Stop Assigning Cruise Gratuities

How do you feel about cruise gratuities? Most cruise lines have an assigned gratuity or a service fee that is added on to the cruise fare. It's time for the practice to stop. The cruise ship tipping debate wages on. Let's talk about it.

[crisco]

I would rather just tip the worker I have contact with, from my experience you get much better service! I never have been a fan of assigned gratuities.

[BarbieCP]

Tipping is a choice. It should not be mandated. We always ask for the tips to be removed from our room charges because we pay cash directly to those who have made our experience an enjoyable one. Paying directly to staff is more than what the cruise lines will pay them after the cruise lines divide it up. Our tips are way more than they receive when its pre paid gratuities. We have friends who work on cruise ships and believe me when we say they appreciate it more than you think. Yes, take care of the staff that provides you service but don't let the cruise lines force you to pay under their terms. My vacation, my experience, my choice.

[UncleBuc]

I HATE forced gratuities/tipping. A tip should be my decision to reward someone for whatever reason I decide to give. This goes for staff at a restaurant. Pay them a fair salary. I should not have to supplement their wage through tips when the employer can get away with paying less. Tipping should be for exceptional service, not to boost a wage!

[tod]

I pay the gratuities up front no problem. I also carry singles and hand it to my favorite bartenders. Its amazing how fast I get a drink no matter the crowd... Hello Mr. Todd.. good to see you...as she hands me a Miller light.

[Auntyjane]

in my country, we are a culture that do not normally tip as the service worker is paid an hourly rate, and weekly wage.. if you want to tip someone it is your choice but you know that the business is paying that person. The Cruise lines are basically subsidizing their employees wages with the passengers gratuity levy and laughing all the way to the bank. It is a weird concept to me, but hey...

[Kittie]

I'm not shorting someone their wage. Their wage is what they agree to work for when they sign the contract with Carnival. Anything they get from the guests is icing on the cake.

[margaretdownie]

I feel the cruise companies should give each and every staff member a decent wage. The cruise companies are raking in billions so why CAN'T they look after their staff (all staff) give them a decent wage.. we are already paying a lot of money for our cruise, but we have to top up their crews wages because "They" don't pay their staff enough?? Come on... I will tip anyone who provides me with a good service. Here in Scotland we don't look at tipping the same way, if someone leaves a tip, then its a bonus, if someone doesn't then it doesn't matter because we are earning a good wage and not relying on tips to boost our wages.. I am going on my first ever cruise in August, and I have all ready paid the gratuities up front, because that's the its done..😊💕

[princessc]

This video opened my eyes. I agree that everyone who works for the cruise lines should all get fair wages. They all work hard and it's only right for all of the cruise staff to get fair wages. If someone wants to tip extra then that's up to that individual. It has always been my thought that it would be better that the gratuity be added in the total cruise fair.

[brianeyawn]

I like the idea of including the gratuity into the fare. is it fair and reasonable for everybody.

[techgeek]

you are not shorting anybody from their wage, as ex crew member i know how this works, i worked on 5 diffrent ships, ship companies use your graduities to make it up to minimum wage for crew. If you tip or not tip they will still recieve their minimum guaranteed wage.better tip them in person because that is the only way for them to earn more money rather than just being stuck at minumum guaranteed wage. Also staff that have targets like restaurants spa, casino, shops they will never get any tip from you if they dont hit their targets. Your tips will end up going to company . And why is that lets take for an example spa massage therapist .she starts from 0 sallary and builds her way up. The way she earns is 18 percent graduity plus 9 percent retail commision from sales. So if she did not have enough massages booked and if she didnt hit her target through sales, then company will pay her minimum guaranteed wage. So lets take for an example that she had 3000 dollars of revenue from massage, her earnings there are 3000X 18% which equals 540 usd . Her monthly guaranteed minimum wage is 800 usd. in this case Steiner that is the name of the company will pay her the diffrence of 260 usd to make it up to the 800. And if you tipped that person that month with 100 usd . She will not get it 100% not, She will still only recieve 800 usd minimum wage . She is supposed to get 800 minimum wage plus 100 your tip. but she will not get your tip that will be used to cover her minimum wage. That is one example. People that do hit their targets then will get the tip. But how can you know is somebody reach their target or not ?? Speak to crew when you are on boat, people that are behind scenes like people working in linen or washing dishes they dont get a cent from tips i know that for sure. And many other people will not get that tips at all. Company is using that money just to give them minimum guaranteed wage, while they pay their electricians 10 000 usd, captain has 30 000 usd or more, officers have 10 000 + and other officers have very high sallaries, restaurant manager has like 10 000 usd, maitre d has 7 000 usd and more plus his commison, hotel director has like 15 000 usd and so on. So dont tip maitre d if you get good table . Pay the tips to the crew in hands. That is only was knowing 100 % they will get that tip

[timsongster]

The employer and the employee agree on a wage. What that wage is, is not my business.. I don’t want to pay extra for no reason… I am not opposed to tipping when the service goes beyond expectations…. I think the “”tip”” compensation should be built in the cruise price and not added after the fact.. I live in NYC where tipping is expected for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g … gets boring… the bartender, the waitress, the cabbie, the doorman, the mailman, the delivery man…. Enough already.. let the cruise be an escape from the invisible man in my wallet. Just set the price and I’ll either buy it or pass it.. that extra “tip” fee is an eye rolling aggravating extra that is kinda not cool and low class.

[drakadog]

You do not tip at Disney world and they are some of the most motivated people I have ever met . So the cruise lines can pay fairly .

[johnnaking]

We like to prepay our gratuities! I always tip extra to the ones who give great service!

[davemcduckful]

The gratuity is not $10 a day. It is more like $15 and for a family of four over seven nights is $420.

[SanBrunoBeacon]

Cut cruise line upper management salaries by 30% and increase cruise line rank & file employee salaries by 40% or do some other variation on this salary redistribution theme that results in upper management salaries being reduced and rank and file salaries being increased. This would put an end to the gratuity gouging.

[karyndewit]

I think they charge too much for tips. Honestly, I think the price per person for the room stewards are crazy. I think it’s like $14.50 per day per person. My youngest two don’t even make that much mess and we have 4 people in the room. I don’t think a 4 person room requires that much more than 2.

[muscleken]

The reason why the tip is not included in the booking price is simple business. You will sell more cruises with a $200 less sticker price. Keep in mind cruise cabins are priced by 2. $900 looks alit better than $1100. Its been researched and It’s same as 99.99 prices sales better than $100. Or even 9.99 sells better than $10 posted prices.c
Second. I sales in ncl 5 day cruise and ate at all speciality restaurant which my bill included gratuity at the end of my dinner. I never once ate in the dining hall. All my drinks included gratuity. So only person left for me to tip was my room Stewart. So if i pay the assigned gratuity am i paying a lot more than others ?
Bottom line cruising is getting more and more expensive and cruise lines don’t want to try and list the cheapest price as possible because they charge for basically everything on the ship now. Simply put if it’s a tip it’s my discretion.

[DisconnectingMoreandMore]

Here’s the deal. Go back 10 - 15 years, cruising was a lot more affordable. Now I understand that cruising has become more mainstream and a lot of people do it. So the prices have gone up. I agree with you, just include it in with cost of the cruise. Saying that though, with how much cruising has gone up in popularity and pricing, I don’t want to see my fair go up $700 for a 7 day cruise with a family of five. These cruise companies are obviously making money or they wouldn’t be building new and innovative ships as they are. In fact, it seems they can’t keep up. They people that work on the ships are the cruise lines employees, not mine. Now, at the end of the 7 days, if our stateroom attendant has done a good job, we slip them $150-$200 for the week. We do not eat in the MDR, but mostly at the buffet. And I know those workers need tips as well. And there are times when someone does a fantastic job in the buffet and I slip them som cash right then and there. But cruise lines need to start paying their employees better. The money is there. They just need to trickle it down to everyone and not expect or make the passengers feel guilty because they don’t want a $500-$700 added to their cruise at the end of the week on top of an already expensive cruise.

[tarapowell]

In Australia it’s included in the fare.

[theubercruisers]

I look forward to arguing with the front desk about removing the assigned gratutity....As previously stated in for cruises that are based in Australia there is no assigned gratuities. The argument that the cruise becomes more expensive because the gratuities are prepaid may be true but why is that the majority of cruises in Australia are always sold out. My hypotheses is that the fair is not inflated by that much. Mandatory tipping is illogical and in the scheme of things not necessary these days.