On our Alaska cruise this past year on Ovation, my 14 year old daughter bought some salted chocolate when we were on an excursion. She took it to dinner and, while talking to our waiter, let him try a square of it. He loved it and said he would have to buy some to send his daughter because she loved chocolate. At our next port, my daughter found the same bar of chocolate and bought it for our waiter. When she gave it to him that night at dinner I couldn't believe how happy/ touched he was. It brought out way more of a reaction than slipping him money like we normally do from time to time. The last night at dinner, the wait staff manager came to her and gave her a few RCCL merchandise items (small things like a highlighter, etc.) and told her how much the waiter had enjoyed the gesture. She brought home several souvenirs from the cruise but the items he gave her are her favorite. Funny how two people from two totally different walks of life can bond over a $5 chocolate bar.
Once on Odyssey OTS, I waved to a server in 270 Lounge. He asked if I needed anything and I said, "oh, I was just saying "hi." You waited on us yesterday at breakfast." He was so touched that I had remembered him that he gave me a high 5. The rest of the cruise, he would wave to me when he saw me again.
I liked the old way of tipping....handing cash directly to those who earned it, at the end of my trip. I was always very generous and appreciative of those who took good care of me. I find that this is a far better way to incentivize staff to do a good job.
No thet should be earning a proper wage as in Europe or Australia New Zealand and so on and Americans should be calling for the cruise lines to all be registered in the US
Shouldn't the cruise line appreciate their staff and pay them a proper living wage? Cruise lines make billions, their CEOs make millions yet their business practices are disgraceful.
On a particular good cruise on Celebrity on the last day I took all 4 bartenders from the Martini bar to the gift shop and bought them each a pair of RayBan sunglasses. They had a blast picking them out and I made 4 friends for life!!
Great to hear that they get extra stuff when we include their names in our survey. Cash is still king for everyone, and we always tip extra for great service.
Many years ago on a Rhine River cruise, we had a fortysomething Austrian named Walter for our waiter. Unlike most of the other waiters, he spoke faultless English. This was our first ever cruise, and he was a great source of information about procedures and about every city that we visited. In fact, other passengers asked us to ask him about questions that they had. On our last day I added a note to the tip envelope describing how Walter had enriched our experience and how valuable he was to us. The ship's staff lined up as we disembarked, and Walter broke from the line to shake our hands and wish us a safe journey. Apparently, my note was appreciated!
Been on a ton of cruises, 24+ years worth. Never knew about Laundry soap, or the ducks. Both of which I will be doing soon on our next cruise. We are RVers and leave little animals at camp grounds for people to find with a fun note, never thought about cruises👏🏼 We have always recognized the staff via cash tips & reviews. *** May I add another way to help your cabin steward? CLEAN UP your cabin! Keep it clean! The less they have to clean the faster they are off duty.
On a recent cruise we went on, I asked our cabin steward what he likes and though he was very hesitant trying to be polite, he said he likes chocolate. When in port at Cozumel, I took my son to a local shop and we picked out some chocolates and other things for him. I think he was very appreciative.
I try to learn their native language, and statements of appreciation, so that I can tell them in their own language that I’m grateful for what they’ve done
I take pictures of their name tags and write their names on the survey along with their titles. If there is enough room, I write how much they enhanced my vacation.
I have been doing that for years. They really appreciate it and I seem to get even better service when they realize I have all their information for the cruise survey. I have NEVER used it as a threat or written poorly about any crew member. I take it the first day and tell them it is to write about how great the service is and by golly, I always get great service! Do the same thing at the bars and guest services as well. I was told years ago it helps their paycheck and promotions!
There's your answer. If the crew members have no idea about where the gratuities go, that means there's no additional bonus (gratuity) they receive other than their contracted salary. So that extra $300k-500k+ that's being automatically charged goes back into the cruise line's pockets.
I know of a few people personally that I’ve spoken to have said they don’t tip the ship. They go to guest services and tell them they don’t want to add gratuities and then they pay the people who actually are waiting onthem.
Yup, this is the way. This way, you tip for the actual service, and the money goes to the worker directly, RCL doesn't see a cent of it, nor they should
That’s exactly what we continue to do. I hand my waiters and room attendant cash and we always tend to bring $8-10 per day in $1.00 bills so when we get free drinks (Diamond Plus so we get free drinks per day) we tip the crew members that serve us those drinks.
Yeah, be honest with yourselves. Not everyone who removes the gratuity from their bill tips the crew properly. Unless you have a very good reason related to poor service, removing the gratuity is rather...a rookie move. I want to say that it is ignorant, but either way, it is not appropriate. Don't drive a Mercedes if you can afford the insurance. Not a sermon. 🤨🤨🤨
Honestly, tipping is out of hand everywhere. Why should people be tipped for doing thier job. Tipping has become an expectation. It was at one time done only when someone performed beyond expectation and was a form of acknowledgment and appreciation. Just charge more for the cruise and forget the guilt ridden tipping. Will it be enough, or should I of shouldn't I. Subsidizing company's employees.
This will never stop until RC CLEARLY explain how are the TIPS/GRATUITIES distributed, period! I like and always tip, I have never removed my gratuities and always pay them in advance, and also, I tip cash for my waiters and room attendants BUT the fact that RC has never explain the process, tells me that it's something shady... they are hiding something...Thank you Matt for all you do
Problem is no one believes what RC says about how its distributed, and that will never change. If you believe them now, it's all good. If you don't, it is a conspiracy. If they say anything more or less about how it is distributed, it will not change anyone's mind. In the end, if you don't like how RC says they hand out the gratuity, then you can remove it, and tip directly with cash. The prepaid/auto gratuity did not always exist and was introduced as a convenience, so you don't have to be bothered with cash and envelopes while on vacation.
@@georgelomarro4677 there is no way in this world that I would ever allow tips or gratuities to be paid to the cruise lines I pay directly who should be getting paid a proper wage anyway about governments got a grip on these greedy cruise lines.
We pay hundreds of dollars in gratuities ahead of time. Then get charged 18% gratuities on everything we buy , on every drink or food purchase. There should be no expectations of tips. We tip our room attendant well and that is it. Royal needs to disperse the tens of thousands they collect in tips , a little better I think.
Just dont pay gratuities. Sounds controversial, but we shouldn't be expected to pay 20/30% of ticket fee. Just give handshake tips to people that you really enjoyed their service
Gratuities on food or drink purchase are compulsory. Also they automatically charge you gratuities daily or ahead of time. That is why I am saying the k my person I feel compelled to tip extra is the Room Stewart. Anyone that has to clean up people's cruise bathrooms deserves all the money they can collect.
This is why I cruise with Princess. Buy the plus package that includes everything, including gratuities. No extra costs through the trip other than an extra tip for my steward and favorite bartender.
Been on Freedom and Utopia so far with Royal. Always paid the gratitudes when booking the cruise. Then tip the waiters and statesroom attendants with cash the final day of the cruise.
Compulsory "gratuities" are not tips, they are simply a slave tax. It is the employer's responsibility to pay their staff fairly and then set the fares accordingly. The childish practice of these compulsory charges is an insult to the intelligence of the passengers and supporting them is condoning the cruise line's practice of underpaying their staff. If you want to support the crew then remove the gratuities from your account.
Royal should just increase fare prices and stop with the "Gratuities". That way we can go back to what gratuities really mean, something you leave for exceptional service. Royal will not do it because its easier to exploit the American tipping culture than to actually increase prices to pay crew more.
Australia is leading common sense on this while America (on land and on cruises as well) is stuck in the past. Europe is a mixed bag. Will be on an MSC Cruise in Europe in February, booked through a European agency, and Gratuities are part of the cruise price. On another cruise in Europe in March on Celebrity booked through the same agency and Gratuities are not part of the Cruise price. MSC being European seems more sensible. Celebrity although originally Greek seems now more aligned to their parent company RCL. MSC in US will not include it as they would suddenly seen as more expensive. Wish the world follows Australia, pay a fare wage and increase it by the gratuities in their base salary and include gratuities in the cruise price and then tip for extra ordinary as we see fit.
Let's call it what it is, a salary subsidy. I would like to know how these "gratuities" are really divided up amongst the crew, if that is in fact what happens.
100% I think it is a subsidy. A type of loophole on the system. Do you remember when ebay started? The seller started selling items cheaply and uses shipping to subsidy the rest. To avoid paying fees and taxes.
Indeed and it is deceptive to say “but 100% of autograt is distributed to the crew” when it is used to reduce the amount of the contract that the line funds. Whose really getting tipped here?!
Very nice and important video! We are aware of the surveys but have not thought about the personal notes. We tend to stay with cash tips but will think about small gifts also. As always Matt, thanks!
I have no problem with gratuities EXCEPT for having to pay them on the soda package. I’m going to the soda machine & filling the cup myself. If I got to a bar or main dining room and get one I will happily give a tip.
I think we'll probably take a package of Gain Flings to give to the crew, in addition to the mandatory gratuity and cash, because we have a Sam's Club account and get discounts, so it could really help them without costing us much. I never considered that the crew would have to pay for laundry detergent . . . Thanks Matt!! This was really informative!! I always keep crew names in my phone and notes for the survey after the cruise.
i had heard the vagueness about how mentioning a crew member in the post cruise survey can help but actually getting the breakdown of what they get really does help to know. We always take time to jot down the names of any crew member who helps make our trip the best it can be and while we can't give cash tips to everyone, we do make sure to mention them by name in the survey and what they did to help us.
What Matt did not mention is the history of the gratuity. Nothing has changed. 20+ years ago when I went I my first cruise, the gratuity was all cash, in an envelope, an you handed it directly to your wait staff and cabin steward. It was a PITA. So Royal started automatic and prepaid gratuities, so we as the customer, do not have to be bothered with this ritual on our vacation. Nothing has changed in 25 years, the recommended amount has increased over time, and Royal still publishes this same gratuity breakdown of where it goes. You can still remove the automatic gratuity and tip directly, or tip more than recommended if you like. Nothing has changed.
It has changed though. Back when we passed out the envelopes those dollars added to the contracted minimum salary. Today they reduce the amount of that salary the line funds and the employee gets the contract salary. If you opt out the crew member still gets the minimum and the cash you give is over and above that. No?
I wonder if royal Caribbean is doing this to avoid paying tax on it. It's likely it is currently being taxed as gratuity on the crew member from their country and not revenue to Royal Caribbean like if they just directly increased cost.
Dude. The tipping propaganda must STOP! I will not help the cruise lines walk away with even more billions. If you want more money, ask your employer, not your employer’s customers!
Yes I believe the cruise lines should pay their employees a better pay. Why should we have to cover their lack of taking care of their crew I believe that the crew members make more in tips than I do per week
Calling it mandatory is misleading. They are auto added, but you can definitely ask to remove them from your room and tip accordingly using cash, either by hand or using the tipping envelopes. Guest services never ask why you are removing them. So... NOT mandatory.
My sister and her husband have done dozens of cruises and my wife and I are about to go on a 13 day cruise with them. They said we should make sure to have RC take the tips off our accounts and pay the tips ourselves. They are very good tippers and so are we. My wife and I met in the restaurant business when I was a bartender and she was a waitress and have always been good tippers.
The blogger mentioned that Australia isn’t included. Australian citizens on a cruise that starts and ends in an Australian port do not pay these automatic gratuities on some cruise lines. When we are on such a cruise we always tip our room attendant and the waiters that help us. A few years ago we took our niece on a cruise. She was 21 at the time. She studied Indonesian in high school and always spoke to the Indonesian crew members she came across in Indonesian. They thought she was Indonesian. She also picked up how to say hello, how are you and thank you in other languages on board and use them with other crew members. She befriended a young retail crew member on board. She would go and talk to him when it was a bit quiet in the shops. He was the same age and it was his first cruise and it was nearing Christmas so he was a bit home sick. As a family we got to know him too and had a photo taken with him. When we got home my sister printed off the photo and put it into a Christmas card for him. She had a close friend going on a cruise on the same ship two weeks after we returned home. She asked her to give this crew member the card. Her friend said that when he got the card and saw the photo he got very emotional, thanked her and apologised and left because he was crying.
I would like to know how and when the automatic gratuities are distributed. There is zero transparency. I’ll continue to pay them but I would like to know that 100% actually is paid to the crew. I have serious doubts.
Well I guess I’ll keep up my duck hiding game for everyone including the crew. Might also figure out where to get some crew laundry supplies. Thanks Matt!
We have gotten into the habit of tipping our MDR waiter and assistant waiter a smaller daily tip instead of one large tip at the end of the cruise. We think it's a win/win. It is a great way to show appreciation after every meal and it puts money in the pockets of the crew members in case they are running a little short during a cruise for some reason.
I've always wondered if I add a dollar or two tip when signing the receipt at a bar, does that tip go directly to the crew member? Or is it better for the crew member if I hand them cash instead?
When Royal raises daily gratuities at the same time as decreasing service like room cleanings to once a day makes zero sense You should never be charged an mandatory tip on drinks. Tips should be left up to discretion of customer and tips should be given AFTER service is rendered not before otherwise it’s a service fee. Like charging a mandatory 18% gratuity when purchasing a drink package often months before service is rendered. Why should bartenders who never provided me service be entitled to a cut of the gratuities charged to me? Tipping culture in the US is out of control. My advice is remove the daily auto gratuities and just tip if you feel the need to. My cruise fare which has increasingly grown with the expanded demand for cruising provides the cruise lines to employ more crew. It’s royals job to pay crew a fair wage. Not mine. I am all for Royal just doing away with auto and mandatory gratuities and just raising the fare and let the market sort it all out but I doubt Royal will do that any time in near future
It's a pleasure to know that the crew is appreciative of receiving positive feedback. I always leave complimentary remarks for my most cherished crew members. ❤
Thanks for this informative video Matt. Tipping in Australia is only given for EXCEPTIONAL service. That’s why Gratuities are included in the price for Royal Caribbean cruises booked in Australia. Unfortunately, we have not experienced any exceptional service on Royal Caribbean ships in recent years. Although crew members on the sister line, Celebrity, often warrant extra tips for exceptional service.
My first stop when boarding is guest services to ensure no gratuities are added to my account, as a gratuity can not be expected or enforced. It is far better to to tip staff in cash directly as tips collected by the cruise company are not voyage specific. These funds are pooled fleet wide and used by the cruise companies to pay bonuses ect. That staff member you so appreciated is most likely never going to see any of the money.
Everyone has their own opinions on tips. I could go to town with comments about cultural differences (US Vs Europe) and how tipping has gotten out of hand but it would be way too long. Ultimately, we are choosing to remove the auto tips from our future sailings and will just be tipping in cash as we go. And from the sounds of this video, with how unsure crew are with how auto tips are distributed, that's not a terrible way to go about things.
I have been doing the same for years now. Matt said they are obligatory but folks need to know they are not.Every crew member I have given cash to has seemed very appreciative as it goes directly into their pockets
We went on our first cruise in December and felt very confused by the tipping/gratuity thing. We were under the impression handling cash was poo-poo’d and paying it in advance was the most preferred. So we didn’t bring any cash aboard other than an emergency stash if for some reason that would be needed? LOL anyway, now that I hear these comments from crew I am sad and wish I could go back and bless all the amazing people who served us all week. We loved them so much! We did take some of our cash stash and leave a thank you note and a little something for our room attendant because he serviced two rooms (one teenager room so he deserved a medal)! And we mentioned every single name on the survey of those who served us.
I took my first cruise last march. I'm normally friendly to everyone. I would always ask the staff there name where there from. Tell me about where there from and I mentioned it to my gf that I felt like we got more appreciation from the crew on the later days
The correct amount to tip is whatever you want. Zero is just as valid as a million bucks. No shame because it is a tip and therefore completely optional. My only thing is if you are going to remove daily service fees, mislabeled as gratuities, then do so on the first day. Be fair about it.
Hey, I pay the automatic gratuity hoping the cruise line is taking care of the people I don’t come in contact with. But as I stated above I wonder where the gratuity money really goes.
@mblitch that's part of the problem with tip culture in the US. Those positions that you mentioned should be getting a decent wage provided by their employer. My "optional" tip is for people who provide me with a direct service and go above & beyond. I don't have a problem rewarding good service. I have a problem with adding the 18% fee and disguising it as a tip when it's really a subsidy.
I don’t pre-pay my gratuities but i pay for my gratuitys and my wife tips cash the whole trip because she wants to know were her money goes and it goes with our server/room attendit btw the room attendit gets like 60$ thats way more than he gets from my auto gratuitys
Cruising on RC in April. Pre paid Tips, booked Giovanni’s and the Coffee Package both also added Gratuities, crazy. Won’t be Tipping on the Ship, if Crew Members want to vent anger about Tips talk to RC Management. I do the Reviews and always add the names when getting great Service.
Our last cruise on HAL, the waitstaff at one of the bars knew our names before we knew theirs! They all got a little extra. And of course the cabin steward - an extra hundie!
I have asked crew members on five different lines about the tips. I have never gotten an answer because they don't know what happens to them. I do know that the private concessions like the photo studio and jewelry stores aren't involved in that I think the Senior Crew isn't either but the problem is nobody can tell you where the money goes.
It's a win win situation for guests and crewmembers to opt out of the prepaid tip and just tip whoever helped you the most. The surveys are highly manipulated by the managers and help their paisanos over the rest
I try my best to remember names, but I’m SO so terrible at it! To the point where, even some of my co-workers that I don’t see daily, I can’t remember their names😓 I’ve taken to putting the names in my phone! I did this with our waiters from our last cruise so that I could mention them by name in the survey! I’m going to try to bring little Canadian maple leaf pins on our next cruise to gift to staff. It’s something small that can be pinned to a bag or coat that won’t be obvious, but that will hopefully say “thank you for making our cruise amazing.”
after 35+ cruises this tipping thing is out of control... why tip main dining room staff when we don't eat there? 4-5 times we cancelled the auto tips because of very poor service... slow uncaring wait staff for example... RCL requires that a record must be made of complaint issues before they allow a cancellation... yes BEFORE THEY ALLOW... cabin steward always gets a generous tip because without fail they work the hardest... as we get older we get more cranky but ...
We chose to not pay the gratuity at booking but let it show up daily. We have had cruises where something changed that caused us to get an OBC. We then use the OBC to pay the gratuity. We also give extra to the room attendant, waiters, and a bartender or two.
I can vouch for the survey’s and how beneficial it is to the individual crew members. Of course I would not remember all the WONDERFUL names.. I have made a habit of taking their pictures with the Name tag visible. I create a folder for that sailing and add their work location to the specific crew members. I sailed the same ship within a 60 Day Period and the actually remembered me and told me that had great surveys and had received things like Guest Room, Financial incentives, time off and other recognitions. I always tell them I am talking the photo with name tag, so I can mention them specifically… PLEASE NOTE: The immediate submission of the survey is important because incentives are often determined by a certain time frame when survey is received… Like, first Come first serve.
In normal life, I enjoy tipping people that provide excellent service. Automatic gratuities can be frustrating, if you wanted to give more to a specific crew member. I wish they would allow you to allocate where your prepaid gratuities go, by team or crew member. Whatever splits they have in place don’t account for the service the individuals provide. Imagine if you could pick an individual that really took care of you to give a majority of your prepaid gratuities to! We took a cruise where our Housekeeping staff was AMAZING but the MDR staff wasn’t so great, and since I always prepay, I wished that I could allocate more to the Housekeeper from the already paid amount. Of course, we carry some cash for tipping above that, but it’s nowhere near the upfront amount. Anyway, appreciate your coverage on this topic, as I think a lot of us want to be kind to the hardworking staff but also feel our tips are going to the people who truly deserve it... or worse, fear the tips never make it to the crew at all. I do wish they would adjust the fare prices to pay non-service crew members more and remove assumed/compulsory tips altogether.
I’m not tipping a penny. I booked the cruise on symphony and paid for 2 people $252 for gratuity then I booked the refreshment package along with unlimited dining and paid another $300+ in tips… then tips again for the shore excursions… all together I paid over $600 in tips.. all they get for me is a thank you and safe travels
IN MY opinion, tipping has moved way past the point where it is simply a gratuity for wait staff or cabin steward service. Its in the realm of a surcharge that should be added to the basic cruise fare.
I remove the automatic gratuities. The gratuities are an income line for the cruise lines. Crew members are paid the salary they are contracted to receive. Some crew members may receive an award or bonus from the gratuities fund. Bottom line is you want a specific crew member to get a gratuity, you need to hand them the cash!
There was no "truth about tipping". The Reddit post specifically wrote "do not ask me about gratuities/prepaid gratuities as I am not well versed on this topic This video title is completely misleading. There was absolutely no in-depth mention as to how tips are ACTUALLY handled inside the company. There was no mention of how these pre-paid gratuities are distributed. All you did was essentially read the bullet points of the post, which really added no real knowledge beyond "we like getting cash, don't give us things that get us in trouble".
For tips, I always do the prepayment gratuity, then some extra cash to : My room steward, the two waiters/waitress in the dining room. I like to hang around the piano bar so I put some cash on his/her tips cup. I eat pizza almost every late midnight so the two pizza dudes get some cash also.
I am terrible at remembering names. I've started photographing the name tags on those special crew members, and will include their names in comments to the Ship. And I don't wait until I get home and fill out the survey. When someone does something note worthy, I'll forward a positive note to management. I've had crew members stop me the next day to say that they had been recognized at their morning meeting.
There have been crew member paystubs posted online. RCCL uses the tips to subsidize how much they pay each worker. If a worker is contracted to get $1500 every two weeks and tips are $500, royal pays them $1000. If the tips are $200, Royal pays them $1300.
That's terrible. I've heard that before. I'd rather cut the "mandatory gratuities" and tip them in cash personally. I always felt it didn't make sense how they can profit from such low cruise fares. There's no way especially with the massive amounts of food and drinks available. Not to mention trash generated they have to deal with.
Really? that's not kosher. I really dislike schemes where the vendor collects the tip from the customer when they pay, and the worker doesn't see any of it it. This really makes a case for asking RCL to remove the mandatory tip, and then the customer should hand them cash at the end of the cruise. This way, they get their pay and you know they are actually seeing every cent of the tip
@@raymondii436 Agreed. Retract the automatic gratuity, and then tip often at least. Tip people cleaning the ship and the bussers cleaning tables as well. Heck tip customer service desk.
1) Cruise lines should publish their tip distribution policy. and have adherence to that policy verified. I've seen too many charities where most of the donated money goes to "administration expenses". How do we know that sort of thing isn't happening with the "mandatory" cruise tips? 2) So crew that have a lot of contact with the guests get money from the "mandatory" tip pot. What about the crew that work sight unseen (e.g. the laundry crew)? They're important too.
I bring some googly eye stickers I get from Amazon for my cabin steward. They dont take up much room. Always fill out the survey. I take pictures of staff that is great along my cruise so I can remember their names. They always love to pose for a picture!
I've always tried to name drop 3-5 exceptional crew members on board ranging from cabin crew to restaurant staff to on several occasions customer service too... the idea that they may have gotten some of those perks like a day off or a specialty meal makes me even more likely to celebrate excellence on future cruises! Potentially controversial, but even as someone who pre-pays gratuities, I would like the option to pay a higher gratuity rate if they change it, because if I get a better deal that means that the awesome crew who take care of my cabin or serve us in the dining room are making less from helping me than someone else, I don't think that's fair. While being grandfathered in on a lower rate is a great option, I wish I had the opportunity to pay more even if I don't have to (beyond paying individual tips of course, which is always an option)
I would like to get absolute confirmation that some of the prepaid gratuities go to behind-the-scenes people. I've heard differing answers on that. I've always written down crew members' names so I can give recognition later. I've never, ever, had a bad crew member. On our last cruise, a crew member got cornered by a guest who felt he had a connection with the poor guy and that crew member intently listened for quite a long time. He was in the middle of cleaning guest rooms. He spoke very little and just nodded but he was very gracious.
I always wonder whether the back room workers such as kitchen and laundry staff get to share the mandatory gratitude. Also crew working in the engine room or other facilities maintenance departments.
I bought one of the bartenders on my adventure ofs sailing a couple years ago a cup of ice cream, i asked her if she was allowed to have some and wanted it and said yes.
As someone said below, the video title was misleading and did not cover the actual findings from the latest REddit posts. I love your videos, but this was a cop-out.
If mentioning crew members is so important why isn't it available on the app? I have suggested this option for years on surveys post cruise! Complimenting crew members in real time right after a crew member goes the extra mile is most accurate, especially if you could post it with a picture of the crew member. Post cruise surveys probably don't get filled out very often as people are going back to their busy work lifes. Give your guests the ability to comment on the ship while they are the on the ship!
The gratuities are split between the main dining, housekeeping and all the background workers that are busting their butt's to make sure we all have an amazing vacation. I prepay to cover the ones I don't get direct contact with and then tip individually to those who do something great either for me or that I witnessed them do for someone else. 95% of these people work really hard to make sure we can relax and enjoy our times aboard.
When you say "background workers,"who exactly do you mean.? Decades ago the only people who Receive a tip were the cabin steward, Head waiter, assistant waiter and Matri D. Are there now other people that are sharing in the tip pool ?
I had no idea that if you purchased something from the gift shop to give as a gift you had to give the receipt. I think that's a little petty and very restrictive.
Royal Caribbean is the best, but can you make a video and reach out to higher ups about the lady that caught Royal Caribbean diluting shots with water…!!
On our Alaska cruise this past year on Ovation, my 14 year old daughter bought some salted chocolate when we were on an excursion. She took it to dinner and, while talking to our waiter, let him try a square of it. He loved it and said he would have to buy some to send his daughter because she loved chocolate. At our next port, my daughter found the same bar of chocolate and bought it for our waiter. When she gave it to him that night at dinner I couldn't believe how happy/ touched he was. It brought out way more of a reaction than slipping him money like we normally do from time to time. The last night at dinner, the wait staff manager came to her and gave her a few RCCL merchandise items (small things like a highlighter, etc.) and told her how much the waiter had enjoyed the gesture. She brought home several souvenirs from the cruise but the items he gave her are her favorite. Funny how two people from two totally different walks of life can bond over a $5 chocolate bar.
This is wonderful! 🥰
Once on Odyssey OTS, I waved to a server in 270 Lounge. He asked if I needed anything and I said, "oh, I was just saying "hi." You waited on us yesterday at breakfast."
He was so touched that I had remembered him that he gave me a high 5. The rest of the cruise, he would wave to me when he saw me again.
I liked the old way of tipping....handing cash directly to those who earned it, at the end of my trip. I was always very generous and appreciative of those who took good care of me. I find that this is a far better way to incentivize staff to do a good job.
Matt- this video is much needed. We should be taking care to appreciate crew members in the way they FEEL appreciated ❤
No thet should be earning a proper wage as in Europe or Australia New Zealand and so on and Americans should be calling for the cruise lines to all be registered in the US
Shouldn't the cruise line appreciate their staff and pay them a proper living wage? Cruise lines make billions, their CEOs make millions yet their business practices are disgraceful.
On a particular good cruise on Celebrity on the last day I took all 4 bartenders from the Martini bar to the gift shop and bought them each a pair of RayBan sunglasses. They had a blast picking them out and I made 4 friends for life!!
Great to hear that they get extra stuff when we include their names in our survey. Cash is still king for everyone, and we always tip extra for great service.
Many years ago on a Rhine River cruise, we had a fortysomething Austrian named Walter for our waiter. Unlike most of the other waiters, he spoke faultless English. This was our first ever cruise, and he was a great source of information about procedures and about every city that we visited. In fact, other passengers asked us to ask him about questions that they had. On our last day I added a note to the tip envelope describing how Walter had enriched our experience and how valuable he was to us. The ship's staff lined up as we disembarked, and Walter broke from the line to shake our hands and wish us a safe journey. Apparently, my note was appreciated!
Been on a ton of cruises, 24+ years worth.
Never knew about Laundry soap, or the ducks. Both of which I will be doing soon on our next cruise.
We are RVers and leave little animals at camp grounds for people to find with a fun note, never thought about cruises👏🏼
We have always recognized the staff via cash tips & reviews.
*** May I add another way to help your cabin steward?
CLEAN UP your cabin! Keep it clean! The less they have to clean the faster they are off duty.
I take a picture of their name tag so when i do the post survey i can look at the photos and call them out by name
Me too! Otherwise, I might forget their name or what their official title is.
On a recent cruise we went on, I asked our cabin steward what he likes and though he was very hesitant trying to be polite, he said he likes chocolate. When in port at Cozumel, I took my son to a local shop and we picked out some chocolates and other things for him. I think he was very appreciative.
I try to learn their native language, and statements of appreciation, so that I can tell them in their own language that I’m grateful for what they’ve done
I find Filipino is a real easy one. It's very similar to Spanish.
I take pictures of their name tags and write their names on the survey along with their titles. If there is enough room, I write how much they enhanced my vacation.
I have been doing that for years. They really appreciate it and I seem to get even better service when they realize I have all their information for the cruise survey. I have NEVER used it as a threat or written poorly about any crew member. I take it the first day and tell them it is to write about how great the service is and by golly, I always get great service! Do the same thing at the bars and guest services as well. I was told years ago it helps their paycheck and promotions!
I have started talking pictures of their name tags, as I tend to forget how to spell their names!
There's your answer. If the crew members have no idea about where the gratuities go, that means there's no additional bonus (gratuity) they receive other than their contracted salary. So that extra $300k-500k+ that's being automatically charged goes back into the cruise line's pockets.
I know of a few people personally that I’ve spoken to have said they don’t tip the ship. They go to guest services and tell them they don’t want to add gratuities and then they pay the people who actually are waiting onthem.
I wish I would have known I could do that!!! We were cruise rookies so had no idea!
Because that is exactly how the gratuity was done before the prepaid/auto gratuity was created in the mid-2000s.
Yup, this is the way. This way, you tip for the actual service, and the money goes to the worker directly, RCL doesn't see a cent of it, nor they should
That’s exactly what we continue to do. I hand my waiters and room attendant cash and we always tend to bring $8-10 per day in $1.00 bills so when we get free drinks (Diamond Plus so we get free drinks per day) we tip the crew members that serve us those drinks.
Yeah, be honest with yourselves. Not everyone who removes the gratuity from their bill tips the crew properly. Unless you have a very good reason related to poor service, removing the gratuity is rather...a rookie move. I want to say that it is ignorant, but either way, it is not appropriate. Don't drive a Mercedes if you can afford the insurance. Not a sermon. 🤨🤨🤨
Honestly, tipping is out of hand everywhere. Why should people be tipped for doing thier job. Tipping has become an expectation. It was at one time done only when someone performed beyond expectation and was a form of acknowledgment and appreciation. Just charge more for the cruise and forget the guilt ridden tipping. Will it be enough, or should I of shouldn't I.
Subsidizing company's employees.
This will never stop until RC CLEARLY explain how are the TIPS/GRATUITIES distributed, period! I like and always tip, I have never removed my gratuities and always pay them in advance, and also, I tip cash for my waiters and room attendants BUT the fact that RC has never explain the process, tells me that it's something shady... they are hiding something...Thank you Matt for all you do
Problem is no one believes what RC says about how its distributed, and that will never change. If you believe them now, it's all good. If you don't, it is a conspiracy. If they say anything more or less about how it is distributed, it will not change anyone's mind. In the end, if you don't like how RC says they hand out the gratuity, then you can remove it, and tip directly with cash. The prepaid/auto gratuity did not always exist and was introduced as a convenience, so you don't have to be bothered with cash and envelopes while on vacation.
@@georgelomarro4677 there is no way in this world that I would ever allow tips or gratuities to be paid to the cruise lines I pay directly who should be getting paid a proper wage anyway about governments got a grip on these greedy cruise lines.
We pay hundreds of dollars in gratuities ahead of time. Then get charged 18% gratuities on everything we buy , on every drink or food purchase. There should be no expectations of tips. We tip our room attendant well and that is it. Royal needs to disperse the tens of thousands they collect in tips , a little better I think.
Just dont pay gratuities. Sounds controversial, but we shouldn't be expected to pay 20/30% of ticket fee. Just give handshake tips to people that you really enjoyed their service
Gratuities on food or drink purchase are compulsory. Also they automatically charge you gratuities daily or ahead of time. That is why I am saying the k my person I feel compelled to tip extra is the Room Stewart. Anyone that has to clean up people's cruise bathrooms deserves all the money they can collect.
This is why I cruise with Princess. Buy the plus package that includes everything, including gratuities. No extra costs through the trip other than an extra tip for my steward and favorite bartender.
Been on Freedom and Utopia so far with Royal. Always paid the gratitudes when booking the cruise. Then tip the waiters and statesroom attendants with cash the final day of the cruise.
Compulsory "gratuities" are not tips, they are simply a slave tax. It is the employer's responsibility to pay their staff fairly and then set the fares accordingly. The childish practice of these compulsory charges is an insult to the intelligence of the passengers and supporting them is condoning the cruise line's practice of underpaying their staff. If you want to support the crew then remove the gratuities from your account.
The question is: Does the company pay revenue taxes from tips? Are tips subsidiesing their salaries? I'm just asking.
I think it is a loophole.
Royal should just increase fare prices and stop with the "Gratuities". That way we can go back to what gratuities really mean, something you leave for exceptional service. Royal will not do it because its easier to exploit the American tipping culture than to actually increase prices to pay crew more.
I agree gratuities should be included in the cruise fare. Amen!
However, until it changes, we're stuck with this system
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog Yup. I just pay it as part of my fare at the start and be done with that.
that is exactly the same as it s now
@RoyalCaribbeanBlog Hey Matt, have you ever asked a crew member if they do indeed receive a portion of the autogratuity?
Defenitely learned tips for our next cruise only been on one so far. Got new ideas to show my appreciation to my cabin steward
on NCL - they charge a daily "Service Charge". Has no language of gratuity. Makes me wonder if the cruise lines keep some if it for themselves
The personal notes and taking picture of name tags to do the survey are my take aways! I cruise in February. Great post
So glad to live in Australia and not have to worry about automatic gratuity. Extra tip for extra service.
Australia is leading common sense on this while America (on land and on cruises as well) is stuck in the past. Europe is a mixed bag. Will be on an MSC Cruise in Europe in February, booked through a European agency, and Gratuities are part of the cruise price. On another cruise in Europe in March on Celebrity booked through the same agency and Gratuities are not part of the Cruise price. MSC being European seems more sensible. Celebrity although originally Greek seems now more aligned to their parent company RCL. MSC in US will not include it as they would suddenly seen as more expensive. Wish the world follows Australia, pay a fare wage and increase it by the gratuities in their base salary and include gratuities in the cruise price and then tip for extra ordinary as we see fit.
Yes.
Let's call it what it is, a salary subsidy. I would like to know how these "gratuities" are really divided up amongst the crew, if that is in fact what happens.
100% I think it is a subsidy. A type of loophole on the system. Do you remember when ebay started? The seller started selling items cheaply and uses shipping to subsidy the rest. To avoid paying fees and taxes.
Indeed and it is deceptive to say “but 100% of autograt is distributed to the crew” when it is used to reduce the amount of the contract that the line funds. Whose really getting tipped here?!
Very nice and important video! We are aware of the surveys but have not thought about the personal notes. We tend to stay with cash tips but will think about small gifts also. As always Matt, thanks!
I have no problem with gratuities EXCEPT for having to pay them on the soda package. I’m going to the soda machine & filling the cup myself. If I got to a bar or main dining room and get one I will happily give a tip.
I think we'll probably take a package of Gain Flings to give to the crew, in addition to the mandatory gratuity and cash, because we have a Sam's Club account and get discounts, so it could really help them without costing us much. I never considered that the crew would have to pay for laundry detergent . . . Thanks Matt!! This was really informative!! I always keep crew names in my phone and notes for the survey after the cruise.
Great idea about putting their names in your phone! I’m horrible at remembering names.
I kept a running list of names as well.
It is not mandatory at all
i had heard the vagueness about how mentioning a crew member in the post cruise survey can help but actually getting the breakdown of what they get really does help to know. We always take time to jot down the names of any crew member who helps make our trip the best it can be and while we can't give cash tips to everyone, we do make sure to mention them by name in the survey and what they did to help us.
Good to know about the laundry soap! I’ll definitely be bringing that each time in addition to my tipping
We buy a pouch of pods at dollar tree but get the bag from Canada not China. 🎉❤
What Matt did not mention is the history of the gratuity. Nothing has changed. 20+ years ago when I went I my first cruise, the gratuity was all cash, in an envelope, an you handed it directly to your wait staff and cabin steward. It was a PITA. So Royal started automatic and prepaid gratuities, so we as the customer, do not have to be bothered with this ritual on our vacation. Nothing has changed in 25 years, the recommended amount has increased over time, and Royal still publishes this same gratuity breakdown of where it goes. You can still remove the automatic gratuity and tip directly, or tip more than recommended if you like. Nothing has changed.
It has changed though. Back when we passed out the envelopes those dollars added to the contracted minimum salary. Today they reduce the amount of that salary the line funds and the employee gets the contract salary. If you opt out the crew member still gets the minimum and the cash you give is over and above that. No?
Just charge me $560 more for my trip and stop calling it a tip
I wonder if royal Caribbean is doing this to avoid paying tax on it. It's likely it is currently being taxed as gratuity on the crew member from their country and not revenue to Royal Caribbean like if they just directly increased cost.
@@kevinsong1855 No, it is to make the cruise seem cheaper when signing up.
You do know that expenses write off against income ... right?
Just tip and quit being cheap
Isn't that basically the same as selecting to pre-pay the gratuities? Or do you just want it to be hidden all together and pretend it doesn't exist?
@@nickstark8479 That was my question as well.
Dude. The tipping propaganda must STOP! I will not help the cruise lines walk away with even more billions. If you want more money, ask your employer, not your employer’s customers!
Yes I believe the cruise lines should pay their employees a better pay. Why should we have to cover their lack of taking care of their crew I believe that the crew members make more in tips than I do per week
Calling it mandatory is misleading. They are auto added, but you can definitely ask to remove them from your room and tip accordingly using cash, either by hand or using the tipping envelopes. Guest services never ask why you are removing them. So... NOT mandatory.
Gratuity on food/beverage purchases on cruise planner ARE mandatory! When you buy a $14 cocktail, 18% gratuity is mandatory!
The only reason to remove them is to pay them in cash. Six of one, half a dozen of another.
Not the first time...hey man, just say that daily auto grats are not mandatory...
My sister and her husband have done dozens of cruises and my wife and I are about to go on a 13 day cruise with them. They said we should make sure to have RC take the tips off our accounts and pay the tips ourselves. They are very good tippers and so are we. My wife and I met in the restaurant business when I was a bartender and she was a waitress and have always been good tippers.
Very informative Matt!
The blogger mentioned that Australia isn’t included. Australian citizens on a cruise that starts and ends in an Australian port do not pay these automatic gratuities on some cruise lines. When we are on such a cruise we always tip our room attendant and the waiters that help us.
A few years ago we took our niece on a cruise. She was 21 at the time. She studied Indonesian in high school and always spoke to the Indonesian crew members she came across in Indonesian. They thought she was Indonesian. She also picked up how to say hello, how are you and thank you in other languages on board and use them with other crew members. She befriended a young retail crew member on board. She would go and talk to him when it was a bit quiet in the shops. He was the same age and it was his first cruise and it was nearing Christmas so he was a bit home sick. As a family we got to know him too and had a photo taken with him. When we got home my sister printed off the photo and put it into a Christmas card for him. She had a close friend going on a cruise on the same ship two weeks after we returned home. She asked her to give this crew member the card. Her friend said that when he got the card and saw the photo he got very emotional, thanked her and apologised and left because he was crying.
I would like to know how and when the automatic gratuities are distributed. There is zero transparency. I’ll continue to pay them but I would like to know that 100% actually is paid to the crew. I have serious doubts.
Great information Matt! Sharing your video!
I have heard the tips don't even really go to the crew but are used by the cruise line for their expenses.
Well I guess I’ll keep up my duck hiding game for everyone including the crew. Might also figure out where to get some crew laundry supplies.
Thanks Matt!
They make laundry detergent sheets. I bring some so I can wash in the sink. That would be really easy to pack if you want to gift to the crew
My feeling is if it's "mandatory", then it's not a gratuity...it's part of their salary. But this was good information to learn about.
Don't call it it "mandatory" when you can do something about it, no questions asked. Don't prepay it, and remove/reduce/increase it as you like.
We have gotten into the habit of tipping our MDR waiter and assistant waiter a smaller daily tip instead of one large tip at the end of the cruise. We think it's a win/win. It is a great way to show appreciation after every meal and it puts money in the pockets of the crew members in case they are running a little short during a cruise for some reason.
Shirtless guy at the buffet line 2:45 😱 please tell me that that is a carnival ship B role footage. 😂
I've always wondered if I add a dollar or two tip when signing the receipt at a bar, does that tip go directly to the crew member? Or is it better for the crew member if I hand them cash instead?
WoW! allot of info i did not know, thank you for sharing
When Royal raises daily gratuities at the same time as decreasing service like room cleanings to once a day makes zero sense
You should never be charged an mandatory tip on drinks. Tips should be left up to discretion of customer and tips should be given AFTER service is rendered not before otherwise it’s a service fee. Like charging a mandatory 18% gratuity when purchasing a drink package often months before service is rendered. Why should bartenders who never provided me service be entitled to a cut of the gratuities charged to me?
Tipping culture in the US is out of control. My advice is remove the daily auto gratuities and just tip if you feel the need to.
My cruise fare which has increasingly grown with the expanded demand for cruising provides the cruise lines to employ more crew. It’s royals job to pay crew a fair wage. Not mine.
I am all for Royal just doing away with auto and mandatory gratuities and just raising the fare and let the market sort it all out but I doubt Royal will do that any time in near future
Nailed it
THere should be no tipping at all people should be paid a proper wage
It's a pleasure to know that the crew is appreciative of receiving positive feedback. I always leave complimentary remarks for my most cherished crew members. ❤
Thanks for this informative video Matt. Tipping in Australia is only given for EXCEPTIONAL service. That’s why Gratuities are included in the price for Royal Caribbean cruises booked in Australia. Unfortunately, we have not experienced any exceptional service on Royal Caribbean ships in recent years. Although crew members on the sister line, Celebrity, often warrant extra tips for exceptional service.
My first stop when boarding is guest services to ensure no gratuities are added to my account, as a gratuity can not be expected or enforced.
It is far better to to tip staff in cash directly as tips collected by the cruise company are not voyage specific. These funds are pooled fleet wide and used by the cruise companies to pay bonuses ect.
That staff member you so appreciated is most likely never going to see any of the money.
Everyone has their own opinions on tips. I could go to town with comments about cultural differences (US Vs Europe) and how tipping has gotten out of hand but it would be way too long. Ultimately, we are choosing to remove the auto tips from our future sailings and will just be tipping in cash as we go.
And from the sounds of this video, with how unsure crew are with how auto tips are distributed, that's not a terrible way to go about things.
I have been doing the same for years now. Matt said they are obligatory but folks need to know they are not.Every crew member I have given cash to has seemed very appreciative as it goes directly into their pockets
I pre pay tips, but for each service I give them a dollar each, it’s just a little extra as I always see good service from the staff at all times.
We went on our first cruise in December and felt very confused by the tipping/gratuity thing. We were under the impression handling cash was poo-poo’d and paying it in advance was the most preferred. So we didn’t bring any cash aboard other than an emergency stash if for some reason that would be needed? LOL anyway, now that I hear these comments from crew I am sad and wish I could go back and bless all the amazing people who served us all week. We loved them so much! We did take some of our cash stash and leave a thank you note and a little something for our room attendant because he serviced two rooms (one teenager room so he deserved a medal)! And we mentioned every single name on the survey of those who served us.
I took my first cruise last march. I'm normally friendly to everyone. I would always ask the staff there name where there from. Tell me about where there from and I mentioned it to my gf that I felt like we got more appreciation from the crew on the later days
The correct amount to tip is whatever you want. Zero is just as valid as a million bucks. No shame because it is a tip and therefore completely optional.
My only thing is if you are going to remove daily service fees, mislabeled as gratuities, then do so on the first day. Be fair about it.
I have my doubts that the automatic gratuity all gets to the employees. That’s why I tip the people I come in contact with.
What about the bag porters, the laundry, the cooks, the entertainment staff, the washy-washy girls, the engineers, the painters, etc, etc, etc?
Hey, I pay the automatic gratuity hoping the cruise line is taking care of the people I don’t come in contact with. But as I stated above I wonder where the gratuity money really goes.
@@mblitchwhat about them?
@mblitch that's part of the problem with tip culture in the US. Those positions that you mentioned should be getting a decent wage provided by their employer. My "optional" tip is for people who provide me with a direct service and go above & beyond. I don't have a problem rewarding good service. I have a problem with adding the 18% fee and disguising it as a tip when it's really a subsidy.
I never received my post sailing survey. We encountered so many wonderful crew members on Allure of the Seas, I wanted to give them their “flowers”.
Spam or junk mail
@ wasn’t in there either, that was the 1st place I checked.
I don’t pre-pay my gratuities but i pay for my gratuitys and my wife tips cash the whole trip because she wants to know were her money goes and it goes with our server/room attendit btw the room attendit gets like 60$ thats way more than he gets from my auto gratuitys
I cruise solo and pay a 90%+ solo supplement. I’m not paying gratuities as well
Cruising on RC in April. Pre paid Tips, booked Giovanni’s and the Coffee Package both also added Gratuities, crazy. Won’t be Tipping on the Ship, if Crew Members want to vent anger about Tips talk to RC Management. I do the Reviews and always add the names when getting great Service.
Our last cruise on HAL, the waitstaff at one of the bars knew our names before we knew theirs! They all got a little extra. And of course the cabin steward - an extra hundie!
Great info Matt
I have asked crew members on five different lines about the tips. I have never gotten an answer because they don't know what happens to them. I do know that the private concessions like the photo studio and jewelry stores aren't involved in that I think the Senior Crew isn't either but the problem is nobody can tell you where the money goes.
We always prepay our tips knowing they go to many members behind the scenes you never meet
How do you know that? This post and video made no such informative reference to that.
@@mblitchIt’s a pretty well-known fact in the cruising world, and it has been discussed in many other videos.
Right in the ceo”s pocket
It's a win win situation for guests and crewmembers to opt out of the prepaid tip and just tip whoever helped you the most. The surveys are highly manipulated by the managers and help their paisanos over the rest
Good to know we have to let their managers know we're gifting them something from the ship!
I try my best to remember names, but I’m SO so terrible at it! To the point where, even some of my co-workers that I don’t see daily, I can’t remember their names😓
I’ve taken to putting the names in my phone!
I did this with our waiters from our last cruise so that I could mention them by name in the survey!
I’m going to try to bring little Canadian maple leaf pins on our next cruise to gift to staff. It’s something small that can be pinned to a bag or coat that won’t be obvious, but that will hopefully say “thank you for making our cruise amazing.”
after 35+ cruises this tipping thing is out of control... why tip main dining room staff when we don't eat there? 4-5 times we cancelled the auto tips because of very poor service... slow uncaring wait staff for example... RCL requires that a record must be made of complaint issues before they allow a cancellation... yes BEFORE THEY ALLOW... cabin steward always gets a generous tip because without fail they work the hardest... as we get older we get more cranky but ...
We chose to not pay the gratuity at booking but let it show up daily. We have had cruises where something changed that caused us to get an OBC. We then use the OBC to pay the gratuity. We also give extra to the room attendant, waiters, and a bartender or two.
I can vouch for the survey’s and how beneficial it is to the individual crew members. Of course I would not remember all the WONDERFUL names.. I have made a habit of taking their pictures with the Name tag visible. I create a folder for that sailing and add their work location to the specific crew members.
I sailed the same ship within a 60 Day Period and the actually remembered me and told me that had great surveys and had received things like Guest Room, Financial incentives, time off and other recognitions.
I always tell them I am talking the photo with name tag, so I can mention them specifically…
PLEASE NOTE: The immediate submission of the survey is important because incentives are often determined by a certain time frame when survey is received… Like, first Come first serve.
So do they really receive the extra money on their check when we prepay ?
In normal life, I enjoy tipping people that provide excellent service. Automatic gratuities can be frustrating, if you wanted to give more to a specific crew member.
I wish they would allow you to allocate where your prepaid gratuities go, by team or crew member. Whatever splits they have in place don’t account for the service the individuals provide. Imagine if you could pick an individual that really took care of you to give a majority of your prepaid gratuities to!
We took a cruise where our Housekeeping staff was AMAZING but the MDR staff wasn’t so great, and since I always prepay, I wished that I could allocate more to the Housekeeper from the already paid amount.
Of course, we carry some cash for tipping above that, but it’s nowhere near the upfront amount.
Anyway, appreciate your coverage on this topic, as I think a lot of us want to be kind to the hardworking staff but also feel our tips are going to the people who truly deserve it... or worse, fear the tips never make it to the crew at all.
I do wish they would adjust the fare prices to pay non-service crew members more and remove assumed/compulsory tips altogether.
I’m not tipping a penny. I booked the cruise on symphony and paid for 2 people $252 for gratuity then I booked the refreshment package along with unlimited dining and paid another $300+ in tips… then tips again for the shore excursions… all together I paid over $600 in tips.. all they get for me is a thank you and safe travels
and it does not go to crew at all
I tip room stewards bar tenders food staff individually usually daily . Then have the bill tip removed from my final bill.
Great video!!!!😊
Makes me want to remove the auto gratuities sounds like the crew doesn’t receive this on top of their actual pay
IN MY opinion, tipping has moved way past the point where it is simply a gratuity for wait staff or cabin steward service. Its in the realm of a surcharge that should be added to the basic cruise fare.
I agree. It's why I wish Royal would include it as part of the cruise fare. Until that happens, we're stuck with this.
I remove the automatic gratuities. The gratuities are an income line for the cruise lines. Crew members are paid the salary they are contracted to receive. Some crew members may receive an award or bonus from the gratuities fund. Bottom line is you want a specific crew member to get a gratuity, you need to hand them the cash!
There was no "truth about tipping".
The Reddit post specifically wrote "do not ask me about gratuities/prepaid gratuities as I am not well versed on this topic
This video title is completely misleading. There was absolutely no in-depth mention as to how tips are ACTUALLY handled inside the company. There was no mention of how these pre-paid gratuities are distributed. All you did was essentially read the bullet points of the post, which really added no real knowledge beyond "we like getting cash, don't give us things that get us in trouble".
For tips, I always do the prepayment gratuity, then some extra cash to : My room steward, the two waiters/waitress in the dining room. I like to hang around the piano bar so I put some cash on his/her tips cup. I eat pizza almost every late midnight so the two pizza dudes get some cash also.
I always take a gift bag, but never thought of laundry detergent. Thanks
I am terrible at remembering names. I've started photographing the name tags on those special crew members, and will include their names in comments to the Ship. And I don't wait until I get home and fill out the survey. When someone does something note worthy, I'll forward a positive note to management. I've had crew members stop me the next day to say that they had been recognized at their morning meeting.
I hate tipping!
There have been crew member paystubs posted online. RCCL uses the tips to subsidize how much they pay each worker. If a worker is contracted to get $1500 every two weeks and tips are $500, royal pays them $1000. If the tips are $200, Royal pays them $1300.
That's terrible. I've heard that before. I'd rather cut the "mandatory gratuities" and tip them in cash personally. I always felt it didn't make sense how they can profit from such low cruise fares. There's no way especially with the massive amounts of food and drinks available. Not to mention trash generated they have to deal with.
Really? that's not kosher. I really dislike schemes where the vendor collects the tip from the customer when they pay, and the worker doesn't see any of it it. This really makes a case for asking RCL to remove the mandatory tip, and then the customer should hand them cash at the end of the cruise. This way, they get their pay and you know they are actually seeing every cent of the tip
@@raymondii436 Agreed. Retract the automatic gratuity, and then tip often at least. Tip people cleaning the ship and the bussers cleaning tables as well. Heck tip customer service desk.
1) Cruise lines should publish their tip distribution policy. and have adherence to that policy verified. I've seen too many charities where most of the donated money goes to "administration expenses". How do we know that sort of thing isn't happening with the "mandatory" cruise tips?
2) So crew that have a lot of contact with the guests get money from the "mandatory" tip pot. What about the crew that work sight unseen (e.g. the laundry crew)? They're important too.
I bring some googly eye stickers I get from Amazon for my cabin steward. They dont take up much room. Always fill out the survey. I take pictures of staff that is great along my cruise so I can remember their names. They always love to pose for a picture!
I've always tried to name drop 3-5 exceptional crew members on board ranging from cabin crew to restaurant staff to on several occasions customer service too... the idea that they may have gotten some of those perks like a day off or a specialty meal makes me even more likely to celebrate excellence on future cruises!
Potentially controversial, but even as someone who pre-pays gratuities, I would like the option to pay a higher gratuity rate if they change it, because if I get a better deal that means that the awesome crew who take care of my cabin or serve us in the dining room are making less from helping me than someone else, I don't think that's fair. While being grandfathered in on a lower rate is a great option, I wish I had the opportunity to pay more even if I don't have to (beyond paying individual tips of course, which is always an option)
RE:Tipping- We are Diamond status - as such, we receive 4 comp drinks per day. How does tipping work? Should we have been adding a tip to each order?
I do.
Yes! Another crew member revealed there's no auto gratuity with Diamond drinks
I would like to get absolute confirmation that some of the prepaid gratuities go to behind-the-scenes people. I've heard differing answers on that. I've always written down crew members' names so I can give recognition later. I've never, ever, had a bad crew member. On our last cruise, a crew member got cornered by a guest who felt he had a connection with the poor guy and that crew member intently listened for quite a long time. He was in the middle of cleaning guest rooms. He spoke very little and just nodded but he was very gracious.
Used to work for them and can confirm the crew gets every penny
I always wonder whether the back room workers such as kitchen and laundry staff get to share the mandatory gratitude. Also crew working in the engine room or other facilities maintenance departments.
I like to take a photo of the crew members’ name tags, to ensure I spell it correctly on the review email.
I really don't understand tipping culture, charge more to give better salaries and nobody will have to pay anything else.
If the company pay more in salary, that means more taxes have to be paid. It is a subsidy.
I bought one of the bartenders on my adventure ofs sailing a couple years ago a cup of ice cream, i asked her if she was allowed to have some and wanted it and said yes.
As someone said below, the video title was misleading and did not cover the actual findings from the latest REddit posts. I love your videos, but this was a cop-out.
If mentioning crew members is so important why isn't it available on the app? I have suggested this option for years on surveys post cruise! Complimenting crew members in real time right after a crew member goes the extra mile is most accurate, especially if you could post it with a picture of the crew member. Post cruise surveys probably don't get filled out very often as people are going back to their busy work lifes. Give your guests the ability to comment on the ship while they are the on the ship!
Very informative 🎉 we get a pouch of pods at dollar tree every c ruise for our cabin steward. Check to make sure it's not China...😍 3:42
The gratuities are split between the main dining, housekeeping and all the background workers that are busting their butt's to make sure we all have an amazing vacation. I prepay to cover the ones I don't get direct contact with and then tip individually to those who do something great either for me or that I witnessed them do for someone else. 95% of these people work really hard to make sure we can relax and enjoy our times aboard.
When you say "background workers,"who exactly do you mean.? Decades ago the only people who Receive a tip were the cabin steward, Head waiter, assistant waiter and Matri D. Are there now other people that are sharing in the tip pool ?
I had no idea that if you purchased something from the gift shop to give as a gift you had to give the receipt. I think that's a little petty and very restrictive.
Royal Caribbean is the best, but can you make a video and reach out to higher ups about the lady that caught Royal Caribbean diluting shots with water…!!
Citation?
I doubt though that this blog would do that. They never approach subjects that really make RCL look bad or be investigative or informative.
@ yeah I guess he probably wouldn’t address that… would make Royal look bad & dishonest…
I watched a bartender squirt sprite or something into a drunk lady's drink from his bar hose. He we doing everyone a favor!