Royal Caribbean Increasing Gratuities May 1st

[Richard, colwyn bay]

I wonder if they put the grats up because people are opting out and just paying what they feel? it makes me wonder if they would still increase the grats if it was compulsory to pay before you board, I have 2 RCI cruise booked for this year and the drinks and grats are all included..

[Wilba]

Agree with you Wilba. It is all an unnecessary pain up the unmentionable. Who does pay, who should pay, who isn't paying, what you are if you don't pay, queue at the pursers desk. In my opinion there is only one way to deal with this and that is having passengers agree at the time of booking a cruise to pay gratuities by signing to that effect. This would give the cruise line full authority to charge the onboard accounts.

Costa solved the problem years ago.

They dropped the term Gratuities and changed it to a Mandatory Service Charge.

No one leaves the ship without paying it...............Wilba

[PhilnJay, Telford]

Hi all

A 55 cent increase in the daily gratuity rate.

Suites now $16.50

Other cabins $13.50

If you prepay gratuities before April 14th, the old rate applies.

Annie

Excuse me for being thick, it's something that has blighted me for life. I have a cruise booked with rci in August, i took pre pay grats, so it is all on invoice. Do i now need to pay everything before 14th April to save paying the additional amount.

[annie, Glasgow]

Excuse me for being thick, it's something that has blighted me for life. I have a cruise booked with rci in August, i took pre pay grats, so it is all on invoice. Do i now need to pay everything before 14th April to save paying the additional amount.

No - you are in the prepaid category.

Annie

[Neil Down, Southampton]

And why not Wilba. Still not compulsory. As one would say 'they are starting to push the boat out' on gratuities. It does not seem much 50 cents but times that by say 3500 passengers for a 7 day cruise is $12250 increase. Based on $13.50 per day is now $330750 for a 7 day cruise. If , for example, you work out how much say 1500 crew would get per week that equates to $220 each. That is if passengers paid their dues. Not bad.

Have you considered another way of solving this problem?

For instance; if gratuities were included in the headline price, in other words if they were just added to the initial bill making sure that everyone paid them there would be no abstainers and no way to reduce the cost to the passenger of tips.

This would then mean that the sums coming in would be higher, with no one able to "adjust" them and the amount needed for tips should and would fall.

The cruise lines would try to get the price low because it looks better to the punter and they would achieve a better relationship by making it clear that "TIPS ARE INCLUDED"

Many of us think this is the way to go although there are others ways too.

There is more bad blood spilled because of this subject with passengers saying that they will not be told how much to pay, they will not pay until the service is given, they never eat in the restaurant....even that they should be excluded from paying because they are poor pensioners.

The excuses come thick and fast but there is only one reason to my mind......Neil

[annie, Glasgow]

Have you considered another way of solving this problem?

For instance; if gratuities were included in the headline price, in other words if they were just added to the initial bill making sure that everyone paid them there would be no abstainers and no way to reduce the cost to the passenger of tips.

This would then mean that the sums coming in would be higher, with no one able to "adjust" them and the amount needed for tips should and would fall.

The cruise lines would try to get the price low because it looks better to the punter and they would achieve a better relationship by making it clear that "TIPS ARE INCLUDED"

Many of us think this is the way to go although there are others ways too.

There is more bad blood spilled because of this subject with passengers saying that they will not be told how much to pay, ythey will not pay until the service is given, they never eat in the restaurant....even that they should be excluded from paying because they are poor pensioners.

The excuses come thick and fast but there is only one reason to my mind......Neil

Hi Neil

I wish I could believe you.

'...... Should and would......' ? Evidence please.

I believe the cruise lines would pocket the additional revenue - cynic that I am.

Annie

PS For the record I either prepay or auto-grat whichever is cheapest.

[Little Red Rouster, Lancaster]

Have you considered another way of solving this problem?

For instance; if gratuities were included in the headline price, in other words if they were just added to the initial bill making sure that everyone paid them there would be no abstainers and no way to reduce the cost to the passenger of tips.

This would then mean that the sums coming in would be higher, with no one able to "adjust" them and the amount needed for tips should and would fall.

The cruise lines would try to get the price low because it looks better to the punter and they would achieve a better relationship by making it clear that "TIPS ARE INCLUDED"

Many of us think this is the way to go although there are others ways too.

There is more bad blood spilled because of this subject with passengers saying that they will not be told how much to pay, they will not pay until the service is given, they never eat in the restaurant....even that they should be excluded from paying because they are poor pensioners.

The excuses come thick and fast but there is only one reason to my mind......Neil

Cruising is changing in many ways. As we all know the question of gratuities is an unpopular subject with a large number of cruisers for what ever reason. As you say why do the cruise lines not change the way they collect these additional charges (that is what they are) known as gratuities by just increasing the headline price which would cause a little concern at the beginning but would become acceptable as the norm. The problem is caused by the cruise lines by insisting on keeping the so called tipping tradition on the ships.

[PhilnJay, Telford]

No - you are in the prepaid category.

Annie

Thanks Annie

[jimtheoldsalt, felixstowe]

Cruising is changing in many ways. As we all know the question of gratuities is an unpopular subject with a large number of cruisers for what ever reason. As you say why do the cruise lines not change the way they collect these additional charges (that is what they are) known as gratuities by just increasing the headline price which would cause a little concern at the beginning but would become acceptable as the norm. The problem is caused by the cruise lines by insisting on keeping the so called tipping tradition on the ships.

I am on of those poor pensioners,but I tip fairly and as i see fit and i will not have my arm twisted by the cruise lines by being told I must pre pay.
If tips/grats are added to the price of the cruise,then I will decide on what cruises I will go on ,or decide against further cruises,
jim

[annie, Glasgow]

Apparently in the letter they have sent out, they refer to Daily Service Charge.

Annie

[Wilba]

Apparently in the letter they have sent out, they refer to Daily Service Charge.

Annie

Well if that's the case, and NCL recently changed their wording to Daily Service Charge also, it is only a question of time before they add the word "Mandatory".

If Costa can get away with it for all those years, so can RCI and NCL.

............and just to add to Neil's comment. Thomson have included grats for many years and people love it.

Why? Because the people believe that Thomson are 'Grats Free'.............It works...........Wilba

[Taffy, Wales]

And why not Wilba. Still not compulsory. As one would say 'they are starting to push the boat out' on gratuities. It does not seem much 50 cents but times that by say 3500 passengers for a 7 day cruise is $12250 increase. Based on $13.50 per day is now $330750 for a 7 day cruise. If , for example, you work out how much say 1500 crew would get per week that equates to $220 each. That is if passengers paid their dues. Not bad.

It all depends on how many of the crew get a share ,plenty of those staff are salaried ,the singers and dancers musicians ect are not in the tipping pool.
The cruise lines use to tell us where these tip went too and how much each person got.
On our last P&O cruise we paid £5 pp per day as far as P&O say they divide it between waiter ,asst waiter and head waiter, plus your cabin steward (There seems to be no asst stewards) If your cabin steward does 18 cabins and they all pay up they are on a good wage
Say £2 pppd so £4 x7x18 =£504 per week .
Just looked at a junior chefs job they get around £1250 per month plus keep and if they are UK based they get the tax refunded as they earn the money out of the country....Taffy

[cruiser, Larne]

We pay our grats in advance and then tip extra to waiter, assistant waiter and room steward. This year we have free grats in our cruise package and I have to say it is nice to have these included in the deal, then after we booked we saw the drinks packages being added as a freebie instead of the grats. Suits us as we do not drink and I can see the cruise company were having bother selling the cruise as it is for the Greek islands. With the situation with migrants it would appear a lot of people have shied away from this area. I will take my dollars for room service tips and our room steward etc as I normally do.

[annie, Glasgow]

Well if that's the case, and NCL recently changed their wording to Daily Service Charge also, it is only a question of time before they add the word "Mandatory".

If Costa can get away with it for all those years, so can RCI and NCL.

............and just to add to Neil's comment. Thomson have included grats for many years and people love it.

Why? Because the people believe that Thomson are 'Grats Free'.............It works...........Wilba

On my January NCL cruise Wilba, it was still possible to remove the DSC. Something to do with European legislation as I understand it.

Annie

[Little Red Rouster, Lancaster]

It all depends on how many of the crew get a share ,plenty of those staff are salaried ,the singers and dancers musicians ect are not in the tipping pool.
The cruise lines use to tell us where these tip went too and how much each person got.
On our last P&O cruise we paid £5 pp per day as far as P&O say they divide it between waiter ,asst waiter and head waiter, plus your cabin steward (There seems to be no asst stewards) If your cabin steward does 18 cabins and they all pay up they are on a good wage
Say £2 pppd so £4 x7x18 =£504 per week .
Just looked at a junior chefs job they get around £1250 per month plus keep and if they are UK based they get the tax refunded as they earn the money out of the country....Taffy

Hi Taffy, We have had many conversations with the ships staff regarding their pay levels. The question we ask is how long have you worked on the cruise lines. A number of the staff had served many years on the ships. On asking why do you stay the answer being "Good Wages". Enough said.