Gratuities rise again

It’s that time of year again where we’ve finally got all the itineraries on sale for 2017, and just when you though the cruise lines had you all distracted they sneakily raise their on board gratuities. Many P&O passengers have got the hump this week having found out at very short notice that the on-board gratuities have been increased on their cruises sailing within the next few weeks.

The thing I find very funny with our wonderful cruise lines is that they enjoy changing their campaigns every month which not only confuses us, but you loyal past passengers have no idea if the deal you booked 12 months ago was a good choice or not! However they just seem to enjoy making life more difficult than it needs to be.

One way to get passengers onside would surely be to include gratuities on every sailing, it would be one less conversation I would need to have with every passenger I book, and one less subject for customers to get frustrated about. I’m sure the on-board receptions would be grateful as well for not having queues of people surrounding their desk trying to remove their gratuities once they get on board.

If they all go into the same pot, let’s face it no-body really knows if they do or not, to have you gratuities included in the price of your cruise would save a huge amount of time and hot air! So come on you main stream lines, isn’t it about time you joined the clever lines that are already streets ahead!!