depending on the type of cabin in which passengers are booked. If you don’t want to pay the recommended amount you can always speak with guest relations and tweak to the amount you feel is necessary, or remove completely and tip hand in hand as I would.
Cruise lines say that crew members aren’t told which passengers have removed their auto-gratuities until after the sailing has ended, but I understand the concern that quality of service could suffer if crew members did find out. If you’re worried about this but still wish to remove auto-gratuities in favour of tipping in person via envelope, let your room steward and waiter know up front that this is what you’ll be doing, so no misunderstandings arise.
What are your thoughts on Gratuities?
10 Comments on “Will ALL Cruise Lines Eventually Scrap Gratuities ?”
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Hi Everyone Thanks for taking the time to visit my page. My Name is Jenna McGhee from Bonnie Scotland where I live with my Lovely husband, my son who is the apple of my eye and our little Yorkie Ollie. I have worked in the travel industry for the past…
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Both the wife and I do not drink so our tips go towards cabin steward s and waiters that have brilliantly looked after us on our cruise. We take the tips off the account first day on board. Maybe if they paid all of the staff a proper wage they would not have to depend on the customers tips
I agree tips should be discretionary and depend on whether the individual holidaymaker[s] wish to tip for exceptional service, and yes they should pay staff a decent wage and reflect thst in what they charge you for the actual holiday
What about the staff you don’t see, that keep the ship running why exclude them.
What about when you stay in a hotel, do you find the pot washer and tip them? No, off course you don’t.
I wonder if service would deteriorate if tips were included. A tip can be a big motivation. Also, if service loses importance, the cruise lines might be inclined to reduce staff. I guess that means I prefer giving tips on my own.
Would you like your wage to be made of just tips.
They should increase the cruise price by 15% , and it would have to go to the workers .
I will be paying in excess of £6000 for a family (3), for a 14 day cruise this coming July. Auto-gratuities will cost me $600 (Approx £500). This is a huge amount and a fair percentage of the overall cost. As default and as per the boasting of the cruise company everyone should expect excellent service as part of the implied contractual agreement when booking a cruise. So I am loss as to why passengers should supplement the crew’s pay for doing what is expected of them as part of the overall price of the trip. If the stewards are doing a grand job above and beyond then the cruise company should pay them a bonus. A ship carrying 2000 passengers paying £500 for each passenger will earn an extra £million pound for a 14 days. This equates to £1000 bonus for a ships crew of 1000 personnel for 14 days work. I will not pay any gratuities as I believe I have paid for the excellent service expected already. This con should stop.
I agree
Having been in the Royal Navy, I know all the departments that make a ship run. On a cruise ship, most passengers only see the “front of house staff” i.e. cabin steward, restaurant waiters, and bar staff etc. But what about the laundry crew members that wash your towels or napkins, or those in the engine room getting you from port A to port B etc. Aren’t they providing a service to your holiday/cruise and deserve a tip/gratuities as well? Is it a case of out of sight, out of mind? Before you ask, I do keep my auto gratuities and also tip extra to the “front of house staff’ in cash.
The waiters on a msc ship told me and husband that they don’t get the tips we usually pay gratuities and tip the staff that look after us