BREAKING NEWS ………No more service charges on P and O WOW !

Well this is the news hot off the press today, that as of May 2019, it will be up to you if you wish to tip the waiter or not, No more having to go to reception to remove the gratuities so you can still afford to tip that wonderful waiter or cabin steward.

this is the statement from P and O:

New, from May 2019, no discretionary daily Service ChargeWe take huge pride in giving you a holiday that’s truly memorable and our team on board is committed to providing exceptional service. From May 2019 (cruises A911, B912, E911/A, J903, N910, R907, X907 and all thereafter), the discretionary daily Service Charge on board will be removed so you can relax knowing it’s all taken care of. Changes like this do take a little bit of time to put in place, and so for holidays which depart before May, a discretionary daily Service Charge amount of £7 will continue to be added for guests aged 12 and over.

I think this is amazing news and a step in the right direction for the cruise companies. What do you think?

Now you can do more of this !

And less of this:

It has always been a bone of contention for me re-tipping on cruise ships. I always like to give my cabin steward and those wonderful waiters who are the ones servicing you a tip, but sometimes by the time you have paid the onboard gratuities, it works out really expensive to give to them too. Also the fact that some cruise lines charge a service charge for children has always blown my mind.

The other thing to look at is that now they are not compulsory, the onboard credit they give away is most definitely all yours to spend onboard.

I do hope that this does not alter the way the standards from the staff on board are, as that would be a real shame.

What do you do onboard?

I do hope too that the wages are altered to compensate for the loss of the gratuities.  other breaking news from P and O

where is Iona sailing too!

check out her Itinerary on the link above.